December 25 - 2 Peter, Jude: Building God's Chosen People to Resist Dangerous Teachers

Today’s Reading: 2 Peter; Jude

The Message

English Standard Version

Merry Christmas! I hope today brings you with family you love or a job which is helpful to those you serve.

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Both Peter and Jude warn against people who want to infiltrate God's Chosen People with bad intentions.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

2 Peter

Peter to people with God's life-changing experiences:
Keep answering God's Invitation to know Him. Each quality you install leads to a better one. I'll never stop reminding you of this.
Everything we—firsthand witnesses—write is from God.
Not everyone is this honest. These people are absolutely the worst. They promise Life but provide enslavement.
Ignorant people will mock God waiting for the world to prepare for His Return. At that point everything will change lightning-quick.
Live wholly for God. Paul mentions this, though he is misinterpreted by the hooligan teachers.
Grow in grace and understanding. Glory now and forever!

Jude

Jude, James' brother, to those God loves and protects in Christ:
Keep fighting for the faith that sets our relationship with God right. Some are replacing God's Grace in Jesus. God punished people who did that in the past and will do it again with these teachers.
I'm sick of their underhanded methods! They are warts on our group. Sorry teachers have been around since Enoch. They lead people down paths of destruction through lust, selfishness, and cynical joking.
Build yourself for real Life, going easy on people's mistakes.
To Jesus be glory, majesty, strength, and rule forever and ever!

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Peter and Jude write to people who have had life-altering experiences with God.

We do ourselves a disservice when we make obeying God such a head-knowledge affair. God's Way is meant to be lived, not understood. Both of these writers want to encourage their readers to continue growing by living, not by reading and studying. Peter wants them to develop lives that live the Message by adding dimensions of faithfulness. Jude tells them to build themselves in faith through prayer, ready to receive God's Mercy. We should do the same.

Scriptures are not for our interpretation. They are the writings of people who were there.

The most reliable testimony comes from people who were present when the events took place. Scripture was written by people who were there when Jesus lived, died, returned from the dead, and ascended to be with God. We should not question their understanding or think we have more information which makes our opinions better than theirs. Scripture should be read and taken for face value. The writers had help from God's Spirit and their firsthand knowledge to write the truth. Any outside aid (like this one) should help us understand the text for today, not give reasons we should disregard it and act in a different way.

God will punish teachers out to make their name great at the expense of God's Name.

Peter has to boldly denunciate these people as exploiters because they are unwilling to teach people to set things right. Instead they try to make their name great, turning people into slaves to their doctrines. Both Peter and Jude warn that these teachers will be punished like God punished in the past. The teachers may not receive their comeuppance while living but they would when they died. They are different than Paul's opponents because they preached Christ. These people teach people to do whatever they want under the name "Jesus". Beware people who teach a doctrine of anything goes or strict adherence to rules. Neither help you set your relationship with God right. However, before we completely write them off as kooks who most people would disregard, remember that their message of doing whatever you want with God's approval is more popular than the discipline of God's Way because people want to do whatever they want to do. These ministers may want larger paychecks, more notoriety, and the earthly satisfaction that loose lifestyles bring.

God takes a long view of time.

God's timing is not the same as ours. Paul and Peter thought Jesus would return within their lifetimes or shortly after. Two thousand years later we are still here. One of the greatest struggles Christians have with belief in God and faith that He will set things right in the end is the fact that Jesus has still not returned. Yet Peter warns us that God does not work on our time. God's View is long-term—He wants the entire world to obey Him before Jesus returns.
There are groups of Chinese Christians who take an interesting view of passages such as these. They note the westward expansion of the Gospel—from the Middle East to Europe and Africa, to the Americas, then to Asia. They wish to return the Gospel to the Middle East by sending Christian workers from Asia into countries that would not allow missionaries and/or would be suspicious of Europeans. By doing this, they feel they will have completed the cycle—back to Jerusalem—and will facilitate Jesus' Return. Whether or not their goal will happen based on their work is unknown, but their means are laudable. Either way, the truth remains that God wants the entire world to obey Him before Jesus returns. We pray that that will happen soon!

What life-altering experiences with God have shaped your life?

December 23 - Hebrews 11-13: Faith in God and God's Discipline

Today’s Reading: Hebrews 11-13

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

God's Discipline is meant to help us stay focused on faith.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Faith, trusting the existence of something or someone we cannot see, distinguished our ancestors because they knew their home was in Heaven. Set your eyes on Jesus, the one who finished the race first.
God's Discipline is for His Children. Embrace His Training and help each other through it. He removes what separates us because He cares for us.
Love and help each other as much as possible. Honor marriage and keep it holy. Be content with your possessions. Respect your leaders. Be "outsiders" to the world. Worship God through helping others.
Pray for us.
May God bless you.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Faith is trusting in something that we cannot prove.

