Daily Bible Reflections

The Church

2008-07-03T00:01:00.001+01:00

Today's text comes from the book of Ephesians. All of today's readings can be found here.

"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit." -Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV)

The global church in recent years has become increasingly caricatured by popular culture and Christians alike as a less than reputable institution - one full of hypocrites and fakers - a view that even I held for a long time. Augustine of Hippo, who's influence on Christianity and western thought as a whole cannot be overstated, said famously that "The Church is a whore, but She is my mother."

It took a long time for me to realize why I have been so discouraged with the Church and why I viewed it so negatively, but last year it hit me - I am so frustrated with the Church because it is absolutely filled with people like me - hypocrites and sinners.

Isn't it interesting though that the same Church that we sometimes look at and scoff is the Church that Jesus Christ called His Bride, the one that He died for?

We see in today's text Paul explaining that the Church is not perfect and the members are not perfect either - it was built on apostles who are less than perfect, even calling himself "the worst of sinners." The worldwide Church is an amazing thing in that the total of it is greater than the sum of its parts. When we look from a micro perspective at the people around us that are also in Christ, it is so easy to become discouraged and wonder why the Lord would have the Church be His primary means on earth of calling sinners to Himself, but when we look at it from a macro persepective it really is an amazing thing. Any secular orginization as fragmented and shaky as the Christian Church simply would not be effective at completing even the most menial tasks, and yet we see people coming to Christ in this day and age faster than ever before. Why is this?

Paul tells us here the answer to this question - it is because the foundation and cornerstone of the Church is Jesus Christ, who conquered death and sin in order that His Church would thrive and grow together, pointing people to the Father - and this is precisely what has happened over the last two thousand years.

Granted, things are hard in the covenant community, but Paul tells us here that we the Church are connected together and growing into the living breathing temple of God. His plans will not be thwarted and we can take comfort in the fact that this thing we call the Church is ultimately good and the means by which Christ's message and work is carried out today. So instead of being cynical and trying to be a Christian apart from the Church (which is not possible), why don't we today put all of our effort into making the Church look more like Christ, and more importantly make them look toward Christ for their strength and teaching, that no one may ever again say what Mahatma Ghandi did: "I love your Christ, but I hate your Christians"

Jesus I praise you for your sacrificial death on the Cross and that you have elected me to be a part of your Church. Lord teach me to be mindful of my actions and how they point others to you. I invite you in this moment to be the cornerstone of all I do, and to teach me to love your Bride the Church as You have loved me. It is for your sake that I pray these things. Amen.

-MD Letteney

Depart From Me

2008-06-26T00:01:00.000+01:00

Today's gospel text comes from the book of Matthew. All of today's readings can be found here.

"Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it. And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes." Matthew 7:21-29 (ESV)

Sola fide, the doctrine that teaches sinners are justified in the presence of a Holy God on the basis of faith alone (through Grace alone in Christ alone), has long been taught within the reformed community and backed up very powerfully from scripture - this passage being no exception.

In today's text we see Jesus radically challenging the religious status quo with the shocking statement that not everyone who professes Christ or is a part of the covenant community will enter the kingdom of heaven. No, he says that there will be those who come to him and plead their case by pointing to their acts of the law, thinking that in them they find life. Isn't it interesting, though, that when they do so Jesus rebukes them and calls them 'workers of lawlessness'?

This is a radical new perspective, both in the ancient context and in our modern world - that the duties you perform which may be seen as 'good works' today or in that time 'works of the Law' are not good at all if they are not accompanied by faith! Good works are not worth anything if the reason you are doing them is not Christ!

It has long been said that salvation is by faith alone but saving faith is never alone. Here however we see the flipside of that argument - people who look like Christians, professing with their tongue that Jesus is Lord and performing duties that seem to coincide with their profession, but do not have the saving faith that brings about justification and true regeneration, will not be saved from eternal separation from God on the last day.

Ask yourself today if the 'works' you do are the outpouring of Christ's love for you, or simply a self-righteous striving for auto-justification. If you don't know Jesus, give Him your heart of stone and trust that He will give you a new heart of flesh that desires nothing more than to worship Him and bring Him glory, but if you are a Christian take a few minutes today looking at your motives in life.

Are my actions governed by my pride or Christ's blood?

Heavenly Father I praise you for you are good! I confess that there is no good apart from you and that I do not live in the light of this fact as I am called to. Holy Spirit help me to examine my motives in life. Shed light on my sinful nature that I may be daily conformed more and more to the image and likeness of Jesus Christ, my Savior. Amen.

-MD Letteney

More Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

2008-06-25T08:38:00.002+01:00

Today's Gospel Reading is Matthew 7:15-20.
For all of today's readings, click here.

15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. (ESV)

False prophets are a reality, even today. They speak interesting, touching, helpful, and intriguing things in the name of God. People flock to them. People listen. People give them money and support their ministry. But in reality, these leaders are ravenous wolves - hungry, dangerous, and willing to devour their "innocent" following.

False teaching and preaching is extremely dangerous for two reasons. First, it leads people away from the true God and towards the fires of Hell. Second, false teachers are extremely hard to identify, especially if you are one of their followers.

Think about it. No one joins a cult or a heretical religious sect thinking, "You know, these people are liars. I think I'll give them money and do what they say." No, the followers of false teachers are convinced their ravenous leaders are right, godly, and teaching the truth. Thus, is so hard to convince someone that their leader is actually not from God at all.

But how do we know who is of God and who is not? How can we tell? Could our pastors be one of these wolves? Well, I don't want you to be skeptical of your leadership; that's not biblical (see Hebrews 13:17). I don't think Jesus does either, so He tells us to examine their fruits - what they do.

Yesterday, Mark wrote about the importance of loving God and enjoying Him. Do your pastors and leaders truly love God? Are they seeking to obey God's Law, or are they just pointing fingers, telling others what to do?

This doesn't have to go to the extreme of a sex scandal or embezzlement. "Smaller" sins are still sin. So how do they spend their time? Are they concerned about preaching Christ and Him crucified? Do you see them repent of their small sins? Do they lie about how they spend their time? Are they just concerned about money? Do they point other people to Christ?

That last one is key. There are two kingdoms in this world. The Kingdom of God and the kingdom of men. One will last forever, but the other couldn't stand now, except for the True King. Which one is your pastor most concerned about? Is he preparing himself, his family, and his people to live forever in God's Kingdom, or is he teaching how to live now in man's?

That's a tough question, and it is one we should ask ourselves too. Am I more concerned about God's Kingdom or my own? If my fruits were examined, would I be found to be a healthy or a diseased tree? If we are bad trees, we will probably be drawn to follow other bad tress. If we are healthy, then we will probably follow those who lead us to the Physician, who will keep us that way.

So pray for your leaders - pastors, Sunday School teachers, deacons, elders, bishops, small group leaders, parents, etc. They have an incredible responsibility to prepare people for God's eternal Kingdom. It is tempting to teach about man's kingdom, because it is easier and more attractive at first. Pray for them to be faithful to God.

And pray for yourselves. Don't just scrutinize others, and don't forget the plank in your own eye. Let's prune off our own bad fruit so that our trunk - our heart and soul - would be healthy, so that we would listen to the Good Shepherd, follow Him, and enter into the Kingdom of God for all eternity.

You, O God, are the only good and holy Shepherd. You love Your people, and You lead us beside quiet waters and feed us the choicest of food. Yet we are easily deceived by our own sin, and we so readily follow those who would lead us astray. We pray for the leaders of our churches, families, and communities, who have been given the task of teaching the Truth. May Your words be their words; Your thoughts their thoughts; and Your will their will. May they seek obedience, truth, and holiness, and may they lead many souls to Christ Jesus, our Lord. We pray the same for ourselves. In His holy and precious name, amen.

Man's Chief End

2008-06-24T00:01:00.002+01:00

Today's passage comes from the book of Isaiah. All of today's readings can be found here.

"The Servant of the Lord
Listen to me, O coastlands,
and give attention, you peoples from afar.
The Lord called me from the womb,
from the body of my mother he named my name.
He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
in his quiver he hid me away.
And he said to me, You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
But I said, I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my right is with the Lord,
and my recompense with my God.
And now the Lord says,
he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him;
and that Israel might be gathered to him—
for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength—
he says:
It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." Isaiah 49:1-6 (ESV)

The meaning of life has forever been at the forefront of religious and philosophical debate and a common interest of all critical minds. Such questions as 'Why am I here?' and 'What is my purpose?' have long haunted the souls of men and women from all different backgrounds, and the way in which the question is answered has not just philosophical and moral implications but very practical ones as well. When we have answered the question of purpose, we cannot help but live the rest of our lives in light of that answer.

The Westminster Catechism states that man's chief end is to "love God and enjoy Him forever", taking the Creator-creature paradigm found in the Bible and fleshing it out practically for use in everyday life. What is my chief end - the most important part of my life? As Christians, we are called to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5), and we as children of God are given opportunity to enjoy the Grace He gives to us in this life and the next - this is your Chief end; to Love God and enjoy Him forever.

