pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: faith


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The Walk of Sincere Faith

Reading: 1st Timothy 1-3

1st Timothy 1:5 – “The goal of instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.”

1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus are “pastoral epistles,” written to teach these new pastors how to lead. A task for young Timothy is to counter the false teachings present in Epaphras. These letters include practical advice aimed at forming faithful communities of faith. Paul identifies Timothy as “my true child in faith.” He then identifies the keys to good instruction as living from the heart, keeping a good conscience, and holding to a sincere faith.

Next Paul addresses the Law. Used rightly it can guide sinners – those who are sexually unfaithful, untruthful, and opposed to sound teaching. Reflecting back on his own life, Paul rejoices in the mercy and grace that he himself received from God. Even though the “biggest sinner,” Paul is now an example for others.

Paul offers encouragement to Timothy. Based on the prophecies made about Timothy, Paul believes that Timothy can “wage a good war” for Christ. In chapter 2 the instruction begins: pray for everyone. Live quiet and peaceful lives. Look to the one mediator, Jesus Christ. Paul then touches on the expected behavior of the folks in the community of faith. Men are to pray with holy hands. Women are to be modest, to do good works, and to learn from their husbands. Paul says all will be well with both husband and wife if both are walking in love, faith, holiness, and self-control.

In chapter 3 Paul speaks of the qualifications for supervisors and servants in the church. Supervisors are to be without fault, skilled at teaching, faithful, gentle, peaceable, and not greedy. Servants should be dignified, sober, and faithful. They shouldn’t gossip or be greedy. Paul closes this section telling Timothy that these instructions are in case he is delayed. And remember the mystery of Christ!

Prayer: Lord God, in our walk of faith, help us to be dedicated to you alone. Lead us to love well, to be sincere and honest, to be people of peace. Guard our hearts from the things of this world, keeping our focus on the things that are above. In all we do and say, may we bring you the glory. Amen.


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A Disciplined Life

Reading: 2nd Thessalonians 1-3

2nd Thessalonians 3:3 – “The Lord is faithful and will give you strength and protect you from the evil one.”

Photo credit: Aaron Burden

Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians continues to address the second coming of the Lord. They have become anxious because false teachers said the day has already come. Paul provides more details about the day’s approach. Satan will rise up as “the person who is lawless.” They will be in the temple and will deceive many people with fake signs and wonders. Then the Lord Jesus will come and will destroy the deceiver “with his breath.” Paul is telling the Thessalonians that the signs will be unmistakable. It will not be possible to miss the day or the events leading up to the day of the Lord.

Paul also offers prayers and thanksgiving for their faithful and holy living. He recognizes that they’ve been harassed and have suffered for their faith. Paul reminds them that on the day of the Lord, God will harshly judge those who refuse to obey the good news of Jesus Christ. The apostle is grateful that God chose the Thessalonians through this good news. He encourages them to “stand firm” and to hold onto what they were taught.

Offering and requesting prayer, Paul tells the Thessalonican church, “The Lord is faithful and will give you strength and protect you from the evil one.” He prays that they would be led to have hearts filled with “God’s love and Christ’s endurance.” Paul closes with a few more words on living a disciplined life, a holy and faithful life. He reminds them of his example of effort and hard work. He was not a burden to anyone. Some are idle and are meddling. He commands these to follow his example, earning a living, putting food on their own table. The letter closes with a blessing of peace and grace. May these words and this blessing guide our walk of faith too.

Prayer: Lord God, lead and guide us to walk faithfully each day. Strengthen and encourage us in those times of suffering. Grow our faith and trust in you as we experience your presence and power in our lives. Empower us to stand firm and to be sharers of the good news. Amen.


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Faithful Witnesses

Reading: 1st Thessalonians 1-3

1st Thessalonians 2:2 – “We had the courage through God to speak God’s good news in spite of a lot of opposition.”

1st Thessalonians is written to encourage a church that is remaining faithful to God in spite of the persecution that they are facing. Paul encourages them to continue living grace-filled, loving lives of faith. The letter begins with thanksgiving. The church is demonstrating works, effort, and perseverance that comes through faith, hope, and love. The good news that Paul, Timothy, and Salvanus shared with them has been empowered by the Holy Spirit. Because of this, the church in Thessalonica has become an example to other churches and believers.

