Saturday, June 25, 2011

Week 26: Living Faithfully

Here's this week's Bible reading:

* Philippians 1-2
* Leviticus 7-9
* 1 Kings 19-22
* Psalms 75-77
* Proverbs 7
* Ezekiel 13-18
* Luke 15-16

From beginning to end, this week's reading underscores the importance of living faithfully. While the reading in Leviticus provides detailed instructions regarding sacrifices and the priesthood, the balance of the week's reading describes in one way or another how the Israelites strayed from God...and what happened as a result. The reading ends with the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, in which Jesus condemns the religious leaders of his day for rejecting their Messiah. Jesus quotes Abraham as saying, "If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead."

Scripture
The passage that speaks most directly about living faithfully is Philippians 1:27: "Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News."

Observation
Paul wrote these words to the citizens of Philippi, which was a Roman Colony. As such, all native Philippians were automatically Roman citizens. In that day, non-Romans paid huge sums of money (often in the form of bribes) to gain Roman citizenship. The Philippians were very proud of the fact that they were citizens of the Great Empire.

That background information helps us understand why Paul's words carried such force: "Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven." Paul repeats that again in 3:20: "But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives."

Paul in essence is pushing back their "pride of Roman citizenry" by emphasizing that their new "heavenly citizenship" trumps their Roman citizenship...hands down!

Application
Faithful living is all about our allegiance to Christ above all other allegiances. It's about living in a manner worthy of the Good News...the message that Jesus died and rose again to open the way for us to become citizens of heaven. Our lives are to reflect the reality of this gift. When we truly internalize what Jesus has done for us, our lives will become completely consumed with love and gratitude. And this is a reality that we recognize in each other...and the love and gratitude we have for Jesus extends as a matter of course horizontally...toward each other. That's why Paul says when we are living in a manner worthy of the Good News, we are "standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith...."

Prayer
O Lord, it is so easy to be distracted by the allegiances that matter to the world. Help us live as citizens of heaven, recognizing all that Jesus has done for us. And may the realization of his incredible gift inspire us to be all that you've called us to be for you...and for each other. For Jesus' sake. Amen!

Have a blessed week!

Faithfully,
Chuck

Friday, June 10, 2011

Week 24: The Wisdom of Spiritual Focus

This week's reading unfolds as follows:

* Ephesians 1-3
* Leviticus 1-3
* 1 Kings 10-13
* Psalms 69-71
* Proverbs 4
* Ezekiel 1-6
* Luke 11-12

One unifying theme in this week's Bible readings is that of wisdom. Paul in Ephesians prayed that we would have it. The Queen of Sheba in 1 Kings witnessed it in Solomon. The Psalmist demonstrated it by turning to the Lord in times of distress. The writer of Proverbs urged his disciples to pursue it as the most precious of treasures. God gave it to the prophet Ezekiel and Jesus chastised the religious leaders for their lack of it.

Scripture
The one passage that brings the theme of wisdom into crystal-clear view is Proverbs 4:20-27:

20 My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
21 Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
22 for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body.
23 Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.
24 Avoid all perverse talk;
stay away from corrupt speech.
25 Look straight ahead,
and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;
stay on the safe path.
27 Don’t get sidetracked;
keep your feet from following evil.

Observation
Verses 20-22 offer a compelling rationale for paying attention and internalizing what the sage author of Proverbs is saying: wisdom brings life and healing to those who have it.

Versus 23-27 show us the practical steps by which we obtain wisdom. We get wisdom by (1) guarding our hearts, (2) avoiding perverse talk, (3) staying on track with our faith, and (4) steering clear of evil.

Application
I suggest we consider the key concept that lies at the heart of these practices, which is, in a word, focus.

We are surrounded by countless distractions that come in many forms. Take, for example, "smart phones." They text, tweet, Facebook (used here as a verb), email (verb), Google (verb), YouTube (verb), iTune (verb), and...yes...they can even be used as phones! Go to any public place and you'll find people of all ages glued to that little square device...they are there; yet somewhere else.

There's soccer practice, softball tryouts, bowling leagues, music recitals, dance class, and piano lessons.