In today's passage, we see the prophet Isaiah recalling the call the Lord put on him for his life, and interestingly he does not think back to the call narrative found in chapter 6 of the same book, but states something completely different - that his initial calling was not at the moment when the Lord placed him into the prophetic office, but in fact in the womb. He boldly states that God did not see a need in time and fill it with the best option He could find at the time, but that from the beginning - even before Isaiah was born - the plan for his life was already carefully crafted.

Ephesians 1:3-6 says "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved." This passage brazenly asserts that you, like Isaiah, were chosen before the foundations of the earth were laid to be a child of God. He has chosen you not on the basis of your merit, but on the basis Christ's atonement and the righteousness given through Him to all believers. Before there was time, God chose you to be on of His people, and He predestined a path for your life and a specific purpose.

Is this not comforting? Is it not freeing? To know that the God of the universe did not call you to Himself on a whim, but it was the plan all along, and that there is no circumstance in your life today out of His control - I can find no greater comfort in this life than what is found in the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. He is good, He is in control, and He has a plan for your life.

So what is your purpose? To love God and enjoy Him forever. Take joy in that, dear brother, because there is no greater joy to be had than what is found in Jesus of Nazareth.

Father I confess that you are both sovereign and good. I joy in the fact that you chose me not on the basis of my goodness, but on the basis of your covenantal faithfulness and on Christ's blood. Thank you for showing me the truth of why I am here and for giving me a reason to live - to bring you glory and to enjoy you forever. Amen.

-MD Letteney

Looking Better

2008-06-23T07:43:00.004+01:00

Today's Gospel Reading is Matthew 7:1-5.
For all of Today's Readings, click here.

1 "Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

My, how easy it is to point fingers and condemn others. We see sins, failures, or shortcomings in others, and we almost pounce on the chance to point these out to others. Or perhaps, we just make a mental note, reminding ourselves that at least we don't do that.

This can happen in a variety of areas. It could be sins: lust, gossip, lying, anger, etc. It could be simple weaknesses: someone else is not very theologically astute, doesn't make wise decisions, or is driven more by impulse than reason. Or it could be personality flaws: talks too much, makes awkward jokes or comments, or always appears rigid or cold. Whatever it is, don't we just love highlighting someone else's flaws?

Clearly, one of the major reasons we do this is to make ourselves look better. We want it to be known that we aren't like them. We might not mention ourselves in the conversation, but if others look really bad, then of course, we look really good. Thus, we proclaim our superiority - either explicitly or implicitly - to ourselves, to others, or even to God.

That's right, even our prayers can be judgmental and self-centered. Ever thought about that?

What we tend to forget, however, is that the louder we declare the failures of others, the louder we proclaim our own hypocrisy. We prove that we aren't concerned with sin, per se, but rather with other people's sin; it's only wrong and important to me, when they commit it. I guarantee that other people notice this, because they are scrutinizing your faults, just like you're scrutinizing theirs.

Plus, aren't the things that really bother you in other people really just the same things that you do over and over? I know when I was leading the youth group, the students that really frustrated me were the talkative, impatient, and demanding ones. Why? Because I'm talkative, impatient, and demanding.

Thus, it seems to me that instead of using other people as a dart board, we should use them as a mirror. When we sin the sins, failures, and shortcomings of others, we should ask immediately, "How much do I do that too? What they are doing is wrong. How often do I do that? I bet I'm like them. I need to change."

The reflection may not be pretty. In fact, it may be downright hideous. But you won't change your appearance until you know something is wrong, and the same is true of your life. That is what Christ is teaching here; see your sin and change your own life. Don't worry about theirs. Of course, as with everything else, we need His help... a lot.

So remove that blank from your eye. Not only will you see better, you might actually start to look better too.

Dear gracious God. Unto You do I flee. As I reflect upon the sins of others, I realize just how sinful I actually am. I'm not as good, righteous and holy as I think I am. In fact, if I'm honest, I realize that I'm far more sinful than those around me. I need to sit in Your lap of mercy. I need Your healing and comforting arms around me, and I can go no other place than to Your bosom. Help me see my sin for what it is; help me to care; and help me to get rid of it. I need You. In Christ's name, I pray. Amen.

True Prayer

2008-06-19T00:01:00.001+01:00

Today's reading comes from the book of Matthew. All of today's readings can be found here.

"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." -Matthew 6:7-15 (ESV)

What is the heart of prayer? What is it's meaning? Does it have a clear purpose? We see Jesus in today's passage telling his disciples about true prayer and how it manifests itself in the life of a believer.

Jesus starts out the passage by explaining that prayer is not about what you say, but about where your heart is at when you pray it. He comments that the gentiles (the non-Jews) believe that their prayers will be answered because of the syntax they use - believing that God is a capricious being who needs to be manipulated into blessing His people, indeed a serious misconception that we see a lot even today.

When was the last time you heard someone say that 'if you just do this, or pray this prayer, or believe this doctrine, God will bless you.'? This stance implies that God's arm must be turned and we must have the right 'key' to get what we need from God, but Jesus here clearly denies this idea flatly, saying that the Lord already knows what we need and we know that He delights in giving good and perfect gifts to those in Christ Jesus in accordance with His will. So don't buy into the lie that 'if you just do this, then God will bless you'. It is not a question of syntax, it is a question of where your heart is at.

The heart of this passage, however, is found in the prayer that Jesus offers up to the Father, a sweet and heart-felt prayer that glorifies the Father and submits to His will, but is this how we pray? Who are our prayers focused on - us, or Him? When was the last time you sat down and truly thanked God for what He has done and for His sovereign will?

I am not saying that all of your prayers must be adoration, or confession, or thanksgiving, or supplication, but Jesus shows us here that when we pray it should not be a heavenly wish-list, but simply an outpouring of what is in our hearts. If you are excited about something - tell the Father. If you are nervous about something - tell the Father. If you are in need of something - tell the Father. Let your prayer life be a direct outpouring of the state of your heart, for it is then that you will more fully find fellowship with the Father - when you approach Him not as an adversary or heavenly gift-horse but properly as your Father, as your Daddy.

Heavenly Father you are so good to me. Thank you.

-MD Letteney

Loving Like Jesus

2008-06-16T07:36:00.004+01:00

Today's Gospel Reading is Matthew 5:38-42.
For all of today's readings, click here.

38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. (ESV)

This is such a common passage to so many of us, that it is hard to think of anything to add to it. How many times have we heard, "Turn the other cheek?" We know we aren't supposed to seek vengeance against others. Case closed. What more needs to be said?

Well, briefly, there are two main things Christ is teaching us here. First, He corrects a misapplication of Old Testament Law. Leviticus 24:17-23 teaches the eye-for-an-eye law. It is basically retributive punishment. If you kill, you will be killed; if you maim, you will be maimed.

The problem was that people were taking the law into their own hands. Instead, if going to the proper authorities, many simply decided to take their opponent's eye themselves! This was a sign of pure, bloodthirsty vengeance. Jesus says to stop this. This is the negative side; don't seek vengeance. Nothing surprising here.

Second, Christ gives a positive command. Instead of seeking vengeance, we should seek what is best for the other person. Don't fight back, give them what they need. Whenever you see the poor, help. Don't walk away. If someone hates you, love them back. Even if your enemy needs help, make sure to go that extra mile so that they lack nothing.

The first part of this is far easier to keep than the second. Although it's hard enough to hold your tongue when someone slanders you or tests your patience, it is even harder to return such maltreatment with love, compassion, and understanding.

When was the last time someone mistreated you? Did it involve lies, gossip, manipulation, backstabbing, or possibly even theft, being taken advantage of, or a full blown assault? How did you respond? Did you take things into your own hands and strike back? Did you just let it slide like water off a duck's back? Or did you look for ways to love, help, and work for the best interests of your attacker?

Jesus is teaching us here that the acceptable action is option number 3. Ouch.

Love your enemies. Love them. Love them deeply and genuinely. Seek their interests, not your own rights.

Why? If for no other reason than this is how Jesus has treated you. You were His enemy at one point in time, and chances are that you act like you still are a lot more than you should. Yet what has God done? Did He seek vengeance? Did He just let it slide? No! "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

While we were enemies of God and haters of Jesus, our Lord did exactly what was best for us, and instead of inflicting vengeance, He gave us eternal life. While we hated Him! That is true, compassionate love. That is what caring for others, even your enemies, looks like. That is what we are called to do and to be. Thank God that this loving Jesus, lives within us. May we truly learn to live and love, just like Him.

Most gracious and loving Father, You have loved us when we hated You. You have done what was best for us when we fought against You. You even sent Your one and only Son to die for our sakes, while we sought to kill Him. For all this, we praise You. Thinking about these things humbles us and convicts us. We do not have this love. In fact, we often don't want it. Yet this is what You command. Fill us with the Spirit of Christ in such a way that we truly look to love and benefit all those around us, even the ones that hate us and sin against us. May we respond to impatience with patience, hatred with love, anger with compassion, and theft with giving. Make us love others like You have loved us. In the name of Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen.

