Month: December 2019

Today we turn to the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the church at Thessalonica.  In this brief letter, Paul encourages the Thessalonians once again to remain faithful.  He corrects the erroneous proclamation of some that Jesus had already returned and reminded them this wouldn’t happen until “the man of lawlessness” had been revealed.  He urged them to continue to pursue the work of the Lord and admonished them that the ones who weren’t willing to work ought not to eat, that is to be provided for by those who were working.  Paul was not speaking of those who “could not” work, but those who “would not” work.

In 2 Thessalonians 1, Paul gave thanks to God for the believers there, and called out God’s punishment on those who hurt them or spoke against them. 

In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul started by telling them he had not sent a letter saying Jesus had already returned.  This concern emphasized the Thessalonians’ preoccupation with Jesus’ return.  While we must be ready for it, the best position to take is not to be preoccupied with Jesus’ return, but always living in such a way we will be ready when He comes.  Paul reminded those who were concerned, that Jesus wouldn’t return before the “man of lawlessness,” was revealed.  Most biblical scholars, consider this man to be one and the same with the anti-Christ.

In 2 Thessalonians 3, Paul urges the believers to work diligently and to be found at work when the Lord returns.  He reminded them how he had said those who wouldn’t work ought not to be able to eat.  That reminds us of the importance of working if we are able.  We aren’t to rely on others to provide for us, unless we can’t work, and then of course it is the responsibility of the believers to provide.  As those who live in our current age of entitlement, here in America, it is a helpful reminder to be diligent in our work, so long as we can.  In that way, we will be able to help others who need it, and when our time comes to need help, we will have brothers and sisters to help us!

As we return to Luke 5, Jesus called the first disciples.  This account is extended in comparison with those of Matthew and Mark.  Here we find Jesus intervening in the fishermen’s lives and helping them catch many fish.  Peter’s response to the miracle was fear.  He told Jesus to leave because Peter saw himself as a sinful man.  But Jesus’ response was, “Don’t be afraid…” Jesus saw Peter’s self-denigration as a sinner, as a revelation of Peter’s fear.  Jesus promised to take away the fear and make Peter and the others, fishers of people.

Next, Jesus healed a man with leprosy, followed by healing a paralytic.  Both of these miracles saw Jesus doing something that set Him apart from others.  Jesus touched a leper, which ought to have made Him unclean.  Instead, the leper became clean!  Jesus forgave the paralytic’s sin, before healing his physical ailment.  This rightly caused the religious leaders to notice.  “Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” they asked.  Good question.  Jesus is God, which is why He could take such action.

Jesus then called Levi or Matthew, the tax collector to follow Him.  This caused Matthew to rejoice and throw a party at his house, to which he invited Jesus and all his “sinner” friends.  The religious leaders couldn’t handle this, but Jesus reminded them the healthy don’t need a physician, but the sick.  That’s why He had come to call the sinners, not the “righteous” to repentance.  I put “righteous” in quotes, because none of us are righteous apart from the saving power of Jesus in our lives.

The chapter ends with Jesus having a discussion about fasting, and why His disciples didn’t fast, when the religious leaders and John’s disciples did.  The short answer was Jesus’ presence meant a party was going on, and we don’t fast during parties!

Today we turn to the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica.  We know from the Book of Acts, Thessalonica was not the most noble of the places Paul ministered, because we’re told the people in Berea were more noble or honorable than the people in Thessalonica.  Yet, the Thessalonian church was filled with strong believers, and Paul took the entire first chapter to greet them and honor their willingness to suffer for the cause of Jesus.  Both letters to the Thessalonians have a strong emphasis on the end of time, and the Thessalonian believers seemed to be preoccupied with it.  Paul’s responses, particularly in 1 Thessalonians 4, offer a dramatic picture of what it will be like when Jesus returns.

As noted in the introductory paragraph, 1 Thessalonians 1 is Paul’s greeting to the church as well as his affirmation of their willingness to suffer for the cause of Jesus.  Paul noted his ministry there was one that demonstrated the Holy Spirit’s power.  As is often the case when God’s workers move into an area with no gospel presence or witness, the Holy Spirit’s activity draws the people’s attention to Jesus.

