Tag: those people

January 11, 2023 – 1 Timothy 2 – God Wants All People to be Saved

Leviticus 12, Matthew 12, 1 Timothy 2

There has always been intense competition between our political parties. If you talk to some older folks, they can tell you of political corruption… vote buying, ballot boxes ending up in the bottom of lakes, and opponent smear campaigns… that would make your jaw drop. Our political system, both sides and even the minor parties in the middle, seem to have embraced a win at all costs mentality. The end justifies the means and so on. That leaves Christians having to try to align themselves with the lesser of two evils. You would think since we read the same book, the Bible, we would all identify with the party that most aligns with it’s teaching. Instead, you find well-meaning, sincere Christians in both of the main parties and everywhere in between.

One thing that I can remember hearing back as far as George W. Bush, is the phrase, “he’s not my president.” I think I first heard the Dixie Chicks say it of Bush. You may not agree with the president or with this or that politician’s policies, you may not particularly like the person or their past. However, we are told that we are supposed to pray for the person. In fact, there are probably lots of people we don’t like, but according to the Apostle Paul, we are to pray for everyone.

In 1 Timothy 2, Paul says, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” 1 Timothy2:1–2NIV  One reason to pray for people is that we are engaged in spiritual warfare. Our fight is not against flesh and blood… so we need to pray to bring down satanic strongholds and the influence those have in peoples’ lives.

Another reason to pray is because, God wants to save everyone. Paul says, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy2:3-4 NIV We pray to pull down spiritual strongholds and influences. We also pray for everyone so that all people will see God actively at work bringing them to salvation.

It is easy to pray for friends and loved ones. As we think about those we dislike and disagree with, let’s begin praying for all people by praying that God would help us to see them as he sees us… a person he loves and wants to save. Let’s pray for ourselves, that when we are tempted to loathe, that God would remind us to pray for them.

Prayer:

God, thank you for saving me, and your desire to save all people. Help me to pray for all people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

December 1, 2022 – Good People – Luke 18

Exodus 12, Luke 18, 2 Corinthians 2

I was in a conversation with a person once and he was explaining why he felt he was going to be in heaven. He said I am a good person. I do this… and I do that… I didn’t use quotation marks because people say it all the time. It is a common misconception about getting into heaven. The idea is, our good deeds will be weighed on the balance against our bad deeds and if we have more good than bad, we are in. As I said, it is a common misconception.

We are judged for what we do in life and we will give an accounting of how we use what God has given us. However, whether we are saved or not, whether we go to heaven, will depend entirely on whether we know Jesus or not. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—” Ephesians2:8NIV

That should give you a considerable amount of comfort. You are free to approach and know the Holy and Righteous God of the universe without worrying if you are good enough. If you have received this gift of God, if you have made Jesus your savior, you will be in heaven. You will still give an account of how you used what God gave you and hopefully you will be rewarded for your faithfulness.

In Luke 18, Jesus is addressing our attitudes about our righteousness or goodness. He tells a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector who went up to the temple to pray. The Pharisee could have been the man I was mentioning a minute ago. He told God how good he was. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” Luke18:11–12NIV

The Pharisee did what we all do. He compared himself to other people in order to measure his goodness. Look at the people he had to compare himself to in order to feel good… robbers, evildoers, adulterers, and tax collectors. With robbers and evildoers as your standard of measure, it is not too hard to look good. The tax collector, recognized his sinfulness and humbly asked, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Jesus said, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke18:14NIV

To further emphasize that our standard of measurement for whether we are good enough for heaven is God and not other people, Luke tells the story of Jesus’ encounter with a rich, young ruler. The man addresses Jesus as “good teacher.” Jesus replies, “Why do you call me good?…” “…No one is good—except God alone.” Luke18:19NIV

Are we good enough for heaven? Maybe if we compare ourselves with robbers and evildoers we would appear righteous enough. Unfortunately, that is not how it works. We don’t measure ourselves against others. We are measured against God.  Compared to the Holy and Righteous God of the universe, we are woefully inferior. We too should pray, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

The Good News, the Gospel, is that is exactly what God has done! Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God sees us as righteous because Jesus imparted his goodness and righteousness to us. When Jesus said, only God was good, he meant we were not good. He, however, is good because as the Son of God, he shares the righteousness and goodness of the Father.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I thank you for seeing me as good and worthy because of my faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. Help me to be humble before you and my fellow man, recognizing that my goodness and my salvation are a gift from you. Help me to share the Gospel with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

November 23, 2022 – Be a Neighbor

Exodus 4, Luke 10, 1 Corinthians 10

In Luke Chapter 10, you find one of the more widely known parables, the parable of the Good Samaritan. The term Good Samaritan has become a part of our language. We use it to describe someone who stops to help travelers in distress. Often, we just use it to describe someone who helps.