One of the coolest parts of teaching in China was the fact that even though we grew up on the other side of the globe from each other, no one rejected this definition of faith. When they realized that their beliefs in science, economics, Chinese cultural facts, etc. were based on faith they realized that religion wasn't so strange after all. Everyone has faith in something. The proper question is not "do you have faith?" The proper question is, "What do you have faith in?" What your faith is in will ultimately decide how far you can go. When we put our full faith in God, nothing is too difficult.

Without faith in God it is impossible for God's Chosen People to please Him.

This is the concept that got Israel in trouble for so many generations. They thought as long as they kept the rituals it didn't matter if they had faith in God. God wanted them to realize that concept was the opposite—God cares not for what we do ritually but if we have faith in Him. This is essential for the church to understand. Unless we realize that we must fully trust God to set things right we cannot fully please Him.

The faith of our (spiritual) ancestors are connected to ours.

We have a tendency to turn Bible characters into demigods whose faith and actions we could never match. The issue is that although their lives were extraordinary, their faith was not. They cannot have more faith than us. The difference between them and others in their age is that they were willing to keep going in their faith even though it meant strange or painful outcomes. If we keep our focus on God we can be connected to our spiritual ancestors—including Jesus! It is this connection which keeps us running toward Jesus even when it is difficult. It is this connection which makes us want to take off our training weights and excess fat to run the race better.

God disciplines us because He loves us.

Christians have a difficult time accepting God's Discipline. We want to lie, cheat, steal, and do all of the things the world gets away with. In reality, this is the most difficult, yet important aspect of obeying God. Having the right words, the right intentions, and the right teachings mean nothing if we do not act on those words, intentions, and teachings. When we mature we realize God's Discipline was preparing us to live with Him all along. Parents prepare their children for grownup lives through discipline. God prepares us for grownup faith-lives through discipline.

God removes everything that separates us from Him.

I have written on this more times than I care to look up and link. God wanted His Chosen People to have a direct link to Him. He shook the earth, removed the barriers between us, and removed all of the religious buildup which we hid behind to shield ourselves from God's Discipline. I believe this is what is happening now. We have a large number of people leaving churches and going back to the source—God. Our challenge is to be challenged by them and help each other set things right.

Leaders deserve respect and should have things made easier for them.

Church leadership is often voluntary or part-time work. Making things harder by arguing, going behind their backs, or not complying with their decisions shows a lack of faith in God, not discernment on the part of the member(s). Remember, God does not want elders to lord over their flock. God also does not want the flock to lord over their elders.

Whose faith give you inspiration to set things right?

December 20 - 1 Peter: Expect Persecutions for Living the Life of Christ

Today’s Reading: 1 Peter

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Suffering because you did something wrong is justice. Suffering because you do something right is expected.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Peter to the scattered:
Resurrection makes life worth it. Persecutions refine faith.
Live differently than before. Join the living Stone as God's Instruments.
Be good citizens. Use your freedom in Christ to do good.
Wives, develop inner beauty. Husbands, treat your wives well.
Suffer for being good, not bad. Baptism cleanses your conscience, not your body.
Leave your old life and love like nothing else.
God is there in difficult times but has high standards.
Leaders, please God and stay content with your current power.
The Devil wants to pounce, so stay alert. It won't last forever.
Embrace God's Truth!

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Persecution refines our faith.

Peter assures the dispersed Christians that their persecution is neither above God's Ability to save His Chosen People nor does it hurt their faith. Instead, their faith becomes stronger because it is tested. We learn through persecution what is essential to obey God and what is a rule we have added to "help" us get there. The refining power of fire makes us better people and more likely to set things right.
I would like to mention a pet peeve of mine, though. Some of the persecution Christians receive comes from our somewhat strange idea that we should proclaim every belief we have on everything topic to every person in the world. Our quest to make theology simple and thorough has led us to come out and tell people outside our sphere of influence every little belief we have about Jesus, God, the church, and everything else. Why do we do this? I can understand a group presenting their views to a visitor who wants to know, but I don't understand why Christians want to go on television and tell the world their particular view on a subject. It is unnecessary and only leads to more persecution—this time for angering others for having the wrong beliefs, not for setting things right. We should be persecuted because we help too many people, not because we decided to broadcast our views on communism, socialism, family values, homosexuality, racism, etc. to people who don't care about us. Tell these views, but keep them to your sphere of influence. The purpose of the Kingdom is to spread God's Influence over the entire world. That is not done by going on network news and complaining about the political topic de jour. We must learn to keep our opinions to ourselves unless around people within our sphere of influence. It is harder for a person to reject you and Jesus if a friend agonizes over a controversial stand right in front of them. We should expect persecution when we do give an answer to our hope, but we should not walk around goading others to persecute us.

