Give thanks no matter what! - November 24th, 2011

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

History and Context: Thessalonica was the Roman capital of the province of Macedonia, which is now northern Greece. It was a prosperous city which was both a port on the Aegean sea and also a major city on the land trade route from the city Dyrrachium on the Adriatic sea to what is now Istanbul. The church was founded around 50 AD on Paul's second missionary journey (Acts 17:1-9). Paul didn't stay long in Thessalonica due to the persecution from the Jews. The Jews were upset because Paul was converting those who were interested in Judaism. Paul spent a little over three weeks there before the newly-formed church sent Paul and his companions (Silas and Timothy) away for safety's sake. Due to the state of unrest that he left the church of Thessalonica in, Paul didn't wait long before he sent Timothy back to get news of what happened. When Paul was in Corinth Timothy returned with good news and Paul wrote the first letter filled with relief and joy.

The Text: This is the end of Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians and he is giving his final instructions. As a part of his final instructions Paul tells them to give thanks in all circumstances. Some people have taken this to mean that we should thank God for all circumstances but I believe it is a slight yet important difference. We are to thank Him no matter what is going on around us. We need to recognize the goodness of God and thank Him fr it, we need to remember how much He has done for us and thank Him for it. We need to also thank Him in faith for bringing us out of all difficult situations.

The Challenge: Today is Thanksgiving, on normal circumstances it is easy to be thankful today because it is a day in which the entire nation sets aside to be thankful, but I am sure that there aren many out there who are not in normal circumstances. There are some separated from their family, some unemployed, some without food in the house. But today the challenge is to thank Him no matter what your situation is. Yesterday we talked about how it is through thanksgiving that we enter His gates. Even if you are not able to get together with family, or you don't even have food, enter His gates today. It is in His presence that healing and deliverance and blessing comes. Enter His presence today and receive the blessing of God!

The Prayer: Lord, no matter my circumstance I thank you! I thank you for who you are and all that you have done in my life! I thank you for sending your son to this earth to die for me! I thank you Lord! In Jesus' name, Amen!

Enter with Thanksgiving - November 23rd, 2011

⁴ Enter into His gates with thanksgiving. 

And into His courts with praise. 

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 

⁵ For the LORD is good; 

His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100:4-5

History and Context:

The Psalms are a collection of old hymns which the Jews used to bring praise and worship to Yahweh. Most of them were written by King David, but there were also other contributors and a few, like this one, have unknown authors. This psalm is short, only five verses, and is simply a song of thanksgiving towards God.

The Text:

In the first two verses of this psalm it talks about coming to God in gladness and with a joyful shout. This entire psalm is simply exclaiming how we should come into the presence of God. We should recognize His goodness and be thankful for what He has done for us. The psalmist declared this long before God delivered His greatest sacrifice by sending His Son to die for us. This means that now this declaration that we should continually come into His presence in thanksgiving is even more true than it was then. 

The Challenge:

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving for us Americans. It is a time that we have set aside every year in order to give thanks for everything that we have. Let us do this but let us also remember that thanksgiving is an attitude we should have every day as we enter into prayer. Usually we enter into His gates with petitions not with thanksgiving. He deserves our gratitude and our praise for everything He has done for us and simply for who He is.

The Prayer:

Lord, I just want to thank you for everything you have done for me! 

Determined to recieve the anointing! - November 22nd, 2011

⁹ And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?”
Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
¹⁰ So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” ¹¹ Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 

2 Kings 2:9-11

History and Context:

1 and 2 Kings were originally one book. The author of the book is unknown but is believed to have been a prophet in Babylon during the exile about 550 BC. The book was compiled from various sources to bring together the history of Israel and Judah. Kings begins with a united, strong kingdom under David and then Solomon, to a divided kingdom in ruins taken off into captivity. It is a sad story emphasizing the fact that when Israel was with God they were strong and prosperous, but when they turned away from God destruction came upon them. The majority of the book is devoted towards the line of kings in both Israel and Judah, but there is also a major portion devoted to the story of Elijah and Elisha calling out to the kings and the people to return to God.

