Worth Repeating - September 30, 2017

Genesis 9: 12, 13 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” (NIV)

The Creator who sternly imposed sin’s penalty became the God of the covenant.*

God made lots of covenants with people in the Old Testament. Some covenants were with individuals, some were specific to the Hebrew nation. There are a few that we like to hijack for our own personal application – II Chronicles 7: 14 and Jeremiah 29: 11-14 come to mind most readily. 

Three elements of this particular covenant in Genesis set it apart from others. 

1. It is unconditional. God made a promise but he didn’t require anything from the other parties involved. 

2. It applies to all living creatures – human and animal. 

3. God created a sign as a permanent reminder of the covenant. 

The rainbow reminds us that God keeps his promises. Circumcision was a reminder of his covenant with Abraham. And the cross is a reminder of the new covenant he has entered into with us – a covenant that was not unconditional but which has been ratified by the blood of Jesus. When we see the cross, we are prompted to recall that though the wages of sin is death, the free gift of God is eternal life through his Son (Romans 6: 23). The cross is the symbol of God’s promise that he will be our God and we will be his people (Hebrews 8: 10), and that his will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life (John 6: 40). 

The rainbow and the cross are reminders that though God has the power to destroy us, he has chosen to love us and to save us.

The relationship we have with God is not an agreement between equals.*

Worth Repeating - September 29, 2017

II Chronicles 7: 14 “If my people, who are called by name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (NIV)

He could have chosen to evangelize the world and demonstrate His power through many means. But instead
He chose to do most of His work when and only when His people pray.*

Contrary to popular belief, this verse is not an anthem for the restoration of America’s greatness. The Israelites, not Americans, were God’s chosen people. It is a promise to them at a particular time in history; however, as with other specific promises in scripture, we can mine this one for some nuggets of gold for those who are called by God’s name today. 

Notice that God’s promise is conditional. If we are going to claim it, we have certain responsibilities: 

1. Humble ourselves 

2. Pray 

3. Seek his face 

4. Repent 

There are no shortcuts. Someone has described this list as “four facets of one attitude.”*  If you leave out one step, you void the whole contract. 

So how do we know that God’s part of the bargain can also apply to us? 

1. I John 5: 14, 15 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” 

2. Acts 13: 38 “‘Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.’” 

3. I Peter 2: 24 “‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’” 

No, this is not a promise that God will restore our land to its former greatness, but who knows what can be accomplished when God’s people humble themselves, pray, seek his face and repent?

How can we save our nation? By bringing salvation to its people.*

Worth Repeating - September 28, 2017

Ezra 3: 13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away. (NIV)

Joy in God is never out of season.*

I used to be amused when my husband’s parents would try to tell of a shared experience. I would often wonder if they were actually talking about the same event since it couldn’t possibly have happened according to both versions of the story. Each had his or her own perspective.

A similar occurrence is described here in Ezra, chapter 3. The Israelites have returned from their exile in Babylon and have begun the slow process of rebuilding the temple. The shouts of joy and the sound of weeping were the people’s response to the laying of the foundation of the temple-to-be. Among the crowd of celebrants were some old people who remembered the glory days of the original temple; their joy was tempered by memories of what they had lost and what they had suffered. Their wailing was indistinguishable from the shouts of joy. Same view, different perspective.

It is the same for us. We see things differently from those whose experiences and memories are not exactly the same as ours. Nostalgia for the good old days can easily turn a celebration into a bittersweet moment. Remembering the past is a good thing – whether they are good memories or bad ones. As someone has observed, “Memories are a strange thing. We can’t see them or touch them, yet who are we when they’re gone?”*

But problems arise when we allow the past to rob us of today’s joy and tomorrow’s hope. Let your past be the place where you store your happy memories and your important life-lessons. Follow Paul’s example: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3: 13 and 14)

Shed a little tear for the good old days but celebrate the Lord’s goodness today as you look forward with hope for tomorrow. Shout for joy!

You can go back and review the previous chapter and rejoice in God’s goodness, but don’t live in yesterday’s chapter. It’s over. It’s time to move on.*

Worth Repeating - September 27, 2017

Leviticus 19: 33, 34 “When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” (NIV)

God’s own deep commitment to justice leads Him to require that in human society we also maintain a commitment to do right by all.*

The subject of illegal aliens is an explosive one right now. No matter where you stand politically, there is one position that meets with God’s approval: the alien living in the land must be treated with the same respect as the native-born.

