DAY NINETY-FIVE: 

Love One Another 

1 John 3:11-4:21

We conclude our look at the letters from the apostles very appropriately with 1 John. John, "the disciple whom Jesus loved," made love the theme of all his writings. In his Gospel we read verses like "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) and "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35) It is in his three letters, though, that John teaches us just how we are to love one another.

John said that love is evidence that we belong to Christ. "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." (3:14-15) That's strong stuff! Hating someone is just like murdering him. But that's just what Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22, "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." We must love, and we must forgive, if we are in Christ.

"By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" (3:16-17) Jesus laid down His life for us because He loved us. Can we, out of love, sacrifice some of our worldly goods to help those who don't have enough? This is an important test of our Christian love. But John isn't talking about some mushy, undisciplined love. Love must be balanced with the truth. "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." (3:18) We'll discuss the relationship between truth and love in more detail later in this study.

"By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything." (3:19-20) These verses are a wonderful comfort, because my heart does indeed condemn me from time to time, with memories of old sins that really hurt other people. Maybe you experience the same thing. Isn't it great that God, who is GREATER than our hearts, has forgiven us? Our justification (a fancy word for being found not guilty before a court) comes from Christ's sacrifice on the cross, and doesn't depend on our good works. It's all of grace! God pardons us completely. This frees us up to live in service to God and others without having to worry about racking up those brownie points.

Back to the balance between truth and love. "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already." We depict Satan as a red devil with a pitchfork and a pointy tail. But that's far from what the Bible tells us about him! We read in Ezekiel, "You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God...You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you...Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground" (Ezekiel 28:12-13, 15, 17) Paul warned us that Satan's beauty and charm can be deceiving and that he shares it with his servants: "And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.  So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.Their end will correspond to their deeds." (2 Corinthians 11:14-15) Therefore John said that we have to TEST every spirit, every teaching, to see if they are from God. Anyone who denies that Jesus was in the flesh, both God and man, has denied the heart of the Gospel and cannot be trusted to teach the truth in other areas. In any event, we need to test everything, including (maybe especially) what I say from the pulpit according to the Bible. "By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error." (4:6)

Back to love: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." These are two of the simplest and yet most profound verses in the Bible. John wrote in a very elementary style. When I was studying Greek in college my special project was to translate 1 John. I found it a welcome break from the really difficult classical Greek writers. "God is love." You can't say it any plainer than that! Yes, God is also holy and righteous. But His love applies His holiness and righteousness in a way that enables us to be forgiven for our sins. "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. The word "propitiation" is one you don't see every day, yet there's no simpler word or words that can convey fully what the Greek word means. A propitiation was a sacrifice to appease an angry god. God in His holiness and righteousness is rightfully angry with us, but in His love He sent His son to make things right by offering Himself as a sacrifice for us. He bore the wrath that was rightfully ours so that we can live in God's love. Anyone want to shout "hallelujah?" Now would be a good time!

If we've benefitted from this amazing love, we must reflect that love in how we live. "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us." As John pointed out, no one has seen God. But if they've seen the love of God exhibited in how we treat one another, they've had a glimpse of Him!

"So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." The word abide means to remain or to stay. If we continue to live in love we also continue to live in God. The more we love others, the more God's love flows into us so that we can love others even more. That's a nice ideal, but like all ideals we so often fall short. John gave us a good explanation of why: "By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." (4:17-18) We often think that the opposite of love his hatred. But in reality FEAR is the opposite of love. That's an astounding revelation! The words perfect and perfected mean complete or whole. When God's love is completed in us there is no more room for fear. We don't have to fear the judgment of God any more. And if we don't fear judgment we don't have to fear suffering and persecution and death. We're truly free to show the love of God. But fear makes us hold back from God. Remember how we read yesterday in James that the demons tremble because they know God and what He has in store for them? The late M. Scott Peck in his book People of the Lie wrote that fear underlies evil, and I think he's right. Love overcomes fear and therefore evil. Paul wrote in Romans 12:20-21, "...if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

One thing that makes John's letters easy to read is that he repeats himself over and over and over again! But he had a point to make, one he didn't want his readers to miss. "We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." Get it? Love one another!!!!!

This kind of love doesn't come naturally for us. By our sinful human natures we're prideful and selfish. We want what we want when we want it. God's love doesn't act that way. In fact, this kind of love is so unique that it draws attention to those who exhibit it. Jesus said that the world would know if we're His disciples if we love one another. This is the kind of love that the world hungers to feel. Love is like a light in a dark place, showing the way to safety. In short, love is not optional. Not the easy kind of love, but a love that costs you something to give.

But not everyone is lovable, even in the church. How do I love them? In the words of the Nike commercials, "Just Do It!" Don't wait until you "feel" like loving. Love is not just a feeling. First and foremost, love is a decision, a commitment. Do your best, and ask God for help and guidance. The feelings follow our actions sometimes. And when you blow it, say you're sorry. Further, when someone hurts you, forgive, because that's what God wants you to do. That's the kind of love that changes lives!

John obviously believed that repetition is the best teaching tool. So here's a blast from our recent past, one of the songs from last year's Vacation Bible School:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZbFhQdXrgU

DAY NINETY-FOUR: 

Faith and Works 

James 1:1-2:26 

The great reformer Martin Luther didn't like the Epistle of James. He wrote, "In a word St. John’s Gospel and his first epistle, St. Paul’s epistles, especially Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians, and St. Peter’s first epistle are the books that show you Christ and teach you all that is necessary and salvatory for you to know, even if you were never to see or hear any other book or doctrine. Therefore St. James’ epistle is really an epistle of straw." He gave serious thought to leaving it out of his translation of the Bible. But thankfully (and, I believe, providentially) he changed his mind. What caused Luther to hate James' message? A surface reading might lead one to conclude that James denied salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone in favor of a salvation by good works. A closer look, though, shows that faith and works are two sides of the same coin.