The Text:

2 Kings chapter two begins with Elijah attempting to say good bye to Elisha. They were leaving Gilgal and Elijah tells Elisha that the Lord has called him to Bethel and that Elisha should stay. Elisha's responds with "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." This happens two more times as we go through the chapter until they cross the Jordan river. Finally, as seen in verse 9, Elijah asks Elisha what he wants and Elisha responds. He wants a double portion of Elijah's spirit, or anointing. He is so hungry for that anointing that he has followed Elijah from Gilgal, to Bethel, to Jericho, and finally across the Jordan. Then something amazing happens; a chariot of fire comes down from heaven. This is where we so often mix up the story. We have been taught in children's stories and in Bible trivia that Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire, but the chariot of fire was there for an entirely different purpose. The whirlwind took Elijah up to heaven, but God knew how determined Elisha was in following Elijah that He sent a chariot of fire to keep Elisha away from the whirlwind. 

The Challenge:

Elisha was determined to receive God's anointing from the man of God. We need people in today's society who are this determined to receive the anointing from God, and now, through Jesus, it's become so much easier for us to receive the anointing. Then only certain individuals were anointed by God and it was usually passed on through the last person who had the anointing, but now all we have to do is seek God ourselves. Yet few are doing it. It's time for us as a generation to start seeking the anointing of God on our lives. It's time for us to grasp the determination of Elisha and continue seeking after that 'double portion'. We need to seek that anointing no matter what hindrance comes our way. Because it is the anointing of God that breaks yokes; It is the anointing of God that brings healing; It is the anointing of God that brings life to those around us, and it is the anointing of God that will change our cities, states, countries, and the world!

The Prayer:

Lord, give me your anointing that I may do your work! Give me your anointing that I may bring life and healing to those around me! Anoint me today that others may see and feel and experience your anointing as I go through this day! In Jesus' name, Amen!

Lord, bless those who do evil... - November 21st, 2011

⁸ Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; ⁹ not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

1 Peter 3:8-9

 

History and Context:

1 Peter 1:1 says, "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia". From this we get the author of the letter, Peter, and the recipients of the letter, those dispersed among the five provinces of Asia minor. The author doesn't specifically say whether he is speaking to the Jews in those areas or the Gentiles. Peter was a man known for his passion and not always for his control. He was one of the inner three of Jesus' disciples. One of three to experience the transfiguration (Matthew 17), and one of three to be brought further in the Garden of Gethsemene (Matthew 26:37). 

 

The Text:

Peter starts out in chapter three, giving specific instructions to wives and then to husbands. Then in verse eight he begins talking to everyone. This new instruction now effects everybody, whether married or single, whether male or female, you must have compassion on one another, you must love one another. At this point it sounds great. Love one another implies that the other person is loving me back. But then he begins talking about not returning evil for evil. All of sudden we are not talking about loving someone that is loving us back, but loving someone who has hurt us, someone who has done evil things towards us. Suddenly this instruction has become much harder, much less comfortable. Peter tells us that we are to return evil with blessing.

The Challenge:

The challenge is clear and is truly a challenge for all of us. It seems daily that we come into contact with someone who treats us wrong, sometimes by accident or through ignorance, other times through evil intentions. Either way the message is clear, we are to respond to evil with blessing, with love. It's easy, when someone cuts us off on the freeway, to respond with anger, but we should respond by blessing them. There are many different examples I could use of people hurting or insulting us, but our response should always be to bless them. That is what Peter said and more importantly that is what Jesus said when He told us to love our enemies and pray for those who spitefully use us (Matthew 5:44). 

The Prayer:

Lord, this is a difficult instruction and it is hard to do. But Lord, I want to do it. Help me to make decisions throughout my day to respond in love. Help me to bless those who hurt me or insult me. Help me to love them like you love them. In Jesus' name, Amen!

God's rich supply! - November 18th, 2011

¹⁶ For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. ¹⁷ Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. ¹⁸ Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. ¹⁹ And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. ²⁰ Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Philippians 4:19

History and Context:

The church in Phillipi was one of the first churches in Europe. This means these are some of the first believers in what we now know as the "Western World". Paul visited them around 49-50 AD and then at least two more times after that in 56 and 57 AD. One of the first Christians in Phillipi was the jailer who was assigned to guard Paul and Silas (and the other prisoners) when they were thrown in prison. God used an earthquake to set them free and to convince this jailer of His reality. (Acts 16:25-34) This letter was written in response to the church sending Epaphroditus to Paul to help him in his time of need. 