We are in an enviable position.

As humans we have the limited ability to see God. We have faith that He exists. We live with the understanding that we can be wrong. The angels do not have that luxury. They are with God the entire time and thus will never experience faith. Living thousands of years after the events of the Bible took place helps us realize how much we need to trust God that what is here is His Way.

God is our Father—for both blessings and punishment.

God will not punish us for doing good. He will also never allow us to get by with doing evil. God has a high standard. This is why we go to the world and proclaim His Message. We want the world to live up to His Standard. We, too, will be held to that standard.

We live up to that standard for more than Heaven.

Some people obey God because they want to be in Heaven. Others obey because they do not want to go to Hell. Neither of these is a sufficient reason alone. We set things right because God paid for our punishment. We set things right because God is Love. We set things right because we should never tire of doing good. We set things right so our enemies will never have the ability to complain. We set things right to become instruments of God, shining light into dark places. Heaven will be a great place, no doubt, but we set things right for much greater reasons than that.

We should be fine, upstanding citizens, workers, and friends.

We are to respect authorities. We obey our managers/masters regardless of their respectability. We should use our freedom to exploit loopholes in laws to set things right, not for selfish gains. By doing these things we will bring honor to God and shut our enemies up. They won't be able to speak against us because many people will defend us—even godless people!

Baptism clears our conscience.

Baptism is meant to help us get past our past and become one of God's Ambassadors to the world. When we think of baptism beyond the magical binding-God-to-save-me act we realize it was meant for us, not us for it. Should God's Chosen People be baptized? Yes! Does that mean every single person in the world that has not been immersed is condemned to be forever without God? No.

Leaders are shepherds, not lords.

They are to help lead everyone to God's Way, not drive us in their way. They use tender words to sweetly push us to the right way. They do not give ultimatums or speak in "my way or the highway" language. God's Chosen Leaders show God's Way through example and encouragement, not pushing and threats.

Have you ever experienced an unexpected ally because you set things right?

November 27 - 1 Thessalonians; 2 Thessalonians: Living the Beautiful Life Until the Resurrection

Today’s Reading: 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians

The Message

English Standard Version

Today we read two New Testament books. I want to keep each book separate in the summaries, so today I will write two summaries, one for each book. That way I do not need to condense them into one, 100-word summary.

Thought to Guide Your Reading

The Thessalonians wanted to set things right but they were confused over the Resurrection.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

1 Thessalonians

Paul with Silas and Timothy greet the church at Thessalonica. You have taken God's Message to heart! Your faith is famous!
Our Message has been purified through persecution.
You follow in the original disciples' footsteps—in both faith and persecution. No praise can do you justice.
Stay holy. Set things right—such a beautiful life.
Jesus' Resurrection gives us hope. Don't worry; the dead will join us for one big family reunion! No one knows when, though.
Act like creatures of Light. Build each other up.
May God make you wholly His—body, soul, spirit.
Jesus' Grace be with you!

2 Thessalonians

Paul, Silas, and Timothy greet the Thessalonian Christians. Your faith continues to grow! We are so proud of your faith-endurance.
Problems help you condition for the Kingdom. Justice will come at Jesus' Return!
Jesus has not returned yet. The Anarchist will come first. One day, God will overwhelm his fake signs. Stay firm—God will give you life.
Pray that our Message is received where we work now.
No freeloaders! Don't enable them but don't think of them as the enemy.
May God help you get along.
I, Paul, signed with my own hand.
Jesus' Grace be with you all!

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

The Thessalonians lived what Jesus taught.

Reading through Paul's boastings about them is uplifting, especially after spending a large amount of the year reading how Israel never got it. The Thessalonians, on the other hand, not only accepted Paul's Message of Jesus they lived it out. It is a huge encouragement for people who feel like being holy is impossible. When we live holy lives, the whole world takes note and Jesus' Message is accepted. If they could do it, so can we!

Trials and persecutions purify our faith.

Paul mentions his own persecution in the first letter and the church's persecution in the second. Both are used by God to get rid of impurities in their faith. The more they are persecuted the more they realize what is important and helpful in being holy. The other things are dropped or excised. Do not be discouraged by problems. They lead you to greater trust in God.

