Tuesday, October 12

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

“What do you want me to do for you,” he asked.

They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”                                                                         Mark 10: 35-37

The mother of two young sons was making pancakes for breakfast. She overheard her boys arguing over who would get the first pancake; “I get the first pancake,” the older one said. “That’s not fair,” cried the younger brother, “you ALWAYS get the first pancake! I want the first pancake this time!” And on and on it went. The Mom, seeing an opportunity to impart a spiritual lesson said, “Now boys, if JESUS were here with you would HE be arguing about getting the first pancake?” The boys had been to Sunday School and therefore knew the answer their Mom was looking for. They both looked down sheepishly and said, “No.” She was pleased and said, “That’s right boys, if JESUS were here he would say, ‘That’s alright, my brother can have the first pancake, I can wait.’”

A few moments of silence went by, then the older brother looked up and said to his little brother, “O.K. Tommy, YOU can be Jesus today!”

I love that little story because so often I am like that as well. Like the little boys in the story, my default mode is to think of myself first. And that’s what is happening to James and John. Jesus has just been talking about (earlier in Mark 10) his coming arrest, trial and suffering – and yet James and John can think only of what’s in it for them!

Sometimes, I fear, that’s the way we approach our faith. When we pray, we tend to do a lot of asking God to do things for us. When we read the Bible – we look for words that will encourage us or make us feel better about our lives. When we go to church, we hope that the worship will include the kind of music and songs that we like most, and that the pastor’s sermon will be interesting. If we are not careful, we approach our faith from a “what’s in it for me?” perspective!

Jesus is teaching his disciples that following him means learning to think backwards. It means learning to ask not, “What’s in it for me?” but rather, “What do you want me to do for someone else?” Ask God to give you an opportunity to serve someone else today!

Brian Coffey

Monday, October 11

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

“What do you want me to do for you,” he asked.

They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

“We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. Those places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”                                                 Mark 10: 35-45

Have you ever complained about poor service in a restaurant? Most of us have! About a month ago I took my two older sons to a “Buffalo Wild Wings” near my older son’s college campus. We arrived to find the place packed – evidently it was “Ultimate Fighting Championship” night and there are A LOT of UFC fans in Marion, Indiana! But we went ahead and put our names on the “to be seated” list because we were hungry - and waited. And waited. And waited. We waited for 45 minutes only to finally notice that no matter how many people left the restaurant there was still no room for us. The whole time we were waiting to be seated – other people just kept coming in and walking right by the guy taking names and sat with their friends. Finally, we noticed that the guy taking names was no longer standing at his post – he was just gone. It became obvious that we were not going to be seated and we were not going to be served – and we were upset! So we left in a huff and found another restaurant willing to serve us a late-night meal! How many times have you found yourself saying something like, “You just can’t get good service anymore!”

The truth is that we all like to be served – especially when we are hungry! It is also true that we would all rather BE served than serve. I think this is because our culture has taught us to be good consumers rather than good servants. Whether we like to admit it or not – we would rather stay in the comfort zone of consuming - being served – having our needs met - than step out of that comfort zone and find a way to serve someone else.

In this conversation – first with James and John – and then with the rest of the disciples – Jesus is turning their, and our, understanding of service upside-down. As followers of Jesus we are not to see ourselves as “consumers of religious service,” but rather, “servants of all.”

Take time this week to notice how often your instinct is to seek good service – in a restaurant, in stores – even at church. Ask God to begin to turn your heart toward service – ask him to show you ways to become more servant than consumer!

Brian Coffey

Friday, October 8

Friday

So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body,   - 2 Peter 1:12-13

And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.  – 2 Peter 1:15

Apparently Peter takes this remembering business pretty seriously.  He repeatedly states that he is going to keep reminding these Christians for as long as he is alive.  I particularly like the way that Peter says he knows that his readers are firmly established in the truth (spiritually mature) but that isn’t going to stop him from reminding them.  It is as if he is saying, “I know that you have heard this stuff before, but I don’t care, and I am going to tell you anyway!”

