Pastoral responsibilities
Jeremiah 23: You’ve scattered my sheep…you haven’t kept your eye on them.
This passage is clergy oriented so pastor types like me need to sit up and take notice. The Lordās displeased with the spiritual leaders of Jeremiah’s day. He pictures them as shepherds who are given the responsibility of caring for the Lordās flock. These leaders are entrusted with the spiritual welfare of God’s flock but theyāre betraying that confidence. Instead of loving the flock, leading and caring for it, they’re taking advantage of things for personal gain. In some cases they’re actually harming those theyāre supposed to protect. Otherwise, they’re neglecting them or even driving them away. Godās disappointed in these leaders and is angry with them. Sometimes I think that church people are too pastor oriented, giving way too much authority to the pastor, including letting the pastor do their thinking for them (or, standing on the sidelines and cheering as the pastor works him/herself to death – but that’s a subject for another day!). Today, I’m reminded that there’s a strong biblical foundation that supports some having spiritual leadership. The Lord has wired us in such a way that we look to some as “shepherds” acting as God’s representatives. These leaders are to be servants who put the interests of those entrusted to their care before their own needs. In this passage Jeremiah reminds me that as a pastor I’ve been honored with the position of leadership, but with that position has come accountability, not just to the congregation I serve, but to the Lord, himself.
Take Away: Church leaders are to be good shepherds of the flock of the Lord.
Tag: authority
Devotional on Obadiah
Good news for people who donāt find harp playing especially attractive
Obadiah 1: A rule that honors Godās kingdom.
The final words of Obadiahās prophecy describe a coming golden age in which Godās people will be restored to their homeland. Beyond that, theyāll live righteously, in sync with the Lordās purposes for them. Because of that they’ll be put in charge, ruling even over their old enemies of Edom. Their rule will not be that of a conquering nation, grinding their enemies into the ground, but a fair and just one, representative of their God who loves all human beings. I find it interesting that the Apostle Paul reflects this concept in his second letter to Timothy. Paul writes: āIf we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him.ā At the very beginning of the Bible I see Adam and Eve who are placed in dominion over the earth. In this passage from Obadiah, I find a promised brighter day in which Godās people rule justly, throwing off the old animosities. Then, I see Paul looking forward to the return of Christ and his righteous people ruling with him. I donāt claim to understand all that might include, but it sounds like God has more in store for his people than merely sitting on a cloud playing a harp.
Take Away: As a people of the Lord weāre to reflect his love for all human beings.
Devotional on Zechariah
Not acting like a bully
Zechariah 1: …Godless nations that act as if they own the whole world.
About half of this book of Zechariah contains descriptions of visions the prophet is given. In the first vision the Lord tells Zechariah that heās angry with āgodless nations that act as if they own the whole world.ā Not only is the Lord angry, heās about to do something about it. The Lord had given the mega-powers of the region authority over Israel but they went too far, crushing that tiny nation without any show of mercy. The Lord says he was angry with Israel, but now he’s very angry with these nations that acted without mercy. The vision is intended to condemn those world powers while comforting powerless Israel. Iām reminded as I read these words that I live in a nation that is a world power. We have the economic and military might to dominate others. The vision of the prophet speaks to me, not as one of the oppressed but instead, as one of the powerful. God has a history of looking out for the needs of the powerless and of holding the powerful accountable. We arenāt to go around the world flexing our muscles like a bully who always has to get his own way. The truth is that we donāt own the whole world and we had better remember who does!
Take Away: Itās Godās world and weāre accountable to him for how we live in his world.
Devotional on John
Its Jesus verses death
John 11: Lazarus, come out!
Iāve heard it said that Jesus specified that Lazarus ācome outā of the grave because, had he just given the command to ācome outā that there would have been a general resurrection. Personally, I think thatās more of a poetical take on this remarkable event than a realistic one. Still, I understand the statement of faith in that concept. This is an act of absolute authority over death. Jesus doesnāt even touch the dead body. He, in fact, never enters the tomb. From outside, after a public prayer, Jesus merely shouts out the command and Lazarus is resurrected. I canāt imagine any more powerful demonstration of authority over death than this one. Well, almost. Soon, an even more convincing event will take place. For now though, Iām happy to be reminded of this wonderful truth. Any time Jesus faces death, Jesus wins. Glory!
Take Away: One hope of all Christians is the hope of life after death.
Devotional on 1 Corinthians
Stop acting like babies!
