Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Reward the Righteous (5/14/26)

To encourage my children to run with me, I set up a reward system. For every 20 miles they run, I treat them to a junior frosty. For every 100 miles they run, we enjoy dinner at a restaurant of their choice. They are my children whether they run or not, but our shared times together are extra special.

Jesus promises even greater rewards for His children. In this final chapter of Revelation, I believe He’s offering the ultimate reward: Himself and eternal life.

Revelation 22:12-13  ¹² “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

The reward of believing in Jesus, the great I AM, is Jesus Himself.

John 6:28-29 ²⁸ Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

²⁹ Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

The reward of Jesus Himself comes with the blessing of eternal life.

Revelation 22:14-15 ¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

It’s important to understand that “washing their robes” doesn’t imply earning a place in heaven. Rather, it means obeying God’s command to submit to His plan of salvation through faith in Jesus. As we read earlier in Revelation, those with clean white robes “washed” them in Jesus’s blood (Revelation 7:14 “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”) This points out our inability to cleanse ourselves from the stain of sin. Only Jesus’s death and shed blood can forgive, cleanse, and make us righteous. Then, we can humbly stand before God’s throne in Jesus’s righteousness.

What would it look like for us to live in light of Jesus's promise? How might our lives change if we truly believed He's the ultimate reward?

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy of Our Fearless Faith (11/7/24)

How fearless are you and I? James, our oldest, is fearless when it comes to trying new things or meeting new people. I, on the other hand, use to be terrified to try something new or talk to someone I didn’t know. God (and James) have helped me be less fearful of both.

Well, what about our walk with Jesus? How fearless are you and I when it comes to living for Christ? The church in Smyrna was quite fearless for Jesus!

Revelation 2:8-11    ⁸ “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. ⁹ I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.¹⁰ Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.

¹¹ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

After reading about what the Smyrna church faced and what Jesus said they would face in the future, how fearless do you think you are now?

I wouldn’t like getting a letter telling me I was going to face even more persecution and suffering. However, it would be encouraging, knowing Jesus saw everything I already endured, knows what I’m about to face, and guarantees my eternal future.

Jesus reminded Smyrna (and us) that He was already victorious over earthly suffering and death. Therefore, He can promise life after death to His faithful followers. We do not have to be hurt by the second death, which is eternal separation from God in Hell.

What suffering do you and I find difficult to endure for Jesus? How can you and I be prepared to maintain joy and faithfulness through suffering? Do Jesus’s promised rewards help encourage you? The more we know God, love Him and understand what He’s done and will do for us, the easier it will be to live fearlessly for Him!

Thursday Devotional - God of Grace – To Servants 8/18/2022

Do you and I earn grace by serving?  

We don’t earn grace, but God gives it to us freely. Our perseverance in service helps us be more confident in the grace God has already given to us.

In Paul’s day, deacons were the “servants” in the church. They did some of the menial jobs caring for physical needs of church members. They weren’t the preachers, yet they had similar requirements to the spiritual leaders in the church.  

I Timothy 3:8-13       In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. ⁹ They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. ¹⁰ They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

¹¹ In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

¹² A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. ¹³ Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

That last sentence could be confusing. Faithful servants don’t gain faith, but gain assurance of the faith they already have. From experience, the more I’m in God’s word, praying and serving, the greater my confidence in God. It doesn’t change who He is or what He has already accomplished for me. It affects my perspective and assurance of who He is and what He’s done. 

How’s your assurance in God’s Grace to you? 

Alice

Thursday Devotional - God Is With Us In and Sometimes Causes Our Storms

Some storms in life are not a result of sin and evil in the world, but a test from God.

I’ve read or heard the story of Jesus calming the storm numerous times. In pondering it again this week, several things stood out to me.

Matthew 8:24-27        ²³ Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. ²⁴ Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

²⁶ He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

²⁷ The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Suddenly a furious storm came! Not just a little rain or a few waves. It seems God caused the impossible storm to test the faith of the disciples. I wonder if they did all their fisherman tricks before they finally woke Jesus. Did they not think God would protect His Son until the appointed time? He wouldn’t let him drown and die prematurely.

I thought about the various storms in my life right now. Of course, I’ve prayed about all of them. I know God can grow me through them, but I hadn’t thought about Him intentionally putting any of them in my life. In addition to desperately seeking His wisdom, I’m now asking for greater trust, faithful perseverance and peace, no matter the outcome.

How might all this change your prayers as you face the storms in your life?

Alice

Who's Your Side?

 

This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry.  So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.  Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.  Jonah 4:1-6

 I am an election junkie.  With a lot that has been going on, I feel fully vested into this election.  As I was watching the results come in and going up and down with each positive and negative result, it began to feel like I had lost sight of what really matters.  Yes, I know God is ultimately in control, but yet, I still wanted my guy to win.  So, I began to challenge myself with something I read years ago.  Do I believe God is truly in control or are those just words that I say to myself when in reality I know that I truly want to be the one in control?  If it worked out my way, I would happily celebrate, but if it did not go my way, I would sulk and go into a state of depression.  How could this possibly happen?

