SEARCH RESULTS

[But] be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. —James 1:22-24 Have you ever looked in the mirror and been dismayed by what you saw? Maybe a piece of spinach stuck between your front teeth? Or a sprout of hair sticking up in back? Or a morsel of cream cheese clinging to your mustache? James is writing an intensely practical, urgent letter to Jewish believers who have been scattered because of persecution (James 1:1). These are dearly loved brothers and sisters in Christ, and they face a host of dangers, not only from pressures and enemies outside but also from within their own hearts. In this first chapter James will caution them three times against being deceived! Our verses are the second of those warnings. What is the source of this deception? They, themselves! What kind of problem would arise from this self-deception? Being hearers of the word of God only, without actually doing what it says. James gives an illustration of this “hearing-only” problem: you’ve just taken a good look in a mirror (for the original hearers, this likely would have been polished metal rather than what hangs on our walls today), but what happens after your look? Not transformation. Not dealing with what you have seen of yourself. No, you go away and forget. James has already given important instructions to his hearers in this letter: receive trials with joy; ask God for wisdom; stand fast under trial; don’t blame God for temptations; be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; and put away filthiness and rampant wickedness. The rest of the book is full of similarly practical, important words. But if the hearers simply lean back in their seats, nodding in agreement, and then proceed to live on in anxiety, anger, and immorality, satisfied that they have heard from God, they will be in real trouble. God’s Word, received with God’s help, by faith in God’s own Son, will change His people into His likeness (see James 1:18 and 2:1). Look into the Word of truth, James says, and be transformed. For Reflection Do you hear God’s Word regularly? Do you have a daily pattern of looking intently at the Bible so that its illuminating light may shine on your heart (James 1:25)? Are you satisfied simply with study? Ask God to help you see where His Word calls for change in your own life. How does the gospel give us hope for real change? Why does faith in Christ prompt on-going repentance, change, and growth? How is this different than trying to earn God’s favor by improving ourselves in our own strength?

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! 14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! —Psalm 27:13-14 She is losing nearly everything to follow Jesus. I first met Jackie [name changed] a couple of months ago when she began attending worship. Her brothers, devoted Jehovah’s Witnesses, have disowned her as an apostate. Last week her mother expressed disgust over Jackie’s newfound faith and cut her off permanently. And, as if these losses weren’t painful enough, the man Jackie loves is perplexed by her desire to be baptized and become part of the church. He wants nothing to do with it. To use Rosaria Butterfield’s image, Jackie’s conversion has been a train wreck. So many obstacles. So many opponents. What do you say to a woman in Jackie’s situation? You might say, “Have you ever read Psalm 27? Let’s read it together.” Naked Faith Psalm 27 is meant to sustain our faith through impossible situations. From beginning to end, the psalm is filled with “evildoers” and “adversaries” and “foes” and “enemies” and “false witnesses.” It echoes with the sounds of wild beasts, armies, and men breathing out violence. Jackie can relate to these problems, albeit on a smaller scale than King David. Most likely you can relate, too. The day of trouble is no respecter of persons. Most of us at some point find ourselves in an impossible situation—a time when our back is against the wall, and all the lights go out, and a threatening claw grips our neck. If you’ve been there, you know what it’s like. In that moment your sense of resourcefulness evaporates, and you realize what was true all along: faith is all you’ve got. You have nowhere to turn but the Lord; you must wait for him to act on your behalf; if he doesn’t come through, you’re sunk. Derek Kidner describes this type of waiting as “holding on with naked faith” (Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72, TOTC, 139). Reasonable Faith Some people would tell us that we’re wasting our time waiting for the Lord. But there is nothing unreasonable about trusting God, especially in impossible situations. Our faith may be naked, but it isn’t crazy. Who is this Lord on whom you wait? He is your light, your salvation, your stronghold, your defender. He is beautiful and gracious. He is the lifter of your head. David celebrates these characteristics of the Lord all throughout the psalm. In light of who the Lord is, it would seem that waiting on him is the most reasonable thing you could ever do. There is no hint of craziness in David’s confidence: “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!” David knew what God was like, and so he knew that God would rescue him. We know it too, in an even fuller sense. Jesus, the Son of David, has risen from the dead. And he will lose nothing of all that God has given him, but will raise it up on the last day (John 6:39). Believer, whether you live or die in your impossible situation, you will look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Jesus has seen to it. So wait on the Lord. Be strong. Take courage. You will be happy to hear that that is what Jackie is doing. I do not believe her train-wreck conversion will be the end of her. How could it be, if the God of Psalm 27 comes to her rescue? What more do any of us need in our day of trouble? In Jackie’s words, “He’s worth it.”