The Excuse-Making Machine

2008-06-13T07:45:00.004+01:00

Today's Gospel Reading is Matthew 5:27-32.
For all of today's readings, Click Here.

27 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

31 "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (ESV)

It is amazing how often we make excuses for things we know are wrong. What's even more amazing is how good we are at doing it. We find the line that we're not supposed to cross, and we do literally everything except step across it. We lay down on it. We put one leg over it. We straddle it. We lean as far over it as possible. We do absolutely everything thing we can do to that line, except technically cross it.

That is the attitude Jesus is getting at here. The Pharisees and others had found that "line" in dealing with adultery and divorce. They knew God didn't like these things, and they wanted to obey God. But they still wanted to do what they wanted to do.

With both adultery and divorce, the Pharisees had found "loopholes" that allowed them to do what they wanted without actually, technically sinning. They were asking, "How far can I go and still not sin?" If I don't actually cheat on my wife, then it's not actually sin, right?

Ever asked that question? I know I have. We don't want to break God's commands, but we want to everything we else that is allowable. But Jesus smacks us here and shows us that this attitude is not allowable.

To Jesus, sin is a big deal, even to the extent that He recommends maiming your body so that your soul stays pure. That's rather drastic, but wouldn't it be better to lose a hand, foot, or eye, if it means that through that sacrifice, we get to enter Heaven?

God's commands are more penetrating that we give them credit for, and there is no imaginary sin-line. If our hearts desire to sin, then we have sinned already. If we passionately long for what does not belong to us, then we are already thieves, adulterers, or cheaters. If we hate someone else, and wish they were dead, then we are guilty as murderers.

Like we said on Wednesday, far from doing away with the Law, Jesus points out how difficult obedience really is. Even our thoughts and desires can condemn us.

So what is that we need to cut out of our lives to ensure that we avoid sin? What needs to go? Do you find temptation more difficult when you're alone or with certain people? Do you find certain TV shows drive you to lust, bitterness, or laziness? How is the Internet feeding or starving your soul? How are your past times? Does your job easily lead you into greed or tempt you to lie, cheat, and steal to get what you want?

We are excuse-making machines. But Jesus is telling us to flee sin and temptation at all costs. That is incredibly difficult to do. We will need to make real sacrifices and change our life styles so that we are pure and holy, pleasing to Him. This is drastic, but, "at all costs," is pricey. It's expensive. Still, the riches and treasures of Heaven and Jesus Christ are worth so much more.

With His help, grace, mercy, and love, all things are possible, even Heaven, obedience and the ability to turn off our excuse-making machine.

O Lord God, I have sinned against and lied to myself, saying that I really haven't. I have tried to do everything I've wanted to do, but I realize now that in actuality, I did, in fact, disobey You. Help me listen to the words of Jesus Christ and stop making excuses and toeing the line. I need to cut out things in my life that I love and enjoy, but I know that pleasing You is more important. Give me the strength and passion to let go of worthless things, and follow Christ Jesus, my Lord. It is in His holy and precious name, I pray. Amen.

Your Righteousness

2008-06-12T00:01:00.001+01:00

Today's passage comes from the book of Matthew. All of today's passages can be found here.

"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, You fool! will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny." - Matthew 5:20-26 (ESV)

Have you ever had the feeling that you are just not good enough? You try and try, but feel like no matter what you do or how hard you try, you will never be worthy to deserve God's favor? This is a common feeling, and at this point it may be really soothing for me to tell you that you are indeed good enough, but the fact is that you are not. All of your feelings of inadequacy are unfortunately perfectly well founded, and there is nothing that you can do to escape the fact that your heart is, as the Jeremiah said, 'desperately wicked'.

The Lord, being holy and righteous, cannot allow one who is unholy into His presence as it would change His nature and render Him somewhat less than what He is. It is not possible for a holy God to allow unholy sinners to stand before Him, and this is why we call sin 'the curse'. We are by our sin eternally separated from God the Father.

Our status as law breakers and our denial of the Father willingly by sins of omission and commission means that we rightly deserve eternal separation from Him. But He gives us more grace!

The Father has loved us enough to send us a redeemer - one who lived the life according to His law that we could not live, and one who died the substitutionary death that we could not die, that His creatures would not be separated eternally from Him. This propitiation for our sins is found only in Jesus Christ.

The Father turned his back and allowed the only one who to lived the perfect life and rightly deserved God's favor, to die the cursed covenental death in our place and experience the separation that we deserve, that we might have life in Him eternally if we only have faith in what He has done. This is why Jesus says in today's passage "unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

The scribes and Pharisees were the most religious folk of His day - and even they were not worth of eternal life in the Father. Jesus here is foreshadowing what we call the 'imputation of righteousness', where the Father takes the righteousness that Jesus deserves as a result of our sinless life, and credits it to us on the basis of His atoning death, that we might have life in Him.

This is what the Christian life is all about, and I am sure you know this, but do you live it? Are you desperately trying to be good enough, instead of looking to He who is? Where is your trust, in your works of the flesh or in His atoning sacrifice?

I submit this to you today - until you learn to count all things of this earth as rubbish compared to the surpassing joy found in Christ the Savior, you will never experience the life He has predestined you for.

Father, my heart is desperately wicked. I confess in this moment that I am a sinner in need of Jesus, and I claim His blood as my basis for justification in your sight. Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and teach me to walk in your statutes not for my sake, but as an act of worship to Christ who deserves all my worship and more. Teach me to love you more fully today. Amen.

-MD Letteney

Christ Thinks It All Matters.

2008-06-11T08:24:00.001+01:00

Today's Gospel Reading is Matthew 5:17-19.
For all of today's readings, click here.

"17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." (ESV)

No one likes to be told what to do. We all want to be our own man or our own woman. Really, the only people who likes laws and rules are those who make and enforce them. That is, until they have to obey them.

Thus, when we look at the New Testament, especially if we have just been reading the Old, it is easy to think, "At last! Jesus is here! I don't have to worry about all these do's and don'ts. I just need to believe and follow loving Jesus, and things will turn out OK." Honestly ask yourself how often you have said or thought, "I don't think God is really going to be angry if I do ___. In the grand scheme of things, it not that big of a deal."

Well, kind, loving Jesus is still giving His introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, and He makes it VERY clear that the rules do matter... even the really small ones. Just like Moses came down off of a mountain and gave the Law to the Israelites, Yahweh's chosen people, Jesus is standing on a mountain, and He is about to teach the Law to His chosen people (Matthew 5:21-47).

Instead of getting rid of the Law or telling us that it isn't that important, Jesus stresses the fact that obedience to God's commands is very, very important.

In fact, obedience to every last little word of God's commands was so important to Jesus, that He completely fulfilled and obeyed every last bit of it. Jesus, our Lord and King, stepped down from His throne in Heaven and became an obedient servant. He never forgot a word, made excuses for not keeping it, or tried to find loopholes around it. No, He knew what He was supposed to do, and He did it... perfectly.

What are those sins you struggle with? Lust? Quickly losing your temper? Procrastination? Bitterness? Cheating? Taking more than your share? Not obeying authority? Selfishness? Greed? Jealousy? Jesus was obedient. And what is more, He was obedient on your behalf.

God demands perfect obedience from us; the minutiae does matter. But Christ is our perfect obedience. We are accepted by the Father because Christ took the Law so seriously. We'd have no hope, if He didn't.

Nevertheless, this isn't our excuse to slack off. If our Savior took the rules so seriously in His own life, do you really think He isn't going to care about the rules in ours? Of course He cares! Just as we love because He first loved us, we should obey because He has obeyed for us. It is on the basis of Christ's work that we can now live the lives of faithful service to God.

So let's examine our lives. When you read what God demands from His people, what is your attitude? Is it Christlike, or do you feel like your freedom is being squelched? Also, when you read God's commands, take the time to thank Christ for being so obedient. He's done what you didn't and couldn't do. And finally, use the attitude and actions of Christ as motivations to do what God asks.

The Law does matter. There is no part of it too small for God to care about. Fortunately, Christ thought so too. That's why He was obedient. Now, He's asking you to be so too. May He give us all the strength, ability, and even the desire to do what we're supposed to.

Almighty, loving Father, You have issued Your commands, but we have repeatedly ignored them. Forgive us for despising rules and regulations. Help our love for freedom not to trump our responsibilities. However, we thank you that Christ has been obedient and done what we should have and are supposed to do. We have failed You, but Christ has fulfilled every last ounce of Your demands. On the basis of His life and work, accept us into Your Kingdom, and lead us on to better obedience, righteousness, and holiness. In His perfect name we pray, Amen.

Press On!

2008-06-10T00:01:00.003+01:00

Today's passage comes from the book of First Kings. All of today's readings can be found here.

