Acts 1:6-11

Acts 1:6-11

English Standard Version 

  This always feels to me like the end of a movie.  When you're in a movie theater, it's dark and everything is focused on the screen, and then they suddenly turn the lights on and throw you out into the world.  No one is ready for that transition, and it's always a shock, and you always feel a little dazed -- you've been in an alternate reality for hours, and suddenly, you're back in the real world.

  The disciples must have felt like that.  There's no time to comprehend it all -- suddenly, Jesus is gone, and the angels don't give them time to linger.  They wonder why the disciples are staring into heaven, and then they remind them that they are sent into the world.  Their job isn't to stare uselessly into the clouds, but rather to go forth into the real world, into the messy and often-jarring world, and proclaim the Gospel good news to all people.

  May we not spend all our time staring into heaven.  There's a time and a place for us worship and adore God, and then we go out into the world to preach the Good News.  It can be a shock, a radical  departure from our time of worship, but that's who we are called to be -- a people in the world, serving the world, loving the world.

Acts 1:1-5

Acts 1:1-5 

English Standard Version

  I love to read about the early church -- it was so dynamic and so alive.  For forty days, Jesus spent his time with the disciples, and it must have been such a rich time, as they wondered at all that Jesus was and taught, and he tried to prepare them for leading the church without Jesus physically present.  These were fishermen and tax collectors -- they weren't ready for this, and yet they were ready for this, because of what God had done and was doing in their lives.

  It's so easy to forget that the same Spirit that moved over the waters at Creation, the same spirit that empowered and led this community of faith, is with us here and now, helping us love and serve one another in present day America.  It's easy to assign the Spirit to the pages of history, but God has promised to be with us always, and God keeps God's promises, so we can depend on the Holy Spirit.  The world may be a bit louder, and it may be a little harder to hear, but we can count on God to draw near to us, especially in times of distress, and to guide us forward just as God led the early church.

  

Psalm 42:1-5

Psalm 42:1-5 

English Standard Version 

  What feeds you?

  When I think about all the different forms of media that I take in during the day, it's quite the list.  All of these things are competing for my attention. 

  When I think about what feeds me, what sustains my soul, most everything drops off the list.  My soul was made to be fed by the Word of God.  I need manna from heaven, bread for the day, and without that, my soul grows parched, and it pants for God.

  Speak to your soul -- remind it to again praise God, for God is our salvation, and God alone will sustain us through every dark night.

Titus 1:10-16

Titus 1:10-16 

New International Version 

  It's easy to think that our everyday problems don't account to much in light of everything that's going on in the world.  Do you ever feel bad for worrying about something?

  Well, it matters.  Here's Paul, addressing issues in the church.  They weren't problems on the global scale, and yet local problems matter.  The problems of the church matter.  The problems of your life matter.  It causes strife, and that interferes with the life of the community, and so it matters.

  Because it matters, don't feel bad about bringing it before God.  Bring it all in prayer.  Don't try and feel like any of it is too small.  God knows about every hair that falls from your head, so come as you are, and lay it all down, that we may opt for Christ's burden instead, which is easy and light.

  

Titus 1:5-9

Titus 1:5-9 

English Standard Version 

  It matters who we select as leaders.  It's as true of the nation as it is of the local church.  The people we select to lead will have a massive impact on how outsiders view an organization.  People are watching the president and the members of congress and forming opinions about what kind of country we are.  People are watching pastors and members of session and boards to see what kind of church we are.  It deeply, deeply matters, and anyone who has been a part of an organization with poor leadership knows how that reverberates through the organization and causes people to fall away, either loudly out the front door, but far more common, they slip out the side doors, not wanting to make a scene, but not wanting to associate with that organization anymore, either.  

  So may we opt for wise leaders, and pray for discernment as we make our selections.  

