Week of 10 Pentecost - C
This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year
Lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the Day..." (Propers),
p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is
based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by
many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and
Methodist churches:
http://www.commontexts.org/
and:
http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html
The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for
the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship.
Additional Lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church,
"Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran Church of
America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299
- 304, Philadelphia,
1918.
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Thursday - 9 Pentecost CFirst posted July 29, 2010;
Podcast: Thursday 9 Pentecost C
Luke 11:1-13 – Teachings on Prayer;
Paraphrase:
Jesus had gone to a (quiet; isolated) place to pray, and when he was finished, his disciples asked him to teach them how to pray, like John the Baptizer had taught John's disciples.
Jesus said, “When you pray, say, 'Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread; and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation” (Luke 11:2-4).
Then Jesus asked them who wouldn't go to a friend at midnight and ask for food to set before and unexpected guest. But his friend is in bed and doesn't want to be bothered. Though the friend will not help because of friendship, he will help because his friend keeps bothering him until he does.
Jesus declared, “Ask, and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). Jesus declared that everyone who asks will receive; whoever seeks will find, and to those who knock, it will be opened to them.
Jesus asked who would give a snake to a son who asks for fish; who would give a scorpion to his child who asks for an egg. We are sinners, but know to give good gifts to our children. “...how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Luke 11:13b)!
Commentary:
The prayer that Jesus taught the disciples is known as The Lord's Prayer but it really should be thought of as The Disciples' Prayer. Our prayers do not have to be long and grand in language; just simple, sincere phrases suffice.
We need to learn to live one day at a time, and ask the Lord each day to supply the things we need for that day. We need to remember that we are sinners in need of forgiveness and to ask for forgiveness daily. In order to receive the Lord's forgiveness, we must forgive everyone who sins against us, daily, as often as necessary. The Lord doesn't lead us into temptation; we fall into temptation when we follow our own will. When we seek his leading daily, he will lead us so that we don't fall into temptation.
God the Father is so much more willing to help us and give us good things if we ask (see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, right), than we are, even to our families and friends. The best gift that God can possibly give us is his indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9b). Through the indwelling Holy Spirit we have personal daily fellowship with God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
He wants us to have the Holy Spirit, but first he wants to make sure that we are committed to trusting and obeying the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Only Jesus baptizes with (gives the gift of) the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). Premature spiritual rebirth through the gift of the Holy Spirit would be disastrous (Hebrews 6:4-6).
Christians are by definition “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c). Discipleship is not optional; not a category only for “super-Christians.”
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Friday - 9 Pentecost C
First posted July 30, 2010;
Podcast: Friday 9 Pentecost C
1 Corinthians 10:6-13 – Exhortations;
Paraphrase:
The record of the Israelites' debauchery in the wilderness is written as a warning to us, not to desire what is evil, as they did. We must not be idolaters, as they were; we must not indulge in immorality as some did: twenty-three thousand were destroyed in a single day because of immorality. We must not demand that the Lord prove himself, as some did, and were destroyed by poisonous snakes. We must not complain against the Lord, or face destruction, as some of them did.
These things happened to Israelites and are recorded in the Bible for our instruction, who are facing the end of time. Watch out! If you think you are secure, be careful that you do not stumble! We have not been tempted by anything too hard to resist. When we are tempted, we also receive the means of escape, so that we can prevail over the temptation.
Commentary:
God has been progressively revealing himself and his purpose for Creation, in Creation itself, then in the Bible, then in Jesus Christ, and ultimately in the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The meaning and purpose of life in this Creation is to seek find and have personal fellowship with our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through Jesus Christ (John 14:6), by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
God has always intended, from the very beginning of Creation to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey him. He has designed this world to allow for the possibility of sin (disobedience of God's Word, so that we will have the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God's Word or not. But God is not going to tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever, or at all, in his eternal kingdom. So this Creation and we ourselves are limited by time.
When one can see the entire Bible as a whole, it's coherent structure is awesome! God began revealing himself in the call of Abraham, in the founding of the people of Israel. Everything that God did with Israel, recorded in the Bible, is also intended to be a metaphor for life in this Creation.
