Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24
I have to be honest here. I have often thought that Jesus should have put this the other way around. Shouldn’t he have said that if you remember that you have something against someone else, then you should go and deal with whatever your issue is? Wouldn’t that make more sense? He just told us not to harbor bitterness or anger or resentment in our hearts, so of course it would only make sense that we should deal with that before we come to worship.
But Jesus doesn’t put it that way. He seems to be telling us that we have to go and seek reconciliation even if we are not the ones with the problem! Does this mean we are responsible for somebody else’s issue? It is easy to justify this to ourselves with thoughts like – “Wait a minute here, I am maybe only 5% to blame here and he/she is 95% wrong. Why should I have to be the one to go to him/her?”
Romans 12:18 puts it like this: If it possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Practically speaking, this means that it really doesn’t matter who started it or who is mostly to blame for the conflict. If you are only 5% wrong (and we are almost always more at fault than we think) then the Bible is clear – go and deal with your 5%!
I have a friend who told me about how he tried for many years to wipe away the pain of a badly broken relationship with his children through going to church, and giving and serving as much as he could. He thought that if he just did enough good for God, then he could somehow atone for the wrongs he had done and erase the wrongs done to him. He said it took years for him to realize that God was not interested in all that he was doing for him if wasn’t willing to do the one thing necessary to be reconciled to his own kids. I am happy to say that he has taken some important steps and God is at work in those relationships and they are on the road to healing.
Jesus is teaching us that we cannot come to worship God while being unwilling to be reconciled to our brother or sister. Simply put, we are unfit for worship if we are unwilling to be reconciled. Just think about it for a minute…How can you come to worship the God who was willing to reconcile you to himself through the Cross if you will not even go and seek peace with your brother or sister?
The Cross of Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of the relentless pursuit of the offender by the offended! We have all broke God’s laws and turned our backs on him in countless ways, yet he is the one who pursues reconciliation with us! In fact, he pursues us all the way to the cross! He gave his only Son so that we might be reconciled to him!
So…how seriously are you willing to take Jesus on this issue?
Are you willing to live at peace with everyone, as far as it depends on you?
Who do you need to be reconciled to?
Where are the broken relationships in your life?
Who needs your forgiveness? Who do you need forgiveness from?
What will you do about it??
Prayer:
God grant us the grace to forgive and the courage to seek it. Remind us everyday that you have reconciled us to yourself through Jesus Christ – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
Wednesday, June 30
You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. – Matthew 5:21-22
This passage is the first of six contrasts that Jesus gives between the traditional teaching or interpretation of the Torah (Old Testament law) and his new teaching of what we might call “kingdom righteousness”. Six times Jesus quotes a traditional teaching (most often from the Torah itself) and six times he demonstrates how there is more that God wants for us. Each time Jesus does this, he uses the same pattern. It goes something like this, “You have heard it said….But I tell you…”
One of the amazing things about this is that Jesus does not give any other authority to back up his teaching. Other Rabbis and teachers of Jesus’ day would always base their interpretation or teaching of the law on what some other Rabbi had previously said or taught. Jesus never does this; apparently he thinks it is authoritative simply because he is saying it!
This is one of the reasons why, at the very end of the Sermon on the Mount, the people are so amazed at Jesus’ teaching.
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. - Matthew 7:28-29
Here in the first of the six contrasts, Jesus is comparing the consequences of breaking the sixth commandment; Thou shall not kill, with the consequences of having anger and resentment in our hearts. Of course it is no surprise to hear that murder is wrong. However, Jesus implies that to harbor anger and hatred toward another person is essentially to murder them in our hearts. Whoa! Think about that for just a minute…
Jesus is telling us that murder begins with the seeds of anger, resentment and hatred in the human heart. If these seeds are allowed to take root and grow, over time they can lead to terrible consequences.
See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. - Hebrews 12:15
In light of all this, consider this question – Who are you in danger of murdering in your heart?
It is very tempting to rationalize all this and say to ourselves something like, “Come on, let’s not be too extreme here. Oh, sure, I may have a few people that irritate me, a few that I could do without, and some that I just can’t stand, but I am not murdering anybody.” But look at what Jesus says next. He says that we put our souls at risk even when we call somebody a fool! The word ‘Racca’ which Jesus uses, literally means “empty headed”. In other words, whenever we think of another person as a nobody, an idiot, a moron, or a good for nothing, we violate the law of God and we damage our hearts (not to mention theirs).
Take a few moments to consider the following questions…
Have you ever wished any harm on another person?
Have you ever rolled your eyes (even internally) at someone who you thought was just stupid?
Have you ever ignored someone who you just didn’t feel was worth your time?
Have you ever found yourself talking with another person about how annoying or foolish “so and so” is?
Is there someone right now that you despise in your heart?
Confess these things to your Father and ask him for the grace and strength to release you from your anger, scorn and/or bitterness…
Prayer:
Lord Jesus we recognize that you alone have all authority in heaven and on earth, and we know that you alone have the words of life that we desperately need. Forgive our unforgiving hearts and free us from all anger and resentment. Teach us to love others as you love us – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
This passage is the first of six contrasts that Jesus gives between the traditional teaching or interpretation of the Torah (Old Testament law) and his new teaching of what we might call “kingdom righteousness”. Six times Jesus quotes a traditional teaching (most often from the Torah itself) and six times he demonstrates how there is more that God wants for us. Each time Jesus does this, he uses the same pattern. It goes something like this, “You have heard it said….But I tell you…”
One of the amazing things about this is that Jesus does not give any other authority to back up his teaching. Other Rabbis and teachers of Jesus’ day would always base their interpretation or teaching of the law on what some other Rabbi had previously said or taught. Jesus never does this; apparently he thinks it is authoritative simply because he is saying it!
This is one of the reasons why, at the very end of the Sermon on the Mount, the people are so amazed at Jesus’ teaching.
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. - Matthew 7:28-29
Here in the first of the six contrasts, Jesus is comparing the consequences of breaking the sixth commandment; Thou shall not kill, with the consequences of having anger and resentment in our hearts. Of course it is no surprise to hear that murder is wrong. However, Jesus implies that to harbor anger and hatred toward another person is essentially to murder them in our hearts. Whoa! Think about that for just a minute…
Jesus is telling us that murder begins with the seeds of anger, resentment and hatred in the human heart. If these seeds are allowed to take root and grow, over time they can lead to terrible consequences.
See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. - Hebrews 12:15
In light of all this, consider this question – Who are you in danger of murdering in your heart?
It is very tempting to rationalize all this and say to ourselves something like, “Come on, let’s not be too extreme here. Oh, sure, I may have a few people that irritate me, a few that I could do without, and some that I just can’t stand, but I am not murdering anybody.” But look at what Jesus says next. He says that we put our souls at risk even when we call somebody a fool! The word ‘Racca’ which Jesus uses, literally means “empty headed”. In other words, whenever we think of another person as a nobody, an idiot, a moron, or a good for nothing, we violate the law of God and we damage our hearts (not to mention theirs).
Take a few moments to consider the following questions…
Have you ever wished any harm on another person?
Have you ever rolled your eyes (even internally) at someone who you thought was just stupid?
Have you ever ignored someone who you just didn’t feel was worth your time?
Have you ever found yourself talking with another person about how annoying or foolish “so and so” is?
Is there someone right now that you despise in your heart?
Confess these things to your Father and ask him for the grace and strength to release you from your anger, scorn and/or bitterness…
Prayer:
Lord Jesus we recognize that you alone have all authority in heaven and on earth, and we know that you alone have the words of life that we desperately need. Forgive our unforgiving hearts and free us from all anger and resentment. Teach us to love others as you love us – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
Tuesday, June 29
Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:19-20
Once again we see Jesus making a radical and somewhat confusing statement. What does he mean when he says that we must be “more” righteous than the Pharisees and the teachers of the law? They were the religious elite of their day - righteousness was their profession for crying out loud. How can we compete with the pros?
The Pharisees were absolutely fanatical about keeping the law. They talked about building a “fence around the law/torah.” For example, the law said that they were not to do any work on the Sabbath. In order to avoid breaking this law, the Pharisees developed an extremely detailed and complex list of what did and did not count as “working,” even to the point of limiting the steps you allowed to take to and from your house on the Sabbath day! These detailed and complex moral codes were the “fence” which they believed would keep them far away from ever breaking a law of God.
For the average person in Jesus day, the Pharisee’s idea of obeying the law (being righteous) was simply an impossible standard. Then, along comes Jesus, who says that you have to be even more righteous than they guys who set the seemingly impossible standard!
What does Jesus mean??
There are really two things that Jesus is saying about what it means to be righteous in God’s eyes.
First – Righteousness is not merely a matter of conforming to the external rules or laws. Righteousness is a matter of the heart. The greatest commandment is love. However, it is possible for a person to act in kind and loving ways on the outside while harboring bitterness and anger on the inside. The Pharisees were good at keeping the external rules, but many of them had judgmental and hard hearts. Jesus put it this way in Matthew 23:25-26:
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
Jesus is teaching us that surpassing the righteousness of the Pharisees means to go beyond mere external obedience and conformity to a transformation of the heart.
Second – The Bible makes it abundantly clear that nobody is righteous on his or her own.
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. Romans 3:10
None of us can keep perfectly keep the law of God internally or externally. We all fall far short. Ah, but the Bible also tells us that there is One who has kept the law and it is through him that we can become truly righteous! Romans 10:4 puts it this way:
Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
You see, when Jesus said that nothing will disappear from the law until everything is accomplished (Matt. 5:18), he was talking about himself! He totally and completely fulfilled the requirements of the law – for us!
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. - 2 Corinthians 5:21
Do you realize what this means?? Because of Jesus Christ, your righteousness does surpass that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law! This is the beauty and mystery of the Gospel!
Take a few moments to praise and thank God for his gift of righteousness to you in Jesus Christ…
Ask Jesus to help you see where your external actions and your internal attitudes need to brought into conformity with his gospel…
Prayer:
Lord Jesus we acknowledge that without you we have no righteousness and no hope at all. We trust you completely as our righteousness before God and we humbly ask you to transform our hearts conform our lives into your image – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
Once again we see Jesus making a radical and somewhat confusing statement. What does he mean when he says that we must be “more” righteous than the Pharisees and the teachers of the law? They were the religious elite of their day - righteousness was their profession for crying out loud. How can we compete with the pros?
The Pharisees were absolutely fanatical about keeping the law. They talked about building a “fence around the law/torah.” For example, the law said that they were not to do any work on the Sabbath. In order to avoid breaking this law, the Pharisees developed an extremely detailed and complex list of what did and did not count as “working,” even to the point of limiting the steps you allowed to take to and from your house on the Sabbath day! These detailed and complex moral codes were the “fence” which they believed would keep them far away from ever breaking a law of God.
For the average person in Jesus day, the Pharisee’s idea of obeying the law (being righteous) was simply an impossible standard. Then, along comes Jesus, who says that you have to be even more righteous than they guys who set the seemingly impossible standard!
What does Jesus mean??
There are really two things that Jesus is saying about what it means to be righteous in God’s eyes.
First – Righteousness is not merely a matter of conforming to the external rules or laws. Righteousness is a matter of the heart. The greatest commandment is love. However, it is possible for a person to act in kind and loving ways on the outside while harboring bitterness and anger on the inside. The Pharisees were good at keeping the external rules, but many of them had judgmental and hard hearts. Jesus put it this way in Matthew 23:25-26:
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
Jesus is teaching us that surpassing the righteousness of the Pharisees means to go beyond mere external obedience and conformity to a transformation of the heart.
Second – The Bible makes it abundantly clear that nobody is righteous on his or her own.
As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. Romans 3:10
None of us can keep perfectly keep the law of God internally or externally. We all fall far short. Ah, but the Bible also tells us that there is One who has kept the law and it is through him that we can become truly righteous! Romans 10:4 puts it this way:
Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
You see, when Jesus said that nothing will disappear from the law until everything is accomplished (Matt. 5:18), he was talking about himself! He totally and completely fulfilled the requirements of the law – for us!
