Fragile Faith - 2 Corinthians 4:7

"We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves." We've all heard the amusing story about the man who falls over a cliff and grabs a branch on the face of the cliff to break his fall. He's hanging from the branch and calls up toward heaven, "If anybody is up there, please help me!" Suddenly a voice booms down from heaven, "LET GO OF THE BRANCH!" The man hanging from the branch thinks about it for a minute and then calls out, "Is there anybody else up there?" While this fable demonstrates a profound principle about faith, this principle often gets lost in the humor of the man's response (it's not so unlike how many of us would respond to the situation). Lately, I'm learning that faith is more about letting go than holding on, more about being broken than getting it together, more about giving up than having our way. Faith is more about what I don't understand about God than what I do understand! The Apostle Paul says it's like we are storing the great treasure of God's redemptive power in fragile clay jars. Thus, we must get our own selves out of the way--we must let go of our own will and yield to God's will--for the power of God to be deployed in our lives. Does having faith mean, then, that we just sit around and do nothing because God will handle everything? Well, yes, except there is something for us to do. Most of us have to work full-time at the "letting go" part of the equation because we want to plan and organize and control every aspect of our lives. We don't plan for bad things to happen and when trouble or tragedy strikes, then we are at a loss to explain how God could let this happen. Paul proposes that is through our vulnerability--our fragile faith--that Christ is manifested in our lives: "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair...We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies" (vs. 8-10). The old maxim is right: Let Go and Let God!

Unveiled - 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

"But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image." These verses make reference to the practice of Moses to wear a veil to hide God's glory that was reflected on his facial features after being in God's presence. Moses wore the veil because he didn't want his fellow Israelites to see the glory of God fading from his face. The Apostle Paul contrasts this vanishing glory with the increasing glory that we now enjoy because of the presence of God that indwells us by the Holy Spirit. Because the Holy Spirit dwells in us, God's glory can be increasingly reflected through us rather than fading away as was the case with Moses. Paul says having the indwelling Holy Spirit is like having the veil removed from our hearts and minds so we can freely see God for Who He is and manifest His glory in our lives as we progressively become more like Christ. Let the Holy Spirit work in your life to form you into God's image by making you more like Jesus!

Something New - Isaiah 43:18-19

“But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?"

In these verses God is assuring Israel of its coming restoration from Babylon's rule.

While Israel's deliverance from Babylonian captivity would be similar to its deliverance from Egyptian bondage, God was going to do a much greater thing.

He was not limited to doing the same miracles in the same way He had done in the past. God had some even greater miracles in mind for Israel's future.

Since my wife's recent death from cancer, I've come to realize that I will never again have the life that that we had together. While there are many wonderful products of our almost thirty years of marriage--children, grandchildren, friends, a home, spiritual growth--everything in my life to this point is the past.

With God there's only the future; therefore, God isn't concerned so much about what He has done in my past as what He can do in my future.

So all the great and wonderful things He has done in my past does not limit what He can do and wants to do in my life in the future!

What God wants to do with me, and you, is something greater than the totality of all our previous experiences with God--it's something marvelous, something wonderful, something new!

Faith and Faithfulness - Ruth 1:16-17

"But Ruth replied, Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us! " Ruth was a foreigner from Moab who married into an Israelite family from Bethlehem. The family had moved to Moab during a severe famine in Judah. All the men of this Israelite family died in Moab, leaving behind three widows—Ruth, her mother-in-law Naomi, and her sister-in-law Orpah. When Naomi decided to return to her hometown of Bethlehem, Ruth went with her mother-in-law rather than returning to her own family. Ruth’s declaration of love, loyalty, and faith in God in these verses has few equals in the Bible. Even Naomi recognized Ruth's determination and no longer insisted she stay in Moab with her own family: "When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more" (vs.18). What's significant about Ruth's commitment was that she declared it in a moment of deep emotion when her beloved mother-in-law was moving away, but she also lived it out by accompanying Naomi to Judah and supporting her mother-in-law. When they arrived in Bethlehem, their situation was difficult, but Ruth provided subsistence for Naomi and herself through the hard and risky task of gleaning in the grain fields (vs. 2:2). Ruth acted with modesty, grace, and courtesy, but also with determination, focus, and endurance. Ruth lived out her promise to trust God and take care of her mother-in-law. In the end, Ruth married a wealthy landowner and their child became the grandfather of King David, which meant Ruth played an important role in God's messianic plan. Ruth's act of faith in God's promises was climaxed by her life of faithfulness to God's promises. Faith initiates a project; faithfulness completes it! Our eternal life begins with an act of faith in God, but we obtain eternal life by being faithful to God.