1 Corinthians 3: Are you really much different than a babe at the breast, content only when everythingās going your way?
Only an enemy or a dear friend can say the things Paul says to the church at Corinth. Their behavior, he says is āinfantileā and āunscripturalā and Paul is ācompletely frustratedā by them. The problem is their infighting. People are choosing sides and jockeying for position. They approach every situation from a āmeā point of view, judging everything by what theyāll get out of it and whether or not whatever it is in play will suit their tastes. Paul, their friend, tells them to stop acting like babies and get over themselves. He reminds them that itās all about Jesus, not them. It would be nice to think that the ābaby problemā is unique to Corinth but you and I both know itās not. Itās human nature to measure everything by our own desires and tastes. On one hand, thereās a place for that. After all, we bring unique experiences, knowledge, and insights to life. Thereās a place for us to express ourselves and let our preferences be known. I donāt think the problem at Corinth is that some folks like the preaching of Apollos better than they like the preaching of Paul. The problem is that individuals selfishly insist on getting their own way and focus their energies on forming coalitions so theyāll have more say than others. Paul tells them to cut it out and remember that the church isnāt theirs in the first place. When Iām manipulating things behind the scenes or openly demanding my rights Iām dislodging Jesus from his place as the Head of the Church.
Take Away: Like it or not, itās not all about me.
Devotional on 2 Corinthians
The voice of authority
2Corinthians 10: I write in the gentle but firm spirit of Christ.
Paulās first letter was rather stern and was, in general, well received. Most of the church at Corinth took it to heart and responded positively to it. However, we see here that not everyone received it in the spirit in which it was written. Some complain that Paul should mind his own business and that āthem and Godā will work things out. Others point out that there are leaders aside from Paul in their number who hold different opinions from him. Yet others say that Paul writes tough, but in person heās not very impressive and his letters shouldnāt be treated as though theyāre the final word on anything. The Apostle takes all this on in this passage. He wants them to understand that heās being as patient with those who oppose him as possible, but that his words arenāt his own, but carry with them the very authority of Christ. He hasnāt tried to manipulate them and he hasnāt avoided the more sticky points. He knows that thereās opposition both outside and inside the church. After all, his teachings are radical and run counter to the worldās way of doing things. Heās not just putting band aids on severe wounds. Rather, heās in a battle to the death with an ungodly culture that still has a foothold in the Church. All this he does under the direct authority of Christ. If they want to hear from someone with authority, heās it! Paulās self-assurance here is breathtaking. In spite of his obvious weaknesses he pulls no punches in claiming authority in this situation. Iām sure thereās a case to be made for humility and for letting people work things out between them and God. Here, though, Iām reminded that sometimes God chooses to use unlikely people to state his message. This, I think, is different than a preacher taking a text and, using its authority, delivering a sermon. This kind of prophetic voice is seldom heard, but when it happens people tend to recognize it. Beyond recognizing it, weād better pay attention to it.
Take Away: Itās the Lord who gives authority to his message.
Devotional on Ephesians
The Church: Christ at work in the world
Ephesians 1: The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world, the world is peripheral to the church.
Paul’s writing is filled with superlatives as he begins his letter to the church at Ephesus. Godās people, he tells us, have within our grasp āthe immensity of this glorious way of lifeā and itās with āutter extravaganceā that the Lord bestows his gifts on his people. He tells us that all this comes from one Source: Jesus Christ. Jesus makes all the difference in (and out of) the world. Itās not āhere and thereā or āthem and us.ā The glorious plan and possibility is that in Christ everything comes together. This great Unifier works through and with a specific group of people who have made him Lord of their lives. That group, weāre told, is the Church. Obviously, Paulās not talking about a denomination here and heās certainly not thinking of some local body of believers. This is the ācapitol-Cā Church. Itās through this body, āhis body,ā that Jesus is bringing everything together. As I look at the Church today, itās a mistake for me to only focus on its failings. Jesus sees the Church as his body and as the hope of the world. Even as I acknowledge its failures, Iād better remember its purpose and the source of its power and authority in the world.
Take Away: God has chosen to work through the Church to bring salvation to the world.
Devotional on Titus
Being the leader God calls one to be
Titus 2: Youāre in charge. Donāt let anyone put you down.
Here in Crete Titus is operating in new territory. Heās been part of Paulās team, traveling from place to place. Sometimes heās gone out on special assignment, delivering a message or the like, but still operating under Paulās wing. Now, though, things are different. Yes, heās been appointed by Paul to this task, but, by and large heās on his own. The Apostle reminds him of what heās supposed to do, but this time, itās Titus, by himself, meeting with congregations and organizing their leadership. It may be that Paul knows Titus well enough to know that heās going to struggle a bit with this assignment. Even as he spells out Titusā responsibilities Paul makes it a point to tell him that heās in charge and as he meets with these budding congregations he needs to be ready to stand his ground concerning the kind of leaders they need and the kind of people theyāre supposed to be. Here, again, I find myself considering a leadership principle. Humbleness is critical if one is to be the servant-leader Christian leaders are called to be. At the same time though, if one has been called to and granted authority for leadership by the Lord, that individual needs to have a firm grasp on that leadership. Most everyone recognizes God-called leadership. The thing is that while most recognize and appreciate it, a few are threatened by it and will challenge or manipulate it if they think they can get away with it. A Christian leader must recognize this and be ready to stand firm in his or her calling in a Christ-like manner.
