365 Reflections

The church is a family. It's meant to be close and relational and feel like home. That is why Paul is appalled with the lawsuits happening among the church in Corinth. 1 Corinthians 6:1–2 (ESV) When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? The short summary of this verse? Christians act silly when we think the world has more wisdom that we do! Paul has already told them "we have the mind of Christ." Jesus commanded us in Matthew 18 to go before the church body to settle disputes. Paul will later suggest (depending on what translatio you read) that even the least wise among them could be capable of settling disputes. That's the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. Why do we tend NOT to do this? Why do we take up our issues with peopl

1 Corinthians 5:6–7 (ESV) Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Paul is going to take a serious problem head on in 1 Corinthians 5. A man is sleeping with his father's wife. A sin so grievous, even the pagans are ashamed. This, in a culture were prostitution was more than legal and sexual immorality was common and accepted by all. To top it off, the Corinthians were proud about themselves while this was going on! Paul's question in verse 2 is probing, "Ought you not rather to mourn?" Why should they be mourning while only one man is committing this sin? Because "a little leaven leavens the whole lump." In the Old Testament, when Passover came around, they had to completely clean their entire homes of all traces of leaven. It could not be found. The bread f

1 Corinthians 4:14–16 (ESV) I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me. Paul tells these boastful Corinthians they need a spiritual dad. They have guardians. They need a father. The difference is substantial . The word for "guide" or (better translated) "guardian" in the New Testament times referred to someone who worked for the family as a slave and shuttled the children to and from school, gave them instruction, and generally watched over their conduct. Like a nanny or tutor of sorts. A guardian is someone who will tell us what we should be doing. A guardian will train us. A guardian will correct us.  A guardian is great, but we need fathers. That's what Paul is saying. A Father will love us. And most of all, a

The verse that destroys any and all forms of boasting is found in 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 4:7 (ESV) For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? The Corinthians thought they were special. They thought they were unique, a super Church of sorts. And Paul hits them head on! The point for us all is simple, what we have we received. Period. I know, some of us have skills and talents. But those were given by God and some where developed under appropriate conditions we had very little to do with. I was given drum lessons by my parents for 6 years for which I did not pay. I also was given plenty of time to practice and a drum set. It was nothing to do with me except being willing to receive! Interestingly, the Corinthians thought they were even smarter than Paul, boasting that he was unimpressive and intimidated by them! They imagined they were filled with the compl

1 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV) If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. There is something fundamental to this passage you need to know. The word for "you" is plural in the Greek. Paul is not referring to an individual Christian here, he's referring to the whole body of Christ, in the Corinthian's case, their local church! Don't mess with a man's bride... especially the Bride of Christ, the Church. He gave his life for the Church (Ephesians 5:25). He promised to build a triumphant Church (Matthew 16:18). He is coming back for His bride, the Church (Revelation 21:2). The Church is the most precious people on the planet to the risen Lord and to destroy the church brings the wrath of God. Admittedly, not everyone who calls themselves Christians are the "Church". We need to remember that in two ways. Number one, darkening the doors of a Church doesn't make you part of the body. The

1 Corinthians 2:2 (ESV) For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. The city of Corinth was known for its intellectual pursuits. You would think Paul's strategy would be to sound high minded and intellectual. But no. He makes a willful decision to know nothing apart from christ. That is, Paul chose weakness to make Christ glorious. This was the confidence that Paul had in the Cross when facing overwhelming odds in a city renown for it's worldly wisdom. What about us? Do we make the strategy about what we can bring to the table when sharing Christ? Or do we choose rather to look less than we are so that Christ is the clearest He can be? I know as a Pastor, the confidence I bear has to do with how I feel about my argument or the cute story I'm going to tell or the funny joke I have prepared or the powerful video testimony in the middle of my message. My confidence is misplaced. Many times, I fall flat. On the other hand, I

Paul was keenly aware of his shortcomings. He talks about being the chief of sinners, the worst of sinners and the least of the Apostles. But what is interesting is how Paul constantly views his shortcomings as God-given for purposes that God uses! In 1 Corinthians, he writes about how the church needs to stop segregating around which preacher they particularly like. That they should be of one mind united in Christ.  He talks about how he didn't baptize many but gave himself fully to preaching the Gospel of Christ. Then he says this: 1 Corinthians 1:17 (ESV) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. He knows Christ sent him to preach. He also knows the manner in which Christ sent him to preach! "not with words of eloquent wisdom" ... I like that admission of Paul's. In other words, "I'm not a great orator. I'm not an impressive preacher.

