Christian daily devotionals

You Won’t Be Able

Posted on by Betsy

Today’s passage from the book of Acts is a whirlwind of circumstances that only the apostles could have experienced. It is hard for us to imagine the fervor and absolute dedication these men had for proclaiming the gospel. They did so at great expense, even at the expense of their lives, yet it is obvious when we read these accounts that they counted all that cost as gain for the kingdom. The times they lived in were turbulent and dangerous, but they were never perturbed or dissuaded from their cause.

In this story, we have an unexpected visitation of an angel from the Lord, who arrived at just the right moment to open prison doors so that they may continue delivering their message:

Acts 5:17-42 (Common English Bible)

The Jerusalem Council harasses the apostles

17 The high priest, together with his allies, the Sadducees, was overcome with jealousy. 18 They seized the apostles and made a public show of putting them in prison. 19 An angel from the Lord opened the prison doors during the night and led them out. The angel told them, 20 “Go, take your place in the temple, and tell the people everything about this new life.” 21 Early in the morning, they went into the temple as they had been told and began to teach.

Wow! If you are like me, you didn’t see that coming. It is such a beautiful reminder of the presence of angels. Surely God can and will use everything in his power to release us from the bondage of life circumstances that keep us trapped in sin, despair, regret, and misery. Do you believe in angels?

When the high priest and his colleagues gathered, they convened the Jerusalem Council, that is, the full assembly of Israel’s elders. They sent word to the prison to have the apostles brought before them. 22 However, the guards didn’t find them in the prison. They returned and reported,23 “We found the prison locked and well-secured, with guards standing at the doors, but when we opened the doors we found no one inside!” 24 When they received this news, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were baffled and wondered what might be happening. 25 Just then, someone arrived and announced, “Look! The people you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26 Then the captain left with his guards and brought the apostles back. They didn’t use force because they were afraid the people would stone them.

27 The apostles were brought before the council where the high priest confronted them: 28 “In no uncertain terms, we demanded that you not teach in this name. And look at you! You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. And you are determined to hold us responsible for this man’s death.”

It is interesting to note that the council didn’t use force on the apostles, because they were afraid the people would stone them if they did. The high priest commanded the men to stop teaching in Jesus’ name. Truth be told, he should have been afraid of apostles, not the people. After all, they had an angel of the Lord on their side as they spoke God’s powerful truth.

29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than humans!30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God has exalted Jesus to his right side as leader and savior so that he could enable Israel to change its heart and life and to find forgiveness for sins. 32 We are witnesses of such things, as is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Peter spoke an uncompromising truth. We must obey God rather than humans. It is so easy to get into the trap of going along with the crowd, keeping quiet so as to not ruffle feathers, hiding our witness for fear of ridicule or rejection, and spending our lives just trying to blend in. But that is not what the apostles did. They spoke boldly and without hesitation.

33 When the council members heard this, they became furious and wanted to kill the apostles. 34 One council member, a Pharisee and teacher of the Law named Gamaliel, well-respected by all the people, stood up and ordered that the men be taken outside for a few moments. 35 He said, “Fellow Israelites, consider carefully what you intend to do to these people. 36 Some time ago, Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and some four hundred men joined him. After he was killed, all of his followers scattered, and nothing came of that. 37 Afterward, at the time of the census, Judas the Galilean appeared and got some people to follow him in a revolt. He was killed too, and all his followers scattered far and wide. 38 Here’s my recommendation in this case: Distance yourselves from these men. Let them go! If their plan or activity is of human origin, it will end in ruin. 39 If it originates with God, you won’t be able to stop them. Instead, you would actually find yourselves fighting God!”

Gamaliel was logical and correct. His argument was simple and persuasive. If the activity of the apostles was human, it would end in ruin. This convinced the council to let the apostles go. His conclusion was also brilliant. He was right in saying that if their teaching actually did originate with God, the council won’t be able to stop them anyway. Nothing can stop God.

The council was convinced by his reasoning. 40 After calling the apostles back, they had them beaten. They ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, then let them go. 41 The apostles left the council rejoicing because they had been regarded as worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the name. 42 Every day they continued to teach and proclaim the good news that Jesus is the Christ, both in the temple and in houses.

