Tuesday, April 30

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Tuesday

Begin your time with God by reading these verse from Ephesians 2:14-18…

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.  For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

What is Peace?

We generally tend to think of peace as the absence of conflict.  We think of it purely in circumstantial terms, like this is a peaceful evening, or we had a nice peaceful dinner.  But Paul seems to be talking about a different kind of peace in this passage.

As a pastor, I sometimes meet with people who are in conflict with someone.  They will talk about all of the wrongs that person has done and all of the reasons they are justified in being so upset and angry with them.  They talk as if their peace depends solely on what the other person does.  They say things like, “if they will apologize, if they will make it right, then I could have peace.”

But peace from the Biblical perspective is something much deeper than external circumstances or the mere absence of conflict. True peace is oneness with Jesus Christ.  Anything else is superficial and temporary. Deep down, we know this to be true. 

This is why what we call peace among nations never lasts--because it isn't really peace. It isn't oneness at all. It is only weariness with warfare, an agreement to stop it for a while until we can all recuperate and rearm. Then it breaks out all over again, because nothing is ever settled.

But here Paul gives us the secret of peace – Oneness.  The secret of oneness is a Person: “he himself is our peace.”  What Paul is saying is that in order to live at peace, you must have peace. 

The problem with most of us is that we want to start by trying to clear up only the results of conflict. God never starts there; He starts with the person. He says peace is a Person, and in order for you to live at peace with someone else, you must be at peace with the Person of Christ. If you have His peace, then you can start solving the conflict around you.  So the place to start, the origin of peace, is the settling of any problems between you and Jesus Christ.

Spend a few moments thanking God for the peace you have in Jesus Christ…

Bring to mind anyone or any circumstance with which you do not feel at peace…

Ask Him to help you let go of the desire to control the person or situation…

Ask God to remind you that He is your peace regardless of your circumstances…

Oh Father I praise you for the peace you have given me in Jesus Christ.  Forgive me for trying to manipulate and control others and myself.  Teach me to rest in the peace that comes from knowing and trusting in you – Amen.

Jeff Frazier

Monday, April 29

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Monday

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands - remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.  And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.  For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.  In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.  - Ephesians 2:11-22

One of my favorite pastimes (although I don’t always find the time to do it!) is reading, and one of my favorite areas of reading is the biographies of godly men and women. I think I have gained more from reading Christian biographies than from any other type of reading.  A well written story of someone else’s life makes you feel as if you know the person as a friend.  I remember when I finished reading Ian Murray’s biography of Jonathan Edwards, I felt a sense of sadness as if an old friend had died. I felt the same way when I finished reading Eric Metaxes’ biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Ephesians 2 is a kind spiritual biography in brief, not of someone else, but of you and me, as followers of Christ and part of His body (the church).  As we study it, it should call forth some deep feelings in us, feelings of gratitude and reverence, along with a sense of the responsibility that falls on us because of what God has done for us in Christ.

There is an interesting parallel between the first and second sections of Ephesians 2:

Our Position Individually	Our Position Corporately
Our past (2:1-3)	Our past (2:11-12)
Our present (2:4-9)	Our present (2:13-18)
The consequence (2:10)	The consequence (2:19-22)

While salvation is always and must be an intensely personal matter between the individual and God, it is also, at the same time, a corporate matter, and Paul here is giving our corporate biography.  God does not save us to become an isolated bunch of holy hermits, having no contact with other believers. At the point of salvation, the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the one body of Christ, made up of all true believers 

1 Corinthians 12:13 - For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.

The Christian experience is to be lived out in community with other members of Christ’s body, growing in practice into the positional unity that exists from the moment of salvation.

Three words here capture the progress of our corporate spiritual biography: Before Christ, we were alienated, both from God and from one another. In meeting Christ, we were reconciled, both to God and to one another. In walking with Christ, we are unified, both in our experience with the Lord and with one another.