We are all in bondage to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this present world order. Jesus is our “Moses” who leads us out of “Egypt,” through the “Sea” of baptism into Jesus Christ, who separates us from our spiritual enemies. Jesus is our “Moses” who leads us through the wilderness of this lifetime, with the baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the “pillar of cloud and fire” (Exodus 13:21-22) to lead us. Jesus is our “Joshua” (Joshua or Jeshua is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek: “Jesus,” the language of the New Testament), who leads us through the “River” of physical death, on dry ground, without getting our “feet wet” (i.e., without being affected), into the eternal “Promised Land of God's kingdom restored to Paradise in heaven.
God deliberately intends that everything he did with the Israelites points to spiritual truth he is doing with us. God gave Moses the Word of God in the Old Covenant; he gave us the Word of the God in Jesus Christ, the “living Word,” (John 1:1-5, 14), in the New Covenant. Jesus is the “New Moses,” the mediator of the New Covenant of Grace through faith in Jesus. Jesus is the sacrificial “Lamb” of the “New Passover.” His flesh provides the sacrificial feast, and his blood provides the cleansing and salvation from sin. Jesus instituted the “New Passover” in the “Last Supper” on the eve of his crucifixion.
In this world we will have temptations to test our faith, but God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our power to resist. We must make the effort to resist. We must not immediately give in to temptation. We are to learn to resist temptation and this is only possible if we will make the effort to resist.
Before I was “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) I used to give in to temptation, because I thought that sooner or later I would. By resisting, I found that the Lord would reinforce my resistance and that surrender to temptation is not a foregone conclusion.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Saturday - 9 Pentecost C
First posted July 31, 2010;
Podcast: Saturday 9 Pentecost C
Luke 16:1-9 – The Dishonest Steward;
Paraphrase:
Jesus told his disciples a parable (a fictional tale of common worldly experience, to teach spiritual truth), about a dishonest steward. The steward of a rich man was accused of wasting his master's goods. The rich man called the steward to give account, and the steward worried about how he could save his job. Otherwise he would not be able to earn a living.
He decided what to do to endear himself to his master's debtors, so that when the steward lost his job he might receive aid from the debtors. He called his master's debtors and reduced their debts on the record.
The master commended his steward for his prudence; the people of this generation are smarter (in worldly ways) than the children of light (righteousness). So we are advised to make friends by “unrighteous mammon” (material wealth), so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations” (Luke 16:9).
Commentary:
People seem to know instinctively what to do to save themselves from disaster in this material world. But they don't seem to sense the spiritual disaster about to befall them, and the means to save themselves, spiritually. What the steward did was unrighteous, but it was to his advantage in this lifetime.
Why not do what is righteous in God's judgment, and to our advantage to save us spiritually for eternal life? We cannot save ourselves, but we can accept the salvation which God has provided in Jesus Christ. Why not use the worldly instinct we've been given, for our spiritual benefit?
We can stave off disaster in this material world with material resources, for a time, but ultimately material resources will fail. Only what is spiritual will remain. We should use the time we have been given in the material world to develop our spiritual resources, so that they will be available when material resources fail.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Week of 10 Pentecost - C
Podcast Download: Week of 10 Pentecost C
Sunday - 10 Pentecost C
First Posted August 1, 2010;
Podcast: Sunday 10 Pentecost C
Genesis 18:20-32 – Abraham Intercedes for Sodom;
Psalm 138 – Deliverance from Trouble;
Colossians 2:6-15 – Warning Against False Teachings;
Luke 11:1-13 – The Disciples' Prayer;
Genesis18:20-32 Paraphrase:
The Lord had appeared to Abraham (Abram) at Mamre (near Hebron) as three persons. As they departed, the Lord revealed that he was on his way to see if Sodom was as wicked as the reports the Lord had heard said. But Abraham interceded, suggesting that the Lord should not destroy the righteous with the wicked. He asked the Lord if he would spare Sodom if there were fifty righteous people found there and the Lord promised to spare the city for the sake of fifty righteous. Then Abraham “bid down” the number of righteous, until the Lord promised to spare the city for the sake of ten righteous people.