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. - 2 Corinthians 5:21
Do you realize what this means?? Because of Jesus Christ, your righteousness does surpass that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law! This is the beauty and mystery of the Gospel!
Take a few moments to praise and thank God for his gift of righteousness to you in Jesus Christ…
Ask Jesus to help you see where your external actions and your internal attitudes need to brought into conformity with his gospel…
Prayer:
Lord Jesus we acknowledge that without you we have no righteousness and no hope at all. We trust you completely as our righteousness before God and we humbly ask you to transform our hearts conform our lives into your image – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
Monday, June 28
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
– Matthew 5:17-18
Doesn’t this strike you as a rather odd thing for Jesus to say? Why would he be concerned about people thinking he was going to abolish or do away with the law & the prophets?
The Jewish people believed deeply in the law (Torah). An important aspect of this OT was law was the concept of retributive theology. In other words, God punishes the wicked and rewards the righteous. According to retributive theology, it was unjust that God’s chosen people (the Jews), were governed and oppressed by foreign pagan rulers (Rome). Jesus comes along and tells them that what they viewed as the problem was in actuality the natural outpouring of a holy life and was a blessing to them. Throughout the beatitudes Jesus telling them that persecution results in blessing and if you are persecuted, it is not really a problem, but rather a sign that they were on the right track. Jesus even compares those who are persecuted for righteousness sake to the Holy Prophets!
Jesus is really deconstructing their understanding of the law, which was really the entire worldview for a faithful Jew. Jesus wants to make the point clear that He is not interested in destroying the OT law and starting over, but He is actually fulfilling the law the way that God always intended!
This was not immediately apparent to Jesus’ first century audience. In fact his own disciples would not fully grasp his message until after his death & resurrection. I think perhaps we are at times a little too quick to “understand” what we think Jesus is saying. Many, if not most, of those original first century listeners considered the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount harsh and even strange.
When was the last time the words of Jesus caused you to ponder and reflect deeply on what he really means for you?
When was the last time you were surprised or shocked by anything Jesus said or did?
When was the last time you were confused or troubled by anything Jesus said or did?
In other words, the moment you think you have Jesus “all figured out” you should think again!
(If you would like to read a wonderful little book on this idea, read Philip Yancey’s book, The Jesus I Never Knew)
Lord Jesus, help us to hear your words afresh. Keep us from becoming comfortable and complacent in our minds and teach us how to live in and for your kingdom – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
– Matthew 5:17-18
Doesn’t this strike you as a rather odd thing for Jesus to say? Why would he be concerned about people thinking he was going to abolish or do away with the law & the prophets?
The Jewish people believed deeply in the law (Torah). An important aspect of this OT was law was the concept of retributive theology. In other words, God punishes the wicked and rewards the righteous. According to retributive theology, it was unjust that God’s chosen people (the Jews), were governed and oppressed by foreign pagan rulers (Rome). Jesus comes along and tells them that what they viewed as the problem was in actuality the natural outpouring of a holy life and was a blessing to them. Throughout the beatitudes Jesus telling them that persecution results in blessing and if you are persecuted, it is not really a problem, but rather a sign that they were on the right track. Jesus even compares those who are persecuted for righteousness sake to the Holy Prophets!
Jesus is really deconstructing their understanding of the law, which was really the entire worldview for a faithful Jew. Jesus wants to make the point clear that He is not interested in destroying the OT law and starting over, but He is actually fulfilling the law the way that God always intended!
This was not immediately apparent to Jesus’ first century audience. In fact his own disciples would not fully grasp his message until after his death & resurrection. I think perhaps we are at times a little too quick to “understand” what we think Jesus is saying. Many, if not most, of those original first century listeners considered the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount harsh and even strange.
When was the last time the words of Jesus caused you to ponder and reflect deeply on what he really means for you?
When was the last time you were surprised or shocked by anything Jesus said or did?
When was the last time you were confused or troubled by anything Jesus said or did?
In other words, the moment you think you have Jesus “all figured out” you should think again!
(If you would like to read a wonderful little book on this idea, read Philip Yancey’s book, The Jesus I Never Knew)
Lord Jesus, help us to hear your words afresh. Keep us from becoming comfortable and complacent in our minds and teach us how to live in and for your kingdom – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
Friday, June 25
Your statutes are wonderful, therefore I obey them. The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands. Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name. Psalm 119:129-132
Thank God today for his word and ask him to bring light and understanding to your heart and mind today.
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16
When I was a freshman in college I was rather quiet about my faith. I was a Christian, and I wanted to follow Christ, but I wasn’t anxious to be identified as such by my new classmates. I suppose, looking back, that I didn’t want to start off my new college life being identified as “weird” or “different.” But about two weeks into my first semester, a bunch of us were up just hanging out at about 1 a.m. when a fellow freshman – known to be quite the party animal – looked at me and said, “Hey Coffey, what makes you tick?” I said, “Uh, what do you mean?” He said, “Well, you don’t drink, you don’t cuss – you’re just different – are you religious or something? What makes you tick?” I remember mumbling something about being a Christian – I’m sure not the most dynamic testimony by any means – and my classmate just said, “That’s cool, I was just wondering.”
I’ve often thought back to that late night conversation. Even when I was trying to hide the light of Christ “under a bowl” – it still leaked out! Yet, even so, I wasn’t ready to put my light on a stand and share it with my dorm mates. The truth is that I had unintentional impact, accidental influence on the guys in my dorm. I think Jesus is calling us to more than accidental impact - he’s calling us to intentional influence. That doesn’t mean we have to be the kind of “in your face” kind of witness that frightens people or turns them off. It does mean that we should not hide our light – but rather we should always be ready and willing to share the light of truth, the light of Christ, with those who are trying to find their way.
Can you think of a person in your life who might be searching for God – or who should be searching for God? Ask God to provide an opportunity for you to be the spiritual influence he can use to draw that person to himself. Ask him to prepare you with the right words to either explain why you are a follower of Christ – or to invite them to join you for a worship service or ministry event at FBCG!
Thank the Lord for being faithful to spend time with you this week – and for his presence in your life!
Brian Coffey
Thank God today for his word and ask him to bring light and understanding to your heart and mind today.
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16
When I was a freshman in college I was rather quiet about my faith. I was a Christian, and I wanted to follow Christ, but I wasn’t anxious to be identified as such by my new classmates. I suppose, looking back, that I didn’t want to start off my new college life being identified as “weird” or “different.” But about two weeks into my first semester, a bunch of us were up just hanging out at about 1 a.m. when a fellow freshman – known to be quite the party animal – looked at me and said, “Hey Coffey, what makes you tick?” I said, “Uh, what do you mean?” He said, “Well, you don’t drink, you don’t cuss – you’re just different – are you religious or something? What makes you tick?” I remember mumbling something about being a Christian – I’m sure not the most dynamic testimony by any means – and my classmate just said, “That’s cool, I was just wondering.”
I’ve often thought back to that late night conversation. Even when I was trying to hide the light of Christ “under a bowl” – it still leaked out! Yet, even so, I wasn’t ready to put my light on a stand and share it with my dorm mates. The truth is that I had unintentional impact, accidental influence on the guys in my dorm. I think Jesus is calling us to more than accidental impact - he’s calling us to intentional influence. That doesn’t mean we have to be the kind of “in your face” kind of witness that frightens people or turns them off. It does mean that we should not hide our light – but rather we should always be ready and willing to share the light of truth, the light of Christ, with those who are trying to find their way.
Can you think of a person in your life who might be searching for God – or who should be searching for God? Ask God to provide an opportunity for you to be the spiritual influence he can use to draw that person to himself. Ask him to prepare you with the right words to either explain why you are a follower of Christ – or to invite them to join you for a worship service or ministry event at FBCG!
Thank the Lord for being faithful to spend time with you this week – and for his presence in your life!
Brian Coffey
Thursday, June 24
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:4-5
As you begin your time today, offer your thanksgiving to God for his love and faithfulness expressed to you in so many ways.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16
Every now and then, we will be watching the news on TV, driving in our van, or sitting at yet another ball game of some kind, and one of our boys will witness some simple act of kindness or generosity by a total stranger. It might be a guy letting someone merge into traffic ahead of him or someone volunteering to serve and care for others in need. And upon witnessing the act, without knowing the person involved, one of our boys will say something like, “I bet he’s (or she’s) a Christian.”
Sometimes I wonder if other people do the same thing. I wonder if people watch how I drive, or how I treat the cashier at the grocery store, or if I take time to bow my head in prayer before a meal at a local restaurant. I wonder if people watch me living my everyday life and say to themselves, “I bet that guy’s a follower of Jesus!”
Jesus is saying that the way that we live, the way that we act, the way that we speak, the way that we treat other people; our patience, our kindness, our generosity, our joy – all of it reflects on him. All of us are either pushing people away from Jesus or drawing them toward Jesus – all of us, all the time.
Now, I want to be careful here because I don’t think Jesus wants us to live our lives as some kind of performance! I think he wants us to live in a genuine and personal relationship with him – to know his love and grace in our hearts – and to simply reflect that love and grace naturally to others. It shouldn’t be an act, it should be genuine. And while it may require some practice and some discipline to learn to see others the way Jesus sees them – it shouldn’t be a burden, but rather a joy!
Ask God to make you more and more aware of the opportunities – both small and large – that you have every day to shine the light of Christ’s love through both words and actions. Ask him to use your life in such a way that others can see him through you!
As you begin your time today, offer your thanksgiving to God for his love and faithfulness expressed to you in so many ways.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16
Every now and then, we will be watching the news on TV, driving in our van, or sitting at yet another ball game of some kind, and one of our boys will witness some simple act of kindness or generosity by a total stranger. It might be a guy letting someone merge into traffic ahead of him or someone volunteering to serve and care for others in need. And upon witnessing the act, without knowing the person involved, one of our boys will say something like, “I bet he’s (or she’s) a Christian.”
Sometimes I wonder if other people do the same thing. I wonder if people watch how I drive, or how I treat the cashier at the grocery store, or if I take time to bow my head in prayer before a meal at a local restaurant. I wonder if people watch me living my everyday life and say to themselves, “I bet that guy’s a follower of Jesus!”
Jesus is saying that the way that we live, the way that we act, the way that we speak, the way that we treat other people; our patience, our kindness, our generosity, our joy – all of it reflects on him. All of us are either pushing people away from Jesus or drawing them toward Jesus – all of us, all the time.
Now, I want to be careful here because I don’t think Jesus wants us to live our lives as some kind of performance! I think he wants us to live in a genuine and personal relationship with him – to know his love and grace in our hearts – and to simply reflect that love and grace naturally to others. It shouldn’t be an act, it should be genuine. And while it may require some practice and some discipline to learn to see others the way Jesus sees them – it shouldn’t be a burden, but rather a joy!
Ask God to make you more and more aware of the opportunities – both small and large – that you have every day to shine the light of Christ’s love through both words and actions. Ask him to use your life in such a way that others can see him through you!
Wednesday, June 23
I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. Psalm 89:1
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. Matthew 5:14-15
A few months after we completed the construction of the West Campus steeple-tower, we received a phone call at the East Campus office. The lady on the other end of the call said she had never attended FBCG, but was calling to thank us for building the steeple-tower. She went on to tell a story about how her husband had recently been hospitalized for a very serious illness – and that there was a time when it was not clear at all whether he would survive. She said that his room at Delnor Community Hospital had a window that faced west and that as she sat praying for her husband day after day, she could see our steeple-tower out the window and it would remind her of God’s goodness and sovereignty in all things – and that she would feel a sense of peace. Her husband eventually recovered and went home – but she wanted us to know that she had found great encouragement in our steeple-tower!
