Happy Father’s Day!
Devotions this week based on the Message: “God’s Part…Our Part?”
Happy Fathers’ Day…a day late…but still worth recognizing!
For most it’s a day to celebrate the blessing of being a dad or recognizing the dad that has been part of your life. Even if your dad is gone, or you wish your experience and relationship with your dad was better, it is still an opportunity to thank God for the joys and challenges received in life connected to dad.
Dad’s, it’s a blessed and challenging day – at least I see it as both.
I am blessed to be the dad of two amazing young ladies. One is 17 and the other is 13. God has given them amazing minds, physical health, and faith in Jesus as Savior. I can’t think of anything more significant in my life than being a godly dad to these two girls.
But I’m not perfect. Ask my wife and my girls.
None of us dads is perfect. We do our best. If we are wise, we rely on God…A LOT!
No matter what our status is with our earthly dad, Father’s Day weekend is a good opportunity to be reminded of the tremendous blessing we have to be a child of our Heavenly Father.
In our Christian life of faith there are two places we often reference God as our Father:
- As we begin the Lord’s Prayer, and
- As we begin the Apostles’ Creed.
To expand on what we are praying and what we are confessing, Martin Luther in the 1500s wrote an “explanation” to each. I share them here and invite you as you read them to note the very special privilege we have to call God our Father and have him treat us as his dear children.
- Our Father who art in heaven.
What does this mean? With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father.
- I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
What does this mean? I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, spouse and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.
These aren’t just statements to fill space, but statements worth reviewing, memorizing and remembering regularly.
We never want to forget the blessing we have to be able to call the God of the Universe, “Father.” We never want to forget the blessing that the God of the Universe call us “children”!
Apply: Reread the explanation to the address to the Lord’s Prayer and the first article of the Apostles’ creed. What stands out to you that helps you appreciate your relationship to your heavenly Father? Your earthly Father?
Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven, thank you for being my Father and calling me your child. AMEN.
Church Launch: Unify in Step with the Spirit!
Devotions this week based on the Message: “United or Divided?”
Mark 3:28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.”
“If you’re worried about it, you haven’t done it.”
This was the answer from a seminary professor years ago when this passage came up.
“One who has committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not even care.”
Jesus finishes his discussion with the teachers of the law and his family about driving out demons by the name of Beelzebub with this teaching.
Forgiveness comes to all and for all sins and even untruths we speak.
But not when one blasphemes the Holy Spirit.
Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is a continual rejection of God’s truth and the Gospel message even when they are presented with it, see the truth of it and yet completely and repeatedly reject the truth.
This statement is a strong warning that rejection of God’s grace can warrant his eternal judgment in time to confirm one in their unbelief.
Resisting the work of the Spirit of God leads not only to division between God and us (which is the most critical relationship) but also between individuals.
It really comes down to this: Are we going to give in to the sinful nature or allow the power of the Spirit of God to guide and control our lives.
The Apostle Paul put it this way: (Galatians 5:16-26)
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
When our sinful nature gets the best of us, Jesus has forgiveness for that as he said, “people can be forgiven all their sins…” Rest in that grace.
Then recommit to walk in step with the Spirit.
Let me ask you in regard to unity or lack of unity…don’t you see a tremendous unity that comes when we all are guided by the Spirit of God to produce the fruit of the Spirit?
If a church is filled with “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control” don’t you think there will be great unity of faith, mind and purpose.
I believe it will at the Church of God will flourish.
Apply: Pick one of the fruit of the Spirit and pray each day of the week ahead for God’s Spirit to develop it in you and show it through you.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your Church. Help us to always be united around the power and work of your Spirit. AMEN.
Church Launch: Unite around a Common Enemy!
Devotions this week based on the Message: “United or Divided?”
In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house. ( Mark 3:27)
Is Jesus giving advice on how to rob someone’s house?
Jesus didn’t say this so criminals could read it and think, “Hmm, I knew I was doing something wrong. I have to tie the guy up first THEN rob the house. Let me try that next time.”
Most commentators suggest Jesus is giving another analogy to prove he wasn’t driving out demons by the power of Satan. If he didn’t have power over Satan, he couldn’t “rob” Satan’s house, i.e. free someone from the power of the demons.
Jesus’ work was to free people from the power of Satan and the bondage to sin. The writer to the Hebrews put it this way:
Hebrews 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Jesus was proving that he had power over Satan by driving out demons from people.
Jesus came to destroy Satan and his influence in people’s lives.
The Apostle Paul said it this way: (Ephesians 6:10-12)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Satan is the enemy…but sometimes in the church we make each other the enemy. We let a difference of opinion lead us to think less of a person. We lose our patience with a member who asks a lot of questions. We avoid a person who seems to always ignore us. We misjudge motives and put the worst construction on someone’s actions.
Satan is the common enemy we share. Not each other. He is working in all of these and many other ways to disrupt and divide the work of the Gospel. If he can get us divided against one another the Gospel ministry suffers.
So with God’s help, let’s bind up the strong man, Satan, first in our own hearts to more fully love God and love people. Let’s let the power of the Spirit help us to see the common enemy is Satan and his influence in my heart and the hearts of others.