Jeff Frazier

Friday, April 26

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1 John 3:16-18

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Several years ago I came across the first person account of a college student who volunteered for a ministry project in the inner city of Philadelphia. It went something like this:

The bus dropped us off on a city sidewalk in an area of the city I probably would never have chosen to visit. Our leader then told us that our assignment was to share the gospel with someone in some way and to come back in four hours prepared to share a story.

I had never done anything like that before so I was nervous and wondered how in the world I would accomplish the assignment. I walked a few blocks praying silently that God would lead me to the right person and show me what to do. Then I noticed a run-down looking tenement building that looked to be full of apartments. I took a deep breath, asked God for help, and walked into the building. I went up the stairway and into a hallway lined with apartment doors. I walked down the hallway until I heard the sound of a baby coming from one of the apartments. Nervous and very unsure of myself, I knocked on the door. A few seconds later the door opened just a crack and a woman holding a baby peered out at me. 

Clearly surprised by a stranger at her door, she said, “Whaddayouwant?”

I said, “I’m on a ministry trip with my church and I wonder if I could share the gospel with you?”

The woman flung the door open and flew into a rage. 

“Who the &%$# do you think you are? Coming to my house and saying that kind of %$#@. You think I’m some kind of %^&*$ mission project? Get the &%*$ out of my face…

I tried to apologize but she just screamed louder. I got out of that building as fast as I could and I could hear her cursing even as I got back to the street.

I ran a couple of blocks and sat down on the curb and wept. I was scared; I was embarrassed; and I was a complete failure. What was I doing? Who was I to think I could share the gospel with anyone – especially here? 

I sat there for a long time just hoping for the four hours to go by so I could get back on the bus and go home. But then I noticed a small grocery store just down the block and across the street. For some reason I remembered that the woman in the tenement building had a cigarette in her hand and the baby was wearing diapers.

I got up, walked to the store, and bought a carton of cigarettes and a box of disposable diapers. Then I headed back to the tenement building not exactly sure what I would do. I walked up the stairs and back to the same woman’s apartment. I knocked and this time when she opened the door I slid the cigarettes and diapers to her without saying a word. She took them and slammed the door.

A few moments later I turned to leave figuring that was that. But then I heard the door open again and the woman said, “Hey Mr., you wanna come in?”

So I went into her apartment and sat on dirty couch. She lit a cigarette and sat down in a chair while still holding her baby. She offered me a cigarette and even though I don’t smoke, I took one and smoked it as she talked.

She said, “So, what’s a nice boy like you doing in a place like this?”

I told her I was there because I believed Jesus wanted me to be there; and because Jesus loved her; and I told her everything I knew about the gospel.

It took about 3 minutes.

When I finished, she looked at me and said, “Pray for me.”

I said, “Sure, what can I pray?”

She said, “Pray that me and my baby get out of here alive.”

So I prayed.

I love that story because I can relate to it. There are so many times when I have found myself thinking those same thoughts; “Who am I to think I can share the gospel in any kind of way that actually makes a difference?”

But I have learned and I am still learning that it is not my responsibility to make the gospel effective; it is my responsibility to share and demonstrate the gospel and then to leave the results to God.

This is why we are committed as a church to making the gospel visible through “Serve the World.” We believe that when we demonstrate the love and grace of Christ through compassionate service the gospel becomes visible and real to those Jesus wants to reach.

I think that’s what John means when he writes:

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Pastor Brian Coffey

Thursday, April 25

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Mark 1:40-42

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said, “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

The newly released movie “42” tells the story of Jackie Robinson breaking the so-called “color barrier” in major league baseball. I haven’t seen the movie yet but I’m looking forward to seeing it because I have always loved baseball history.

From what I understand the film contains a scene that depicts an incident that happened in 1947 as Robinson was in his first season with the Dodgers and facing withering abuse from many who objected to an African American playing in the big leagues. 

Early that season the Dodgers were playing the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati and fans were jeering at Robinson without mercy. Harold “Pee Wee” Reese, the Dodgers’ captain and  Hall of Fame shortstop, himself a white ballplayer from Kentucky, walked across the baseball diamond from his position at shortstop, approached Robinson, who was playing First Base at the time, and put his arm around his shoulder in a public display of friendship. As the story goes, the jeering stopped, Reese returned to his position and the game went on.