“Yo soy el Camino, la Verdad y la Vida. Nadie va al Padre sino por mí” —Juan 14:6 Recientemente me enfrasqué en una conversación con un viejo amigo, el cual es un investigador y profesor en una reputada universidad de Norteamérica. Hablábamos del propósito de la vida y el destino de los hombres. Este hombre afirma que todas las religiones, si son vividas seriamente, proporcionan felicidad al individuo. No obstante, atacó a algunos cristianos que tenían una postura “radical y fanática”. Le respondí: es que no hay otra manera de llegar a Dios sino es por Su Hijo Jesús. Y esta declaración fue suficiente para terminar la conversación. El orgullo del hombre no le permite aceptar la exclusividad de Jesús. Nuestro texto encierra la verdad más gloriosa y profunda jamás recibida por oídos humanos, que ha la vez fueron dichas de una manera clara y sencilla. Y el propósito de Jesús es que no miremos más a otro lado, sino sólo a Él. En el contexto, Jesús le garantiza a Sus discípulos un lugar en los cielos. Ellos han confiado en Él, y aún así, parece que no conocen mucho de la fe. De hecho, Tomás se apresura a afirmar que ellos no conocen a dónde va Jesús, por lo que tampoco conocen el camino. Incluso, Felipe es capaz de insistir en que quieren conocer al Padre. Y esto nos muestra que una pequeña y frágil fe verdadera en Jesús es suficiente para opacar todas nuestras inconsistencias teológicas y nuestras dudas. Porque nada de esto impide que lleguemos a nuestro destino eterno. ¿Saben por qué? Por Quien es Jesús. Jesús no muestra simplemente el camino; él mismo es el camino. Sí, nos muestra el camino al Padre, pero es más que eso; Él mismo es el camino. Relaciona a Dios con los hombres y reconcilia a los hombres con Dios. No sólo habla verdad, no sólo es la vía por la cual nos llega la verdad, sino que Él mismo lo es la encarnación de la verdad. Es la clara realidad en contraste con las sombras que lo preceden. Sólo en Él podemos entender perfectamente toda revelación de parte de Dios. Él es la verdad que nos santifica, que nos guía y que nos hace libres. Además es la vida, y sin vida no se puede llegar al Padre. Estamos muertos sin Cristo. “El que tiene al Hijo, tiene la vida…”. “…Yo soy la resurrección y la vida; el que cree en mí, aunque esté muerto, vivirá” (Juan 11:25). Él puede renovarte, recrearte, darte vida eterna, vida en abundancia. Así que, Cristo lo es todo y sin Él no tienes nada. ¿Cómo puede recibir esto un hombre natural? No hay manera, debido a que esta verdad lo coloca en el lugar que debe estar; completamente desprovisto de toda esperanza sin Cristo. ¿Es Cristo simplemente algo que añades a tu vida? ¿Es Él y sólo Él la garantía que da seguridad a tu esperanza? ¿O confías en algo más? ¿Cómo esta verdad puede permitirte descansar, al saber que no necesitas otra cosa para alcanzar la vida eterna?