Titus 1:1-4

Titus 1:1-4 

English Standard Version 

  What does it all boil down to?  We have hope for eternal life, and that hope is based on the Word of God, who himself died and rose from the grave.  God has proven himself to be reliable, and therefore, we should rely upon the promise that God will secure eternal life for us.  All of that holds true, and so we can have hope.  If we built that hope on any other promise, then it might be faulty, but because it's based on a God who has proven throughout history to do as God says, then we can base a life upon that.  Paul bases everything on it, and he encourages the church to do the same.  Once we've grasped that, then we can truly have grace and peace.

Psalm 121:1-4

Psalm 121:1-4

English Standard Version 

  The geography of this Psalms always helps me.  I imagine myself in a valley, in a gorge, surrounded by hills.  In such a scenario, we can look down or around at the walls that are closing in, or we can lift our eyes up to the hills, trusting that God will come over the hills and descend into the valley to deliver us.  This is the picture of the Gospels -- the God who made heaven and earth is not afraid to come down into our troubles to be with us.  

  God doesn't miss our troubles when we're asleep.  There's an amazing scene where Elijah duels with the prophets of Baal, and they can't get a response from Baal, and so Elijah tells them to shout louder in case Baal is asleep.  Elijah knows that God is listening, that God is watching.  

  God is always near, even in times of trouble. So rather than focus our attention on those walls that bring trouble, may we lift our eyes to God.

2 Thessalonians 3:16-18

2 Thessalonians 3:16-18 

English Standard Version 

  May we care for one another with the same level, especially in such divided times -- may we hope and pray that God will grant us peace in every way, and may we dream that for one another.  I hope that over the next four months that Americans can pray that for one another, that we may truly pursue peace and hope for God to bring that peace, one to another, and that the church may show the way.

2 Thessalonians 3:13-15

2 Thessalonians 3:13-15 

English Standard Version 

  This hits home, right?  How easy is it to get worn out in serving others, in doing good?  It can be tiring, it can wear out the soul, especially when we work and work and work and it feels like our toils have little impact on the world around us.

  But let us not grow weary in doing good.  May we encourage one another to keep serving, to keep striving.  Whenever we serve another person, we serve a beloved creation of God.  May we keep that in our minds and in our hearts, and may we continue to strive, to pursue holiness and unity in Christ's church.  That's a worthy goal, a story worth telling, a life worth living.

2 Thessalonians 3:6-12

2 Thessalonians 3:6-12 

English Standard Version 

  The church is a community.  If everyone is not doing their part, then that's how a community can begin to rot.  Everyone is going to work at different levels, everyone has different capabilities -- Paul isn't disputing that.  But everyone has a part to play, and if there are people in the community sitting back and not doing anything to serve the community, then that places more burden on those who are working  Paul recognizes how damaging that could be, and so he encourages each and every person to find their role in the church and the community.  May we all be actively serving, using our gifts, pursuing faithfulness and holiness and stewardship.  We don't have to do this loudly, but we can be quiet, faithfully striving, faithfully serving, thinking of the community.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

English Standard Version 

  Here's Paul, one of the key leaders of the church, and in the first two verses here, we get a glimpse into his suffering.  Paul's been focused on the church and their questions, but he lets his guard down here, requesting prayers for his own suffering, but then he immediately pivots right back to the church, encouraging them by reminding them of the Lord's faithfulness, praying for God to direct their hearts to the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ.  Can you imagine if you could find a way to focus on those two things all day?  You'd feel amazing!  

  Paul is teaching us here.  He's reminding us that even in our own suffering, we can look for ways to encourage others.  When we're rooted in Christ, we know that Christ will lead us through suffering, so we can use that time to find others to encourage.  In so doing, we help build and strengthen the church!

Psalm 25:4-5

Psalm 25:4-5 

English Standard Version 

  This weekend was noisy and chaotic.  So many voices, filled with anger and pain and uncertainty and fear.  In the midst of all of it, I try and discern what the right reaction is.  Where do we go from here?  How do we know the next right thing to do?  How do we ensure we're not manipulated by people with an agenda that may lead us far from where we want to be?

