Cuts Like A Knife

Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Acts 2:36-38 

For the first time in nearly forty years, I feel like I can be pulled over by police and not have to worry for my life.  I cannot expect most of you to understand that.  It is not as if I had a view of police that they would always do me harm, but there have always been stories of people who look like me and never made it home to tell about it.  As the flashing red and blue lights come on, I repeat in my head the things my parents taught me.  Smile.  Put your hands in a defensive position.  Speak respectfully.  Answer, “Yes sir,” or, “No sir.”  Make no sudden movements.  Comply at all times.  These are the things most African Americans are taught at an early age.  Why?  Because if you roll the dice and you get the wrong cop on the wrong day, your name becomes one in the news like Philando Castille or Tamir Rice.  When someone would tell you that the police did these types of things all the time, the typical responses were, “He must have done something wrong,” or, “Those things do not really happen.”  The more recent answer was, “Well, you know the news sensationalizes everything to divide us.”  Many did not even believe these things happened until a man named George Floyd was pulled over by police and senselessly murdered for all the world to see.  I literally broke down in tears in my wife’s arm because all I could ever do to be safe was pray that God protected me and my family.  Nothing could guarantee my safety. 

However, something has changed.  Now, people look at me and say, “That really happens?  Kent, I had no idea!”  For the first time, I was not the only one crying.  All of us cried.  Together.  Something had changed that day for most of us, and we can’t go back.  If your spirit was not stirred by the injustice that occurred, then perhaps your heart may be further from God than you realize. 

You see, God’s truth always cuts to the heart, and when it does, we must respond.  As Christians, we are taught to respond with the love of Christ to those who are in pain for as Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)  As I read Peter’s speech to Israel shortly after receiving the Holy Spirit, he spoke with such passion and conviction.  It felt like one of those stirring sermons where the preacher was in the zone and the entire church was standing and praising.  Peter’s words were so powerful that, “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” (Acts 2:41) Remember the last time your finger was cut where the blood continually came out.  You could feel its pain and it was impossible to ignore.  As you can see from today’s verses, Peter’s words ‘cut to the heart,’ and it was impossible for those to ignore God any longer.  Perhaps you too are feeling pain today.  The pain I felt had been there for over forty years.  The pain most African Americans feel has been there for a long time as well.  The goal here is neither to make one feel ashamed nor apologize for any prior views.  It is for you to be aware of the suffering that goes on not only around you but also possibly within you.  God heals all wounds, but healing wounds does not mean to just leave another in pain to God.  We are to reach out to others and love on them as He first loved on us.  Pray for God’s love to be filled in your heart and theirs.  Pour the love onto them as you would anyone else.  Be sincere.  You do not need to be someone you are not, but reach out to someone.  Ask if they are ok and listen. 

God’s love has always been the answer!  We are living in different times, and many of the things that have occurred may cause fear and apprehension.  But I think of the words of Paul that further strengthen this new awakening in our hearts and spirit that can no longer be ignored.  He said: 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails.  1 Corinthians 13:6-8a 

Let us move forward as God’s children loving, rejoicing, protecting, trusting, hoping, and persevering for victory is already ours.  Where is your heart today?  How have the events of the past week caused you to think of God’s purpose in your life?  My prayer is that God’s spirit cuts like a knife in our hearts to make changes for His Kingdom.  Amen. 

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

God is Our Armor

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the

power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that

you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against

principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the

darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness

in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor 

of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, 

and having done all, to stand. 

"Stand, therefore, having girded your waist with truth, 

having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having

shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

above all, taking the shield of faith, with which you will be 

able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take 

the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is

the word of God.”

     Ephesians 6:10-17 (NKJV)

 I’ve heard a number of sermons on the armor of God over the years, so when our pastor announced this passage as his sermon text this past Sunday, I assumed it would be like the others.  That is, explaining the armor pieces in NT terms such that a Roman soldier would use, which is a fine application. But I was pleasantly surprised to have a new take on it (at least new to me), when the sermon instead was based on OT references.  It sure blessed me so I thought I’d share the high points with you.

