Monday Morning Devotion (Building the Kingdom)

Posted on September 17, 2007 by Jody Neufeld

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. Acts 1:1-3 (NIV)

I will admit that the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts are favorites of mine. I see things in the ‘white spaces’ that come from Dr. Luke. In these three verses, Luke doesn’t just say “After his death” but he says that Jesus experienced “suffering” AND gave “convincing proofs that he was alive”. I see the physician in Luke testifying from his professional viewpoint that the lies of the Pharisees re: Jesus’ death and resurrection (that it didn’t really happen) are just that – lies! How awesome to use your God-given gifts to testify to the power of God! Often in my teaching, God reminds me of incidents in my nursing career where healing in body or in spirit occurred and could not be explained away with medical science. I LOVE it when God confounds the doctors and nurses!!!

I began this reading in Acts two weeks ago because I had a question: What worked in the early Church that we have forgotten or chosen to forget? What is holding us back? The last sentence of these three verses gives me some insight.

1) Jesus was welcome in their group. They wanted to SEE Him and so they spent time together, making Him the focus, and keeping their eyes up – looking for Jesus. When I come to worship, is it about me worshipping God (period) or about what worship can do for me? I have checked myself in the last few months and I am not satisfied with the focus of mind during worship. Too often it is about me asking God to bless me with something instead of “Entering His sanctuary with thanksgiving and praise” (Psalm 100:4) for ALL that He has already given me!!! I am a work in progress and my Lord is faithful and patient!

2) Jesus “spoke about the kingdom of God”. The Church was headed toward terrible, horrific persecution. Jesus knew that. Did He warn them about persecution? Did He tell them how to pray to avoid that? Did He show them an escape route for persecution? Did He tell them how they were going to financially prosper; God meeting all their wants? No. He spoke about His kingdom: how to BUILD it, how to LIVE it, and how to MAKE DISCIPLES in spite of the persecution! Jesus said that He came so I would have an abundant life – in Him. Are my eyes looking with ‘eternal vision’? Do I look at opportunities to serve Him with eternal consequences or am I stuck in ‘instance gratification’? Ouch. Jesus had little time left with His disciples and so He kept pointing them toward working for His Kingdom to grow now and receiving the eternal rewards later. Do I seek to know and understand more about God’s Kingdom? Does He call me a Kingdom Builder?

So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:6-8 (NIV)

“GO, Jody!!! Don’t worry about ‘stuff’ that isn’t your business and you have no control over any way! You will receive all the power and gifts you need to equip you to do what I need you to do! Don’t just stand there enjoy what has been but TELL what has been and what is and look forward to what WILL BE!!!”

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Friday Morning Devotion (Resentment is Natural)

Posted on September 14, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

9Help us God our Savior, because of your glorious reputation!
Rescue us and erase our sins because of your good name.
10Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Let them know before our very eyes
When you avenge the spilled blood of your servants. — Psalm 79:9-10

Most of us, probably all of us, have resentments and regrets. There is probably somebody in your life whom you would like to have a little bit of vengeance on. Maybe it’s someone at work who doesn’t think you’re much of an asset to your company. Wouldn’t you just like to show them sometime how much better you are than they are?

It could even be in your spiritual life. Perhaps there is someone who thinks you don’t know your Bible very well. Wouldn’t you like to give the exact reference for some passage in front of a whole bunch of people and just show that person up? Or it could be spiritual. Wouldn’t you like to see some overwhelming manifestation of God’s presence in your life that would make everyone realize that God really is on your side?

Now some of you are busily denying that any such thoughts pass through your head. You see, we’ve gotten the sense in the church that such desires on a personal level are so far out there that we’re not really supposed to feel them, not if we’re spiritual at least. (We still seem to have an exception for vengeance at the national level which we treat differently from the personal level.)

We have detached ourselves so much that we tend to ignore parts of the Psalms that reflect that attitude. I was starting to read over the lectionary texts for next week, and one of them, for United Methodists at least, is Psalm 79. But not the whole Psalm—just verses 1-9. Thus we get to hear the mourning at injustice and the prayer for God’s salvation, but when the prayer gets bloodthirsty, we don’t read that in church.

Isn’t it interesting that some people would prefer not to read one of the Bible prayers fully in church. It’s too violent and vengeful for us! But the fact is that a desire for justice is good and appropriate, and a desire for vengeance, though it is very dangerous, is a natural thing. What’s more, I don’t think we desire vengeance any less than those Israelites did in the time of this Psalm. We’re just better at pretending.