Psalm 138 Paraphrase:
With my whole heart, I will give thanks to the Lord! I will praise the Lord above all other so-called “gods.” Toward his temple I bow down and give thanks to his name (his total person and character) for his steadfast love and faithfulness, because he has exalted his name and his Word above all else. When the psalmist (David; the great human shepherd-king of Israel) called the Lord heard and answered his prayer. The Lord increased his spiritual strength.
All the rulers of earth will praise the Lord, for they have heard his Word. They will sing aloud of the Lord's ways, because the Lord's glory is great. Although the Lord is great, he has regard for the lowly; but is far from the proud.
The Lord preserves my life in the midst of trouble. His right hand (Jesus) delivers me from the wrath of my enemies. “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me” (Psalm 138:8a). The Lord's steadfast love is eternal. He will not forsake what he has created.
Colossians 2:6-15 Paraphrase:
As we have received Christ, therefore let us live according to his teachings. Let us take root, and grow to maturity and a solid foundation in faith, as we have been taught (in the Bible and in the Holy Spirit), overflowing with thanksgiving.
“See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Colossians 2:8-9). We (who are “born-again” Christian disciples) have come to fulness of life in Jesus, who is the ruler above all powers and authority. We were “circumcised” into him with a spiritual circumcision, by the removal of our fleshly nature by the “circumcision” of Christ. In Christian (water) Baptism we were buried with Christ, so that we might also be raised with him through faith in God's power. When we were spiritually dead through sin and the “uncircumcision” of our “flesh,” God has given us spiritual rebirth and eternal life with him, having forgiven all our sins. He canceled the warrant against us which demanded our spiritual eternal death. He set aside that warrant, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and powers of this world at the cross of Jesus Christ, making a public example of them and triumphing over them.
Luke 11:1-13 Paraphrase:
Jesus went away from the crowds to a place where he could pray, and when he ended his prayers, his disciples asked him to teach them how to pray, as John the baptizer had taught John's disciples. So Jesus told them that when they prayed they should say:
“Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread; and forgive our sins, for we ourselves forgive every one who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation” (Luke 11:2b-4; compare Matthew 6:9-13).
Then Jesus told a parable of an unexpected guest: A person had an unexpected guest, so he went to his friend to borrow three loaves of bread. The friend had gone to bed and didn't want to get up and help his friend, but the host persisted until his friend did what he requested, not out of friendship, but to be rid of the annoyance.
Jesus told his disciples, “Ask, and it will be give you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). Jesus assured them that all who persist will be satisfied. Earthly fathers don't give their children evil when they ask for what they truly need. Likewise our heavenly father will give us the ultimate good and necessary gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit if we ask him with persistence.
Commentary:
Abraham's (nephew, Lot, and Lot's household were living in Sodom, so Abraham had a personal stake in what happened to Sodom (Genesis 13:8-12). The Lord kept his promise to Abraham; he destroyed Sodom, but he preserved Lot (Genesis 19:15-23).
I personally testify with Biblical King David, my namesake, that when I cried to the Lord he heard and answered my prayer. God is faithful and abundantly able; he will hear and answer anyone who calls to him in sincerity and truth (see Conditions for Answered Prayer; sidebar, right). Be advised that the Lord is inclined toward the humble. Anyone who approaches him in a proud and haughty attitude doesn't understand his relationship to God. Anyone who understands the nature and character of God cannot be anything other than humble in his presence.
I personally testify that the Lord has preserved my eternal life in the midst of great trouble on numerous occasions. He can show us that he is able to deliver us from the power and wrath of our enemies. The Lord doesn't ever give up on us!
A Christian is by definition a disciple of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c), who has been “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
The indwelling Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ within us (Romans 8:9). By the indwelling Holy Spirit we have a daily (hourly) personal fellowship with God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. When we accept Jesus as Lord, we need to be “discipled” by born-again disciples until we are “baptized” with the indwelling Holy Spirit. Then the Holy Spirit will disciple us to spiritual maturity. Being born-again is not the end of the process but just the beginning!