Unstoppable! - Isaiah 40:28-31

"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint" (vs. 31). Isaiah reminds us that God is the Creator and His Being is everlasting and immeasurable. Therefore, God Himself never grows weak or weary; rather He gives His power and strength to those who are weak and powerless. Isaiah tells us that even young people don't have as much energy and strength as those who trust the Lord. Trusting God means waiting upon Him to act according to His plans and purposes instead of taking things into our own hands (see 8:17). And.when you trust God and wait for Him to do things His way, then you will be energized--even exhilarated! Isaiah said trusting God is like soaring to great heights like eagles or running and not getting winded or walking and never tiring out. When you trust God, you can just keeping going and going--like the Energizer Bunny, you are unstoppable! Yes, trusting God is an exciting way to live because it gives eternal significance to your life and everything you do with it.

Love Actually - I Corinthians 14:1

"Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy." Having emphasized the supreme importance of love in the preceding chapter (I Corinthians 13), the Apostle Paul returns to the subject of spiritual gifts, which he began discussing in Chapter 12. According to Paul, the value of each spiritual gift is defined in terms of the benefit it provides to others when administered through love. Two principles are at work in Paul's admonition: (1) That you ask God for special abilities empowered by the Holy Spirit that can be used to benefit other people, particularly other Christians; and (2) that you ask for those abilities having the most capacity to benefit others, specifically the ability to prophesy or speak a special message directly from God. If you love God, then you want to do His work; the best way for you to do His work is by His enabling power. And consequently, loving God means you love people and want them to know and love Him because God loves people. In contrast to the Corinthians, who seemed to want to exercise spiritual gifts that made them appear to be spiritual to other people, love for God and other people is the motive for asking for spiritual gifts. Therefore, when love is actually the reason, then it's desirable--no, necessary--to ask God for the ability to help and strengthen other people.

Flawed Heroes - Judges 14:6

"As Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah. At that moment the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion’s jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat." Samson was an enigmatic leader who was an inspirational but flawed hero. Samson was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth and was destined by God to rescue Israel from the Philistines (vs. 13:5). Nazirites were men or women that were set apart to God in a special way. The Nazirite vow included special dietary regulations and never cutting one's hair (see Numbers 6:1-21). While we are most familiar with the Samson and Delilah story, Samson had several misadventures that were recorded in the book of Judges prior to his tragic ending. When Samson became an adult, a Philistine woman "caught his eye" (vs. 1) and he insisted on marrying her over the objections of his parents (vs. 3). Samson was traveling to the Philistine town of Timnah with his parents to make the arrangements for his wedding for the first of three occurrences recorded in the book of Judges when "the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him" (vs. 6, 19; 15:14). Although the marriage was doomed before it was ever consummated, it was God's means for beginning to confront the Philistine rule over Israel (vs. 4). During the seven day wedding celebration, the Philistine men selected to be his wedding companions prevailed on Samson's bride to persuade him to reveal the answer to a riddle he had bet the young men could not solve. Samson was furious with the Philistines when the young men won the bet due to his bride's duplicity. So Samson went to another Philistinian town and by the power of the Spirit of the Lord killed thirty men and gave their clothing to his wedding companions to pay the bet (vs. 19). Samson went back home to live with his parents and unbeknownst to him, his bride was given in marriage to the man who had been the best man at his wedding. Later, when Samson went to see his bride, he found out she was married to another, which set off a chain of revenge and retaliation in which Samson became a one-man insurgency against the Philistines. First, Samson took revenge on the community of Philistines by setting fire to their crops, vineyards, and orchards (vs. 15:3-5). Next, the Philistines accepted that Samson was a victim of injustice and took revenge on Samson’s former bride and her parents by burning them to death (vs. 15:6). This action caused Samson to avenge his would-be bride and in-laws by attacking and killing many Philistines (vs. 15:7-8), which triggered a potential war with Israel (vs. 15:9) that culminated in Samson killing a thousand more Philistines by the power of the Spirit (vs. 15:14-15). God was beginning to rescue Israel from the Philistines through this dysfunctional hero. Do you ever think that you need to be perfect or sinless before God can use you? The story of Samson demonstrates that God can especially use flawed individuals in powerful ways. You don't have to be without defect to be used mightily by God. God still needs heroes--people empowered by His Holy Spirit--to rescue a lost and dying world.