But I’m not calling for us to go on a crusade for vengeance. We’ve been talking about being sinners and finding grace. Resentment and the seeking of vengeance are sins, and they need grace. But we don’t get to the grace part until we acknowledge the sin part. Until we admit the hostility, resentment, anger, and even the inner violence, we cannot ask for grace and mercy to bring us into line with God’s gracious will.

How about ending the week by taking a lesson from the Psalmist? Acknowledge the things that have made you angry to God. Then ask for his grace to deal with those attitudes, and those people, as Jesus would. Your anger and resentment is natural. Grace is supernatural.

Posted in Bible Books, Devotional, Lectionary, Psalms | 1 Comment

Thursday Morning Devotion (Redeeming Your Week)

Posted on September 13, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

12I am thankful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, because he has considered me faithful and appointed me to serve. 13In the past I was a blasphemer, a persecuter, and insolent, but I received mercy, because I did these things ignorantly as an unbeliever. 14But our Lord’s grace flowed over me lavishly, with faith and love that are ours when we are part of Christ Jesus. 15This word can be trusted and should be accepted: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the primary example. 16But I received mercy so that in me Christ Jesus might first show his inexhautible patience as an example of who are going to come to faith in him for eternal life. 17To the eternal king, incorruptible, invisible, only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen! — 1 Timothy 1:12-17

Sometimes it’s hard to tell by the way we talk and behave, but Christianity is really a very optimistic religion. All that sin stuff seems to be such a downer. Why can’t we just talk about all the wonderful things we’re going to do through God’s power?

Today I’m looking at another lectionary text (see yesterday’s devotional). In it, Paul is telling us who he is now in Jesus Christ. He has been given strength, called to service, and made an example for other believers. But he is constantly aware of where he was before, and how he was redeemed. When grace makes us part of Christ’s body, then his grace can flow through us to the world. If we disconnect from the source, we’re going to find that things don’t work so well.

When I was separated from the church for a number of years after seminary, I was quite properly called a skeptic. A friend who knew me during those years asked me once what had changed. “Did you suddenly become more gullible? Did your doubts go away?” he asked. “No,” I said. “I still doubt just as many things as ever. I’m simply a skeptic saved by grace.”

In fact, I am constantly aware of the weaknesses of many arguments for the existence of God, for why one should trust what one learns from scripture, and the failures of the church as Christ’s body. I could spend all my time on those issues, and I would still be a skeptic in the more classic sense of the word. But I am a skeptic saved by grace. Christ’s grace flows over me, and I hope through me to others. I have to confess to being the truest of true believers—no matter how hard I try to doubt God’s grace, I still feel it flowing over me.

I think that’s the state Paul is talking about. He’s ever conscious of “Paul without Christ.” But he lives as “Paul with Christ.” He never gets to the point where “Paul without Christ” is a good guy, worthy of eternal life, and capable of living on his own. For all those things he needs to be “Paul with Christ.”

Now we frequently take mundane things from the physical world and use them as metaphors for spiritual things. But I want to do the reverse. Let’s take this redemptive core of Christianity and apply it to our daily lives.

Each of us is both a loser and a winner. We’re losers on our own. We’re winners by God’s power.

It’s Thursday morning. Tomorrow will probably be the worst day for it, though many will be saying “thank God it’s Friday” and so they won’t worry about it. What is “it?” I’m talking about the moments of regret for things that haven’t gone right during the week. I find that even in a very good week, I can find a list of items that I wish I had done differently. Jody is used to hearing it. “It was a good week, but . . .”

So the question is how are you going to look at yourself. Will you be defined by your failures? Will you be a sinner, or will you be a saint? The difference is going to be in the way you look at it. You can wallow in those failures, or you can live your daily life redemptively, always going back and applying grace to the errors and the failures, but not being afraid to thank God (and pat yourself gently on the back!) for the successes. As long as you have that attitude, you will be able to go forward.

You’re an imperfect person in an imperfect world. Live redemptively.