And so they continued to teach.

How dedicated to Christ and his mission are you? Are you willing to suffer persecution, rejection, or ridicule? Are you just going along with the crowd so that you can fit in? Do you worry about losing friends or relatives if you share your faith with them?

May we take courage from the apostles’ example and be willing to suffer disgrace for the sake of the name of Jesus. In the end, that is what will matter.

Take Courage by Michelle Robertson

Nice Guys Finish First

Posted on by Betsy

College football season has begun, and it is one of my favorite times of the year. Fall hasn’t decided to visit the Outer Banks quite yet, as the temperatures are still summer-worthy, but this seasonal sport helps us look forward to cooler temps and breathable air with less humidity. This girl can’t wait.

I had a friend who liked to link his preaching to sports analogies, and I always remember him talking about teamwork, collaboration, goal setting, and sacrifice. He pointed out that some of the strongest and most important players on a football field never once touch the ball in their four years of high school or college play. These, of course, are the linebackers, the safeties, the tackles, the defensive ends, and the cornerbacks. The defensive line goes about their business without ever encountering a football in a game. It is their job to defend those who do.

Today’s passage in the book of Acts reads like a playbook. We see Paul and Silas on the offensive line, trying to score touchdowns for Jesus as they traveled the world with the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. They could not have done their job well had it not been for an effective team of defensive players around them.

Acts 15 (Common English Bible)

17 Paul and Silas journeyed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, then came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was Paul’s custom, he entered the synagogue and for three Sabbaths interacted with them on the basis of the scriptures. 3 Through his interpretation of the scriptures, he demonstrated that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. He declared, “This Jesus whom I proclaim to you is the Christ.” 4 Some were convinced and joined Paul and Silas, including a larger number of Greek God-worshippers and quite a few prominent women.

It was always Paul’s custom to start in the synagogue, as the Jews were the ones who knew and understood Messianic prophecies the best. In Thessalonica, he was well received by Greeks and wealthy women, but the Jews had a problem with his message.

5 But the Jews became jealous and brought along some thugs who were hanging out in the marketplace. They formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They attacked Jason’s house, intending to bring Paul and Silas before the people. 6 When they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason and some believers before the city officials. They were shouting, “These people who have been disturbing the peace throughout the empire have also come here.7 What is more, Jason has welcomed them into his home. Every one of them does what is contrary to Caesar’s decrees by naming someone else as king: Jesus.” 8 This provoked the crowd and the city officials even more. 9 After Jason and the others posted bail, they released them.

Paul’s defenders were willing to house him, feed him, protect him, and go to jail for him. This is the kind of sacrifice and loyalty that built the church.

10 As soon as it was dark, the brothers and sisters sent Paul and Silas on to Beroea. When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 The Beroean Jews were more honorable than those in Thessalonica. This was evident in the great eagerness with which they accepted the word and examined the scriptures each day to see whether Paul and Silas’ teaching was true. 12 Many came to believe, including a number of reputable Greek women and many Greek men.

Because of the effective work of the linebackers in Thessalonica, Paul and Silas were able to continue their ministry in many other places.

13 The Jews from Thessalonica learned that Paul also proclaimed God’s word in Beroea, so they went there too and were upsetting and disturbing the crowds. 14 The brothers and sisters sent Paul away to the seacoast at once, but Silas and Timothy remained at Beroea. 15 Those who escorted Paul led him as far as Athens, then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible.

As I read this passage today, I wondered who God has put in my life to protect and defend. Surely that is the role of a parent, but I think it goes beyond that. Do you protect and defend your church? Do you run interference for your pastor? Is there a young person in your world who needs a strong hand or even shelter? Or bail money?

I believe we are all called at some point in our lives to be a defensive line of protection and encouragement for someone else. Is God calling you to stand up for someone? Suit up and get on the field!

Linebacker U

The Value of Zero

Posted on by Betsy

A young mother was teaching her preschool age son about the value of zero by showing him apples. “If you have zero apples and I give you two, how many apples do you have?” “Two!” he exclaimed. “Yes, and if you have two apples and I take away two apples, how many apples do you have?” He frowned. “No apples?” “Right,” she replied. “Two take away two is zero.” He went off to play for a while and came back about ten minutes later. “But Mama, ” he said with some urgency, “why did you take away all my apples?”