It’s ok to acknowledge to God that you are struggling with control.  The story of Jonah is a prime example of God love and mercy for us.  God had Himself to Jonah and gave him a message to give to the city of Nineveh that they would be destroyed.  Jonah seemed all about it, but when God changed His mind after the city changed their ways, Jonah was annoyed and upset.  I was amused by his response to God saying, “Just kill me now Lord.  I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.” (Jonah 4:3) The key here is to note Jonah’s commitment to his prediction and not the mercy God showed a group of people.  How often do we get caught up in what we want above what either God wants or what He feels is right?  This lesson is particularly helpful to those who may not have had the desired result they want.  Furthermore, it is important that we are honest with God and ourselves.  God, I do not understand.  How can you allow this to happen?  Then, pray for discernment.  It may not soothe the disappointment right away, but alas, our goal is not necessarily for us to have our way.  Remember when Jesus on the eve of His crucifixion said to God, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (Matthew 26:39b) Even Christ understood that God’s will was more important than His own.

God is there for us in our disappointments as well as our triumphs.  We should all aspire to view our disappointments as moments to take stock to understand exactly what God's will is for your life.  It does not matter who you are rooting for.  Take time to determine what God wants you to learn from it all and move forward with confidence.  When is the last time God disappointed you?  Were you honest in your prayers when things did not go your way?  My prayer is that we acknowledge God’s sovereignty to be thankful for His love and grace no matter who your side is.  Amen.

Terrifying Darkness, Awesome Light

Faith substantiates hope and validates what cannot be seen (Hebrews 11:1), so hope is vital to our faith. Hope is the expectation of a future event or circumstance. All sorts of things are the object of hope: financial security, grand children, a comfortable life, even the lottery can be an object of hope. We can hope in the short-term like the successful completion of a project. We can hope in the long-term like retirement. But not all objects of hope are worthy of faith. 

For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, “IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED.” And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling.” (Hebrews 12:18-21 NASB)

The holy presence of Yahweh at Mount Sinai required extreme measures by the people, terrifying measures. They heard the voice of the Holy One, and could not endure it. They saw the terrifying cloud, fire, darkness which spread to gloom over them all, and they didn't want to go near it. It was nothing like the gods of Egypt, idols in temples, and statues in the thoroughfares. This was the realm of spiritual realities breaking into the physical realm of their daily lives. It was shocking, so different that they could not wrap their heads around what they saw. It was Yahweh, the Creator of the universe right there before them, physically present on a mountain. Rightly, they were terrified.

But that is a not a comfortable object of hope. To see and experience our Savior that way causes us to tremble, and duck our heads in terror. Yet, it is still our Savior. What the people of Israel saw at Mount Sinai wasn't just a show, it was a revelation. And it's as true about our Savior now as it was then. That's still part of who He is. Still, why would we expect the Creator of this unimaginable universe to fit even on a mountain? Regardless of what they saw, that could not be the whole truth about their Savior. The object of our hope includes a somewhat different view of our Savior:

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22-24 NASB)

We hope in an eternal life with our Savior in His city. The city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem is our true home, and not this twisted fallen world. In that city are the myriads of angels, the collection of disciples of Jesus called out of the corrupt world. But we also will see God. God, the Judge of all, is the primary resident of that city. It is to His presence we are headed. And there we will join the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and Jesus, the One mediating for us through His perfect blood.

So much of this world cries for our attention. We live on a ship sinking with people going down, never to rise. Of those people, some are called to "jump ship". We are among those with that call, and we have been given the responsibility to sound an alarm, blow a whistle, to point to the salvation of our God, and to the holy city. If all the hate in this world drowns out our message, will they hear? If all the evil darkness encroaches our light, will they see? The response to hate is love, the response to darkness is light, the response to agitation is peace. 

Will we succeed? The way our Savior defines success, yes. Will we see peace in our lifetime? We are eternal, so absolutely we will. Will this world ever heal? Well, not this world, but a new heaven and new earth will (Revelation 21:1). The content of our hope will not fail, will not fade, and will not delay. Faith substantiates this hope, drives us to share this hope, and ensures our connection to this hope. We are saved by grace, and that salvation means we have heaven to look forward to, the very face of our Savior. 

This should change everything. The challenge for us is to be so focused on it that everything does, in fact, change. We are free to love because of this hope. We are free to give away everything because of this hope. We are free to loose everything in this life because what we have in the next is secured by our the Creator of the universe. We are free to live at peace because of this hope. We are free to live every day in joy, blessed joy, because of this hope. And nothing spiritual or material can diminish, tarnish, or remove this hope we have because it is established by the One having spoken matter into existence (Romans 8:38,39).