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Wednesday Morning Devotion (Faithfully Seeking)

Posted on September 12, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

1Tax collectors and sinners were approaching him and listening to him. 2So the Pharisees complained. They said, “This guy receives sinners and eats with them.” 3But Jesus told them this parable. 4“What one of you, if he had 100 sheep and lost one, would not leave the 99 in the wilderness and go after the lost one until he found it? 5And when he found it, he’d put it on his shoulders and rejoice! 6When he got home he would call his friends and his neighbors and say to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7I tell you that’s the kind of joy there is in heaven about one sinner who repents rather than over 99 righteous folks who don’t need to repent.

8Or what woman who has 10 Drachmas and loses one of them does not light a lamp and sweep her house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors and says, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my Drachma that I lost.’ 10In this way, I tell you, there will be joy before God’s angels over one sinner who repents.” — Luke 15:1-10

Last night Jody and I discussed yesterday’s devotional. She said she wanted to answer my question about why she loved God.

“It’s because he is faithful,” she said. “Whatever has happened in my life he has always been there. I can be angry at God and turn away from him, yet when I turn back, there he is with his arms out. That’s what connects the heroes at the end. They were all faithful wherever they were.”

I immediately connected what she said with this text, which I had been reading this week for a study group. Now I’m going to take a brief detour about that connection. I started last week attending Rev. Geoffrey Lentz’s (First United Methodist Church, Pensacola). I know a bunch of you on this list know Geoffrey personally, but I’m giving the details for the rest. Geoffrey mentioned last week the discipline that the lectionary provides to a preacher who might otherwise preach only on his favorite texts. Following the lectionary forces him to preach on things he might be less comfortable with. A similar discipline is needed in your devotional life. If you feel your devotional life is stuck in a rut, or you just want to put a new charge in it, consider following a program like the lectionary texts. You’ll be amazed at what you learn, and what those texts connect to in your life.

OK, back from the detour. We hear a great deal about seeking God, chasing after God, going after God, and various phrases like that. I think all of those things are good and Biblical. But there’s another side. I’m not going to say which is more important, because the Bible plainly teaches both. It teaches us to seek God, but it also tells us we seek God because he’s seeking us.

God is a God of redemption. Our human preference is for perfect people leading perfect lives without error. We like that so much that we often pretend that we are living that type of life. We expect our leaders to live that type of life. But Jesus doesn’t tell parables about hanging around with the people who have everything right. He tells parables about how faithful God is in seeking out those who need to redeem. As Jody said to me last night, when you turn back to God, he is right there waiting.

The only thing that can stop him is if you absolutely refuse to listen. He won’t stop seeking. He won’t stop calling to you. He doesn’t declare that it’s too late, until it really is too late, and you die and no longer have the option of changing.

God is a powerful God, a loving God, a redeeming God. Running through all of that is this: He is faithful in all things!

Posted in Bible Books, Devotional, Luke | 1 Comment

Tuesday Morning Devotion (Playing with the Big Boys)

Posted on September 11, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

29Jesus answered, “First is, ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord your God is one Lord, 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heard and with all your soul and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31And the second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no greater commandment than these.” — Mark 12:29-31

19Now the of God who had been traveling in front of the Israelite camp rose up and went to the rear, and the pillar of cloud rose up from in front of them also and went to the rear. 20And it went between the Egyptian camp and the Israelite camp, and when it got dark the pillar of cloud lit up the night, and neither group approached the other all night. — Exodus 14:19-20

And after the earthquake there was a fire, but YHWH was not in the fire. And after the fire, the sound of complete silence. — 1 Kings 19:12

The movie “Prince of Egypt” was one of those rare films that I went to see in the theater. I hate getting stuck in a theater, having paid my money, and finding out that I’ve gotten to a horrible movie, especially a movie about the Bible. I find it very hard to “suspend disbelief,” as one is supposed to do in reading fiction, when the story departs so far from its source. But while “Prince of Egypt” took its license with the story, it was less than one might expect in an animated film, and it certainly got the spirit of the events pretty clearly.

A great deal of the movie is constructed around the confrontation between the power God has given Moses and the power of the Egyptian wizards. In early scenes of this confrontation the wizards perform their magic with the snakes while the music in the background is “You’re playing with the big boys now!” suggesting that the little magic Moses could bring was no match for them.

Then there is this moment, taken from Exodus 14:19-20, when the cloud moves behind the Israelites and becomes fire. In the movie they portray it as even melting some of the rocks. I remember it more, however, for the man in the row behind me. As the fire flared up,the rocks melted, the Egyptians shy away from it and move back, he said, “You’re playing with the BIG boys NOW!”