Admittedly, every church has it's problems. Corinth is no exception. We discussed that in the last post that even though they were undeniably gifted they had serious failings Paul needed to correct. In the Old Testament "epistles" (we call them the Prophets) the nation was often rebuked for sins followed by a promise of restoration. Consider one of the all-time favorite memory verses in the church: Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. We love to put that verse on our coffee mugs, t-shirts and bumper stickers.  But the context of those words is anything but good. The nation is about to be carted off to exile, their temple burned, their homes ravaged, their land turned over to a godless nation at the whim of a dictator. They have not listened to God and they are to be corrected. But AFTER the rebuke, Jeremiah brings the promise. God still has great plans for t

Don't mistake gifting for godliness. I know it hard to hear but many gifted individuals have led miserable lives of ruin behind them. Case in point: The Church in Corinth. Paul opens one of his sternest letters to any church with this commendation to the Corinthian Christians: 1 Corinthians 1:7 (ESV) you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, They had ALL the gifts. The did not lack in any of them. In chapter 12 Paul is going to sort them out about how to use them. But that's the least of this church's problems.   There were factions. There was sexual immorality. A guy was sleeping with is step-mother and they were proud! There was chaos in the church meetings. There was disorder in their body. There were some who taught others the resurrection wasn't real. And this was a very gifted church in a very prominent city.  Sometimes I struggle with this reconciliation... Giftedness is not a sign of

Apart from Jesus we cannot understand the Scriptures. The Lord has to open our minds and our hearts to receive what this  very ancient text says to give us understanding and knowledge of him. Incidentally, this is the first thing that Jesus does for the disciples when he rises from the dead. Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, (Luke 24:45 ESV) Now there are four Gospels for a reason, and you have to go to John's Gospel to see this event in the fullest picture. John says about the same moment: And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:22, 23 ESV) Jesus breathed on them and gave them the Holy Spirit. And it would be through that God-breathed spirit that they would have the power to understand and use the word of God. Notice also the parallels to the creation account in Genesis. That God created a

This is why I love studying the Bible through the lens of Jesus as the Son of God.  It burns in our hearts... That was the response of the men on the road to Emmaus: Luke 24:32 (ESV) 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures ?” There are many who study the Bible apart from that lens, purely academic... I honestly don't know why they bother. Scripture outside of the context of the revelation of Christ is empty and hollow. For even Jesus said of the Pharisees they studied the scriptures diligently and missed Him! Scripture and Jesus are a combination of combustible power in the heart of a Christian. Seeing Christ in the pages of scripture sets us ablaze with passion! Take Daniel in the lion's den. A great story no doubt. But now see the event as a type of Christ... - The rulers conspire to put him to death out of jealousy (like the Pharisees). - He descends into the pit (lik

There's really is no substitute for obedience to God's word. The women who anointed Jesus' body for burial did something very interesting at the end of Luke 23. Please remember, their Lord and Master has just been brutally tortured and  executed and  all their hopes seem to have died with him. Their own people the Jews sought his arrest, trial, conviction and death. It seemed as though even their own people were against them. They prepared to anoint Jesus's body for burial as was proper and fitting according to custom.  Then here's what Luke says: Luke 23:56 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment . I know it's a small thing in light of what is just happened concerning Jesus, but we cannot overlook it. These women rested on the Sabbath right after they lost their precious Lord. And with the world seemingly turned against them, their hearts broken and facing great fears of what people might do

One of the parts that makes me laugh during the trial of Christ is what happens to Pilate and Herod. Luke 23:12 (ESV) And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other. Even as He's falsely accused tried and condemned to an unjust death, Jesus brings people together. Think of it... a Jewish king and a Gentile watch-dog are suddenly... friends!? What is going on? I think I know the answer... The cross is coming! The cross means reconciliation. It means enemies can now be made friends. Yes, Pilate and Herod, but more importantly YOU and God! We are by our very nature at odds with God. The reason is because we are born in sin and filled with self from the very day of our birth. The opportunity for us to reach up to Him in goodness is beyond us completely. God reached down in Christ and through His death made peace between us by wiping our sins away! But this uniting of Jewish king and Gentile ruler was

Jesus once told us not to cast our pearls before swine. As always He practiced what He preached. At His "trial" before the chief priests and leaders they questioned Him about being the Christ. His response is telling. Luke 22:67–68 (ESV) “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, 68 and if I ask you, you will not answer. In other words, it does no good to give you truth when you will not receive it.  I think of how often we Christians get into arguments with people who have no open heart to receive the Word of God. They harass us with endless arguments and speculations. Yet by some weird sense of duty we bear through intolerable conversations with those who are hostile to the Lord! Why? Jesus didn't! Neither should we. Don't get me wrong, we should share our faith with as many as possible. But there are those who are hostile to Christ and we know it. They simply want to argue. They simply want to trap