Enabling All The Rest

I remember, as a kid, going to "camp". It didn't really matter what sort of camp, they all had one thing in common:  a list of what to bring. In a sense, we attempt to do the same thing with our relationship with our Creator, act like there was a list of what to bring. But there isn't. Every bit of our righteousness is like dirty rags. Paul writes of "putting off the old man" and "putting on Christ Jesus". Yet that's a difficult concept to receive and live out.

But here's why that is so crucial, if we bring anything with us in our relationship with Jesus, our hope is divided. We may hope in Jesus, but we also hope in whatever we bring. And hope is essential for faith and love. 

Now faith is the  assurance of things  hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 NASB)

How can faith be assurance of something we don't have? And if we have it, but it isn't entirely in Jesus, then how is our faith in Jesus alone?

But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 NASB)

Faith, hope, and love remain, or abide, or dwell, live together. The greatest is love, although they come as a set with the other two, and, as the previous verse makes clear, there's no faith without hope. Hope is essential for faith, and, as it turns out, love.

Think about the idea of hope for a minute. Does it bother you? Is there a little fear, fear that it will not be fulfilled? That's common, and the best indicator that our hope is mixed with Jesus and something else. But what does hope in Jesus look like?

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. (Hebrews 12:14-16 NASB)

Hope in Jesus looks like disciples actively pursuing peace with all men, pursuing the process of being made holy to Jesus, working together to ensure we reach the grace of God together, ensuring roots of bitterness are removed even as they spring up, and not permitting godless or immoral activity among disciples as if it were simply part of our culture. Why? Because we are pursuing something not of this world:

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13-16 NASB)

Paul applies the call to follow the pattern of thinking in Jesus using himself as an example in Philippians 3:7-16. In Philippians 2:5-11, he lays out the pattern of Jesus, in 2:19-23, Paul uses Timothy as an example of Jesus' servanthood. In 2:25-30, he uses Epaphroditus as an example of Jesus' obedience to the point of death. But the emptying of Himself, for that element of Jesus' pattern Paul uses himself as the example in 3:7-16.

It's crucial for the disciple to grasp this, because it is the application of hope. That is the effect on us of having hope. And it is the antithesis of what we are seeing in our nation, in Hong Kong, in Indonesia, in India, and all throughout our world. People, without hope, will follow the pattern of the devil, stealing, killing, and destroying. Only Jesus came that we might have life, and have it to the full.

Next week, I want to share about the "content", or focus of our hope. Stay tuned.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation

Tough Talk

Lots of guys are about tough talk, talking smack, and bragging, or whatever you want to call it. Their team, their dad, their accomplishments are always better than anyone else's. But their days are also worse, they've endure worse stuff, no matter what you've been through, they've "been there, did that". It's almost sociopathic. I think it was Bill Cosby who once joked about Americans and pets, "You could have a rhinoceros, walking it down the street, and someone from the United States would meet you on the sidewalk, and say, 'You have a rhinoceros? I used to have a rhinoceros.'" We're so silly.



I used to think it was just guys who play the "one-up-manship" game, but I've heard women do it too. Hearing people play it used to bug me (because I lost all the time), but now I find it comical. Part of the change in me was because of this one time when I was complaining to Jesus, you know, the Son of God who endured the crucifixion? I totally lost that storytelling competition. He didn't even have to say anything. But it's not just me. Lots of people have had that experience. In fact, there's a popular "meme" about it:

 

If this is you too, keep in mind, it's been believers since the first century. See how the writer of Hebrews puts it:

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 13:1-3 NASB)

Consider Jesus and what He endured so that we don't grow weary. We follow the One who gave all, endured the unimaginable, and overcame the insurmountable, for us. And we're only worth it because He says we are. In the economics of heaven, our value is set by our Creator, not our location, condition, or history. And He calls us to follow where He went, do what He has done, and wind up where He is.

So, let us not grow weary and loose heart. This is nothing compared to what we have to look forward to. And that's true regardless of whatever this is for you, whether it's the other person you work with, your neighbor, or buddy, or friend, or that one person who simply rubs you the wrong way. Whatever you endure, it's nothing compared to what we have coming in Jesus. Which is cool, if you think about it. So, think about it.

Have A Heart

And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”

But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.  Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’”  Exodus 32:9-13

Loretta, my wife, is wonderful in so many ways.  She loves me despite my flaws, and is a great mother and grandmother.  One of those things that has driven me crazy all these years is how she advocates for our children when they have done something wrong.  She knows that I come from a family of disciplinarians (my Dad was in the military, and my mom should have been 😊), and as such, they had very little tolerance when I did anything wrong.  So, as my children failed to meet an expectation or did something clearly out of the guidelines of what they were supposed to do, I was ready to come down with an iron hand.  Then, here comes that artist known as my wife.  “Kent, you can’t be so hard on him all the time,” or, “You have to see things from her perspective,” she would say.  “Seriously?!?!?” I responded.  After a lengthy back and forth, I often relented to her sound advice.  It’s not that I did not have strong conviction.  Trust me.  She will tell you that.  Nonetheless, it is her heart for our children that has always won me over.  In fact, it is how she won me over for when people tell me how big of a heart I have, I humbly deflect their kind words saying, “If you think I have a heart, you should get to know my wife.”