Porque los ojos del SEÑOR recorren toda la tierra para fortalecer a aquellos cuyo corazón es completamente suyo… —2 Crónicas 16:9 Este pasaje presenta una de las verdades más consoladoras reveladas en la Palabra; el Poderoso siempre socorre a los débiles. Aunque sólo favorece a los débiles que se refugian en Él. Aquellos que claman “desde los confines de la tierra te invoco, cuando mi corazón desmaya. Condúceme a la roca que es más alta que yo. Porque tú has sido refugio para mí, torre fuerte frente al enemigo” (Salmos 61:2-3). Pero, aunque muchos se benefician de esta verdad, otros aprenden al sufrir por no descansar en el Dios que salva sin necesidad de espada ni de lanza (1 Samuel 17:47), o bien por olvidarlo en el momento de la prueba. Y esta es la historia detrás de esta declaración gloriosa. El rey de Israel tenía una gran estrategia para vencer a Judá. Israel se había corrompido y todos sus reyes dieron la espalda a su Dios. Mas no fue así del todo con Judá. Hubo reyes que honraron a Dios, por lo que Judá prevaleció más tiempo que el reino del norte. De hecho, Asa es presentado como un hombre de Dios (2 Crónicas 15:17). Sin embargo, aquí está asustado por la fuerza de sus enemigos y sólo se le ocurre buscar auxilio en el brazo del hombre (Siria) para vencerlos. Jehová le recuerda que cuando ellos confiaron en su brazo, él los libró de los etíopes y los libios, quienes eran muy poderosos. Dios dice que Asa actuó “locamente.” Y es lo que hacemos cuando las fuertes tempestades de la aflicción nos hacen apartar la vista del Gran Yo Soy. ¿No debió Asa clamar “¡Ah, Señor DIOS! He aquí, tú hiciste los cielos y la tierra con tu gran poder y con tu brazo extendido; nada es imposible para ti… oh grande y poderoso Dios, el SEÑOR de los ejércitos es su nombre” (Jeremías 32:17-18)? ¡Oh, hijo de Dios! Él ha sido para ti provisión, salvación y protección. Reconócelo en el día malo y él te mostrará su fidelidad para contigo. En cambio, si no le honras y buscas el auxilio fuera de él, recuerda que es celoso y no comparte su gloria. El juicio vino sobre Asa en aquella ocasión. Y lo peor, es que aún después no aprendió la lección. Pero tú, descansa en él y consuélate en estas palabras: “que sus ojos están atentos sobre ti en todo momento para fortalecerte.” ¿A quién o a qué acudes de primera instancia cuando no hay salida aparente? ¿Es la oración tu último recurso o es tu gran ventaja frente a la estrategia del maligno? ¿Estás dispuesto a que Dios actúe y a descansar en él?

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. —Isaiah 40:8 Isaiah 40:8 is a good place to start another set of Fighter Verses and another year of Bible memorization. The point of the verse is straightforward and clear, “the word of our God stands forever.” The truths from God’s Word that we will be memorizing this year are as true for us as they were for all of God’s people before us. This reality is unlike anything else that we experience in life. Two verses earlier the voice of the Lord tells the prophet “Cry” and the prophet asks, “What shall I cry?” The Lord’s answer makes clear that it is not just grass and flowers that are short-lived: “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.” And, to make clear that “all flesh” includes human flesh, the Lord tells us in verse 7, “surely the people are grass.” Several times the enduring Word of God calls our attention to grass and flowers and reminds us of how perishable we are compared to His unchanging and everlasting nature. One of those reminders will come at the end of February when we memorize Psalm 103:15-16: “As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more” which cannot compare to “the steadfast love of the Lord,” which we will be reminded of in week 10, “is from everlasting to everlasting.” Not only do our lives wither like grass, so also our beauty, our wealth, our possessions, our achievements, and so much of what we pursue in life will soon fade like flowers and pass away. In James 1:9-11, the apostle makes this point when he writes: Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. It is surprising and wonderful to read in Isaiah 40:1 that God means to comfort us with these words, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” The withering effects of our own flesh, the experience of watching friends and loved ones who were once strong and beautiful wither away and die, and the reminder that much of what takes our time and labor in this life will likewise perish is what makes the everlasting nature of God’s Word so comforting. In the first week of November we will be memorizing 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, and will be reminded again that the “afflictions” of this life are “light and momentary.” They also are like grass that will soon fade away, and for those who are trusting in the living Word of God, these afflictions will ultimately give way to “an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” In God’s providence both my mother and my mother-in-law died within two weeks of the 2016 presidential election. Spending a week beside two deathbeds shed Isaiah 40:8-light onto the national events that had consumed so much of the world’s attention. The outcome of that election offered no comfort and could not have been more unimportant to those dying saints. All that mattered in the final hours of those fading “flowers” was that “the word of God stands forever” and being reminded of that Word brought peace to their souls. It was not a recounting of their accomplishments that gave us comfort as we gathered at our mothers’ gravesides. It was the immortal words from 1 Corinthians 15, 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. (51-53) Hope rose as we looked into the mouth of the opened grave and heard the eternal and unshakable Word of God, When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (54-57) Lives that are withering like grass and fading like flowers are craving the Word of the everlasting God and thus we are most satisfied when we feed on His life-giving Word. By taking up the Fighter Verses challenge this year and investing a portion of our momentary lives to memorize God’s Word, we are employing an effective strategy for feeding our hungry souls. And as we will be reminded at the end of September, “our God will supply every need…according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). For Reflection As you meditate on this first Fighter Verse of the new year consider reading Charles Spurgeon’s sermon, “Man Transient—God’s Word Eternal.”

…I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ [11 calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.] —Isaiah 46:9-10 [11] “I don’t know.” That’s hard to say isn’t it? Especially when we are talking about the things that are most important to us. It’s hard to say because we like to have plans, we like things to be settled, we like to feel as if we were in control. But that’s not always possible is it? Sometimes as much as we hate to admit it we simply don’t know. That’s where I have been living for the past six months. In April my family and I traveled to Africa to do an adoption that was supposed to take six weeks to complete. It’s October and we are still here with our daughter waiting to be allowed to return to the US. I don’t know when we will be able to go home. I don’t know what to tell our friends and family. I don’t know what to do to speed up the process. I don’t know why all of this has happened. I don’t know. Maybe you have felt this way before. Maybe there are circumstances in your life that you don’t understand. Maybe you have found yourself wondering how God could possibly let certain things happen to you. Maybe you spend a lot of your time wondering “Why?” If you find yourself struggling with these types of questions I want you to listen to what God has to say in Isaiah 46:9-11. He says, For I am God, and there is no other, I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed and I will do it. I love these verses because in them God comes to us and says, “Even though you may not know how this season of your life is going to unfold, I do.” For every time that you have found yourself forced to mumble “I don’t know” God’s voice echoes back through these verses and says, “I do. I know how your story ends. I know why I am allowing this to happen. I know the good I intend in this tragedy and you can rest knowing that I will accomplish all my purpose.” Of course sometimes when we feel like our lives are spinning out of control we can find these promises hard to believe. But that is where verse 8 comes in. In verse 8, God says, “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old.” How can you know for certain that God has a good purpose for your suffering? How can you be sure that he will bring you through this tragedy and leave you safe on the other side? Isaiah tells us that we need to “remember the former things of old.” For us today, that means we need to remember how our “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Before the foundations of this world were ever laid God knew how the story of his people would end. He knew that our story would end with eternal life. Earlier in Isaiah, we read about how God knew that one day he would swallow up death forever. He knew that one day he would come and wipe every tear from our eyes and take away the reproach of all his people forever (Isaiah 25:8). God spoke these promises in the Old Testament and then he began to bring them to pass by sending his only Son to shed his precious blood in our place. In Romans 8:32, Paul assures us that the God who did not spare his only Son but gave him up for us all is a God who will finish what he started. He has spoken to us through his Son and he will bring our final salvation to pass, he has purposed and he will do it. Yes the middle of our story can be very difficult and there may be a lot of things that we don’t know, but never forget that our God has told us how the story ends. And it’s a good ending. It’s the kind of ending that makes the middle worth it, however difficult it might be. For Reflection What are some things in your life that you find yourself struggling to understand? These verses tell us that our God knows how our story will end before it ever begins. I want you to make a list of some of the good things God tells us about how the story ends for his people. How can these truths help you persevere during the difficult parts of your story? In verse 11 God tells us that God has purposed the salvation of his people and he will be faithful to do it. How does Jesus prove God’s faithfulness to accomplish our salvation? How can remembering what he did for us help us trust God even when we don’t understand?