"And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. Then the word of the Lord came to him, Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand. And she said, As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die. And Elijah said to her, Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. For thus says the Lord the God of Israel, The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth. And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah." - 1 Kings 17:7-16 (ESV)

To anyone faithfully following Christ there will come a time when the Lord calls you to do something risky, and with the calling will not come clear instructions and obvious outcomes. Indeed following Jesus is a life only possible for the faithful, those who heed the Father's callings without question and move forward without always having a step by step plan.

In today's passage, we are given a first hand look at the faithfulness of Elijah and an elderly widow in the face of extreme danger. We learn from the passage and the verses just before that the brook from which Elijah had been drinking while living in the desert had dried up - a perilous prospect to anyone living in that environment, and especially so for Elijah who at the time had no reserve supplies or home even. He was living in accordance with the demand of the Father, and putting all of his trust in divine providence for things as elementary as bread to eat and water to drink.

Elijah, heeding the word given to Him by the Lord, went to a widow and requested provisions, and was met with a strange answer. She replied by saying that she has no bread, and only a little flour and a small amount of oil - not even enough to feed herself and her son a last meal before they died, probably of starvation. Elijah must have been stunned by this - didn't God say that he was going to have a widow in Zarephath feed him? How can this be, that the widow mentioned actually has no bread to offer?

Continuing in faith, Elijah tells the woman not to worry about the flour, but to feed him and she will be fed afterward. What faith! This woman, about to eat her last meal with the little bit of food she has left, bakes it instead for a homeless transient on his word that there will be enough!

Has the Lord ever called you to do something that doesn't seem to make sense, and when you get there to fulfill the designated task things don't really work out as planned? You followed the leading of the Lord and worked your hardest, but it just didn't really work out as you expected? Maybe you are in the middle of this situation right now, and looking for answers to such hard questions as "Why did you call me to this if it was not going to work out?" Maybe a better question would be "Why did you call me this if it was not going to work out how I planned?"

In the face of trial and seemingly uncontrollable circumstances, when we are in the middle of the storm and wondering what the Lord could possibly have in store, I urge you dear brother to find strength in the fact that "for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Rom. 8:28 ESV)

It is hard to see what the final plan is when you are in the middle of it, just as I am sure Elijah was confused when he got to Zarephath and saw that there was not enough flour to feed him, let alone the widow and her son, but have faith and press on in perseverance, because His plan is much greater than yours, and it will not be thwarted.

Father Most High, forgive me for my unbelief. I am so quick to lose heart when things do not go according to my plan, but you give me more grace. Grant me the faith necessary to trust that you have a plan that is much nobler than mine, and the perseverance to see the task before me through to the finish. Amen.

-MD Letteney

The What, not the Why.

2008-06-06T07:52:00.003+01:00

Today's New Testament Reading is 2 Timothy 3:10-17.
For all of today's readings, click here.

10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra - which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (ESV).

Have you ever watched some lie, cheat, steal, connive and scheme to get what they want, and get away with it? It's infuriating. You strive to do the right thing, but nothing positive seems to happen. They constantly do what's wrong, and they don't get caught but profit and become more and more popular. It's enough to make you want to spit.

This is a problem that has plagued God's people for a very long time. Proverbs and Ecclesiastes both address this problem. It's easy to ask, "What's the point? Wouldn't I be happy, if I just gave this up? Why should I suffer for doing what's 'right,' when their lives are so much better?" And you know, what? Those are good questions.

So we turn to the Bible for answers. After all, this is God's Word. Surely He must tell us why these things takes place. If we knew the why, we'd probably be able to cope a bit better.

But the Bible doesn't seem to address the why at all! It never tells us why God allows these things to continue. He doesn't give us insight into God's reasoning for letting the righteous suffer, while the wicked prosper. In fact, as we see over and over again, we are simple told, "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

So what use is the Bible? If it's not going to tell us the why, the why should we even bother? The Bible is useful, because it tells us the what - a question God feels is more important to answer. The Bible tells us what God wants from us - to do, to believe, to say, and to feel - and it tells us to trust God about the why. The Bible teaches us what obedience is, and it prepares us to be faithful.

The Bible teaches us what God wants. It points out our errors when we go astray. It corrects us by putting us back on track, and it trains us so that we don't make the same mistake again and again.

This is important. We won't always feel like following God's Word and His commandments, especially when we seek wicked people prosper, make more money and friends, and never get caught. Nevertheless, we are always supposed to be faithful servants, doing the good works, the Bible has prepared us to do. And besides, the Bible promises that God rewards His faithful servants (Matthew 25:23).

This is a difficult calling, and it probably isn't very comforting. But the Bible isn't a therapy book. We know what we are supposed to do; the question is, "Will we?" Will we be obedient, even when it hurts and we lose friends or money? Will we follow Christ, even when we suffer? Will we let the Bible teach, rebuke, correct, and train us, or will we follow a seemingly prospering crowd?

Circumstances change, as do our feelings towards them. But will your obedience change or will you finish the race?

Almighty God. You have told us what we are to do, but all too often we don't like it. We want to enjoy life now, and sometimes obedience gets in the way. Yet we trust that You know what You're doing. Help us to be faithful, obedient children. Give us grace that we would always do the what, even when we don't want to. Fill our hearts with a passion to serve You, and not to be jealous of the prosperity of the wicked. Lead us not into temptation, O Lord, but deliver us from evil. Through the name of Christ, we pray, amen.

Of First Importance

2008-06-05T00:01:00.000+01:00

Today's passage comes from the book of Mark. All of today's readings can be found here.

"And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, Which commandment is the most important of all? Jesus answered, The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said to him, You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions." Mark 12:28-34 (ESV)

What a passage! It took thirty-something verses for Mark write about Jesus saying something nice to a Pharisee, but we got there! Savor the last verses there though, because you don't see Jesus complimenting the teachers of the law every day. That having been said, I believe there are two main points to be made concerning today's text, and will attempt for your sake to flesh them out briefly and accurately.

First things first - this passage is only one of numerous examples of Jesus quoting the Old Testament in His preaching. Why, do you ask? Didn't he come to get rid of all those rules and regulations? Didn't Jesus come so that we may be free from the Mosaic law? To a certain degree that is true, but Jesus Himself in Matthew chapter 5 warns not to " think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

In quoting the Mosaic law in Deuteronomy, Jesus accomplishes two important objectives - showing that He has not come preaching a change in the nature of God but that He has come as God to fulfill all that has been written about Him, and He gives an example of proper missional living - meeting people on their turf and preaching the gospel to them from where they are, as Philip does with the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter 8. Jesus numerous times throughout all four gospel accounts claims boldly that the whole of scripture testifies to His person and work. Here He is illustrating His message of faith in God as ultimate to the teachers of the law using the Old Testament as His basis, and in so doing is illustrating to us today that we are not to disregard any part of the scriptures but to search them and know them because they are ultimately all about Jesus. This was the bible Jesus knew - Genesis to Malachi, and Jesus shows here it was sufficient in that time to lead someone to Himself, as it still is today.

Secondly, Jesus is speaking out against the religion of the Pharisees not on the basis of what they do, but on the basis of why the do it. They, as we see the nation of Israel do in Isaiah 1, were deeply religious but not at all concerned with God's glory. They did all the right things, but for the wrong reasons, and we see here in verse 29 Jesus commanding that the works of the law are not important if cleansing faith is not present. He strips away all the external works of religion in favor of the heart of what it is to be a child of the Most High - to Love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. According to the Westminster Confessions, the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, and here we see Jesus confirming this statement.

So what are your works of the law? Where are you going through the motions, believing that doing so will earn you salvation? The gospel of Christ is not one of your worthiness, but of His sacrifice. You cannot earn the favor of God, as he does not put people into groups of "good" and "bad", but of "perfect" and "not perfect". The only man to ever fit in the latter catagory was Jesus Christ, who urges you that the only way to the Father is through Him, and that the most important thing in life is to believe that. So go today and mourn your imperfection before God, meditate on Jesus's perfect obedience, and joy in the fact that He died to sin once and for all that you may be free from it if you only believe.

Lord Jesus, I thank you for your sacrifice on the cross, for your humility in coming to this earth that you created, and for your grace in teaching me today through the scriptures. Teach me to search your word and send your Holy Spirit to me that I may understand. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me, and enable me to love the Father with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. Amen.

-MD Letteney

Don't Be Ashamed

2008-06-04T07:42:00.005+01:00

Today's New Testament Reading is 2 Timothy 1:1-12.
For all of today's readings, Click Here.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. (ESV)

Nowadays, we see many people stand up for what they believe in. There are marches, protests, lock-ins, rallies, lobbyists, etc., etc., etc. People stand up for the right to life, the right to choice, the freedom to do what we want, the candidate we want to see elected, or the values they want established. Whether its political, moral, religious, or economical, people have very little problem standing up for what they believe.

However, as Christians, we, on the whole, have a tendency not to stand up, stand strong, and stand firm. We don't want to offend or be labeled a fanatic, so we don't share our faith. We don't want to impose anything on anybody, so we don't point out sins. We don't want to lose friends or appear uncool, so we go along with the crowd. Basically, we're ashamed.

