Daily Scripture:
Luke 18: The Rich Official
18 One day one of the local officials asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to deserve eternal life?”
19-20 Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good—only God. You know the commandments, don’t you? No illicit sex, no killing, no stealing, no lying, honor your father and mother.”
21 He said, “I’ve kept them all for as long as I can remember.”
22 When Jesus heard that, he said, “Then there’s only one thing left to do: Sell everything you own and give it away to the poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
23 This was the last thing the official expected to hear. He was very rich and became terribly sad. He was holding on tight to a lot of things and not about to let them go.
John 19:38 After all this, Joseph of Arimathea (he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, because he was intimidated by the Jews) petitioned Pilate to take the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission. So Joseph came and took the body.Acts 8:1 Saul was right there, congratulating the killers.
Simon the Wizard
1-2 That set off a terrific persecution of the church in Jerusalem. The believers were all scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. All, that is, but the apostles. Good and brave men buried Stephen, giving him a solemn funeral—not many dry eyes that day!
3-8 And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus. Going down to a Samaritan city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah. When the people heard what he had to say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God’s action, they hung on his every word. Many who could neither stand nor walk were healed that day. The evil spirits protested loudly as they were sent on their way. And what joy in the city!
Prayer Tip:
This week, I'm thinking about the importance of clarity as we step into something new. In my own faith journey, I have often found that times of transition are the most chaotic. In these times, finding time to practice the discipline of silence can be so valuable.
But many of us don't love complete silence. When you were little, did you ever get put on "quiet time" for being bad? I definitely did. Silent lunches with my face against the brick wall so I couldn't even make faces at my friends were the worst. But silence is so important because it allows us to remember who we are and who God is.
An amusing example comes from the movie Runaway Bride. In that film, Maggie Carpenter, played by Julia Roberts, finally finds a silence when she runs away from getting married. In that moment she is finally alone with herself and has to reflect on the type of eggs she actually likes--scrambled, sunny side up, fried...and clarity comes.
Finding outer silence can be extremely difficult in our noisy, busy lives, and encountering inner silence often means we have to encounter and process our overwhelming inner thoughts. Theologian Henri Nouwen writes about the difficulty of finding silence, saying: “All that remains is a chaotic tumble of feelings which have never had a chance to be cured because the man/woman constantly let himself be distracted by a world demanding all his attention” (With Open Hands, p. 38).
My prayer challenge this week is for each of us to beat our current personal record for time spent in silence each day. Don't be afraid to smart small. In the silence may you encounter the living God.[Katherine Ebling-Frazier, Pastor of Prayer]
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This week, I'm thinking about the importance of clarity as we step into something new. In my own faith journey, I have often found that times of transition are the most chaotic. In these times, finding time to practice the discipline of silence can be so valuable.
But many of us don't love complete silence. When you were little, did you ever get put on "quiet time" for being bad? I definitely did. Silent lunches with my face against the brick wall so I couldn't even make faces at my friends were the worst. But silence is so important because it allows us to remember who we are and who God is.
An amusing example comes from the movie Runaway Bride. In that film, Maggie Carpenter, played by Julia Roberts, finally finds a silence when she runs away from getting married. In that moment she is finally alone with herself and has to reflect on the type of eggs she actually likes--scrambled, sunny side up, fried...and clarity comes.
Finding outer silence can be extremely difficult in our noisy, busy lives, and encountering inner silence often means we have to encounter and process our overwhelming inner thoughts. Theologian Henri Nouwen writes about the difficulty of finding silence, saying: “All that remains is a chaotic tumble of feelings which have never had a chance to be cured because the man/woman constantly let himself be distracted by a world demanding all his attention” (With Open Hands, p. 38).
My prayer challenge this week is for each of us to beat our current personal record for time spent in silence each day. Don't be afraid to smart small. In the silence may you encounter the living God.[Katherine Ebling-Frazier, Pastor of Prayer]
Download a printable version of this week's GPS.
Sunday, May 1, 2016 Second Chances – Stories of Restoration and Redemption
“Driven Men”
Scripture:
Luke 18: The Rich Official
18 One day one of the local officials asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to deserve eternal life?”
19-20 Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good—only God. You know the commandments, don’t you? No illicit sex, no killing, no stealing, no lying, honor your father and mother.”
21 He said, “I’ve kept them all for as long as I can remember.”
22 When Jesus heard that, he said, “Then there’s only one thing left to do: Sell everything you own and give it away to the poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
23 This was the last thing the official expected to hear. He was very rich and became terribly sad. He was holding on tight to a lot of things and not about to let them go.