Girding the waist:  Isaiah speaks of the Rod that shall come from the stem of Jesse and that “Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist.” (Isaiah 11:5, NKJV)

Breastplate of righteousness:  Isaiah again tells of the Redeemer of Zion and says “He puts on righteousness as a breastplate.”  (Isaiah 59:17, NKJV)

Feet of the gospel of peace:  “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isaiah 52:7, NKJV) 

Shield of faith: There are many references in the Old Testament that proclaim God is our shield (e.g., Gen. 15:1, Psalm 84:11, Psalm 91:4) and faith is a gift from God (e.g., Eph. 2:8).

Helmet of salvation:  Isaiah declares that the coming Messiah will have “a helmet of salvation on His head.” (Isaiah 59:17, NKJV)

Word of God:  In addition, Isaiah speaks of the holiness of God and the power of His word:  “He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.” (Isaiah 11:4, NKJV)

Stand firmly upon God:  One of the most striking examples of this is in the account of the Red Sea crossing by the children of Israel: “And Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13)

This brief study reinforces that it is God who is our armor and every piece of it.  God is our strength and everything we need. He is our righteousness and our peace; He is our shield and our salvation; He has given us faith; His word is powerful and unchanging.  Therefore, we can be strong in the Lord and stand firmly upon Him and Him alone.

Thursday Devotional - Contentment in Confinement?

I never dreamed we would still be living under “stay home, stay safe” orders. It’s been 2 ½ months! The first few weeks were especially difficult. I remember reading Acts 24 about two weeks into our confinement and took great encouragement from it! We weren’t in jail for over 2 years in Caesarea like Paul. Two years is a whole lot worse than 2 weeks or 2 months. Plus, I’ve been able to get outside almost every single day for a jog, walk or bike ride.

Not only was Paul in prison for two years, but the Jews were still plotting his death!

Acts 24:27-25:3                ²⁷ When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison. Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, ² where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. ³ They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.

I don’t know why the Jews were still so angry and plotting Paul’s death two years later. I would think they would have forgotten about him or at least moved on knowing he was in prison.

Anyway, it’s never recorded that Paul complained about his situation or wondered when it would end. In fact, in Philippians 4:11b-12 Paul says: …I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Paul wrote Philippians while he was confined in Rome under house arrest, after his 2 years in prison in Caesarea. So, he was definitely speaking from plenty of experience with trouble, including confinement!

Would others around us say we are content in any circumstance? Or, has our confinement brought out greater frustration and impatience?

Lord, help us develop greater contentment by relying on and trusting you through this time of confinement.  

Alice

A Worthwhile Journey

The Israelites had done all the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses.  Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them.  Exodus 39:42-43 

(This is my last devotion focused on the study of Exodus) 

I remember the last project that a team of us had completed for work.  It took months of work and follow up, and there were times I did not know where we were.  But somehow, I knew we would figure out a way to get it done.  We were frustrated with each other occasionally, and we wondered if each of us had a full commitment to the project.  But we hung in there together, and before we knew it, we were there near the finish line.  We had not forgotten the struggles, and lessons from our hardship taught us not to let our foot off the pedal being so close to the end.  But it was clear we could start to reflect and marvel at the work we had done, and it felt good that those who placed us in charge of the process were pleased with our work.  The journey was all worthwhile. 

We should always remember that our walk of faith is a journey whose success is determined by how greater our faith in God has grown.  As I look to this excerpt from the Book of Exodus, we are looking at the finished product of the Tabernacle the people of Israel had built.  It said, “So all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the Lord commanded Moses.” (Exodus 39:32) Everything from the gold lampstand, bronze grating, anointing oil, and woven garments were completed to Moses’s liking.  But it really wasn’t to Moses at all.  It was to God’s instruction.  However, note that it was not God who blessed the Israelites.  It was Moses. 