St. Paul should have been ashamed, should have hidden his faith, and should have given up. Because he was a teacher and Apostle of the Gospel, he suffered by being beaten, stoned, whipped, imprisoned, and ship wrecked. People absolutely hated this man because of what he stood up for. He didn't tow a party line; he didn't conform to the status quo; and he didn't bend over to make people happy (read 1 Corinthians!). But what did he have that we lack?

As simple as this sounds, I think it is because he truly understood the Gospel and the God of that Gospel. Perhaps today's Christians have lost their fervor and zeal because they don't have much to be zealous about. Compared to science, other religious, logic, freedom, and morality, this "Christianity" just doesn't seem that strong, powerful, or appealing. It almost looks like a wart on the hand of ideologies. Why would we stand up and suffer for something weak and meaningless? We are afraid, because what we believe just isn't that attractive anymore.

But the true God hasn't given His people a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and self-control. What we believe is truly powerful, meaningful, and beneficial. Our God has destroyed death itself. Nothing else claims to do this. No other religion promotes a god who has killed death. Everyone will die, and there is nothing - not even science or morality - that can change that, except the Lord and King, Jesus Christ.

So what are we afraid of? If our God has beaten death, is there anything He can't conquer? He is the Creator, the Judge, and the almighty King. Nothing is too difficult for Him.

Because we believe this, we will suffer. We don't like that, but it's true. We will be hated, lose jobs and friends, be given no respect, not included, deemed offensive and closed-minded, and possibly attacked. But so what? Our God lives and reigns. Eventually these other things will die and pass away, but we will live forever with our powerful God in Heaven.

So today, think about this. Think about the real Gospel is. Mediate on who God is and what He has done. Think about His great acts - Creation, bringing the Israelites out of Egypt, saving the Hebrew children from the fiery furnace, turning water into wine, and of course, raising Jesus Christ from the dead.

This isn't a weak God. Once you grasp His character better, ask Him for strength so that you won't be a weak follower. Stand up, stand up for Jesus - in word, thought, and deed. Fulfill your holy calling. Be willing to suffer, for God's power will raise you up at the last day. That is the Gospel; don't be ashamed of it.

Almighty God, we have forgotten who You are. We have forgotten Your strength and power. We have become convinced that other ideas, activities, or even theologies are better than You. Forgive us of such idolatry. We confess and acknowledge that You are a great and power God. You have defeated death and hades, and You will raise Your people up from the grave. No one is like You. Help us to understand Your power and strength, so that we will be strong followers. Teach us the true Gospel of Christ so that we would be faithful witnesses to the world. Help us not to fear, but to share in suffering, standing up for the Truth. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Unlikely teammates

2008-06-03T00:01:00.001+01:00

Today's passage comes from the book of Mark. All of today's readings can be found here.

"And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not? But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it. And they brought one. And he said to them, Whose likeness and inscription is this? They said to him, Caesar's. Jesus said to them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marveled at him." - Mark 12:13-17 (ESV)

In today's passage, we see a very interesting interaction between three opposing parties - the Pharisees, the Herodians, and Jesus. You see, the Pharisees were very adamant about the freedom of the nation of Israel from foreign rule, while the Herodians were very adamant about the right of Rome to govern any conquered land, and Jesus - well He was doing what He always does - bringing glory and honor to the Father and preaching the Good News brought through Himself.

We see in the verses before this passage that the Pharisees were trying to bring allegations against Jesus in order to bring down the public's view of Him, and ultimately to garner support for their plans to imprison Him. You see - the Pharisees preached just what Jesus preached against. They were all about the law, while Jesus was all about the grace of the Father. While Jesus talked about the spirit of the law, they kept the letter of it, adding more to it so as to make themselves seem more holy. While they fruitlessly searched the scriptures, Jesus fulfilled them and called sinners and gentiles to righteousness - the same people that the Pharisees were not even willing to associate with.

The Herodians were a little simpler - they wanted to make sure no one was committing treason by claiming that taxes were not to be paid to Caesar and that Jesus was not 'disturbing the peace', and here we see two unlikely teammates gear up for battle.

Does this seem familiar? How often do we choose our friends, our teammates, or our coworkers not on the basis of what (or who) they love, but what (or who) they hate? We as Christians are so quick to lash out at each other and band together against those who are faithfully trying to preach the gospel because they missed a minor point in some obscure text. Granted all scripture is God breathed and profitable, and we are to be students of the scriptures as we seek the Lord and His righteousness, but at what point does 'love cover a multitude of sins' within the church? We are so quick to show love, mercy, and compassion to a pagan, but when it comes to reading a book by a ________ (insert denominational categorization here), we throw up our hands in disbelief that anyone would even suggest that, committing to pray for "that heretic's salvation"! Amillenialists rail against Dispensationalists, Emergents criticize Evangelicals, Presbyterians wreak havoc with Baptists, and somewhere in the middle of all this ruckus the message of Christ is lost.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that we should not engage in theological discussion - we should, and anyone who knows me personally can testify to the fact that this is my favorite activity - but when the discussion turns to bickering and the biblical reprimand morphs to personal reproach, what is gained? More importantly - what is lost?

If someone is truly and fully seeking Christ - should we first try to encourage them or break them down? To the world looking on - would we rather them see a Church in constant internal turmoil or a Church full of compassion for one another? There are issues worth separating for, and issues that are not. May the Lord grant us the grace to know the difference.

I leave you with the words of the Orange County Supertones:

No more time
for us to bicker and complain,
If we're called by the same name,
there's nowhere for us to lay the blame,
except for ourselves.
And if we died to our old selves
we've come alive as God's flesh,
that makes us family.
Deeper than death,
but we don't act so tight
when there's a back to bite.
Are we less like a family, and
more like a fistfight?
Are we there, but not quite
are hypocrites children of light?

And can we sing with one voice,
if we all love the same God?
Can we agree to disagree?
And so we cry with one voice
to the only God in all the universe-
who holds us in His hands.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for the fellowship you have so graciously given me in the universal Church. I thank you for my brothers and sisters in Christ, wherever they are and however they worship - I thank you that you call men and women to yourself and to love you with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Father guide me, and show me when it is profitable to speak up, and when it is necessary to hold my tongue. I love you, and recognize that I am a lowly sinner who can only see but the smallest part of your eternal glory. Help me to walk humbly in Your sight and in that of the body of Christ. Amen.

-MD Letteney

Knowing Our Place

2008-05-30T09:26:00.003+01:00

Today's Old Testament Reading is Deuteronomy 7:6-11.
For all of today's readings, click here.

6 "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, 10 and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face. 11 You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today." (ESV).

As Christians, it can be easy to think that we have it all together. We know the right stuff; we've been blessed by God; and the Christian culture has contributed so much to mankind throughout history. Hey, we're pretty good!

This passage puts things into perspective. We, as the Church, are a holy people. We have been selected by God to be His children, His treasured possession. No one else on Earth can claim that, not Buddhists, Muslims, Americans, Europeans, blacks, whites, or anyone else. Only Christians are God's holy people. Pretty cool, huh?

But don't let your head get too puffed up about this. Moses reminds Israel that it wasn't because of how numerous they were. Being a large nation was a huge status symbol back then. Now, we might think we're the most intelligent, wisest, most moral, or most philosophical of all the people's on Earth. That might be our claim to our high status over everyone else.

But this isn't why God picked us. There are smarter, wiser, and more moral philosophers than many Christians. It's not because of who we are or what we did.

Rather, it's because God loved us.

I can't explain why, because I don't know why. Why does God love us? Why does God love me? If I was God, I wouldn't love me. I wouldn't pick me to be a treasured possession. I'm not a treasured anything. Yet for whatever reason, God has loved us, will love us, and He will always be faithful to His people.

And that's the point. The Church, as God's treasured possession, by its very nature points people to Christ not to itself. We aren't better than anyone else, and in many ways, we're much worse! After all, the Gospel is foolishness (i.e. stupid) - quite a strong term in today's society. But God through Christ has shown us that His love and compassion goes far deeper than anyone else's on Earth. Only God could love screwed up people like Christians. Only God could be compassionate enough to pick the Church. Only Jesus Christ would die for this lot of sorry fools.

That's right, our God is awesome. He didn't need us; He wanted us. He created us, and He chose us to be His own. So let's stop acting like we're so great. We're not. He is! Let's get rid of the arrogance that can come from knowing we're His. Let's stop treating God like He's our servant, and let's approach Him as His servants. Let's love Him and keep His commandments.

And that's our place: servants of God. We belong to Him. We're not kings, rulers, or even respectable people. We're pathetic sinners, and we deserve far worse than being called a servant. So let's get off our high horse, realize we're not better than anyone else, obey the King, and praise Him for His grace and love. Our place is to serve, not to control.

Our Father in Heaven. You are holy and majestic indeed. You are far more loving and gracious than we could possible imagine. You have shown compassion to miserable people, and we are grateful. Teach us to realize that we aren't god and we aren't better than others. Remove the arrogance out of our hearts, and help us be humble and serve: both You and others. When people look at the sorry group of people called the Church, help them to see just how loving and powerful You are. In the name of Christ Jesus, our Lord, Amen.

