Month: October 2020

“I have not run away from being your shepherd, nor have I desired the day of sickness. You know what came out of my lips; it was before your face. Be not a terror to me; you are my refuge in the day of disaster.” Jeremiah 17:16-17 [ESV] -> me: Today I am back in Jeremiah after a good stint going through ‘The Pastorals’.  As I was reading this evening, these 2 verses jumped out at me.  Jeremiah was in a tough situation.  God had called him to be the single voice calling out for Judah to repent.  This is a great example of a lament.  It might sound like complaining but what Jeremiah says in verse 17 really brings home what is going on here…he feels like a failure but he laments that he has done everything God has asked him yet the people do not hear or receive what he has said.  Then Jeremiah follows this up with ‘Don’t be a terror to me, for You are my refuge in disaster’.  Jeremiah loves the Lord and leans into Him for his safety but he feels like he is letting the Lord down.  I just love the heart of this because it can be how I feel when a ‘witness opportunity’ goes awry.  God is ‘my’ refuge but I sometimes I feel like a failure in what He has called me to do.  Jeremiah’s prayer to God is an encouragement to stay true and steadfast but also to feel comfortable to tell God how I feel.  This was the case this morning when I led the church in prayer in first service.  I really botched it up and rushed it…but God was faithful to give me the courage in second services and give me His strength to communicate more thoroughly and in a way that allowed the congregation to participate.

Today I spent time going over all of this last weeks QT passages in prayerful consideration of how I would lead the church in prayer tomorrow. Knowing the topic of tomorrow’s sermon will be Joy, the Lord has connected all that I have learned to culminate to today. Themes have been ‘Resting in the hope of eternal life’, ‘being a lover of good’, ‘being self-controlled’, ‘waiting for our blessed hope’, ‘justified by grace’, and ‘good works are excellent and right’.  I have been so thankful for these last 11 days of connection!  Praying the Lord is encouraging you through your own reading times.

“This message is most trustworthy, and concerning these things I want you to insist steadfastly, so that those who have believed in (trusted in, relied on) God may be careful to apply themselves to honorable occupations and to doing good, for such things are [not only] excellent and right [in themselves], but [they are] good and profitable for the people.” Titus 3:8 [AMP] -> me: The ‘concerning these things’ Paul wants Titus to insist on is – being submissive to rulers and authorities, being obedient, ready for any honest work, speaking evil of no one, avoiding quarreling, being gentle, and showing perfect courtesy toward everyone.  So who is Paul telling Titus to say this to?  Christians!!  We can be jerks and Paul has to emphatically tell Titus to teach that followers of Jesus Christ must operate in this way so that when they apply themselves to their work or doing good work for others, there can be no hypocrisy cited.  It just struck me how much sin still has every opportunity take hold in a professing Christian, so we must devote ourselves to living out the values mentioned above.  This is not easy – it takes an active power of the Holy Spirit to help us see these failings so that we can adjust.  That power is activated through a continuous searching of God’s will in our lives through consistent prayer and being in the word of God (psst. Paul also teaches this a ton in his letters).  So, when I look at my own life, measured against these commands; I have work to do. 

“when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7 [ESV] Oh man!  I love these verses!  There is NOTHING we can do or could have done to have Jesus save us…NOTHING. It is through God’s mercy and grace alone we receive our salvation.  What about the ‘washing of regeneration’?  The other way to say this would be ‘cleansing through re-birth’ which points to the new creation we become through salvation.  Then we have ‘renewal of the Holy Spirit’. One points to the act of entering (re-birth), while the other marks the quality of the new life (renovation). Renewal points to the whole process of ‘making new’. Through the work of the Spirit we live on a higher plane than before.  God’s Holy Spirit has been POURED out on us RICHLY…THROUGH Jesus!…and then because we have been JUSTIFIED by His grace, we have HOPE!  The point of this reference to justification is that no-one who is not justified can hope for an inheritance…no matter what we do.  Justification is the only way to eternity with God and that Justification only comes through One Person -> Jesus Christ.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Titus 2:11-14 [ESV] -> me: Uh whoa…Today, I had the gift of being able to spend time with my cousin talking about the wonderful journey the Lord has had us on. We feel so blessed to not only have each other, but to also have shared experiences of the outpouring of God’s blessing by showing us His glory (so much more on this topic that I don’t enough time to write about here). This passage is what it is all about to be ‘In Fellowship with Christ’.  The wording in these verses is so important.  Let me just call out a couple.  1) GRACE OF GOD has appeared -> Jesus, Jesus is the grace of God that brings Salvation. 2) TRAINING us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions -> this is our sanctification process.  Paul again using athlete themes to communicate his message.  3) WAITING FOR OUR BLESSED HOPE -> this is an anticipatory action, not a sit-back-and-wait message.  4) PURIFY FOR HIMSELF…FOR HIS OWN POSSESSION -> Its all about Him, not us.  We have been bought with a price and we are not our own.  5) ZEALOUS for good works -> fervent, ardent, devout, committed; these are some of the synonyms of zealous.  Good works should be our focus and drive in this present age. 

“Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” Titus 2:6-8 [ESV] -> me: As most of you know, Marianne and I lead a Young Marrieds Life Group. Today’s passage was very relevant to me as a biblical leader of a group and of course, the eldership candidacy program I am in is also teaching me the importance of the teaching in the Pastorals (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus).  I know I can do better in all the areas mentioned above -> 1) I could bringup the aspect of self-control more…especially in light of our ‘exposure/identity culture’. 2) I don’t think I can ‘check off’ the model of good works piece at all.  3) My teaching is sometimes prepared at the last minute with very little prayer and study beforehand.  This passage was very convicting for me today…I feel like there are ways that I am failing my men.  Lord God, help me through your Holy Spirit to have the strength and forethought to put in the necessary time, before you, when I prepare. Help me to see the places that I can be a better model for good works and bring to mind the subjects to start conversations that result in better self-control for those I am shepherding.

“…but he [Elder/Overseer] must be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” Titus 1:8-9 [ESV] -> me:  The message yesterday on the Fruit of the Spirit sermon continues to stick in my mind as I contemplate the passage today here in Titus 1.  A couple of things I learned when studying these verses today.  I consider myself a hospitable person but hospitable here means ‘real devotion to the welfare of others’ not just opening up your home.  This area is going to require more focus for me moving forward.  “A lover of good”; the word good here pertains to persons as well as things.  The next set of attributes and instructions are also found in 1 Timothy 3 but 2 words appear here in Titus that do not appear there – 1) upright and 2) holy.  Doing some deeper reading, there were things about the society and culture in Crete (where Paul sent Titus to ‘fix things up’) than in Ephesus.  This begs that the qualities both here and 1 Timothy about the attributes of elders/overseers is not just these listed but that there are positive attributes (or ways of operating) in each culture that should be evaluated.  For us it might be that elders/overseers should not do anything that would support an accusation of racism, etc.  At the end of the day, God’s glory and honor are paramount.  As an overseer or elder, I must walk a line that first and foremost glorifies God, shows love to others, shepherds the flock, and protects the church.

“PAUL, A bond servant of God and an apostle (a special messenger) of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) to stimulate and promote the faith of God’s chosen ones and to lead them on to accurate discernment and recognition of and acquaintance with the Truth which belongs to and harmonizes with and tends to godliness, [Resting] in the hope of eternal life, [life] which the ever truthful God Who cannot deceive promised before the world or the ages of time began. And [now] in His own appointed time He has made manifest (made known) His Word and revealed it as His message through the preaching entrusted to me by command of God our Savior;” Titus 1:1-3 [AMP] -> me: Well, I started Titus today and only get 3 verses in.  This salutation by Paul is the longest of his letters.  I believe it fully envelops the charge of the church and its teachers.  1) Bond Servants who carry a message from God Himself -> Not arrogant men but humble servants of the Most High God and chosen teachers of the inerrant word of His hand.  2) Teaching the body of Christ straight from the word of God so that they are equipped to discern and recognize TRUTH which produces godliness.  3) Teaching the church that their hope is in eternity; not in this life under the sun.  4) Teaching that God’s promise of eternity to us is genuine and forever.  5) That the gospel has power; it is God’s perfect plan of redemption.  Our duty while here on this earth, is to share this good news and pray that God would call those who hear it, to Himself.

“At my first trial no one acted in my defense [as my advocate] or took my part or [even] stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them!  But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the [Gospel] message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was delivered out of the jaws of the lion.  [And indeed] the Lord will certainly deliver and draw me to Himself from every assault of evil. He will preserve and bring me safe unto His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen (so be it).” 2 Timothy 4:16-18 [AMP] -> me: Today I finished up 2nd Timothy.  Tomorrow I am onto Titus.  These three verses from today’s reading have some disagreement between scholars because of the juxtaposition with verses 6-8.  However, I choose not to get wrapped up in that discussion and simply look at how what Paul is saying speaks directly into my life today.  What it made me think of is those times that I feel alone and unsupported in the execution of my ministry.  The truth, by what Paul says here, is that the Lord my God is with me…and not only is He with me but He is there to strengthen me when I feel weak.  Why is this?  So that through me the Gospel message might be fully proclaimed to those unbelievers around me.  Additionally, it is clear here that Paul has his sights set on the glory that is to come, so his present circumstance seems so much less important.  This is the attitude I need to keep -> I am not alone, God Almighty is with me…and He is strengthening me; and my heart and hope are set on an eternal glory with Him in His Kingdom.  So, I press forward in love for those around me and a loose grip on my belongings because my treasure in heaven is so much more valuable.