Why, indeed?

I wonder if this is how the people of Israel felt about the Promised Land. God led them out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land after clearing away all the Canaanites so that Israel could prosper. Like a vine, they had been transplanted there to take deep root and flourish for many years:

Psalm 80 (Common English Bible)

8You brought a vine out of Egypt.
    You drove out the nations and planted it.
9 You cleared the ground for it;
    then it planted its roots deep, filling the land.
10 The mountains were covered by its shade;
    the mighty cedars were covered by its branches.
11 It sent its branches all the way to the sea;
    its shoots went all the way to the Euphrates River.

This is one of several instances in the Old Testament when Israel is referred to as a vine (see Deuteronomy 32: 32-33, Isaiah 5:1, Jeremiah 2:21, and Hosea 10:1). Jesus referred to himself as the True Vine in John 10:15. (Read my devotional on this passage here.) Psalm 80 begins with a celebration of the power of the vine’s growth, but it’s dominance over the land is short-lived.

The vine’s devastation began with the fall of the southern Kingdom in 586BC, and soon the northern kingdom would fall in 721BC. This psalm is written between the two events, and we can feel the anguish of the psalmist as he watched his beloved Israel plucked up, torn down, and scattered far away:

12 So why have you now torn down its walls
    so that all who come along can pluck its fruit,
13     so that any boar from the forest can tear it up,
    so that the bugs can feed on it?

The great sin of the nation caused this to happen. They had turned their backs on God and worshipped false idols. Because of their apostasy, God allowed invading nations to come and take them from plentiful abundance to absolute zero. The vine that had been planted by God’s own hand was chopped down into nothing.

14 Please come back, God of heavenly forces!
    Look down from heaven and perceive it!
Attend to this vine,
15     this root that you planted with your strong hand,
    this son whom you secured as your very own.
16 It is burned with fire. It is chopped down.
    They die at the rebuke coming from you.
17 Let your hand be with the one on your right side—
    with the one whom you secured as your own—
18     then we will not turn away from you!

The psalmist reminds us where we can go when our sin has left us with nothing and our life has taken on the quality of zero. Just as he reminded God of the fact that God had loved Israel enough to call them his own, he reminds us that we, too can approach the throne of grace in humble repentance and ask for restoration.

Revive us so that we can call on your name.
19     Restore us, Lord God of heavenly forces!
    Make your face shine so that we can be saved!

Only God could revive the nation, and only God can revive us. He is the Shepard of Israel who can replant and restore the vine in us. God’s deliverance comes through his son, Jesus Christ, the True Vine. We are Christ’s branches and we bear witness to the strength of God’s forgiving grace. When we come before him and ask to be saved, God forgives us. After all, the True Vine was born to take away the sins of the world.

And that is the best take away of all.

Sunshine Vine by Michelle Robertson

Fear of Flying

Posted on by Betsy

A few weeks ago I met a young girl named Emily who did NOT want to ride TRON, the new high-speed rollercoaster at Walt Disney World. She and her parents were waiting in line behind my husband and me, and she was crying the entire time. In those situations, you cannot help but overhear the conversations around you, and my mama-heart went out to her. Her parents were doing an excellent job of both encouraging her to be brave and allowing her to decide whether or not to ride. The ride offers cleverly placed exits just before you board your lightcycle in case you have a change of heart. They also have a way for one adult to ride alone while the other waits with the child, and then swap without having to go through the line again. All the options were available to Emily.

I took advantage of an opportune moment in the line to turn around and address her. I asked her if it was her first time to ride, knowing it was. I asked her if she was scared, and she nodded through her tears. I then told her that it was my second time, but the first time I was scared, too, because doing something for the first time is always a little scary. I went on to describe the ride, talk about the cool lockers where you stash your things before you board, and how much I was looking forward to riding it again. I told her I was very proud of how brave she was being, but also very proud of how she was able to tell her parents about her feelings, because that takes courage, too. Finally I said that she should be proud of herself whether she decides to ride or not, because she was willing to try something new, even if this she decided that this wasn’t the right time.