He gave a pretty good summary of the message of the Exodus story. “Who is in charge?” is the question being asked by Moses, the Israelites, and the Egyptians. The answer truly comes when the sea opens for the Israelites but swallows the Egyptians.

So Elijah can be forgiven, I think, for looking for God in the physical manifestations, in the fire, the earthquake, and the wind. But in that case, God was not in those physical things. God was not there to make an announcement that “You’re playing with the big boys now!” Rather, he was there to call for faithfulness even in hard times.

So what does all this have to do with loving God? I’d like you to ask yourself a question. Don’t read on until you’ve given yourself a moment to think. What makes you truly love God?

I’m guessing there are many answers. I suspect many people think of protection, salvation, guidance. There’s the repeated call in the Psalms for justice, for judgment on one’s enemies, even for vengeance. The God who put the pillar of fire between the two camps can handle that, and he makes us feel confident. Others of us are attracted to the God who gave Elijah sheer silence.

I’m not concerned with the details. Love is shown in many ways. We respond in many ways. That’s a good thing!

I was thinking of this theme this morning when I remembered that it is September 11. We are made in the image of God, and as God intended our actions can reflect God’s love in our sphere. How we show love, and how we evoke the love of others varies widely. Why do we see so many stickers reading FDNY and NYPD? Because so many members of those organizations showed love on 9/11 and we love them for it. Even those of us who are far away and who had no loved ones in the twin towers appreciate and respond.

There were so many signs of love and heroism. There were those who knew the end was near, and yet encouraged their loved ones via cell phone. There were firemen who ran into the burning buildings, contrary to all good sense, hoping to save some lives. Police officers kept performing their duties even though continuing to do that meant putting their own lives on the line.

We’re used to thinking of certain actions as heroic, but under those circumstances, the heroes simply did what they knew was right for their circumstances. I doubt any of them thought about being heroes. They just knew what they had to do and they did it. As a nation, we love them for it. We honor them, and all those who stand ready as well.

In the years since, as our nation has responded, we have needed more heroes. Now they don’t run into burning buildings as often. Their task is justice. And again, we’re thankful for them. As their nation calls, they go out and tell the terrorists that they’re “playing with the big boys now.” Let no debates about policy or arguments about how to use them diminish our regard or our thanks for their sacrifice.

13No one has greater love than this, that he lays down his life for his friends. — John 15:13

Posted in Bible Books, Devotional, Exodus | 1 Comment

Monday Morning Devotion (Overreacting)

Posted on September 10, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

Have you ever overreacted to something? Have you allowed some action of your spouse, or something he or she said to send you over the top, possibly because you were so angry about something else that you were just ready to boil over?

I certainly have. In fact, most of the arguments I have had with my wife have resulted from just such overreaction, and though it would be nice to tell you that I’m usually in the right, I’d be lying. I’m an expert worrier. I’m also an expert “resenter.” If something goes wrong I can worry about half a dozen different possible disastrous scenarios without even working up a sweat. There is at least one benefit from this—things practically never go as bad as I’m afraid they will!

I can handle resentment in a similar way. Take one little offense, quite possibly unintended. I can put it away in my mind, and then set up scenarios for it as well. What I should have said tot he person right then. What I will say, given the chance, what he or she will say back to me, how mad that will make me, and finally how I will get my revenge and teach that person a thing or two.

Can anyone relate?

Well, there’s a woman in Oregon who probably can. She’s sitting in jail waiting for $350,000 bail to be posted. As reported by MSNBC, she lost her car keys. When she couldn’t find them, she decided her neighbor had stolen them. She went over to the neighbor’s trailer and started trashing the place. No keys. She then brought a lighter and oil and tried to light the place on fire. That took a couple of tries. When she succeeded, she hid in the nearby bushes to watch. A friend called her husband who came and found her in the bushes. Hanging from her pocket were—you guessed it—the car keys.

Now none of us have gone quite that far, I hope. But are we in danger? Do we have a right to laugh at this woman? Or should we rather be saying, “There, but for the grace of God, go I?” So frequently we talk about forgiveness as though it was a favor we do to someone else. No, when we forgive someone else, even when they don’t ask for it or even deserve it, it is a gift we give ourselves. Because ultimately we could all wind up where that woman is, or even worse. How many times after a murder in someone’s home do we hear something like, “But he was such a nice man! I can’t believe he did it!” That’s the power of resentment. It can make a seemingly sane person crazy.