An expert in the law was trying to test Jesus with a question. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replies, what does the law say and how do you understand it?

He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke10:27NIV

Jesus affirms his answer and tells him to do this and live. But the expert keeps digging. Maybe you have done that. You should have stopped talking but you kept on. “But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”” Luke10:29NIV

This parable has several interesting twists or hooks. First, the religious people, like the expert in the law who was questioning Jesus, walked by this Jew, their own kind, with out even slowing. In fact, they saw the mess of the robbed man’s nakedness and blood and moved to the other side of the road. They went out of the way to avoid him.

The half-breed Samaritan, that’s how Jews saw them, stopped immediately and cared for the man, not deterred by nakedness or bloodiness. You could think of yourself in this parable and you should. That is the idea behind them. They are word pictures. Imagine yourself in them.

What type of person or race would be shocking for you to stop what you are doing and help? If you were naked and bloody on the side of the road, would it matter what type of person or race stopped to help you? When I work through this, it seems my neediness supersedes my prejudices. Seeing someone else’s neediness should breakdown our prejudice as well.

Look at how the Samaritan, goes above and beyond. In today’s terms he would have given the man first aid, taken him to the hospital, paid the thirty dollar co-pay and signed the contract with the hospital to pay any additional costs the man’s care and treatment warranted. That could be astronomically expensive. He didn’t just call 911 and after they got there, go on about his business. He was committed to the man’s well being with his time and resources.

The last hook or twist is, Jesus flips the answer to the expert in the law’s question. The man asks, who is my neighbor? Jesus, holds up this filthy, half-breed Samaritan as the hero, and tells the religious expert to go and be a neighbor just like him.

Everyone is your neighbor! Love them as much as you love yourself!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for making me, a filthy sinner, worthy to be in your presence by washing me in your blood. Lord, help me to drop any prejudices about others and help me love all people extravagantly! Amen.

November 11, 2022 – Each of Us Will Give an Accounting to God

Genesis 42, Mark 14, Romans 14

In Romans 14, the Apostle Paul must be addressing questions about dietary restrictions and the observance of special days. He says the Romans should be careful, whether they eat or don’t eat certain things, not to judge one another. The same is true about special days. Whether they observe them or not, don’t judge one another. He also says, not to do anything to cause a brother or sister to stumble.

The idea or command, if you take Jesus saying in Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” as a command is prevalent throughout the Bible. Paul spends some time exploring it with the Romans. “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.” Romans14:4NIV We are not responsible for someone else’s actions or what we would deem sinful. Paul wants the Romans to understand that everyone will answer to God one day.

“You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.” Romans14:10–12NIV

I can still hear my mother or a teacher saying to me when I tattled on my brother or someone else, “you worry about yourself, I will worry about them.” We need to be concerned about our own lives and our pursuit of holiness. We will answer to God for how well we did. However, we will not be asked to answer for others. Therefore, we should be concerned about our sins, and let God be concerned with theirs’.

Paul also says, “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” Romans14:13NIV  I have always understood this to mean not to eat if you were around a non eater or vice versa. In light of all he is saying about judging others, maybe our judgmental attitudes also become stumbling blocks for others. Maybe if we were less concerned about what we perceive to be the sins of others, fewer people would be labeling us Christians as hypocrites.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for your Spirit that is at work in me to help me recognize my own sinfulness as I pursue holiness. Help me to become Christlike and holy. Lord, help me to be careful not to become a stumbling block to the faith of another with a caustic, judgmental attitude. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

November 4, 2022 – A Matter of the Heart

Genesis 35, Mark 7, Romans 7

“If you have tattoos, you’re going to hell.” “Those unusual piercings have got you on the broad road to destruction.” “Saying that proves you aren’t saved.” Maybe you have heard some people say stuff like that.