This journey of Moses was fascinating.  When it started, he was born to a slave and swept into Egyptian royalty.  He was later stripped of everything and banished into the desert.  Then of course, the moment that changed everything was when Moses met God and asked a question that drives me closer to God each and every day; who am I? (see Exodus 3:11)  And God answered, “I am who I am.” (see Exodus 3:14).  Moses became the unquestioned leader of Israel not because he had this great gift of leadership.  Instead, he simply followed God’s instruction to the letter, and as a result, became God’s faithful servant whom He had complete trust in.  In his servitude, he led Israel out of the hands of Egypt and into the new covenant with God.  It is only fitting that he be allowed to bless Israel for again he had followed God’s instruction to the letter.  Keep in mind this was not when they had reached the Promised Land, but you could sense they knew with a high degree of certainty they would get there.  Furthermore after all they had been through together, they no longer questioned Moses.  He was ‘the man.’  We may often challenge what God is asking of us.  But if we are willing to listen as Moses did and follow His instruction, we will have a closer bond to God than we could ever imagine.  What’s more is that it will continually get closer with each day.  This is what God wants from each of us; a closer walk with Him. 

God is with us no matter how much we may stumble.  Moses’s utter confidence in God earned him such favor that God entrusted him to punish as well as bless the Israelites.  Quite a feat for someone who once questioned who he himself was.  We too should embrace those qualities of Moses.  We may not see ourselves as the conquering hero, but our role is never to decide what role we are cast.  It is to do God’s will, and He will handle the rest.  Martin Luther King, Jr., like Moses, never made it to the Promised Land, but once the journey started, there was no question where it would end.  Note what his want was: 

Well, I don't know what will happen now; we've got some difficult days ahead.  But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop.  And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life—longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will.  And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain.  And I've looked over, and I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you.  But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. (I've Been to the Mountaintop, April 3, 1968) 

What do you see at the mountaintop?  How can you trust God’s instruction?  My prayer is that we submit to God’s will knowing that the journey is worthwhile.  Amen, and thank you for taking this journey through Exodus with me.

Our Great Intercessor

“And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon!

Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that

he may sift you as wheat. But I have

prayed for you, that your faith should

not fail; and when you have returned

to Me, strengthen your brethren.”

     Luke 22:31-32 (NKJV)

 We may think that Jesus is only there to cheer us on when we’re doing well, but that’s not true.  Passages like this assure us that Jesus knows our weaknesses and He prays for us in them. (See also John 17 for Jesus' prayer for His own.)  It’s amazing to realize that the Creator of the universe is not only mindful of us but that He prays for us.

 Jesus knew Peter would deny Him three times and yet He assured Peter that He was praying for him. Jesus also encouraged Peter that despite the sifting by Satan, Peter would ultimately be victorious in the trial.  And that did come to pass. Although Peter failed miserably, his faith was never overthrown.  

It is reassuring to know that Jesus knows when we will stumble and fall, and that He prays for us during those times. Nevertheless, we must remember that Satan is our foe, just like he was Peter’s, and we must be on guard against his snares and schemes. But if we are a child of God, Jesus is our great intercessor.  We may fail Him but our faith will not fail because of His faithful prayers.  May that knowledge sustain and strengthen us during our times of trial.

P.S. I came across a hymn written by John Newton (composer of "Amazing Grace," etc.) that is based on Luke 22:31-32. I've never heard it but the words are inspiring. The Believer's Danger, Safety, and Duty

Thursday Devotional - Love and Judge

When you tell people about God and Jesus, do you focus on their love or their judgment?

I think some people probably focus on one or the other. Paul, of course, did a wonderful job of highlighting both. As we talked last week, he was courageously consistent to all audiences, whether commoners or top officials (such as with governor Felix).

Acts 24:24-26           ²⁴ Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” ²⁶ At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him. ²⁷ When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.