John 19:38 After all this, Joseph of Arimathea (he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, because he was intimidated by the Jews) petitioned Pilate to take the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission. So Joseph came and took the body.
Acts 8:1 Saul was right there, congratulating the killers.
Simon the Wizard
1-2 That set off a terrific persecution of the church in Jerusalem. The believers were all scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. All, that is, but the apostles. Good and brave men buried Stephen, giving him a solemn funeral—not many dry eyes that day!
3-8 And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus. Going down to a Samaritan city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah. When the people heard what he had to say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God’s action, they hung on his every word. Many who could neither stand nor walk were healed that day. The evil spirits protested loudly as they were sent on their way. And what joy in the city!
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Money-loving Pharisees sneered at Jesus
Monday, 2 May 2016 Matthew 6: A Life of God-Worship
19-21 “Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.
22-23 “Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!
24 “You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.
Luke 16: God Sees Behind Appearances
10-13 Jesus went on to make these comments:
If you’re honest in small things,
you’ll be honest in big things;
If you’re a crook in small things,
you’ll be a crook in big things.
If you’re not honest in small jobs,
who will put you in charge of the store?
No worker can serve two bosses:
He’ll either hate the first and love the second
Or adore the first and despise the second.
You can’t serve both God and the Bank.
14-18 When the Pharisees, a money-obsessed bunch, heard him say these things, they rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch. So Jesus spoke to them: “You are masters at making yourselves look good in front of others, but God knows what’s behind the appearance.
What society sees and calls monumental,
God sees through and calls monstrous.
God’s Law and the Prophets climaxed in John;
Now it’s all kingdom of God—the glad news
and compelling invitation to every man and woman.
The sky will disintegrate and the earth dissolve
before a single letter of God’s Law wears out.
Using the legalities of divorce
as a cover for lust is adultery;
Using the legalities of marriage
as a cover for lust is adultery.
Jesus’ teaching echoed the wisdom of ancient Hebrew sages in saying that obsessively amassing the “treasures” of this world does not produce a satisfying life (cf. Proverbs 14:22, 21:20). Sadly, many religious leaders in Jesus’ day overlooked or ignored that part of their tradition. But Jesus said treasure in heaven, treasure by God’s standards, is the most precious item we can “collect.” Our heart follows our treasure—and what we treasure shows where our
heart’s loyalties really lie.
• Jesus didn’t say we “shouldn’t” serve both God and money. He said we “cannot” do that. (The Greek word translated “money” meant all types of material goods.) Our hearts have room for only one ultimate master. When you face ethical choices, or career or family
decisions, what determines your course: God’s values, or the material and social payoffs you expect?
• Jesus was not opposed to wealth. He was opposed to putting wealth above God in life’s priorities. The Message rendered Luke 16:14 this way: “When the Pharisees, a moneyobsessed bunch, heard him say these things, they rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch.” Does Jesus’ teaching about worldly wealth and true riches seem “out of touch” to you? Does it challenge you? Does it inspire you?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, sometimes my priorities get out of order, in little things or even in big things. I offer myself to you as my true master. Help me prioritize you above all else in my life. Amen.
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Nicodemus: curious but timid
Tuesday, 3 May 2016 John 3: Born from Above
1-2 There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we all know you’re a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren’t in on it.”
3 Jesus said, “You’re absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing to—to God’s kingdom.”
4 “How can anyone,” said Nicodemus, “be born who has already been born and grown up? You can’t re-enter your mother’s womb and be born again. What are you saying with this ‘born-from-above’ talk?”
5-6 Jesus said, “You’re not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the ‘wind-hovering-over-the-water’ creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. When you look at a baby, it’s just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can’t see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit.
7-8 “So don’t be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be ‘born from above’—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God.”
9 Nicodemus asked, “What do you mean by this? How does this happen?”
10-12 Jesus said, “You’re a respected teacher of Israel and you don’t know these basics? Listen carefully. I’m speaking sober truth to you. I speak only of what I know by experience; I give witness only to what I have seen with my own eyes. There is nothing secondhand here, no hearsay. Yet instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions. If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don’t believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can’t see, the things of God?
13-15 “No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man. In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in the desert so people could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up—and everyone who looks up to him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life.
16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
19-21 “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.”
7:40-44 Those in the crowd who heard these words were saying, “This has to be the Prophet.” Others said, “He is the Messiah!” But others were saying, “The Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? Don’t the Scriptures tell us that the Messiah comes from David’s line and from Bethlehem, David’s village?” So there was a split in the crowd over him. Some went so far as wanting to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him.