Did I say that illegal aliens should be granted amnesty or citizenship? Did I say they should all be shipped back where they came from? Does it matter what I say? Look again at what God said: “Do not mistreat him.” What did God not say? He did not say that aliens should not be subject to the same laws as citizens. In fact, God is not addressing immigration policy at all; he is addressing his stance on the treatment of the powerless.

When we study the Old Testament, we become acquainted with God’s position on many social issues. How we treat the weak among us is a frequently recurring theme and is reinforced by Jesus during his public ministry. The passage and enforcement of civil laws is a matter for the secular authorities. But no matter their legal status, the poor, the hungry, the sick and the lonely are included on the list of those to whom we must show God’s love. Having trouble getting past the illegal label? Do you recall that the list of the powerless also includes prisoners?

As Christians, we are called to love others as God loves them – without prejudice. How we demonstrate that love is often a matter of our personal calling from God but it is always a priority. Because he is the Lord your God.

Deep down in the heart of every person is a hidden desire to reinterpret Jesus in light of our own culture, political bent, or favorite theological belief.*

Worth Repeating - September 26, 2017

II Timothy 2: 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. (NIV)

The church needs to replenish its leaders constantly.*

When my husband retired from his job, he got to pick his successor. The man was younger and had risen through the ranks until my husband started grooming him to take his place. This seems like the ideal practice for the ministry. It sounds a lot like Paul’s words to Timothy: train reliable people who can be trusted to carry on the work that Paul started. Timothy was about to become a Bible college professor!

Passing on traditions from generation to generation was the practice of the Pharisees and Greek philosophical schools,* but Paul is writing about something much more important than traditions – he is telling Timothy how to keep the gospel alive. There was no New Testament to preach and teach from so the first Christians had to rely on the testimony of those who had “been there, done that” and of those they had trained. 

I have heard it said that the Church is just one generation away from extinction; but “Christ’s church was designed to endure.”* As long as we are faithful in our duty to pass along the Gospel message we will not have to fear that we are the last generation.

There’s joy in serving others, but the joy multiplies when we equip someone else to serve.*

Worth Repeating - September 25, 2017

Ephesians 2: 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)

Christian faith must be demonstrated to be credible.*

The relationship between faith and works gets all tangled up in our minds at times. We are saved by faith, we understand, but does that mean we don’t have to do anything? According to James 2: 17, faith not accompanied by action is dead. So when we start to give works the respect it deserves are we then in danger of trying to earn our salvation?

Let’s forget about our own salvation for a moment. Let’s talk about those lost people out there. How will they come to know the Lord if we don’t do or say anything? Without works, there is no witness. Faith cannot speak for itself. If a Christian can’t at least testify to his faith, I would argue that he doesn’t even have a dead faith. I would say he has no faith at all.

In II Corinthians 5: 17, Paul declares that if we are in Christ, we are a new creation. In this verse in Ephesians, he builds on the new creation theme to inform us that we were created in Christ Jesus to do good works. If he created us to perform good works, I wonder: can we be saved if we don’t fulfill the purpose for which were created?

Let us remember that we are Christians not only for our own sake but also for the sake of others.*

Worth Repeating - September 24, 2017

Romans 12: 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. (NIV) 

An ungifted Christian does not exist, though some gifts may be dormant through lack of use.*

I know people whose gifts are obvious. My husband has been blessed with the gift of leadership. My minister is a gifted preacher. I have some friends who have the gift of service. When it comes to identifying my own gifts, I have struggled. In this verse, Paul assures us that we have gifts – even if they aren’t all the same. He goes on to list examples of some gifts and how to use them well.

We could easily allow ourselves to feel inadequate in comparison to those whose giftedness is easier to define. It almost happened to me recently when I heard someone share his witnessing experience. I thought, “I could never do that. I don’t have the big extrovert personality that he does and people don’t react to me the same way they do to him.” God spoke to my insecurity so clearly that I had to write it down and share it with you. “No,” he said, “you don’t have the personality to speak up like he does, but everyone has the personality to do something.”