As I was bending over to speak to her, her mother reached around her shoulder to squeeze mine in one of those, “thank you, mama” moments. We exchanged looks and nodded to each other.

David understood fear and felt it deeply when his attackers were close on his heels. Psalm 56 was written about the time when the Philistines captured David in Gath, as recorded in 1 Samuel 21. It deals with the period between the visit to the tabernacle at Nob and his arrival at Adullam when David was alone, desperate, and afraid.

Fortunately, David knew what to do with his fear.

Psalm 56 (Common English Bible)

3 whenever I’m afraid,
    I put my trust in you—
4         in God, whose word I praise.
        I trust in God; I won’t be afraid.
    What can mere flesh do to me?

5 All day long they frustrate my pursuits;
    all their thoughts are evil against me.
6 They get together and set an ambush—
    they are watching my steps,
    hoping for my death.
7 Don’t rescue them for any reason!
    In wrath bring down the people, God!

8 You yourself have kept track of my misery.
    Put my tears into your bottle—
    aren’t they on your scroll already?

Here was David, the slayer of lions, bears, and giants, and he was afraid. But he knew to acknowledge his fear and deal with it by trusting God. When he boldly proclaimed his faith, his fear moved aside, and his faith took over. He put his faith in God’s word, which he knew to be trustworthy. Fear was there, but it did not rule him … trust did. Even when we are scared, trust gives us enough momentum to take the next step toward faith.

What are you afraid of today? What has you immobilized in fear? God is able to come along side of your fear and help you move forward into faith.

When we got off the ride, I looked through the crowd to see if I could spot Emily. We had gotten separated before we rode, so I did not know if she got on or not. Sure enough, there she was with her parents, standing by the exit. I asked her if she rode, and she beamed with pride and said she had! We high-fived several times and she couldn’t stop talking about it and wanted to know if I had been on Guardians of the Galaxy, which they would ride the next day. I assured her that once she had conquered TRON, she could ride anything. We chatted some more and high fived several more times, and her parents glowed with their pride for her. I was proud of her, too.

The next time God calls you to do something new and scary, remember Emily. It’s okay to be afraid. God is with you.

And Away We Gooooo! by Mark Poblete

No One Speaks

Posted on by Betsy

Do you remember the iconic line shouted by Jack Nicholson in the movie “A Few Good Men”? He was sitting in the witness chair under cross examination by Lt. Daniel Kaffee, who was trying to uncover the truth about the death of a young Marine at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Kaffee believed that the death was a result of severe hazing of the young man, and he uncovered evidence that there was a cover-up that was directed by Col. Jessup, played by Nicholson. As Kaffee pressed harder and harder, Jessup became more and more agitated until he finally exploded and yelled, “You can’t handle the truth!”

This scene came to mind this morning as I read the 7th Chapter of John. Jesus addressed a large crowd with the truth of who he was, but most of them couldn’t handle the truth. The truth was that Jesus was the Living Water. The crowd was divided. The truth was obscured, but look for the guards’ reaction:

John 7 (Common English Bible)

37 On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted,

“All who are thirsty should come to me!
38     All who believe in me should drink!
    As the scriptures said concerning me,
        Rivers of living water will flow out from within him.”

39 Jesus said this concerning the Spirit. Those who believed in him would soon receive the Spirit, but they hadn’t experienced the Spirit yet since Jesus hadn’t yet been glorified.

40 When some in the crowd heard these words, they said, “This man is truly the prophet.” 41 Others said, “He’s the Christ.” But others said, “The Christ can’t come from Galilee, can he? 42 Didn’t the scripture say that the Christ comes from David’s family and from Bethlehem, David’s village?” 43 So the crowd was divided over Jesus. 44 Some wanted to arrest him, but no one grabbed him.

So the people understood the prophecies about the Messiah’s origins and knew that he would be born of David’s lineage in the town of Bethlehem. They get 5 points for knowing their scripture. But nobody realized that even though Jesus had recently come from Galilee, he was exactly who the prophets said he would be. Nobody thought to ask Jesus where he had been born.