Lord, let me yearn for you

2008-05-29T00:01:00.002+01:00

Today's reading is from the book of 1 Peter. All of today's readings can be found here.

"Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." - 1 Peter 2:2-5 (ESV)

What do you long for? Are you imitating Ruth's father-in-law Elimilech, trusting God as long as you are comfortable? Are you imitating Peter, interestingly enough the author of this passage, and following Christ until it gets hard? Or are you fervently seeking after the Lord, desiring only things of Him and refusing to be satisfied otherwise?

This passage shows Peter - the very same apostle who denied Christ three times, urging all believers and people who are interested in the faith to long for the Holy Spirit's indwelling power. To yearn for the Lord and knowledge of the Most High, because the result will have to be trusting in the God of the universe and ultimately salvation. Jim Rayburn, founder of the high school relational outreach Young Life, once said that if we can only pull back the curtains of misunderstanding and let a person gaze at Jesus unadulterated - they will not be able to say no to His goodness. This is what Peter is arguing here - if we yearn for 'spiritual milk' and set it as the highest priority, we will necessarily see Christ, and in seeing Christ, we will love Him and follow Him.

So what are you yearning for? Could Dallan Forgaill's words "Naught be all else to me save that Thou art!" be attributed to you? I pray that they could, and that the Lord Jesus would be first in your mind and on your tongue, because this is the path to salvation and true joy in this life and eternal rest in the presence of the Father in the next.

Heavenly Father, be first in my mind and on my heart. Teach me to yearn for you with all that I have. Holy Spirit I know that I am weak without You, make me feel as such. Let me drink deeply of the Well of Life, and find all of my pleasure in You. Amen.

-MD Letteney

Back to the Basics

2008-05-28T09:46:00.002+01:00

Today's New Testament Reading is from 1 Peter 1:18-25.
For all of today's readings, click here.

18 Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;

24 for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you. (ESV).

In the midst of our hectic lives - work, family, school, social outings, obligations, shopping, etc. - it is easy to forget the really important things. Well, that's not entirely true. All the things I just listed are really important things. What I mean is that it can be hard to sit down, be quiet, and reflect upon what God has done. This is the tyranny of the urgent.

The people Peter is writing to underwent some very serious persecution. In the midst of their hectic lives, they had to deal with the threat of jail, torture, or even death for their Christian faith. If it is easy for us to forget what God has done, imagine how tough it would have been for them. In fact, their lives would have been dramatically easier, if they just renounced their faith.

What Peter does over and over again in this short letter is remind them of the basics. It's like taking a professional basketball team back to the fundamentals (dribbling, passing, shooting, running plays). If you forget the fundamentals, then the rest is a waste of time.

Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, the King of Kings, and God incarnate has ransomed you. There wasn't a money transaction, but He paid the debt we owed to God. Because of our rebellion again the almighty, most holy God, we deserved death and Hell. However, Jesus paid it all. We now owe God nothing! It's like getting rid of years of credit card debt, except our bill was infinitely large, payable to God, not Citibank. This is really amazing.

What is more, God had set Jesus apart for this purpose before the beginning of the world. This too is wondrous, and it seriously highlights God's love for us. God knew we would screw up, sin, and fall. Knowing that, He could have scrapped His Creation, and maybe create dogs in His own image (they're more obedient after all). OR once we did fall into sin, God could have rejected us and left us to our own ways.

But no... God, the perfect Creator, decided to go along with us anyway. For reasons known only to Himself, He loved us then, and He loves us now. With the foreknowledge that we would bitterly rebel, He picked out our Savior before we even screwed up. There was no plan B. God knew what He was doing. Like we said on Monday, we can be confident of this because Christ is risen! If Jesus had never been raised from the dead, we would have reason to doubt, but that is not reality.

So that's the basics of our faith. This is where we need to return. This is what we need to think about in the midst of our crazy lives. But the great question is to ask is, "So what do I do? I've thought about it, now what?" Again, back to the basics. Love people. You have seen this great love of God, show it to others. Genuinely care for those around you. While you try to swim in torrents of life, think about your spouse, your kids, your friends, your neighbors, your coworkers, etc., and ask what it is they need. This is what God did with us before the foundation of the world; now He's asking you to do the same.

All the things in our life will pass away, both the good and the bad. The stress, the running around, the forgotten 'to do's', the jobs, the lack of money; all of these things will one day be over. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the basics, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, will be true forever. It will never die. His love will never end. Don't forget that. Return to the basics, love others, and rejoice. The cliché is true: Jesus loves you.

Most loving Father. Thank you that from all eternity You saw fit to love us. We don't deserve it, but we are confident that it's true. You have raised Jesus the Christ up from the dead, and because of that, our debt is paid. Our pockets were empty; we had no way to pay You what we owed. But Jesus has done it all. Praise the Lord, O my soul! What a great and loving God You are!!! Fill us with Your love so that we would love those around us with that same love. In the name of Christ, our rise Savior, Amen.

Put on the new self

2008-05-27T00:01:00.000+01:00

Today's reading comes from the book of 1 Peter. All of today's readings can be found here.

"Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy." - 1 Peter 1:10-16 (ESV)

Paul talks about putting on the 'new self' many times throughout his epistles, though most notably in Colossians 3 (see also Romans 6 and Ephesians 4). His argument is that because our sinful nature has died with Christ, we now are free to embrace the new heart for holiness we are given (Ezekiel 36) and pursue the righteousness of Christ wholly. We are no longer a slave to sin, and indeed there is 'no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus' (Romans 8:1). So why do we constantly look back to the life that we lived in sin and desire things of this world? If we truly are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), why are our hearts so easily enticed and brought back to our former life of sin?

Imagine with me for an instant a newlywed husband that approaches his wife on their honeymoon with a honest and open question; "Honey, if I ever were to cheat on you, would you forgive me?" Full of love and compassion, the wife answers "Yes, of course. I would be disappointed, but I would forgive you if you repented." Does the man then breathe a sigh of relief and decide to pursue extramarital affairs because his wife said it was ok? By no means! That would be sick, and an absolute perversion of his wife's grace! Such it is with believers who decide that in the light of unconditional grace they are free to sin. I would argue that people who take that position are not believers at all, because they do not truly love He who justified them in the first place. As Peter says in this passage, we are to "be Holy, for [He] is Holy."

The regenerational grace of our Lord at the time of conversion is the means by which we are given a new heart - one that at its deepest part desires Holiness, not sin. If you search your heart and find not only conflicted desires due to your sinful nature, but a whole-hearted desire for sin - you need to doubt your salvation. The life that you lived in ignorance is in the past, and you are now resurrected with Christ in order that you may pursue the righteousness that He desires. So "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct"! Look to the Father for your strength and put off the old self, denying totally and unconditionally the life that you lived in sin, and trade it for a life of Holiness in Christ. This is the calling and mark of a Christian, and what the Father desires of all His children.

Practically what does this mean? I can tell you personally that I struggle with this on a daily basis. I can pinpoint exactly what my life would look like if Christ had not saved me, right down to where I would be and who I would be associating with, but that is not me. It is the old self, and the self that Christ has taught me to deny for the life that He now gives me in Him. Yet, I constantly look back at it and find myself thinking thoughts and doing deeds out of line with my new self, and in line with who I was. But it is not who I am anymore! So why oh why do I still look back and desire that life? It is because of my sinful nature, something that will be gone when I am glorified on the last day but that still has latent effect on me today. The only proper weapon we have against this foothold of satan in our lives is the redeeming power of Christ, and it is what we must cling to fresh every day if we are to live this life as He intended. Do not be disillusioned - we are fighting a spiritual battle every day against who we used to be and the sin that is in our hearts, but in Jesus we have the power to overcome, and to be holy as He is holy. So look to He who is holy, and ascribe to be the same, for this is what He desires of you and the path to true joy in this life and the next.

Father of mercy, forgive me my sins. I screw it up so badly every day, but you give me more grace. Father give me the strength to overcome this my sin, and to put on the new self afresh and more fully every day, that I may be called a child of the Most High and bring you glory in all that I do. To you be all the glory, honor, and praise forevermore. Amen.

-MD Letteney

A Living Hope

2008-05-26T10:11:00.003+01:00

Today's New Testament Reading is 1 Peter 1:3-9.
For all of today's readings, click here.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (ESV)

We use the word, "Hope" all the time. We hope it won't rain and ruin our picnic. We hope our children will listen to what we tell them. We hope we will get a raise at work. Heck, I hope the Redskins will win a Super Bowl again before I die.

In all these cases, such "hope" is uncertain. Things may or may not turn out the way we want them to. We hope they will, but we can't be sure. The way "Hope" is typically used in the Bible is different. Hope, according to the Bible, is certain, assured, and guaranteed to turn out properly. Everyone has this kind of hope in something. We all hope in something or someone. The question is, "What?" What is our hope?