God has a heart for us.  My focus today is on the relationship between Moses and God.  The Israelites had grown restless from Moses being in the mountains talking with God and assumed that he must be gone.  Thus, they needed a new god to worship.  Aaron built a Golden Calf from gold jewelry they had given him, and the people worshipped it as if it were God.  If you question how bad a sin this was, remember I wrote about how God set the stage telling Moses, “Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me.” (Exodus 20:23) (see https://trdailydevotional.blogspot.com/2020/03/you-dont-want-none-of-this.html).  It is a bit funny because one can see God having this ‘I told you so’ moment with Moses.  Now, God is ready to dare I say ‘go nuclear’ on the Israelites ((T)hat my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them).  But like Loretta strolling up to me when our son got suspended for fighting, Moses pleaded his case to spare the Israelites.  It is pretty amazing to hear as we have watched Moses grow from this soft spoken man who claimed to be a poor speaker and asking God, “Who am I,” to a man who actively petitioned God to spare the Israelites from His rightful wrath.  Moses knew God was right to be angry and righteous to punish His people with death.  But Moses’s heart for them and the journey they had gone pushed him to advocate for them and remind God of His promises to them.  There are a couple of things we can take from this.  First, remember the promises the Lord has made to us.  The appeal Moses made had a logic through the prior promises He made.  And second, love onto others.  We can’t go to God on behalf of others without loving them.  Many Christians will say the heart is bad noting Jeremiah 17:9 (The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?).  However, David was a man after God’s own heart (see 1 Samuel 13:14), and Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” This implies that if your heart seeks God, all good will flow from it.

God wants not only our minds but also our hearts.  Paul summarized this so well saying, “If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3).  When James said, “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works,” (James 2:26) the ‘good works’ is defined as action through love for Christ.  This is what it means to have a heart for God, and Moses had a huge heart for God and His people.  Therefore, let us be inspired to have a heart for God to serve Him and others.  How can you keep your heart focused on Him?  What practice will you keep ensuring your heart is for God?  My prayer is when we look at others and their struggles, we put on a Godly lens and have a heart.  Amen.

By Name Only

There are jokes we know so well, only the punchline is needed to get us laughing. They're not that funny, honestly, it's the memory of the laughter and fun they brought. And then there are those who had never heard the joke, but, often from peer pressure, laughed anyway. Over time, the joke was lost, but the punchline is remembered, and funny, but nobody can remember why. "Rectum? Dang near killed 'em!", will usually bring a smile, but no one remembers the joke (although you can look it up).

In the same way, we can remember stories of characters simply by naming them. And yet, often, we can't remember the story, only that the name is important for some reason. It's like history: it happened, and we remember the names, but the details of what they did are fuzzy, and we can never remember the dates. Again, we can look it up if we like.

The writer of Hebrews, toward the end of the "Role Call of Faith" stops telling stories, and begins listing names. And it is supremely ironic to me that most of the names are from a book which most disciples of Jesus consider a collection of faithless mistakes of Israel.

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. (Hebrews 11:32-34 NASB)

Four of the six names are from the book of Judges. And of the Judges listed, the writer seems to have chosen the ones we consider the worst examples of faith. Gideon needed to test God three times, Barak wouldn't go into battle without a woman present, Samson is simply famous for his mistakes, and few people remember Jephthah because he's so embarrassing pastor's don't teach on him. And yet, there they are, considered paragons of faith to God, held up as examples to follow.

Is it possible that we've become so jaded by what we have been told about these men that we have missed the perspective of their Savior? Oh wait, you don't think they were saved, you say? Samson and Jephthah clearly didn't get it, and can't possibly be saved?

Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect. Hebrews 11:35-40 NASB

These were looking for a better resurrection. Why look forward to disaster? They were looking forward to the Savior, as we do. Yet, their names made the list. Maybe just their names, maybe not their stories, but I wish their stories were told. I want to know how the writer of Hebrews understands their stories. We are ashamed of them, and our Savior isn't. That should tell us something. That should shout loudly to us. A man who sacrificed his only daughter to Yahweh made the list. How is that? Perhaps we miss something in their stories.

Are we missing something in other stories? What about the stories in the lives around us? Is it possible that we have become so judgmental that we consider common what our Savior has sanctified (Acts 10:15)? The context of Acts 10 should scream at us that we, as Gentiles, would have no part in the Kingdom unless those in the Kingdom followed whatever God deemed holy.