45 The guards returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked, “Why didn’t you bring him?”

46 The guards answered, “No one has ever spoken the way he does.”

The guards got it right, didn’t t they? They listened intently to Jesus’ preaching and were convicted that he was who he said he was. They were able to see the truth while the rest of the crowd murmured and dithered. And of course the pious Pharisees had to weigh in on the subject, putting themselves as the experts much like Col. Jessup, who thought he was invincible. Notice that they put the fact that no Pharisee had believed Jesus was the messiah as proof of the absolute truth of the matter, as though that alone was evidence to dismiss Jesus’ claims. They even went so far as to say that the crowd was under God’s curse, since they weren’t the elite Pharisees. Their opinion didn’t matter.

47 The Pharisees replied, “Have you too been deceived? 48 Have any of the leaders believed in him? Has any Pharisee? 49 No, only this crowd, which doesn’t know the Law. And they are under God’s curse!”

50 Nicodemus, who was one of them and had come to Jesus earlier, said,51 “Our Law doesn’t judge someone without first hearing him and learning what he is doing, does it?”

Nicodemus was the Lt. Kaffee in this trial, using the law to support his position. He was looking for the truth and wanted to hear and learn from Jesus himself about the matter.

52 They answered him, “You are not from Galilee too, are you? Look it up and you will see that the prophet doesn’t come from Galilee.”

So in the end, the Pharisees used an untruth to silence the crowd. Yes, the messiah won’t come from Galilee, but neither did Jesus. They conveniently overlooked this truth because frankly, they couldn’t handle the truth.

Are there truths about Jesus that you struggle to handle? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you today to embrace a truth about God’s mission and vision for his people that you prefer to overlook? Would accepting the truth mean you have to leave your comfort zone, your prejudices, or your way of life?

No one has ever spoken like Jesus. May we have ears to hear and a heart to follow whatever he says to do.

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus by Dustin Daniels

Lamenting

Posted on by Betsy

Sometimes, lamenting comes via text. My daughter sent me a text this week to report that a leaky toilet in her house was being repaired by the plumber for a cost of a $10 flange plus labor. This was good news right up until he were almost finished and suddenly they could hear sounds of water spraying. The plumber’s helper ran down the stairs to turn the water off outside, but not before water started coming through the lights in her kitchen. The next text reported that a restoration company was on the way.

I sure hope that plumber has good insurance, or he will be doing some lamenting of his own.

In Hebrew, the word lament means “to wail.” It is an expression of sorrow, pain, and confusion. We are invited to take our regret, grief, and sadness to God whenever we become overwhelmed by our situation.

In the book of Lamentations, the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah did exactly that. This book expresses the humiliation, sorrow, and regret of the citizens of Jerusalem following the devastation of the city by the Babylonians in 587 BC. Lamentations was probably written for public rituals when the people gathered to remember the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. As you read today’s passage, you will certainly hear the weeping and wailing of a defeated nation and a depressed prophet:

Lamentations 1 (Common English Bible)

7 While suffering and homeless, Jerusalem remembers all her treasures from days long past.
When her people fell by the enemy’s hand, there was no one to help her.
Enemies saw her, laughed at her defeat.

8 Jerusalem has sinned greatly; therefore, she’s become a joke.
All who honored her now detest her, for they’ve seen her naked.
Even she groans and turns away.

9 Her uncleanness shows on her clothing; she didn’t consider what would happen to her.
She’s gone down shockingly; she has no comforter.
“Lord, look at my suffering—the enemy has definitely triumphed!”

This is painful to read. The humiliation and deep embarrassment is obvious. Note how Jeremiah personified the city as a fallen woman. It is intended to make us wince.

10 The enemy grabbed all her treasures.
She watched nations enter her sanctuary—
nations that you, God, commanded: They must not enter your assembly.

11 All her people are groaning, seeking bread.
They give up their most precious things for food to survive.
“Lord, look and take notice: I am most certainly despised.”

If you have ever lamented a situation or regretted a decision you made, you can relate to the depth of despair that Jeremiah felt for his beloved city. Worst of all, it could have been prevented if they had just heeded all the warnings he and the other prophets gave the people. How devastating it must have felt to watch them ignore the word of God and then have everything removed from them.