Way back in about 2000 or 2001, as the leadership of FBCG wrestled with plans for the West Campus and the future of FBCG, we had many discussions about the proposed steeple-tower. Some among us felt initially that the tower was too expensive and therefore difficult to justify because it added no “usable” ministry place to the campus. Others, however, believed that the steeple would make a powerful statement to our whole community – that God is present in the Fox Valley, that he is worthy of our worship and that we, as a church, want to be a beacon of hope and truth to our region. After months of healthy dialogue and debate, we decided to build the steeple-tower – and I am so glad we did!
Whenever I read these words, “A city on a hill cannot be hidden,” I think of the steeple-tower. I think of generations of men, women and children who will spend a portion of their lives living and working within sight of our 140 ft. tower. And whether or not they ever set foot in one of our worship services – and I hope they will – I want them to know that the church of Jesus Christ is alive and well – and that God’s presence and power can be known.
I believe Jesus wants his church to be seen. I believe Jesus wants his people to be visible in their communities. Not that we are to draw attention to ourselves, or to pursue popularity or fame – but that we are unashamed of the one that we serve and want to reach those around us with his good news!
Ask God to continue to make FBCG visible in our community – not just because we have a steeple-tower, but because together we make Christ known through how we worship him and serve others. Ask God to show you how you can be a part of making his church a city on a hill that cannot be hidden!
Brian Coffey
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. Matthew 5:14-15
A few months after we completed the construction of the West Campus steeple-tower, we received a phone call at the East Campus office. The lady on the other end of the call said she had never attended FBCG, but was calling to thank us for building the steeple-tower. She went on to tell a story about how her husband had recently been hospitalized for a very serious illness – and that there was a time when it was not clear at all whether he would survive. She said that his room at Delnor Community Hospital had a window that faced west and that as she sat praying for her husband day after day, she could see our steeple-tower out the window and it would remind her of God’s goodness and sovereignty in all things – and that she would feel a sense of peace. Her husband eventually recovered and went home – but she wanted us to know that she had found great encouragement in our steeple-tower!
Way back in about 2000 or 2001, as the leadership of FBCG wrestled with plans for the West Campus and the future of FBCG, we had many discussions about the proposed steeple-tower. Some among us felt initially that the tower was too expensive and therefore difficult to justify because it added no “usable” ministry place to the campus. Others, however, believed that the steeple would make a powerful statement to our whole community – that God is present in the Fox Valley, that he is worthy of our worship and that we, as a church, want to be a beacon of hope and truth to our region. After months of healthy dialogue and debate, we decided to build the steeple-tower – and I am so glad we did!
Whenever I read these words, “A city on a hill cannot be hidden,” I think of the steeple-tower. I think of generations of men, women and children who will spend a portion of their lives living and working within sight of our 140 ft. tower. And whether or not they ever set foot in one of our worship services – and I hope they will – I want them to know that the church of Jesus Christ is alive and well – and that God’s presence and power can be known.
I believe Jesus wants his church to be seen. I believe Jesus wants his people to be visible in their communities. Not that we are to draw attention to ourselves, or to pursue popularity or fame – but that we are unashamed of the one that we serve and want to reach those around us with his good news!
Ask God to continue to make FBCG visible in our community – not just because we have a steeple-tower, but because together we make Christ known through how we worship him and serve others. Ask God to show you how you can be a part of making his church a city on a hill that cannot be hidden!
Brian Coffey
Tuesday, June 22
Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seem him with all their heart. Psalm 119:1-2
Thanks God today for the truth of his word and ask him to use his word to shape your values, your behavior, and your life.
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. Matthew 5:13
A couple of weeks ago my wife and I went to watch our two younger sons play in a travel baseball game. After we got ourselves settled into our “portable” chairs, Lorene produced a bag of peanuts for our mutual enjoyment during the game. I happily cracked the first shell and popped the peanut into my mouth – only to discover that these particular peanuts were unsalted. I don’t know about you, but nothing is quite as disappointing as munching on unsalted peanuts at a ball game! I put the unopened peanuts I had in my hand back in the back, crumpled it up and left it under my seat. If they weren’t salted I wasn’t going to waste my calories on them!
In a way, Jesus is saying the same thing. Only he isn’t talking about peanuts – he’s talking about us; he’s talking about his church.
In our world we see salt mostly as a “flavor enhancer.” We like our peanuts, chips and pretzels to be coated in salt! In Jesus’ day, before the advent of refrigeration, salt was seen more as a preservative – used to keep meat from spoiling. Because of this preservative power, salt was an extraordinarily valuable commodity in the ancient world. Historians tells us that, at times, Roman soldiers would actually be paid in salt for their services.
Jesus, therefore, is saying something very significant with this simple analogy. As his followers, we are to exert a kind of preservative influence in the world around us. Because, as followers of Jesus, we ‘hunger and thirst for righteousness,’ and because Christ lives in and through us, he wants to use us to preserve our world and our culture from corruption. Furthermore, he says that if his people do not have this kind of influence – we are like salt that has lost its saltiness and is good for nothing.
Now, we must be careful here. Jesus is not saying that if we aren’t having a positive spiritual influence on those around us we are not saved, or that he doesn’t love us! Our salvation is secured by the Holy Spirit when we confess Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 1:13-14). But he is saying that when he saves us by his grace – he doesn’t intend that we keep that gift to ourselves – but rather that we share it in all kinds of ways with the world around us. In short, he wants us to be salty!
Close your time with God today by asking him to help you see and understand how he can use you to exert a preserving influence in the small circle of your life. Ask him to make you salty enough that those around you might become thirsty for him!
Brian Coffey
Thanks God today for the truth of his word and ask him to use his word to shape your values, your behavior, and your life.
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. Matthew 5:13
A couple of weeks ago my wife and I went to watch our two younger sons play in a travel baseball game. After we got ourselves settled into our “portable” chairs, Lorene produced a bag of peanuts for our mutual enjoyment during the game. I happily cracked the first shell and popped the peanut into my mouth – only to discover that these particular peanuts were unsalted. I don’t know about you, but nothing is quite as disappointing as munching on unsalted peanuts at a ball game! I put the unopened peanuts I had in my hand back in the back, crumpled it up and left it under my seat. If they weren’t salted I wasn’t going to waste my calories on them!
In a way, Jesus is saying the same thing. Only he isn’t talking about peanuts – he’s talking about us; he’s talking about his church.
In our world we see salt mostly as a “flavor enhancer.” We like our peanuts, chips and pretzels to be coated in salt! In Jesus’ day, before the advent of refrigeration, salt was seen more as a preservative – used to keep meat from spoiling. Because of this preservative power, salt was an extraordinarily valuable commodity in the ancient world. Historians tells us that, at times, Roman soldiers would actually be paid in salt for their services.
Jesus, therefore, is saying something very significant with this simple analogy. As his followers, we are to exert a kind of preservative influence in the world around us. Because, as followers of Jesus, we ‘hunger and thirst for righteousness,’ and because Christ lives in and through us, he wants to use us to preserve our world and our culture from corruption. Furthermore, he says that if his people do not have this kind of influence – we are like salt that has lost its saltiness and is good for nothing.
Now, we must be careful here. Jesus is not saying that if we aren’t having a positive spiritual influence on those around us we are not saved, or that he doesn’t love us! Our salvation is secured by the Holy Spirit when we confess Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 1:13-14). But he is saying that when he saves us by his grace – he doesn’t intend that we keep that gift to ourselves – but rather that we share it in all kinds of ways with the world around us. In short, he wants us to be salty!
Close your time with God today by asking him to help you see and understand how he can use you to exert a preserving influence in the small circle of your life. Ask him to make you salty enough that those around you might become thirsty for him!
Brian Coffey
Monday, June 21
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Psalm 84:1-2
Begin by focusing on the “dwelling place” – the sanctuary God has established in your heart. Thank him for being faithful to meet you there by his Spirit – and ask him to cause you to long more and more for this daily time with him.
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16
A number of years ago I had the privilege of traveling to Turkey on FBCG’s first short term team to the land where the Apostle Paul established some of the earliest Christian churches. Toward the end of our trip we journeyed into the mountainous eastern part of the country to visit the ruins of two ancient churches. After a long and somewhat treacherous drive up steep mountain roads we were amazed at the magnificent architecture of these cathedrals built in the 9th and 10th centuries. One could still see the huge marble pillars, vaulted ceilings of the sanctuaries, and the domes that rose over 50 feet from the floor. To construct such places of worship in such remote locations would be an astonishing feat of engineering today – let alone over one thousand years ago! It was moving to think of the people so long ago that dedicated these places of worship to the glory and God and the supremacy of Christ!
But, the truth is, these once magnificent cathedrals are now in ruins. Worship has not taken place nor has the gospel been preached in these villages in 500 years. The ruins are a relic of a vibrant past – but today they are empty shells, piles of dead stones.
Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount by describing the attitudes and values that mark the lives of his disciples: poor in spirit, meek, merciful, peacemakers, pure in heart, hungry and thirsty for righteousness…etc. Now he begins to envision the impact that his followers – his church - will have upon the world.
He uses two common but very valuable elements from the ancient world – salt and light - as metaphors that we will flesh out as the week goes on. But the sense of these verses is that, from the very beginning, Jesus wanted his followers to make a difference in the world. When Jesus envisioned the worshiping community that would be his church – he did not imagine a gutted and empty ancient building that serves more as a museum than anything else. He did not imagine a building where people go once a week to sing a few songs and listen to an uplifting sermon. He did not imagine a building at all. Jesus imagined a movement of people who, because of his influence in their lives, would, in turn, influence the world.
Take a few moments to reflect on your own life and your view of the church. Have you thought of yourself as called by Jesus to make a difference in your world? Have you thought of the church as a place to go on Sunday – or as a movement that you are part of? Ask the Lord to challenge your understanding of both yourself and your church through his word.
Brian Coffey
Begin by focusing on the “dwelling place” – the sanctuary God has established in your heart. Thank him for being faithful to meet you there by his Spirit – and ask him to cause you to long more and more for this daily time with him.
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16
A number of years ago I had the privilege of traveling to Turkey on FBCG’s first short term team to the land where the Apostle Paul established some of the earliest Christian churches. Toward the end of our trip we journeyed into the mountainous eastern part of the country to visit the ruins of two ancient churches. After a long and somewhat treacherous drive up steep mountain roads we were amazed at the magnificent architecture of these cathedrals built in the 9th and 10th centuries. One could still see the huge marble pillars, vaulted ceilings of the sanctuaries, and the domes that rose over 50 feet from the floor. To construct such places of worship in such remote locations would be an astonishing feat of engineering today – let alone over one thousand years ago! It was moving to think of the people so long ago that dedicated these places of worship to the glory and God and the supremacy of Christ!
But, the truth is, these once magnificent cathedrals are now in ruins. Worship has not taken place nor has the gospel been preached in these villages in 500 years. The ruins are a relic of a vibrant past – but today they are empty shells, piles of dead stones.
Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount by describing the attitudes and values that mark the lives of his disciples: poor in spirit, meek, merciful, peacemakers, pure in heart, hungry and thirsty for righteousness…etc. Now he begins to envision the impact that his followers – his church - will have upon the world.
He uses two common but very valuable elements from the ancient world – salt and light - as metaphors that we will flesh out as the week goes on. But the sense of these verses is that, from the very beginning, Jesus wanted his followers to make a difference in the world. When Jesus envisioned the worshiping community that would be his church – he did not imagine a gutted and empty ancient building that serves more as a museum than anything else. He did not imagine a building where people go once a week to sing a few songs and listen to an uplifting sermon. He did not imagine a building at all. Jesus imagined a movement of people who, because of his influence in their lives, would, in turn, influence the world.
Take a few moments to reflect on your own life and your view of the church. Have you thought of yourself as called by Jesus to make a difference in your world? Have you thought of the church as a place to go on Sunday – or as a movement that you are part of? Ask the Lord to challenge your understanding of both yourself and your church through his word.
Brian Coffey
Friday, June 18
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. Psalm 40:1-2
As you begin your time today, thank God for listening to your heart, for giving you his strength, and for providing a firm place for you to stand today.
Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me, Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:4, 10-12
No one likes to mourn. No one wants to mourn. Yet Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” Likewise, few volunteer to be the target of insults, persecution and slander! Yet Jesus says, “Blessed are you when people insult you and say all kinds of evil against you…!” Is Jesus saying we are to seek out tragedy, sorrow and persecution?
No! Jesus is simply acknowledging that those who follow him will experience sorrow and suffering – but that even these difficult and painful trials will result in the blessing of God.
Many scholars believe that Jesus had at least three kinds of mourning in mind when he said, “Blessed are those that mourn…” He was referring to the mourning that comes with having loved others and then losing them to the inevitability of death. While death itself is not a blessing (although heaven certainly is) the capacity to mourn is a blessing because it is preceded by the experience of love. We only grieve that which we love. We see this in the story of Jesus and Lazarus, when onlookers observed Jesus’ tears and commented, “See how he loved him!” Those who mourn greatly have loved greatly – and this is a blessing from God.
Secondly, Jesus had in mind those who look at the pain and brokenness of the world and mourn because this is not what God intended. Such mourning is blessing because it urges us to step into the pain of the world with the hope of the gospel.
Thirdly, Jesus was speaking of those who mourn their own sinfulness. As we grow closer to Christ, the Holy Spirit makes us more intensely aware of the sin that clings to our own hearts. This sorrow drives us to our knees in genuine repentance and produces the joy of forgiveness and purity of heart.
Our culture routinely encourages us to avoid pain and to pursue personal comfort at all cost. Jesus teaches us that pain, while not pleasant in and of itself, can be that which reveals to us the very blessing of God.
In what ways do you mourn today?
Have you lost someone that you loved? Ask God to fill your heart with the blessing of having loved deeply.
Do you mourn the brokenness of the world around you? Ask him to allow you to minister in some way to that brokenness.
Do you mourn your own sinfulness? Ask God to make you more and more aware of thoughts, attitudes and actions that do not reflect his purity and grace in your life – and allow him to remove them from your heart through confession and repentance.
Thank God for being faithful to you this week – and ask him to cause his word to continue to work in your heart and life.
As you begin your time today, thank God for listening to your heart, for giving you his strength, and for providing a firm place for you to stand today.
Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me, Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:4, 10-12
No one likes to mourn. No one wants to mourn. Yet Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” Likewise, few volunteer to be the target of insults, persecution and slander! Yet Jesus says, “Blessed are you when people insult you and say all kinds of evil against you…!” Is Jesus saying we are to seek out tragedy, sorrow and persecution?
No! Jesus is simply acknowledging that those who follow him will experience sorrow and suffering – but that even these difficult and painful trials will result in the blessing of God.
Many scholars believe that Jesus had at least three kinds of mourning in mind when he said, “Blessed are those that mourn…” He was referring to the mourning that comes with having loved others and then losing them to the inevitability of death. While death itself is not a blessing (although heaven certainly is) the capacity to mourn is a blessing because it is preceded by the experience of love. We only grieve that which we love. We see this in the story of Jesus and Lazarus, when onlookers observed Jesus’ tears and commented, “See how he loved him!” Those who mourn greatly have loved greatly – and this is a blessing from God.
Secondly, Jesus had in mind those who look at the pain and brokenness of the world and mourn because this is not what God intended. Such mourning is blessing because it urges us to step into the pain of the world with the hope of the gospel.
Thirdly, Jesus was speaking of those who mourn their own sinfulness. As we grow closer to Christ, the Holy Spirit makes us more intensely aware of the sin that clings to our own hearts. This sorrow drives us to our knees in genuine repentance and produces the joy of forgiveness and purity of heart.
Our culture routinely encourages us to avoid pain and to pursue personal comfort at all cost. Jesus teaches us that pain, while not pleasant in and of itself, can be that which reveals to us the very blessing of God.
In what ways do you mourn today?
Have you lost someone that you loved? Ask God to fill your heart with the blessing of having loved deeply.
Do you mourn the brokenness of the world around you? Ask him to allow you to minister in some way to that brokenness.
Do you mourn your own sinfulness? Ask God to make you more and more aware of thoughts, attitudes and actions that do not reflect his purity and grace in your life – and allow him to remove them from your heart through confession and repentance.
Thank God for being faithful to you this week – and ask him to cause his word to continue to work in your heart and life.
Thursday, June 17
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42:1
As you work through today’s devotion, ask God to make you more deeply aware of your thirst for him – for his presence, for his love, for his voice and for his truth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:6, 8
When was the last time you were really hungry, or really thirsty? If I’m honest, I am rarely, if ever, truly hungry or thirsty. I live most of my life, as I suspect you do as well, just a few feet or minutes from all I could want to eat or drink. Before we can understand what Jesus is saying here we have to understand that those of us who live in North America in the 21st century simply do not live like most of the rest of the world lives – or has ever lived.
The average person in Jesus’ day might only eat meat once a week, and had to draw water almost daily from a local well in order to have drinking water. In much of the world today, it is the responsibility of women and children to walk sometimes a mile or more each way – to carry jugs of water back to their homes for their daily needs. In such an environment, hunger and thirst take on a much more urgent meaning than they often do for us! To be hungry means to ache for food and nourishment with all that you are. To be thirsty means to long for water as for life itself – because, indeed, without it you would perish.
Hunger and thirst, then, are among the most powerful motivating forces in all of human experience. This is why modern coaches tell athletes to be “hungry” for victory; and why advertising campaigns urge people to “obey your thirst.”
Jesus is saying that we will be filled with what we are hungry and thirsty for. If we are hungry and thirsty for what the world defines as success – money, status, popularity – then that’s what will fill our hearts and minds. If, on the other hand, we are hungry and thirsty for God – then he will fill us with himself and his righteousness.
Years ago rock star Bruce Springsteen wrote a song entitled, “Everybody’s got a Hungry Heart.” I think Jesus would agree! The question is what are we hungry for? Ask God to cause your heart to hunger and thirst for him over everything else!
Brian Coffey
As you work through today’s devotion, ask God to make you more deeply aware of your thirst for him – for his presence, for his love, for his voice and for his truth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:6, 8
When was the last time you were really hungry, or really thirsty? If I’m honest, I am rarely, if ever, truly hungry or thirsty. I live most of my life, as I suspect you do as well, just a few feet or minutes from all I could want to eat or drink. Before we can understand what Jesus is saying here we have to understand that those of us who live in North America in the 21st century simply do not live like most of the rest of the world lives – or has ever lived.
The average person in Jesus’ day might only eat meat once a week, and had to draw water almost daily from a local well in order to have drinking water. In much of the world today, it is the responsibility of women and children to walk sometimes a mile or more each way – to carry jugs of water back to their homes for their daily needs. In such an environment, hunger and thirst take on a much more urgent meaning than they often do for us! To be hungry means to ache for food and nourishment with all that you are. To be thirsty means to long for water as for life itself – because, indeed, without it you would perish.
Hunger and thirst, then, are among the most powerful motivating forces in all of human experience. This is why modern coaches tell athletes to be “hungry” for victory; and why advertising campaigns urge people to “obey your thirst.”
Jesus is saying that we will be filled with what we are hungry and thirsty for. If we are hungry and thirsty for what the world defines as success – money, status, popularity – then that’s what will fill our hearts and minds. If, on the other hand, we are hungry and thirsty for God – then he will fill us with himself and his righteousness.
Years ago rock star Bruce Springsteen wrote a song entitled, “Everybody’s got a Hungry Heart.” I think Jesus would agree! The question is what are we hungry for? Ask God to cause your heart to hunger and thirst for him over everything else!
Brian Coffey
Wednesday, June 16
Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways, according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord.
Psalm 25:4-7
Thank the Lord today for his mercy and forgiving love, and ask him to teach and guide you in his truth today.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Matthew 5:7, 9
In his book, The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey tells a story about theologian and author Henri Nouwen. Nouwen had given a portion of his life to serve in a ministry to the severely handicapped. Yancey went to visit Nouwen and watched as he spent hours simply bathing and dressing a resident of the ministry named Adam. When Yancey asked respectfully whether Nouwen ever felt like such service might be taking away from his more productive calling of teaching and writing, Nouwen said, “I am not giving up anything; it is I, not Adam, who gets the main benefit from our relationship.”
This is the mystery and power of Jesus’ teaching; we experience God’s blessing not by pursuing it for ourselves – but by offering it to others.
Our culture bombards us with messages like, “Have it your way,” “You deserve a break today,” and “Reward yourself, you’re worth it!” The result of living for ourselves and our own needs is the acquisition of lots of stuff – but little blessing. Jesus is teaching us to live “upside down,” that is, to understand that our blessing is found in service to others.
As a church, FBCG sends a number of short term missions teams to serve somewhere in the world every year. When our teams return, it is quite common for team members to say things like, “While we went to (Turkey, Ecuador, Appalachia, Mexico, Austria) to serve and bless others – we were the ones who were most blessed!” This is because God promises his favor to those who share his mercy with others.
Take a few moments to think about your life – and the people you either pass by or come into contact with every day. Who in your life might need the gift of mercy? Who might need a simple expression of care? Who might need a word of peace or encouragement? Ask God to allow you to see the needs of others – to respond to those needs in some way – and therefore to experience his blessing!
Brian Coffey
Psalm 25:4-7
Thank the Lord today for his mercy and forgiving love, and ask him to teach and guide you in his truth today.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Matthew 5:7, 9
In his book, The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey tells a story about theologian and author Henri Nouwen. Nouwen had given a portion of his life to serve in a ministry to the severely handicapped. Yancey went to visit Nouwen and watched as he spent hours simply bathing and dressing a resident of the ministry named Adam. When Yancey asked respectfully whether Nouwen ever felt like such service might be taking away from his more productive calling of teaching and writing, Nouwen said, “I am not giving up anything; it is I, not Adam, who gets the main benefit from our relationship.”
This is the mystery and power of Jesus’ teaching; we experience God’s blessing not by pursuing it for ourselves – but by offering it to others.
Our culture bombards us with messages like, “Have it your way,” “You deserve a break today,” and “Reward yourself, you’re worth it!” The result of living for ourselves and our own needs is the acquisition of lots of stuff – but little blessing. Jesus is teaching us to live “upside down,” that is, to understand that our blessing is found in service to others.
As a church, FBCG sends a number of short term missions teams to serve somewhere in the world every year. When our teams return, it is quite common for team members to say things like, “While we went to (Turkey, Ecuador, Appalachia, Mexico, Austria) to serve and bless others – we were the ones who were most blessed!” This is because God promises his favor to those who share his mercy with others.
Take a few moments to think about your life – and the people you either pass by or come into contact with every day. Who in your life might need the gift of mercy? Who might need a simple expression of care? Who might need a word of peace or encouragement? Ask God to allow you to see the needs of others – to respond to those needs in some way – and therefore to experience his blessing!
Brian Coffey
Tuesday, June 15
Hear my prayer, O Lord, let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. Psalm 102:1
As you begin your time today, thank God for always being willing to meet with you and to hear you when you call upon him for help.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Matthew 5:3, 5
Imagine walking into a large store – say Macy’s in Chicago – and finding diamond earrings for sale for $1.99 and dishtowels for $2,999.00!
Imagine going to an auto-dealer and finding a 2011 Lexus listed for $999 while a 1995 Volkswagen Rabbit is marked at $59,900!
You would either think the world had gone mad – or that this was your lucky day!
Jesus is teaching us here that the blessing of God is profoundly counter-intuitive, even counter-cultural! He is saying that God has turned our most common notions of blessing upside-down and inside-out.
In our culture, we tend to think of “blessings” as the material blessings associated with our standard of living; our homes, our access to abundant food, and our financial resources. We tend to think of the “blessing” of personal good fortune; being born into a good family or living in a free society. But when Jesus speaks of the blessing of God he doesn’t mention any of these things. He speaks instead of the poor in spirit and the meek. Why?