Run To Win - I Corinthians 9:24-27

"Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should." In these verses the Apostle Paul explains that one's salvation is not a single occurrence, or a semi-annual occurrence, or even a weekly occurrence, but a way of life that requires daily discipline and training. To illustrate how seriously the Corinthians must take the discipline of their salvation, Paul alludes to the Pan-Hellenic games held every two years in Corinth. Today, just as In Paul’s day, Olympic athletes endure extensive, rigorous training before competing. And athletes entering into a competition train to win! In the same way, strict self-discipline is required if a person is to gain the eternal prize of salvation and its corresponding rewards. Your salvation doesn't just happen--it requires you to live it out with planning, purpose, and practice. Be a practicing disciple. Approach your salvation like an athlete competing in a sporting event, not like a fan watching from the sidelines. And then, run to win!

Finding Common Ground - I Corinthians 9:22-23

"Yes, I try to find commond ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings." In this chapter the Apostle Paul describes in various ways how those who work in the ministry of the gospel have the right to share in the blessings of the gospel. Paul used examples of other apostles who ministered among the Corinthians and brought their wives and lived and ate in the Corinthians' homes (vs. 5-6). He asked what soldier pays his own expenses (vs. 7). He pointed out how farmers and shepherds have the right to eat from their own produce (vs. 7). Even the law of Moses said not to muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain (vs. 9, Deuternonomy 25:4). These examples supported Paul’s point that he and other Christian workers had a right to be supported financially by those they served. However, Paul, sees loving others and extending God's grace to them as more important than his rights or privileges as a minister of the gospel. Real Christian love is always sacrificial, like Christ’s own love. Believers ought never to focus on what is best for themselves, but on what is best for others. Paul characterized this as finding common ground. Somebody once said you can never win anybody to Jesus that you don't first win to yourself. In other words, you must model the message. People must be able to see how the gospel works in your life before they believe it will work for them. So Paul does that by finding common ground where the people he is sharing the gospel with can relate to him and he to them. And Paul considers it his responsibility to find the common ground with them. So the point of Paul's argument is not that ministers of the gospel should not be paid, but that effectively preaching and teaching the gospel is the most important thing.

Called to Account - Isaiah 27:8-9

"He exiled Israel to call her to account. She was exiled from her land as though blown away in a storm from the east. The Lord did this to purge Israel’s wickedness, to take away all her sin." This verse reponds to a question the prophet Isaiah posed to the hearers of his message. Has God punished His people in the same way He has punished the enemies of His people? The answer this verse stipulates is no; however, God calls His people to account for their disobedient or sinful behavior. While it may seem to His people that He is punishing them in the same way as their enemies, His punishment of His people is different because it is for redemptiive and restorative purposes--"to take away all her sin"--not for destructive purposes. God's people are fully accountable to Him. Accountability is greater than responsibility--it is the outcome of responsibility. It's easy to claim responsibility for one's actions because it's also easy to deny responsibility. Unfortunately, we often suffer from a see no evil-hear no evil-speak no evil complex. We're saved so we must not do bad things and if we do--well, we're saved! But if we're called by God to salvation, then we are called to accountability so God can take away all our sin. Here's the reason why: "Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body" (I Corinthians 6:19-20). You have been purchased by God at great expense to Him--the death of His Son. When He purchased your salvation and you accepted it, He placed His seal of ownership, the Holy Spirit, on you. By receiving God's Spirit, you have submitted your own will and life to His plans and purposes. Therefore, you belong to God and He is calling you to account for your actions and behavior so He can take away all your sin as you live for Him and serve Him.

