choices

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

2 Timothy 2:22

Every day

I awake

to make

choices.

Choices

regarding

what I do

what I say

how I’ll act

how I’ll be.

In some way

I confess

I reassess

my choices.

Fleeing

selfish passions

in my deeds

with my words

through my actions

I move on.

Help me, Lord

to pursue

just You

in my choices.

I choose to follow Jesus.

I choose to call on the Lord.

I choose a pure heart.

Amen

providing for family

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Timothy 5:8

The apostle Paul gave this observation to Timothy in the context of providing careful instructions for how the church can care for the physical needs of indigent widows. In the first century, when a husband died and family property was divided, often the widow was left with little to nothing. The church immediately stepped into this gaping need very early in church history to provide for the poor and the grieving.

But Paul made it clear that the first avenue of assistance was family. The church was to identify and encourage ways that family can help first. Adult children should always honor their parents. This included them being the first line of care for widows. Any family that refused to help a widow among them was denying the Christian faith as Paul taught it. The obligation to help the elderly is very, very Christian. We cannot abandon family to the world as they age and become an “inconvenience” to our selfishness.

This is a ministry that must still engage the 21st century church, as aging Baby Boomers care for elderly parents, and as they age and eventually need care themselves. My wife and I know this. We know scores of our friends in the same situation. Honoring the aged is one of the best things we must do as we advance the gospel in our generation.

the noble task

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.

1 Timothy 1:3

For thirty years now I have devoted myself to aspiring to this “noble task” of serving the church as an elder/overseer/pastor. And Paul’s words ring so true. I thought I knew what I was getting into that Sunday in 1988 when the little Baptist congregation I served convened an ordination council. I had my doctrinal statement written and a philosophy of ministry paper to be examined by worthy men I respected for their wisdom, experience, and integrity.

Yet the one thing that has most marked my days of ministry in this noble task was really never brought up in ordination. That day to day backbone of ministry has been the care ministry of bearing burdens with people I have learned to love. Three decades of ministry later, I’ve cared a lot, cried a lot, shared joys and heartaches, been profoundly disappointed when sin will not be forsaken, glimpsed eternity among the saints and fallen hard into the arms of Jesus with many of the people I’ve been called to serve. Pastors pray and counsel and love and give lots of time away. It is a joy and it is hard work. I think it is the greatest of privileges and I have come to deeply appreciate what I do.

On any given Sunday I look at a church made of individuals and families... many of whom I have shared personal struggles and great private victories with as their pastor and friend. I see not faces, but circumstances. I know things perhaps no one else may know but God Himself. I feel the heart of the Great Shepherd for His Flock, even though I myself sometimes selfishly wish to not have to know what I know or do what I do. I double down in those moments on letting Jesus lead me so I can lead them. It brings such a feeling... I can’t really adequately describe it. It is very much a noble task.

great mercy to me

But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

1 Timothy 1:16

Paul was grateful for the mercy he found in the forgiving love of Jesus because when he called himself “the foremost”, what he meant was that he was at the top of the line of sinners (see 1 Timothy 1:15). Paul was forgiven of much. Before his conversion, he worked against the gospel. He so hated Jesus that he captured and killed Christians (see Acts 7:58; 8:1; 9:1-2).

Paul was a great sinner who was forgiven of much. He knew the tender mercy of Jesus. He loved Jesus Christ for being patient enough to save even him. He was grateful that God used him though he had once tried to destroy Christ’s work. God now worked in Paul through Christ to bring others to eternal life and to build His Church.

Every sinner, including me especially, receives mercy so that Christ might show His patience and love so that others may have eternal life. I may have responded to the gospel as a child, but even then, I received great mercy. I know this because now, nearly half a century later, I am aware how Jesus saves great sinners like me because the struggle is very real. 

Thank You, Jesus, for Your mercy and perfect patience with a sinner like me. You have shown me great mercy and always will. May I know it so that others might know You.

Amen

Scripture’s necessity

As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.

2 Thessalonians 3:13-15

Understanding, following, and obeying scripture are essential and necessary to the life of a follower of Jesus. We can never really live like Jesus if we live lives devoid of scripture’s teaching, input, and direct application. Paul told these Thessalonian believers to warn and to discipline any who would not regard and follow the teaching of his letter to them. That’s because the instruction of scripture gives the Christian the only trusted direction and input from God. God’s Spirit leads His children by means of God’s Word.

I just finished a two week “spiritual experiment” based on something I read on my sabbatical, deciding (poorly) to take the popular advice that I kept reading from many to “hear from God” in my circumstances. I really tried to figure out what was happening and chose to read scripture academically, but deliberately chose NOT to see it inform my life. In the end, I doubt that I heard from anything other than my own thoughts and personally, it was a WASTE OF TWO WEEKS! 

Only in the Bible do I hear the loud, clear, authoritative, and trustworthy voice of God. I will stick with the daily discipline of reading scripture, looking for application to my life, and trusting God’s voice is loud and clear in its pages. That is the best benefit to my spiritual life.

Reconciliation: ministry and message

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

The gospel spells out for believers what their life focus must be. Paul reflects upon it in this passage with the clear commitment to the ministry and the message of reconciliation. God is reconciling people to Himself through Christ’s work on the cross. Faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior restores people and makes peace with God.

I love this passage. For me it is my favorite description and summary of Christian ministry. I build my ministry manifesto upon it. Almost twenty two years ago, as a candidate for associate pastor at Mill Creek Community Church, I preached my first sermon to the church, describing a gospel vision of ministry. I was committed to seeing the church faithful to gospel proclamation so that God could transform lives then. I have been blessed beyond my ability to even describe as God has done so. And this is still my unchanged commitment.