45 That’s when the Temple police reported back to the high priests and Pharisees, who demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him with you?”
46 The police answered, “Have you heard the way he talks? We’ve never heard anyone speak like this man.”
47-49 The Pharisees said, “Are you carried away like the rest of the rabble? You don’t see any of the leaders believing in him, do you? Or any from the Pharisees? It’s only this crowd, ignorant of God’s Law, that is taken in by him—and damned.”
50-51 Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus earlier and was both a ruler and a Pharisee, spoke up. “Does our Law decide about a man’s guilt without first listening to him and finding out what he is doing?”
52-53 But they cut him off. “Are you also campaigning for the Galilean? Examine the evidence. See if any prophet ever comes from Galilee.”
Then they all went home.
Nicodemus, a member of the highest Hebrew religious council, saw Jesus’ obvious spiritual power, and wanted to get to know this new teacher. Yet he could have lost a lot, socially and economically, if his colleagues saw him with Jesus. He came at night. Later, when the council moved toward condemning Jesus, he timidly asked them to give Jesus a fair hearing, but seems to have backed off when they ridiculed him.
• With his keen sense of irony, John wrote that Jesus told Nicodemus (who came to him under cover of darkness), “This is the basis for judgment: The light came into the world, and people loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil.” The words must
have jolted the cautious, comfortable Pharisee. When has someone or something brought you up short, and given you reason to think, hard, about your values and priorities?
• In John 7:49, the leaders of the council expressed a common attitude: contempt toward the crowd of ordinary people that “doesn’t know the law.” Nicodemus tried to protect Jesus by citing a key (and not even controversial) part of that very law. They didn’t respond to the sound basis for his question, but tried to intimidate him: was he following the Galilean? It seems to have worked. When have you kept silent about a matter of principle because of scorn or other social risk if you pressed a point?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me not to shy away from the light you brought into the world, even if it shines on places where I need to change and grow. Blow the renewing wind of your Spirit through my life. Amen.
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Two timid men took a second chance
Wednesday, 4 May 2016 John 19:38 After all this, Joseph of Arimathea (he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, because he was intimidated by the Jews) petitioned Pilate to take the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission. So Joseph came and took the body.
39-42 Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus at night, came now in broad daylight carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. They took Jesus’ body and, following the Jewish burial custom, wrapped it in linen with the spices. There was a garden near the place he was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. So, because it was Sabbath preparation for the Jews and the tomb was convenient, they placed Jesus in it.
Luke 23:50-54 There was a man by the name of Joseph, a member of the Jewish High Council, a man of good heart and good character. He had not gone along with the plans and actions of the council. His hometown was the Jewish village of Arimathea. He lived in alert expectation of the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Taking him down, he wrapped him in a linen shroud and placed him in a tomb chiseled into the rock, a tomb never yet used. It was the day before Sabbath, the Sabbath just about to begin.
Jesus’ trial was a travesty—the high priest pushed from the very start to condemn and execute Jesus. At least two council members, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, seem to have disagreed, but kept silent. But they “went public” after the crucifixion, asking the right to take Jesus’ body and bury it decently. Their belated but real commitment and courage set the stage for the empty tomb on the resurrection morning.
• Joseph’s ownership of a new stone tomb, and Nicodemus’ provision of nearly 75 pounds of costly embalming spices, showed that, like most other council members, these men were quite wealthy. What role do you think their economic and social eminence likely played in
their choice to keep their love for Jesus out of sight? What might have moved them to make that allegiance public after he had died on the cross?
• The Romans often dumped crucified bodies in the trash. The Jews, however, saw burying even crucified people as a religious duty, and the Romans tolerated their view. In providing a definite burial site (cf. Matthew 26:62-65, Luke 23:55-56), Nicodemus and Joseph
rendered most unlikely the claim (which some still try to make) that the women went to the wrong place on Sunday morning. How did even these long-timid followers help to change history, by providing stronger evidence for the truth of Jesus’ resurrection?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank you that it’s never too late to give you my open allegiance and love. Help me to move beyond any fear or embarrassment I might feel about being one of your disciples. Amen.
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A man who saddened Jesus by passing on a second chance
Thursday, 5 May 2016 Mark 10:To Enter God’s Kingdom
17 As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?”
18-19 Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. You know the commandments: Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, honor your father and mother.”
20 He said, “Teacher, I have—from my youth—kept them all!”
21 Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, “There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me.”
22 The man’s face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.
23-25 Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom?” The disciples couldn’t believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: “You can’t imagine how difficult. I’d say it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for the rich to get into God’s kingdom.”