  In chaotic times, Scripture tells us to wait on the Lord.  At one point, King Saul grew impatient.  A sacrifice needed to be offered, and while the prophet Samuel was supposed to offer it, Saul figured he could do it on his own.  Did he really need to wait?  Wasn't he the king after all?

  Samuel shows up and tells Saul that he acted foolishly.  He was called to wait on God.

  Often, when I impulsively react, I act foolishly.  May I be willing to wait, even all day long, for God to lead me, to teach me, to show me the next right step, that I may be a force for grace in my community.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 

English Standard Version 

  We've all seen the analysis many times -- at the end of the movie Titanic, there was plenty of room on the door for both of them.  However, Jack couldn't hold on -- the cold water and the hardships wore away at him, and eventually he slipped into the watery depths.  

  Paul is writing to a church in the midst of hardships.  The threat to them is that they'll succumb to the pressures of adversity, so Paul is calling on them to stand firm, to hold onto the traditions.  In the midst of so many things leaning on them, Paul is telling them that their faith is what truly, truly matters, and so they need to stand firm, based on God's love, and trusting that God will comfort their hearts at the same time.

  May we find the strength to hold firm as well.  The world is a hard place, and we need the community of believers to gather around us to help us hold firm.  It's a hard thing to do on our own, but we're not called to do this on our own.  We're called to be in community, to serve one another, so that in the midst of the storm, we help each stand firm.

2 Thessalonians 2:7-12

2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 

English Standard Version 

  It's remarkable to think about Paul's life.  He was a very successful Pharisee with a great career ahead of him -- he could've ascended to the ranks of leadership, but he left all that behind after his experience on the road to Damascus.  He must've had very convincing proof that Jesus was who he said that he was.  Paul was an educated man, well-grounded in the ways of religion and extremely unlikely to be taken in, so I don't doubt that God gave him something that was ironclad.  It was an amazing experience, and Paul was clearly given other knowledge as well.  Paul was given gifts for the church, and he used those to encourage early church members, especially those who were suffering.  Paul traveled around the known world and wrote letters to communities in the hopes of sharing the Gospel and encouraging them in the midst of trials and tribulations.  Here, Paul reminds them of the amazing power of God -- the breath from the mouth of God will be enough to kill the one who opposes God.  God's power is such that the breath will be enough -- the same breath with creative power that moved over the watery chaos in the beginning will conquer the destructive chaos at the end, and there will be order, God's beautiful order, that will reign in the new creation and in the hearts of those who follow God.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-6

2 Thessalonians 2:1-6 

English Standard Version 

  So the church is asking an incredibly valid question -- when will the day of the Lord come?  They were expecting it imminently, and they're waiting, and suffering, and wondering.  Some are likely falling away from the church, opting not to endure, believing that the promise isn't reliable.  Paul is trying to assure them, and to assure us, that there is a process.  There is a son of destruction that will come, who will oppose all things and try to claim a seat in the temple.  Until this happens, then the day of the Lord will be waiting.

  Here we are, 2,000 years later.  You likely have questions.  I also have questions.  The early church was awaiting the return of Christ within years or decades of the crucifixion.  Christ still hasn't returned.  So how do we deal with that?  The reading tomorrow will expand on the man of lawlessness, but for the meantime, I trust in God and in God's church.  If Jesus Christ is able to be raised from the dead, then I think he's worth waiting for -- be it 2 or 2,000 years.  If he truly is larger than life and larger than death, then worshiping him isn't the wrong choice.  He predicted his own death and resurrection, and he walked out of a tomb promising that we could all follow him on the same path.  That God stands outside of time and space, and so I'll spend my life patiently waiting, if that is the case.  He is worth following, no matter the timeframe.