Many people hope in money. They save up their cash to buy a lot of stuff. This brings them joy and gives their life meaning. However, money and the stuff it buys eventually rots, corrupts, breaks, or corrodes in some fashion. Stuff always perishes eventually.

Others hope in their good works. They are convinced that they are generally good people, or at least not completely corrupt. They aren't Hitler, and they genuinely care about others, give to the poor, and help those around them. However, no matter how good their works are, they have to admit they aren't perfect. The are defiled in some way, shape or form.

Still, other people put their hope in their looks or abilities. They are talented, beautiful, or both. People like them because of what they look like or what they can do. Nevertheless, as time goes by and these people age, their beauty and their talents fade. They don't look like they used to, and their bodies don't let them accomplish what they used to. Their beauty and their talents fade.

All of these things are dead hope. They provide comfort for a while, but eventually they die out. Peter, however, presents us with living hope. This is completely different. This hope will never perish, become defiled, or fade with time. It is ever lasting and perfect. And it comes only through the resurrection of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit.

God, our Father, is merciful and loving. He knows we are mortal people who go through great trials, pains, turmoil, broken relationships, and sufferings. He knows that it would be easy to give up and quit. He knows how hard our lives are, because Christ, His only Son, lived our lives just like we do, warts and all.

Thus, our Father in Heaven has given us a living hope. We have an inheritance in Heaven waiting with our name on it. Because Christ has been raised from the dead, we can be certain that He has this treasure set aside just for us. There is no need to doubt. Our hope is living because it is in a living God, all other hopes are dead.

Peter is writing to a people that are severely afflicted with persecution, death, and suffering. There is every reason to lose hope. But Peter points their eyes to the prize awaiting them in Heaven. "Don't look at the problems," he says, "Look at the reward. Look at the risen Lord. I promise you, you will get this inheritance, because Jesus Christ lives!"

This is exactly the application to us. What are you facing? What are you dealing with? What is causing you great pain? While it is OK to hurt and grieve, don't forget what awaits you in Heaven. Don't forget that our God lives and reigns. Don't forget that the salvation of your soul is assured. And don't forget that you have a living hope. These things are guaranteed, assured, and certain, because Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead.

Do you believe that? Do you trust in Him? Do you have faith that Christ lives in Heaven? Then have hope. There is glorious joy awaiting you in Heaven. This is what Christ has done for you. This living hope.

Oh Lord our God. How wonderfully merciful you have been to us. We praise You for giving us something that can never perish, spoil, or fade. We praise Your for raising Christ from the dead so that we do not need to doubt. Thank you that our hope is secure and guaranteed. Thank You that You keep Your promises. Help us to always rejoice and have hope, even when life is sour, bitter, or utterly painful. This we pray through Christ our risen Lord. Amen.

What is ultimate?

2008-05-22T00:01:00.002+01:00

Today's reading comes from the book of Mark. All of today's readings can be found here.

"For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." -Mark 9:41-50 (ESV)

What is ultimate? We as Christians know that making anything ultimate other than God is idolatry. Money, family, drugs, success, love - these things can all become ultimate at any moment due to our sinful nature and we need to daily repent of our idolatry, myself especially. We see in this passage Jesus talking about what is ultimate in a radically new way. He starts out with the main thrust of the argument - that what you do is important in the light of the Kingdom, and that your actions when it comes to unbelievers makes a huge impact. He says that no act - even the simple act of offering a cup of water to a thirsty brother - is important, but only becomes important when Christ is the reason and the goal. How does that effect our works though?

He moves on and urges his followers that anyone who causes another to sin against the Lord is sinning themselves, and that it would be better that they die than cause another to turn their back on God. That if your hand causes you to sin, it would be better that you lose the hand and receive life than keep the it and be eternally separated from God. Hands, feet, success, children, life itself - they are all worth sacrificing in the light of eternity. But how does this determine our life goals?

Precisely in this way - Christ must be ultimate in everything that we do. It would be better to deny a dying man a cup of water than to give it to him and not intend that through the act he would see God's love. Does this make you uncomfortable? I want you to really ponder that statement, and think about its implications. No works are worth anything - or are even good - if they are not intended to cultivate a sense of need for Christ. We are to do everything in this life with God being the ultimate and practical basis, and if He is not then we should not do it at all. Why would we worry about philanthropic deeds if they are not centered on the good news of the Gospel? If you truly believe that no one can come to the Father except through Christ (John 14:6) and you have a genuine love for those around you, why would you deny them the good news of Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection?

Do you see the implications of this? Everything you do in this life must be focused on Christ, otherwise it is of no use. This is Jesus's point, and this is the calling God has put on your life. Christ must be ultimate.

I am humbled by your words, Jesus, and I am sinful in everything that I do. I thank you for the divine revelation that you have given to me through this passage of scripture, and I ask you to send the Holy Spirit to convict me of this truth. I cannot make you ultimate without your power, and I ask you this day to give me the ability to forsake all for you, and do everything unto you. I love you, Lord. Amen.

-MD Letteney

Let God be God

2008-05-21T09:10:00.004+01:00

Today's New Testament reading is taken from James 4:13-17.
For all of today's readings, click here.

13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"-- 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (ESV)

All of us at one time or another have had our plans change or ruined unexpectedly. We plan a vacation, but the kids get sick last minute. We accept a job in a new location only to find it is worse than our old one. We save our money for our kids' college tuition, but then a medical emergency demands our hard earned savings. No matter how hard we work to make sure everything is in order, there is still always the chance, often a pretty big chance, that things won't work out the way we hope.

And usually when things don't work out, what we do we do? We smile, say, "Well, it wasn't God's will," and move on, right? Haha! Not me. Failed plans test my patience pretty quick, and it's very easy to get angry or even bitter. We want to do what we want. We want everything to go the way we want them to go. We want everyone else to do what we want them to do, including God.

James is telling us that there is something wrong in our thinking here. Our focus is in the wrong place. Instead of finding out God's will, we demand that our will be done.

How often have you made plans and then asked God to bless them? When I was in ministry, I did this a lot. It seems pretty pious. Of course we want God's blessing upon our plans. However, this is the same kind of arrogance and selfishness that James is talking about. We shouldn't ask God to bless our plans at all!

Instead, we should ask what God's plans are. We should pray, seek His guidance, then go where we are convinced He leads us. What's more, James is telling us to still realize that it is God who is in control, not us. We should approach all situations, even those when we are sure we are doing what He wants, with the attitude of submission, humility, and trust. Things might not turn out like we think they will. We may not have understood His will properly, or His final outcome might be different than we expect.

Do you think Abraham expected God to provide a ram instead of Isaac? Do you think Moses expected there to be ten whole plagues before God delivered His people? Do you think anyone expected the Messiah to come in the way He did? Of course not. So why are we surprised when God does something different than we planned? We shouldn't be. God is in charge, and that is the point of the passage.

Our plans usually change. Our plans aren't flawless. Situations, money, sin, other people, death, or even our own goals can change our plans up to the very last second. The only one whose plans will never change is God. Nothing can thwart what He has set in motion. God is God, and we are not. That's a simple message, but a very tough pill to swallow.

So the application here is pretty straightforward. Whatever it is you want to do, first spend some serious time in humble prayer, not asking God for blessing, but asking for wisdom and direction. Then move forward with patience and faith in God. If His plans take you somewhere new, that's great! His new plans have never disappointed me, and I don't know when He's ever disappointed anyone else. God is infinite, most wise, perfect, and good; my guess is that His plans are better than I anything I could have dreamt up. Jesus certainly was.

So let's remember that we are merely God's people called to be faithful, humble, and obedient. Let's let God be in charge. In other words, let's step down off the throne, and let God be God. I think He's proven Himself worthy of the position.

Almighty, most glorious, the only wise God. You have proven Yourself perfect and good time and time again. You know what You are doing, and every time we look back on what You have done, we are compelled to give thanks. You always do more and far better things that we can imagine. Forgive us of our arrogance. We want to be in charge; we want to be king; we want to be God. Give us humility, wisdom, and trust to go where You lead and be content with what You do. If it be Your will, make us faithful servants to do what You command, and go where You lead. In the name of our unexpected, but good and perfect Savior, we pray. Amen.

Image courtesy of Morguefile.com.

He Gives Us More Grace

2008-05-20T00:01:00.001+01:00

Today's reading is from the book of James. All of today's readings can be found here.

"What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says 'He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us?' But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." - James 4:1-10 (ESV)

Have you ever tried to kick the habit? You know - of sinning. Tough job, isn't it? You see, here is the problem: We are by nature and choice sinners - a people who has turned its back on God and chosen to pursue a life on our own terms. As it says in Psalm 53:3, there is no one who does good, not even one. Such is the story of the Bible, and the reality of all the pain and suffering in this world. But there is hope, the hope that can be found in Jesus of Nazareth. In the light of this, however, how can we be expected to do something that is against our own nature - that being, live without sin? James gives us a clear picture of this in his letter.

