Tag: Love

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Take the Deal

Daily Reading

Leviticus 19-21

Daily Thought

Question: Why don’t Christians today obey all the laws and instructions of the Old Testament?

The short answer is, we did. That needs to be explained, doesn’t it?

Israel is the nation ruled by God, and “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). You shall be different than those other nations around you that are not the nation ruled by God. You shall be a nation set apart to me. Count how many times Leviticus 19 reminds Israel, “I am the Lord your God.” This long list of instructions tell the Israelites how to do “I am the Lord your God.” The chapter closes simply and straightforward: “Do them” (Leviticus 19:37).

Jesus did them. 

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). He fulfilled all righteousness, then offered the most incredibly, ridiculously wonderful exchange of all time: his righteousness for our sin.”For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2Corinthians 5:21).” Take the deal! We obeyed the Law when Jesus obeyed the Law, and we are righteous because he is righteous; his righteousness became ours.

This does not mean that the Law goes away. “You shall be holy, for I am holy” is in the New Testament, too (Matthew 5:48; 1Peter 1:16). Significant is a verse right in the middle of Leviticus 19, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (v 18). Jesus, who is holy, says loving your neighbor goes right along with loving God and this sums up everything, “on these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:40). Jesus fulfilled all the Law so we can focus fully on its heart, to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). 

Daily Prayer. 

God, You so loved the world that You sent Your one and only Son. Anyone believing in Him will receive eternal life. In Your grace, You did not send Your Son to condemn me. In Your holiness, You would have been justified to do so, but Your Son became condemnation so I might be saved in His Name.

The Name of Jesus is the Name above all names. May I never mix it with any others. May I always hold it high. May I walk in Your ways, increasing Your reputation in this world. May I live every day in gratitude, waking up each morning with a “Thank You.”

Amen

Daily Question

How would you treat people differently if you love them as yourself?

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As Far as East Is from the West

Daily Reading

Leviticus 16-18

Daily Thought

There were two goats used on the Day of Atonement. One was slaughtered and its blood was carried into the Holy of Holies by the high priest. That was the blood that covered the guilt of the people in the sight of God. Now their conscience was purified and they could serve the living God.

The other goat was held at the entrance of the tabernacle until the high priest came out and laid his hands on its head. Acting on behalf of all the people of Israel, the high priest confessed the sins of the people and transferred their sins to this animal. This second goat is the “scapegoat.” Nowadays, someone who gets blamed for other people’s mistakes is called a scapegoat. This goat not only received the blame, but took the guilt, carrying it far away into the wilderness–as far as east is from the west.

Together these two goats picture the redemptive work of Jesus. His blood has covered our sins in the sight of God, just as the blood of the first goat did once each year, but now, in Jesus, once for all time. And Jesus became the scapegoat for all his people. Jesus our Savior was loaded with all our sins and carried them far, far away–as far as east is from west. That’s how much he loves us.

My children would tell me how much they loved me by stretching out their arms as far as they could and shouting, “This much …and more.” So did Jesus. As far as east is from the west …and more.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us. ~Psalm 103:11-12

Daily Prayer

God, thank You doing all the work. You were innocent of sin and yet you died for mine.   I sin a lot. But more than that, you keep walking with me. You keep shaping me into the person you created me to be. I’m free from the guilt of sin because of you, but you keep working on me, freeing me day by day from the presence of sin. Help me to hate my sin as much as you do. I know that happens as my love for you continues to grow, this much and more. Jesus, I love you. 

Amen

Daily Question

Can you be both a sinner and a saint? Which are you?

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Details

Daily Reading

Exodus 39-40

Daily Thought

Reading through Exodus would not take as long if Moses would stop repeating himself. He wrote God’s instructions, such as “make the ark of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, with four rings of gold and poles of acacia wood, to these exact dimensions” (Exodus 25:10-14), then he repeated the same instructions with the Israelite’s obedience, “We made the ark of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, with four rings of gold and poles of acacia wood, to these exact dimensions” (Exodus 37:1-5). Moses wrote how God wanted the tabernacle designed, then he wrote everything all over again when he described how they built it. All the details, over and over, repeating the same words. What God commanded and what the people did in response were the same. That is obedience.