There are many false “christs,” false prophets, and false teachers and teachings in the world and even within the nominal Church today (see False Teachings, sidebar, right). There are people who will come to your door and tell you that Jesus isn't God (compare John 20:28). Colossians 2:8-9 is a good reference to refute them.
False teachings have existed since the beginning of the Church in the First Century A.D., and are refuted in the New Testament of the Bible. One must read the entire Bible in order to be protected from false teaching. Reading the Bible does not require arduous effort or formal study. A simple reading will suffice to show us what it does and doesn't contain. When we have read it the Holy Spirit can recall it to our memory as needed. The average reader can easily read the entire Bible in one year and there are numerous plans available (see Free Bible Study Tools, sidebar, right).
What is called The Lord's Prayer should be thought of as The Disciples' Prayer. It was given by the Lord to his disciples. It must be prayed by a disciple in order to be effective (see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, right). A disciple's prayer will be for God's name to be hallowed and his kingdom to fully come to us individually and personally as soon as possible.
Discipleship is learning to wait for God to provide every truly necessary thing for us one day at a time. When we realize and acknowledge how greatly we need God's forgiveness, we will be glad to forgive others as we have experienced forgiveness. We will learn by experience that we can depend on the Lord to deliver us from temptation (and deliver us from evil).
The Lord is a better Father than any earthly father can be. He wants to give us the best we can have. But we must learn to wait upon him. This is difficult in society today when we have come to expect instant gratification.
The Lord wants us to learn to wait for him, because he wants to be sure that we are committed to obedient trust in him only! There are many precious promises in the Bible, which can only be received by faith which is obedient, trusting, and persistent.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Monday - 10 Pentecost C
First Posted August 2, 2010;
Podcast: Monday 10 Pentecost C
Psalm 49:1-11 – The Folly of Riches;
Paraphrase:
Listen, everyone! Let all the people of earth hear: both high and low; rich and poor! I will speak wisdom; what I have meditated upon in my heart is understanding. I will listen to a proverb, and solve a riddle with the music of a harp.
I will not yield to fear when the evil of my persecutors surround me; those who trust in wealth and riches. No one is able to pay to God the ransom for his life, so as to continue to live on forever, and never see the grave, because it is costly and beyond price. No one can afford it.
Yes, even those who are wise will die, along with the foolish and stupid, leaving their wealth to others. Their graves will be their eternal homes; their dwellings throughout all generation, though lands have been named for them. The pomp of man does not abide; like a beast he perishes.
Those who have foolish confidence and are pleased with what they have accomplished will end thus: As sheep, appointed to the grave; their shepherd shall be [eternal] death. They will descend straight into the grave, where their bodies will rot; they will dwell eternally in the kingdom of death. But my eternal being will be ransomed from the power of eternal death by God, who will receive me [into his eternal kingdom].
Don't fear anyone who becomes rich and gains glory; he will not take any riches or glory with him when dies. He may consider himself happy while he has physical life, and he may be praised for his worldly accomplishments, but when he dies he will join his ancestors and never more see light. The exultation of mankind does not abide forever; when he dies, he is no better than a dead animal.
Commentary:
We are all eternal beings in temporal bodies. This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually reborn (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life, and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ, by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is a personally discernible ongoing daily event (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
There is nothing we can do in this lifetime to secure eternal life for ourselves in God's kingdom, restored to perfect paradise, in heaven, except by receiving Jesus as our Lord and Savior through faith. What would eternal life in paradise be worth? More than everything we have! But eternal life cannot be bought, stolen, or taken by force or deception.
Wise or foolish, rich or poor, we will all perish eternally unless we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. And Jesus' Lordship is not hard or unpleasant; it is wonderful! We don't know what we want; we don't know what is our best interest. Only in Jesus can we find what is really and truly life!
Imagine being the most wealthy and powerful of people in this world. One may be happy for a time, but imagine, when physical life ends, being in a physical body which is going to decay, but whose soul will go on eternally, forever separated from God and every good thing, which God alone can provide, knowing that one could have had eternal life in paradise restored in heaven with God and everything good.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Tuesday - 10 Pentecost C
First Posted August 3, 2010;
Podcast: Tuesday 10 Pentecost C
Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:18-26 – All is Vanity;
Paraphrase:
Everything we do in this lifetime is vanity: insubstantial and fleeting.