Please don't tell me that the Christian message of Jesus is only about peace and doing nice things. That does a tremendous amount of injustice to the recorded teachings we have from him. Four instance, Luke 21... Luke 21:25 “And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. 26 People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then everyone will see the Son of Man* coming on a cloud with power and great glory.* 28 So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”  Look at what Jesus says in verse 26: "people will be terrified at what they see coming upon the Earth". There is a lot of talk about climate change even now in this generation. Most scientists agree it is for real. How amazing that Jesus was right 2000 years ago about the changes in the season the stra

Luke 21:12–13 (ESV) they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13 This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Did you see it? Jesus says when they punch you and hit you and try to destroy you, when they accuse you of evil and you're facing imprisonment, more beatings or death... don't be discouraged, this is your opportunity to bear witness.  Witness to what? That something better is in store for you as a child of the living God! I love how Jesus tells us to live.  Not reactive as if the world is against us! We are called to be proactive and positive in any situation! We are to be ready to bear witness to the hope we have in Christ. To show the world that even death cannot disturb us, we have a home in heaven waiting. Christ conquered the strongest threat they could hold over us. No matter how we die, we all will rise! Resurrection is com

There's only one person in the difficult and dark section of Luke's later chapters that gets Jesus' acclaim... it's a poor widow with about 1/4 of a cent to her name. Luke 21:1–4 (ESV) Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, 2 and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. 4 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” Luke has shown the rapid fire attacks from the many devoted religious and political factions.  In a few moments the disciples are going to marvel at the temple Herod refurbished with Roman ties. But Jesus has His eye on a woman willing to give her all to God. When we give our all to God, several interesting things happen: 1. Jesus notices. She's the only one in the chapter who is commended. She's the one who gets His attention. For all the flowing ro

When we aren't giving God our all, we abdicate our human responsibility and leave our lives open to the use and abuse of almost anyone else.  Plus, we become jerks. Look at what happens to some random guys in Luke 20 who failed to give God their all. (Oh, how do we know they weren't giving God their all? Jesus tells them in verse 25, we'll get there). First, they become tools of the religious leaders.  Notice how they were "sent" and nameless.  Faceless drones carrying out the whims of religious hypocrites. Luke 20:19–20 (ESV) 19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. 20 So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. Second, we act differently than we really are!  Notice the words, the

When doing devotions or daily Bible Study, it can be a subtle trap of seeking only for hidden gems of wisdom that help us live a "better more productive or peaceful life." Sometimes the Bible isn't about you. In fact large portions of the Bible are about Jesus completely and totally with nothing about you practically.  Many times you just need to understand what story God is writing even if you're daily habits aren't precisely affected by it. That's what I come away with as we go through these last few chapters of Luke.  Jesus has come to Jerusalem, to the seat of authority for what's left of the Jewish nation under Roman occupation.  He is the final act in God's saving plan of redemption.  Hostility is at an all time high and each conversation gets more heated than the previous one. They have questioned him, derided him, sought to kill him and undermined his authority. It's okay, it's part of God's plan from before (See Acts 2:23)!

I wonder if what we think makes God upset is the same as what actually does make God upset? The parable of the minas in Luke 19 offer us a distinctly different picture God's judgement than we normally have. Three men are given a set of minas. One ten, another 5 and a last servant - 1. The time comes for judgment on what they did with what was given. The one with 10 comes back with 10 more. The one with 5 comes back with 5 more. The one with 1 comes back with 1.  He took it and hid it... doing nothing with what was given him. The response of the king is telling: Luke 19:24–26 (ESV)  And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The apathetic servant lost everything.  Perhaps he compared his amount to the others.  Maybe he considered

There's obeying the Lord.  We should seek to do that. But there's also how we obey the Lord.  Do we drag our feet?  Do we "find the right time?" Do we wait for convenience?  Do we take our time?  When the Lord speaks are we responsive? Zacchaeus was a busy man.  He ran ahead of the crowd, he climbed and then perched himself in a tree. Running and climbing... a lot like the little children Jesus just talked about earlier in Luke. Zacchaeus was eager to see Jesus, and more so, eager to host Jesus. Luke 19:5–6 (ESV) And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. He didn't just hear what Jesus said, he was eager to do what Jesus said. Jesus said hurry, he hurried. Jesus said come down, he came down. Jesus said let's do lunch, Zacchaeus joyfully received him. What a contrast to the Pharisees and leaders who