In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul reminds the believers of the opposition he faced in presenting the gospel, and the opposition they faced in receiving it.  He also points out he worked night and day, so as not to be a burden to them (financially).  While he could have been a burden, he worked (as a tentmaker) so he could present the gospel with no thought of the motive being greed.  Paul tells of being taken away from them involuntarily, and how much he wanted to return.  Paul points out these believers are his “joy and crown,” showing us how much he cared for this particular group of believers.

In 1 Thessalonians 3, Paul tells of sending Timothy to see how the church was faring, because he was concerned that just as he had been persecuted for his faith, they were being persecuted, too.  Paul’s concern was it might have been too much for them to handle.  Thankfully, Timothy’s report of them was their faith remained strong.  Imagine, living in a world where it wasn’t possible to know what was going on with people a hundred or two hundred miles away, without sending someone to walk to find out! 

In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul starts by reminding the believers to live holy lives.  He speaks specifically against the harm done by sexual immorality.  As we move to the second half of the chapter Paul addresses the matter of what happens to those who “fall asleep” i.e. die before Jesus returns.  The concern of the Thessalonians was those who died before Jesus’ return missed out on Jesus’ return. Paul’s initial response is so helpful.  He tells us we don’t grieve as the rest of people who have no hope. In other words, we do grieve when a loved ones die, but we know we will see them again.  The remainder of the chapter portrays how dramatic it will be when Jesus returns.  He tells us the dead in Christ (those who have died) will rise first, and then those who are living.  Some have taken this statement to mean when we die, we “sleep,” also known as “soul sleep,” until Jesus returns.  It could be understood that way, but it’s always important to interpret one part of Scripture in light of the rest of it.  Because Jesus told us the dead are even now alive and with God, see Matthew 22:23-33, we can assume when we die, we do get to be with God immediately.  It’s a point that is hard to argue, because the moment we die, time ceases to be an issue for us, as we enter the realm of eternity.  I don’t argue the matter of soul sleep, because whether our resurrection is instantaneous, or takes place after a period of soul sleep, to our senses, it will be immediate, and we will be in God’s presence!

In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul closes his comments about Jesus’ return by reminding us we don’t know the when, but we do know we’re called to be ready.  As I say so often, “I’d rather be on the welcoming team than the planning team, when it comes to Jesus’ return.  Paul closes the letter with these vital commands:  ¹⁶Be joyful always; ¹⁷pray continually; ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ¹⁹Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; ²⁰do not treat prophecies with contempt. ²¹Test everything. Hold on to the good. ²²Avoid every kind of evil.1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (NIV) 

As we return to Luke 4, Jesus went into the wilderness after His baptism.  There the devil tempted Him after (and during!) His 40 days of fasting and prayer.  The devil’s temptations included a challenge to convert stones to bread to assuage His hunger; to bow down to the devil to receive the world, and to jump off the Temple, because God’s angels would protect Him.  In each case, Jesus was tempted to take a short cut to the end of redeeming humanity.  Each time, Jesus responded by quoting Scripture to the devil and ultimately sent Him away.  Jesus then went to Nazareth where he started His public ministry.  Quoting a messianic passage from Isaiah the prophet, Jesus told the people there who He was and what He came to do.  The people were amazed, but then Jesus told them they wouldn’t accept Him, because no prophet is honored in his hometown.  He was right, and the people drove Him out.  Even so, Jesus healed many people, taught and cast out demons.  While this was an incredible beginning to His public ministry, and the people begged Him to stay and do more, Jesus told them He had come to preach in the synagogues of Judea.  Jesus knew His mission, and He wouldn’t let a preliminary success keep Him from pursuing it in its totality.  How important this is for us to remember: A great beginning is just that–a beginning.  We must continue to seek God’s face, to obey His commands, and persevere to the end.

Today we turn to another of Paul’s brief letters: the Letter to the Colossians.  The church in Colosse had some challenges, and Paul takes the time to instruct them both on proper theology and proper practice in following Jesus. 

In Colossians 1, Paul offers a positive introduction, and reminds the believers there he is praying for them.  He turns immediately to instructing the Colossians in the primacy of Jesus.  He is God, and they need to worship Him as God.  The chapter closes with Paul reminding the Colossians of how much he was struggling for them and for the sake of advancing the gospel.