Jesus is redefining blessing in terms of the Kingdom of God rather than the kingdom of men. The blessings of our affluence, our lifestyle, and our culture, while certainly good and worthy of appreciation, are superficial and temporary. They are ours at the whim of history and governments. At times they can even be that which distracts our souls from our God. The Kingdom of God, on the other hand, is that which is eternal and unchanging. The poor in spirit are always blessed because they are desperate for God. The meek (those who understand their strength and confidence are in God and therefore do not have to use anger or power to control or intimidate others) are always blessed because their character is built on God’s promises and not the promises of man.
In what ways have you bought into our cultural definition of blessing? How might Jesus want to turn your understanding of blessing upside-down? Is your happiness more attached to the things you have than to God himself?
Ask God to help you anchor your security and joy more in who you are through your relationship with Him rather than in the material blessings that you possess.
Brian Coffey
As you begin your time today, thank God for always being willing to meet with you and to hear you when you call upon him for help.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Matthew 5:3, 5
Imagine walking into a large store – say Macy’s in Chicago – and finding diamond earrings for sale for $1.99 and dishtowels for $2,999.00!
Imagine going to an auto-dealer and finding a 2011 Lexus listed for $999 while a 1995 Volkswagen Rabbit is marked at $59,900!
You would either think the world had gone mad – or that this was your lucky day!
Jesus is teaching us here that the blessing of God is profoundly counter-intuitive, even counter-cultural! He is saying that God has turned our most common notions of blessing upside-down and inside-out.
In our culture, we tend to think of “blessings” as the material blessings associated with our standard of living; our homes, our access to abundant food, and our financial resources. We tend to think of the “blessing” of personal good fortune; being born into a good family or living in a free society. But when Jesus speaks of the blessing of God he doesn’t mention any of these things. He speaks instead of the poor in spirit and the meek. Why?
Jesus is redefining blessing in terms of the Kingdom of God rather than the kingdom of men. The blessings of our affluence, our lifestyle, and our culture, while certainly good and worthy of appreciation, are superficial and temporary. They are ours at the whim of history and governments. At times they can even be that which distracts our souls from our God. The Kingdom of God, on the other hand, is that which is eternal and unchanging. The poor in spirit are always blessed because they are desperate for God. The meek (those who understand their strength and confidence are in God and therefore do not have to use anger or power to control or intimidate others) are always blessed because their character is built on God’s promises and not the promises of man.
In what ways have you bought into our cultural definition of blessing? How might Jesus want to turn your understanding of blessing upside-down? Is your happiness more attached to the things you have than to God himself?
Ask God to help you anchor your security and joy more in who you are through your relationship with Him rather than in the material blessings that you possess.
Brian Coffey
Monday, June 14
Praise the Lord, O my soul, all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits … Psalm 103:1
Begin your time with God this week by offering your praise and thanksgiving.
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me, Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:1-12
One of my old seminary professors once asked, “How long does a good sermon last?” Those of us in the class took turns offering answers. 25 minutes? 30 minutes? Or, 45 minutes? (None of us could imagine giving a sermon of over 45 minutes!) After all our guesses, the professor said, “A good sermon lasts until someone does this…” and he looked at his watch as if late to catch a bus. And after years of both listening to and delivering sermons I think in one way he was right. When the listener stops listening a sermon is effectively over. But, in another way, that sermon can stay alive for days, weeks, even years in the listener’s heart as the Holy Spirit does his work. One of the most rewarding things in a preacher’s life is when someone calls or emails looking for a sermon they remember from years back and want to hear again – because it means God enabled that sermon to last much longer than 25 minutes.
This summer we are studying Matthew 5-7, a portion of the teachings of Jesus often called the “Sermon on the Mount.” While scholars differ in opinions as to whether Jesus actually delivered this passage as one complete sermon – or that it is a collection of that which he often taught throughout his ministry – they all would agree that this “sermon” has lasted for over 2,000 years!
The question I begin with is why? Why did Jesus’ words have such impact on those that heard them 2,000 years ago? Why did they remember these words, repeat these words, and then record these words so that we would have them today? Of course the most obvious answer is simply because God wanted them to, which is true. But I think if we look a little deeper we will see that people remembered the Sermon on the Mount for the same reason we remember sermons today – God uses the words to speak to us where we are. God uses the words for impact!
So why would Jesus begin with a sentence like, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”? Any speaker/teacher knows that you only have a few precious moments to capture the attention and hearts of your listeners. If you don’t use your first few sentences wisely – it doesn’t take long for people to start thinking about dinner plans or to look at their watch and wonder when you will be finished!
Jesus began this way for two reasons: First, he knew that many of the men who were following him (the disciples) already felt “poor in spirit.” That is, they had left their boats and nets and tax-collecting booths to follow him as their Rabbi. It is likely that some of their own family members had started to question their sanity. It is certainly true that the “religious establishment” of the day was already looking on Jesus and his rag-tag group of followers as a kind of unsavory cult. These men knew what it was to feel discounted and disconnected – and therefore they were desperate for God. So Jesus began by saying, “When you are at the end of your human wisdom, understanding and strength – when you are desperate for God, you are blessed!”
Second, Jesus begins with, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” because he knows that it is true. He knows that his Father pours out his grace and favor on those who are desperate to know him and follow him. He knows that it is only when we are desperate for God that we can humble ourselves to receive his forgiveness and grace – and therefore his salvation.
In what ways are you “poor in spirit” today? In what ways is your heart desperate for God? Spend some time in prayer and confess your spiritual poverty to God and ask him to make you deeply aware of his favor and his blessing.
Brian Coffey
Begin your time with God this week by offering your praise and thanksgiving.
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me, Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:1-12
One of my old seminary professors once asked, “How long does a good sermon last?” Those of us in the class took turns offering answers. 25 minutes? 30 minutes? Or, 45 minutes? (None of us could imagine giving a sermon of over 45 minutes!) After all our guesses, the professor said, “A good sermon lasts until someone does this…” and he looked at his watch as if late to catch a bus. And after years of both listening to and delivering sermons I think in one way he was right. When the listener stops listening a sermon is effectively over. But, in another way, that sermon can stay alive for days, weeks, even years in the listener’s heart as the Holy Spirit does his work. One of the most rewarding things in a preacher’s life is when someone calls or emails looking for a sermon they remember from years back and want to hear again – because it means God enabled that sermon to last much longer than 25 minutes.
This summer we are studying Matthew 5-7, a portion of the teachings of Jesus often called the “Sermon on the Mount.” While scholars differ in opinions as to whether Jesus actually delivered this passage as one complete sermon – or that it is a collection of that which he often taught throughout his ministry – they all would agree that this “sermon” has lasted for over 2,000 years!
The question I begin with is why? Why did Jesus’ words have such impact on those that heard them 2,000 years ago? Why did they remember these words, repeat these words, and then record these words so that we would have them today? Of course the most obvious answer is simply because God wanted them to, which is true. But I think if we look a little deeper we will see that people remembered the Sermon on the Mount for the same reason we remember sermons today – God uses the words to speak to us where we are. God uses the words for impact!
So why would Jesus begin with a sentence like, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”? Any speaker/teacher knows that you only have a few precious moments to capture the attention and hearts of your listeners. If you don’t use your first few sentences wisely – it doesn’t take long for people to start thinking about dinner plans or to look at their watch and wonder when you will be finished!
Jesus began this way for two reasons: First, he knew that many of the men who were following him (the disciples) already felt “poor in spirit.” That is, they had left their boats and nets and tax-collecting booths to follow him as their Rabbi. It is likely that some of their own family members had started to question their sanity. It is certainly true that the “religious establishment” of the day was already looking on Jesus and his rag-tag group of followers as a kind of unsavory cult. These men knew what it was to feel discounted and disconnected – and therefore they were desperate for God. So Jesus began by saying, “When you are at the end of your human wisdom, understanding and strength – when you are desperate for God, you are blessed!”
Second, Jesus begins with, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” because he knows that it is true. He knows that his Father pours out his grace and favor on those who are desperate to know him and follow him. He knows that it is only when we are desperate for God that we can humble ourselves to receive his forgiveness and grace – and therefore his salvation.
In what ways are you “poor in spirit” today? In what ways is your heart desperate for God? Spend some time in prayer and confess your spiritual poverty to God and ask him to make you deeply aware of his favor and his blessing.
Brian Coffey
Friday, June 11
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. – Ephesians 6:17
Historically, helmets used in warfare were both protective and decorative. The magnificent plumage of some Roman helmets identified the person’s rank and was an unmistakable sign of leadership in battle. Alexander the Great usually preceded his troops into battle; his distinctive twin-winged headgear ahead of them became motivation for the rank and file soldiers to press forward with him.
Paul’s use of the imagery probably stems more from the protective aspect of the helmet. Because we are saved, we have been seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2: 5-6). We have access to his power (Eph. 1: 19-20) and come under his authority, which is above every other authority. We have confidence in the face of what might at times feel like overwhelming odds.
Another reason salvation is a helmet for us is that we recognize that our salvation is by grace through faith – it is not of ourselves and it does not come by our efforts. Similarly, we are not fighting this battle in our own strength. Just as we were saved, are being saved and finally will be completely saved only by God’s grace, so we battle now and survive, by his grace. It is part and proof of our salvation. If he saved us when we were far away from him, then of course He can save us as we fight the principalities and powers alongside Him?
Next Paul gives us the only piece of our spiritual armor that is designed for attacking our enemy. Shields, helmets, belts, and breastplates are all basically designed for defense against an attack. But the Sword of the Spirit, well everybody knows what swords are for!
Jesus demonstrated the power of this weapon when he was tempted by the Devil at the very limit of his physical and emotional energy after 40 days of fasting in the desert. Three times he quoted Deuteronomy; three times he cut through the devastating challenges of the Devil and sent him on his way “until an opportune time” (Luke 4: 13). This is great incentive to memorize the Scriptures and hide it in our hearts, never leaving home without it. You might not have a photographic memory or be able to recall the exact words of every verse you have ever read, but all of us can learn to do what the Psalmist says in Psalm 119:11, I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
This does not mean that God’s word works like some kind of magic spell against the devil. However, it is a vital component of what we will need if we are to “stand firm” in Christ. Sometimes the Sword of the Spirit must do it’s cutting work on our own hearts before we can use it to slash away at the evil one.
The writer of the book of Hebrews puts it this way; For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Take a moment to bring to mind a particular trial or temptation you are currently facing…Decide that you will commit to studying what God’s word has to say about that issue and ask Him to give you a passage of Scripture that will encourage and strengthen you in it.
Sovereign Lord, You have given us all that we need to stand for You in this world. Teach us to love Your Word and to hide it in our hearts that we might not stray from it when the moments of trial come – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
Historically, helmets used in warfare were both protective and decorative. The magnificent plumage of some Roman helmets identified the person’s rank and was an unmistakable sign of leadership in battle. Alexander the Great usually preceded his troops into battle; his distinctive twin-winged headgear ahead of them became motivation for the rank and file soldiers to press forward with him.
Paul’s use of the imagery probably stems more from the protective aspect of the helmet. Because we are saved, we have been seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2: 5-6). We have access to his power (Eph. 1: 19-20) and come under his authority, which is above every other authority. We have confidence in the face of what might at times feel like overwhelming odds.
Another reason salvation is a helmet for us is that we recognize that our salvation is by grace through faith – it is not of ourselves and it does not come by our efforts. Similarly, we are not fighting this battle in our own strength. Just as we were saved, are being saved and finally will be completely saved only by God’s grace, so we battle now and survive, by his grace. It is part and proof of our salvation. If he saved us when we were far away from him, then of course He can save us as we fight the principalities and powers alongside Him?
Next Paul gives us the only piece of our spiritual armor that is designed for attacking our enemy. Shields, helmets, belts, and breastplates are all basically designed for defense against an attack. But the Sword of the Spirit, well everybody knows what swords are for!