Eyes Wide Open - Isaiah 26:12-13

"Lord, you will grant us peace; all we have accomplished is really from you. O Lord our God, others have ruled us, but you alone are the one we worship." Ultimate control and supreme authority over the universe emanate from the throneroom of God, the unseen Kingdom of Heaven where God resides and rules over the universe. Thus, what's true for the universe is true for our individual lives. We like to think that we are self-achievers, but we should recognize that God is the source of our accomplishments. Sometimes we are like the prophet Elisha's servant who could not see the angelic army that protected the prophet from the king of Aram when he sent a great army to capture Elisha. When Elisha's servant saw the Aramean army surrounding them, he became alarmed. Elisha reassured him that there were more on their side than there were Aramean soldiers. Then God opened the young man's spiritual eyes to reveal an angelic army that filled the hillside with horses and chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:17). When God's Spirit dwells in us, He is the One that enables us. Let our spiritual eyes be opened to reveal the reality of God's powerful presence with us so that the power of His salvation is revealed to us and through us. "But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world" (I John 4:4).

A Test of Love- Judges 2:20-23

"So the Lord burned with anger against Israel. He said, Because these people have violated my covenant, which I made with their ancestors, and have ignored my commands, I will no longer drive out the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died. I did this to test Israel—to see whether or not they would follow the ways of the Lord as their ancestors did. That is why the Lord left those nations in place. He did not quickly drive them out or allow Joshua to conquer them all." Because of Israel's continual disobedience to God’s covenant, God allowed other Canaanite people-groups that the Israelites were supposed to completely destroy to remain in the promised land. God left these enemies in the land to test the Israelites (3:1-4), but it was Israel who failed to drive them out as God had commanded. In fact, the book of Judges illustrates the tragic results of Israel's failure. These Canaanites became both oppressors of Israel and the means that God used to "test" or discipline Israel. They were the tool of both divine retribution and amazing grace--a test of love, of sorts. God used these oppressors of Israel to a beneficial purpose--to teach His chosen people obedience. God is Almighty and His plans are Supreme, even to the extent that He can use the evil actions of people, even His chosen people, to work His good purposes. Sometimes God's discipline is a result of our own sin and disobedience and sometimes God's discipline is to instruct us. But God's discipline always leads us into a greater understanding of His will and a closer relationship with Him. "My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights" (Proverbs 3:11-12).

Home Improvement - I Thessalonians 4:1-8

"We urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you...God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor...God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you." A few years ago my wife and I purchased a new home. Because the house was newly built, there were many things we needed to do to it. We had to arrange our furniture in the house and hang pictures on the walls. We had to install blinds and curtains for all the windows in the house. We had to sod the yard so we would have grass growing on the lawn. We had to have the phone and cable installed. We did all this work to the house because we were the proud owners of a new home. Doing all this work to the house, however, did not make us homeowners. We did it because we were homeowners and we wanted to maintain the house in good condition so that it would be a clean and comfortable place for our family to live for many years. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we are like the homeowners of God's place of residence. Therefore, we need to perform some home improvements to maintain God's house. God is holy--that is, He exists separate from His creation. As God's children, we too must be holy--living separate from the ways of this world. To be holy, we must, individually and corporately, lean hard on the Holy Spirit through spiritual disciplines like prayer, Bible study, and worship to enable us to live ethically and righteously and empower us to effectively proclaim the message gospel through our words and deeds. Now, being holy, living righteously, or doing good deeds does not "save" us. We do them because we are saved, because we are God's home, and we want to live in a way that pleases God.