These listed here in this collection of failures were considered holy by our Savior. Maybe we should revisit their stories to discover what we missed. It seems the punchline isn't enough, we need the whole joke to truly get it. And once we have a better grasp of our Creator's perspective, perhaps we will understand those around us better as well.

Just a thought.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation

Faith of the Fathers

The three Patriarchs of the people of Israel were amazing examples of faith. Yet, it's difficult to beat the example of Abraham offering Isaac in obedience to the One promising him children. This event is recorded in detail in Genesis 22. God tested Abraham. In the Hebrew, this word for "test" can refer to temptations as well as qualitative tests.

The word used in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (Septuagint) is also used by the writer of Hebrews in 11:17 for "test". It refers to testing to determine quality, and sometimes originates from ill will (temptation). God does this sort of thing with us, but we are not to do such things with Him (Luke 4:12, quoting Deuteronomy 6:16). The Pharisees did this sort of testing of Jesus constantly.

So, here's the way the writer of Hebrews uses it:

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, “IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED.” He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. (Hebrews 11:17-19 NASB)

Think through this test for a second. In Genesis 21, God has had Abraham send away Hagar and Abraham's son Ishmael, telling Abraham that Isaac would be the "child of promise". Now, "some time later", this same Yahweh calls on Abraham to kill Isaac, specifically calling out both Isaac, and the special relationship between he and Abraham. Think about that for a second. It should give you chills. It should give you some pause for a moment, possibly even doubt. Because behind this story is the reader's reaction of "what might my Savior ask of me?" And that's a very good question.

The test of Abraham is of his quality of belief. God had promised that He would fulfill Abraham's promise through Isaac. So, Abraham had to decide whether he would believe this God even when He seemed capricious. Did Abraham believe that this God would make good on a promise even when He seemed to be reneging? Do you?

When things aren't going well, do you still believe in the goodness of our Savior? When it's no longer "fun", when it's taking too long, when you are actually being persecuted and suffering, will you persist in your belief of the goodness of your Creator? Is Jesus still on His throne interceding for you? Is the Father still caring for you? Is the Spirit of the Living God still residing within you? Do you still believe, even when it's not convenient, popular, fun, or even safe? What if persisting in belief and being obedient actually costs you something precious?

It's easy to answer "yes" in the abstract imagination of "what might be". I suspect that I have a limit to my faith. I don't know where it is, exactly, but I suspect it wouldn't be very difficult to find. I have spent time doubting my Savior. I have spent time behaving as if He was't real, His promises weren't sure, and as if He didn't truly love me. For some peculiar reason, He still forgives me. I can't answer the above questions with absolute confidence because I haven't been tested to the extremes of my faith, not yet, but my day is coming.

How about you?

Thursday Devotional - Courage to do Nothing?

Jesus timely encouraged Paul in prison, giving him assurance he would go to Rome to testify. Jesus is trustworthy and Paul didn’t have anything to worry about, but did that mean he sat back and did nothing?  

Paul was in prison, so there wasn’t much he could do besides pray. Although he was already in prison, the Jews’ continued plots to kill him. God had Paul’s nephew find out about the plots, though, and he told Paul.

Paul could have told his nephew “Just trust God. Don’t worry about it!” since Jesus told Paul he would testify in Rome. However, Paul wisely (and prayerfully, I’m sure) did what he could do by sending his nephew to the commander.

Acts 23:17-22 ¹⁷ Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” ¹⁸ So he took him to the commander.

The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”

 ¹⁹ The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”

²⁰ He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. ²¹ Don’t give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”

²² The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

Paul had active faith. He also had the Holy Spirit and godly wisdom.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, we can fully trust God as Sovereign and in control of everything. That doesn’t mean we sit back and do nothing. We are to have active faith. We can pray for wisdom to listen to the Holy Spirit’s direction on how to use the information available in a way that glorifies God and accomplishes His will. How will you and I do that today?  

Alice

The Faithful Example of Abraham

The "Role Call of Faith" continues in Hebrews 11. After the "antediluvian" examples, we reach Abraham. He is such an important example, there are four instances listed where he shows great faith. We're going to look at three of them:

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN IN NUMBER, AND INNUMERABLE AS THE SAND WHICH IS BY THE SEASHORE. (Hebrews 11:8-12 NASB)

The first is the call. Abraham responds when Yahweh calls him to leave Haran and head to Canaan (Gen. 12:1-4). He responds by obeying, and this meant leaving the comfortable and known and going to the uncomfortable and unknown. There was a promise involved, so, obedience was to be rewarded. But there had to be belief involved, trust in the One making the promises. You and I are called. And there are promises involved. Will we obey, leave the known for the unknown, the comfortable for the uncomfortable? Will we trust the One making the promises?

And then we have the demonstration of faith in Abraham living as a sojourner in the land promised to him. Here the other patriarchs are mentioned, along with a reason for living this way. They were "looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder are God." Really? Is that why they lived in tents in Canaan? Reading the Genesis account of these men may not leave you with that impression, but what does become clear is that they lived in tents in a land they believed was theirs.