In Colossians 2, Paul continues to remind them of his struggle for them and for all the believers he hasn’t met personally.  This reminds us we don’t have to meet someone face-to-face to influence them for Jesus.  Paul calls the Colossians not to fall for the false teaching that is seeking to infiltrate their city and church.  He calls them to remember who they were and who they are now.  That’s another important reminder for us.  We must always look forward and follow the leading of Jesus, rather than backwards to what we were before Jesus became our Savior and Lord.

In Colossians 3, Paul uses the image of clothing and tells the Colossian believers they must “put on” new characteristics.  He offers us a “laundry list” of the sins they used to commit and live out daily. Now they are to put on traits that are similar to the fruit of the Spirit, and over everything to put on love.  In this way we will be able to let Christ’s peace rule in our hearts. He then commands them, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of God the Father, giving thanks to Jesus Christ, through Him.”  Paul them moves on to instructions for Christian households.  Wives are to submit to their husbands as is fitting in the Lord.  Husbands are to love their wives and not be harsh with them.  Children are to obey their parents in the Lord, and fathers are not to provoke their children, which will lead to their discouragement.  Included in these instructions, are instructions for slaves to obey their masters.  As we move to Colossians 4, Paul instructs slave owners to treat their slaves justly and fairly knowing they have a Master in heaven.  We could wish Paul would have condemned the practice of slavery, but his words would have helped make the relationship much better than was typical in his or any other day.  Paul closes out the letter with final instructions to be steadfast, to pray, and to be watchful.  As usual, he offers some closing greetings and salutations.

As we return to Luke 3, Luke tells us of John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus, and of Jesus’ baptism.  After this, Luke includes the genealogy of Jesus.  A couple points to note concerning this genealogy and that in Matthew’s gospel: The names aren’t exactly the same. Is that a problem? Not a real problem, as in any family line, we can take a different route to get to the same end.  The second difference is Matthew traced Jesus’ lineage only back to Abraham.  That’s because Matthew was a Jew, and Abraham was the “father” of the Jews.  Matthew saw no need to go back farther in the line. Luke, on the other hand, was a Gentile.  He traced Jesus’ lineage all the way back to Adam. That means Jesus’ line goes back to the beginning of humanity and therefore, He is “related” to us all. 

Today, we turn to the Apostle’s Paul’s brief letter to the Philippian Church.  As we read the letter, Paul’s tone is that of a loving leader who cares deeply for the church. He doesn’t have much in the way of correction, although the Judaizers have made their attempt to infiltrate this church, too. There’s a bit of internal struggle between two female leaders in the church, which Paul addresses. Overall, though the letter is much more one of encouragement than correction.

Paul opens the letter with a warm greeting, and prayer for the Philippians to continue growing in their faith.  Then he tells the Philippians of his imprisonment for the gospel.  While he is in prison, others have been emboldened to preach the good news.  He notes some have done this for their own benefit, while others do it out of genuine desire for people to know Jesus.  In the end, Paul asks what it matters, because the key is Christ is being preached.  Paul again mentions his struggles and says he may even die for his faith in Jesus.  With regard to that, he makes it clear he is ready to die as he writes, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  He then closes out the first chapter by pointing out it is necessary for him to remain and to strengthen the Philippian believers, so he believes the Lord will give him that opportunity.

As we move to Philippians 2, Paul offers us one of the clearest statements of how we are to follow Jesus in humility found in the entire New Testament.  He tells us we must have the same attitude that was in Christ, who though He was God, didn’t consider equality with God as something to be grasped. Rather He “emptied Himself” and became one of us.  In that form, he was obedient even to the point of death.  For that reason, God, the Father, has given Him a name that is above every name.  Paul reminds the Philippians to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, because God is at work in them to will and to work for His good pleasure.  He tells them he will be sending Timothy to visit them, but first Epaphroditus, one of their own will come. Paul tells them of how Epaphroditus was sick and nearly died, but God spared him, which would bring great joy to them as it did to Paul.

In Philippians 3, Paul refers to the Judaizers.  He reminds the Philippians not to take any consideration of their appeal to circumcision or the Law.  He reminds them if anyone could make such appeals it would be him.  He was a zealous Pharisee who persecuted the church.  Now, he considered all that to be garbage compared to the great privilege of knowing Jesus, and of suffering for Him.  Paul reminds us all we must not worry about where we are right now, but must strive to move forward, always heading toward the prize–the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  He closes the chapter by reminding us our citizenship isn’t here, but in heaven.  That means we must focus on the matters of heaven, and not let our bodies, and specifically our stomachs be our gods.