We labor to the point of exhaustion, only to leave the fruit of our labor to the people who come after us. And who knows if they will be wise or foolish. But they will own all that we labored for and used our wisdom to create. So all that we strive for is vanity. It is easy to despair over our hard work, knowing that we must sometimes leave work we have accomplished with wisdom, knowledge and skill to a person, who has not worked for it, to enjoy. That is vanity and very wrong. What does a person have to show for his toil and strain in this world? His days are filled with pain and vexation; he can't even find rest at night. It is all vanity.
The best a person can hope for is to enjoy food and drink and enjoy his work. This is a gift from God, because who can have enjoyment apart from God? To those who please God, he gives wisdom, knowledge and joy, but he gives sinners the work of gathering and accumulating, only to be given to those who please God. This is vanity, and like trying to catch the wind.
Commentary:
I believe that the meaning and purpose of life in this world is to seek, find, and have fellowship with God (Acts 17:26-27), and this only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus (John 14:6) by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples to trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, right).
So many people in the world today are pursuing the wrong goals. They're seeking security and satisfaction in physical things, and completely neglecting their spiritual needs.
I personally testify that in the thirty years since I accepted Jesus as my Lord and was “born-again” the Lord has provided for me abundantly beyond worldly expectations, and I have found meaning and purpose in life that I didn't have before. I have security that money can't buy and that worldly labor cannot provide (see Personal Testimonies, sidebar, right).
We're all eternal beings in physical bodies. Our physical bodies wear out and pass away, but our souls will continue to exist for eternity. The question is: Where will we spend eternity?
This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” to eternal life by the baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We will either live eternally with God in his kingdom in Heaven, or we will spend eternity dying in Hell with all evil, separated forever from God who is the source of every good thing.
Born-again Christians know with certainty where they will spend eternity by the testimony of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). The only people who don't know if there is existence after physical death are those who are spiritually “lost” and dying eternally.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Wednesday - 10 Pentecost C
First Posted August 4, 2010;
Podcast: Wednesday 10 Pentecost C
Colossians 3:1-11 – New Life in Christ;
Paraphrase:
Born-again (John 3:3, 5-8) Christians have been buried with Christ in water baptism and raised to new, eternal life, through the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit. So we are to live according to the new life we have in God's eternal kingdom. So we must no longer focus on worldly things, but spiritual things. We must regard ourselves as dead to the world; and our new lives are hidden in Christ, to be revealed when Christ returns.
So let us crucify what is earthly in us: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness, which is a form of idolatry. The wrath of God is coming upon those who practice such things. We once did such things when we lived according to our physical nature, but now we do away with these things. We must no longer practice anger, wrath, slander and vulgar talk. We must not lie to one another. We are to live according to our new spiritual nature, being transformed in knowledge according to the nature of our Creator. In this new life we must no longer make distinctions between Jew and Greek, circumcised and uncircumcised, or based on race or nationality, slave or free. What matters is that Christ is central, and within all.
Commentary:
I believe, based on my own personal experience, that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not automatically conferred at water baptism. I believe that the Church is the heir to the ministry of the water baptism of John the Baptizer (Matthew 3:1-3). The Church is to call people to repent and turn to the Lord in obedient trust, to prepare to receive Jesus in the baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
I understand water baptism as a covenant between God and the candidate. As the candidate begins to live in obedient trust in Jesus' teachings, God is faithful and will give the gift (baptism) of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:15-17).
The baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit is our spiritual rebirth, our “resurrection” from spiritual death to eternal life, and it begins now in this lifetime, as we begin to live as citizens of God's eternal kingdom. The kingdom of God is all around us now, but it is only spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14), by those who have been spiritually reborn.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a personally discernible, daily, ongoing event (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). By the testimony of the Holy Spirit within us we can be certain that the Lord will raise us from physical death to eternal life in God's kingdom in Heaven.