Living in a land believed to be theirs, meant living among cities of stone, and those who lived in them. It meant pasturing flocks around tilled fields of others in a land you knew was yours. It was an act of faith that waited for the timing of the One making the promise rather than taking matters into your own hands (except possibly for Simeon and Levi at Shechem).

How willing are we to faithfully persevere in obedience, even not seeing the promise? How long will we wait for the promise, while being obedient? Abraham sometimes waited more than a decade before another recorded conversation with the One making these promises. How long will we live in tents, temporary houses, waiting on the promise of real permanent mansions? The writer of Hebrews is pushing his audience to persevere to the very end.

And Abraham is used again, along with Sarah, in faithfully conceiving Isaac. Think about that, though. How much faith did that take? We tend to skip by the uncomfortable consideration of intimacy between spouses here. But, really, is it surprising they conceived? Abraham had been promised, and specifically promised that one from Sarah would be his heir, not Ishmael. He laughed, as did Sarah, but the "mechanics" of the process hadn't changed. It's just that this time it worked. And yet, the writer of Hebrews calls it faith.

 And, I suppose, it was faith. After Sarah dies, Abraham has other kids, so it wasn't Abraham who had the difficulty, it was Sarah who was barren. That's not a criticism, it's an important detail. Abraham doesn't "jettison" his wife at any point along this process. She's not the "problem", from his point of view. He is dedicated and devoted to her even though she cannot, in herself, provide the promised child. In a way, her barrenness is what brings God to the forefront. Unless He steps in, nothing changes. But, even as long as he doesn't, Abraham is faithful to this barren woman, and is for her whole life. That's faith.

You see, we can become so pragmatic about how God's promises are fulfilled. We can "see" His work, only under certain parameters, as if He can only work in certain ways. And yet, Abraham simply obeys God, remaining faithful to this woman who cannot provide him a son, an heir, the one thing he needs to see what he has been promised. And in remaining faithful to her, he remains faithful to the One promising.

Let's pay close attention to the example of faith provided in Abraham. Let's be uncomfortable, persevere without seeing our hope fulfilled immediately, and live faithful to the ones our Savior has provided to us. Being cooped up with people around the ones we love can strain that love. But it can also build it, renovate it, rejuvenate it, and make it new again. Your choice. Like Abraham, let's choose faith.

Evidence Unseen

We say it, "seeing is believing", but I don't think we believe it . You can probably think of something you've seen (or you think you've seen) but still struggle to wrap your head around. I experienced a "near car wreck" in my '20's that I still struggle to believe, and when I tell people about it, they look at me rather incredulously. And they should. It's difficult to believe.

So, when the writer of Hebrews floats a definition of faith by us, and we don't stop to pick it apart, that's probably why. We already can think of a few things that aren't God and which we still struggle to believe, even with evidence. If we can struggle with faith in seen stuff, accepting unseen faith in God is easier. Does that sound backwards? That's probably more psychological than philosophical, but it's still true.

Even so, let's look more closely at the definition of faith provided by the writer of Hebrews, especially the second half:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. Hebrews 11:1-2 (NASB, emphasis mine)

I had this whole write up ready for "assurance" but I'm focusing on "conviction", and have to switch gears. Be thankful.

The New American Standard uses "conviction", but you may be more familiar with "evidence" here. Those two terms are not the same in English. "Conviction" is a conclusion derived from some process (perhaps including evidence), "evidence" is what is used to derive a conclusion. That's not an unimportant distinction. Take a moment and think about it. Is faith the end of the process or an element of it?

As part of your process in drawing a conclusion about whether faith is evidence or assurance, keep in mind that this statement sits parallel to the first part of the definition, "substance of what is hoped for", where, again, the NASB has "assurance". Here, once again, the choice is between an element in the process of arriving at a conclusion, or the conclusion itself. Does that sound unnecessarily confusing? I hope not.

It isn't absolutely necessary to think about what you think about. I find it helpful. I prefer the elements in the process of coming to a conclusion rather than being handed a conclusion. But honestly, in discussing the Creator of the universe, it makes more sense to simply receive the conclusion. Faith is received (Ephesians 2:8,9). Is it "evidence"? In a very important sense, yes, it is. But in another sense, faith is the conclusion we live by.

The word "things" in the term, "things not seen" is the Greek word from which we get "pragmatic". For the Greeks it referred to "matters" personal, business, governmental, or even legal. So, events, points in time, of a practical nature, relating to daily life, but which are not seen, what are those? Creation? Salvation? Jesus' life, His resurrection, His ministry of intercession? All of these, and all the rest of Scripture, make up the pragmatic things we haven't witnessed personally, but about which we are convinced. 