"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings." James identified himself as a servant of Jesus Christ, and he certainly is. But there's something he didn't say: he's Jesus' brother (half brother, really). The people of Nazareth knew Jesus' family. Mark 6:3 says, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" John 7:5 says, "For not even his brothers believed in him." They came with Mary to take Jesus back home because they thought there must be something wrong with Jesus (a Messiah complex?). But we read in Acts 1:14, "All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers." Apparently James and his brothers trusted in Jesus after His resurrection and they were part of the very earliest church. The thing to notice is James wasn't a name-dropper. He was a servant of Jesus by the grace of God, not by nepotism. We share the same status when we trust in Christ and serve Him.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (1:2-4) Count it all joy when I have problems and trials and persecutions? You've got to be kidding! But James isn't kidding. These trials test us and strengthen us. Through them we learn that we must depend upon God alone, because the things we depended on, like our health or wealth, are stripped away in times of trial. James tells the exiles to whom he writes to hang in there! Yes it's tough but you have Jesus with you, who promised to be with you always and never forsake you. You can make it! "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." (1:12)

"Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." Flip Wilson used to say "The devil made me do it." We know that's not true, and it's also not true that God made me do it. The devil does tempt us, but God doesn't. He may allow us to face temptation as part of our trials. But He doesn't intend for us to fail. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." (1:20-21) Wow! Think about how much trouble we'd avoid if we listened more, spoke less and controlled our anger! Our anger is just about always expressed in a sinful manner, even though we may think it is justified.

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (1:22) "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless." (1:26) Here's where we begin to see the tension between faith and works. It's not enough, James said, to talk the talk. You have to walk the walk, too. After James dinged them for showing partiality to the rich over the poor (2:1-7) he dug into the matter at hand.

"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 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? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." Faith shows itself in works. Faith MUST produce fruit or it's not genuine faith. Our faith impels us to do certain things, like care for the poor. If we don't do them, there's a serious problem.

"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. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe- and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?" It's not, and never has been, enough to believe in God. Even Satan and his demons believe, but that belief hasn't made them any less devilish. Nearly 90% of Americans say that they believe in God, but look at what goes on. I remember hearing a preacher say once that going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald's makes you a hamburger. Belief in God is more than an intellectual proposition. Real faith touches every area of our lives.

"Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?" (2:21) This is the verse that had Martin Luther seeing red! Now James is saying that Abraham was justified by what he did. If we read this verse out of context, which I'm surprised that Luther did, that's what we have to conclude. But read on: "You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 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. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." (2:22-24) Where's the conflict between faith and works? I just don't see it. Yes, Abraham believed. But Abraham also acted on what he believed. That belief compelled him to trust God even in the matter of sacrificing his son. Likewise we must act on what we believe, or else we don't have real faith.

"For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead." (2:26) Works flow from our faith, and as we work our faith grows. Each feeds the other, all to the glory of God. Our biggest problem in the church today is that we haven't been making disciples. We've only received members, and we've let far too many people walk away with the impression that this makes them right with God. This is why I'm not fond of altar calls. Not because I don't believe in calling you to trust in Christ- I most definitely do. I've seen far too many emotional decisions that never produced fruit. I believe that if the Holy Spirit is convicting a person of sin that He will bring them all the way to salvation. He might use me or someone else as His tool, but He does the work. Then we help to disciple one another and support one another as we serve Christ.

Here's a fun song from the late Rich Mullins with lots of rhythm and action that says that faith without works is "as useless as a screen door on a submarine."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lZzp1u1PDQ

DAY NINETY-THREE: 

Be Holy 

1 Peter 1:13-2:12

The issue of holiness has been both controversial and confusing. Peter reminded his readers of God's command "You shall be holy for I am holy." God is holy and He wants us to be holy too. But just what does that mean? Does it mean that we don't "smoke, drink and chew and run with them that do?" Or is there more to holiness? This passage is a big help in understanding how God wants us to live.

"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..." The word conformed means to follow a pattern. The first step in holiness is to break the previous patterns of sinful behavior you followed before knowing Christ. We desire to please God, so we put aside those things that displease Him. That's easier said than done, of course, but this should be out hearts' desire. That's because we know how costly it was for Jesus to redeem us: "...you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." (1:18-19) Jesus redeemed us with His blood, and has washed us clean of our sins. We stand before God in Christ's purity. Even though we're still in the flesh and prone to sin, we must fight against sin and desire to live up to the holiness God bestowed upon us in Christ.

"Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God..." (1:22-23) We exhibit holiness when we love one another. Jesus told us that people would be able recognize us as His people by the quality of love we show one another. Christian love is such a precious thing, something those who don't know Christ are seeking, whether they know it or not. As we grow more into the image of Christ, our love will increase.

"So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 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." (2:1-3) Put away is the term in Greek for taking off dirty clothes. Throw malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and all those others work of the flesh in the laundry basket. Then put on the sparkling clean clothes that God provides. Colossians 3:12 says "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts,kindness, humility, meekness, and patience..." Peter says that we must desire the milk of God's Word so that we can grow. Newborn Christians need to be nurtured much as we nurture infants. But like children we are to grow past our need for milk and move on to solid food. (Hebrews 5:12-13)

We have a special role in this world. "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." The priesthood in the Old Testament gave us a picture of what Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest, would do for us. It's also a picture of our position in Christ. We are priests for God, offering spiritual sacrifices. We don't slay animals and burn them on the altar. But we do offer up thanksgiving and prayer and praise. "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (2:9) The Lord has given to us a wonderful ministry of intercessory prayer. We can pray and God will hear us!

"Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation." (2:11-12) Keep in mind that this world is not your real home. We're just passing through on our way to heaven. This means that we should not let those fleshly passions that tempt us to rule over our souls. We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, and we must behave accordingly. In this way the world will see that we are different. Even if some accuse us of evil, it will be obvious that the charges are unfounded.