In Mark 7, Jesus calls foul on the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who are criticizing his disciples for eating with unclean hands, by quoting Isaiah. He said, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” Mark7:6–7NIV

We have to be careful not to let our devotion to God devolve into Pharisee-ism. Jesus gave us the wonderful parable about taking the plank out of our eye before we go after the speck in someone else’s eye. Jesus didn’t seem to focus on the minutiae of the law. He referenced the Ten Commandments, or the “Big Ten” as a pastor friend of mine called them.  

However, he seemed to simplify the commandments. He said all of the law hangs on the two greatest commandments… Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.

In John 13:34-35 he says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The commands that Jesus said were the greatest, and the new command he gave us, show Jesus was focused on the heart rather than making sure folks meet norms established to judge someone’s devotion to God.

That brings us full circle in Mark 7. After pointing out their hypocrisy, Jesus says what defiles a person comes out of the heart. Conversely, we may also conclude that it is a person’s heart that reveals if they really love God or not.

We may stumble over what Christians have come to make the norms of the faith, but have a heart that loves God deeply. On the other hand, we may look exactly how a Christian should look, right down to our black leather Bible with our name engraved on it, but have a heart that is far from God.

Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. Let’s not drive them away because they don’t fit our norms.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, only you know what is truly in our hearts. Help us to be careful not to judge based on the outward appearances of others. Help us to love each other, and those you send to us, as you loved us. Amen

 

 

October 29, 2022 – Paul the Evangelist

Genesis 29, Mark 1, Romans 1

At the time of writing this devotion, I have spent the bigger part of the last two days thinking about, and discussing evangelism with other Methodist pastors and lay leaders. It has been a very interesting discussion. We have talked about past evangelism programs and efforts of the church from the circuit riders to the present day. We are exploring how to revitalize and rediscover the evangelism that grew the Methodist movement and sparked revivals.

In the reading for today in Romans 1, the Apostle Paul introduces himself to the church at Rome in his salutation to the letter to them. He talks about what he has heard about their faith. He tells them how he prays for them. Paul conveys his strong desire to visit the church at Rome so, as he says, “…you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.”Romans1:12NIV That is something for us to hear well. We mutually encourage each other’s faith. I need you. You need me. That is why it is vitally important to attend church. We need you and you need us!

After giving us this chunk of theological gold, Paul says something else we need to hear in this day and age. “I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.” Romans1:14NIV In Rome, being the capital of an empire united in Hellenistic culture, there were two types of people in the world… Greeks and barbarians, or non-Greeks. In the same breath, he includes the wise and the unwise, or foolish. In the eyes of a Roman (remember Paul was a Roman citizen by birth) “the world was his parish” because he intended to preach to all.

Paul says the exact same thing from the perspective of a Jew. In a Jewish person’s mind, there were two kinds of people in the world, Jews and everyone else. Paul says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans1:16NIV Clearly, speaking from both perspectives that he had, as a Jew, and as a Roman citizen, Paul intended to preach the Gospel to all people.

If you read 1 Corinthians 9, you will hear Paul say the same thing but more emphatically. “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” 1 Corinthians9:19–22NIV

You may be thinking, “I see your point but… we are not Apostles. We are not all called to preach the Gospels. We are not called to be evangelists.”

An evangelist is not only some famous preacher like Paul or Billy Graham. Each and everyone of us are called to be witnesses to the Good News, the Gospel. We are to be witnesses to what God has done, and is doing, in our lives. We are to share how we, in spite of our past sins and our present struggle with sin, have been justified and made right with God through the death and resurrection of Jesus. We are to be witnesses of how we are being transformed into Christlikeness by dying to self and yielding our lives to the direction of the Holy Spirit. We are to be witnesses to the fact that we are coming to know God and experience his presence in our lives in palpable ways.

In sharing the Good News, we need to embrace the scope of who is a potential recipient of our message. It is those like us, and everybody else! We are to look for those God given opportunities to tell others how God has changed, and is changing our lives. We need to see those God ordained opportunities where we can be all things to all people so we might save some.

No one is beyond the love of God or the scope of our witness to the Gospel!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for clearing my guilt and sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! Thank you for the transformations in my life that the Holy Spirit is leading and empowering me to make. Help me to see the opportunities to connect with all people around me that you have prepared to hear my witness to the Good News. In Jesus’ name, Amen.