Be angry, but don’t sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger. — Ephesians 4:26

Might I also recommend Matthew 5:21-26?

But I think that our resentment and anger is fed by our worry. It’s often easy to forgive someone when we’re in a position of strength. But when we’re in a position of weakness, when we worry, we get more and more defensive. We want to sit in one place (in our minds) and just hold the line.

25Because of this I tell you, “Don’t worry about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body as to what you will wear. Is not life more than sustenance and your body more than its clothing? 26Take a look at the birds in the sky. They don’t plant, nor do they harvest, nor do they gather into storage barns, yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they are? 27Now who of you can add one foot to your height by worrying about it? 28And why do you worry about clothes? Learn from the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work hard and they don’t spin to make cloth, 29but I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory wasn’t dressed like one of them. 30So if God cares about the grass of the field that is there today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will he care about you, people with little faith? 31So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will be drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32For the gentiles look for all these things. Because your heavenly father knows that you need all these things. 33Seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. — Matthew 6:25-31

Both worry and resentment come from not trusting in God. The first means we don’t trust God to provide justice; the second that we don’t trust God to guide and provide for our very lives.

Seek first the kingdom—it’s the best way to avoid overreaction.

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Friday Morning Devotion (Have Thine Own Way)

Posted on September 7, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still. — Adelaide A. Pollard

I was reminded of this hymn this week when Jeremiah 18 was discussed briefly in a class I attended. There are two things about this text that are special to me. First, it’s one of the old hymns that is very intimate—addressed to God. I have been told many times how much more intimate the modern choruses are than the old hymns, and each time I remember some of my favorites that are very intimate. Now don’t get me wrong here. I like many modern praise choruses, but I also really like going back to some of these hymns! (Check out the entire hymn in The Cyber Hymnal.)

When you sing this song, as I think many of us have, how does it make you feel? Is being clay a good or a bad thing? Is it something to celebrate, or something you surrender to and tolerate so you can get to the better stuff?

Let’s listen to Jeremiah:

1This is the message that came to Jeremiah from YHWH:

2“Get up and go down to the potter’s workshop, and I will let you hear my messages there.”

3So I went down to the potter’s workshop, and there he was working on a project on the potter’s wheel. 4But the piece he was making from the clay was ruined as he shaped it, so he went back and made it into a different piece, doing as it seemed right to him.

5Then the message of YHWH came to me:

6“Can I not do to you what this potter has done, House of Israel?” A declaration of YHWH: “Look! Like clay in the hands of the potter so are you in my hands, House of Israel.” — Jeremiah 18:1-6

I recommend you read the rest of the chapter as well if you have time, but let me summarize. God continues by telling Jeremiah that if he promises good things to a nation and that nation turns to evil, he will repent of the good he had promised. On the other hand if a nation has done evil and has been promised disaster, but they repent, he will repent of the disaster he intended to send.

So there’s a tough side to this message. In God’s hands we are clay, and if things aren’t working out, he can smash us into a lump of unformed clay and then form us as he wishes. If we’re getting too proud of ourselves, and thinking we’re shaping up pretty nicely, that is a message we should consider.

But on the other hand it is a message of hope. If we are shaping up very badly, and things just aren’t working out, we serve a God who can go back to the “formless and empty” (Genesis 1:2) lump of clay and reshape things from the ground up. That’s a message of God’s sanctifying grace in your life.

The author of the hymn “Have Thine Own Way” wanted to go to Africa. I’m reminded of the humorous song “Please Don’t Send me to Africa.” But this lady wanted to go and be used by God but she couldn’t raise the money. At a prayer meeting she heard a prayer of surrender, and went home and wrote this hymn.

God’s love has it’s tough aspect. There’s that possibility of being smashed into a lump of clay to start over. But there’s also the constant hope that no matter how misshapen the clay gets, God can shape it into something wonderful.

Are you willing to be clay?

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Thursday Morning Devotion (Look for Something Different)

Posted on September 6, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

5But Jesus began to tell them, “Be sure that nobody deceives you. 6Many will go out in my name saying, “I am he!” and they will deceive many. 7But whenever you hear of wars and rumors of wards, don’t be disturbed. It has to be this way, but it is not yet the end. 8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, their will be famines. This {lit. these things} is just the beginning of troubles.”