Paul encourages them to continue what they are doing, but not by going through the religious motions.

The things Paul tells them to do in the rest of the book are not "religious-y" things but focus on holiness and setting things right. Paul does not want them to become the replacements for the Jews—enjoying the rewards of being God's Chosen People without the responsibility of setting things right. He wants them to continue "in a living, spirited dance" (1 Thessalonians 4:1, The Message). Going through religious motions does not please God. Holy people setting things right does.

The hope of Resurrection separates us from the world.

Christianity is not a religion of the cross. We are a religion of the empty tomb. Jesus' Sacrifice may have set our relationship with God right but His Resurrection gives us hope that one day we will be with Him for eternity. The Resurrection was so important to the Thessalonians they became worried that their dead relatives would miss out. Paul sets their minds at ease by declaring that everyone will return from the dead to be with God. It will be one big family reunion!

The Message of Jesus does not lead to laziness.

Paul mentions this in the first letter but dedicates a long section to it in the second. He wants to make sure the Thessalonians do not think that just because rich people are selling what they have and giving to the poor that the poor can sit back and live off the proceeds. Paul tells them this is unacceptable. He and Silas did not live off them and they had a legitimate claim! Paul even goes to the point of saying the church should cut that person off—though he does not want them to be cut out of the church. Everyone pulls their own weight. Selling and giving should be reserved for those who have unexpected needs and/or those who cannot work.
This passage sets me at odds with much of the socialist programs in the world. The problem I see is not that they help the poor but that they cannot distinguish between those who need help and those goofing off. The church from the beginning helped everyone willing to be part of them. In fact, early Christians eliminated poverty within the church by giving to the poor. Government programs cannot do this because they lack the ability to say "no" when a person doesn't work. The bureaucracies are too far removed from the individual for it to be effective. Churches know if a person is being lazy or is legitimately unable to work. The federal government cannot. The question is not over whether the poor should be helped or not. The question is over which way would be more efficient and effective in eliminating poverty. The closer the giver is to the receiver, the better and more effective charity becomes.

Whose faith do you use as an example of trusting in God?

November 22 - James: God wants His Chosen People to Set Things Right

Today’s Reading: James

The Message

English Standard Version

James could be considered the Proverbs of the New Testament. I will use this opportunity to give general comments and let you look at the specifics. Hopefully by now you are able to see how this book fits the Gospel: God is setting all things right!

Thought to Guide Your Reading

James wants everyone to set things right instead of focusing on "faith".

Summary in 100 Words or Less

James writes:
Rejoice when tested.
Pray when confused.
Prosperity is fleeting.
Lust becomes sin leading to death.
Good things only come from God.
Real religion is taking care of the helpless.
God's Kingdom embraces down-and-out people.
There are no "minor" laws. Obey them all.
Act on your faith. A good relationship with God requires faith and action.
Be careful how you use your mouth. Actions speak louder than words.
Call on God—He wants to help, if we submit to Him.
Rich people—set things right!
Confess your sins to each other—prayer is powerful!
Help wanderers return to God.

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

God loves to help.

One of the major themes of James' letter is to pray. God wants to help His Chosen People, and God knows how to give proper gifts! We should pray because God listens to us. We should pray because God wants to help us.

Faith needs action.

James wants to make sure this is clear—faith without setting things right is useless.
Today we struggle with incorporating the two. We think it is a balancing act—not too much faith but not too much works, either. How we balance the two has come out with both extremes—faith alone and obedience alone. In addition, we want to make this question about salvation. Jesus told the Apostles don't worry who will be saved or not. We should focus on setting things right. Don't balance faith and works. Trust in God and act on that trust! The two are not in competition with the other. One informs the other which confirms the first.

True religion is helping those who cannot help themselves.

If this placement is correct, James is saying something to Jews which would be somewhat insulting. They wanted the right religion, the right actions, and the right community. God repeatedly told Israel that they substituted sacrifices for setting things right and He was not pleased. James, therefore, writes how actions not related to "religious-y" things is what pleases God. True religion is not about worship, sacraments, buildings, or liturgy. True religion is about acts that set things right, especially for those who cannot defend themselves.

Riches should not add to a person's rank.

James has this idea throughout. The church thought that rich people should receive more-centered seating so they would add to the congregation's status. James reminds them that money does not elevate their ability to set things right—in fact, it often hinders it! Do not base judgments around a person's physical wealth or stature. Base judgments around a person's willingness to set things right as a lighthouse for God.

The tongue can either deliver praises or curses.