In chapter 2 Paul recalls their ministry in Thessalonica. He begins, “We had the courage through God to speak God’s good news in spite of a lot of opposition.” Perhaps this example has given strength to this church in their own suffering. Paul recalls their ministry as gentle. It was a joy to preach to and to live alongside them. The church saw how “holy, just, and blameless” Paul and companions were when amongst them. Paul remembers how they appealed to, encouraged, and pleaded with them to “live lives worthy of the God who is calling you.”

Paul then rejoices that the believers in Thessalonica are doing just that. He sees how they are imitators of the churches back in Judea – staying faithful even in their suffering. Paul expresses a longing to visit them again. But “Satan stopped us.” So he sent Timothy, who came back greatly encouraged by the faith of the Thessalonican church. This increases Paul’s desire to visit and it also increases his prayers for this church. Paul prays for strengthened hearts and for them to be “blameless in holiness.” Thus they will be ready when the Lord Jesus returns. May we be ready too!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for this witness to faithful living. As we read of their faith, love, and hope in you, may these grow in our hearts. As we read of their good works and courageous endurance, may our faith be strengthened and encouraged. Build us up, O God, to be who and what you call us to be as witnesses to the good news of Jesus Christ. Amen.


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Rooted and Built Up

Reading: Colossians 1-2

Colossians 2:7 – “Be rooted and built up in him [Christ], be established in the faith, and overflow with thanksgiving just as you were taught.”

Colossians, as a whole, presents a beautiful picture of Christ as the fullness of God, as the agent of creation and redemption, and as the one who empowers the church to faithful living. In the face of rival, more worldly teaching, Paul presents a Christ fully capable of changing and transforming hearts and lives into a new, holy, and blameless way of living.

Colossians begins with thanksgiving and a prayer. Paul offers thanks for their faith in Christ and for their love of all of God’s people – both outcomes of Epaphras’ teaching. The message of hope has been growing and producing fruit in all of their good works. Paul prays that they will be strengthened and will grow in their knowledge of God’s will. He prays that they will endure hardships with patience so that they “can take part in the inheritance” – eternal life.

A hymn about Christ’s work comes next, in verses 15-20. This hymn celebrates Christ as the creator of all things and as the glue that holds all things together. Christ is the one who reconciles all to God – including those in the Colosse church. Paul encourages them to stay rooted in their faith. He warns against this “philosophy and foolish deception,” these human rules. Paul encourages them to live in and with Christ: “Be rooted and built up in him [Christ], be established in the faith, and overflow with thanksgiving just as you were taught.” Being baptized into Christ’s death, Paul says, now live alive in Christ. Stay connected to Christ, Paul implores. May it be so for us as well.

Prayer: Lord God, lead and guide us in our walk of faith. Open our hearts and minds to the fullness of Jesus Christ. Help us to truly be reconciled to you, living as light and love in this world. Guard us from the false teachings of the world and of the evil one. Root us deeply in Christ. Establish our faith on the rock. Empower us to faithful living through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.


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The Armor of Love

Reading: Ephesians 5-6

Ephesians 5:8 – “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, so live your life as children of light.”

As we close out Ephesians today, Paul continues to explain how to live as followers of Jesus Christ. He begins by encouraging us to “imitate God” by “following the example of Christ.” Paul reminds us next of what this is not. It is not sexual immortality or greed or obscene language. These are not kingdom-worthy behaviors. Paul tells them, “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, so live your life as children of light.” Here Paul uses darkness and light as states of being, not as adjectives that describe something that changes with the time of day. This sharp contrast is intentional. This is why Paul encouraged us to “test everything” to see if it is pleasing to God. More recently the idea to test everything was carried on WWJD bracelets…

Paul encourages us to be filled with the Spirit as we worship and praise God, as we offer our thanksgiving to God, as we submit to one another “out of respect for Christ.” Paul is continuing his “follow the example” thoughts here. He calls on us to love one another just as Christ loves us. In this way we will build up one another and the church, bringing each into a deeper holiness and into a stronger faith. Paul also applies these ideas to parents and children then to slaves and masters, a reality given up long ago. Today we could apply the latter to business owners and employees.

Ephesians closes with a well-known passage about the armor of God. He first acknowledges the spiritual battle that is always going on. He uses a Roman soldier’s armor as the analogy but underneath it all are the core tenants of our belief: truth, justice, the good news, faith, salvation, the Holy Spirit. These allow us to stand and to win the battle. With this “armor” may we too hang in there and pray for one another.