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. —Titus 3:4-6 Who are you? Who were you before you met Jesus? What is your gospel story? For many, these questions can raise feelings of inadequacy, “I don’t have a very exciting testimony.” For others, they might raise feelings of vulnerability, “I don’t want to share that part of my story, again.” When we see the gospel clearly it reassures each and every believer that God has blessed us with a world-changing testimony. This week’s Fighter Verses contain encouragement to those with a dark past that the bright light of the gospel is more than enough to chase away those shadows. These verses provide a beautiful summary of the gospel. It was likely a creedal statement of the early church, describing the trinitarian work of God to transform a sinner into a new creation—taking a person who was in conflict with God and the world around them and placing them in a new community “zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). From Ugly to Beautiful In Titus 3:3, Paul includes himself in an ugly description of who believers once were: “foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing [their] days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.” And then, we encounter that small, important word at the beginning of verse four: But. Something transformative has happened. And it doesn’t come from that ugly darkness, it comes from the light. God’s character is revealed. We see His grace and mercy (His goodness) and we see His love for people, His desire to set His people free (His loving kindness). This grace is revealed by a salvation that we did not deserve and never could earn (v. 5). It is a salvation that transforms. The Holy Spirit cleanses the old ugliness away and brings renewal. He has made those who are in Christ a new creation—the old has gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). God the Father has poured out the Spirit through Jesus Christ (v. 6) and there is no doubt about the sufficiency of the Spirit’s work. Paul uses the same word here that Luke used to describe the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:33). Just as the Spirit was “poured out” on that remarkable day, so every, single believer receives the Spirit when we first trust Christ. To add further emphasis, Paul tells us that the pouring out is done richly—with the divine and sovereign generosity of our God and Father by means of our Savior and King, Jesus. This gospel means that those who once walked in the ugliness of sin can now be called “a people for His own possession” (Titus 2:14). Paul urges Titus to “insist on” this understanding of the gospel with the purpose that believers would be “careful to devote themselves to good works” (3:8). An Opportunity in the Coming Weeks In the coming weeks, those of us in the United States have an important opportunity to reflect the truth of the gospel in our lives. The description of Titus 3:3 could easily describe the current American political environment. Many would be comfortable describing the candidates as “passing [their] days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.” Sadly, this description could be applied to many supporters of the candidates. Sadder still, it could be applied to the behavior of many Christians. The question—this election season, and every day—is: what gospel story are you telling with your life? What would someone think if they overheard your conversations at the office, after the Sunday service, or on your Facebook wall? Would they see a helpless sinner, saved by the grace of God, and renewed for fruitful service? Or would they see days passed in malice, envy, and hate? I pray that every day—especially as we engage with neighbors, friends, and colleagues on the issues of the day—each of us would overflow with the beautiful transformative gospel in a way that lifts the eyes of a fallen world to the Savior that has appeared and offers regeneration and renewal to all who trust in Him. For Reflection What is your response when someone asks you to share what you were like before you met Jesus? How could you share your gospel story this week? With whom would you share it? Are there attitudes or behaviors you need to repent of this political season? Is there something concrete you can do to reflect the gospel in how you engage in political conversations over the next few weeks?