That story is related in an odd sort of way to the story of Jesus and the man with leprosy.

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said, “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

It’s easy to read this story and see only the miracle of the man being healed from leprosy. And, of course, it is a story about healing. But it’s also more than that. It’s a story about compassion. 

In Jesus’ day leprosy was seen as a dangerous and highly contagious disease. It was also seen as a kind of curse. The religious law of the day required those infected with the disease to be quarantined from the general population. Lepers were considered to be not only contagious, but spiritually “unclean” as well and were prohibited from worshiping in the Temple. If a “clean” person came into contact with a leper, he or she also became unclean and had to go through a rigorous cleansing process.

But, in his compassion, Jesus completely ignores all those religious rules. He reached out and touched a leprous man. And the man was healed.

Did Jesus have to touch the man to heal him? No. Jesus healed other people without touching them and sometimes without even being near them. But he touched this man.

Why?

Perhaps Jesus touched the man in order to demonstrate to the man that, even though a leper, he was still touchable. Perhaps he chose to touch the man as a tangible demonstration of God’s love. Maybe Jesus’ main point was to show those watching that genuine compassion was more important than religious rules. I think it was likely for all the above reasons and probably even a few more that I have missed.

This beautiful story makes me think about the “untouchable” people in my world. Who are the people that, for one reason or another, we tend to regard as contagious or repulsive in some way?

While it might be a bit dangerous to do so, here’s a short list of those we tend to treat as “lepers” in that we prefer not to come into contact with them – or even be near them.

Those convicted of crimes.

Those addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Those who suffer from mental illness.

The homeless.

Those who identify themselves as homosexual.

O.K., I think you get the point. The truth is I could go on and on and still never mention the kind of person that you, personally, tend to see as “untouchable.”

In 1947 Jackie Robinson would have been considered untouchable by someone from Pee Wee Reese’s background just because of his race. But that didn’t matter to Reese.

And in Jesus day, a leper was considered untouchable in Jewish culture. But that didn’t matter to Jesus.

So what is it that shouldn’t matter to us?

What is it that shouldn’t matter to you?

Who are the people around you that you tend to regard as untouchable - but are actually those that Jesus wants to touch through you?

Pastor Brian Coffey

Wednesday, April 24

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Matthew 9:35-38

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Yesterday two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston marathon. As I write these words we don’t know who made and set the bombs or why. By the time you read these words those responsible may already have been apprehended; or maybe not. Most of us spent Monday evening, April 15, listening to news reports and seeing images of the devastation. I found myself feeling like I did when I heard about Columbine or 9/11 or Virginia Tech or Sandy Hook. At times like that we feel shock and disbelief; we feel fear, helplessness and maybe even anger. But, eventually, we will see an image or hear a voice, and we will feel compassion.

Compassion is the capacity to be deeply aware of the suffering of another combined with the desire to relieve that suffering.

The ancient Greek word used to describe the compassion of Jesus in this text is splagcnizomai; which carries a meaning of “being moved to one’s bowels” for in the ancient world the bowels were seen as the seat of emotions like love and pity. In our culture we might say compassion is something we feel deep in our “gut.”

Within hours of the Boston attack I saw dozens and dozens of examples of this kind of compassion shared on Facebook, Twitter and in interviews with first responders as well as ordinary citizens who were moved to reach out to care for the suffering of others. Two days after the attack a Chicago newspaper carried the headline, “Tears for Boston.”

The Bible tells us: 

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

He was moved deep within his being, in his gut, by their helplessness, their lostness, their pain; and he was moved to do something about it. 

Then Jesus says something very interesting.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

I have often heard Jesus’ words here taught or preached in support of traditional evangelism and missions, and that is quite appropriate. But, in looking closely at the whole context, it seems to me that the center of the passage is the compassion of Jesus.

