Boldness

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication

in the Spirit. . .for me, that utterance may be

given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly

to make known the mystery of the gospel,

for which I am an ambassador in chains; that

in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

     Ephesians 6:18-19 (NKJV)

“But I want you to know, brethren, that the

things which happened to me have actually

turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,

. . .and most of the brethren in the Lord, having

become more confident by my chains, are much

more bold to speak the word without fear.”

     Philippians 1:12, 14 (NKJV)

God really seems to be shaking things up! (Not that God created this pandemic, but He has allowed it and is using it for His purposes.) The world has shut down in many ways, our routines are disrupted and we now live in very restricted circumstances. Yet despite those restrictions, this crisis is a unique opportunity for believers. "Stay at home" does not mean we should just hunker down and wait it out. Instead, we should be bold to make the most of these unusual days. Paul asked for prayer to continue speaking the gospel boldly.  Paul also noted the importance of being a strong witness for Christ in difficult circumstances and said that by doing so, the brethren will be more bold to speak God’s truth without fear.  That applies to us today too.  

Boldness to speak.  Social distancing does not mean that conversations are cancelled or that relationships are on hold; instead, they have taken on new importance.  Paul says he "ought to" speak with boldness and so should we. With the blurring of lines in this limbo state we're in, I feel a new freedom to speak of God and my faith to people and in venues that did not seem open before.  I’m out of my comfort zone, yet I feel God’s strong presence with me. There are many different ways we can bring words of hope and encouragement to those within our sphere of influence. And that sphere may be enlarging during this window of crisis.  

Boldness to give. These are desperate times for many, and many in the world are stepping up to meet physical needs with kindness and generosity. As Christ followers, we should be helping to meet such needs as well, giving with compassionate and cheerful hearts. There are many ways we can give of our time, talent and treasure, to minister to others. But ultimately, people's greatest need is spiritual and in that respect, we have something to give that the world cannot offer: salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.  

Boldness in prayer.  These days there seem to be more opportunities to pray for people and more people to pray for. My intercessory prayer list seems to grow longer each day, but it is a blessing to have additional fellowship with God during my prayer times. This crisis should motivate us to spend more time on our knees before the throne of God fervently praying for the lost, the needy, our leaders, etc., praying that the Holy Spirit will work in their hearts and lives. For our words and actions can only do so much; it is He who does the real work.

Pray for boldness; pray for opportunities.  Then step out as the Lord leads you, without fear, trusting in His guidance.

Thursday Devotional - Confidence in Uncertainty

How have the last few week’s been for you? Has your life flipped upside down?

I doubt any of us dreamed we would be living life like we are now. Life doesn’t always

go as expected, but God is still in control, and Sovereign over all!

Paul’s life didn’t go the way he thought, either. I’ve been studying Paul in the book of

Acts in Bible study (which has been moved totally online the last few weeks). All the

uncertainties Paul faced has really helped me put my challenges in perspective. My

challenges are very tiny compared to his challenges. Yet, he wasn’t frozen in fear.

In fact, at the end of Paul’s third missionary journey he was told by the Holy Spirit and

Prophets that hardships and prison awaited him in Jerusalem.

Acts 20:22-24           ²² “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. ²³ I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. ²⁴ However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Wow, Paul was focused on his task of testifying about the good news of God’s grace. He wasn’t shocked, disheartened, or discouraged by what he faced. He continued to boldly speak for God, confident in God’s plan for his life.

How confident are you and I in God’s plan for our lives? He’s in control. He has a plan. We don’t need to worry, but just do what He’s called us to do, take up our cross, trust Him and follow Him!  

Alice

Godly Accountable

If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its flesh may not be eaten. In such a case, however, the owner will not be held liable.  But suppose the ox had a reputation for goring, and the owner had been informed but failed to keep it under control. If the ox then kills someone, it must be stoned, and the owner must also be put to death.  Exodus 21:28-29

I was watching a movie about being a father in tough circumstances.  The father had been involved with gangs most of his life, and rehabilitated himself with the help of an older mentor.  In the final scene, there is a confrontation between the father and the gang leader over who ultimately would determine the boy’s future.  As the gang leader threatens to kill the father, the father tries to teach his son, who was in the middle, a lesson by offering his own life to help him see the wrongfulness of gang life.  The father says:

Jimmie... son... if you hit a man in his face, in time, his wounds will heal. And later on, you can apologize to that man. If you steal his goods, later on, you can return those goods, or you can repay him equal value. But if you kill... there is no later on. There's no way to repair it with that man. There's no way to make it right with him or his family. His life is gone forever. You never come back from that.

I was never a member of a gang or desired to be part of one.  But the story hit me hard because I was a young father of two children, and it helped me realize how much they needed me. In a place where single moms had often carried the load far too often, I had an opportunity to be the father to them many other children did not have.  I had to be accountable.  To them.  To their mother who became my wife.  And ultimately, to God.