Jesus demonstrated the power of this weapon when he was tempted by the Devil at the very limit of his physical and emotional energy after 40 days of fasting in the desert. Three times he quoted Deuteronomy; three times he cut through the devastating challenges of the Devil and sent him on his way “until an opportune time” (Luke 4: 13). This is great incentive to memorize the Scriptures and hide it in our hearts, never leaving home without it. You might not have a photographic memory or be able to recall the exact words of every verse you have ever read, but all of us can learn to do what the Psalmist says in Psalm 119:11, I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
This does not mean that God’s word works like some kind of magic spell against the devil. However, it is a vital component of what we will need if we are to “stand firm” in Christ. Sometimes the Sword of the Spirit must do it’s cutting work on our own hearts before we can use it to slash away at the evil one.
The writer of the book of Hebrews puts it this way; For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Take a moment to bring to mind a particular trial or temptation you are currently facing…Decide that you will commit to studying what God’s word has to say about that issue and ask Him to give you a passage of Scripture that will encourage and strengthen you in it.
Sovereign Lord, You have given us all that we need to stand for You in this world. Teach us to love Your Word and to hide it in our hearts that we might not stray from it when the moments of trial come – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
Thursday, June 10
Stand … with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. – Ephesians 6:15
Paul told us earlier in Ephesians that Jesus preached peace to both Jew and Gentile (2: 17). Jesus is our peace – with each other (2: 14) and with God (2: 16). This is the good news of the gospel! Where there is good news, the devil trembles to see his domain threatened. However, he is content if we are quiet. It is only when we are ready to engage our world with the good news that we ourselves are steadied and ready to advance.
Roman legionnaires wore caliga, half-boots made of leather that had heavily studded soles, but left the toes free. They were well designed for maximum traction and yet mobility. That is a fitting image for the call to “make the most of every opportunity…so you may know how to answer everyone” (Col. 4: 5-6).
The more prepared we are to tell others the good news, the more stable we will be in our faith. Paul’s language and the metaphor itself suggest that sometimes the best defence is a good offence. To stand firm is not always to stand still. If we as the Church, forget our mission to the world and we become inward focused, it will inevitably leads to complacency and complaining, criticism and disillusionment. On the other hand, the missional church, made ready by the gospel of peace, is constantly seeking others’ well-being and not our own.
Elsewhere Paul says,
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:4-5)
That is not describing a passive church, content just with survival. It is standing firm in the truth and in obedience to the gospel. Paul’s imagery is particularly appropraite Feet shod with the readiness of the gospel are constantly following God into new adventures and new challenges with a view to blessing others through the gospel.
When we are standing on holy ground, it is appropriate to take off our shoes, as Moses was commanded at the burning bush (Ex. 3: 5). But when we are walking about in the world, where Jesus has sent us (John 17: 18) we do well to keep our boots on.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. – Ephesians 6:16
The evil one sends many a flaming dart our way, but his favorites are shame, doubt & fear. Since the Garden of Eden, he has been telling us lies and working to convince us that we are beyond the reach of God’s grace, and He can’t really forgive us for that. That God isn’t really all that good, and He doesn’t really know what is best for you. That God cannot be trusted to direct our lives and we must retain some sense of control over our future.
Frederich Buechner once wrote that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but fear. In other words, having the shield of faith does not necessarily mean that we will ever have questions or even doubts. It means that even in our questions, we do not have to be afraid. Faith in God is to put all of our eggs into one basket, Him! There is no sidestepping this truth. There is no hedging of our bets at this point. Christians put their life, their totality into trusting that who He claims to be and what He promises to be are true. What if it isn't? What if He isn't? Then we've got nowhere to turn. If God doesn't show up, we're sunk.
The Apostle Peter put it this way when he was confronted by Jesus on this very topic; From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (John 6:66-68)
Two questions for reflection…
Where is God leading you to go for His gospel?
Where do you need “shieldlike” protection in your spiritual life right now?
Father, help us always to push forward and follow your lead even into the unknown future. increase our faith and grant us the ability to repel every attack of the evil one, for your great name’s sake. May we always be ready to give an answer to those who ask us the reason for the hope that we have – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
Paul told us earlier in Ephesians that Jesus preached peace to both Jew and Gentile (2: 17). Jesus is our peace – with each other (2: 14) and with God (2: 16). This is the good news of the gospel! Where there is good news, the devil trembles to see his domain threatened. However, he is content if we are quiet. It is only when we are ready to engage our world with the good news that we ourselves are steadied and ready to advance.
Roman legionnaires wore caliga, half-boots made of leather that had heavily studded soles, but left the toes free. They were well designed for maximum traction and yet mobility. That is a fitting image for the call to “make the most of every opportunity…so you may know how to answer everyone” (Col. 4: 5-6).
The more prepared we are to tell others the good news, the more stable we will be in our faith. Paul’s language and the metaphor itself suggest that sometimes the best defence is a good offence. To stand firm is not always to stand still. If we as the Church, forget our mission to the world and we become inward focused, it will inevitably leads to complacency and complaining, criticism and disillusionment. On the other hand, the missional church, made ready by the gospel of peace, is constantly seeking others’ well-being and not our own.
Elsewhere Paul says,
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:4-5)
That is not describing a passive church, content just with survival. It is standing firm in the truth and in obedience to the gospel. Paul’s imagery is particularly appropraite Feet shod with the readiness of the gospel are constantly following God into new adventures and new challenges with a view to blessing others through the gospel.
When we are standing on holy ground, it is appropriate to take off our shoes, as Moses was commanded at the burning bush (Ex. 3: 5). But when we are walking about in the world, where Jesus has sent us (John 17: 18) we do well to keep our boots on.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. – Ephesians 6:16
The evil one sends many a flaming dart our way, but his favorites are shame, doubt & fear. Since the Garden of Eden, he has been telling us lies and working to convince us that we are beyond the reach of God’s grace, and He can’t really forgive us for that. That God isn’t really all that good, and He doesn’t really know what is best for you. That God cannot be trusted to direct our lives and we must retain some sense of control over our future.
Frederich Buechner once wrote that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but fear. In other words, having the shield of faith does not necessarily mean that we will ever have questions or even doubts. It means that even in our questions, we do not have to be afraid. Faith in God is to put all of our eggs into one basket, Him! There is no sidestepping this truth. There is no hedging of our bets at this point. Christians put their life, their totality into trusting that who He claims to be and what He promises to be are true. What if it isn't? What if He isn't? Then we've got nowhere to turn. If God doesn't show up, we're sunk.
The Apostle Peter put it this way when he was confronted by Jesus on this very topic; From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (John 6:66-68)
Two questions for reflection…
Where is God leading you to go for His gospel?
Where do you need “shieldlike” protection in your spiritual life right now?
Father, help us always to push forward and follow your lead even into the unknown future. increase our faith and grant us the ability to repel every attack of the evil one, for your great name’s sake. May we always be ready to give an answer to those who ask us the reason for the hope that we have – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
Wednesday, June 9
Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place. – Ephesians 6:14
(In case you have missed the point, this is the third time Paul has told us that our goal is to “stand firm”)
Over the next several verses, Paul proceeds to explain each peace of the armor of God. It is as if he is giving us the necessary tools to live the life that he has been describing over the past 3 chapters.
The first part of God’s armor we as the church are to put on is the belt of truth. As Christians, we bear the name of the one who said, “I am the truth”. Truth is more than propositional statements or doctrinal creeds, truth is a person and we are called to follow him. Over 80 times in the gospels, Jesus prefaced His teaching with the phrase, “I tell you the truth…” Our lives are to demonstrate His truth and our words are to be consistent with the truth that is in Christ Jesus and in His word.
We have already seen in Ephesians 4:15 & 4:25 that as we speak the truth to each other in love, we grow to be more like Christ. In addition, it is truth that keeps us steady and able to stand in the face of “every wind of teaching” (Eph. 4:14). Buckling on the belt of truth is both an individual and corporate exercise, because the truth is so much bigger than our own perception and our individual stories.
The popular view among many in our culture today is that there is no absolute or universal truth for all people at all times. There is only individual and subjective truth, i.e. “what’s true for you may not be true for me.” It is with God’s truth that we take our stand; it is there that the battle will be won or lost. If one opinion has equal validity with every other opinion, then Jesus is not the chief cornerstone of the temple in which God lives by his Spirit (Eph. 2:20-21). If we are not confident in the truth of what we know of God’s plan to unite all creation in Christ Jesus (Eph. 1:10) then we are vulnerable on every other front. I think that this is why the image of truth as a belt is so important, it holds everything else together!
Most of us have not and will never experience real persecution for what we claim to believe. However, this does not mean that what we believe to be true is not under attack. We need to be clear about this, the truth claims of the Gospel are under attack, not only by the “flesh and blood” we encounter in the earthly realm, but also in the heavenly realms and in the realm of our own hearts.
Jesus was uncompromising in speaking to the Pharisees about their “father, the devil”, He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies…. If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me...The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God. (John 8:44-47)
Take a few moments to thank God that He has revealed His truth to you in Jesus Christ.
Ask God to strengthen your confidence in Him and in His word.
Ask God to give you the courage and grace to reflect His truth in your life.
Lord Jesus, we know that You are the truth. We want our lives to reflect the beauty and power of who You are. Grant us the confidence and assurance of the truth we have in You and help us to proclaim it in all that we do and say – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
(In case you have missed the point, this is the third time Paul has told us that our goal is to “stand firm”)
Over the next several verses, Paul proceeds to explain each peace of the armor of God. It is as if he is giving us the necessary tools to live the life that he has been describing over the past 3 chapters.
The first part of God’s armor we as the church are to put on is the belt of truth. As Christians, we bear the name of the one who said, “I am the truth”. Truth is more than propositional statements or doctrinal creeds, truth is a person and we are called to follow him. Over 80 times in the gospels, Jesus prefaced His teaching with the phrase, “I tell you the truth…” Our lives are to demonstrate His truth and our words are to be consistent with the truth that is in Christ Jesus and in His word.
We have already seen in Ephesians 4:15 & 4:25 that as we speak the truth to each other in love, we grow to be more like Christ. In addition, it is truth that keeps us steady and able to stand in the face of “every wind of teaching” (Eph. 4:14). Buckling on the belt of truth is both an individual and corporate exercise, because the truth is so much bigger than our own perception and our individual stories.
The popular view among many in our culture today is that there is no absolute or universal truth for all people at all times. There is only individual and subjective truth, i.e. “what’s true for you may not be true for me.” It is with God’s truth that we take our stand; it is there that the battle will be won or lost. If one opinion has equal validity with every other opinion, then Jesus is not the chief cornerstone of the temple in which God lives by his Spirit (Eph. 2:20-21). If we are not confident in the truth of what we know of God’s plan to unite all creation in Christ Jesus (Eph. 1:10) then we are vulnerable on every other front. I think that this is why the image of truth as a belt is so important, it holds everything else together!
Most of us have not and will never experience real persecution for what we claim to believe. However, this does not mean that what we believe to be true is not under attack. We need to be clear about this, the truth claims of the Gospel are under attack, not only by the “flesh and blood” we encounter in the earthly realm, but also in the heavenly realms and in the realm of our own hearts.
Jesus was uncompromising in speaking to the Pharisees about their “father, the devil”, He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies…. If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me...The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God. (John 8:44-47)
Take a few moments to thank God that He has revealed His truth to you in Jesus Christ.
Ask God to strengthen your confidence in Him and in His word.
Ask God to give you the courage and grace to reflect His truth in your life.
Lord Jesus, we know that You are the truth. We want our lives to reflect the beauty and power of who You are. Grant us the confidence and assurance of the truth we have in You and help us to proclaim it in all that we do and say – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
Tuesday, June 8
Therefore put on the whole armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm, then… - Ephesians 6:13-14a
It is interesting that Paul tells us that our goal should simply be to stand firm and to keep standing. Just standing our ground seems too easy a goal to set in the light of all the resources God has given us. Didn’t Jesus Himself promise that he would build His Church “and the gates of hell will not overcome it” (Matt. 16: 18)? In Romans 8:37 Paul calls us “more than conquerors through him who loved us”. Why then is the goal merely to stand our ground?