Jesus saw the crowds who were lost and helpless, and he felt compassion for them. Then he told his followers to ask the “Lord of the harvest” for more workers.

It strikes me that Jesus is calling for his followers to “catch” his compassion for the world. He is looking for people who allow themselves to be moved by the suffering and lostness of the world. He is looking for people who love the world as he loves the world.

Sometimes I wonder what the world around us thinks of us as followers of Jesus. Do they think of us as people who think we are somehow better than other people? Sometimes I think they do. Do they think of us as people who care more about being “right” about theology and doctrine than we do about issues like poverty and HIV? Sometimes I think they do.

I think Jesus is saying that we, as his followers, are to be known – more than anything else – by our compassion.

We are to represent Christ and bear witness to his gospel through our capacity to feel the pain of others and our willingness to care for them in the name of Jesus.

As St. Francis of Assisi was reported to have said, “Preach the gospel always. If necessary, use words.”

Pastor Brian Coffey

Tuesday, April 23

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Matthew 25:31-46

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

A number of years ago my wife and I spent 6 months in Bolivia serving as teachers in a small evangelical university in Santa Cruz. At the time we were there Bolivia was the second poorest country in the western hemisphere, behind only Haiti. As you might guess those 6 months were filled with all kinds of experiences that both challenged and enriched each of us in many ways.

During one point in our time there we traveled to La Paz, one of the highest cities in the world in terms of elevation. La Paz is located about 12,000 feet above sea level so the air is very thin and at night it gets very cold. One night we had dinner out with some missionary friends and walked back to their apartment sometime after 10 pm. As we crossed the last street before arriving at their apartment building I heard a soft whimpering sound. At first I though it might be one of the stray dogs that roam the streets of a city like La Paz. It was dark and the sound came from outside the glow of the nearest streetlight so it took a moment for me to see where it was coming from. But as I peered into the darkness I could see a young boy crouching along a wall just about 15 feet from where we were walking. I couldn’t see him very well but, the best I could tell, he was just sitting there alone and crying softly into the night.

It was cold and late and we were kind of hurrying back to our friend’s apartment. I had no idea who this little boy was, where he lived, where his parents and family were, or why he was sitting on this particular street corner by himself. I had no idea what he needed or why he was crying. It crossed my mind for a moment that maybe I should stop and try to help him. But I didn’t speak Spanish very well and, plus, the boy might be from a Cechua family and I definitely could speak that language. I was a foreigner in a strange city so what could I do? So I just kept walking to our friend’s apartment.

That was in 1985 and I still remember that little Bolivian boy crying in the night. And when I remember him, I also remember what Jesus said in Matthew 25;

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Three times the “righteous” ask a question about seeing:

‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

The question is what do we see when we see the suffering around us? The question is who do we see in the suffering around us?

When I saw that little boy so long ago I saw a child who was in discomfort, but I did not see Jesus. I saw an anonymous child who was someone else’s responsibility, but I did not see him, at least in some small way, as my responsibility. I saw a problem for which I had no immediate answer so I stopped looking. Had I seen a little more clearly; had I looked a little more closely; I might have seen an opportunity to offer some small comfort; perhaps a word however poorly spoken; a hug however awkward; a warm blanket or sweater…something. But I walked on because I did not see with the compassion of Christ.

Now, obviously, there is a limit to what any one person can do; and there was a limit to what I could have done for that little boy that night. And sometimes the needs of the world seem so enormous that we are overwhelmed and almost paralyzed. After all, what difference can we really make?

But the more I think about Jesus’ parable, and the more deeply I understand what he is saying, the more I think that’s the wrong question. The question is not whether or not I can eliminate all the suffering in the world. Simply put, I can’t. That’s not my job. The real question is how can I learn to see people like Jesus sees people? 

And how can I learn to see Jesus in those who suffer?

Lord Jesus, forgive us, forgive me, for times when I fail to see as you want me to see. Forgive me for seeing those who suffer as problems, as obstacles, as interruptions, and teach me to see them as you see them. Teach me to see you in them.