The Text:

Paul is thanking the church in Philippi for their financial support of his ministry. In verse 15 he says that they were the only ones to support him and he goes on to tell them that the important thing isn't the money, but that they are obedient to God and will reap the fruit in return. Paul then says that God will supply all their needs according to God's own riches. God's riches are beyond our imagination as He owns everything, so when Paul says according to God's own riches, it means a lot!

The Challenge:

Be encouraged! The economy is down and the unemployment rates are up, but as Christians we shouldn't rely on the economy anyway. We are members of the Kingdom of Heaven and Heaven's has a greater economy than any country on this earth! God's riches are not depleted. Simply live in obedience to Him and according to His principles and know that you will be taken care of.

The Prayer:

Lord, I thank you that you are in control! Lead me according to your will and principles. Thank you for your provision. I trust in you! In Jesus' name, Amen!

Training in Godliness - November 16th, 2011

If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.

But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. These things command and teach.

1 Timothy 4:6-11

History and Context:

1 Timothy belongs to what scholars have labeled as the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus). They are named the Pastoral Epistles because they deal directly with issues of leadership in the church. Timothy was probably a convert from Paul's first missionary journey, when he travelled to Lystra. After that Timothy begun travelling with Paul and taking various assignments. In other letters we can see that it was often Timothy that would carry Paul's letters to the various churches. At the time in which Paul wrote 1 and 2 Timothy, Timothy was in Ephesus and had been sent there in order to lead the church and to train and build leaders for the church. 1 Timothy is written as general instructions towards the Timothy as a leader.

The Text:

Paul often uses an analogy of physical exercise and competition in order to explain spiritual principles. This was because the physical competition was a very real thing to his audience. Paul was speaking to the area which hosted the original Olympic games, it was a large part of their culture and society. For us exercise often means a 15-20 min jog in the morning, but for them they probably thought immediately of the preparation for those games. In fact the Greek word used in this passage, Gymnazo, means "to train with one's full effort, with complete physical or emotional force." Paul told Timothy to train himself in Godliness with his full effort, with everything he had in him. He was supposed to train in Godliness as an Olympic runner trains for the race.

What is Godliness then? When we think of Godliness we think of acting like God. We think of purity and righteousness, but according to the Greek it is more about how we think and feel than how we act. The Greek definition is "the inner response to the things of God, which expresses itself in reverence of God and for the things He holds sacred." In other words, Paul told Timothy to put full effort into training his response to, and his reverence of, God.

The Challenge:

Of course today's challenge for us is the same that Paul presented to Timothy; "exercise yourself towards Godliness". You can't train your response to the things of God unless you place yourself in opportunities to experience the things of God. Take time to revere God today; take time in worship, recognizing how great He is. Get into His presence and ask Him to speak to you. Create opportunties for God to act towards you and you can then exercise your response to Him.

The Prayer:

Lord, speak to me today, bring me into your presence, help me to exercise Godliness today. Your are a great God and I am in awe of you! In Jesus' name, Amen!

Friendly Wounds or Deceitful Kisses? - November, 15th, 2011

⁶ Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Proverbs 27:5-6

History and Context:

King Solomon, son of King David, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote the majority of the proverbs in order to share his wisdom. Many of his proverbs have become common sayings in today's society and people don't even realize that they are from the Bible. Proverbs are one line nuggets of wisdom, therefore there is not really any context to consider as this line stands by itself. At the beginning of the book of Proverbs Solomon addresses his 'son' which have led many to believe that he wrote this book for his biological son, but it could also simply be a term for any younger man that happens to read the sayings.

The Text:

How might a friend wound you? If we look at verse five it talks about open rebuke, there are times when it is a friend's duty to rebuke a friend; at times this rebuke leaves a wound. But then there is the other kind of friend, the one who never rebukes you, never say anything but nice things, always comes with a 'kiss', but then once you're gone this friend talks bad about you. Solomon is saying it is better to be honest than to be fake, it is better to wound someone with the truth than to decieve them with fake kindness, fake love.