There's friend time, family time, and fun time.

There are demands at work, school, and home.

Distractions everywhere!

So how in this world of distractions do we find wisdom?

By following the sage writer's advice:

"Look straight ahead,
and fix your eyes on what lies before you" (v. 25).

Often what we call "multitasking" is little more than juggling distractions.

Instead, the writer of Proverbs urges us to practice the spiritual discipline of single-mindedness.

When we are present to what's present, what's right in front of us...whether it's a son or daughter asking a question, an activity like gardening, mowing the lawn, or taking out the trash, or just spending time alone, there is wisdom to be had in being fully present to that moment.

Only when we are fully present to the moment can we be fully present to God's presence. While God is master of all things past and future, we experience God in the now. And if we're always "off somewhere else" in the now, we will miss the sacredness of that moment.

God occupies the ordinary, mundane space of time called "now."

To be present to the present is to be present to God's presence.

Prayer
O Lord, we confess...we are so easily distracted. Please open our eyes and our ears and our hearts to the present. Let us find you in the always-now of life...in Jesus' name. Amen.

May your week be filled with many God-present NOWS!

Faithfully,
Chuck

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Week 23: New Promises Each Day

This week's reading plan is as follows:

* Sunday (epistles): Galatians 4-6
* Monday (the Law): Exodus 37-40
* Tuesday (history): I Kings 5-9
* Wednesday (psalms): Psalms 66-68
* Thursday (poetry): Proverbs 2-3
* Friday (prophecy): Lamentations
* Saturday (gospels): Luke 9-10

In the letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul uses some 'tough love' to steer the Galatians back to the roots of the gospel. In chapter 5 verse 1, he says: "So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law!" It's a warning that holds for all of us. We have freedom in Christ, but too many times, we allow something or someone else to put a yoke on our neck again, and tie us down in slavery. We shouldn't do that, but live in true freedom through Jesus Christ.

The book of Lamentations is one of its kind. As the title mentions, the book is full of sadness. It is sadness about the fall of Jerusalem in the year 586 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king. The people of Judah were taken into captivity to Babylon, and the city and its temple were destroyed. A desperate situation for the people of Judah. Yet the book contains one of the most beautiful verses of the entire Bible, which we will SOAP on today:

Scripture
Lamentations 3:23: "Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day."

Observation
This verse talks about the unending lover and faithfulness of our Lord. His mercies, also translated as 'promises', begin afresh each day. This verse means that each day is a new day where we can expect God to show up in a big way. No matter what has happened in the past, how bad the situation was yesterday, every single day, his promises are new and fresh. We can lean on them and expect great things from Him.

Application
It is a great reminder to all of us that God's promises are new each day. Too often, we let our current situation control our emotions, or even our outlook on life and on God. This verse tells us that God's love for us and his mercy is unshakable. We can lean on Him every single day, and expect great things from him. It ties in with the verse in Galatians 5:1: Living in freedom means, trusting and leaning on God's promises everyday. Not trusting Him or his promises, oftentimes leads to living in slavery to our worries, our stress, our addictions, our dependence on money, etc.

We are "freedom children" who are indwelled by the Spirit of God's son, through whom we cry out Abba, Father [Galatians 4:6]. Freedom children are expectant, and they lean on God's promises, who are afresh each day.

Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, how awesome it is to be your child, to be able to call you our Father. We know you want the best for us, Lord. Even when we go through the valley of death, through a darkness that never seems to end, there is always a new day that holds new promises from You. Thank you for all that you have done for us, most of all for giving us true freedom in your son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In His Name, we thank You and praise You. Amen.

Have a great week, and be expectant to find God's promises as you discover them in His word every day.

In Him,

Dick

Week 22

This week, the reading plan is as follows:

* Sunday (epistles): Galatians 1-3
* Monday (the Law): Exodus 33-36
* Tuesday (history): I Kings 1-4
* Wednesday (psalms): Psalms 63-65
* Thursday (poetry): Proverbs 1
* Friday (prophecy): Jeremiah 47-52
* Saturday (gospels): Luke 7-8