…“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.] —2 Corinthians 12:9 [10] We must look back to 2 Corinthians 12:1-8 for the context of this week’s Fighter Verses passage. The Apostle Paul is suffering a “thorn in the flesh, a messenger from Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.” Paul had been given “visions and revelations of the Lord,” and was “caught up to the third heaven—into the third paradise—and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter” (vv. 1-4). We never discover what this thorn in Paul is, but it must have been something very painful for this man of God, who was beaten, stoned, whipped, and imprisoned for the sake of the gospel, to plead with God to remove it. Many have speculated how the thorn manifested itself in Paul’s body, but God has not told us. We do know Paul calls it a thorn—something persistent, painful, “harassing” him, and difficult to ignore. Yet, instead of removing the thorn, God gives Paul something greater. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” These comforting words are a treasure from our omniscient God. They are a signpost pointing to joy in suffering and peace beyond our ability to fully understand. This grace comes from God in a constant flow of super-abundant sufficiency in our suffering so that the power (Gr. dunamis; glorious inherent power, able, capable) of Christ will be displayed in us when we are weakest. We can count on His promise of sustaining grace to give us a peaceful, trusting countenance. Christ’s power will be perfected in us and will even give us contentment in continuously bearing under weaknesses of all kinds. And so, may each of us who are in Christ Jesus gladly boast in our weaknesses that His power may rest on us. It is for the sake of Christ, for His Kingdom and His name, that we suffer, and are even made content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. We are a living testimony of His grace, power, and strength. A portion of Samuel Rutherford's lyrics for the hymn, “Immanuel's Land,” picture how the thorns of life are fitting us for heaven: Deep waters crossed life’s pathway, The hedge of thorns was sharp; Now these lie all behind me— Oh! For a well-tuned harp! Oh, to join Hallelujah With yon triumphant band, Who sing, where glory dwelleth, In Immanuel’s land. Soon shall the cup of glory Wash down earth’s bitterest woes, Soon shall the desert-briar Break into Eden’s rose: The curse shall change to blessing— The name on earth that’s banned, Be graven on the white stone In Immanuel’s land. For Reflection Sometimes our weakness is obvious in illness or physical disability, but other times it is hidden weakness of heart, soul, and mind. Where are you weak? How has God, who is all-seeing and ever-faithful, comforted you in your weakness? In what ways does God’s grace strengthen you in your suffering? What is the practical impact in your life of having the power of Christ resting on you? God’s power is made perfect in your weakness—how might this truth be made obvious to a watching world? Think about how you might share the powerful grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with others who are also suffering.

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. —2 Corinthians 9:6-7 Our Fighter Verses passage this week is one of encouragement in the biblical principle of giving. It echoes Jesus’ words to us in Luke 6:38, “Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Paul also reminds the Corinthian church of Christ’s example regarding eternal riches: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9). About a year before the second letter to the Corinthians was written, the believers there had earnestly desired to give to the impoverished saints in Jerusalem. Now, Paul is letting them know that he is sending Titus to them for the collection and that they should prepare not only the gift but their hearts. “I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.” (2 Corinthians 9:5). Paul wanted them to keep their generous promise and give with cheerfulness. We can attempt to keep a promise in our own strength, grudgingly, under compulsion out of fear of punishment, or reluctantly. Giving can become a self-imposed obligation, something the giver absolutely has to do. This falls short of God’s glorious grace and love in us. Whatever the amount you decide to give, God is pleased when it is given willingly with a cheerful heart. Where does the heart of a cheerful giver come from? It comes from God who has given us all things. “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). And God, according to His great mercy in Christ Jesus, has poured His Spirit within us. By the Spirit’s enablement and joy, not only will we be generous and give, but give with a cheerful heart full of love for Him and for His glory. When we come to know Christ, He gives us a new heart, one that responds to Him with love and joy, cheerfulness and gladness. The Bible gives us many ways to express to God our glad and cheerful hearts. Here are a few examples to help us: Serve Him gladly “Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing.” (Psalm 100:2) Worship Him and sing His praises “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35:10) Love Him as our Father “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are…Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:1, 18) Give thanks in humility “…giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:20) Treasure Christ and His Word “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:10-11) Be in prayer “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you…Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:22, 24) For Reflection As a servant of the Lord, is your giving free from reluctance or compulsion? Is your heart glad and free in your service to Him as in Psalm 100 and Isaiah 35:10? With the Holy Spirit’s leading, what are some practical ways to increase your joy and enable you to give more cheerfully? If you are in a local church, how might your joy in the Lord overflow to your brothers and sisters in Christ?