Amen.

Pastor Brian Coffey

Monday, April 22

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Monday

Matthew 25:31-46

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Have you ever found yourself saying, “I wish I’d known!” You find out that the kid that everyone regarded as a nerd in high school turned out to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and you say, “I wish I’d known!” Or that girl that no one paid attention to in middle school who grew up to become a famous actress: “I wish I’d known!” 

When we say “I wish I’d known” we are saying that if we had recognized who we were dealing with we may have behaved differently toward them.

Here Jesus tells a story, called a parable, which is a kind of “I wish I’d known” story. And Jesus tells the story because there are a couple of things he wants us to know.

First, he wants us to know that he is coming again and that, when he comes, he will judge all nations and people.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

The “Son of Man” is a title that Jesus used to refer to himself; it’s a title similar in meaning to “Messiah” or “Anointed One.” Jesus is clearly saying, in parabolic form, that he will return to judge the world. This judgment will be like separating sheep from goats. Then he speaks of the criteria for such judgment.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Now, at first, this sounds like Jesus is saying that his judgment will be based on how we treat people. It sounds like we can “earn” our salvation through kindness and generosity.

This is not what Jesus is saying.

We know from other places in scripture that the gospel teaches that salvation is a gift of God’s grace that comes through faith and cannot be earned.

In Ephesians Paul writes:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no man can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ  to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

So we can assume, therefore, that Jesus is giving us a description not of how to achieve salvation, but rather, how those who have already received the gift of salvation will act.

He is saying that those who follow him, who have received the gift of righteousness by faith, will express that righteousness through lives of compassionate service and generosity.

And finally, Jesus is teaching us who we are serving when we reach out to the hungry, the poor, the imprisoned, and the stranger; we are serving Christ himself.

He wants us to know all this so that we don’t stand before him someday and say, “I wish I’d known!”

Pastor Brian Coffey

Friday, April 19

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Friday

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.   - Ephesians 6:18-20

In this passage from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he (Paul) asks them (the Ephesian Christians) to pray for him.  Twice he repeats his request, that he might speak boldly.  This is the same Greek word translated “confidence” in Acts 4:13. 

The phrase, “the mystery of the gospel,” does not mean that it is a hidden secret, but rather that it is divinely revealed truth. It is not logical truth that anyone can deduce on his own. Rather, God must open blind eyes to see “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4-6).  So Paul asked for prayer for boldness as he proclaimed this revealed mystery.

When you read through the Book of Acts, you don’t get the impression that Paul was lacking in boldness! In fact, he was in prison because he had boldly proclaimed the gospel to a mob that had attempted to kill him! When you read what he had endured for the sake of the gospel, it seems that nothing could stop him. So why was he asking prayer for boldness in witness?

Paul was about to go before Caesar, who would either acquit or condemn him. There would be the strong temptation to be diplomatic and to avoid talking to Caesar about his need for repentance from his sin in order to receive God’s forgiveness in Christ. Perhaps Satan tempted Paul with the thought, “Think of how many more you could reach if you get out of prison! Just play it safe when you go before Caesar and you’ll have your freedom.” But Paul wanted to proclaim the gospel boldly and clearly to Caesar. So he asked for prayer.

In our culture, Evangelical Christianity is increasingly viewed as a negative term, synonymous with right-wing fanaticism.  It is more and more common for Christians to feel marginalized and even attacked for their beliefs.  However, our prayer should not be that God protects from a hostile culture, but that God gives us opportunities to demonstrate and share the love of Jesus Christ! 

It’s amazing to me that Paul did not ask for prayer that he would be released from prison or for prayer for his health needs. Rather, he asked for prayer that he would proclaim the gospel boldly and not miss any opportunities. While it’s all right to pray for your personal needs, Paul’s example here, as well as the Lord’s Prayer, teach us that our primary focus in prayer should be furthering the kingdom of God, not making ourselves more comfortable. So make Paul’s passion your passion, to pray that you will be used to proclaim the gospel to the lost with clarity and boldness.