Prayer: Lord God, it comes down to love. To follow the example of Christ is to love you with all that we are and to love others as Christ loves us. To love, therefore, means to do no harm. To love means to give all of self to you and to others. To love means to do and be good. May it be so. Amen.


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For the Good of All

Reading: Galatians 5-6

Galatians 5:24 – “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the self with its passions and its desires.”

Photo credit: Nathan Lemon

Chapter 5 begins with a call to “stand firm” in the freedom found in Christ. As the chapter unfolds, it is standing firm in the law of love, not in circumcision or in the Law of Moses. Paul declares that the last two do not matter. What matters is “faith working through love.” Later, in verse 13, Paul encourages the Galatians to “serve each other through love.”

In verses 16-26 Paul unpacks “two different ways of living.” The first is living for self. This is the opposite of loving and serving one another. Paul provides a very lengthy list of selfish behaviors – yet we could each add to the list. Paul follows this with a list of the “fruit of the Spirit” – what John Wesley called “the essence of embodied Christianity.” A life lived for God and for neighbor would evidence “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” May this list typify us and our lives lived out in the world!

Chapter 6 opens with encouragement to hold one another accountable, to help one another, and to do a good job ourselves. Paul then reminds the church that we harvest what we plant. Plant selfishly, harvest devastation. Plant for the benefit of the Spirit, harvest eternal life. The body of the letter closes with the charge to “work for the good of all whenever we have the opportunity.” May it be so!

Prayer: Lord God, fill us with your presence and your love. Allow these to be what guides our thoughts, words, and actions. In this way, use us to reflect you into the world. Plant your words and your love in our hearts, using us to reap a harvest for your kingdom. Fill us, Lord, and lead us to be good in the world. Amen.


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The True Gospel

Reading: Galatians 1-2

Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”

Paul writes to the church in Galatia to assure them that they are saved by following the “law of love” not by adhering to the Law of Moses. False teachers have tried to push circumcision and other tenants of the Law upon these mostly Gentile Christians.

Paul’s introduction and blessing is much shorter than normal. He seems to want to get right to the point. He tells the church that he is “amazed” at how quickly they have deserted the gospel that he taught. Paul reminds them that what he taught them came through a revelation from Jesus himself. After a brief review of his years preaching salvation through faith in Christ alone, Paul recounts his meeting in Jerusalem with James, Peter, and John.

The church leaders approved “the gospel I preach to the Gentiles.” They recognized that Paul was sent to the Gentiles by God’s grace. Soon thereafter Paul encountered Peter (or Cephas) in Antioch. Peter has separated himself from the Gentile believers and appeared to be siding with the pro-circumcision crowd.

Paul called Peter (and Barnabas) out for hypocrisy. They said one thing in Jerusalem and now were acting another way in Antioch. Paul reminded Peter and Barnabas that they were made righteous by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ and not by the Law. He reminds them, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Paul closes by reminding Peter and Barnabas that faith comes through God’s Son, “who loved me and gave himself up for me.” Paul recounts this confrontation and these truths in his letter to remind the Galatian church of the true gospel. Paul is reminding us too. May we live and believe in the law of love, in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord God, we are called to live by faith alone. Through faith we receive love, grace, mercy, forgiveness… We cannot follow any Law or rules, we cannot check off any required number of boxes to earn our salvation. It comes through faith in your Son. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.


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My Grace: Enough

Reading: 2nd Corinthians 11-13

2nd Corinthians 12:9 – “My grace is enough for you, because power is made perfect in weakness.”

As we begin the last three chapters in 2nd Corinthians, Paul confronts the “super apostles” that have been attacking Paul’s reputation and work. He begins with his concern: he promised the church to Christ. They are struggling with their commitment. They’ve gotten off track because they so easily accepted a different version of the Christian faith. We too can end up here, even without anyone’s help.

Paul then resorts to their game: bragging about human credentials. He is all that they are: Hebrew, Israelite, descendant of Abraham, minister of Christ. And he has worked harder and endured much more: imprisonment, beatings, a stoning, lashings, shipwrecks, sleepless nights, hunger and thirst… AND! The stress over all these churches he’s planted and is now working with.