How about you? Do you know what your gifts are? Do you think you don’t have any? I would suggest that we must choose to serve God according to the grace given us even if we can’t put a label on our gifts. Not knowing what to call it is not a pass to do nothing.

Jumping in and doing something is far better than sitting on the sidelines analyzing a questionnaire.*

Worth Repeating - September 23, 2017

Matthew 6: 33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (NIV)

One seeks God’s kingdom by seeking his righteousness.*

I confess. Sometimes I think Jesus might have been out of touch with reality. Seeking his kingdom and his righteousness sounds like a good choice, but we still have to pursue the means to feed and clothe ourselves and our families. I can’t spend my day in prayer instead of going to work. Meditation doesn’t put a sandwich together for me or do the laundry. Bible study doesn’t keep me warm in winter. Doing good works doesn’t usually come with a paycheck.

I confess again. Sometimes I take Jesus’ words out of context. This particular verse is from the “Sermon on the Mount” collection. In this sermon, Jesus introduced the world to a whole new lifestyle. He talked about meekness and justice and mercy and charity. He commanded us not to worry and he preached about priorities. He’s not telling us to ignore the cares of life; he tells us where to put those cares on our to-do list: anywhere after seeking the kingdom. When you make a to-do list, you don’t check off the first item and think you’re done – you move on to the next task.

So put your priorities in order each day. Ask God what he wants from you today; ask him to help you accomplish it, and then move on to the next item. Don’t worry about tomorrow – just make another list:

1. Seek his kingdom. 

2. Everything else.

To seek first the kingdom of God is the fundamental choice everyone makes when they first repent and are converted. Yet every day after that, our Christian life will either reinforce that decision or deny it.*

Worth Repeating - September 22, 2017

Luke 12: 6, 7 “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (NIV)

The things that make God dear to us are not so much His great big blessings as the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us; He knows every detail of our individual lives.*

Every time I play Trivial Pursuit, I am amazed at all the useless information my brain has retained. Some of it – I have no idea why I know it. What is truly incredible is that every bit of trivia buried in the recesses of my memory is also housed in the mind of God. A penny for my thoughts? A sparrow is worth twice as much. How many hairs are there on my head? (A lot!) Who needs to know that?

The God who spoke the universe into creation; who keeps planets from colliding; who knows what calculus is (are?) – he is the same God who knows my favorite color and has blessed the earth with flowers to match. In a world of billions, I am not so much. In the eyes of God, I am worth the life of his Son. After all that, he isn’t going to forget about me. Or you. He will take care of us.

I have to wonder, though: would I be more valuable if I could remember important things instead of just the trivial ones? . . . Nope. The price is the same.

Understanding how God sees us and how he values us can help us see the truth about ourselves.*

Worth Repeating - September 21, 2017

Mark 14: 8 “She did what she could.” (NIV)

Deliriously joyful are the ones who believe that if God has used sticks, rocks, and spit to do his will, then he can use us.*

I read this recently: “I just instagrammed a Bible verse with a mountain background, what have YOU done to make disciples today?”* I nodded my head in agreement. “Yup,” I thought. “Exactly.” The tweeter’s sarcasm was not lost on me. And then my better self thought, “What if making memes of beautiful scenery and Bible verses is all you could do to share the gospel? Shouldn’t you do it? Isn’t that much better than being able to do more but not doing it?

In the story from which this verse in Mark is taken, Jesus gently reprimands the other guests at a dinner party for their harsh comments about a woman’s beautiful expression of devotion to the Lord. When she anointed his head with some expensive perfume, some of those present were indignant at the wastefulness of her gesture. There is no mention that she had stolen the jar of perfume from one of them so it seems it was her property to dispose of as she chose; nevertheless, they claimed that it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. I’m thinking they were just trying to impress Jesus with their piety, while she was making an offering to him using the resources available to her. “She did what she could.”

Your small acts of devotion may not be spoken of “wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world” (verse 9), but never doubt that Jesus takes note and remembers. Do what you can – because whether it’s an extreme sacrifice or a Bible verse superimposed on a mountain scene, it is the Holy Spirit’s job to make it effective.

It is a snare to long to be used to do miraculous things. It is often rooted in the pride that wants everyone to see just how greatly God can use me. I should be delighted in the power of God, not because He has used me to display it.*