The Challenge:

The more time I spent outside the country, the more I realized how good we Americans are at fake kindness. In Germany if you do something wrong they will let you know, but in America if someone in the church does something wrong we hold a 'prayer meeting' and don't invite that person. We're good at acting as if nothing happened and continuing to be nice but then talking bad about them behind their back. We call them our friends but our kindness is really the deceitful kisses of an enemy. We need to be careful to be real with the people around us and speak the truth in love.

The Prayer:
Lord, help me to speak with wisdom. If rebuke is needed give me the words and more importantly the love for that person needed to do it in the right spirit. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Silence your accusers - November 13th, 2011

¹³ Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— ¹⁶ as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. ¹⁷ Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

1 Peter 2:13-16

History and Context:

1 Peter 1:1 says, "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia". From this we get the author of the letter, Peter, and the recipients of the letter, those dispersed among the five provinces of Asia minor. The author doesn't specifically say whether he is speaking to the Jews in those areas or the Gentiles. Peter was a man known for his passion and not always for his control. He was one of the inner three of Jesus' disciples. One of three to experience the transfiguration (Matthew 17), and one of three to be brought further in the Garden of Gethsemene (Matthew 26:37).

The Text:

In chapter two Peter is emphasizing how God has chosen us, as Christians, out of this world. We have been chosen as a royal priesthood and as a holy nation set apart for God. With this in mind Peter than goeson to speak about how we should live. If we are chosen out of this world than how should we live differently. Some people response to being chosen out of the world would be to say that I no longer have to follow the world's rules or laws, but Peter gives us the opposite instructions. He says to submit yourself to the ordinance of man, not for the man, but for the Lord. He then says that the way to put to silence foolish men and their accusations is simply by doing good.

The Challenge:

If we want people to stop talking bad about us then simply do good until they have nothing bad to say. If we look at today's society we can see a perfect example of this in the celebrities. If you watch celebrity news you see story after story of the bad things which the celebrities are doing, but if you pay close enough attention you'll begin to realize that certain celebrities are never mentioned. The ones who are always complain about the press and the tabloids but all they have to do to get people to stop mentioning them is to stop doing stupid stuff worth mentioning, start doing good and they would silence the 'foolish men' of the press. We should live as if our lives are under the same microscope as the biggest celebrity. Make sure that if someone was spying on you in your own home and following you wherever you went that you wouldn't be ashamed of what they find out. Through doing good put to silence the foolish accusations that may come. Be so good that they can not even create a credible accusation.

The Prayer:

Lord, give me strength to make decisions at all times of my life to do good. Help me to do good in everything so that any accusation that may come against me would not be credible. Thank you Lord! In Jesus' name, Amen!

Have you been fooled? - November 11th, 2011

¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

1 John 2:15-17

History and Context:

1 John does not name an author, but it has been labeled as John's. This is because the style is extremely similar to the unique style of the Gospel written by the Apostle John. The date of this letter is probably at the close of the first century when the Christian faith was around 50 to 60 years old. At this time John was probably the last of the original apostles and the church was struggling to not be influenced by surrounding ideas and philosophies. Most notable was gnosticism: the belief that the physical and spiritual were completely separate, and that all things physical were evil and all things spiritual were good. This belief led to much immorality as they believed that what was done in the physical didn't matter and could not effect the spiritual, but it also ultimately led to the denial that Jesus came in human flesh and therefore the denial of Jesus' death, as a spirit cannot die. These uprooted the very core of the Christian faith and John ultimately wrote this letter to counter that philosophy.

The Text:

The Bible identifies three enemies to our Christian faith; the devil, self, and the world. The world's system goes directly against God's system, it is a fallen world and this fallen state is seen in the culture, the media, and even in the very mindset of the people. John is confronting his readers with their love for the world's system. They had begun to go after three things which John names, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. In our times we could probably rename these things as lust, greed, and pride. These are the three underlying values of the world's system and they can often show outward success. They appeal to each of us as each of us have a fallen nature with the same three underlying values in us.

The Challenge:

The challenge is to reject the world's system and commit to God's system. As I mentioned above the world's system has three underlying core values, but they don't always show up so blatant. For example, greed may not give us the direct message of "do this and you will become rich". Instead greed may say "this is how it's done and if you don't do this your family will starve". Our three enemies work together to make the world's system appealing to each one of us. They know what we hold dear and they know the best way to convince us to go astray. This is why Peter told us to be "sober and vigilant", we need to be ready and immersed in the Word of God and in His presence daily. This will keep us from being fooled by the world's system.

