Posted by Charlie on Nov 3, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: Job 25, Mark 13, 14
Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.
Mark 14:61-64
Observation
The high priest went into the kangaroo court in Mark 14 with the preconceived idea that Jesus was something other than who he was, which was honestly becoming obvious the more his ministry progressed. Really, the high priest was just fishing for any excuse to condemn Jesus. Finally he asked Jesus straight out if he was the Christ, the son of the Blessed, to which Jesus replied that he was. As Jaco Pastorius once observed, “It ain’t bragging if you can back it up.”
Application
Jesus is still who he says he is—the Christ and the son of the Blessed One. Many today marginalize Jesus, and as his follower I have to decide how I’ll respond to those who do. Peter buckled, but later went on to be a dynamic witness to the risen Christ. Day by day I have the choice of how I will represent Jesus to the world, especially to those who scoff.
Prayer
Father, please fill me with your Holy Spirit today, and grant that I might be a powerful witness to the reality of the risen Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: boldness, truth, witness
Posted by Charlie on Aug 21, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: Jeremiah 21, 24, 27; Psalms 118; 1 John 2
Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the LORD: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who are prophesying to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the LORD’s house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon,’ for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you. Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a desolation?
Jeremiah 27:16-17
I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
1 John 2:26
Observation
One of the hazards of living on planet earth is that there have always been, and will always be, people who are desperately off-track spiritually, and who are intent on getting me to go with them.
Sometimes heresy is blatant and easy to spot. At other times it is subtle. In John’s case, teachers were denying the full humanity and full deity of Jesus Christ, instead teaching an early gnostic doctrine that he was only human but invested with spiritual power during his ministry. John is adamant that this lie comes from an antichrist spirit, and that those who buy into it are denying both the Father and the Son.
Application
John says that God’s anointing abides in me if I will listen, and will teach me about everything. Also, 2Tim. 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The Bible is the gold standard against which every doctrinal position and stream of teaching must be evaluated.
Prayer
Father, please lead me in your truth today, and grant that I might be a faithful shepherd in the way I handle and teach the truth of your Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: heresy, truth
Posted by Charlie on Jul 30, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: Isaiah 60,61,62; John 1
For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
John 1:16–17
Observation/Application
How amazing to live in the age of grace! In Isaiah’s day the old agreement came down to obeying the law. They could not, and I would fail as miserably as they.
Under the new agreement, Jesus Christ is the embodiment of grace and truth. That means that my good standing with God is dependent on him, not on me. May the glory of that truth sink ever deeper into my heart.
Prayer
Father, thank you for grace and truth, which you have brought to me through Jesus Christ. Please let the depth and breadth of that reality come ever more into focus for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: Grace, truth
Posted by Charlie on May 4, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 2 Samuel 8, 9; 1 Chronicles 18, 19; Psalm 2; Matthew 21
And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”
Matthew 21:10
Observation
In Mathew 21 Jerusalem was swarming with visitors for the Passover, at least in the hundreds of thousands, and the triumphal entry of Jesus got noticed and spoken about throughout the city. As Jesus approached the week of his crucifixion, he dramatically upped the ante in his confrontation with the chief priests and religious leaders. This fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9, Tell the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey,” was highly intentional on the part of Jesus.
I can only imagine the frustration of Annas and Caiaphas. A member of the small, but influential sect, the Sadducees, Annas held a dynastic grip on the high priesthood, and was adept at using it as a means of generating great profit from the “business” of temple worship. Caiaphas was his son-in-law, and was essentially a cog in Annas’ high priestly machine.
Think about how thoroughly and deliberately Jesus messed with them in chapter 21. He entered Jerusalem in a way that would be recognized by anyone in the ancient world as the declaration of a king visiting a city in peace. Then he immediately went for the jugular by cleansing the temple of Annas’ “business enterprise.”
The particular racket Jesus addressed in this case was the defrauding of worshipers for profit. There were three main scenarios. In one case a worshiper would bring a sacrificial lamb to the temple. The temple worker would examine the lamb and say, “You can’t sacrifice that! The Law says it has to be without blemish. This lamb is an offense to God.” Then the “blemished” lamb would be taken from the worshiper, and a “proper” one sold to him for a price. The “blemished” lamb would then be turned around and sold to someone else as a “proper” one for profit.