James starts this passage off by pointing out the utter sinfulness of his audience, and I think that if you look at this passage with a humble heart you will understand that these people are not the exception - they are the rule, and you are in this group. Jesus says in Matthew chapter 5 that anyone who has malice in his heart against his brother has already committed murder. Never get angry? How about this one - whoever looks at a woman (or man) lustfully has committed adultery in their heart. I think between just those two we can say with confidence that we are all sinners.

Once again, James starts out this passage talking to sinners and points out their many sins to aggravate the point. The whole passage hinges on the one phrase "But He gives us more grace." You see - the Lord knows that we are an utterly sinful and despicable people who deserve eternal separation from Him, but He gives us more grace.

So back to the original question - have you ever tried to stop sinning? It is a commandment of God that His people 'go and sin no more', but how can we do this? James gives us a great outline here as to how practically we are to go about living a life of holiness.

The first thing he says is the most important, over arching part of the guide. Submit to God. Read His word, but do not just read it and so deceive yourselves - do what it says (James 1:22)

The next commandment is to resist the devil. Anyone who has struggled with an addiction and by the power of the Holy Spirit been released from its grips will tell you that this verse is so very true - if you resist the devil, he will flee from you. Its easier to not (insert vice here) the day after you didn't (insert vice here). There is a wall - and once you get over it, things do get easier. The devil will still have his footholds because you are a sinful creature and will be until you leave this earth, but if you resist his temptations, he will flee from you. Trust me.

"Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded." Jonathan Owen, arguably the greatest thinker the US has ever produced, said in his 61st resolution that he would be singularly minded - all his thoughts on God. We are not to be caught up with the things of this world, but free to think on the things of God. How sweet would it be to deal with the temporary necessary things in the moment when it is needed, and the move our thoughts automatically back to the Father. Let's strive for that together.

"mourn and weep". Know your sinfulness, and mourn over it. See Ecclesiastes 7 and Matthew 5 for more on this. There is just too much to say.

And finally - humble yourself before the Lord, and He will exalt you, both now and forevermore.

Father, I am an utterly sinful creature. I do not deserve to be in your presence, but you give me more grace. I thank you for the gift of salvation that you have bestowed before me, and I desire to live a life according to your statutes only because it brings pleasure to you. Help me to retreat to your side this day and find rest in your loving watch-care. Amen.

-MD Letteney

Wise Advice about Wisdom

2008-05-19T09:57:00.005+01:00

Today's New Testament reading is taken from James 3:13-18.
For all of today's readings, click here.

14 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (ESV)

We all want to make wise decisions. We want to do the right thing and do what is best for ourselves and for others. Many people offer different ways to accomplish this. Some groups will tell you to "follow your heart." If this feels right to you, then move forward. Others will tell you to set goals for yourself. Aim high to accomplish the most. Some will tell you to submit to authority, while others tell you to question it. Some will convince you that so long as you don't hurt other people, you should do what you want, while many more will encourage you to always look out for "number one." Whose wisdom should we follow?

Well, as Christians, we should seek God's wisdom, but this is not always obvious. Frequently we go to others we consider godly and wise for advice, but I have heard some terrible counsel from "wise and godly" people. How do we know that they are giving us the best advice? Can't they be wrong, even if only rarely? How do we test their wisdom? Many people claim to be wise, but how can we be sure they really are?

These brief verses here give us a short checklist on how to judge whether our "wisdom" or someone else's is really "wise." This is actually really similar to Paul's discussion of love in 1 Corinthians 13, although it is much shorter. I hope you'll see what I mean.

First, James tells us what true wisdom is not. God's wisdom is never bitterly jealous of selfish. Wisdom does not desire to take what rightfully belongs to others, and it does not seek to make itself more noticeable, comfortable, richer, or better off. Thus, any time we are only looking out for "number one" we can be sure we are not wise. Rather, James would call us earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. Notice too the results: disorder and every vile practice. Pretty strong words. This is serious and seriously wrong.

Second, James tells us what true wisdom is. I could write pages on each adjective, but I'll spare you from reading a tome. Wisdom is pure. It is not corrupted by sin, or motivated by sinful ambitions. Wisdom is also peaceable. It seeks to bring about unity and friendship, not division and quarrels. Wisdom is gentle. It will handle even difficult situations respectfully without intentionally stepping on toes, even when it needs to correct and rebuke. Wisdom is open to reason. It willing both to submit to others and to be corrected. Wisdom is also full of mercy. Rather than hording wealth and other good things, it desires to hand out as much as possible to those who need it. Likewise, wisdom is full of good fruit. It bears out the actions Jesus desires from His people. Finally, wisdom is impartial and sincere. It treats others equally and fairly, without deception or fraud.

That is a very high standard, but then again it comes from God, a high example to follow. High and holy standards from a high and holy God should not surprise us in the least.

So how can we tell if something is wise? Well, whose best interest is it in? If it is only thinking about the self ("Me, Me, Me"), then rest assured that it has not and never will come from the Father of heavenly lights. It is wretched, selfish, and evil.

However, true wisdom's two main concerns are to please God and help others. The "others" in this sense could be family, colleagues, friends, or even people you don't like; wisdom seeks to serve them not me. See the link with love? When making a godly and wise decision, it is always best to ask two questions: 1. Will this help me please God or help me to sin? 2. How will this decision help me minister to the needs of others?

So what decisions do you need to make now or in the near future? Are you looking out for yourself? Then beware of being foolish! Repent, and return to wisdom. Are you looking to please your Father in Heaven and serve those around you? Then rest easy; you are about to embark on a journey of wisdom. May the Lord be with you on your way.

Blessed God. You alone are wise, and when we see Your actions in this world, we notice that everything You do is for our best interests. You have ordered things in such a way that we benefit, even if we don't see it at the moment. You have even given Yourself, Your only Son, to death for our eternal benefit. May we follow in Your shoes. Make us wise. Give us wisdom. Keep us from falling into selfishness and sin, and set us up on the path of righteousness and love. In Your name, the only wise God, we pray, amen.

Image by PPDigital, courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons.

Prove It!

2008-05-16T08:03:00.000+01:00

Today's New Testament reading is taken from James 2:14-26.
For all of today's readings, click here.

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says,

"Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"

and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

What is the use of a dead dog? It won't come when you call; it can't play fetch; and it isn't really too friendly. About the only trick it can do is 'play dead.'

When something dies, we get rid of it as soon as possible. Corpses stink, are messy, and just take up space. They are useless and get in the way of the rest of life.

Here, James talks about dead faith, which is just about as useful as a dead dog. It stinks, doesn't help anyone, and certainly isn't pleasing to God. James wants to know whether our faith is alive and beautiful or dead and rotting. Which is it?

It is easy for us, as Christians, to loudly proclaim that we believe in God and the work of Christ. It is easy to go to church on Sundays. It is even easy for us to say a few prayers throughout the week. And James asks, "So what?"

Our faith in Christ can never be separated from our obedience to Him. The book of James is jam-packed full of commandments: be humble, don't show favoritism, take control of your tongue, don't speak evil against other believers, and much, much more. Even Jesus' teachings included a lot of commands - just look at the Sermon in the Mount.

Faith and Godly living are so intertwined that they are like the inseparable links on a chain. If you hold one link, you inevitably hold the other. Likewise, if you truly trust in Jesus, you will inevitably do what He says. Your good actions will prove that your faith is real and living. But you cannot love God and hate His commands. It doesn't make sense. That is dead, rotting faith.

Truly living and thriving faith looks at God's commands and says, "That's tough, doesn't make too much sense, but I know my redeemer lives. I know this King. I love Him. So I want to obey Him. I want to try hard to please Him." Living faith isn't perfect, but it desperately wants to be.

So let's look at our lives - what we do, what we think, what we say, and what we feel. Would the God we say we believe in be pleased? Would He say, "Well done, my good a faithful servant"? Do our actions prove our faith in Christ? If not, then our faith is dead, and no better than a demon's (verse 19)!

However, if your actions do prove your faith, then praise the Lord! Christ is doing marvelous works in your life. He has changed you from death to life, and is guiding you closer and closer to Heaven. Notice that whether or not your faith is alive or dead, you need Jesus. Indeed, that's the first tenant of faith anyway: admitting that you need Jesus.

What we do shows what is truly in our hearts: life or death. There is no other option. So James asks us, "Do you really believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Do you really believe that He died to take away your sins? Do you really believe that He rose again and sits at the right hand of the Father? Do you really trust Him? Do you? Then prove it. Obey Him." It's that simple.

Lord Jesus Christ, we believe in you and trust you, but all too often we don't obey you. Thus, our faith is worthless and we just become hypocrites. When we examine our lives, we must confess that our faith looks dead. Revive it, Lord Jesus! Resuscitate it. Make it alive so that you will be glorified in our lives. Thank you for those areas in our lives where you have already been at work. When we examine our lives, we must also admit that you have changed us radically. To you alone be glory. Give us the strength and desire to persevere, grow in grave, and follow you in all things. In your most holy Name we pray, Amen.