Some think that holiness requires radical separation from the world. The Amish dress differently and shun modern conveniences. Roman Catholic priests, brothers and nuns vow to abstain from sex so that they may pursue holiness. Many different groups say that we must not drink alcoholic beverages if we're to be pleasing to God. Just what does it mean to be holy?

First, holiness and love are woven together and can't be separated from one another. To love is to be holy, and to be holy is to love. Jesus is the greatest example of love, so we imitate His love. The world parodies Christian holiness. I think of all those old movies with the temperance ladies singing "Bringing in the Sheaves" as they marched on the tavern with axes in hand. This is holiness without love. Add love in, and it makes all the difference. The motive for holiness is love of God and love of others.

Second, we end up on a slippery slope when we try to define holiness with rules, by dos and don'ts. When we go beyond what the Bible says we are headed toward legalism. For instance, I see nothing in the Bible that forbids drinking alcohol. There are strong prohibitions, however, against being drunk. Everyone has to decide how to handle alcohol in a way that pleases God. For a recovering alcoholic, "one drink is too many and a thousand aren't enough." Others can enjoy a glass of wine or a beer responsibly. The Bible also teaches us the purpose of sex and how we are to enjoy it in the context of marriage. How we live that out is a witness to our sex-crazed culture, but that witness is lost if we come off as prudes. Christ has given us freedom, but that freedom is bound up in love. Martin Luther was fond of saying "Love God and do as you please, for if you love God you will choose to please Him."

And third, while we walk in this world, we are not of it. We are different, and that should make a difference in how we live. Be careful of what you watch, what you read, whom you associate with. Do they honor God and commend good things? Or do they incite the "lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life?" (1 John 2:16) Again I can't give you hard and fast rules. Rules like that usually make us want what is forbidden (read Romans 7 where Paul speaks of how the Law couldn't keep him from sinning). Remember also that you live in a community of Christians, and we help one another. We admonish one another when we see someone straying. We encourage one another to live for Christ. Holiness is not just private. It's corporate as well.

Here's a beautiful contemporary praise song that speaks to our lesson:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9I7_Q47F3U

DAY NINETY-TWO: 

A New Creation in Christ 

2 Corinthians 4:1-6:2 

Today we look at what we really are vs. what we appear to be on the outside. God makes all things new, but He starts on the inside and works His way out. The process is lifelong, and we pass through stages of maturity. We call the process by which caterpillars become butterflies metamorphosis. The Greek root means to remake, to transform. The Bible uses this same word for how God changes us.

"Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart." (4:1) If anyone had good reason to feel discouraged, it was Paul. He endured so much from his opponents. And on top of that, there were times when his churches let him down. But Paul didn't lose heart! He kept going, one foot in front of the other, trusting that Christ would be his help and stay, "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (4:6) We have within us an imperishable hope and glory! "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." It's like finding a real one karat diamond ring in a Crackerjack box! Our outside is unimpressive and gives no hint to what's inside! And like a common clay jar, we're fragile. We get cracks and nicks and scratches. Sometimes we shatter, just like a clay jar falling to the ground. But God preserves what's inside.

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." We can't deny that our are deteriorating bit by bit, and that the day of our deaths is anything but inevitable. We can't hang onto our bodies, or anything else in this material world. But God is still working on the inside, and His work makes us more beautiful each and every day. I've seen this so often with the elderly saints who have followed the Lord for many years. Their rich experiences, combined with many years of Bible reading and prayer, increase their faith and love. Their smiles and the winks in their eyes are little glimmers of that dazzling treasure hiding within them. Knowing that we can't keep our treasures in this world but can't lose them in the next, we can endure whatever life throws at us. President Franklin Roosevelt delivered his first inaugural address over eighty years ago, in the throes of the Great Depression. He said, "In such a spirit on my part and on yours we face our common difficulties. They concern, thank God, only material things. Values have shrunken to fantastic levels; taxes have risen; our ability to pay has fallen; government of all kinds is faced by serious curtailment of income; the means of exchange are frozen in the currents of trade; the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side; farmers find no markets for their produce; the savings of many years in thousands of families are gone." Sounds a little like today, doesn't it? But Roosevelt was absolutely right. We might lose everything we own, but we haven't lost what really matters.

"For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee." You've been camping all your life, but didn't know it! Our bodies are like tents, meant as a temporary dwelling place. Jesus told us in John 14:2-3, "In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also." God has promised us a new home, and He's given us a deposit- the Holy Spirit, who lives within us, is His guarantee that He will fulfill all His promises. We may struggle and groan in this life, but what's waiting for us makes it worth it all!

"So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil." We have to walk by faith and not by sight. All of the great people we've read about in our study walked by faith. Abraham believed God's absurd promise to give this elderly and barren couple a son, and from him to produce a people who will be more numerous than the sand on the beach or the stars in the sky. Abraham left everything he had known for a yet-undisclosed location. He believed so much in God's promise that he prepared to offer that long-awaited son as a sacrifice when God asked him to. That's walking by faith and not by sight! Some time back I compared walking by faith to a pilot trusting his instruments rather than his senses. Your eyes can play tricks on you in the air, but the instruments show the true way. We have to learn to walk by faith and trust God despite what our senses, including common sense, tell us. We'll all answer for how we lived our lives. We'll stand before God's judgment seat and explain ourselves. This is not for salvation, because Christ has already secured it for us. It's what we do after we trust in Him that will be questioned. I know there are some things in my life that I don't relish explaining to God, and I don't want to rack up any more things like that. Back to school to learn how to walk by faith!

"For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." (5:14-15) The Greek word for control literally means to hold together. The love of Christ holds us together and directs our lives. Jesus raises us up from spiritual death and we no longer live for ourselves. We live to please Christ! He has a mission for us. He wants us to be His ambassadors, His representatives, toward everyone we meet. Our message is a message of reconciliation. As I mentioned in a sermon a few weeks ago, the term reconciliation comes from the world of banking and finance. It means an exchange. You have a product you want to sell, and I need that product. We agree on a price. I pay the money and then take the product home. We both benefit. It's a fair trade. The trade here, however, is a grossly unfair, one-sided trade. Yet we can't complain about it because we are the beneficiaries. "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (5:21) Jesus took all of our vile, ugly sins and went to the cross to pay for them. Then He gave us His perfect and spotless righteousness in exchange. His pain was our gain! "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." If this isn't good news, I don't know what is! And this Good News is something that everyone needs to hear. That's why we're called to be "ambassadors of reconciliation." God loves us and longs for us to trust in Him.