2 Thessalonians 1:9-12

2 Thessalonians 1:9-12

English Standard Version 

  Scripture provides plenty of hints as to what it might look like when Christ comes in fullness.  Whatever it exactly is like, I know that I want to be in the community of people who proclaim him as Lord and Savior, and not in the alternative.  Paul is in the midst of reminding the church in Thessalonica that there will be consequences for those who afflict them with pain and suffering, and those will be settled by God.  They have to trust in this process, trust in this outcome, as challenging as a message as that is.  

  The individuals in the church are suffering, and so Paul commits to be in prayer for them, that they may know the power of God at work in them.  Paul cannot be with them in body, but he can join with them in prayer, confidant that God is with them, confidant that the eternal witness of the church is gathered around them.  Paul believed that God would work through their prayers -- may we have the same faith, the same confidence.

Psalm 98:1-3

Psalm 98:1-3 

English Standard Version 

  Have you ever been on an airplane over a fireworks show?  It's fantastic to see them from above, and you can see them from a long way away -- the light carries in the darkness.  Fly over the same show at noon, however, and you can barely see it.  Over the last few days, I've heard some fireworks going off during daytime, but you can't see it until night.

  The Lord makes known God's steadfast love and faithfulness.  At times, it does seem like fireworks in the day, challenging to distinguish from so many other points of light.  However, Scripture assures us that in time, every end of the earth will see the salvation of God, like fireworks on a clear night, there will be no ambiguity.  May we trust in God for this, and pray for the wisdom to let God's light shine in us and through us, so that we will be part of God's display for the world.

2 Thessalonians 1:5-8

2 Thessalonians 1:5-8 

English Standard Version 

  When someone wrongs us, we have two choices.  We can try and make things even, or we can trust in the Lord to set things right through God's justice and in God's time.  It's always tempting to try the first, but it's also exhausting, and that's how the cycle of violence is perpetuated, because it's rare for people to think things are fair -- we always feel slighted, and that we need to get back at the other party.  

  However, if you trust in the Lord's ability to set things straight, then it's tremendously freeing, and I think it's the only way to cope with grave injustices.  If the world's justice fails you, how else can you deal with it?  I don't know that you can ever strike back enough to feel like you've set things right, and in this worldly time frame, some things can never be repaired.  If we look on an eternal scope, however, the God who exists outside of time and space has the ability to truly set things right.  I don't think it's always going to be the way we imagine it will be (reminding me of the quote that if you think God has the exact same enemies that you do, maybe you need to re-evaluate things), but we can trust the Lord of love and grace to deal with things the way they ought to be.  

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4 

English Standard Version 

  It's wild to me that in the last sixteen years of doing these devotionals, there are entire books that I've never been through.  In the past, when I've read verses 3 and 4, I think I've separated them in my head.  The faith of the church is growing, and their love for one another is increasing... and yet they're suffering under persecutions and afflictions.  I so often am guilty of reading the Bible verse by verse, but then I hold these together, and isn't it remarkable that the faith of the church is growing despite these persecutions and afflictions?  One would suppose that they'd be negatively impacting the church, but instead, the church continues to grow, and the church members are filled with love for one another!  What a strong hold on the Gospel they must have to not fade away in the midst of persecution but to cling even more tightly to the Good News preached by Paul. 

  May we study these words with the same spirit, with the same focus, that the message of the Gospel may be such good news to us as well!

Psalm 33:18-22

Psalm 33:18-22

English Standard Version

  Do you ever watch videos of people driving along perilous cliffside roads, or over rickety bridges, and you're holding your breath on their behalf, never sure if they are going to make it or not?

  That's not the image the Psalmist gives us.  The Psalmist paints a picture of someone with a glad heart, even in the midst of famine, because they have ultimate trust in God.  To have this kind of joy, this deep-seated joy, is the reward of a lifetime of studying Scripture and pursuing God, because only through investing that kind of time do you gain the knowledge and confidence that God will be with you regardless of circumstances.  When we live with such knowledge, then we're not afraid of what the world throws at us, because we know that we are ultimate victors through Christ our Lord.