Lord,

May the ministry and the message of reconciliation still refine my thinking and define my service to You. I can do nothing else with this life... quite literally. Every daily task of churchmanship that You give to me, I will lay before You so that You may reconcile, through Christ, people to Yourself.

Amen

open statement of the truth

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

2 Corinthians 4:1-2

Honest ministry has nothing to hide because it only clearly shines the light of God’s truth everywhere to everyone. Those involved in shady, selfish enrichment in the guise of ministry cannot say this. They will not accomplish this. They cannot appeal to conscience nor to evaluation solely by what scripture teaches.

Commitment to God’s truth alone makes ministers of the gospel. The reformers captured this with the passion of “sola scriptura”. Some of them died for that commitment. Before them, in the clear teaching of this passage, the apostle Paul staked his apostolic foundation in the pages of God’s truth... and so should we. The open proclamation of God’s Word, untempered by human cleverness and untwisted by selfish promotion is the goal of all true, Christ-honoring, gospel ministry.

My prayer is that Christ will find me faithful to His Word when I stand before Him (sooner rather than later) to account for my life of pastoral service. I want the open statement of the truth to commend me to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. I shall live for my Lord, serve Christ, and die committed to the gospel alone.

when ministry hurts

For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

2 Corinthians 2:4

Ministry can be intensely painful because love can come with tears. That’s what Paul said to the Corinthians. In his first letter he had to correct them. He chided them for sin that they tolerated. He cried over them with a broken heart. And the result of the letter was that the church repented in tears as well. So the pain led to good change. But it still hurt.

In this second letter, Paul can take a more encouraging tone with them. The church knew Paul loved them. He loved them enough to say hard truth to them. He loved them enough to be anguished over them. And that was a special kind of relationship to be cherished. We anguish in love for others when Jesus loves through us.

After three decades of pastoral ministry, I know the joys and the pains of shepherding. I don’t think I’ve ever quite reached the apostolic anguish of Paul, but I’ve grieved over the wrong choices of others. I’ve shared in the repentance journey with many people. I’ve seen God restore what is broken, through tears and I have a grateful heart to have walked the gospel road in this way, privileged to share such an intimate journey with the people God has brought into my life by His grace.

Resurrection is my destiny.

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52

This passage is more than just consolation at the graveside of a believer, it is the reality awaiting all Christians. Jesus has ensured that death does not win. We may experience pain as our bodies weaken and die, but the mystery (truth now revealed) explained by Paul is that resurrection awaits those who die in Jesus. And His resurrection body will be theirs!

A great day of triumph awaits us all in Christ. His trumpet will sound and He will return. The dead in Christ will be raised imperishable and those alive at His appearing will also be transformed in the blink of an eye. For all Christians resurrection to be with Christ in a body like He now has awaits us.

O Lord,

Resurrection is my destiny! I take my comfort in that truth when Christians die. I believe this living hope for my own mortality. And when You return and right the wrongs of this world forever, a new imperishable body awaits me when You arrive! Thank You for revealing this mystery in hope!

Amen

Immature worship

Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.

1 Corinthians 14:20

Paul told the Corinthian church to grow up. There was a lot of unchecked immaturity in the church and it showed in numerous ways. One way it was destructive to the church was in the rampant uncontrolled disorderly abuse of spiritual gifts in their worship gatherings. The use of “tongues speaking” among the Corinthians had gotten so out of hand that the gift no longer functioned as God had designed it. In fact, I think they actually had gone beyond the spiritual gift and created a totally new experience of their own design. There were no interpretations given when people wildly jabbered, just lots of loud, cacophonous expressions that distracted from God’s Word.

The apostle Paul instructed them to return prophecy (the gift that helped the church hear from God as His Word was proclaimed to them) to the central focus of their worship. The childish abuse of the other gifts needed to be ended. Maturity demanded centering their gatherings around hearing from God and His Word. 

Sadly, such abuse of worship forms can still be found when our thinking today is not mature. I’m not even referring to charismatic misdirection. There are many non-charismatic churches that miss the point and fall into immaturity if they aren’t careful. I think focusing solely on music is immature, or bragging about the use of technology, and certainly the rampant focus on Christian celebrity or political positioning is aweful. All these abuses becoming the focus of worship is extreme spiritual childishness. Mature worship in the life of the church is bible saturated, Christ focused, gospel centered, Spirit empowered, and God glorifying!

self-inflicted defeat

To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!

1 Corinthians 6:7-8

The believers in Corinth had huge issues with allowing immorality to go unchecked in their fellowship. This showed itself in an incestrous relationship the church practically bragged about, and in a selfish, litigatious spirit within the congregation. One the one hand they ignored scandalous sin and on the other they viciously fought one another in court over petty personal disagreements and selfish concerns. The result was the church was wounded by her own hand.

Paul wants to put a stop to this self-inflicted madness and misery. He tells the Corinthians first in chapter five to remove the nonrepentant adulterers from their midst. Then he instructed them to resolve their own conflicts with gospel mediation instead of relying on secular legal weaponry. Peacemaking would save them from public embarrassment and restore relationships rather than defraud and destroy the reputation of the church.

Christ gave His church all we need to deal with big sins and small disagreements. We can utilize the gospel for this. The church can discipline herself in these struggles. The church can mediate between her members when they have issues. The gospel can win even against our own most selfish behaviors. Unity is restored in Jesus!