Have you trusted in Jesus Christ, and in Him alone? If not, there's no time like the present. "Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, 'In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.' Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (6:1-2) If the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart, if you know you're not right with God, just ask Him to forgive you for Christ's sake. For more on how to become a Christian, click on this link. And I'd be honored to help you!

Here's one of my favorite Southern Gospel songs that goes along with our passage today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siYOCV1pE2c

And while looking for this video, I found another video, in which Stuart Hamblen, the songwriter, tells how he came to write it. It's worth a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNzcGxl5nk8

DAY NINETY-ONE: 

The Most Excellent Way 

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Today we look at one of the most beloved passages in the Bible. I've been asked to read it in at least three-fourths of the weddings I've officiated. 1 Corinthians 13 is beautiful and lofty prose. But this passage is also one of the most misunderstood. That's because it's so easy to separate it from its context. So let's begin our consideration of chapter 13 with a look at chapter 12 and chapter 14

The chapter begins, "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed." This is the same word Paul used in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 when he said he did not want his readers to be ignorant about matters of eternal life. We get the word agnostic from this word. So what's the deal with spiritual gifts?

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.  To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance ofwisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit,who apportions to each one individually as he wills." We don't choose our spiritual gifts- the Holy Spirit assigns them to us. Further, spiritual gifts are not for our private use but for the benefit of the whole church. There are many gifts, but just one Holy Spirit.

The Corinthians were fixated on one particular gift, speaking in tongues. If you've ever heard someone speak in tongues it's impressive. There's definitely a place for this gift, but Paul listed it in last place, the least important of the gifts. In 1 Corinthians 14:6-12 he wrote, " Now, brothers, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? If even lifeless instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give distinct notes, how will anyone know what is played? And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle? So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church."

The Corinthians were eager for the spiritual gifts, but they misunderstood their purpose and more importantly the principle by which they must operate. Paul ended chapter 12 with a segway into today's passage: " But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way." The word for excellent is huperbole. Recognize the English word hyperbole? It means literally to throw something the farthest distance. This excellent way is the way of love.

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing."  The spiritual gifts are in fact utterly meaningless if love is absent.

Before we go further we need to consider this word "love." This is pretty much the only word we have in modern English to express the concept of love. As such it's used in a variety of ways: I love anchovies on my pizza; I love my favorite TV show; I love my dog; I love my wife; I love God. Greek has four words for this concept of love:

• eros, from which we get the word erotic. This is a selfish love that seeks its own benefit, that seeks to possess and to control the other. This is a 0/100 kind of love;
• storge, an instinctive love, a natural bond that holds families together;
• philia, from which Philadelphia gets its name (city of brotherly love). This is a mutual, 50/50 type of love. I like you and you like me. I help you and you help me; and
• agape, a word used very rarely in classic Greek which Christians co-opted to describe the love that God has for us. This is love is 100/0. This love gives with no expectation of return. This love is concerned for the welfare of the other. This is the love of John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

It is this last word that Paul used repeatedly. Agape love is the controlling principle for our Christian lives. Paul didn't define this kind of love. A definition limits the meaning of a word, and there is no limit to agape. Instead he described it with a series of adjectives:

• Love is patient 
• and kind; 
• love does not envy 
• or boast; 
• it is not arrogant 
• or rude. 
• It does not insist on its own way; 
• it is not irritable or resentful; 
• it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, 
• but rejoices with the truth. 
• Love bears all things,
• believes all things, 
• hopes all things, 
• endures all things.
• Love never ends.

What a list! What would it be like if we all lived out this kind of love? This is the ideal for us as individual Christians and as a church. Of course we fall short because of our sinful human nature (aka the flesh). And sometimes we have to confess that we're far from this ideal, operating from selfish motives. If this godly love is absent, the church is just another human organization, not much different from the Lions Club or 4-H. Jesus said in John 13:35, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." 

Paul stressed that love is far, far more important than the spiritual gifts over which the Corinthians squabble. Those gifts will pass away. They won't be needed someday, when we see God face to face. We won't need revelation any more, because "...then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."

Paul said that when you strip everything away there are just three things that remain: faith, hope and love. He said that the greatest is love. Why is that? Because, as Peter Gillquist's classic book is titled, Love is Now. Faith is based on the past. I've seen God's goodness and faithfulness demonstrated earlier and in faith I rest upon those promises; Hope always looks to the future, to the fulfillment of God's perfect will; But love looks around at the present reality and works to make a difference in the here and now. We can't live in the past or the future. We live in the present, and God's love is present with us right now. 

Here's a beautiful song that I learned as a young Christian that summarizes 1 Corinthians 13:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWbPznwRrOM

DAY NINETY:

The Coming of the Lord 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 

Today's passage is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful and glorious passages in the whole Bible. This is where our hope lies as Christians. We look for the day when Jesus will set the last things straight and we'll be with Him for eternity. Yet this passage has also stirred much controversy over the past century. The sign above (click on it if you'd like to enlarge it) puts a date of May 21, 2011 for the return of Christ. That was exactly three years ago on Wednesday, and we're still waiting. 

The earliest Christians eagerly awaited Christ's return. After Jesus ascended and the disciples were still staring into the sky two men in white (angels, no doubt) said to them, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." (Acts 1:11) Jesus Himself told them before He went to the cross, "Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." (Matthew 24:30) It was right that they were eager for Jesus to come back, and we should be too. But we have to take the long view on the subject, and that's what Paul spoke to in this passage.