Peter must have been a good friend to have (and sometimes probably an annoying friend too).  He cares more about his fellow Christians living for the glory of Christ than he does about them being annoyed or offended by his constant reminders.  It is easy to convince ourselves that if we don’t have anything new to say, then we should just keep quiet.  We may also be tempted to question our right to remind someone of spiritual truths that we ourselves often forget. 

But the truth is that we have the responsibility and the privilege of reminding one another!

I am firmly convinced that the most profound truths in our lives are not new ideas, they are the truths we have ignored or forgotten, and need to be reminded of. 

Years ago, when I was just starting out in ministry, I had the joy of leading several young men to the Lord in the space of just a few weeks.  These young men were very excited about their new faith and were sharing it with anyone and everyone who would listen (and few who didn’t want to listen).  It was a very exciting time for them and for me as I met with them each week and began to lead them through the study of the Bible.  The trouble was that a couple of these young men came from families that did not share their son’s excitement about Jesus Christ (to say the least).  These parents questioned my motives and my interest in their sons and convinced them that it was unhealthy for them to be too overly involved in “religion”.  Eventually some of these parents even forbid their sons from participating at all in our youth ministry and the rest just kind of drifted out of involvement altogether.  In the space of about a month I went from the joy of having a small group of 6 brand new believers to the frustration and emptiness of having them all drift away from me and from the church.  I became very discouraged and I wondered if somehow it was my fault, if I had done or not done something that might have changed things.  I even began to have second thoughts about whether I belonged in ministry at all.

A friend came to me at my lowest point and reminded me that ministry success was really not up to me at all.  He quoted to me the verse 1 Corinthians 15:58, Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.  The ironic thing about this was that this was the theme verse for our entire ministry season and I had been the one who had selected it!

My friend (like Peter) gave me the great gift of a, much needed, spiritual reminder at just the right time.  I am so grateful that he did!  I have often reflected on that experience and it has motivated me to do the same for others where God gives me the opportunity. 

What about you?

Who do you know that needs a reminder?  Who has perhaps drifted from or forgotten the truth of the Gospel?  Who do you know that needs a little encouragement or a little nudge in the right direction?  Who needs you to challenge them with the truth (which they have heard before)? 

Remember, you have the responsibility and the privilege of reminding them…will you?

Thursday

Thursday

But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.  – 2 Peter 1:9

Every time I read this verse I am struck by the word forgotten.  Peter says that if we are not growing in our faith, it might be that we have forgotten something of critical importance. 

It is true that human beings are naturally forgetful (at least I am).  Just last week, my wife told me that we were out of salt in our water softener.  I told her that I would pick some up on my way home, but I forgot.  The next day she reminded me and I said I would be sure to stop and get some before I got home, but…I forgot again.  Day three came and she reminded me twice about how much we needed the softener salt.  I reminded her that I was going from church to my daughter’s volleyball game, then to my son’s football game, but I assured her that I would get the salt before I got home that evening.  Can you guess what happened?  Yes, it’s true, I forgot again.  But, on day five I finally went out at 9:00 p.m. and got the salt!

We have all had experiences like this, where we let important dates or details slip our minds.  However, Peter is talking about a different kind of forgetfulness.  He is talking about a spiritual forgetfulness that is in each one of us, a forgetfulness of soul.  Because of sin, we all have a tendency to forget who God is and what he has done for us and we drift toward fear, doubt and self-reliance. 

We are in constant need of reminder that we have been forgiven by Christ and that the power of sin & death in our lives has been conquered through the cross! 

We might call this the discipline of remembering;

Remembering who God is.

Remembering that God can be trusted. 

Remembering that God’s word has power.

Remembering the price he paid for us. 

Remembering who we are because of Christ. 

Remembering that we can do nothing apart from him.

(the list goes on and on)

Peter also says that when we forget these things we are “nearsighted and blind”.