The Prayer:

Lord, I love you and I do not love the world. I pray that you would lead me into your kingdom and the ways of your kingdom and out of the ways of this world. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Is Jesus enough? - November 10th, 2011

²⁶ Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. ²⁷ Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
²⁸ Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
²⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
³⁰ Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? ³¹ Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
³² Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
³⁴ Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
³⁵ And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

John 6:26-35

History and Context:

The book of John is the fourth Gospel and it is believed to be the last written. John was one of the inner three of Jesus' disciples and referred to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved". John seemed to have written his Gospel for those who had already known the story of Jesus. He focuses on the meaning of the events rather than the events themselves. There is also a strong focus on the words and teachings of Jesus, specifically on Jesus' claims about Himself. These claims are best known as the seven "I am" statements. John probably wrote this Gospel in Ephesus somewhere around 70 AD.

The Text:

Earlier in the chapter we see the famous story in which Jesus fed the five thousand men along with the women and children. After doing that Jesus and his disciples go to the other side of the lake and the people begin looking for Him. When they find Him this conversation happens. The people were looking for more signs. they wanted to be fed again, or to see healings, but Jesus told them that they needed to stop looking after the outward signs but to start looking after Him. Here we have one of the famous "I am" statements in which Jesus reveals an aspect of who He is. Here He says "I am the bread of life." Not only does he say that but He says that anyone who will come to Him will never be hungry or thirsty. Imagine going downtown to the homeless and telling them that they don't have to be hungry ever again. This is what Jesus did, but essentially He was saying "Am I enough for you?" He was confronting them with a question. They wanted signs but He said what they really need to be seeking after is Jesus Himself.

The Challenge:

So I'm going to ask the same question to you as Jesus did to this group of people. Is Jesus enough? If Jesus wouldn't ever perform a miracle in your life again, would it still be enough for you to continue following Him? What if you lost your job, your family, your friends left you, and your house was foreclosed? Would Jesus still be enough? If you're in ministry, what if no one ever listened to you, and no one ever responded? Would Jesus be enough? Where is your commitment level?

The Prayer:

Lord, you are enough for me! I love your blessings and everything that you have done for me, but even if all of them were taken away, I would still follow you. You are enough!

How to live a quiet and peacable life - November 7th, 2011

 ¹ Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, ² for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. ³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, ⁷ for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

1 Timothy 2:1-7

History and Context:

1 Timothy belongs to what scholars have labeled as the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy and Titus). They are named the Pastoral Epistles because they deal directly with issues of leadership in the church. Timothy was probably a convert from Paul's first missionary journey, when he travelled to Lystra. After that Timothy begun travelling with Paul and taking various assignments. In other letters we can see that it was often Timothy that would carry Paul's letters to the various churches. At the time in which Paul wrote 1 and 2 Timothy, Timothy was in Ephesus and had been sent there in order to lead the church and to train and build leaders for the church. 1 Timothy is written as general instructions towards Timothy as a leader.

The Text:

There are two points I want to bring out from this passage:

First of all, Paul gives us a key to living a quiet and peacable life in Godliness and reverance. How do we do this? We do this by praying for all men and especially for our authority. Most of the time, when talking with those around us, all we hear is complaints about our leaders. We point out the mistakes they make, criticize their personal lives, and at times people even make a case for that leader to be the anti-Christ. This is the exact opposite of what Paul tells us to do here. Paul tells us to pray for them. What should we pray? That brings me to my second point:

In verse 3 Paul makes a bold statement about what God desires. If we are to pray effectively then we should learn what God wants and pray His will. Here is one of the clearest statements in the entire Bible declaring what God desires; "who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth." God desires that all men should be saved.

The Challenge:

Instead of complaining about our leaders we should be praying for their salvation, and more specifically that they would be brought to the truth. If you are an American than you have a responsibility to pray for Obama. If you are an Oregonian you have a responsibility to pray for John Kitzhaber. The same is true for everyone else and your respective leaders. Pray for their salvation, pray that they would find the Truth of God's Word.