"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope." Enough time had passed that the first generation of Christians was passing off the scene. They had hoped to see His glorious return before they died. Now false teachers are shaking the faith of those who remain, claiming that the resurrection had already occurred (2 Timothy 2:18). Just what is the status of those who die in the Lord? Paul told the Thessalonians that he didn't want them to be "uninformed." The word literally means ignorant. He didn't want them to fret and speculate. He wants them to be certain, so that while they shed tears for their loved ones, they won't grieve uncontrollably, like the pagans around them. Christians mourn with hope in their hearts.

"For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep." Don't let those false teachers shake your composure. Those who have died in faith are not gone forever. Further, they will have an honored position before those who are alive at His coming. They will be first.

"For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." There won't be any doubt, any mystery, when Jesus comes back! The whole world will see it. That trumpet will sound and the dead will rise. Then we too will rise to meet the Lord and the departed saints in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever!

These verses gave rise to the term "rapture," which you hear all the time on Christian TV and radio. The popular Left Behind series of novels are based on this premise. In the last century and a half Dispensationalism has shaped how many Bible-believing Christians understand Scripture. A dispensation is a period of God's activity, each of which has different purposes and rules. Read the article I've linked to above if you want to learn more about the whole of Dispensationalism. Today we'll concentrate on these verses. Dispensationalists believe that Jesus will return secretly before He returns publicly. At this secret coming He will resurrect those who have died in faith and then catch up (rapture) the faithful who are still alive. After that comes a seven-year period called the Great Tribulation, a time when the Antichrist will take power. At the end of the seven years Jesus will return publicly and reign on the earth for 1,000 years (the Millennium). Then Satan will lead one last rebellion. After the devil is defeated Jesus will institute the new heave and earth.

This teaching of the Rapture has, I believe, distracted Christians from what we should be doing while on this earth. First, let me say that I see nowhere in the Bible that Jesus will return secretly. Every passage that mentions His coming says that everyone will see it. Likewise, the Bible does speak of a time of tribulation before Christ's return. But we're in it right now, and have been for almost 2,000 years. Revelation 7:14, which comes well ahead of when the Rapture is supposed to take place, says, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Try telling the Christians in North Korea, or Iraq, or Syria, or Sudan, that they're not in the great tribulation! This doctrine of the Rapture grew up in a time of prosperity, when it was respectable to be a Christian. The Rapture offers escape from suffering when Jesus comes back, but does nothing to prepare us for suffering in this life. It encourages us to forego planning for the future. Jesus will come back before I need an education, life insurance, etc. The Bible teachers who promote this view point to the signs of the times to prove that Christ's return is near. Those signs keep changing as they pass while Christ hasn't returned. For instance, I read Hal Lindsey's book Late Great Planet Earth in the mid-70s. He argued that Jesus would come within a generation of the founding of the modern state of Israel, and since a biblical generation is 40 years Jesus would come back by 1988. He also taught that the ten horns of the Beast described in Revelation were the nations of the European Common Market. There were nine members when he wrote. He said that the tenth nation to join would complete the Beast and set the stage for the Rapture and the Great Tribulation that would follow. The tenth nation (Ireland) joined, then more and more nations. The European Union has 28 members now, and still no Rapture.

Paul sought to calm all the anxious speculation around the Lord's return. "Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, 'There is peace and security,' then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." When the disciples asked Jesus if He was now restoring the kingdom to Israel, He replied, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:7-8) He told them not to sit around and speculate but to get out and work! No one knows when He will come, so the best thing we can do is to be ready. That means taking care of business and occupying until He comes.

"But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation." Paul encouraged his readers (and us, as I always remind you) to live a life worthy of Christ. Live in His light and behave like children of the day.

"For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him." This is another statement of the Gospel in a nutshell. Jesus died for us so that we could escape God's rightful wrath and find salvation in Him. It makes no difference if you die before Jesus returns or if you're there to see it. Either way we'll be with Him!

I skipped over 4:18 deliberately because I want to consider it together with 5:11. 4:18 says, "Therefore encourage one another with these words," and 5:11 says, "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." Encourage. We've seen that word before. It means to come alongside and help. This is why we need one another in the Body of Christ. We live in a time when you can receive lots of spiritual nourishment from the Internet. You can watch the very best preachers of our time deliver wonderful sermons (I have a few that I like to watch on my day off). But even the best preacher can take you only so far. We need each other for encouragement in the hard times. We need each other to hone us into stronger disciples. Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." And we especially need one another when we stand at the gravesite of someone we loved. Our busy world gives us lots of reasons to slack off on our involvement in the Body of Christ. But Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

Here's a song from Steve Green's children's album that drives this point home:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6top6--Lls

DAY EIGHTY-NINE: 

All Scripture is God-breathed 

2 Timothy 3:10-4:8

 Evangelist Matthew and the Angel, by Rembrandt Van Rijn, 1661

The apostles walked and talked with Jesus. They witnessed His miracles, His death, His resurrection and His ascension. They spoke about what they had seen and heard. But now they're passing off the scene. Paul's days on earth are numbered. Where will the young church find what it needs when there are no more apostles? Paul taught Timothy to rely upon the Scriptures.

The word "however" in verse 10 indicates that we need to look at the verses before our passage. "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people." (2 Timothy 3:1-5) Wow! This list sounds like it was ripped from the headlines! But if this was true back then, what about now? Have we been in the last days for nearly 2,000 years. Yes. Hebrews 1:1-2 says, "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son..." Jesus came to set right what sin had ruined, and He is working even now to build His Kingdom on earth. Yes, we live in the last days, as did all the Christians who have gone before us. That means we have an urgent task before us, and that our work won't be easy.

Paul told Timothy to avoid people who exhibit those qualities. "You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings..." Timothy traveled with Paul and new first-hand how he conducted himself, even in the face of persecution and suffering. By God's grace Paul, formerly a murderous persecutor of God's people, became His greatest ambassador. Timothy learned a lot from what Paul said, but he also learned from what Paul did. It's good for us to imitate people who live godly lives, and for us to be people that others should imitate, especially our children.