12 Is this nothing to all you who pass by?
Look around: Is there any suffering like the suffering inflicted on me,
the grief that the Lord caused on the day of his fierce anger?

13 From above he sent fire into my bones; he trampled them.
He spread a net for my feet; he forced me backward.
He left me devastated, constantly sick.

14 My steps are being watched; by his hand they are tripped up.
His yoke is on my neck; he makes my strength fail.
My Lord has handed me over to people I can’t resist.

Are you lamenting something? Do you feel the sharp sting of an injustice, or a bad decision gone wrong? It is alright to wail. It is normal to weep. When sorrow and anguish are deep, it helps to articulate them and release the overwhelming sadness from your heart.

That is when it is a good time to find a brother or sister in Christ and just vent. That is when it is a good time to pick up a pen and a piece of paper and journal your thoughts. That is when it is a good time to pray.

So if you are lamenting something today, know that you are in good company. And remember that in the end, God heard the lamentations of the people and restored Jerusalem.

And God will restore you, too.

Restored by Michelle Robertson

Children of the Day

Posted on by Betsy

I spoke with a church member this week who told me that her father has just been given a terminal diagnosis. Her mother is suffering with Alzheimer’s, so as she grappled with the painful news of her father’s illness, she was also trying to deal with what will happen to her mother when he dies. The responsibility of caring for the remaining parent is a difficult thing to negotiate. If this has happened to you, you know the awful challenge of deciding what to do when the first parent, who has been faithfully caring for the second parent, is no longer here.

While his death is not imminent, she wanted to think through options so that she will be ready. I have been with families when a sudden death occurred and completely knocked them sideways, and I’ve been with others who knew they were in the final months and days of life. Neither one is easy. But the chance that some people get to prepare for death is a blessing when it happens. It always helps to be ready for major life changes.

In this final chapter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul addressed the Second Coming head on. He didn’t dance around the subject but laid out an expectation that the people would be ready. Reminding them that they were “children of the day,” he encouraged them to be sober, alert, and ready to roll:

1 Thessalonians 5 (Common English Bible)

5 We don’t need to write to you about the timing and dates, brothers and sisters. 2 You know very well that the day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night. 3 When they are saying, “There is peace and security,” at that time sudden destruction will attack them, like labor pains start with a pregnant woman, and they definitely won’t escape. 4 But you aren’t in darkness, brothers and sisters, so the day won’t catch you by surprise like a thief. 5 All of you are children of light and children of the day. We don’t belong to night or darkness. 

6 So then, let’s not sleep like the others, but let’s stay awake and stay sober. 7 People who sleep sleep at night, and people who get drunk get drunk at night. 8 Since we belong to the day, let’s stay sober, wearing faithfulness and love as a piece of armor that protects our body and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 God didn’t intend for us to suffer his wrath but rather to possess salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 Jesus died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with him. 11 So continue encouraging each other and building each other up, just like you are doing already.

People who belong to the day stay awake and sober, wearing faithfulness and love as a piece of armor. What a beautiful image! When we sit at the bedside of a loved one who is dying, armor is useful. When we are given terminal diagnosis, lose our jobs, send our kids off to college, welcome a new baby, etc., it helps to be ready. Those moments of great change can assault you with the arrows of anticipation, fear, and feeling overwhelmed. Armor would help! Help us, Lord, to be ready.

Paul went on to say that we can also wear our hope of salvation as a helmet. This is reminiscent of Ephesians 6:10, where Paul detailed putting on the full armor of God in order to combat the Evil One. It is a good analogy. As we wait for the Second Coming, we need to be ready to do battle for our souls and protect ourselves with faithfulness, love, and especially hope.

But I love what he said in verses 10 and 11. Jesus died so that we will live together with him, so our job now is to continue encouraging each other and building each other up. Do you do that? Do you speak words of encouragement to your loved ones or are you critical and dismissive? Do you build up your friends and co-workers or tear them down? What do you need to change to truly be ready for the day of accountability?

No one knows the day or the time. Are you ready?