As we begin to live in obedient trust in Jesus, the baptism of the Holy Spirit will open our minds to understand the Bible Scriptures (Luke 24:45; the risen Jesus: Romans 8:9), and will guide us to know and do God's will (John 14:26; 16:13). When we have opportunities to testify to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit will give us what to say at the moment it is needed (Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11-12), and I personally attest to this truth. As we make an effort to put away the tendencies of our physical nature, the Holy Spirit will transform us into the image of our Creator.
The indwelling Holy Spirit in born-again Christians is the basis of unity in the true Church. In the nominal Church, there are un-reborn, nominal Christians also, which is the basis of disunity within the nominal Church.
Unfortunately, in too many instances, the nominal Church has failed to make born-again disciples. In some instances, the nominal Church discourages members from seeking spiritual rebirth by teaching that the Holy Spirit is conferred automatically at water baptism (see False Teachings, sidebar, right).
Unless the Church makes born-again disciples there won't be any born-again leaders. It takes born-again leaders to make born-again disciples. The distinction which matters is spiritual rebirth.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Thursday - 10 Pentecost C
First Posted August 5, 2010;
Podcast: Thursday 10 Pentecost C
Luke 12:13-21 – The Rich Fool;
Paraphrase:
One, in the crowd gathered around Jesus, asked him to tell the person's brother to share his inheritance with the person. But Jesus asked the person why he thought Jesus should be a judge between the person and his brother. Jesus warned that it isn't the abundance of one's possessions that makes one's life meaningful; we must be careful to avoid covetousness (a form of idolatry of possessions).
Jesus told the crowd a parable: A rich man's land produced abundantly, and the rich man realized that he needed a bigger barn to store his crops. He decided to tear down his barn and build a bigger one. Then he thought that with enough stored to last many years, he would be able to relax and “eat, drink and be merry.” But God called him a fool. The man would die that very night and someone else would enjoy his possessions. This is the fate of those who rely on material possessions and do not seek the spiritual riches only God can provide.
Commentary:
Human nature hasn't changed since the time of Jesus' physical ministry. Love of material possessions is a prevalent idolatry today.
The only real security to be found in this world is in God through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Jesus taught that we should seek first God's kingdom and righteousness, and all the material necessities would be ours as well (Matthew 6:33). If we seek security through material possessions, we will never have security, because security always requires just a little more than we have, and we'll never get around to seeking God's kingdom.
I assert that the meaning and purpose of life in this world is to seek, find, and have fellowship with God, our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life by the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
Wouldn't it be terrible to waste this lifetime accumulating material possessions which will be of no use to us in eternity, and miss the opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” to eternal life in God's kingdom in paradise in Heaven?
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Friday - 10 Pentecost C
First Posted August 6, 2010;
Podcast: Friday 10 Pentecost C
1 Corinthians 12:1-11 – Spiritual Gifts;
Paraphrase:
Paul wanted the Corinthian Christians (and all believers) to be informed about spiritual gifts. Before we accepted Jesus as Lord, we were going astray after idols, although we probably were emotionally moved by them. So we should know that one can't be motivated by the Holy Spirit to curse Jesus, and no one can truly praise Jesus as Lord except by the Holy Spirit (compare Romans 8:15-16; Galatians 4:6).
The one and only Holy Spirit gives a variety of spiritual gifts. There are a variety of ways to serve, but only one Lord. There are a variety of deeds inspired by one God (note the suggestion of the Trinity: God, Lord, and Holy Spirit). Each believer is given a manifestation of the Holy Spirit for the benefit of the congregation. Some speak wisdom, some are given knowledge, some are given faith, some are given the ability to heal, some are given the ability to work miracles, to some, prophecy, to some, the ability to distinguish between spirits, the ability to speak in tongues, or the ability to interpret tongues. These are all guided and empowered by the one Spirit, according to his will and purpose.
Commentary:
Some congregations emphasize seeking, to discover spiritual gifts. Other congregations make no mention of spiritual gifts. Some churches are led by “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) leaders, and some are led by “unregenerate” (not born-again) leaders.