Having been convinced of these things, we live our lives, make decisions about what to say, where to go, what to do. That is faith. We have hope in a future with Jesus, and faith gives substance to that hope. That assurance of such a future enables us to behave as if it's true. But there is so much we cannot see, so much that affects our day-to-day lives outside of our view. And we need the gift of faith from our Savior to live out our days convinced it is all proven, even when we can't see it.

Some thoughts about faith. I hope they help you through another day in quarantine.

Run, Run, Run!

But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.  And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.  2 Timothy 4:5-8

Today, I felt a need to divert from Moses for a week.  I promise to continue next week.  I just feel God wanted me to simply focus on you.  Not the usual devotional sharing.  Just a moment to pause and reflect in this moment.  I prayed a lot on this devotion because He did not want me to forget where people are today.  Let me start by saying no one would ever consider Mike Tyson a great philosopher, but he said one of the greatest truths about dealing with adversity saying, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”  Many of us can truly relate to that right now.  Maybe you are a bit uncertain about things.  Perhaps there is something going on in your household.  Your spouse is one of the people who is now furloughed or unemployed, or your children might be driving you a bit crazy.  Or maybe you are adjusting to them in your life 24/7 now.  Perhaps you know someone or even a loved one who has recently passed away.  Some may be due to the Coronavirus, and others not.  You might even know someone who must be in the hospital.  Alone.  No matter the cause, you and your family may be faced with some tough choices, pain, and heartache.  Others not even in a hospital are equally suffering from feeling isolated and alone in their own homes.  And yes, some of you might very well be questioning if God really does exist right now.  On the other hand, maybe you are fully grounded and filled with God’s spirit where your faith today is unshakable.  You are not afraid nor worried because you know God is with you.  You know He is with us.  But there is that neighbor, family member, or friend who is struggling.  You can’t find the right words to say or don’t even know the right way to even start the conversation.

I too have fears and uncertainty.  Some at home.  Some outside of it.  All of this is hard because so many are hurting.  “I can’t do this anymore,” has become a whisper in their mind right now.  Perhaps in your mind?  I hear it from many.  I feel it from those who don’t speak.  My heart breaks knowing this might be a part of your being right now in this place, and I can’t fully imagine what you are going through.

But God knows.  He loves you oh so much and feels every ounce of your pain right here and right now.  You may think you are alone in your struggle and pain and that no one can truly understand.  He does.  You may think the walls are starting to crumble and your level of sanity is about to be lost.  Maybe for a moment.  Maybe longer.  God says, “No.  Nothing is going to happen to you.  Not on my watch.”  We know this as Paul said, “For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5a)  Yes, it is ok to acknowledge that there is fear.  But courage is nothing but fear faced head on, and we know great men and women of God are filled with courage and strength.  I think of Joshua going to the Promised Land without Moses, and God speaking to him saying, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)  I think of Paul speaking to the Phillipians saying, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” (4:13)  So while we face tough times ahead and we may feel week, God makes us strong!

Through all you are going through, God is with you!  These are indeed challenging and uncertain times, but it serves as an opportunity.  A chance to reconnect with love ones.  A chance to pause, reflect, and commit to some new things and recommit to some old ones.  And finally, a chance to look to the heavens, lay your troubles, fears, and worries down at cross, and surrender it all to Jesus.  The reason for today’s verse is not to share an elaborate story on what it means.  It is a reminder.  When Paul was near the end of his journey, he was not concerned about his death.  He only cared about the race he was running and finishing it to the very end.  Today is about capturing the spirit of Paul and not focusing on what happened before today.  It is about finishing the race where “the prize awaits me-the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return.”  So run!  Let these months be the moment we decided to pour it all out onto others and remind them as Jesus said to His disciples, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b)  There are no questions for you to ask yourself or answer.  Just trust God is with you every step of the way, and my prayer is we simply, run, run, run!!!  Amen!

3 Is The Magic Number

First, celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib, for that is the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. No one may appear before me without an offering.

“Second, celebrate the Festival of Harvest, when you bring me the first crops of your harvest.

“Finally, celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season, when you have harvested all the crops from your fields.  At these three times each year, every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign, the Lord.  Exodus 23:15-17

For those of you who were children of the seventies, I absolutely loved Schoolhouse Rock!  For those of you unfamiliar with this, it was basically a three to five-minute infomercial about … get this … stuff you learned in school as a kid!  I know it sounds boring but there were really cool jingles that you could recite over and over again.  For example, one was about using conjunctions called, “Conjunction Junction.  What’s your function?”  As you might have figured, it was a train conductor trying to teach you how to use conjunctions in a sentence.  There was another one that talked about the process of making a bill into a law and the difference between the two.  “Oh how I hope and I pray that I will, but today, I am still just a bill.”  There are some of you thinking has Kent lost it, but give me some credit.  I did get ‘hope’ and ‘pray’ in there!  😊  So, there is one of my favorites if not my favorite.  The jingle goes, “A man and a woman had a little baby.  Yes, they did.  There were three in the family.  That’s the magic number!” 