This is a good caution for us never to underestimate our enemy and never to overestimate ourselves. The fact is, we all know people who have fallen, and others who have fled, in the face of temptation. As I write this, I am reminded of a pastor friend of mine who lost any effective ministry because of a secret addiction over a period of many years. When he was finally found out, he was unrepentant and unwilling to submit himself to a process of restoration.
The reality is, we can all stand for periods of time, but the test is “when the day of evil comes”. When you are alone and you are convinced that nobody will find out. When the consequences of doing the right thing seem greater than the price of doing the wrong thing. When you feel so much and pressure and the only way to relieve it seems to be to cheat a little.
Paul is telling us that we cannot even stand on our own, let alone move forward in holiness and love. We need the grace and power of God just to stand up!
So, if you think you are standing, firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
- 1 Corinthians 10:12.
The point is, we will endure and we will stand only as we use the resources God has provided - the whole armor of God. Some people are uncomfortable with the militaristic imagery in passages like this. We live in an era where many people are taking sides and drawing lines of division and claiming that their side is “God’s side” and those on the other side are on the side of evil. But remember, “our struggle is not against the flesh and blood…” Taking a stand in this life is primarily a spiritual battle, and whether we feel comfortable or not with the military imagery, we have to acknowledge that we are in a cosmic spiritual struggle. The war has ultimately already been won at Calvary, but the battle continues for us until Christ returns.
Mighty God, we thank you for your strength and the power you give to us to follow you faithfully in this world. Strengthen us by Your Spirit that we may be able to stand humbly but firmly for You - Amen.
Jeff Frazier
It is interesting that Paul tells us that our goal should simply be to stand firm and to keep standing. Just standing our ground seems too easy a goal to set in the light of all the resources God has given us. Didn’t Jesus Himself promise that he would build His Church “and the gates of hell will not overcome it” (Matt. 16: 18)? In Romans 8:37 Paul calls us “more than conquerors through him who loved us”. Why then is the goal merely to stand our ground?
This is a good caution for us never to underestimate our enemy and never to overestimate ourselves. The fact is, we all know people who have fallen, and others who have fled, in the face of temptation. As I write this, I am reminded of a pastor friend of mine who lost any effective ministry because of a secret addiction over a period of many years. When he was finally found out, he was unrepentant and unwilling to submit himself to a process of restoration.
The reality is, we can all stand for periods of time, but the test is “when the day of evil comes”. When you are alone and you are convinced that nobody will find out. When the consequences of doing the right thing seem greater than the price of doing the wrong thing. When you feel so much and pressure and the only way to relieve it seems to be to cheat a little.
Paul is telling us that we cannot even stand on our own, let alone move forward in holiness and love. We need the grace and power of God just to stand up!
So, if you think you are standing, firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
- 1 Corinthians 10:12.
The point is, we will endure and we will stand only as we use the resources God has provided - the whole armor of God. Some people are uncomfortable with the militaristic imagery in passages like this. We live in an era where many people are taking sides and drawing lines of division and claiming that their side is “God’s side” and those on the other side are on the side of evil. But remember, “our struggle is not against the flesh and blood…” Taking a stand in this life is primarily a spiritual battle, and whether we feel comfortable or not with the military imagery, we have to acknowledge that we are in a cosmic spiritual struggle. The war has ultimately already been won at Calvary, but the battle continues for us until Christ returns.
Mighty God, we thank you for your strength and the power you give to us to follow you faithfully in this world. Strengthen us by Your Spirit that we may be able to stand humbly but firmly for You - Amen.
Jeff Frazier
Monday, June 7
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. – Ephesians 6:1-3
Ephesians 1:3 tells us that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. It should not surprise us then that Paul tells us that just as we have spiritual blessings from God, we will experience spiritual opposition from Satan. This is the point at which the unseen battle for our souls takes place, between the spiritual forces of evil and God’s mighty power. We are equipped with His grace, with confidence in our identity as His children, with His resurrection power and with the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We have all we need to engage the enemy, but who is our enemy?
Do you ever feel like you are fighting a battle you can’t win?
Do you ever feel as though you are struggling against and unknown enemy?
Perhaps the greatest danger we face is a failure to recognize that the flesh and blood we see before us is not our real enemy. The real enemy is the unseen power that manipulates, motivates and drives them. Failure to make that distinction will not only lead us to rely on human-centered tactics and strategies rather than the strength and power of the Lord, it can result in unnecessary and unhelpful hurting of people whom God loves.
It is all too easy to see the terrorist, the hostile atheist, the corrupt politician or CEO as the target of our struggle to see God’s Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. The problem we discover is that eliminating one terrorist gives birth to ten more. Influencing one political party is no guarantee of success. Jailing fraudulent CEO’s does little to change corporate culture. Evil must be opposed wherever it exists. But we must never lose sight of two facts; first, that all people matter to God. Second, that powers, not people are the ultimate problem.
This is why Paul tells us to trust in God’s mighty power and put on the armor he provides. When David confronted Goliath (1 Samuel 17), Saul, the king of Israel offered his royal armor to him. But David refused it. First of all, it didn’t fit, because David was just a youth and Saul was a head taller than anyone else in Israel when he was crowned. More importantly, Saul’s armor was suited to fighting flesh and blood battles. David understood that while he faced a real flesh and blood foe, he was also fighting a spiritual battle; the arrogance of Goliath, the blasphemous defiance of the Philistines or the despair and terror of Israel would take more than conventional flesh and blood weapons to defeat. David’s faith in the God of Israel, and the simplest man-made weapon would kill the giant. We should all remember David’s words on that occasion:
All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give all of you into our hands.
- 1 Samuel 17: 47
Sovereign Lord, we thank you that you have given us all the equipment we need to face our real enemy. Now grant us your power, we pray, and the discernment we need to focus our efforts on the real battle – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
Ephesians 1:3 tells us that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. It should not surprise us then that Paul tells us that just as we have spiritual blessings from God, we will experience spiritual opposition from Satan. This is the point at which the unseen battle for our souls takes place, between the spiritual forces of evil and God’s mighty power. We are equipped with His grace, with confidence in our identity as His children, with His resurrection power and with the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We have all we need to engage the enemy, but who is our enemy?
Do you ever feel like you are fighting a battle you can’t win?
Do you ever feel as though you are struggling against and unknown enemy?
Perhaps the greatest danger we face is a failure to recognize that the flesh and blood we see before us is not our real enemy. The real enemy is the unseen power that manipulates, motivates and drives them. Failure to make that distinction will not only lead us to rely on human-centered tactics and strategies rather than the strength and power of the Lord, it can result in unnecessary and unhelpful hurting of people whom God loves.
It is all too easy to see the terrorist, the hostile atheist, the corrupt politician or CEO as the target of our struggle to see God’s Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. The problem we discover is that eliminating one terrorist gives birth to ten more. Influencing one political party is no guarantee of success. Jailing fraudulent CEO’s does little to change corporate culture. Evil must be opposed wherever it exists. But we must never lose sight of two facts; first, that all people matter to God. Second, that powers, not people are the ultimate problem.
This is why Paul tells us to trust in God’s mighty power and put on the armor he provides. When David confronted Goliath (1 Samuel 17), Saul, the king of Israel offered his royal armor to him. But David refused it. First of all, it didn’t fit, because David was just a youth and Saul was a head taller than anyone else in Israel when he was crowned. More importantly, Saul’s armor was suited to fighting flesh and blood battles. David understood that while he faced a real flesh and blood foe, he was also fighting a spiritual battle; the arrogance of Goliath, the blasphemous defiance of the Philistines or the despair and terror of Israel would take more than conventional flesh and blood weapons to defeat. David’s faith in the God of Israel, and the simplest man-made weapon would kill the giant. We should all remember David’s words on that occasion:
All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give all of you into our hands.
- 1 Samuel 17: 47
Sovereign Lord, we thank you that you have given us all the equipment we need to face our real enemy. Now grant us your power, we pray, and the discernment we need to focus our efforts on the real battle – Amen.
Jeff Frazier
Friday, June 4
As you prepare to review this week’s scripture focus, ask God to speak to your heart through his word.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing of the water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church – for we are all members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife, as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:21-33
I’m not sure how many weddings I have performed in my life as a pastor – probably somewhere around 200. Well-known polling expert Louis Harris estimates that current statistics on marriage and divorce in America indicate that between 1 in 8 and 1 in 5 of those marriages will end in divorce. While I don’t think the number is that high among the couples I have married – I do know that some of those marriages have already ended. Not a single couple stood before me on their wedding day thinking, “The love we have today will probably last a few years, then we will inevitably drift apart, establish a pattern of chronic conflict, forget how to love each other, and get divorced!” Not a single one! Yet, it happens. Why does this happen? And is there hope for marriage?
This passage from Ephesians 5 shares insights that help us answer both questions. Marriages fail for many reasons – some of them quite complex. But Paul is suggesting that marriages struggle when they are not mutually submitted to Christ first and foremost. Marriages fail when one or both partners are unable or unwilling to humble themselves enough to serve the other. Marriages struggle when the husband does not love his wife as Christ loves the church and when the wife does not respect her husband. Marriages fail when the covenant that protects one flesh intimacy is violated or unprotected. The flip side of all of this is that there is indeed hope for marriage! The hope for marriage is shared submission to Christ at the center of the relationship. Through Christ we learn to surrender our selfishness; through Christ we learn to serve one another well; through Christ we learn to forgive; and through Christ we learn to love unconditionally. The hope for marriage lies in the two-sided Velcro of love and respect. The hope for marriage is in the joy of one flesh intimacy in the safety of the inviolable covenant of promise!
This is God’s hope for marriage. This is God’s hope for your marriage! And if you are not yet married – it is God’s hope for what you will one day experience with a husband or wife. Thank him for this hope – and ask him for his guidance, strength and help in realizing his hope for you and your marriage!
Brian Coffey
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing of the water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church – for we are all members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife, as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:21-33
I’m not sure how many weddings I have performed in my life as a pastor – probably somewhere around 200. Well-known polling expert Louis Harris estimates that current statistics on marriage and divorce in America indicate that between 1 in 8 and 1 in 5 of those marriages will end in divorce. While I don’t think the number is that high among the couples I have married – I do know that some of those marriages have already ended. Not a single couple stood before me on their wedding day thinking, “The love we have today will probably last a few years, then we will inevitably drift apart, establish a pattern of chronic conflict, forget how to love each other, and get divorced!” Not a single one! Yet, it happens. Why does this happen? And is there hope for marriage?
This passage from Ephesians 5 shares insights that help us answer both questions. Marriages fail for many reasons – some of them quite complex. But Paul is suggesting that marriages struggle when they are not mutually submitted to Christ first and foremost. Marriages fail when one or both partners are unable or unwilling to humble themselves enough to serve the other. Marriages struggle when the husband does not love his wife as Christ loves the church and when the wife does not respect her husband. Marriages fail when the covenant that protects one flesh intimacy is violated or unprotected. The flip side of all of this is that there is indeed hope for marriage! The hope for marriage is shared submission to Christ at the center of the relationship. Through Christ we learn to surrender our selfishness; through Christ we learn to serve one another well; through Christ we learn to forgive; and through Christ we learn to love unconditionally. The hope for marriage lies in the two-sided Velcro of love and respect. The hope for marriage is in the joy of one flesh intimacy in the safety of the inviolable covenant of promise!
This is God’s hope for marriage. This is God’s hope for your marriage! And if you are not yet married – it is God’s hope for what you will one day experience with a husband or wife. Thank him for this hope – and ask him for his guidance, strength and help in realizing his hope for you and your marriage!
Brian Coffey
Thursday, June 3
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love, rivers cannot wash it away.