In chapter 12 Paul writes about a “man” who had a vision and heard words directly from God. This same man is now experiencing “a thorn in my body” that God will not take away. God’s response to Paul’s pleading? “My grace is enough for you, because power is made perfect in weakness.” This thorn keeps Paul from being conceited. It keeps him humble. That’s where we experience God’s power and strength too.

Paul then begins to prepare the church in Corinth for a third visit. He warns them: shape up because “I won’t spare anyone.” He invites the church to examine and test themselves. He prays that they will be made “complete.” Paul closes with blessings of love and peace, with the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and with fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Lord God, as we close 2nd Corinthians it feels like such a struggle for the church and for those within the church. So many voices, so many messages, so many temptations. Wait, Lord. Is Paul writing to us? In that reality, O God, strengthen and encourage us today to walk humbly in your grace, for there we find all that we need. Amen.


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The Lord’s Commendation

Reading: 2nd Corinthians 8-10

2nd Corinthians 9:8 – “You will have everything you need always and in everything to provide more than enough for every kind of good work.”

Today’s reading first focuses on giving generously and then shifts to a call to general obedience in chapter 10. Paul takes up a call to support the church in Jerusalem. A famine in Judea has brought poverty upon them. The church in Macedonia, Paul shares, has given very generously even though they have problems there too. He reminds them that they began the collection well and calls them to finish well. Paul tells them that he is sending Titus and another brother to help them complete this work. Paul invites the Corinthians to “show them the proof of your love,” setting for them an example.

Paul wants their gift to be a “real” gift – not forced. He reminds the church that those who sow seeds generously reap generous crops. Encouraging them to give what they decide in their hearts, Paul speaks of God’s power: “You will have everything you need always and in everything to provide more than enough for every kind of good work.” God will supply them all that they need in the future. There may come a time when they receive from the church in Jerusalem. But for now, as they support their brothers and sisters, those in Jerusalem will give thanks and will pray for the church in Corinth.

Paul addresses his authority as he calls for obedience in chapter 10. Some in Corinth feel that Paul’s letters are “powerful and severe” but that Paul is shy and weak when in person. Paul invites them to obedience, lest they feel his authority given by God when he visits. He reminds the church that it was he and his companions that first brought the gospel to Corinth. Paul closes with a reminder that it is the Lord’s commendation that matters. May this be the approval that we seek as well.

Prayer: Lord God, create in us generous and obedient hearts. Empower each of us to step forward in faith, trusting in your loving provision. Through the power of our love for you, may others experience your love for them. Amen.


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New Creations

Reading: 2nd Corinthians 4-7

2nd Corinthians 5:17 – “If anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!”

In today’s reading Paul first reviews their conduct and the “results.” He and his fellow apostles received their commission just as they received God’s mercy – from Christ. They have publicly proclaimed the gospel, preaching Jesus as Lord, living as “slaves” for Jesus’ sake. Paul then acknowledges that this “treasure” is in “clay pots” – fragile themselves so that God’s power can be revealed. Hard pressed in many ways, they are being handed over to life.

Along these lines, Paul recognizes that as this “tent” is torn down, the soul has a place to go, “eternal and in heaven.” Yes, he says, we groan now under the weight of this earthly life. Yet, living by faith and not by sight, Paul and companions continue to live for the “one who died for them.” Paul then declares, “If anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!” Just as God reconciled the world to himself through Christ, Paul invites the Corinthians (and us) to be reconciled to God. He begs them and us to receive God’s grace.

In chapter 6 Paul revisits the hardships of his ministry. Through it all they have served with the Holy Spirit through God’s power, offering love and truth. He invites the Corinthians to open their hearts once again to their ministry. Paul invites them to cleanse themselves from all that contaminates. Paul also expresses the encouragement he received from Titus’ visit to Corinth. He knows that his last letter hurt them, but rejoices that it produced changed hearts and lives.

We too can experience moments of conviction that can lead to change. Whether through the Holy Spirit or another believer, truth and love can lead us to changed hearts and lives. May we receive, allowing the Spirit to make us new creations in Christ, transformed a bit more into his image.

Prayer: Lord God, lead us, these fragile clay pots, into ministry for you today. Guide us and use us to reveal your power as we proclaim your love and healing to the broken and lost. May our lives be spent for the building of your kingdom here on earth. Amen.