Unity comes when we understand our common enemy. The Church is the working of God to spread the Gospel to the defeat of Satan. The gates of hell cannot stop it.
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:15-18)
Apply: What influence have you seen in your heart and in your church of the influence of Satan at work? Pray for God to help you overcome that influence and help the situation in your church to do the same.
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for binding the strength of Satan and giving us and your Church the power of your name to overcome the influence of Satan in our hearts, our homes, and our churches. AMEN
Church Launch: A Church Divided Cannot Stand.
Devotions this week based on the Message: “United or Divided?”
“A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.” Who said this?
If you said, “Jesus.” You are correct.
If you said, “Abraham Lincoln.” You are also correct…but he was quoting Jesus.
163 years ago on June 16, 1858, Abraham Lincoln received the Republican nomination to run against Stephen Douglas in the race for the Illinois Senator. 1858 found the United states in the throes of decisions of perpetuating slavery in new states or preventing it. The Dred Scott decision was a blow against the ability of slaves to enjoy the full rights of citizens. The tensions between the promoters of slavery and the abolitionists was growing.
Abraham Lincoln began his acceptance speech that night with these words:
Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention.
If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it.
We are now far into the fifth year, since a policy was initiated, with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation.
Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only, not ceased, but has constantly augmented.
In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached, and passed.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.
I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided.
It will become all one thing or all the other.
Either the opponents of slavery, will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become alike lawful in all the States, old as well as new — North as well as South.
The result? Slavery was deemed unlawful in all the states, but not without the cost of a Civil War.
Division destroys.
To point out the ridiculous nature of the charges of the teachers of the law, Jesus teaches this parable (Mark 3:23-26)
Mark 3:23 So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.
It made no sense that Jesus was freeing individuals from the power of Satan if he himself was working for Satan. He was driving out demons because he stood against Satan and came to destroy the devil’s work. His mission on earth was to free people from the consequences of sin and the power of the devil.
1 John 3:8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
To apply this to the church…the Church divided against itself cannot stand. Unfortunately, there are too many stories of churches closing, dissolving, or not even starting because of infighting and bickering between leaders and/or members. At the crux is often whether this will be “MY” church and I will get what I want or it will be God’s church and we will in all things seek to yield to his will and way.
The church can’t survive as part “MY” way and part “GOD’S” way – it must be all one or the other. The Church endures because GOD’S way must and always will prevail. To prevent destruction along the way, let’s unite around God’s Word and ways of truth.
Apply: How have you encountered division in the church? Did the division help the spread of the Gospel or curtail it or make it more difficult? What role have you played? Let’s repent of working harder to do church MY way and spend more effort doing church GOD’S way.
Prayer: Lord, forgive me when I have used your church to promote MY agenda. Yield my will and my ways by your Spirit to strengthen the unity of your church around you and your Word of truth. AMEN.
Church Launch: Lies Divide.
Devotions this week based on the Message: “United or Divided?”
“Did you hear what Mark did?”
“No, I didn’t. What did he do?”
“Well…(and the story is told.)
Without verifying the truth of the story, we can easily buy the tale that was told and form our opinion about an individual based on a half-truth or outright lie someone else tells.
We hear a soundbite on the news, read a post on Facebook, or see a video on Tik Tok and all of a sudden we form an opinion about a person or group of people…often not favorable. We see and hear and read what we want to give us an “excuse” to not like or interact or agree with a person.
Again we don’t take time to verify the truth, we just believe what we first hear.
All around us Satan likes to use his favorite tactic to divide us: half-truths and lies.
Unfortunately, he can use unexpected individuals: Family and church leaders. (NOTE: I am not trying to cast doubt on your family and church leaders…but read what happens as they interact with Jesus!)
Mark 2:20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”
Jesus had just driven out a demon and people were beginning to see more clearly that Jesus was more than just an average rabbi. They were beginning to see him as the Messiah, the promised one descended from David.
But Satan couldn’t have people following Jesus. For him, this is the worst. So he uses potentially trusted individuals to tell lies about Jesus.
His family…”He is out of his mind.”
The teachers of the law…”He is possessed by Beelzebub (Satan)!”
Neither of which, of course, was true.
This is the extent that Satan will go to bring lies through people we normally trust. This is an example of how hard Satan works in the sphere of God’s family and God’s church to bring lies and half-truths to lead people away from Jesus, rather than strengthen their connection to Jesus.
Today he does the same.
Churches teach that the Word of God is with error and man-made and while contains the Word of God cannot be trusted in every word it says.
Church family members create a story or narrative around words taken out of context, or actions misjudged or taken in the worst possible way which results in division between individuals.
Satan can use us to. We must be wary of our heart and mind so we do not let him use us to drive a wedge between an individual and Jesus and his Church.
Disunity comes from the lies of Satan. A dissection of division in families and churches finds the lies of Satan at the root.
The best way to restore unity, especially in the church? Unite around the truth of God’s Word and let “one little word of truth” overcome the lies and deceptions of Satan.
Apply: How has/does Satan use lies and half-truths to cause division in your relationships/church? What truth of God would help to restore unity?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, let us always unify around your truth to weed out every lie of Satan, regardless from whom they are spoken. AMEN.