In Philippians 4, Paul calls on his fellow workers, Euodia, and Syntyche to get over their disagreement and work together.  He then calls on others to help them do this.  After this urging, Paul calls the believers to rejoice in the Lord always.  He calls them again to rejoice.  He reminds them the Lord is near.  In other words, Jesus will return soon!  He closes out the letter by reminding them to pray fervently and thankfully, rather than being anxious.  He calls them to focus on the higher things and reminds them we can do all things through Jesus who gives us strength.  Paul closes out the letter with some final greetings.

As we return to Luke 2, we return to the most extensive record of Jesus’ birth.  We’re told of Mary and Joseph’s trip to Bethlehem, and how they found no place to stay when they arrived, because of the crowds of people there for the census decreed by the Roman Emperor, Augustus.  Jesus’ birth took place in the humblest of places and circumstances, with no family there to comfort Mary and Joseph. The Lord made the birth known to the shepherds who were guarding their sheep that night, and they came to offer their worship and praise.  My favorite aspect of Luke’s record is he tells us the shepherds returned to their flocks after visiting Jesus rejoicing and praising God, because everything was just as they had been told.  All too often, when we’re looking forward to something “big” in our lives, it doesn’t live up to the advertisements.  But everything the shepherds experienced was just as the angels had told them.

As we turn to Ephesians 4-5, we move to the “walk” portion of the letter.  In chapters 4-5, Paul offers extensive instruction to the Ephesian believers about what it means to follow Jesus together, individually, and in their families.  Let’s look at some of the specific learnings we gain from these two important chapters.

First, Paul reminded us to live out the calling we have received, which is a calling to unity.  Next, Paul told us Jesus had given specific gifts of leadership in the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor/teachers.  The role of these leaders was to “equip the saints” (saints here means believer, not a “stained-glass” member of a small class of believers) to do the work of ministry.  The purpose of this process was to build up the Church, and to mature, so we will all be like Jesus.  As Paul gave these commands, he also reminded the Ephesian believers, when we live this way, we won’t be fooled by the tricks of the devil or of people, but will speak the truth in love and will grow up in every way to Him who is our “head,” that is Jesus.   Paul closes out chapter 4 and moves to chapter 5 by offering a “laundry list” of actions we must do and those we must not do if we are going to walk in the “light.” 

While each of the commands is important, when we get to Ephesians 5:15-21, we find Paul reminding us to make the most of the time, because the days are evil.  He commands us to “be being filled” with the Holy Spirit, and as a result we will worship and praise God, give thanks to God for everything in Jesus’ name and submit to one another out of reverence for Jesus.  The reason I put “be being filled” in quotes is because Paul’s command was written in the present passive imperative in Greek, which means the action is to be ongoing, not a one-and-done action.  Being passive, it means we can’t do it on our own.  He didn’t tell us to fill our selves, but to be filled.  That means we must open ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s filling, but the Spirit is the one who fills us.

Paul closes chapter 5 with an extensive analogy, which speaks of how husbands and wives are to live together in marriage.  The analogy is Paul is also talking about Jesus and the church, His “bride.”  The key focus is husbands are to love their wives as Jesus loved the church, and wives are to submit to and respect their husbands as the church is to do the same to Jesus.  The commands are impossible without the power of the Holy Spirit, but when we live them out in the power of the Holy Spirit, the world gets to see God’s intention both for marriage and for His Church!

As we move to Ephesians 6, Paul offers instructions for children, and how they are to live toward their parents.  Then he tells fathers how to live toward their children.  Next, he tells slaves how they are to live toward their masters, and how masters are to live toward their slaves.  While we could all wish Paul would have condemned slavery, the instructions remind everyone that slaves and masters are brothers, and that we all serve Jesus as our master.

The bulk of Ephesians 6 focuses on the spiritual war we face, the armor we must wear both to protect ourselves and to go into battle against the devil, and a call to prayer, and specifically praying in the Spirit as a means of overcoming the devil, and as a support to Paul’s efforts to do the same.  These verses remind us the devil is real, and while he is powerful, we are assured of victory, when we defend ourselves with the right “armor,” and attack with the sword of the Spirit – God’s word!