Accountability to God extends beyond us.  After the Ten Commandments, Moses was provided additional instructions to give to God’s people.  They focused on the treatment and injustices of others.  In today’s verses, it covered situations where an ox kills another.  There was forgiveness for the initial accident, but if that happened again, it now became an issue where the owner of the ox was negligent because there was a history.  As such, the owner would be held accountable.  There are numerous situations where we are held accountable for our actions.  What is noteworthy here is the expectation that we are also to be accountable for those who we are responsible for.  Whether it be an ox who gores, a dog who bites, or a child who damages, God holds us to a higher level of accountability than we might ourselves hold to.  As such, accountability requires us to both prepare ourselves to do right and teach righteousness to those we are responsible for.

We are to be generous to others for God is a giving God.  He gave His only Son to die on the cross for our sins, and has given so much that we may at times take it for granted.  He is a provider and lover of us as His children.  For His provisions, we are not only grateful but also accountable to uphold His word including His laws and teachings.  Jesus in His famous Sermon on the Mount said:

“You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.  If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.  Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.”  Matthew 5:38-42

Accountability to God is sacrificing even when we think we shouldn’t.  So when necessary, let us all be willing to go one step above serving others to profess the love we have for Him.  How accountable are you to God?  Who have you possibly wronged that today you can go above and beyond to make right?  My prayer is that we look to God and in all we do find ourselves 100% accountable.  Amen.

A Bible Pun

The book of Hebrews in the Christian Scriptures is probably more challenging and controversial than even Revelation, or it was when it was first written. There are a lot of "only in Hebrews" sorts of assertions and arguments. For instance, Jesus is called our High Priest only in Hebrews. Yet, we think of the three roles of Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King. King makes sense as He is the descendant of David. Prophet was what everyone figured He was, and He spoke for the Father, so he was the Prophet. But priests were descendant from Aaron, they were from the tribe of Levi, not Judah. So, that role is only defined in Hebrews. And that is only one of many elements we know of Jesus only found in Hebrews.

One of the unique perspectives in Hebrews can be found in chapter 9. In English, it's very strange, and probably causes more questions than it answers. It's found in the three verses below:

Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. (Hebrews 9:15-17 ESV)

You may have missed the author's switch between "covenant" and "will" (as in "last will and testament"). Read that again. Now, who died? The obvious answer is Jesus. But look at the first sentence, especially the final phrase. Now, in the first covenant, who died? Do you sort of feel peculiar, even asking the question? That's not my point, to make you feel peculiar. It may help to notice in your own version that most of the time, this change from "covenant" to "will" has a footnote, where the translators explain something. Those are good things to read.

In this instance, the Greek word behind "covenant" in verse 15, and "will" in verses 16 and 17 are the same. The writer has used some "elasticity" in the meaning of the Greek word to highlight something, or rather Someone. All along through this book, the writer has been building an argument brick by brick. It's all led to this point. Jesus is superior to everything, angels, Moses, the law, the priesthood, and because of all that, He has a superior ministry. Everything done under the law of Moses was a shadow of the real ministry in heaven, the tabernacle, the furniture, the process, all to get to the Throne of our Creator.

But now, Jesus has done something huge. In fact it is so massive, it boggles the imagination. He has offered the perfect sacrifice, so perfect that no more sacrifices need be made, and in fact, it is effective for all time, present, future and past. The thing is, He's not "Levitical". There were exceptions to the Levites conducting the sacrifices, Samuel did it, and David. David even had some of his sons function as priests, although it's not necessarily clear in what way. But the law that God gave to Moses said that only Levites were to offer the sin offering. Only the High Priest, a descendant of Aaron, was to go into the Holy of Holies once a year to sprinkle blood on the ark of the covenant, atoning for the sins of all Israel for the year. But Jesus does this amazing thing, this new covenant mentioned by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31.

At this point in his argument, the writer of Hebrews takes the Greek word used throughout the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures to refer to a covenant, and suddenly uses it like most of the common Greek-speaking world used it, to refer to a will. That was unexpected. But he does it to pull his audience into his main point. Referring to the New Covenant as a "will" highlights the amazing role that Jesus has within this New Covenant. In this will, Jesus dies to bring it into effect (verses 16 and 17), but then rises from the dead to be the executor as well (verse 15). The boomerang effect in the brains of his audience caused by using the "flexibility" in the word they were already used to hearing used both ways jolts them into the startling realization that Jesus' ministry of intercession was truly unique. And nothing can replace Jesus' role, not even adhering to the sacrifices of the temple and tabernacle. That doesn't rattle us today, but it was absolutely shocking when written.

Where Paul envisions a court room, lopsided in our favor (Romans 8), the writer of Hebrews envisions the temple/throne room of heaven with Jesus interceding on our behalf, but from the right-hand of the Father. Both roles of Jesus are intercession, one as our Defense Attorney, the other as our High Priest. Both are made possible because Jesus paid the price of our sin Himself. Both place our ability to approach our Creator entirely in our Savior. But one is an educational appropriation of common life, and the other is the reality underlying the mere shadows of this world. Yet both display the compassion and mercy of our Creator for His wayward creatures. Such compassion from a deity is shocking in the ancient world. And in our day, such mercy is still unexpected, and hopefully redemptive. What holds us back from experiencing it today? What holds us back from sharing it?