Children of the Day by Michelle Robertson

Hang on to What is Good

Posted on by Betsy

How many of you meticulously follow the directions of recipes? I do on the odd occasions when I bake, but when I am preparing a meal, I have more of a “Oh, I’ll just wing it” attitude. I don’t bother with measuring things, but rather go by trial and error. My son-in-law asked me for my coleslaw recipe last week and I really struggled to guess the measurements and ratios of apple cider vinegar, monk fruit, Beau Monde, salt, pepper, and mayo. I hope I guessed right, and he wasn’t disappointed when he made it. (By the way, Beau Monde is my secret weapon. It is a Spice Islands product and hard to find. You can thank me later.)

We finish our look at 1 Thessalonians 4 today, and it doesn’t disappoint. It almost reads like a recipe at the end, where Paul is listing the ingredients for a harmonious and hopeful community. Put all these things together, he says, and you will truly have a “beautiful world.”

Final instructions and blessing

1 Thessalonians 4 (Common English Bible)

12 Brothers and sisters, we ask you to respect those who are working with you, leading you, and instructing you. 13 Think of them highly with love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are disorderly. Comfort the discouraged. Help the weak. Be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure no one repays a wrong with a wrong, but always pursue the good for each other and everyone else. 16 Rejoice always. 17 Pray continually. 18 Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Don’t suppress the Spirit. 20 Don’t brush off Spirit-inspired messages, 21 but examine everything carefully and hang on to what is good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil.23 Now, may the God of peace himself cause you to be completely dedicated to him; and may your spirit, soul, and body be kept intact and blameless at our Lord Jesus Christ’s coming. 24 The one who is calling you is faithful and will do this.

Taking this last section and boiling it down to a list of ingredients, Paul is clear about his expectations of their behavior:

*Respect each other.

*Live in peace.

*Warn the disorderly.

*Comfort the discouraged.

*Help the weak.

*Be patient.

*Rejoice, pray, and give thanks in everything.

*Don’t ignore the Spirit.

*Avoid evil.

*Hang on to what is good.

This last thing is what I suggest to my church members when they are entering a time of troubled waters. Hang on to what is good. And what is good is knowing that you are not alone in this life or in the next. The promise and hope of the resurrection guarantees that the end of life here is just the beginning of life there, where we will all be reunited.

And that, my friends, is good.

Final greeting

25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. 27 By the Lord’s authority, I order all of you to have this letter read aloud to all the brothers and sisters. 28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.

Amen.

It’s All Good by Kathy Schumacher

The Great Reversal

Posted on by Betsy

Today we get to dip our toes into the parable pool and see what we can learn. Jesus used parables to teach his listeners about what the kingdom of heaven was like. They probably had a lot of different ideas about that. For example, we can assume that a Pharisee would have a different idea than a pagan. Jesus tried to dispel all the preconceived notions and bring everyone to a singular vision without being confrontational (to the Pharisee) or too vague (to the pagan). When it came to understanding an audience, Jesus was a master of framing a story so that everyone could catch a glimpse of the topic while still keeping it a mystery. Surely, none of us will understand the kingdom of God until we get there. But in this parable, we learn that the kingdom’s version of what is fair will not be what we expect.

Matthew 20:1-16 (The Message)

20 1-2 “God’s kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work.

3-5 “Later, about nine o’clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. They went.

5-6 “He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o’clock. At five o’clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, ‘Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?’

7 “They said, ‘Because no one hired us.’

“He told them to go to work in his vineyard.

8 “When the day’s work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.’

9-12 “Those hired at five o’clock came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ‘These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.’

Oh, they groused angrily! And who can blame them? Can you imagine how it felt to those who had been picking grapes in the blistering sun since daybreak to see those who sauntered in at sunset get the same wage? Unfair!! Call the Union! Organize a protest!

13-15 “He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn’t we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?’

What a beautiful response. Can’t I do what I want with my own things? It’s mine to give. Should I not be generous because you are stingy?

You see, the workers were using the wrong measuring stick. They measured fairness by the length of time it took to work. The manager measured fairness by what he was able to give. Grace and mercy always outweigh any other measurement you can come up with.

And it was his to give.

16 “Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”

There will be many Great Reversals in heaven. You may be surprised to see who is seated at the great banquet next to you. On the other hand, they may be surprised to see you there, too!