Moses and the people of Israel were learning to obey God, down to the very details. “This Moses did; according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did” (Exodus 40:16). Moses wanted this emphasized to the Israelites (and to us), so he repeated the details, because the details are important.

Many centuries later, Jesus said, “”If you love me, you will keep my commandments”  (John 14:15). His final instructions to his disciples included, “make disciples …teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). One of his disciples, John, reminds us, “By this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (1John 2:3). Right down to the details. 

Daily Prayer

My Lord my God, Your ways are so good. They take me the right direction in life. It baffles me why I don’t follow them always, because when I get off Your path, I find myself in trouble. The best advice is to obey You first. After that, I can tell me You my problems. Help me keep my eyes on You. Remind me that I belong to Your Kingdom, not to this world.

I pray, God, that I would shine Your glory into a dark world that needs the light. Like salt, that I would bring out the best and preserve goodness. To do this, Father, I must love Your Word and follow it. May I be as devoted to you as you are devoted to me already. May I delight in you as you delight in me already. May I love because you first loved me.

Amen

Daily Question

Can you love God without obeying God? Why or why not?

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A Jealous God

Daily Reading

Exodus 33-35

Daily Thought

Why does God describe himself as a jealous God? “For you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Exodus 34:14). Isn’t jealousy wrong and unworthy of God?

The answer is, God is #1. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, ever-present, fully good, full of love. Is he hard to beat? No, he is impossible to beat. As ten plagues pummeled Egypt, Moses proclaimed to Pharaoh, “so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God in all the earth” (Exodus 8:10; 9:14). 

“I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God” (Isaiah 45:5). God says this, not because he is cocky, but because it is true, and God is always true. God is jealous, not of us, but for us. We belong with him. He promised, “I will be your God; you will be my people.” It is a relationship akin to marriage; Jesus calls the church his bride and he is the bridegroom. No one would fault a husband’s jealousy for the affection of his wife. Her love is not to be shared or spread around.

But it is more than that. When God says, “I love you,” he is also saying, “I want the best, the very best, for you,” so he gave you himself. He is saying, “I love you enough to die for you, so that you can have the very best.” And what is the very best if not God? Always. Forever and ever. God’s jealousy for us is the best thing that ever happened to us.

Daily Prayer

My heavenly Father, from eternity past to forevermore, You are God, who was, and is, and is to come. Timeless, You created time, then entered time. I long to be present with You in eternity, where Your holiness reigns forever.

Forgive me, God, when I pursue something else in place of you. May You always be my first love, may I first and always seek Your Kingdom, your righteousness, and leave everything else in Your care.

Amen

Daily Question

When are you jealous in a good way?

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Sodom and Springer

Daily Reading

Genesis 19-21

Daily Thought

Genesis 19–what a chapter! The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are a carnival of perversity. The depraved men of Sodom clamor for sex with two men/angels staying in Lot’s home. Lot offers his daughters instead. Are you kidding me! Sodom’s time is up. Their sin has eclipsed the height of God’s patience. The time of God’s mercy is over as he destroys the cities, yet God’s grace endures and Lot and his family are rescued before the downpour of fire and brimstone. Astonishingly though, as the cities smolder in the distance, Lot’s unrepentant daughters get their dad drunk and take turns sleeping with him. Both end up pregnant.

This is akin to trash TV at its worst, “The Jerry Springer Show” of the 1980’s and 90’s. Mr. Springer was asked if it was difficult to find his outlandish guests. “Are you kidding?” he laughed. “They are in every neighborhood in America. Yours too.” He’s right, of course. Millions of people watched Jerry’s show. Look at our entertainment, our websites, our video games, our politics, or look at the daily news headlines, and we are what we watch. Lot’s wife looked back with a longing desire. She loved the lifestyle, and we do, too. What’s wrong with this world? In the words of G.K. Chesterton, “I am.” We all are.