The Prayer:

Lord, I pray for my leaders. Send laborers across their paths to speak the Word in love to them. I pray that you would bring them to the knowledge of the Truth and that they would be saved. Thank you Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Assembling together - November 5th, 2011

²³ Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:23-25

History and Context:

The author of the book of Hebrews is unknown. In the early church some suspected it to be Paul but the letter does not carry the same style or wordings that Paul used. We do know that it is someone highly educated in the Old Testament and we also can assume that it was a greek speaking Jew as they quote often from the Septuagint, the Greek version of the old testament. Hebrews was probably written between 60 and 70 AD. the book is clearly addressing a group of Greek speaking Jewish Christians who have been Christians for a long time but apparently are wavering in their faith and considering a return to Judaism. The author of Hebrews is reminding them of why a life with Christ is so much better than what they had before.

The Text:

As mentioned above, it seems that the recipients of this letter were wavering from their faith. In this sscripture the author tells them directly to not waver, then continues to give them advice on how they can keep from wavering. They had endured a lot through their time as Christians but the author says that as long as they remember to continually meet together, and encourage each other, they will be able to stand strong together until Christ's return.

The Challenge:

this is why it is important to regularly meet with fellow Christians. In our society that meeting has become what we call church, but it doesn't necessarily have to look like the traditional view of church. The importance here is that Christians regularly meet together in an opportunity to encourage and strengthen each other. If you do not have this kind of meeting regularly than I encourage you to find one. Without it you are left alone and that was never God's intention.

The Prayer:

Lord, help me to find a place in which I can be regularly encouraged, strengthened, and built up by fellow believers.

or

Lord, thank you for the group of believers that you have given me and help me to continue not to forsake the meeting together. Also strengthen me to be an encouragement and strength to those in my church or group.

The life of the Spirit - November 4th, 2011

⁴ And we have such trust through Christ toward God.  ⁵ Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,  ⁶ who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

2 Corinthians 3:4-6

History and Context:

Corinth was a city on the main trade route between Asia and western Europe, and Paul had spent two years there establishing the church. Paul wrote the first letter to the Corinthians in order to address division and immorality in the church. After that letter he had an opportunity to visit the church. Apparently the visit was a difficult one for both Paul and the members of the church and afterwards Paul talks about writing a letter in "much anguish" (ch 2). Though this letter is only the second letter to the Corinthians which we have, it seems that Paul wrote at least four separate letters and that this is the fourth. This is his follow up after the difficult visit and the letter of 'tears'.

The Text:

Paul is discussing his ministry towards the church in Corinth. At the beginning of the chapter he mentions that he, and those who traveled with him, do not need commendation from others or from themselves. They have commendation from the very change that was obvious in the hearts of the individuals of the church. He then goes on to speak in confidence of their ability and sufficiency in preaching the Gospel, but he is sure to recognize that that sufficiency is from God and not from himself. This leads us into the verse that I want to focus on;  

"who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

Paul says that the Spirit made him to be sufficient as a minister not in the letter of the law, not teaching a bunch of rules and regulations, but in the Spirit of the new covenant. The rules and regulations bring death but the Spirit brings life. 

The Challenge:

You can see various examples of how the letter of the law simply brings death. For some it is that they enter into a dead form of Christianity. One in which they perform the rituals but have no life from the relationship with God. For others it brings death by simply driving them away from the giver of life. Either way it does a lot more harm than good to be pushing the letter without the Spirit. So the challenge is to minister the Spirit of the new covenant. What is the Spirit of the new covenant? Brought down to the core, the Spirit is simply love. As we have talked about before, there is a power that comes from ministering in the Spirit, but first and foremost the Spirit is love. Minister in love and teach them to love God, this is what will bring life to your ministry and in turn to those who you minister to.

The Prayer:

Lord, help me to experience and in turn share the true love of your Spirit. I want to bring your life to those whom I minister to and I can only do that through your Spirit. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Slow to anger - November 3rd, 2011

³² He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. 
Proverbs 16:32

History and Context:

Yesterday we discussed the History and Context of Proverbs.

The Text:

This proverb would have been a very revolutionary idea in Solomon's day. Solomon lived around the time in which each empire was trying to be the mightiest. It wasn't long after Solomon that we see the rise of empires like Assyria, Babylon, and Persia. The idea was that the whole goal of life was to be the mightiest warrior, to take cities and countries as your own. Then Solomon, in one simple sentence, combatted the entire mindset of the day. What takes more might or skill than taking over a city is simply controlling your own anger, ruling your own spirit.