As we return to the Gospel of Luke, let’s remind ourselves Luke was not a disciple.  He was a doctor of Gentile background.  His emphases bear that out.  In Luke 1, Luke tells us both of Zechariah’s visitation by an angel to tell him he and Elizabeth, his wife, would have a son, who would prepare the way for the Messiah, and of Mary’s visitation by the same angel, to receive word she would become the mother of Jesus.  The chapter is filled with long poetic passages, speaking of God’s glory, God’s grace, and God’s plan to redeem His people.  It closes with John being born and the world, unknowingly at the moment, being poised to receive the birth of her Savior! 

Today we turn to the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus.  Biblical scholars believe he wrote it around 60 AD while in prison in Rome.  The first three chapters focus on what we believe as those who have been redeemed by Jesus.  The final three chapters focus on how we live out those beliefs individually, as a church family and in our biological families.  The letter comes to a close with the powerful message of our need to put on the “whole armor of God” in the spiritual war we face against the devil.

In Ephesians 1, Paul greets the believers in Ephesus, reminds them of God’s providential hand in choosing him and them for salvation, and gives thanks and praise to God for them.  This salutation is much different from the Paul offered the Galatian Church.  Here Paul offers a much more affirming and even affectionate tone, because the believers in Ephesus have been faithful from the time they heard the good news of Jesus to the current time.  While the letter does contain points of correction, it is far more positive in its tone than the letter to the Galatians.

In Ephesians 2, Paul reminded the Ephesians they were once under the control of the devil, as was everyone at one point.   Now, though, by God’s great grace they (and we) get to sit with Christ in the heavenlies.  The great Bible teacher and pastor of the last century, Watchman Nee, summed up the letter to the Ephesians in a book he wrote about it by titling it Sit, Walk, Stand.  As we see here, we are to sit with Jesus in our position as His children.  In chapters 4-5, we will read what it means to “walk” in Jesus’ ways.  Then in chapter 6, we will read what it means to “stand” firmly against our enemy, the devil.  Paul reminded the Ephesians in the powerful words of Ephesians 2:8-10, that we are all saved by grace and not works, so none of us get to boast.  As we read the remainder of chapter 2, Paul reminds the Ephesians it doesn’t matter what they once were (pagan Gentiles), because now God has brought the two (Jews and Gentiles) together as one.

In Ephesians 3, Paul tells of how God called him to bring the good news to the Gentiles. He admits he wasn’t worthy of the task, but God gave it to him, and he carried it out faithfully.  Midway through the chapter, Paul breaks into a prayer for the Ephesians, which concludes with a recognition of God’s. He concludes the prayer with the often quoted statement,“²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)

As we return to Matthew 28, we return to the best news ever: The tomb couldn’t hold Jesus!  While the women came to the tomb to “finish” the task of embalming Jesus early on that first Easter morning, Jesus had already risen.  The tomb was empty, and the soldiers left to “guard” the tomb were frozen like stone out of fear of the angel who came to open the tomb.  Jesus met the women and sent them to tell the disciples He was alive and would meet them on the mountain in Galilee where He told them to go.  Meanwhile, the soldiers woke up, realized what had happened, and went to the Jewish authorities to tell them.  (They went to the Jewish authorities, because had they gone to their own superiors and told them they fell asleep at their posts, they would have been executed immediately.)  The leaders came up with the ludicrous story that Jesus’ disciples had come in the night and stolen His body, while the guards slept.  The story is ludicrous for two reasons: 1) if they were sleeping, how would they have known what happened? And 2) If they had fallen asleep, their lives would have been forfeit, which is why Roman soldiers didn’t fall asleep on the job!  In any case, the story continued to circulate, because as is often the case, people will believe what they want to believe, regardless of evidence at times.