I think there is a right way and a wrong way to try to identify spiritual gifts. Using a spiritual “self-help” type book or program, seems to me like Abraham (Abram) taking his wife's maidservant to “help” God fulfill his promise of a son and heir for Abraham (Genesis 16:1-6).
The right way, in my experience, is to begin to seek God's will, one day at a time (Matthew 6:11), by daily Bible reading with prayer and meditation. As we do so, God will begin to reveal his will for us daily. Faith (obedient trust) involves discipleship and spiritual growth. God is not going to reveal his ultimate will for our life's work immediately. We have to learn to hear and do his will in small steps.
When God reveals a ministry for us, he provides the resources necessary to accomplish that ministry. When I started out, I felt led to Social Ministry (concern for the poor) within my congregation as an outreach into the community. God made it possible for me to be the chairman, and gave me the knowledge, wisdom and resources to accomplish that ministry.
But that wasn't my life's work. God closed the window of that opportunity, but opened the door to evangelism as an inreach into the congregation, and an outreach into the community. I became the evangelism chairman. He gave me the opportunities and the resources to accomplish that ministry.
When that opportunity closed, he opened others sequentially. Most recently he allowed me to discover the opportunity for my online Bible Study. I prayed for his permission to proceed and and he approved and provided the resources to accomplish it. I have resources to continue with another three or four years, but it is not certain that I will. It depends God's leading.
Believers should be aware that the motivation of the Holy Spirit is more than just an emotional high. We can get ecstatic at sports events, but that is not like the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit. Some church leaders think of themselves as “cheerleaders” (“Gimme a 'J'...”). That's not the anointing of the Holy Spirit. It seems to me that people can profess Jesus as Lord, without actually having been spiritually “reborn,” but their profession lacks spiritual power to to convict and change people's hearts.
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Saturday - 10 Pentecost C
First Posted August 7, 2010;
Podcast: Saturday 10 Pentecost C
Luke 19:41-48 – Cleansing the Temple;
Background:
Jesus rode to Jerusalem from Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives on a donkey with the crowd following him cheering and rejoicing in the procession the Church commemorates on Palm Sunday (Luke 19:28-40).
Luke Paraphrase:
As Jesus approached Jerusalem, he wept over it and declared that he wished they had known what things to do to have peace. But now those things had been hidden from their perception. Jesus prophesied that the day would come when her enemies would surround and lay siege to Jerusalem. They would dash the city and its people to the ground and leave her buildings in ruins because Jerusalem had not recognized the coming of her Messiah (Christ).
The first thing Jesus did on entering Jerusalem was to cleanse the temple of the secular corruption that had been allowed there.
Commentary:
That prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D., when the Roman Armies destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, many Jews were slaughtered, and the survivors were scattered throughout the world. The Nation of Israel ceased to exist, until reestablished following World War II.
The temple has never been rebuilt. Judaism effectively ended at the cross of Jesus, when the veil of the temple, separating the Holy-of-holies, where the presence of God resided, was torn from top to bottom (Luke 23:45), symbolizing that Jesus had opened a new and better way into God's presence.
The temple sacrificial system of the Old Covenant of Law is no longer in effect; Jesus' sacrificial death on the Cross is the one and only sacrifice acceptable to God, consecrating the New Covenant of Grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. The only way to have peace with God is by the blood sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross; otherwise we are under God's eternal condemnation because of sin (see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar right).
The Jews and their leaders knew the Old Testament Scriptures prophesying the Messiah, and had seen Jesus fulfill those prophecies but still refused to believe. Judaism had become “their” religion; they practiced it to their own advantage and interpretation. Instead of serving and pleasing God they attempted to use their religion to manipulate God to serve and please them.
I'm convinced that America and other nominally “Christian” nations, and the Church, particularly in America today are in the same position as Israel and Judaism at the time of Jesus' first coming. In too many instances church leaders see the Church as their personal empires, and members see Church as a way to manipulate God's favor and protection. Will we be any more ready and able to recognize Jesus' Second Coming than Israel and Judaism at his first coming?
Jesus is going to begin Judgment with the Church, and if the Church needs chastisement, what will be the consequence of Judgment upon unbelievers (1 Peter 4:17-18)?
Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus' disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