A devout, apparently earnest young man asked Jesus what he needed to do to obtain eternal life. Jesus “looked at him carefully and loved him,” and identified his fixation on wealth as his main spiritual obstacle. Unwilling and unable to reset his priorities, the man went away sad. Jesus startled his disciples with a hyperbolic image (“a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle”) about the difficulty of breaking wealth’s grip on a human heart.
• Jesus’ words were personal for that particular young man, not a general command for all Christians. There were other affluent people in the Bible (e.g. Abraham in Genesis, Zacchaeus in Luke 19) who did not hear that they should sell all they had. What was the heart issue Jesus wanted the young man to face up to? What made it so hard for him to respond to Jesus’ call?
• Mark’s story wasn’t a general command, but Jesus’ startling image of trying to squeeze a camel through the eye of a needle does confront each of us with the question, “Are any of my possessions so precious to me that I’d choose them over following Jesus?” We know
how the young man answered, turning away from the second chance Jesus offered. Have you ever wrestled with that difficult question? How would you answer it?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you offer me heaven’s riches. Give me a heart that can accurately assess the treasure of your kingdom, valuing it properly against any other claims. Amen.
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From “hysterical rage” to a mission from God
Friday, 6 May 2016 Acts 7:54-56 At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, “Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God’s side!”
57-58 Yelling and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, they dragged him out of town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and asked a young man named Saul to watch them.
59-60 As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, “Master Jesus, take my life.” Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, “Master, don’t blame them for this sin”—his last words. Then he died.
8:1 Saul was right there, congratulating the killers.
Simon the Wizard
1-2 That set off a terrific persecution of the church in Jerusalem. The believers were all scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. All, that is, but the apostles. Good and brave men buried Stephen, giving him a solemn funeral—not many dry eyes that day!
3-8 And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus. Going down to a Samaritan city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah. When the people heard what he had to say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God’s action, they hung on his every word. Many who could neither stand nor walk were healed that day. The evil spirits protested loudly as they were sent on their way. And what joy in the city!
26: “I Couldn’t Just Walk Away”
1-3 Agrippa spoke directly to Paul: “Go ahead—tell us about yourself.”
Paul took the stand and told his story. “I can’t think of anyone, King Agrippa, before whom I’d rather be answering all these Jewish accusations than you, knowing how well you are acquainted with Jewish ways and all our family quarrels.
4-8 “From the time of my youth, my life has been lived among my own people in Jerusalem. Practically every Jew in town who watched me grow up—and if they were willing to stick their necks out they’d tell you in person—knows that I lived as a strict Pharisee, the most demanding branch of our religion. It’s because I believed it and took it seriously, committed myself heart and soul to what God promised my ancestors—the identical hope, mind you, that the twelve tribes have lived for night and day all these centuries—it’s because I have held on to this tested and tried hope that I’m being called on the carpet by the Jews. They should be the ones standing trial here, not me! For the life of me, I can’t see why it’s a criminal offense to believe that God raises the dead.
9-11 “I admit that I didn’t always hold to this position. For a time I thought it was my duty to oppose this Jesus of Nazareth with all my might. Backed with the full authority of the high priests, I threw these believers—I had no idea they were God’s people!—into the Jerusalem jail right and left, and whenever it came to a vote, I voted for their execution. I stormed through their meeting places, bullying them into cursing Jesus, a one-man terror obsessed with obliterating these people. And then I started on the towns outside Jerusalem.
12-14 “One day on my way to Damascus, armed as always with papers from the high priests authorizing my action, right in the middle of the day a blaze of light, light outshining the sun, poured out of the sky on me and my companions. Oh, King, it was so bright! We fell flat on our faces. Then I heard a voice in Hebrew: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me? Why do you insist on going against the grain?’
15-16 “I said, ‘Who are you, Master?’
“The voice answered, ‘I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down like an animal. But now, up on your feet—I have a job for you. I’ve handpicked you to be a servant and witness to what’s happened today, and to what I am going to show you.
17-18 “‘I’m sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I’m sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.’
Saul entered the book of Acts almost as a bit player, holding other people’s coats. He quickly became prominent as a driven, deadly persecutor of Christians. A stunning encounter with the risen Christ utterly changed his life. It was so pivotal that Acts told the story three times (cf. Acts 9:1-20, 22:1-16 as well as today’s passage in Acts 26). Before long, Saul began using his Roman name, Paul (cf. Acts 13:9). He was still passionate and driven, but now about
sharing persuasively that Jesus was, in fact, the long-awaited Messiah.