This amazing account concludes with Jesus meeting the disciples.  They worshiped Him, but some doubted.  We don’t know why they doubted other than people don’t die and then come back to life three days later.  In any case, Jesus gave them their marching orders before He returned to heaven. He told them He held all authority in heaven and on earth, and He was giving it to them, so they could make disciples of all the nations, while they went from that place to the ends of the earth.  He commanded them to baptize these disciples in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and to teach them to do everything Jesus had commanded.  He also told them He would be with them to the end of the age.  What a powerful final message.  It must have been so difficult to “lose” Jesus through death, then to have Him return only to “lose” Him again as He returned to heaven. Thankfully, upon His return to heaven, Jesus came to His followers again through sending the Holy Spirit to live in them (and us) and to empower us to carry out His commands to the ends of the earth!

In Galatians 4, Paul reminds the Galatian believers again of how important it is for them to live into their freedom rather than subjecting themselves again to the Law.  He uses a couple of illustrations, the first about an “heir” being the same as a slave until reaching the age of maturity, and then of the difference between Sarah and Hagar.  Again, Paul uses mainly Jewish images, even though the Galatian believers came primarily from a Gentile background. He wanted them to understand how important it was for them not to align themselves with the Judaizers, because to do so would be to give up the freedom they received through being born anew in Jesus.

Galatians 5 offers us an important qualification to what Paul has been writing.  While he wanted the Galatians to live in freedom, he reminded them not to let that freedom become an opportunity for the flesh or the sinful nature.  In other words, we are set free from the Law by the blood of Jesus, and our new life in the Holy Spirit is a life of freedom, but that freedom is not to do whatever we want to do.  It is a freedom to live in alignment with the Holy Spirit’s leading.  Paul went on to tell the Galatians, and through them, us of the struggle we face as Jesus’ followers.  The struggle is a war between the Holy Spirit and the flesh or sinful nature.  That battle continues throughout our lives and means we aren’t free to do what we want.  Paul concludes by saying when we are led by the Spirit, we are not under the Law, that is we don’t need the Law to guide us, because the Holy Spirit leads us to do what Jesus wants.  Paul concludes the chapter by listing the deeds or “fruits” of the flesh, which includes a long list of sinful behaviors. He tells us when we live this way, we will not inherit the Kingdom of God.  He then says the better way is to live according to the “fruit” of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  As Jesus followers, we have “nailed” the sinful nature to the cross and are now free to live in the Spirit’s power.

Galatians 6 offers Paul’s closing reminders of what it means to live in fellowship with one another as Jesus’ followers who are led by the Holy Spirit: we are to help each other out of sin; we are to sow goodness and blessing, because we will reap what we sow; and we are to persevere in doing good, because we will reap a harvest if we don’t “faint.”  Paul offers one more closing volley against the Judaizers, reminding the Galatians that circumcision of the flesh means nothing, and to remain faithful to doing God’s will.  Paul reminds the Galatians he bears in his flesh the marks of Christ, that is the scars from the beatings he received as a result of proclaiming Jesus.  This is one final reminder of Paul’s credibility and evidence they ought to trust him rather than the Judaizers.

As we return to Matthew 27, we read again of Jesus’ trial before Pilate, of Judas hanging himself, of Pilate finding Jesus not guilty, but listening to the crowd and turning Jesus over to be crucified.  We read of Jesus going to Golgatha and being crucified.  People mock Him, Jesus cries out at being abandoned by His Father, and dies.   Jesus is buried in Joseph’s tomb, and the religious leaders ask Pilate to post a guard so no one could steal Jesus’ body.   If that were the end of the Gospel of Matthew, we would have the tragic story of a Jewish martyr, a good man, but nothing more.  Thankfully, we will read Matthew 28 tomorrow! 

Today we turn to the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians.  In this letter, Paul reminds the Galatians they received freedom from sin and death through Jesus.  We might wonder why Paul needed to remind a group of pagans (most of the Galatians were Gentile idol-worshipers, before they were born again) to remember their freedom in Jesus Christ.  The short answer is a group known as the Judaizers came after Paul and told the Galatian believers they needed to follow the Jewish law to follow Jesus.  The Judaizers caused problems wherever Paul went, because they couldn’t let go of the past, and their Jewish heritage.  Paul reminded the Galatians they didn’t receive freedom by following the Law, and they wouldn’t keep it that way either.  This is a helpful reminder to us, because we don’t gain the freedom of Jesus in our lives by grace through faith in Jesus, and then keep it by adhering to a rigid set of laws.  We do good works after our salvation, but not to keep our salvation.  We do them because we have salvation, and we want to demonstrate our gratitude for it.