Verse 12 says, "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." Jesus said, "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:11-12) If you live for Christ you'll stand out from the crowd. Your very lifestyle will make them feel guilty for their sinful way of life and will confront them with a choice: They can learn more about Jesus and become a Christian; or they can ridicule and persecute you to drown out the conviction for their sins.

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 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." At the beginning of this letter Paul wrote, "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." (1:5) Timothy grew up with a Christian mother and grandmother. He was a part of the church, and we read in Acts 16:2, "He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium." Timothy was well-grounded in his faith and familiar with the Scriptures. Paul is referring primarily to the Old Testament, as the New Testament was  being written at that time. The witness of the Scriptures makes one wise for salvation, showing the way to Christ.

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." Breathed out by God is all one word in Greek, theopneustos, literally God-breathed. The Bible is not merely a human work, even though many human writers had a hand in it. I like the painting above of an angel whispering in Matthew's ear as he wrote his Gospel. But we're told that it's the Holy Spirit, not an angel, who works in the authors of Scripture. 2 Peter 1:21 says, "For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." When you hold a Bible in your hands, then, you are holding not just a book. You're holding God's revelation! Emile Caillet, an atheist who grew up in an atheist family, came to trust in Christ because someone gave him a Bible. He said, "This is the book that understands me."

Paul said that Scripture is profitable. Time spent reading and applying the Bible is time well spent. Paul said that the Bible is profitable for:

• for teaching- The Bible is the textbook of the Christian faith. All of our teaching and preaching must be grounded in Scripture;
• for reproof- This word is a legal term. It means to convict someone of wrongdoing. Each of us has an obligation to rebuke one another when our lives aren't matching up with our witness. We do this with Bible in hand, ready to point to book, chapter and verse.
• for correction- The Greek word means to stand something upright that had fallen over. The Bible provides us with the encouragement and hope that we need to heal the wounds life inflicts, and to overcome habitual sins; and
• for training in righteousness- The Greek word is paideia  Here's what Thayer's Greek Lexicon defines the word: "The whole training and education of children (which relates to the cultivation of mind and morals, and employs for this purpose now commands and admonitions, now reproof and punishment) It also includes the training and care of the body." The Bible is profitable for training the whole person in God's righteousness. This goes way beyond mere head knowledge. This training also shapes the heart and soul of the believer.

What is the end result? "...that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." Police and firefighters go through rigorous training not for the sake of the training itself, but so that they can apply what they learn to keep us safe. In the same way, our training is not for our sake but so that we can be a blessing to others. We have all that we need to serve the Lord.

Paul then addressed the subject of preaching. "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." That's a very strong charge! In front of God and Christ Jesus! This is very serious stuff. The word for preach means to make an announcement. With the Bible in hand, the preacher is announcing God's Kingdom and calling those who hear to align their lives with the God's will. Use the Bible, Timothy, to reprove, to show the people their sins and call them to repent. Use that Bible to rebuke, a stronger form of confrontation when reproof falls short. Exhort the people from the Scriptures. The word means to come alongside and help. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Comforter, which comes from this word. Reproof and rebuke are a kick in the seat of the pants. Exhortation is an arm around the shoulder and comforting words. The wise pastor must learn to discern what the congregation and individuals within it need at the time. It's all in there!

"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." Faithful preaching of the Bible is bound to offend some people. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." The message of the cross is that we can't save ourselves. We must rely on Jesus Christ, who died to take away our sins. If the terms God offers us in the Gospel are unacceptable to some, they can go elsewhere and find what they want. The New Age Movement and Eastern religions teach that you are God. Other sects bind their members up in a web of works righteousness. Some groups give license for indulging the lusts of the flesh. There's a great big smorgasbord table with all kinds of choices for those who don't like the Gospel message. But you, Timothy, hang in there with Christ! Do the work of an evangelist. This is excellent advice for us pastors. We work in the church and can become isolated from the world around us. Paul told Timothy to go out and meet your neighbors, get to know them and share the Gospel to win them to Christ. 

I always feel sad when I read about the lives of the great people in the Bible. I feel like I've gotten to know them, and I mourn just a little bit when the likes of Abraham, Moses and David give their last words before they die. These are Paul's last words: "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." Paul went through so much agony during his service for Christ. But he didn't give up! Sometimes he staggered, like a boxer saved by the bell. Sometimes he was so weary that he couldn't go on. But he kept putting one foot in front of the other and continued on in the race that was set before him. The finish line is in sight! He can see the prize that waits for him. That prize is a crown of righteousness. The crown here is not a diadem, a kingly crown. That's for Jesus to wear. Paul's crown is a stephanos, the victor's crown. Winners in the ancient Olympic Games and other competitions received a wreath of laurel leaves, which was placed on their heads. Of course that crown didn't last long, but while it did it was a real badge of honor for the victor. 1 Corinthians 9:25 says, "Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable." Hebrews 12:1 tells us, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..." Let's run that race together, as the Body of Christ, and encourage one another to keep going toward that finish line!

It's not enough to start well. It doesn't matter if a baseball team is in first place for 161 games. If they're not there after the 162nd and final game, then they haven't won. I've seen many people start out with such promise but end up with their faith in tatters and their service for the Lord nonexistent. Paul is the perfect example of someone who finished well. He stayed with Christ until the end. His whole life was dedicated to Christ, and even while he was imprisoned he used his time to write letters that have encouraged generations of Christians. 

This passage makes me look at my life in a different light. This life is a long, long race. Long enough that there's just about always time to get back in it and make up for lost ground when we go astray. We can't change the past, but we can resolve to go forward and serve Christ with zeal.