When it comes to prayer... we can either let our prayers, we can sometimes limit what God can do. This was NOT the case of the blind beggar in Luke 18.  He cries out for Jesus' attention and as usual the followers see him as a nuisance. He did two things really well. 1. He refused to let someone else dictate his prayer life. 2. He believed Jesus can and will do the impossible! The people tried to shut him up. He could have. He could have said, "What's the use? This is my station in life." But he didn't! I wonder what prayers have we stopped praying because someone thought we were a nuisance or bother.  What have we settled for from Jesus because we've listened to those who were close to him. Sometimes I get intimidated by the "Theological" types.  After all, they should know God the best, right?  They have a degree from an institution and letters after their last name that should mean something.  They are close to Jesus, they know Jesus, and t

Luke 18 starts off with a parable that clearly reveals the point of the story: Luke 18:1 (ESV) And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. Doesn't get clearer than that.  The point of this story is to encourage us to pray at all times no matter what it looks like. A poor widow facing an evil judge persists in asking for justice.  She couldn't have faced a worse situation.  A judge with no conscience... and she's a widow (despised in those days).  Though the judge tries to refuse, eventually he gives in. And Jesus admonishes us: Luke 18:6 (ESV)  Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? In this parable, Jesus uses an opposing hyperbole.  The unjust judge is as far as you can get from God. If she could get an answer for an evil man, how much more can we expect an answer from a GOOD GOD! The reality we should walk a

Luke 17:5 (ESV) 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The disciples ask for more faith... probably because of the difficult teachings Jesus had just given them in Luke 17:1-4.  That is, don't cause people to sin, rebuke those who do sin, and forgive as often as someone sins against you even if in the same way and on the same day.   They aren't prepared for this seemingly immense task to follow Jesus in the kingdom.  They need to have Jesus do something for them to be able to do what He asks.  "Jesus, that's pretty hard, give us some faith to get it done." What they are expecting is a feeling.  Faith is not a feeling.  Faith is not doing what you feel like doing because God has somehow superseded your emotions.  Your emotions are always going to be based on what you see or experience.  Faith is not based on what you see or experienced in the past, it's based on God.  That's why more faith is never the issue, God and who we are b

The church need not fight the moral battles of it's present generation.  Our job is to worry about the ones the Lord adds to the church. In Luke 17, after teaching a frustrating bunch of Pharisees about living in the light of eternity, Jesus turns to his disciples.  He gives them great advice. Luke 17:3–4 (ESV) Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” We talk a lot about forgiveness.  But what about the first part?  "If your brother sins, rebuke him?" I don't find many Christians doing this.  We want to be "nice" to everyone.  Sometimes nice isn't the appropriate game plan in the Lord's house.  Jesus cares about the purity of his house.  The word for "rebuke" is a powerful word in the Greek.  It's the same word used by Mark when Jesus calm

Right on the heels of the parable of the shrewd manager, Luke makes clear that the Pharisees began to mock Jesus for His words.  I couldn't imagine how what they did with the resources in this life would affect what happened to them in the next life. With that in mind, Jesus shares the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. And he (rich man) called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ ( Luke 16:24 ES V) While in hell he gives us a glimpse of his heart. He's in torment, he's in agony, and yet when he calls out to Abraham he doesn't ask for a second chance to do things right. He asks for Lazarus to be sent to him to make his pain go away. He's just a selfish, just as egotistical, just as domineering as he was in his life.  Nothing's changed except his location. His heart is the same as it was in this life. He has the audacity to send orders to Abraham. F

Don't just sit there. Enough waiting for something to happen! You have this moment, the next (possibly) to go make the  future happen in YOUR favor. You can sit on the sidelines and watch someone else reach their dreams or you can play your game. You may not realize this but the clock is running out on you right now. Every second counts. You CAN do something about your future if you CHOOSE to do so. Sound more like Tony Robbins than a Bible lesson?  Look at the first parable in Luke 16 and get back to me.... ... Are you back?  Good. Did you read what I read?  Were you shocked?  That's Jesus for you.  Never quite fitting our "mold". Luke 16:3 (ESV) And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. Luke 16:9 (ESV) And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you i

“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? .....In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! (Luke 15:4, 7 NLT) I wonder what some churches value more than people who don't know the Father... Because it's pretty clear from Luke 15, the Father's heart beats for lost people.  Jesus has just dined with a Pharisee in Luke 14.  He is no doubt fed up with religious pretension and show.  He is going to be as emphatic as possible so that those who may not yet know where His values lie will be absolutely certain.  Three parables, all with equally stunning statements of the Father's love for lost sons and daughters. The problem is.  We rarely see this value in some churches and in many Christians.  We wi