In Galatians 1, Paul’s greeting is brief, and he moves right to the point of his letter: he wants to know why they are trusting a “different gospel.”  He reminds them he was once a zealous proponent of the Jewish faith, but after trusting Jesus as Savior and Lord, and being sent by Him to be a messenger of the gospel, he no longer trusted in his heritage, but in Jesus.  The implication is they needed to do the same.

In Galatians 2, Paul notes he was received by the apostles in Jerusalem, and they did not seek to have him change his message to the Gentiles. Indeed, Titus who was with him was not made to be circumcised as a sign of being a Jew.  The leaders in Jerusalem gave their blessing on Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles.  Their only charge was that he remember the poor, which he writes he was eager to do. Paul also tells of Peter coming to Antioch and living among the believers there as a Gentile, but when some of the Jewish believers came, Peter drew back from them.  Paul’s response was to rebuke Peter to his face, for this change of behavior.  Paul shows us both that he was of equal standing with Peter, and that when we have a problem with a brother or sister in the Lord, the proper way to address it is face-to-face.

In Galatians 3, Paul reminds the Galatians they were saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, and received the Holy Spirit through Him, and not through the Law.  He asks them if they received the Spirit and the power to do miracles through the Law or through faith in Jesus?  The answer is obvious.  Paul goes on to point out Abraham is the father of those who believe through faith, because God promised to bless the nations through Abraham.  Abraham lived hundreds of years before the Law came into existence.  The Law itself was given only to keep us on the right path until Abraham’s “seed” that is Jesus came to fulfill the promise God made through Abraham.  Paul reminds the Galatians in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, but we are all one in Christ Jesus.  Paul was not denying individual differences exist among us as Jesus’ followers, but all those differences break down in our common salvation through Jesus!

As we return to Matthew 26 the beginning of the end has come for Jesus.  He was anointed at Bethany, by a woman who used an expensive jar of perfume to anoint Him.  While some complained the perfume could have been sold and the money used to feed the poor, Jesus affirmed the woman’s act and said wherever the gospel is preached she would be remembered.  Judas then goes and agrees to betray Jesus to the Jewish leaders.  After this, the disciples eat the Last Supper with Jesus, and Jesus tells them one will betray Him, Peter will deny Him, and all will desert Him.  After the meal, they go to the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prays, and the disciples sleep.  Eventually, Judas comes with soldiers from the priests and they arrest Jesus.  Jesus is tried by the religious leaders and found guilty.  Peter is accused by a servant girl and others of being one of Jesus’ followers and he denies it.  As Peter hears a rooster crow, he remembers Jesus’ prediction and goes out and weeps bitterly.  The chapter reminds us, none of us is without fault when it comes to our relationship with Jesus.  We do well not to be too hard on the disciples, because had we been with them, we would have been among those who deserted Him, or denied Him. 

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul tells of a heavenly vision God gave him.  He offers the testimony to demonstrate his authenticity as an apostle.  He tells the believers he was given a “thorn in the flesh,” to humble him when he was tempted to pride because of God’s showing him the amazing vision. Three times Paul asked the Lord to take the thorn from him, but the Lord said, “No, my grace is sufficient for you. For my power is demonstrated in your weakness.”  Paul’s thorn reminds us, when we suffer, God’s grace is sufficient for us as well, and His grace is our empowerment to make it through the suffering.  We don’t often think of God’s grace as power, but in addition to being God’s undeserved favor, His grace is also power for living through difficulty! 

As 2 Corinthians 12 closes and we move to 2 Corinthians 13, Paul offers final reminders of what will happen when he comes to visit, and how important it is to live faithfully before the Lord.  He also offers closing greetings as the letter ends.

As we return to Matthew 25, we read three powerful parables Jesus tells concerning His return.  The first is the Parable of the Ten Virgins.  Jesus divides them into two groups: five wise virgins, and five foolish virgins.  The wisdom or foolishness comes down to their being prepared or unprepared for the bridegroom’s coming.  The wise virgins bring extra oil for their lamps, so if the bridegroom is delayed, their lamps won’t go out.  The foolish virgins fail to bring extra oil.  The bridegroom was delayed, so the foolish virgins had to go looking for extra oil in the middle of the night.  When the bridegroom came, they weren’t there, so they missed entering the feast.  We can take many lessons from this parable, but the chief one is to be ready. The “bridegroom,” Jesus, is coming, so be ready!