If Paul had on his prayer list the need for boldness as a witness, then perhaps you and I should add it to our lists! We all should seek to proclaim with confident boldness the good news that there is salvation in no one else except in Jesus Christ, whom God raised from the dead.

Jeff Frazier

Thursday, April 18

Thursday

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.  And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.  On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”   - Acts 4:1-12

The Sanhedrin had asked Peter, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” (4:7). So, Peter told them: We did it “by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead” (4:10). Furthermore, His name is the only name by which anyone can be saved: “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (4:12).

Even though the Sadducees were known for not believing in the resurrection, and Peter knew that this would be a sore spot for them, he didn’t hesitate to confront them with the truth. He tells them boldly, “Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health” (4:10-11). The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the Christian faith. If it can be disproved, our faith is worthless.

1 Corinthians 15:17 - “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”

F. F. Bruce states, “It is particularly striking that neither on this nor on any subsequent occasion (so far as our information goes) did the Sanhedrin take any serious action to disprove the apostles’ central affirmation - the resurrection of Jesus. Had it seemed possible to refute them on this point, how readily would the Sanhedrin have seized the opportunity! Had they succeeded, how quickly and completely the new movement would have collapsed!” 

We live in an age where tolerance has become the primary virtue. People don’t object if you say, “I’ve found Jesus as my personal Savior.” They say, “That’s nice for you, but I’m into something else.” Or they say, “Well that’s fine, but all that really matters is that you’re a good person and believe in something. All roads lead to God.”  Although most people do recognize it, the prevailing view in our culture which says that "all religions are equally true or valid", and that nobody should claim to have "the truth", is itself a claim to have the truth.  In other words, those who accuse Christians of being exclusive narrow since they claim that Jesus is the Truth, are actually being narrow and exclusive themselves by making such a claim, they just don't see it or won't admit it.

The statement that "all religions that claim to have the truth are arrogant and wrong" is, on its own terms, arrogant and wrong!

It is no more narrow to claim that one religion is right than to claim that one way to think about all religions (namely that all are equally valid) is right.  As the Christian philosopher Peter Berger said, "Relativism eventually relativizes itself."

But Jesus Christ cuts across the relativism and “tolerance” of our culture and proclaims, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). “There is salvation in no one else ...” (Acts 4:12). But what about sincere Buddhists or Muslims or Hindus, who are kind and loving people? They are not saved unless they trust in Jesus Christ alone. What about faithful Church goers, who who pray, and who pile up good deeds in their efforts to go to heaven? They are not saved if they are depending on any good works or ceremonies or religious devotion to get into heaven. There is no other way to God except through faith in Jesus Christ alone.  And before you start to get irritated, keep in mind that this is what the Scripture proclaims.

But while there is salvation in no one else, the good news is, there is salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ for all who will trust in Him alone!  To trust in Christ means to abandon your trust in your own good works.  It means to let go of your pride and acknowledge that you are a sinner, alienated from God. Like the lame man, there is no hope for you to heal yourself. Only Christ can heal your soul. And He will save you, if you will cast yourself upon Him.

Jeff Frazier

Wednesday, April 17

To download an audio version, click here.

On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.   - Acts 4:5-13

Peter and John have managed to get themselves into hot water with the most powerful group in Jewish society, the Sanhedrin.  They are in this trouble primarily for continuing to talk about the love of Jesus Christ even after this council has put Him to death on the cross.  Although they were on trial before this intimidating council (the Sanhedrin), Peter quickly turned the tables on the Sanhedrin, showing that it was they who were on trial. He points out that it was not a crime to do a good deed to a cripple. Then he indicts the Sanhedrin because they had crucified Jesus, whom God had raised from the dead and in whose name this lame man had been healed. Furthermore, Peter let them know that “there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (4:12).

The members of the council were amazed at the confidence of Peter and John, who had not been educated in the rabbinical schools, they did not come from prominent families, they did not have social or economic status of any kind.  