9But you watch out! They will take you to court, you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake as a witness to them. 10The gospel must first be preached to all nations. — Mark 13:5-10

When scientists search for extraterrestrial life, the listen to many thousands of signals. They’re not interested in the normal, random stuff that they hear all the time. They’re looking for something different. The astronomy professor probably said something like this: “You’re not interested in the things that are the same. You’re looking for a pattern that is unique.”

When airport security officials watch people check in for a flight, send their luggage through security, and board planes, they’re not interested in all the normal stuff. They’re interested in the person who acts different—and different in particular ways. The trainer probably said something like, “You’re not interested in all the ordinary people who behave in ordinary ways. You’re interested in the one who behaves differently. Here are some of the ways a dangerous person might behave.”

As Christians, we often haven’t learned those simple lessons in looking for signs, and reading the times. But Jesus was giving just such instructions to his disciple. “Look,” he’s telling them, “the devil is going to keep on being the devil and he’s going to do destructive things. You’re in the way, so he’s going to see that nasty things happen to you. But what you’re interested in is this: Witness. Spreading the gospel to all the world.”

As much of the nation watched in fascination when OJ was being pursued by the police, or when Lindsey Lohan was arrested, or when Paris Hilton wound up in jail, so we as Christians are often fascinated by watching the devil’s work.

But the right way to find out what God is doing is to watch for what God is doing! You can watch the devil all day and he’ll still be doing the same things he always has. Wars continue. Persecution continues. It’s easy to make each new event a sign, but that’s just the beginning.

This is going to be a short devotional, but I want to add one thing. Besides looking for God’s sign, you can be part of God’s sign. The biggest sign of the end is that the gospel is preached throughout the world, and you notice the call that is part of that sign.

Now most of us will be looking for smaller signs in our own lives, looking for God’s guidance for us personally. But the same principle will apply. If you keep your eyes on what the devil is doing to you, you will be continually discouraged, because it’s going to seem that the devil is doing the same things all the time. The key is to get your eyes off of the evil one’s works and get your eyes on God.

Let’s focus on what God is doing in our lives, our workplaces, our churches, and our world.

Posted in Bible Books, Devotional, Mark | Comments Off on Thursday Morning Devotion (Look for Something Different)

Wednesday Morning Devotion (Reading Signs)

Posted on September 5, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

3And when he sat down on the mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him, 4“Tell us when these things will happen, and what the sign will be that all these things are about to be accomplished.” 5But Jesus began to tell them, “Be sure that nobody deceives you. 6Many will go out in my name saying, “I am he!” and they will deceive many. 7But whenever you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be disturbed. It has to be this way, but it is not yet the end.” — Mark 13:3-7

In the last book of the Chronicles of Narnia, The Last Battle, there is a very interesting scene right near the start. Shift, the ape is trying to persuade Puzzle the donkey that he should wear a lion skin they had found. The problem with that is that, of course, Aslan is a lion, and it seems a sacrilege to the donkey. He doesn’t know just what the ape has planned for him! Just as Shift has gotten Puzzle to put on the lion skin there is a “great thunderclap right overhead” and the ground trembles.

“There!” gasped Puzzle, as soon as he had breath to speak. “It’s a sign, a warning. I knew we were doing something dreadfully wicked. Take this wretched skin off me at once.”

“No, no,” said the Ape (whose mind worked very quickly). “It’s a sign the other way. I was just going to say that if the real Aslan, as you call him, meant us to go on with this, he would send us a thunderclap and an earth-tremor. . . . What would a donkey know about signs?”

It’s very important, I think, that Jesus started his talk about what was about to happen, and his disciples’ request that he identify a sign with the warning: “Be sure that nobody deceives you.” The reason is that signs are pretty easy to misread. In fact, Jesus mentions one right away that gets misread all the time. “Wars and rumors of wars.” How many times have I heard that line. Then someone will solemnly announce that Jesus must be coming very soon because there are so many wars.

But Jesus explicitly says otherwise. The wars and rumors of wars are not the sign of the end. They are something that happens all the time. Jesus is, in fact, saying that those are not signs. It’s interesting how we read the Bible. Here we are in a chapter in which Jesus speaks of coming events, and to some extent about his second coming, and Jesus explicitly says, “That is not your sign!” Yet because it’s in the chapter, we have come to associate the phrase with the end.

I don’t even remember when someone pointed out this problem with the text to me. But the idea that wars are a sign of the end times is so ingrained that people just can’t seem to get away from it. Many of us are much like Puzzle, and when Shift the Ape comes along and asks us just what donkeys like us would know about signs, we don’t have an answer.