Like Governor Felix, people often don’t want to talk or hear about God as Judge or that they may need to make changes in order to follow Christ. Earlier this year, James had several conversations with his fellow gymnastics’ peers and coaches. He told them God was real, loved them, etc. He was so saddened that many of them blew him off, didn’t believe in God and didn’t want to talk about Him. In one conversation he shared that if they didn’t believe in God then they would go to Hell. I first cringed, thinking he was a bit harsh. However, he was sharing the whole truth! He also did it out of a heart of love and not trying to scare them into belief.

May we be like Paul and James, able to consistently share the whole truth of God with those He places in our path to hear. May we gently and lovingly share God’s love and the truths of Him as the perfect Judge.

Lord, help us follow your lead for your words and timing.   

Alice

Lessons Learned

When the people heard these stern words, they went into mourning and stopped wearing their jewelry and fine clothes.  For the Lord had told Moses to tell them, “You are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I were to travel with you for even a moment, I would destroy you. Remove your jewelry and fine clothes while I decide what to do with you.”  So from the time they left Mount Sinai, the Israelites wore no more jewelry or fine clothes.  Exodus 33:4-6

The worst grounding I ever got was in the Summer of 1981.  It was the end of my Sophomore year in high school, and I was so looking forward to the many things me and my friends were going to do.  Bike rides, basketball in the backyard, and talking with girls were all on the agenda.  So, I came into this time in my life with a pretty big chip on my shoulder.  So much so that I thought I could talk to an adult like I was their equal when they asked me to take out the garbage.  “Why don’t you take out the garbage,” I said to my mom’s friend.  Big mistake!  My mother would make sure I learned a lesson from that.  She grounded me during that summer … for a month!!!  The only joy I would have would be my birthday and listening to Detroit Tigers baseball on the radio in my room.  A couple of things came out of that.  First, I grew to love a Hall of Fame broadcaster named Ernie Harwell as he was my only friend that talked to me most of that summer.  Second, I never was disrespectful to an adult again.  It’s a lesson I never forgot.  It’s a wonder that people used to compliment my mom. “Your son is so kind and courteous,” they would say.  If they only knew 😊

In our relationships with God, it is often at our lowest point that we show our greatest understanding of who He is.  Today, we are into the moment after Moses had punished the people for sinning against God.  The punishment was that those Israelites who stood with God had to kill those that chose not to.  This included relatives and neighbors; three thousand in all.  You want to talk about making tough choices?  It had to be incredibly painful to do what was asked of them.  Being honest, I guess listening to Ernie Harwell was pretty light in comparison to this, but I digress.  So, in the aftermath they stopped wearing jewelry and fine clothes because God told Moses to tell them.  No hesitation.  No deviations from the plan.  As stated, “they went into mourning and stopped wearing their jewelry and fine clothes.”  That was a pretty dramatic shift from previously where in Exodus 32:6 it spoke of their worship of the golden calf noting, “The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.”  Thus, the rather subdued Israelites now disdained anything that harkened to that dark moment.  Giving up jewelry and fine clothes was a reminder to never go back to that life again.  The many things God had done to earn give them freedom was not yet enough for them to be obedient.  But following a false God and having to slaughter their brethren clearly had the desired impact that they would not veer against God again.  It was this low point that drove them to be a people truly intent on following God and His laws.  I once wrote that God had to drive me down to my knees where I would say to Him, “God, I have no place else to go but to you,” and then He made a way for me.  We can always sing praise on God when things are going well and everything is in order.  But it is when things are bad and our character is broken down where we truly find God, and it is there we both submit to His will and follow Him.

God wants us to grow in our relationship with Him.  More times that not, it is with love, grace, and appreciation.  But sometimes, we must endure some hard times to truly see His glory.  Tom Hanks’s character in the movie ‘A League of Their Own’ summarizes dealing with difficult times in a great way.  When questioned about the difficulties in the game of baseball, he said, “It’s supposed to be hard.  If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it.  The hard … is what makes it great.”  Let us remember the hard times where God showed His light brightest in our lives.  What do you remember about your relationship with God in your most trying times?  How can that inspire you to a closer relationship with Him?  My prayer is that we are humbled by God’s grace in those lessons learned.  Amen.

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.