The council was amazed at Peter and John’s boldness, especially since they were uneducated, untrained men (4:13). But they also began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. The boldness of Peter and John reminded the council of the boldness of Jesus Christ, who also was not trained in their schools.  

Think about this for a moment...this means that there was something about the way these two men responded to persecution, something about the way they faced imprisonment, something about the graceful confidence with which they handled themselves under questioning...they were not out looking for a fight, but they were not afraid to take a stand for Christ when the moment came...all of this led these Jewish leaders to recognize that these men had been with Jesus.  Is there a greater compliment, than for people to recognize that we are like Jesus because we have been with Him!

I often hear people say that they want to be more like Jesus, but I think we have some misconceptions about what Jesus was really like.  I remember hearing a fellow grad-student in theology say that he thought pastors should be more like Jesus and less like the Apostle Paul.  When I asked him for some clarification, he said that Paul was too confrontational, but Jesus was always kind and loving!

I’m not sure which translation of the Bible he was reading!  In Matthew 23, Jesus confronted the scribes and Pharisees, calling them hypocrites, whitewashed tombs, and a brood of vipers.  In Matthew 21, Jesus took a whip and drove out the money changers from the temple courts.  In Luke 11, Jesus was invited to lunch at a Pharisee’s house. He went out of his way to pronounce woes upon the Pharisees for their hypocrisy!  He was not exactly a polite dinner guest!  On many other occasions, Jesus deliberately did something to provoke controversy and point out hypocrisy or injustice.

The point is, if we’re going to be like Jesus, we will be kind and loving, but we will also be bold witnesses who confront religious hypocrisy and injustice where we have the opportunity.  We won’t be mean or rude. We will have the fruit of the Spirit, including kindness and gentleness. But we will have spent enough time with Jesus to learn from Him the importance of speaking out when God’s truth is being compromised. 

Jeff Frazier

Tuesday, April 16

To download an audio version, click here.

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.  And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.  On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”   - Acts 4:1-12

To picture this scene correctly, we need to understand how threatening it was for Peter and John. The Sanhedrin was like their Supreme Court and Congress all rolled into one. They had religious and, to a great degree, civil authority in Jerusalem. The high priest was the most powerful Jew in the city and the captain of the temple guard was second behind him. Furthermore, they had just been the main force behind the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Even if they didn’t go so far as to crucify Peter and John, they certainly could make life very uncomfortable for them. They were powerful men. The fact that they arrested Peter and John, kept them over night in jail, and then threatened them with dire consequences if they continued speaking in Jesus’ name shows their use of power to intimidate.

We also need to remember that just a few weeks before Peter, in order to avoid possible arrest, had denied that he knew Jesus Christ to a lowly servant girl. But here he is before this powerful body of men, boldly reminding them that they had crucified Jesus, that God had raised Him from the dead, and that He is God’s only way of salvation. If Peter had been fearful, he would have said only what he thought was necessary to secure his release. But instead, he boldly witnesses to these murderers of Jesus. What made the difference?

The answer is in 4:8 - Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Some people are by nature more daring souls than others, but we’re not talking here about natural inclination, but supernatural power.  Jesus had told the disciples that they would be brought before the rulers, but not to worry in advance about what to say, because the Holy Spirit would teach them in that moment what to say (Luke 12:11-12).  Later He again told them that they would be brought before rulers for His name’s sake, and that it would lead to an opportunity for their testimony.  He promised that He would give them the words of wisdom which none of their opponents would be able to resist or refute (Luke 21:12-15).  

So Peter’s witness before the Sanhedrin was not due to his natural boldness or to his brilliant oratory.  It was due to the filling of the Holy Spirit.  What does this mean?

It is not magic, nor is it only something reserved for the super-spiritual.  Some people confuse being filled with the Holy Spirit with conversion or salvation.  While every believer receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation (this is a fact, not an experience), the filling of the Spirit is repeated often in the life of a believer.  I remember hearing it said that we need repeated fillings because we tend to leak!