Now I can speak of many things in my life that always had something to do with threes.  A saying like ‘the third time’s the charm’ or ‘once an issue, twice a trend, third time’s a problem.’  However, it has had a significant impact in my walk of faith.  Anytime God has wanted me to pay attention to something, it crosses my path three times.  One could say it is coincidence, but it has never failed to have a significant impact when I listened to that third time.  Most of our greatest significance to the number 3 would be the Holy Trinity of The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  However, is there more to it than that?

God is always giving clear signals as to things we should pay attention to.  Today’s verses focus on the three festivals the Israelites were to have in honor of God according to His law.  It made me ponder beyond my own circumstances and life lessons to the things pointing toward that number 3 biblically.  For instance, Peter denies Jesus three times after Jesus prophesied such.  The significance is not the denial.  The focus should rightfully be on Jesus’s ability to predict, which further underlined His divinity as The Son of God.   Jesus rebuking Satan in the Wilderness three times was not just about Jesus denying him.  It was also to show the tenacity of the devil coming at our weakest moments to tempt us.  Furthermore, it underlined Jesus’s perfection staying to true to His Heavenly Father.  What I’m getting at here is that we should always pay attention to signs of what God is saying.  Ideally, we should answer God whenever He calls, but are we wise to not jump the first time if we are unsure?  If we are hearing His call twice and certainly a third time, we must act and ideally with a high sense of urgency.

God always looks to connect with us.  When we look at the story of Samuel, we noted He answered God the fourth time and not the third.  However, if you read the story it was not that Samuel did not answer God that third time:

 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy.  1 Samuel 3:8

The calling was not just for Samuel.  It was for his father to tell him for the first time who God was.  Rev, Penny Ellwood, a UMC pastor, wrote, “In our church, we believe (the mystery of the Trinity) happens in another threefold – the use of our head, heart and hands.”   Isn’t that the beauty of how God works in us?  Will you be keen to God’s calling the first, second, or third time?  How can you be comforted by the knowledge of and faith in the Holy Trinity?  My prayer is we pay attention to God’s prompting for I truly believe ‘3 is the magic number.’  Amen.

The Noise

On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled.  Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.  All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently.  As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply.  The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses climbed the mountain.  Exodus 19:16-20

Quiet time.  One of the reasons I tend to write my devotions very early in the morning is because that is when my head is clearest.  It does not have distractions, and I can see God’s intent more clearly than when there is a bunch of calamities around me.  I think of how God through His word gives me instruction for myself and my family, and how He inspires me to write words that I normally would not come up with.  Do you appreciate those times?  Perhaps the reason that we hear God so clearly during these times is because of the noise outside of those times.  It made me think that if God is all knowing and can do anything, perhaps He knowingly inserts ‘the noise’ in our life as well.  It’s the noise that forces us to be present in the world, and through that noise, we realize that deliberate effort must be made to fully engage with Him.  It is in a way a test to make us focus.  That’s why prayer time is important.  Prayer is the discipline of focusing on Him despite all that is around you.  Thus, ‘the noise’ has a purpose just as the quiet times.

God always wants our attention.  In our journey of Moses, we get to where the Israelites reach Mount Sinai.  Prior to today’s verses, God had prepped Moses for what was to happen saying, “Go down and prepare the people for my arrival. Consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their clothing. Be sure they are ready on the third day, for on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai as all the people watch.” (Exodus 19:10b-11) Think of it like you are the councilman for town’s 4^th of July event, and the people putting on the fireworks show are telling you what’s going to happen.  You think, “Sweet!”  So, Moses shared with the people what was to occur.  In reading this chapter, one might think this sounds like a bunch of noise and bravado from God.  But let’s put this in context.  You see, God did not show off all this to amaze the people.  He did after all part the Red Sea and provided for them all throughout the journey.  That’s amazing all by itself.  But He wanted their attention because something big was about to happen, and in this case, ‘the noise’ gave them awareness of what was to follow.  The next thing to occur was the authoring of The Ten Commandments.  How often do we take noise as things to distract us from God?  While that often is true, sometimes the noise is the bell that notifies us something needs to happen.  Before a race is run, there’s the starting gun that goes off.  In much the same way, God can create moments that can trigger us to respond in a way He wants us to.

God is always in control.  If we believe this through all the good times, we certainly should remember this when there is so much around us going on.  With all the distraction and major disruption about us for the next few weeks ahead, this is perhaps the noise to awaken us to what really matters.  It is a time to seek out God and remember His sovereignty, wisdom, and presence.  Let’s make this time as the starting gun to a new sprint toward God and His love.  How has disruption in your life been a motivator for greater focus on God?  What will you commit to ensure more discipline finding Him in times of calamity?  My prayer is we are attentive when God inserts in our lives ‘the noise.’  Amen.