The second parable is the Parable of the Talents.  In this parable a master leaves and entrusts his wealth to three servants.  They receive differing amounts based on their ability.  When the master returns, the first two servants have doubled what was entrusted to them.  The first servant has two and a half times as much as the second servant, but each was equally faithful, so each receives the same reward: a commendation from the master, and an invitation to join him in his kingdom.   A key point for us to note is Jesus equates faithfulness with multiplication.  We are to multiply whatever “talents” Jesus gives us in our lives.  The third servant “buried” his master’s treasure, and gained nothing, not even interest.  The master condemns the servant for being wicked and lazy. Consider this: the servant didn’t lose anything his master gave him.  He maintained His master’s wealth, yet he was considered wicked and lazy, because he didn’t multiply what he received!  In the same way, we are called to be faithful with whatever Jesus has entrusted to us, so that it multiplies when He returns.

In the final parable, the Parable of the Sheep and Goats, Jesus offers us a clear message of what it will be like when He returns.  People will be divided into two groups: sheep and goats.  The sheep are those who steward their lives faithfully by carrying out faithful actions on behalf of Jesus.  The goats are those who do not.  While we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, and not by our works, this parable reminds us once we are saved, we will live lives of good works out of gratitude for our salvation.  As James reminds us in his book, which we will read soon, “Faith without works is dead.”  Jesus reminded us the same thing in this powerful illustration.

In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul urges the believers to give generously to a special offering being received to help those going through difficulty.  Paul’s point is giving generously is a sign of our commitment to Jesus.  So often, people tend to play the “we’re under grace not under Law” card when it comes to the area of financial giving.  Paul reminded the believers in Corinth God had blessed them, and the reasonable response to that is generosity.  It’s as natural for those who are blessed to give, as it is for those who are alive to breathe.  The challenge is giving is a supernatural aspect of our lives.  We are born as “takers”, and when Jesus takes over our lives, we become “givers”.  While we all know folks who aren’t Jesus’ followers who are givers, they have learned or have a natural tendency toward generosity.  Once we are born again, our “nature,” which is now a supernatural nature, is to give, to be generous, to share in the nature of our new family: God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Paul continues to speak about giving in 1 Corinthians 9. Here he points out the principle of sowing and reaping: those who sow generously reap generously, and those who sow sparingly reap sparingly. Paul also reminds us God loves a “cheerful” giver.  Our motive for giving is to be the joy we have in our new natures, because we get to give, rather than giving because we have to give.  Paul reminds us when we give God blesses us, and those who receive the blessings of our giving also celebrate us before God and pray for our blessing.  The outcome of our generosity is blessing, because as Jesus reminded us in Acts 20, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

In 1 Corinthians 10-11, Paul defends his ministry.  In these chapters, we see Paul’s ministry has been undermined in Corinth by a group of “super apostles,” who claim to have more authority than Paul.  Paul reminds the Corinthians he did not come to them with eloquent speech but with the power of God.  He reminds them the battle is spiritual and not merely carnal or fleshly.  He reminds them of his sufferings on their behalf and on behalf of the gospel.  The challenge to Paul’s authority was real, and he wanted the believers in Corinth to remember the sign of authority in the church isn’t how “great” we are, but how much we are willing to humble ourselves, to suffer, and to serve.

As we return to Matthew 24, Jesus tells His followers the signs of His return.  While He hasn’t yet died and risen, Jesus offers testimony about what will happen in the future.  He doesn’t tell us when He will return.  He does tell us He will return. Throughout His testimony, Jesus reminds us how important it is for us to be ready.  While many in these troubled times are spending their time scouring the pages of the prophetic books, Revelation, and passages such as Matthew 24, in Jesus’ own words, to determine when He will return, my goal as a leader in the Church is to tell those who don’t know Jesus about Him, and to prepare those who have trusted Him as Savior and Lord to be ready when He comes.  After all, Jesus has entrusted us with the message of His salvation.  He expects us to be multiplying it on the earth.  That is the best way for us to be found faithful when He returns!