Assuming that you are a believer (that you have trusted Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and for your eternal security), the main requirement for being filled with the Holy Spirit is to be yielded completely to Him.  A Spirit-filled person is not self-willed, but rather is submissive to God’s will.  A Spirit-filled person is more concerned about obeying God’s will rather than man’s will (Acts 4:19).  Since the Holy Spirit’s main ministry is to glorify Jesus Christ (John 16:14), a person who is filled with the Spirit will seek to glorify Jesus.

Jeff Frazier

Monday, April 15

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Monday

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.  - Acts 2:41

And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. - Acts 2:47

The book of Acts is the story of how the very first church began after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven.  These were tense times for the people of Israel.  Rome was tightening her grip on the little nation, insurrections and rebellions against Rome were growing and a rag tag group of people were creating a stir in the name of a man named Jesus. The Jewish leaders had pressured the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, into putting this radical Rabbi to death, but now it appears that an amazing thing has been happening in the city of Jerusalem. Thousands of people are turning from their Jewish beliefs to embrace this man named Jesus, and of course, this is upsetting to the leaders of the Jewish people.

And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.  - Acts 4:1-4

To fully understand what is going on here, we need to look back for just a moment.  In chapter 3, Peter and John were going up into the Temple to worship at the time of the evening sacrifice, about 3 PM.  As they were passing through the Beautiful Gate, they met a crippled man who had been lain there so that he might beg for pennies from the people who were headed to the Temple to worship.  Instead of giving this man a few coins and passing right on by, Peter takes him by the hand and heals him in the name of Jesus.  When the people, who knew this was the lame man, see this man leaping and jumping and praising God, they gather and inquire as to what is going on. Peter seizes upon this opportunity to tell them about Jesus.  While he is preaching, the religious leaders of the people, the Sanhedrin, come on the scene to see what the ruckus is all about. When they hear Peter preaching about that Jesus, they are livid.  When they hear that Peter is claiming that this Jesus rose from the dead, they are absolute furious and they arrest the two preachers.  But, the message had already been delivered and 5,000 men were saved by the grace of God that day!

There are several things we can learn from this passage out of the book of Acts.  Perhaps the most important lesson is that opposition cannot stop the power of the gospel to change lives!  In fact, a glance back through ancient and contemporary church history will show us that the gospel has flourished in the most hostile environments.  

There are two common misconceptions that we need to keep in mind regarding opposition or persecution for our faith. The first is that if we’re faithful to the Lord, He will protect us from persecution. I’ve heard many Christians say something like, “I don’t understand what’s happening. I was faithful to the Lord, but I’m being attacked by my co-workers or friends. Why isn’t the Lord protecting me?”

I don’t know where this idea comes from, because it clearly is not in the Bible. The Old Testament prophets were bold and faithful witnesses, but many of them were persecuted and killed. John the Baptist, the twelve, the apostle Paul, and the Lord Jesus Himself all were faithful witnesses who suffered much because of their faithfulness to God.

Paul himself writes, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim. 3:12).

In the Western world, Christians rarely face physical persecution (although that may not always be the case).  Most of us don’t know much firsthand about persecution for the sake of Christ. Satan instead has chosen to attack us with materialism, worldliness, selfish pride, comfort, security, complacency, and a need for acceptance, and status. The threat of someone rejecting us or thinking that we’re weird is enough to make cowards of us when it comes to witnessing.

The second misconception is that persecution comes mainly from those outside the church. We expect those outside of the church to oppose the name of Jesus, but for some reason, we are surprised when those who profess to be Christians that attack us. But it was the religious establishment in Israel that often opposed the prophets in the Old Testament, it was the religious establishment that opposed Jesus, and it was the religious establishment that opposed Peter and John here in Acts 4.

If we are willing to boldly demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ, and boldly share the truth of Jesus Christ with those around us, then we can expect that we will face opposition.  In fact, if our lives are comfortable and we never feel any opposition at all for what we believe, then we should probably ask ourselves if we are doing enough to even be noticed as a follower of Jesus!

Jeff Frazier