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. —1 Peter 1:3-5 First Peter was written to believers scattered throughout Asia Minor (Turkey), a region of the Roman Empire during the time of Emperor Nero’s severe persecution of Christians. The Apostle Peter encourages his readers from the very beginning of his letter by reminding them they have been chosen “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood” (vv. 1-2). And in this encouragement, we have strong assurance in the Trinity—our God who works His salvation purposes and will, even in the suffering of His chosen ones. Peter moves now to the praises that can be in the heart and on the tongue of everyone who suffers and is persecuted for the sake of Christ: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! (v. 3a) How do you “bless” God? By celebrating and declaring who He is, His wonders, and the deeds He has done. God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—bless His holy name forever! Jesus made clear from the beginning of His earthly ministry that God is His Father. He always did the will of His Father, loved His Father, prayed to His Father, obeyed His Father. This is the relationship we enjoy as believers in Jesus Christ. God is now our Father, too. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (v. 3b). He has shown His wonders in the pouring out of His great mercy on us who are great sinners, causing us to be born again to a living hope. We have not been born again to some temporal experience or earthly wisdom, vain imagination or wishful thinking—but to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (v. 3). The resurrected life of Christ within is always actively energizing the believer in their life on earth with the joyful expectancy of being in heaven with Him. This hope is sure and full of God’s love and protection. And there is more. ...to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation to be revealed in the last time (vv. 4-5). When God raised Jesus from the dead, and when we were born again in Him to a living hope, we also were granted an inheritance. What kind of inheritance could this be? First, it is imperishable, meaning it will never cease to exist or be taken away. Secondly, it is undefiled, meaning it is holy, beautiful, pure, and does not bear the imperfections of sin and darkness. Thirdly, it is unfading, meaning it will never decay, be exhausted, or used up. This inheritance is eternal, holy, and remains, kept in heaven for you. God’s matchless, sovereign power is guarding you and your inheritance through faith in Jesus Christ—the faith that God has given as a gift, that will keep you steadfast in Christ, and perseveres in joy, awaiting the fullness of a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. For Reflection What would your praises be to God as you bless Him? How does knowing you have a perfect heavenly Father affect the relationship you have with your biological father? In what ways do earthly inheritances help us understand eternal inheritances? How do they differ? (Reference Hebrews 9:15-17.) Reference Matthew 5:10-11. In this passage, Jesus addresses principles of persecution and suffering. What are the godly responses to persecution encouraged in the 1 Peter 1 and the Matthew 5 passages? Why can we rejoice even when suffering persecution for Christ?

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus —1 Timothy 2:5 Historical Background God provided the foreshadowing of 1 Timothy 2:5 through the Old Testament instructions regarding the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16 and Numbers 29:7-11. By His love and mercy for His sinful people, God gave to His servant Moses the Levitical system of atonement for sin. Priests from the tribe of Levi were appointed to serve Him on behalf of the people. The priest had the ministry of a go-between, so that a sinful person might find reconciliation with a holy God—if only temporarily. On a regular basis, the person would bring an animal without defect to the priest to offer to God as a sacrifice for particular sins. But once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would represent all of Israel before God. He would first sacrifice a bull offering for his own sin and then offer a goat for the sin of the people. The blood of these animals was taken by the high priest inside the veil or curtain, into the Most Holy Place. The Most Holy Place housed the ark of the covenant with the Mercy Seat on top and was separated from the rest of the temple by a heavy veil or curtain. Only the high priest could enter through this curtain to make atonement for the people. There he would sprinkle the blood on the Mercy Seat for atonement. The priest would then place his hands on a live goat and symbolically transfer the sins of the people onto this "scapegoat" and