And still God’s grace endures. Jesus took our sins, like those of Sodom and Springer, and mine, and made them his own. He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities (Isaiah 53:5). He took what I deserve. That’s mercy. Then he gives me his righteousness. That’s grace. He became like me so that I can become like him. That’s love.

Daily Prayer

My Lord and Savior God, Your love is overwhelming. You love me and I am not worthy of it. You love me anyway. Thank you for that, and thank you, as well, for hating sin. I need to hate sin more. What it does to me, what it has done to Your creation. I look forward to Your coming Kingdom when sin is removed, when holiness is the way of the world, when Jesus reigns. Turn my longings toward You, my desires toward Your ways.

Amen

Daily Question

When have you experienced God’s grace in your life?

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Some Assembly Required

Daily Reading

2Peter 1-3

Daily Thought

There is lots of gift-giving at Christmas, but no one out-gives God, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16), and it doesn’t stop there. When Jesus enters our life, he gives us everything needed to follow him forever, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (1Peter 1:3). 

That’s quite a Christmas. 

There are, of course, three words that often come with a gift: “Some Assembly Required.” God gave us everything we need, explains Peter, now start putting it together–“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love” (2Peter 1:5-7).

“Some Assembly Required” is part of the joy of Christmas as we build our faith and become the person God made us to be.  Fortunately, it comes with instructions–God’s Word–”we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place” (2Peter 1:19).

And our Father always helps.

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” ~Philippians 1:6

Daily Prayer

Father God, thank You for all You’ve done, and You did everything. You have given me all I need, salvation in Your Son, power to live a godly life through Your Spirit, and You promise to bring Your work in me to completion. Someday, I will live in perfect holiness with You forever. I look forward to that day.

In the meantime, I will follow wherever You lead. Whatever You ask, my answer is Yes. You have my heart, all of it, and my mind and soul and strength. I am Yours. And You are mine!

Amen

Daily Question

What are you working on in your life right now to make yourself more like Christ?

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The Sin of Sloth

Daily Reading

2Thessalonians 1-3

Daily Thought

The Seven Deadly Sins listed in Christian tradition are pride, greed, lust, gluttony, wrath, envy, and sloth. Sloth, the sin of laziness, is possibly the least noticed, but the most insidious. Paul warns the church at Thessalonica, “We hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies” (2Thessalonians 3:11). When people are not busy doing what they should, they are often busy doing what they shouldn’t, or at least dreaming about it. This sin of doing nothing becomes a breeding ground for all the other sins.

So Paul advises, “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2Thessalonians 3:11), a punishment connecting behavior to consequences–always a good idea. “As for you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary in doing good” (2Thessalonians 3:13). 

The best antidote to laziness is love, serving others. Love is a verb, an action verb. There is no laziness in love.

Daily Prayer

My God, may I live life fully, actively, passionately serving others in the Name and to the glory of Your Son, Jesus Christ. May love drive me toward people, toward forgiveness and reconciliation when called for, toward charity to those in need, toward encouragement to the discouraged.

May I have no time for gossip, may there be no room for bitterness, may my life be too full to allow for either idolatry or idleness. May I stay single-focused on love, toward you with all my heart and soul and mind and strength, and toward others seeking their best.

Amen

Daily Question

In what kind of actions does love show up in your life?

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A Free Gift

Daily Reading

2Corinthians 10-13

Daily Thought

Paul has a paternal relationship with the Corinthians–he is dad and they are his children–and parents provide for their kids, not the other way around, “for children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children” (2Corinthians 12:14).

Jack’s mom came downstairs to start breakfast one morning and found a bill from her twelve-year-old son on the kitchen counter: mowing the lawn $6; drying the dishes $1; raking leaves $6; cleaning garage $7; total owed $20. She smiled and made his breakfast. 