The Challenge:

Emotions were given to us by God but were meant for us to be in control of, not to control us. The psalmist said (Psalm 4:4) and Paul quoted (Ephesians 4:26) "Be angry and do not sin". In other words the anger is not wrong, but we should be in control of it. We should direct it towards constructive activities. The same is true for all emotions; sadness, happiness, excitement, even fear and nervousness. Our emotions are there to help us, to support us in our pursuit after God, but they can only do that if we are in control. So the challenge today is to learn to rule your own spirit, and especially, be slow to anger.

The Prayer:

Lord, help me to be in control of my emotions. Help me to rule my own spirit. Let me always be slow to anger. Thank you Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Heap Coals of Fire... - November 2nd, 2011

  ²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat;
And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
²² For so you will heap coals of fire on his head,
And the LORD will reward you.

Proverbs 25:21-22

History and Context:

King Solomon, son of King David, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote the majority of the proverbs in order to share his wisdom. Many of his proverbs have become common sayings in today's society and people don't even realize that they are from the Bible. Proverbs are one line nuggets of wisdom, therefore there is not really any context to consider as this line stands by itself. At the beginning of the book of Proverbs Solomon addresses his 'son' which have led many to believe that he wrote this book for his biological son, but it could also simply be a term for any younger man that happens to read the sayings.

The Text:

The first verse is quite self-explanatory. If your enemy is in need you should serve him just like you would a friend. No one is completely sure of the true meaning of heaping coals of fire on their head, but there are a few theories. Many try to say that it is talking about 'burning' goodness into their hearts whereas others say it is referring to the 'burning' shame that comes when evil is answered by goodness but to me the most likely meaning is that of a reference to an Egyptian ritual. In ancient Egypt the Egyptians would carry a pan of hot coals on their head as a public sign of their repentance. this would mean that Solomon is saying that by serving your enemies you will cause them to repent of their actions and attitudes toward you.

The Challenge:

Today's challenge is simple; do good to your enemies. When someone acts mean or evil towards you, respond in love. This same idea is spoken out by Jesus in the new testament when he commands us to 'do good to those who spitefully use you'. Respond in kindness and watch the change happen in that person over time.

The Prayer:

Lord, change my heart so that I can truly love those people who have become my enemies. Help me to respond to them in kindness. Change my heart. In Jesus' name, Amen!


Do you truly know God? - November 1st, 2011

¹ And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. ² For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. ³ I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. ⁴ And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

History and Context:

1 Corinthians was written by Paul while he was in Ephesus around 54 AD. In Acts 18 we see the funding of the church in Corinth. Paul spent 18 months there as he established the church. This letter is mainly a response to a letter which Paul recieved from the Corinthians. He says that some of what he heard about the church made him feel 'uneasy' (1 Corinthians 1:11; 5:1) and so he wanted to address these issues. He also answered questions which were presented in the letter. Corinth was a trade city that was known for being very corrupt. As people converted to following Jesus, they often did not realize that they had to leave their corrupt ways behind. Paul is mainly addressing a group of high status men who have become Christians but left their lives unchanged.

The Text:
Paul is discussing the difference between 'wisdom of men' and 'the power of God'. If anyone had the ability and qualifications to preach the Word in intellectual prowess and with persuasive wisdom, it was Paul. He was a pharisee of the pharisees and could probably quote the majority of the scriptures of that day. But that was not what Paul wanted to do. He said that if he had done that then the people would've began to trust in the wisdom of men rather than in God. So instead Paul came in the power of God. He said that all he wanted to know as he was preaching to the people was 'Jesus Christ and Him crucified'. He was determined to come in his own weakness so that the strength of God would shine through.

The Challenge:
What is your faith based in? Did someone come, sound smart, and persuade you that Jesus is real, or have you truly experienced the power of Christ? Do you know about God or do you have a relationship with Him? If you have never experienced God for yourself than the challenge today is to seek Him until you do. Don't believe in God because He makes sense, believe in God because you know He is real, because you have experienced Him.

The Prayer:
Lord, let me experience you today. I want to experience your power in my life. I want to truly know you and not just know about you. Meet me today, speak to me. In Jesus' name, Amen!