The word he uses for nearsighted is the Greek word muopazo, it is the source of the English word "myopia”.  Myopia is a condition of the eye in which parallel rays are focused in front of the retina.  Nearsighted people focus right in front of them, but the further out they look, the worse their vision becomes.  Distant things are not in focus.  That is the spiritual condition that Peter is referring to.  When we forget the Cross, we become focused on the immediate difficulty or struggle, and we cannot see the big picture. 

I like this image because it reminds me that as a Christ-follower, I must live with an eternal perspective.  This does not mean that you are immune to daily struggles or trials if you are a Christian, but it does mean that you do not despair because of them.  The Apostle Paul puts this well…

 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

–      2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Paul is actually practicing the discipline of remembering in this verse!

It is as if he says to us, “Remember that this life is not all that there is!  Remember that there is a greater story and a greater glory that the current issue you are facing!”

So, why don’t you take a few moments before going on about your day to practice the discipline of remembering yourself?

 

Questions for reflection:

In what area of your life are you spiritually nearsighted right now? 

What have forgotten or lost sight of about the character of God? 

What have you forgotten or lost sight of about your identity in Christ?

Heavenly Father I praise you that while I may sometimes lose sight of you, you never forget about me.  Help me everyday to remember that you are always in control and that I am lost without you.  May I never forget the Cross, and the price you paid for my sin.  In Jesus name – Amen.

Wednesday, October 6

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.   – 2 Peter 1:8

Several weekends ago I set out to trim some trees in our backyard but I couldn’t find my handheld limb saw.  I searched all through the garage with no luck.  I finally found it outside under the woodpile in back of our house.  Apparently one of my children had left it out there several weeks earlier (don’t even ask why one of my children was playing with a saw).  The handle was loose, the blade was caked with dirt and it was completely dull.  I tried to cut those limbs with the saw, but it was totally useless to me.  So I just hacked away with my dull hatchet on those poor tree limbs!

Peter warns us in this passage about the danger of an ineffective and unproductive spiritual life.  Which of us wants to live an unproductive life?  Who wants to live a useless or ineffective spiritual life?  Are you content to have a dull faith that makes no real impact in the world around you?

For that saw to be useful to me, it must maintain the qualities of an effective saw; a clean and sharp blade, tight handle, etc.  For us to be effective and useful to God, we must maintain the qualities that Peter mentions earlier in this passage; goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.  Peter goes on to say that we should be possessing these qualities in increasing measure.  We should be growing, increasing, and gaining ground in each of these areas.  A blade will eventually grow dull with use, or even if left alone, it must be sharpened.  Likewise, we must continually be growing (increasing) if we are to stay spiritually sharp.

In Paul David Tripp’s book Instruments In the Redeemer’s Hands, Tripp argues that if we want to be useful to God, the best thing we can do is to become like Him.  I know many Christians who are doing a lot for God.  They are busy serving and leading in multiple ministries.  They are considered by others to be very “spiritual” and godly.  But the truth is that while they may be doing a lot for God, they are not increasing in becoming like Him in their character.

Frankly, it is far easier to look outward at the needs of others and the opportunities for ministry, than it is to look inward at our own personal character flaws and imperfections.  But Peter’s words won’t let us squirm out from under this simple truth; your character is the most important component of your effectiveness for Christ!

Notice that Peter does not say that you are going to be ineffective and unproductive in ministry, but in ”your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  This is what your life is all about, to know Jesus! 

Let me put it to you as simply as I can – Your goal as a Christian is not to do great things for God, but to know the Lord Jesus Christ!

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things…I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  - Philippians 3:7-10

Jeff Frazier

Tuesday

Tuesday, October 5

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  – 2 Peter 1:3-8

Our family dog turned 2 years old recently.  I say recently because we don’t actually have a birth certificate and we really don’t know for sure how old she is.  They say that there are 7 dog years for every one human year.  That would make Ivy about 14 years old, but I don’t know too many 14 year olds that eat entire socks or pee on the floor when somebody rings the doorbell! 