That afternoon, Jack came home from school and found next to a plate of cookies, an envelope with a twenty dollar bill inside and a note from his mom: washing clothes – nothing; vacuuming room – nothing; cooking meals – nothing; driving everywhere – nothing; baking cookies – nothing. Love, Mom.

This is the heart of Paul, “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls” (2Corinthians 12:15), love with no strings attached. All for nothing–any price tag we attach to love devalues it.

Daily Prayer

I thank You, God, for Your grace, for the righteousness that comes from Your Son, for the power that comes through Your Spirit. You love is worth everything, yet the cost of love is borne by the lover, and that is You, “for God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.”

Sometimes I get the idea that I have something to offer You, something You need. I should remember, and I shall remember, that everything I am is because of You. Everything I do, may it give You pleasure and bring You glory. And everything You have given me, may I share it freely, because it cost me nothing and You everything.

Amen

Daily Question

When you love someone, what do you expect in return?

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Love

Daily Reading

1Corinthians 12-14

Daily Thought

I started a sermon on 1Corinthians 13 like this, “Dave is patient, Dave is kind. He does not envy, he does not boast, he is not proud. Dave is not rude, he is not self-seeking, he is not easily angered, he keeps no record of wrongs. Dave does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Dave always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Dave never fails.” Then I laughed. Too many of the parts didn’t quite fit. The congregation laughed (a little too much, actually). My wife needed to stop laughing.

They knew what I was doing. 1Corinthians 13 is the love chapter. The Apostle Paul has been dealing with the problems in the Corinthian church for twelve chapters, and finally he stops and says, “now I will show you the most excellent way” (1Corinthians 12:31), and he writes about love.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. ~1Corinthians 13:4-8

Go ahead, put your name in there. The parts where you cringe highlight the places needing work. Put the name Jesus in there and it reads just fine. This is the way we are to love because this is the way God loves us. 

Paul sculpted this passage, choosing his words carefully, saying it just right, because love is the most important thing to get right. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (1Corinthians 13:1-3). Love matters before anything else matters.

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, I am learning to love. Keep teaching me because You are perfect at love and there has been no greater display of love than the cross. Help me to be patient, to be kind. Keep me from envy and boasting and pride. Correct me when I am rude or self seeking or easily angered. Let me keep no record of wrongs. Change my heart so I do not delight in evil, but always rejoice with the truth. Teach me to protect and trust and hope and persevere. May I strive to be someone who never fails, but when I do, to get up and strive again, to do the next right thing, to always love. 

Amen

Daily Question

Which qualities of love make you cringe the most when you try to attach your name to them? Which qualities seem to fit nicely?

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Names

Daily Reading

Romans 14-16

Daily Thought

The last chapter of Romans is like the credits at the end of a movie. I don’t sit through the credits. I usually make it to about verse 4, then I start skimming, but Paul names over thirty people by the end of this chapter. 

My son-in-law, Staphon, works at Pixar. There is a theater at Pixar and he got me in to see a movie before it was released. As the movie wound to what I thought was the end, I started to get up, but Staphon grabbed my arm and sat me down. The important part was just beginning–the credits. The theater was packed with Pixar people and the names of their friends and co-workers were beginning to roll. We sat to the very end.

Lest we think Paul is merely writing Romans as a treatise on theology, building this great religion called Christianity, this last chapter grounds us in reality and reminds us what is vitally important. This is about real people who live in real community with each other and follow a very real Savior, Jesus Christ. 

I go to church and I know the names of all sixty-six books of the Bible. God would be happier if I knew the name of the person sitting next to me. 

Paul knows who these people are and what they have done. He knows their role in the church and their service to God. Paul does not see the church as an organized religion, but as a community of people saved by Jesus Christ and in love with one another. Paul knows their names, and so does God. Every last one of them.

Daily Prayer

Father, I love You and worship You. And You love me. You love people. God, help me love better what You love most. 

Change my heart, God, and teach me to love well, to serve all, to follow the example of Your Son and live a life of compassion, to sacrifice my life for the sake of others.

Amen

Daily Question

Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Is one more important than the other? Why or why not?