Here's a beautiful song sung by South Sudanese refugees. They suffered much for the cause of Christ yet persist in their faith.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmBaNYKv5OY

DAY EIGHTY-EIGHT: 

Good Soldiers of Christ 

2 Timothy 2:1-26

This is Paul's second letter to Timothy, his spiritual son. It has a very different tone from the first letter. Paul's tender side comes out more. The last chapter reveals that he is in prison awaiting his hearing before Emperor Nero. He's virtually alone, but he has not lost heart. He knows his end is near but he knows he'll finish well. He wishes the same for Timothy (and for all of us). This letter is a great help to us, and especially to pastors, as we struggle through life.

"You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." This is how we make disciples. Paul trained Timothy as he accompanied Paul. Timothy is now a leader in the church and Paul is about to leave the scene. Timothy, and all the leaders of his generation, must now pass on the faith to the next generation of leaders, who will in turn equip the believers in their care.

"Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him." The military runs on discipline. Soldiers obey their orders and do their duty. It's not always easy or pleasant, and sometimes that duty is downright dangerous. Paul encouraged Timothy to share in the suffering, not to shirk it. He also told Timothy to avoid obligations and entanglements that are outside the realm of his calling. Most of the time our choice isn't between good and bad, It's usually between good, better and best. We can't do everything, so we'd best do what Christ asks of us and trust He'll provide someone else for those other worthy projects.

"An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules." There are no shortcuts in working for the Lord. We may look for instant solutions in this microwave world of ours, but developing mature disciples requires time and work. Athletes have to train, and we have to train as well. When I was in high school I read an article about the great baseball player Carl Yazstrzemski. He put himself through a demanding exercise program in the off-season so that he would arrive at spring training in top shape. He played for 23 seasons, in large measure because he was so disciplined. We need that same approach if we're to grow as disciples.

"It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything." Timothy and others who work for the Lord should receive their support from the harvest of the churches. Yes, Paul plied his trade of tent-making to support himself as he served the Lord. But when contributions from the churches came in he quit his job and taught full-time in Corinth. Tent-making is coming back, but it's almost never ideal.

"Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." Paul is no longer under house arrest by this time. He's in the Mamartine Prison, which was little more than a widened out sewer. It's amazing that he was able to write anything under those conditions. Someone must have visited and carried the letter out. He spent his days chained to the wall and in near darkness. But it was all worth it to Paul. He might be bound up and imprisoned, but no one can chain the Word of God! And Paul took satisfaction in the fruit of his work. Timothy, Titus, Trophimus, Archippus and a whole host of younger men (and women) stepped up and the Gospel message was spreading. It didn't matter to Paul what happened to him. His concern was for the masses of people who would hear the Good News and believe.

"The saying is trustworthy, for:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself."

This appears to be lyrics from an early hymn. Singing "psalms, hymns and spiritual songs" (Colossians 3:16) was and remains a very important part of our worship. Not only do our songs give praise and glory to God, but also speak to our hearts. They help and encourage us through the good and the bad of this life. I can almost hear Paul singing in that dank hellhole, just as he and Silas did in the Philippi jail many years earlier.

"Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." Paul reminded Timothy not to "major in minors." Don't let your people get off track with arguments over little things that don't advance the Kingdom. Such wrangling renders those who partake of it worthless for the work of the Gospel. He then encourages Timothy to continue in his own studies of God's word. The study is a part of a pastor's life that few see, but which is vital to the life of the church. Paul told Timothy to strive to be "approved of God." That word approved means to be found with integrity. The word comes from the way coins were handled in those days. There was a real temptation to shave the edges of the coin and keep some gold or silver dust for yourself. That's why our coins today have those ridged edges, to make it apparent if someone has shaved them. A moneychanger who had a reputation for honesty, for not shaving coins, was labeled "approved." Paul told Timothy to handle the Word well. The word means to cut straight and accurately. Timothy, like a good carpenter, must measure twice and cut once as he teaches the Scriptures.

"But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are his,' and, 'Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.'" Paul wasn't afraid to name names! Hymenaeus and Philetus were spreading the false doctrine that the resurrection had already taken place, unnoticed by most believers. On Friday we'll look at 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, which deals with this subject. Paul said that their heretical teachings were upsetting some people. But regardless of how many false teachers pop up, the firm foundation remains intact. The Lord will distinguish His true servants from the false prophets and protect His Church.

"Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work." My wife Vicki inherited a few antiques from her aunt. One of them is a nice porcelain bowl the likes of which I'd never seen. I asked what it was and Vicki told me it's a chamber pot. In the days before indoor plumbing a chamber pot would save one from having to make a run to the outhouse in bad weather. Certainly a chamber pot was created for a rather dishonorable use, not like the beautiful china used to serve our meals. Paul said that if we strive to cleanse ourselves, to grow more like Christ, we will be more useful to the Lord and He can use us for "every good work."

"So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." Grow up, Timothy, and shun the sinful desires that overwhelm the young and naive. Instead, pursue these good thing, and don't do it alone. Get with a group of other likeminded souls and together seek the Lord with a pure heart.

"Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels." I've seen my share of arguments that lead nowhere. Perhaps the most damaging have been the many controversies over when and how Jesus Christ will return. Again, we'll deal with that in more detail on Friday. Some preach that the return of Christ is so imminent that there's little reason to make long-term plans. No need for education, life insurance, etc. The signs are right there in front of our eyes! But then time passes and Jesus hasn't come back. So they point out a whole new set of signs that point to His return. Then more time passes.... We have more important work to do!

"And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will." I try to review this passage on a regular basis. Well-Intentioned Dragons: Dealing With Problem People in the Church, by Marshall Shelley, addresses this issue. Shelley wrote, "Pastors who personify a nondefensive spirit of joy and generosity tend not to attract as many dragons. And when they are attacked, the majority of the congregation begins to notice something amiss. When the fruit of the Spirit becomes characteristic of the church’s daily life, it becomes painfully clear whenever one person violates that spirit, and the body itself will work to take care of the irritation." I've seen this in my own ministry and in that of many other pastors. I didn't have a very thick skin when I started in the ministry, and thus was often wounded. By God's grace, however, I've learned that love and grace in the face of opposition goes a long, long way.