So what is the starting point for solving that problem. How about we start where Jesus did? Let’s get a look at what things are like in the world in general. Then let’s take a look at how God generally works in the world. When we know that we can look around for the signs of God at work. The disciples were doing just the right thing in our passage for today. They went and asked Jesus.

How do we do it? We can spend time studying the Bible for ourselves on a daily basis. We can expand that by reading sometimes about the history of the church. But at the same time we need to be aware of what’s going on in the world. You can make anything look shocking by taking it out of context. “There were more people being killed in wars each day in the 20th century than at any other time in world history.” Now I’m not certain that line is true. I don’t think we can be absolutely certain about it. But suppose it is? There were also substantially more people in the world during that time frame.

Wars and rumors of wars is the way things work in this world under occupation by the forces of evil. You are one sign that God is doing something about it!

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Tuesday Morning Devotion (Avoding Deception – Jesus)

Posted on September 4, 2007 by Henry Neufeld

3And when he sat down on the mount of Olives across from the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him, 4“Tell us when these things will happen, and what the sign will be that all these things are about to be accomplished.” 5But Jesus began to tell them, “Be sure that nobody deceives you.” — Mark 13:3-5

In the 13th chapter of Mark we see Jesus talking to troubled people about trouble. The disciples have just commented on the beautiful buildings of the temple complex in Jerusalem, and Jesus has told them that all of it would be destroyed. To understand how that would feel to a Jew of the 1st century, multiply the impact of the twin towers many times over. The temple wasn’t just symbolic. It was the heart of the Jewish people.

So naturally, the disciples did precisely what you and I would do. Once they knew trouble was coming, they wanted to know what, when, and how to know. Isn’t that what you would have wanted to know? I know I would want to know that! Isn’t it precisely what we pray for over and over in our lives now? What’s going to happen Lord? How can I know what to do? Lead me! Guide me!

And those aren’t bad prayers at all. Jesus doesn’t rebuke his disciples for their question. But he starts his answer with “Be sure that nobody deceives you.” He knows that people seeking for guidance are open to deception.

When I was a teenager, I lived with my missionary parents in Georgetown, Guyana. At the time very few people knew where Guyana was. They couldn’t find it on the map. They couldn’t spell it. Our mail would get sent to Ghana, Africa. But then something happened.

A preacher by the name of Jim Jones brought a few hundred people with him from the United States and founded a community (using the term loosely). People who were not sure what to do flocked to Jim Jones, because Jim Jones knew precisely what to do. There was that certainty about him that attracted people in doubt. Most of us don’t like doubt and uncertainty.

One day Jim Jones became certain that the best thing for all of his followers to do was to drink poison. Most of them went along with him. A number more were forced. Very, very few escaped. Now Jonestown wasn’t all that near Georgetown where my parents lived. (By this time I was in college here in the States.)

Jesus knew precisely the right thing to say first when people are looking for certainty and direction. Do not be deceived! Because you’re uncertain, you are vulnerable to people who are certain.

I’m sure you’ve all met the sort of person who always speaks with absolute authority. Sometimes that is justified. They may be a person with knowledge or authority. Every so often, you encounter someone who is very certain, but almost always wrong. When I first moved to Pensacola, I signed up for the local Ham Radio emergency network. I’m a Ham Radio operator (inactive these days), but I had the necessary equipment. My task was to take my radios and stand by at a shelter to provide communications support.

Now I really knew very little about hurricanes, but the first tropical storm to come along, off I went to Washington High School where I was assigned. I sat there through the night and was never needed, but so it goes. There was a young Red Cross volunteer there who was probably in his 20s. He was an expert on hurricanes. He spent the whole night telling us about what was happening and how everything was working. I didn’t know whether he was right or wrong, but the other workers did, and they spent the night correcting what he was saying. They were right, and he was wrong. I checked when I got home.

And that leads me to the starting point on avoiding deception. Get grounded in what is right from a solid source. For the disciples, and for you and me, that solid source is Jesus. I mean that above and beyond even the rest of the Bible. (I don’t mean the rest of the Bible is less true, but that’s another topic.) Get grounded in who Jesus is and what he taught, and filter all your questions through him, no matter what those questions are.

What is our best sign? Jesus is! Keep him before you throughout the week!

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