The second scenario involved the pilgrim who traveled a great distance to attend Passover in Jerusalem. Because of the long journey it was easier to take money and buy an animal to sacrifice once he arrived in Jerusalem rather than attempt to bring one along. The sale of a lamb at the temple probably was originally intended to benefit the worshiper, but under the dynasty of Annas it was an enterprise designed for profit, with price gouging during Passover.
The third scenario involved a temple tax that was only acceptable in a particular coinage. The worshiper was forced to exchange money for the temple coins at an unfair rate of exchange.
Jesus held nothing back. He opened pens and overturned tables. When they questioned his authority he threw it back in their faces. Then he told parables about sons and vinedressers that unmistakably showed the corrupted high priests for who they were. It is no wonder that by Thursday they would be out for blood.
Application
I live in a politically correct world. The recent episode in which Miss California, Carrie Prejean, was punished by the Miss USA pageant for holding to a biblical worldview is only one example of the fact that Christians can still pay a price for holding to the truth. The challenge is to walk with Jesus so closely that I come to resemble him. He was the most winsome individual to ever live, and at the same time, had an uncompromising strength of character that would stand against the entire political machine of his day.
His disciples became like him. I want to become like him too.
Prayer
Father, please help me to walk closely with you today. Please cleanse my heart of all that offends, and change me day by day into a man who has the winsomeness and character of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Tags: character, confrontation, truth
Posted by Charlie on Apr 29, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 2 Samuel 4,5; Psalm 139; Matthew 16
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
Psalm 139:15–16
Observation
Yesterday my family and I went to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) to see the Da Vinci exhibit before it ends this Sunday. As we were leaving we stopped for a moment to look at the permanent display of fetal development on the second floor—a truly amazing circular exhibit that features preserved embryos and fetuses in weekly development from week one through birth.
I’m always struck by two things when I see this display. I don’t know how anyone can look at the miracle of the creation of new life and not recognize a designer, or how anyone can look at those little developing children and think abortion is okay.
Psalm 139 reminds me that even when I was hidden in my mother’s womb, I was not hidden from him. He has known all my days, and his love and care for me are eternal.
Application
Psalm 139 is also such a precious reminder that God is ever present. Sometimes it feels like he is distant, or that I somehow have to make my way to him. In reality he has made his way to me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot attain it.
Prayer
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Tags: presence, truth
Posted by Charlie on Apr 23, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 1 Samuel 27; Psalm 141; 1 Chronicles 9; Matthew 10
Then Achish would say, “Where have you made a raid today?” And David would say, “Against the southern area of Judah, or against the southern area of the Jerahmeelites, or against the southern area of the Kenites.” David would save neither man nor woman alive, to bring news to Gath, saying, “Lest they should inform on us, saying, ‘Thus David did.’ ” And thus was his behavior all the time he dwelt in the country of the Philistines. So Achish believed David, saying, “He has made his people Israel utterly abhor him; therefore he will be my servant forever.
1 Samuel 27:10–12
Observation
Even though Saul ends chapter 26 with a declaration that he will stop hunting David, David knows in his heart he is still in grave danger. In a desperate move, David flees to the land of the Philistines to escape the hand of Saul, and stays there for a year and four months. In order to convince Achish, king of Gath, that he is loyal, David devises a ruse where he raids the far-flung enemies of Israel, but makes it look to Achish as though he was actually raiding into Israel.
Application
I see this as a low point for David, where he bends the means to justify the ends. I think this is perhaps the most deliberate and premeditated compromise of character in David’s life. In the next chapter he comes within a hair’s breadth of having to go into battle with the Philistines against Israel, and probably heaves a secret sigh of relief when he is sent away.
I suppose there are times when deliberate dishonesty is justified if another higher principle is at stake, such as Corrie Ten-Boom lying about hiding Jewish people from the Nazis in her home during World War II. The problem I see with David’s situation is that he entered into a relationship of trust with Achish, who was providing him protection, and for a year and four months David’s loyalty to Achish was all a lie.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, though I be tempted to compromise my character for the sake of my convenience, safety, or personal gain, let me find the strength in you to remain true in all circumstances. As you said in today’s New Testament reading, may I always acknowledge you before men, and may I find my life and strength in you day by day. In the holy name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Tags: character, lies, truth
Posted by Charlie on Mar 30, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: Judges 8, Psalm 42; 1 Corinthians 15
Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.