Ivy, like most dogs (and people) is a work in progress.  She has her good moments and her bad moments, and we are working with her to help her become a “good dog”.  We have just about everything she could possibly need.  We take her to the vet to get special medicines for her and we have purchased a wide array of toys and other doggy paraphernalia.  We do all of this because we want her to grow into a healthy and happy family pet.  We have a vision, if you will, of the kind of dog she could become, and we are trying to help her get there. 

God has a vision too; He has a vision for each one of us.  God has a vision of the kind of man or woman He wants you to become and He wants to help you get there.  Peter tells us that He has already given us everything we need to help us grow and mature into the kind of men and women He wants us to be.  But Peter also makes it clear that we have a part to play in the process of our own spiritual growth.  We cannot just sit back and wait for God to magically transform us.  Notice in the passage above that on the one hand we have already been given everything we need, but on the other hand we are told to make every effort to add to our faith.  This is not a contradiction, but rather it is a description of the dynamic of spiritual growth.  We are to be partners with the Holy Spirit in His efforts to transform us into the image of Christ. 

This is why Peter gives us this list of things we should be working to add to our faith and to possess in increasing measure.  When Peter tells us to “make every effort to add to your faith…”, he is talking about spiritual disciplines.  Spiritual disciplines are specific practices (scripture reading, study, journaling, prayer, worship, fasting, etc.) put into place to help us grow.

When it comes to the area of spiritual disciplines, most people automatically feel bad or guilty.  We feel as if we aren’t doing all that we should or could. We may even feel like God must be displeased with us since we aren’t very spiritually disciplined.  The truth is that spiritual disciplines are meant to help us grow in our love for God and in our understanding of His love for us.  In short, to help us grow into the kind of people that God has envisioned.

Take a moment or two to prayerfully go through the list of things Peter tells us that we should be adding to our faith.  Make note of the area that you feel you need to grow in the most.

Goodness

Knowledge

Self-Control

Perseverance

Godliness

Brotherly Kindness

Love

Whatever area feels weak or lacking in your life, Christ wants to meet you there and help you to grow.  Will you join Him?  Remember that He has already given you everything you need for life and godliness!

Jeff Frazier

Monday, October 4

Monday

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.  – 2 Peter 1:3-4

This is really an astounding verse!  God has given you everything you need for your life.  In other words, you lack nothing!  Do you believe that?  Do you live as if that is true?  Does your life reflect that kind of security and trust?

It is nearly impossible to see what we have been given when we are looking at what we think we lack.  Too many of us are far too focused on what we don’t have and we do not see the incredible riches we have been given in Christ!

The word peter uses to describe the fact that we have been given everything we need is the Greek word ‘epichoregein’, it means “to be completely equipped”.  The root word is the noun “choregos”, which was the word for the conductor of a musical chorus or orchestra.  Have you ever seen and heard a large orchestra perform?  It is really incredible, the amazing complexity and variety of instruments and sounds all coming together to create something wonderful. 

This is the picture Peter gives of our lives in Christ.  The divine power of God has completely equipped us to live the life he has called us to, and when we live this way, our lives become beautiful music, a symphony, with Christ as our conductor!  We get “out of tune” when we turn our attention away from our conductor and begin worrying over what we think is missing in our lives.

The truth is that most of us live as if we don’t have everything we need.  We worry and stress about all of the things we think we lack in life.  In which of the following categories do you feel most lacking and/or insecure?

            Money/Finances

            Self-Image

            Career/Job Security

            Marriage

            Children’s health & success

            Close Friends

            Material Possessions (house, car, etc.)

            Education/Learning

Take a few moments to turn your insecurity in this area over to Christ in prayer.

Oh Lord, You are the conductor of my heart and I know that everything I could ever need or want I already have in you.  Forgive me Lord for the fear, worry and selfish desires in my heart that keep me from trusting you completely – Amen.

Jeff Frazier