If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.
Song of Songs 8:6-7
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:31-32
Famous Chicago Cubs broadcaster, the late Harry Caray, used to love to scream “Holy Cow!” when something great or unusual happened in a baseball game. While that’s not the most theologically correct use for the word “holy” it does point to that which is “different” or “set apart.” In the Biblical sense, “Holy” is that which is set apart for God’s purpose. So when we refer to marriage as “Holy Matrimony” – we are saying that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman that is set apart from all other relationships. And what makes marriage distinct is that it is a covenant relationship.
In these verses, Paul is actually quoting from both Genesis and Jesus – and he is referring to the unique and binding covenant that is God’s provision for marriage. A man and a woman become united and then they become one flesh.
Now we all know what one flesh means! That is God’s way of referring to sexual intimacy between a man and a woman. And we all know that our culture is obsessed with sex! But how often do we think of sex as “holy?” Do those two words – holy and sex – go together in your mind? My guess is probably not! But the truth is that the Bible teaches that sex can be and is intended to be holy.
But for sex to be holy - for one flesh intimacy to be what God created it to be - it must be protected by a covenant. Just as a house is only safe and secure if it has four walls and doors that lock from the inside, so also a relationship is only “holy” – set apart, safe and secure – if it is protected on all sides and locked from the inside. A “covenant” is simply a “holy promise” – a promise that this relationship, this love, is set apart from all others and that nothing can violate its boundaries. And notice that for one flesh intimacy, sex, to be all it can and should be, the covenant must be established first.
Think for a moment of the wisdom and grace of God in establishing this truth way back in the book of Genesis! Long before the world knew of STDs, HIV and unwanted pregnancies – God provided for both our protection and enjoyment – through the provision of the covenant of marriage.
If you are married, thank God for the beauty and joy of the covenant you share. Thank God for the gift of one flesh intimacy that is protected and enriched by that covenant! If you are not married, ask God to help you trust his guidance and plan when it comes to that area of your life – don’t settle for anything less than “holy sex!”
Brian Coffey
It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love, rivers cannot wash it away.
If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly scorned.
Song of Songs 8:6-7
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:31-32
Famous Chicago Cubs broadcaster, the late Harry Caray, used to love to scream “Holy Cow!” when something great or unusual happened in a baseball game. While that’s not the most theologically correct use for the word “holy” it does point to that which is “different” or “set apart.” In the Biblical sense, “Holy” is that which is set apart for God’s purpose. So when we refer to marriage as “Holy Matrimony” – we are saying that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman that is set apart from all other relationships. And what makes marriage distinct is that it is a covenant relationship.
In these verses, Paul is actually quoting from both Genesis and Jesus – and he is referring to the unique and binding covenant that is God’s provision for marriage. A man and a woman become united and then they become one flesh.
Now we all know what one flesh means! That is God’s way of referring to sexual intimacy between a man and a woman. And we all know that our culture is obsessed with sex! But how often do we think of sex as “holy?” Do those two words – holy and sex – go together in your mind? My guess is probably not! But the truth is that the Bible teaches that sex can be and is intended to be holy.
But for sex to be holy - for one flesh intimacy to be what God created it to be - it must be protected by a covenant. Just as a house is only safe and secure if it has four walls and doors that lock from the inside, so also a relationship is only “holy” – set apart, safe and secure – if it is protected on all sides and locked from the inside. A “covenant” is simply a “holy promise” – a promise that this relationship, this love, is set apart from all others and that nothing can violate its boundaries. And notice that for one flesh intimacy, sex, to be all it can and should be, the covenant must be established first.
Think for a moment of the wisdom and grace of God in establishing this truth way back in the book of Genesis! Long before the world knew of STDs, HIV and unwanted pregnancies – God provided for both our protection and enjoyment – through the provision of the covenant of marriage.
If you are married, thank God for the beauty and joy of the covenant you share. Thank God for the gift of one flesh intimacy that is protected and enriched by that covenant! If you are not married, ask God to help you trust his guidance and plan when it comes to that area of your life – don’t settle for anything less than “holy sex!”
Brian Coffey
Wednesday, June 2
…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:26-28
Begin today by acknowledging Christ’s call to servanthood. Ask him to show you how you might serve your spouse – or others – in a more humble and loving way.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing of the water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church – for we are all members of his body. Ephesians 5:25-30
We live in a culture obsessed with love. Love is the theme of most of the music we listen to, most of the movies we see and most of the television shows we watch. The problem is that our culture is often very confused when it comes to the very definition of love.
The 1980’s rock group “Foreigner” (not that I was a “Foreigner” fan – I looked it up!) had a hit song entitled, “I Want to Know What Love Is,” in which they sing:
“I want to know what love is, and I want you to show me.
I want to feel what love is, and I know you can show me.”
So, what is love? What is real love? What does love look like in marriage?
Here, in a nutshell, Paul says love looks a lot like Jesus!
Love is sacrificial: Jesus gave himself up for her.
Love is protective: husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.
Love is nourishing: he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church.
Love serves: “…the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve…”
Paul is saying if we want to know what love is, we should look at Jesus. So much of our cultural definition of love is selfish in nature. We love others because of how they make us feel, or for what they can do for us. And when we don’t feel the right way – or when they cease to do for us what we want – our love wanes, or even disappears.
True love does involve powerful feelings – and, in the case of marriage, even romance. But it is also more than that. True love is also sacrifice and service. True love is not selfish but unselfish. True love does not just take but seeks to give.
True love says, “Through Christ I know what love is, and I want to live out his love by loving, serving and caring for you.”
Thank Jesus for his model of sacrificial, serving and faithful love – and ask him to help you share this love as a gift to your husband, wife, children or friends.
Brian Coffey
Begin today by acknowledging Christ’s call to servanthood. Ask him to show you how you might serve your spouse – or others – in a more humble and loving way.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing of the water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church – for we are all members of his body. Ephesians 5:25-30
We live in a culture obsessed with love. Love is the theme of most of the music we listen to, most of the movies we see and most of the television shows we watch. The problem is that our culture is often very confused when it comes to the very definition of love.
The 1980’s rock group “Foreigner” (not that I was a “Foreigner” fan – I looked it up!) had a hit song entitled, “I Want to Know What Love Is,” in which they sing:
“I want to know what love is, and I want you to show me.
I want to feel what love is, and I know you can show me.”
So, what is love? What is real love? What does love look like in marriage?
Here, in a nutshell, Paul says love looks a lot like Jesus!
Love is sacrificial: Jesus gave himself up for her.
Love is protective: husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.
Love is nourishing: he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church.
Love serves: “…the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve…”
Paul is saying if we want to know what love is, we should look at Jesus. So much of our cultural definition of love is selfish in nature. We love others because of how they make us feel, or for what they can do for us. And when we don’t feel the right way – or when they cease to do for us what we want – our love wanes, or even disappears.
True love does involve powerful feelings – and, in the case of marriage, even romance. But it is also more than that. True love is also sacrifice and service. True love is not selfish but unselfish. True love does not just take but seeks to give.
True love says, “Through Christ I know what love is, and I want to live out his love by loving, serving and caring for you.”
Thank Jesus for his model of sacrificial, serving and faithful love – and ask him to help you share this love as a gift to your husband, wife, children or friends.
Brian Coffey
Tuesday, June 1
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar or rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns, Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Revelation 19:6-8
Begin today by reflecting on the wedding imagery in the great book of Revelation. John envisions heaven as a great wedding feast – the celebration of the union of the Lamb (Jesus Christ) with his bride (the church). Ask God to make your own marriage a reflection of this same purity, joy and love.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Ephesians 5:22-24
We all use fasteners that use “Velcro technology” almost every day of our lives. We know that Velcro works when two different kinds of fabric – hooks and loops – are pressed together. We also know that if you only have one of those two types of fabric – it does not function as a fastener. Both sides of Velcro are necessary for it to work at all.
The same is true in marriage. Only Paul is telling us that the “Velcro” of marriage is not hooks and loops – but love and respect.
He instructs wives to respect the leadership of their husbands as the church respects Christ and he teaches husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. Why does he say it that way and what does it mean?
We have to remember that, in Paul’s day, wives were little more than the property of their husbands. So when Paul writes, “Wives, submit to your husbands…” they would have been thinking, “Well, duh, of course… because if I don’t he will beat it out of me – or divorce me!” But notice WHY Paul says wives are to respect their husbands! It’s not because women are inferior to men but rather because Christian husbands are commanded to love their wives “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
Paul is actually presenting a revolutionary vision of marriage here – a vision of marriage that changed the world. In the Christian view of marriage – wives can afford to respect their husbands precisely because their husbands are willing to lay down their lives to love, protect and nourish their wives! The other side of the Velcro is that when a husband feels the respect of his wife – he wants to love her even more!
This means that neither love nor respect can be demanded from the other! For a husband to say to his wife, “I’m the husband, the Bible says you have to respect me!” (which I have actually heard men say!) at best will produce a kind of grudging, resentful respect. Or, for a wife to say to her husband, “I’m your wife, you have to love me- the Bible says so!” While that is true, it is unlikely to produce the kind of love she most desires. Both love and respect can only be offered as gifts – and they are most easily offered as gifts in the presence of each other. That is, when a wife feels the sacrificial and unconditional love of her husband – she naturally will respect him. And when the husband feels the respect of his wife – he will naturally want to express love to her!
Take a few moments to think about your own marriage (or central relationships). If you are a husband, do you demand respect or do you offer love as a gift? If you are a wife, do you demand love, or do you offer respect? How can you offer your spouse what he or she most needs and wants from you today?
Brian Coffey
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns, Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Revelation 19:6-8
Begin today by reflecting on the wedding imagery in the great book of Revelation. John envisions heaven as a great wedding feast – the celebration of the union of the Lamb (Jesus Christ) with his bride (the church). Ask God to make your own marriage a reflection of this same purity, joy and love.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Ephesians 5:22-24
We all use fasteners that use “Velcro technology” almost every day of our lives. We know that Velcro works when two different kinds of fabric – hooks and loops – are pressed together. We also know that if you only have one of those two types of fabric – it does not function as a fastener. Both sides of Velcro are necessary for it to work at all.
The same is true in marriage. Only Paul is telling us that the “Velcro” of marriage is not hooks and loops – but love and respect.
He instructs wives to respect the leadership of their husbands as the church respects Christ and he teaches husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. Why does he say it that way and what does it mean?
We have to remember that, in Paul’s day, wives were little more than the property of their husbands. So when Paul writes, “Wives, submit to your husbands…” they would have been thinking, “Well, duh, of course… because if I don’t he will beat it out of me – or divorce me!” But notice WHY Paul says wives are to respect their husbands! It’s not because women are inferior to men but rather because Christian husbands are commanded to love their wives “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
Paul is actually presenting a revolutionary vision of marriage here – a vision of marriage that changed the world. In the Christian view of marriage – wives can afford to respect their husbands precisely because their husbands are willing to lay down their lives to love, protect and nourish their wives! The other side of the Velcro is that when a husband feels the respect of his wife – he wants to love her even more!
This means that neither love nor respect can be demanded from the other! For a husband to say to his wife, “I’m the husband, the Bible says you have to respect me!” (which I have actually heard men say!) at best will produce a kind of grudging, resentful respect. Or, for a wife to say to her husband, “I’m your wife, you have to love me- the Bible says so!” While that is true, it is unlikely to produce the kind of love she most desires. Both love and respect can only be offered as gifts – and they are most easily offered as gifts in the presence of each other. That is, when a wife feels the sacrificial and unconditional love of her husband – she naturally will respect him. And when the husband feels the respect of his wife – he will naturally want to express love to her!
Take a few moments to think about your own marriage (or central relationships). If you are a husband, do you demand respect or do you offer love as a gift? If you are a wife, do you demand love, or do you offer respect? How can you offer your spouse what he or she most needs and wants from you today?
Brian Coffey
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