God is the author and creator of fairness. Thank God he thought it was fair to send his son to redeem every single one of us, whether we confess him from birth or with our dying breath.

After all, it is his to give.

Escape Time by Michelle Robertson

Mind Your Own Business

Posted on by Betsy

There is a popular meme going around right now that says that if Paul were alive today, we all would be getting a letter. I laughed when I first saw that and wondered what he would say. His letters are filled with encouragements, exhortations, admonishments, admiration, and not a little rebuking. Each one was tailored to specific group and situation. Which topic would he choose for the modern day reader? Obviously the letters he wrote to Corinth, Thessalonica, Rome, Galatia, Philippi, Colossea, and to specific people contained issues and problems each recipient of that letter was experiencing. Which of the many issues facing modern Christians would Paul address if he were to write to us today?

1 Thessalonians 4 (Common English Bible)

4 So then, brothers and sisters, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus to keep living the way you already are and even do better in how you live and please God—just as you learned from us. 2 You know the instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 God’s will is that your lives are dedicated to him. This means that you stay away from sexual immorality 4 and learn how to control your own body in a pure and respectable way. 5 Don’t be controlled by your sexual urges like the Gentiles who don’t know God. 6 No one should mistreat or take advantage of their brother or sister in this issue. The Lord punishes people for all these things, as we told you before and sternly warned you. 7 God didn’t call us to be immoral but to be dedicated to him. 8 Therefore, whoever rejects these instructions isn’t rejecting a human authority. They are rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

This chapter clearly gave instructions about sexual immorality, and Paul laid out an expectation that the people were to control their bodies in a pure and respectable way. He warned them against being controlled by sexual urges and placed a special emphasis on not mistreating or taking advantage of another person in this issue. While he never used the word “consent,” verse 6 clearly implies that lack of respect, lack of control over one’s urges, and taking advantage of someone without consent is immoral. At the heart of this teaching was the Gentile practice of taking on prostitutes, slaves, and mistresses. Paul implies that sexual relations outside the covenant of marriage are to be avoided. The Gentiles didn’t know God and they didn’t know any better. Paul sets a higher standard for his people.

I suspect this topic would make it into today’s letter as well.

And then in typical Pauline fashion, he flipped to the positive and talked about how they already knew how to love each other and praised them for performing loving deeds throughout Macedonia.

9 You don’t need us to write about loving your brothers and sisters because God has already taught you to love each other. 10 In fact, you are doing loving deeds for all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. Now we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do so even more. 

Then, in the midst of Paul already being up in their business, he said something startling in verse 11:

11 Aim to live quietly, mind your own business, and earn your own living, just as I told you.12 That way you’ll behave appropriately toward outsiders, and you won’t be in need.

Live quietly and mind your own business! Obviously this would result in people living in harmony and peace together, but I have to admit that in all the times I have read Paul’s writings, I don’t remember him saying to mind our own business!

How much better would things be if neighbors didn’t feel the need to report every little annoyance on Facebook? How much easier would church work go if people didn’t congregate at the coffee pot to gossip? What difference would it make in your child’s school day if the other students didn’t talk about them behind their back? What would your workplace feel like if everyone minded their own business and behaved appropriately toward each other? I think Paul is on to something here.

Then he ended with this beautiful promise of what is to come. The Lord will come down at the sound of the trumpet and those who are dead will rise, joining those who are still living. This last bit of encouragement about the Second Coming was precious to the church, and it is precious to us as well.

13 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about people who have died so that you won’t mourn like others who don’t have any hope. 14 Since we believe that Jesus died and rose, so we also believe that God will bring with him those who have died in Jesus. 15 What we are saying is a message from the Lord: we who are alive and still around at the Lord’s coming definitely won’t go ahead of those who have died. 16 This is because the Lord himself will come down from heaven with the signal of a shout by the head angel and a blast on God’s trumpet. First, those who are dead in Christ will rise.17 Then, we who are living and still around will be taken up together with them in the clouds to meet with the Lord in the air. That way we will always be with the Lord. 18 So encourage each other with these words.

We will always be with each other. We will always be with the Lord. We can be encouraged by these words as we mourn and wait.

And in the meantime, mind your own business!

Be Encouraged by Kathy Schumacher