the goat was taken into the wilderness and released— bearing all of Israel’s sin away. With these laws of blood sacrifice and the priesthood in mind, let’s now look at our Fighter Verse. One God There is one God. God is holy (Leviticus 19:2; Revelation 4:8). God is light (1 John 1:5). There is none like Him and none before Him (Exodus 9:14). He is sovereign and the creator of all things (Revelation 4:11). He is righteous in all His ways (Psalm 7:11). He is true (Jeremiah 10:10). He is love (1 John 4:16). He is merciful (Deuteronomy 4:31). One Mediator And by His mercy, at the right time, He sent forth His Son Jesus to perfectly fulfill all the law and become our eternal great High Priest. Jesus Himself is the satisfier of God’s wrath against us, once for all (Hebrews 10:8-22). When Jesus died, the curtain that separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. Through Jesus, we can now be reconciled to God and come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy in time of need. All the laws and regulations of the Levitical priesthood pointed to One who would be both perfect sacrifice and eternal High Priest—Jesus Christ. The Lamb of God who was slain for our sin is the one and only mediator between God and men forever. Jesus declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6). Jesus is God’s one and only chosen mediator for us, the Scripture is fulfilled in Him when it says, “For Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh…”(1 Peter 3:18). For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with the blood not his own, for then [Christ] would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself (Hebrews 9:24-26). For Reflection Have you come to Jesus in faith? Have you tried to mediate for yourself instead of fully trusting in all that Jesus is and has accomplished for you? Oh, what freedom and relief there is for us when we realize that at the cross Jesus shed His blood and bore the burden of all our sin, including our vain attempts to be good enough for God. Only by grace, through faith in Christ, our one Mediator, can we experience God’s full acceptance. Can you think of a time when discovering that Jesus is your one mediator changed how you prayed? In what ways? Spend time in your Bible this week and read through the verse references in this article. May these verses lead you to worship our one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. 6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. 7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. —Psalm 86:5-7 The book of Psalms is a collection of poetry, songs, and prayers of the Jewish people. In the songs, you will often find repetition of phrases of worship and praise, and descriptions of God’s glorious attributes, often using figures of speech. But Psalm 86 is a prayer, and the language is plain “…how little there is in it of poetic flights or figures in comparison to other psalms; for the flourishes of wit are not the proper ornaments of prayer.” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary) This prayer of David is earnest, straightforward, with repeated pleas to God: Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me (v. 1a, v. 6); I am poor and needy (v. 1b); preserve my life, save your servant who trusts in you (v. 2); be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you I cry all the day (v. 3, v. 16); gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul (v. 4)— For you, O LORD, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. (v. 5) Who else would David turn to in his time of need? Only the Lord. He alone has always been with us, gracious, good, forgiving sin, keeping covenant in His abundant love to the one who is poor in spirit. David knows the Lord. He has experienced His grace and here declares that He is good and forgiving. You can hear David’s humility in these words. He is trusting in God’s grace to be heard, just as we trust in Christ’s blood shed for us that we might come before the throne of grace. David has come to receive grace and deliverance from his enemies. He is not going anywhere else but to the Lord with his request—“Give ear…listen to my plea…I call upon you.” He is not seeking help from any other source. And he trusts the Lord’s listening, attentive ear, assured by His covenant love and promises that his prayer is heard and he will receive what is best from the Lord’s hand. What about you? When faced with trials, where do you turn? Someone once said, “Before you go to the phone, come to the Throne.” We must each grow in our dependence upon the Lord and keep Him first in our hearts and minds—at all times praying to Him about everything. For Reflection Are you poor and needy? Yes? Remember the words of Jesus, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Take every need and confess every sin to your heavenly Father in prayer. Those who trust in Him have His ear and His favor. When you pray, are you plainly making your request to God, or do your drifting thoughts or many words cause you to lose focus and fervency? How might adopting the example of David’s prayer help you to pray effectually? Trust in God’s character and attributes—His faithfulness, goodness, love and forgiveness towards us, and His grace that gladdens our souls, all shine bright in Psalm 86. Describe the role that prayer has in fueling your trust and joy in God’s character. Suggested Resource: Big, Bold, Biblical Prayers for the Next Generation