Although the tongue cannot be tamed, it can be used for praising God, other Chosen People, and non-Chosen People or for tearing them down, but not both.

What else did you see in James?

October 28 - Luke 16-17:10: God's Crafty, Forgiving People

Today’s Reading: Luke 16-17:10

The Message

English Standard Version

Thought to Guide Your Reading

Jesus wanted His Chosen People to be as crafty as evil people—but for the opposite purposes.

Summary in 100 Words or Less

Jesus presented a parable of a manager cheating his employer to bank favors. Jesus summarized, "Be similarly crafty for setting things right."
Liars always cheat, regardless of responsibility.
Jesus told the Pharisees, "God's Law never loses Authority. He sees through your legal loopholes."
Jesus told a parable about a rich man punished at death. He wanted someone to warn his family; however, since they would not listen, no one was sent.
Jesus told His Disciples, "Forgive liberally during trials."
The Disciples cried for more faith. Jesus countered, "There is no such thing as 'more' faith. Do your job with humility."

How Today’s Reading Contributes to the Gospel: God is Setting All Things Right

Jesus wanted His Disciples to be crafty about setting things right.

The story of the dishonest manager is strange. He praises a dishonest person in order to show the reason for his dishonesty. Then He tells His Disciples they should also be crafty. The difference, obviously, is that He wants them to be crafty in setting things right. Exploit loopholes in the law—to set things right. Challenge cultural norms—to set things right. Do favors for others so they need to do favors for you—to set things right. God's Chosen People should not be naïve when it comes to ways of exploiting the system to get God's Way. Find ways around existing barriers to set things right.

Honesty does not pop up when a person has more responsibility.

We all have some form of this in our lives: that part of us that we vow to fix when we need to use it. Jesus tells His Disciples they should be honest in everything, big or small. Honesty in small acts may translate to honesty in large acts. Dishonesty in small acts means dishonesty in large acts. If you find yourself being dishonest about something small, remember you may not be given more responsibility until you develop integrity in small things. Having more responsibility does not fix any part of our lives.
I remember a congregation that I worked for who had a member that only came once in a while to worship with us and when he left the building he also left his faith. One of the men thought if we gave him more responsibility he would shape up and be more involved. Needless to say, it didn't work.

The Pharisees wanted to be exonerated of their sins by technicality.

The Pharisees loved money. They wanted to keep their lifestyles intact. Part of having money was the ability to find a new wife when they were finished with their current one. So they found a loophole in the Law and exploited it to legitimize their lust and adultery. This is the exact opposite of what Jesus meant when He told His Disciples to be crafty in setting things right. Jesus had to tell them their actions were not acceptable because God knew their divorces were selfish attempts to get around God's Law. God sees through our pretenses and actions to know our heart's intentions for everything we do.

God's Law would never go away.

The Law of Moses has often been considered antiquated or "abolished". Earlier we read how God's Message stays the same—God wants rivers of mercy and oceans of justice. When we began the laws portion of the Pentateuch, I mentioned that when the laws were read as a whole they retained respectability. In our reading today Jesus added that the focus of the Law may have changed from sacrifice and prophets, but "The sky will disintegrate and the earth dissolve / before a single letter of God’s Law wears out" (16:17, The Message). Although we may not be under the literal demands of the Law of Moses, it is still relevant for today.

Abraham understood the rich man's family would not listen to Lazarus any more than Moses or the Prophets.

The rich man wanted Lazarus, a poor invalid who lived on the rich man's steps, to return and warn his family of their fate should they continue going down the same path. This could be considered the ultimate compliment for Lazarus and the ultimate humiliation for the rich man. Abraham, on the other hand, would not allow it. The reason he gave is chilling—they would not have listened. You may wonder why he would suggest such a thing, but he knew that people who have no trust in God and desire a sign will not believe that sign. Moses doubted himself, not God. Gideon also doubted himself. Signs are not meant to stop a person from doubting God. They are meant to show God's Authority resides in the person giving or receiving the sign, depending on the situation. God has provided sufficient witnesses for the world to trust Him. They do not need personal signs.

Forgiveness is the way to hold the bond between friends.

Today is the second time this thought has surfaced. In the first, Jesus told Peter to forgive in excess of 70 x 7 times. Today's reading urges His Disciples to forgive each other as often as needed. This is meant to keep the peace between Chosen People so they can endure their trials.

There is no such thing as "more" faith.

There is only "trust" and "mistrust". You either trust God to set things right or you don't. Either you are willing to obey His Way or you aren't. Either you are His Servant or you are not. Do not ask God to increase your faith. Trust God and your bond will grow.

How crafty are you in setting things right?