Psalm 43:3-4
Observation
Okay, I cheated. I’m journaling on a passage that isn’t in the reading today. So sue me. My reason is that Psalms 42 and 43 are a unit, and I don’t think you can read one without the other. I’ll pull all of today’s reading together and cap it off with Psalm 43.
A side theme that emerges from the three passages today is that it’s easy to become distracted from wholehearted devotion to God. In Judges Gideon made a golden ephod (priestly garment), and displayed it in Ophrah, his home city, where it became an idol everyone worshiped. In Psalm 42 the psalmist is being reproached by his enemies, and it is serving as a distraction from his trust and wholehearted worship to YHWH. In 1 Corinthians 15 there have been some doubters who have declared that there is no resurrection of the dead, causing distraction and distress in the church.
Regardless of the reason, there seem to be an infinite number of circumstances and distracting arguments that can pull my attention away from the only source of life.
Application
I’ve been feeling a bit dry of late, and I don’t like the feeling. I’m reading and journaling consistently, but prayer and worship are hard at the moment. I know part of the reason is that I have a plate full of distractions. Most of them are good and wholesome things—business, chaplaincy, even working on a discipleship plan for Eastside. The trouble is, they all take up mental space and require “processor time” in my brain. When they start to overwrite my focus on Jesus it becomes a problem.
The psalmist knows my story. In Psalm 43 his answer to this dilemma is to cry out to God asking for light and truth. Look at the petition he lifts to heaven: Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.
God’s light and truth always bring us to his holy hill, where the result is fellowship and worship. It hasn’t made the psalmist’s enemies disappear, but it has put an entirely new perspective on his situation. In God’s presence faith and hope rise, and priorities are reset.
Prayer
Precious Father God, I’m distracted from you of late. Please send out your light and truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to your hold hill and your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you, O God, my God.
Tags: distractions, light, truth, worship
Posted by Charlie on Mar 7, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: Deuteronomy 5, 6; Psalm 43; Mark 14
Vindicate me, O God, And plead my cause against an ungodly nation; Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man! For You are the God of my strength; Why do You cast me off? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.
Psalm 43
Observation
In just five verses this Psalm outlines the process of walking with God in such clarity. Paragraph 1 recognizes that I am engaged in a cosmic battle with outside forces only God has the power to overcome. Day by day I am dependent on God’s protection and power to keep my life from the snare of my enemies.
Paragraph 2 recognizes that I also battle against strongholds of darkness within myself that only he can displace. When he brings light and truth into my mind and heart (read: conscious and subconscious mind) and displaces the lies I have believed over the course of my life with the truth from his perspective, it results in a freedom that overflows in praise and thanksgiving.
Paragraph 3 is a reminder that God will complete the process he has already begun and will continue to set me free as I walk with him and seek him faithfully.
Application
God has been so faithful to me over the years of my life, and has set me free in so many areas. This Psalm is a great reminder that I need to keep pressing in and seeking him daily because I still have cosmic enemies and I still believe certain lies that need to be displaced by God’s light and truth. It is easy to gain freedom in an area, then to stop pressing in and go into a maintenance mode in life. God wants me to go deeper with him.
Prayer
Jesus, thank you that you are the light of the world, and the darkness does not overcome you. Please send out your light and truth to me today. Please displace the lies of darkness that war against my soul, and protect my loved ones and me from the power of the enemy. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.
Tags: lies, light, praise, truth
Posted by Charlie on Feb 15, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: Leviticus 25; Psalms 25, 26; Acts 22
Make me know Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day.
Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
According to Your lovingkindness remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O LORD.
Psalm 25:4–5
Observation
In Psalm 25 David lays out four requests before God:
1. Make me to know your ways
2. Lead me in your truth and teach me
3. Remember your compassion and lovingkindness
4. Don’t remember my sins
It is a bold request, and God answered David’s prayer, in part, through his ten years of living as a fugitive from Saul.
Application
Being serious about following God and truly knowing him and his ways means that he will lead and teach me. In Verse 12 the Psalm says “Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him he will teach in the way he chooses.” That means I may not always enjoy the experience, but, like David, I place my trust in his divine wisdom and mercy. My dear brother in law says that God’s ability to lead me is greater than my ability to follow. I think David would agree.
Prayer
Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation. For You I wait all the day. Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, for they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions. According to Your lovingkindness remember me, for Your goodness’ sake, O LORD.
Tags: growth, truth