• Those who killed Stephen (with Saul’s full approval) “shrieked and covered their ears…. charged at him” and “battered him with stones.” When Paul remembered, he said, “My rage bordered on the hysterical.” What is the danger of allowing that kind of rage to fill you, even
in defense of something you believe is right? How can Jesus’ example, as well as Paul’s more measured mature defense of his faith, guide us in finding more constructive ways of standing for what we believe?
• When he faced death (at the hands of a Roman executioner), Paul wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Does it sound to you as though Paul was sad about “throwing away” his promising career to follow Jesus? In what ways has your commitment to Christ given you a similar sense of purpose to the one Paul showed?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, your call changed Saul’s life. He went on to change millions of other lives. Give me listening ears and an open heart to what you wish to do through your call on my life. Amen.
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What the apostle did with his second chance
Saturday, 7 May 2016 Philippians 3:2-6 Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they’re interested in is appearances—knife-happy circumcisers, I call them. The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ’s praise as we do it. We couldn’t carry this off by our own efforts, and we know it—even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. You know my pedigree: a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God’s law; a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting the church; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God’s law Book.
7-9 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.
10-11 I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.
1 Timothy 1:12-14 I’m so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work. He went out on a limb, you know, in trusting me with this ministry. The only credentials I brought to it were invective and witch hunts and arrogance. But I was treated mercifully because I didn’t know what I was doing—didn’t know Who I was doing it against! Grace mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus.
15-19 Here’s a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever.
Deep honor and bright glory
to the King of All Time—
One God, Immortal, Invisible,
ever and always. Oh, yes!
I’m passing this work on to you, my son Timothy. The prophetic word that was directed to you prepared us for this. All those prayers are coming together now so you will do this well, fearless in your struggle, keeping a firm grip on your faith and on yourself. After all, this is a fight we’re in.
Paul wrote to the Philippians that if we could save ourselves by religious performance, he’d gladly put his record up against anyone. But those religious “assets” no longer counted. He “wrote them off,” and trusted in Christ’s grace. In 1 Timothy, he recalled when he was a persecutor and described himself as “the biggest sinner of all.” But he did so, not in selfloathing or despair, but to bear witness to the amazing difference God’s mercy had made in his life. “Our Lord’s favor poured all over me along with the faithfulness and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:14).
• The young Pharisee Saul had all the human credentials—“proper” birth, great education, and even persecuting Christians. What are the family heritages, human accomplishments and credentials you are proudest of? If preserving any of them ever conflicted with heeding
God’s call on your life, what choice would you make? Paul told the Philippians they were all his “partners in the ministry of the gospel” (Philippians 1:5), and urged the Romans to render their “appropriate priestly service” to God by using the gifts God had put in each of their lives (cf. Romans 12:1-8). In what ways has God appointed you to ministry? How are you responding to that appointment?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, like Paul, I’ve done plenty of things that disappointed you and hurt others. Thank you for showing me mercy, and calling me into your service. Amen
Family Activity: Adults, gather several pennies and hide them throughout your home. Place a bowl in the center of the room. Ask your children to hunt for the pennies. (Pennies can be a choking hazard, so very young children should be supervised.) Let each child place the pennies he or she collects in the bowl. Ask, “If this was all the money our family had, what would you do with it?” Read aloud Mark 12: 41-44 and 2 Corinthians 9:7[Mark 12:41-44 Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, “The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all.” and 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.]. Ask, “Who does Jesus say gave more money? Why do you think Jesus wants us to share? How does God want us to feel when we give?” Decide where you will give the pennies. Pray for the people who will receive them and thank God for your blessings.
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Prayer Requests
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
•Chris Hillman and family on the death of his father, Bill Hillman, 4/25
• Jo Ann Oakman and family on the death of her mother, Betty Beaty, 4/23
• Jo Ann Ross and family on the death of her daughter, Debra Coker, 4/23
•Rea Wilson and family on the death of her sister-in-law, Kristi Camp Wilson, 4/23
•Virg and Donna Van Ommeren and family on the death of their son-in-law, Howard Shrout, 4/23
•Sarah Falke and family on the death of her grandmother, Jean Fredrickson, 4/22
•Debbie Dellinger and family on the death of her mother, Ellie Kanuri, 4/21
• Mike Hannah and family on the death of his father, Ed Hannah, 4/21
•Ron Phillips and family on the death of his wife, Betty Phillips, 4/20
•The friends and family of Sallie Norton, 4/19
•Gaye Fleming and family on the death of her father, Marvin Daniels, 4/2
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
913.897.0120
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