Here's a beautiful song to remind you of how precious a gift that God has given us in the Scriptures:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18eLs9A1Nqo

DAY EIGHTY-SEVEN: 

The Love of Money 

1 Timothy 6:3:21 

As I was thinking about an appropriate picture to go with this study, the Gollum from the Lord of the Rings movies came to mind. The hideous and obsessed Gollum was once a Hobbit named Smeagol. He found the ring that the dark Lord Sauron had forged. It became his reason for being. He referred to it as "My Precious" He guarded it zealously and when it was stolen from him he fought to get it back. The very thing that Smeagol considered precious was his undoing. This is a picture of what the love of money does to us. 

"If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain," We've seen how some have used godliness to profit materially. And we've all known people who like to argue about small things as if they were central to our faith. The translators achieve some alliteration with the two words depraved and deprived. The Greek word for depraved comes from worms and moths that eat fabric. They destroy by eating holes. In the same way Satan uses little things to eat us alive. Deprived means robbed. The truth has been stolen from them. They can no longer recognize it when they see it. This is a sad state of affairs.

Paul put material things in their proper perspective. "But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content." The word contentment means self-sufficient, not wanting anything else. Paul echos what Job said when he lost everything: "And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Job was rich, but he regarded his relationship with God as his true treasure. We're born with nothing, and we can take with us nothing when we die. I've heard many people who grew up in the Depression say that they didn't know they were poor because everybody around them was in the same situation. Somehow they got what they needed. Most of us already have everything we really need. Yet the media taunt us, showing us the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Businesses try to create a desire for their products through commercials. We want, we want, we want.

Paul warned us: "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation,into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." People who make it their chief aim in life to get rich become like the Gollum pictured above. He thought he was happy when he possessed the ring, but that ring actually warped him and turned him into a monster, living away from the other Hobbits so that no one could steal "My Precious." And when the ring was stolen from him the Gollum didn't stop to reflect on his life and consider a different path. He remained the Gollum, wanting only to find the ring again. Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit who stole the ring, began to experience the same covetous desires. Only the wizard Gandalf's intervention saved Bilbo from the Gollum's fate.

"The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." Often we hear this verse corrupted to say "money is the root of all evil." That's not what Paul said. Money itself is a thing, a tool in our hands. It's OK to have money, even lots of it, if we remember what it's for. We are to love people and use things. We reverse that and love things and use people to get more things. Wealthy Christians have done much to support churches and missionaries and to further the Kingdom. They blessed people with their money. It's easy to see where the love of money leads: drug cartels, prostitution rings, gambling, crooked business deals, embezzlement. I could go on and on. Many people have died so that other people could make more money. Oscar Wilde said there are but two tragedies in life: not getting what one wants, and getting what one wants. This describes the state of those who love money. If they don't have it they crave it and can't stop thinking about money. And if they do happen to become rich, it just eats holes in their very souls.

Paul told Timothy, "But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness." The Greek word for flee gives us the root for our word fugitive. It means to run away from someone who's pursuing you. Run away from sin! Then Paul told Timothy to pursue righteousness. The word pursue here means to chase down, It's most commonly translated as persecute. When Paul was a persecutor he zealously tracked down any Christian he could find. That's the way we must chase after the things of God:

• righteousness- the very righteousness of Christ Himself, which He gave us in exchange for our sins. 2 Corinthians 5:21;
• godliness- a reverence and respect for God and the things of God;
• faith- believing in God's character and promises even when we see no outward evidence;
• love- the same love that God has for us, a self-giving, unconditional love;
• steadfastness- literally to stay a long time. It means to remain faithful no matter what; and
• gentleness- the same word that Jesus used in the Beatitudes, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." It means to be kind, considerate and loving toward others.

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession,  to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,  which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen." Paul commanded Timothy as a general would command a subordinate officer. He charged him most solemnly, remembering all that Jesus did for us, to "make the good confession," as Jesus did before Pilate. What is this good confession? That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus told Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world- to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." Whereas the Jews responded angrily to His confession, Pilate merely shrugged his shoulders and said "What is truth?" (John 18:37-38) It's our charge to proclaim the truth of God, the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. He is King of kings and Lord of lord! Hundreds of thousands of Christians died in the first four centuries of our era because they would not perform a simple act. Every inhabitant of the Roman Empire was commanded to appear once a year before a statue of Caesar, offer up some incense and say "Caesar is Lord." The Christians wouldn't do this because Caesar is not Lord, Jesus is Lord!

After showing us what our real treasure is Jesus, Paul returned to the subject of money: "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 1hey are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life." He urged rich Christians not to show off but to use that wealth to help others and to grow the Kingdom of God. 

Paul concluded: "O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called 'knowledge,' for by professing it some have swerved from the faith." A deposit is a partial payment to reserve something. 2 Corinthians 1:22 says that the Lord "...put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." Ephesians 1:14 says that the Holy Spirit is "...the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." Paul told Timothy to guard, to hang onto, that down-payment God has given him. Beware of those who claim to have "knowledge." This is a reference to Gnosticism, which comes from the Greek word gnosis. The Gnostics are one of the groups that brought outside religious beliefs and merged them with Christianity. The Gnostics claimed to have secret knowledge that God withheld from all but them. They argued, in the vein of Greek Philosophy, that the material world is evil and that only spiritual things matter. Thus Jesus wasn't born of the Virgin Mary- that would be beneath Him as a spirit being. And He didn't die on the cross- that, too, was uncouth. The earliest church struggled against Gnosticism, and in our time Gnosticism has been revived in the New Age Movement. We, too, need to guard that deposit, and not trade it for false promises.

"Grace be with you." May God's grace keep and sustain you, Timothy, as you fight the good fight of faith. Grace to all of us! We desperately need it!

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Lord of the Rings, here's a clip showing the struggle that Bilbo goes through when he knows he must give up the ring. It's destroying him, turning him into another Gollum. Gandalf encourages his friend to give it up. It's a picture of how we struggle with our attachment to the things of this world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Yy0pPTrHlk