Take Away: Christian leaders are servant-leaders, but they do carry with them a sense of authority.
Devotional on Genesis
The mystery man of the Bible
Genesis 14: Melchizedek, king of Salem…blessed him.
Iāve always thought of Abrahamās rescue of Lot as a fairly localized situation and that their enemy was a neighboring warlord. However, Iāve just realized that Kedorlaomer and his allies were a big deal: a conquering army from Babylon; a world power. The Canaanite rulers didnāt have a chance against them. When Abram hears what’s happened, he mounts a rescue effort with just 318 people. Years before Gideonās 300 will win a battle against an insurmountable force Abraham mounts an amazing rescue by the authority of God. As he returns from that battle the Canaanite kings salute him and tell him to keep the spoils of his unprecedented victory, but Abraham turns them down, commenting that he doesnāt want people to think it was the Canaanites who made him rich. Then, out of nowhere, the mysterious Melchizedek, King of the town named Peace (or Salem) makes an appearance. He comes to bless Abraham and to praise God for what he’s done. In turn, Abraham recognizes this hitherto unknown man as a spiritual authority and gives him a tithe of all the plunder. Iām sure weāre talking about wagon loads of stuff here. In centuries to come both the Psalmist and the writer of Hebrews revisit this incident. They remind us that, even for the Jewish people, not all spiritual authority is based on lineage. In fact, the highest authority is when the Lord grants it in a direct way. Iām not ready to get bound up in whether or not Melchizedek is Jesus making an Old Testament appearance, but he does become the poster boy for Godās granting direct authority to the person of his choosing, credentials or not. Thatās real important in our understanding how Jesus is the High Priest of Christians through the ages.
Take away: As we read our Old Testaments it isnāt unusual to find God preparing the way for his Son, Jesus, to come to the world.
Devotional on Deuteronomy
The ultimate Prophet
Deuteronomy 18: God, your God, is going to raise up a prophet for youā¦a prophet like me.
Itās the nature of things for people to want a “word from the Lord.” Even when all the other aspects of religion are established and operating we want to hear from the Lord. In this passage Moses addresses this. The priests are doing their jobs and the Levites are in place but Moses knows that without the “prophetic voice” that the people will be tempted to turn to the occult in an effort to touch something, someone, beyond themselves. In addressing this issue, and as a true prophet himself, Moses speaks beyond his own knowledge. He understands that the Lord is promising to send someone who will speak with prophetic authority, but he doesn’t know just how great and complete that Voice will be. Out of their number God will anoint the ultimate prophet. In fact, this prophet will be the very Word of God. Throughout their history, these Hebrew people will hear the message of many prophets, but the ultimate prophet, the One who will proclaim God’s message with absolute authority, is none other than Jesus, the Son of God.
Take Away: In Jesus we not only hear the Word of God, but we meet the Word of God in the flesh.
Devotional on 2 Samuel
Those we empower
2 Samuel 3: Make a deal with me, and I’ll bring the wholeĀ country of Israel over to you.
Itās apparent that Davidās going to win the war. Ish-Bosheth, Saul’s son, is an incompetent leader and even his own men doubt him. In fact, David can finish it off any time he wants but for one thing: he continues to refuse to lay a hand on Saul’s descendants. Because of that, things drag on as Ish-Bosheth’s leadership of Israel slowly unravels on its own. One indication is that his general, Abner, secretly comes to David with an offer of peace. Apparently, David thinks that with Abner’s help the foregone conclusion of all this can end sooner and not later, and without his raising a hand against Saul’s son. It doesnāt work out. David’s own general seizes the opportunity to get revenge for the death of his brother at Abner’s hand. Before Abner can act Joab kills him. As often happens in life, the greatest damage done is from “inside” rather than “outside.” In this case, David has one agenda and his general, Joab, has another. One of the challenges of leadership is not only knowing where one is going, but being sure that those we lead — or even better — those we empower to lead with us, share in that goal. Otherwise, theyāll take the authority weāve given them and use it to pursue their own purposes.
Take Away: Real leaders donāt try to do everything themselves. At the same time, though, itās important that those who work with us are on the same page as we are.
Devotional on 2 Samuel
Murder most foul
2 Samuel 11: War kills — sometimes one, sometimes another.
David’s failure in 2 Samuel 11 is stunning. There are no excuses, no contributing circumstances that in any way lessen his failure. When Saul takes it upon himself to play the role of priest rather than wait on Samuel itās a horrible failure, but itās no greater than the one I read about here. David, King of Israel sees a woman taking a bath and wants her. Abusing his authority as king he sends for her and then has sexual relations with her. When she later discovers that sheās pregnant, he sends for her husband in hopes of covering up his sin. The only things we know about Uriah are what we find in this story but itās clear that heās an honorable man and a loyal soldier. Failing in his plan, David sends a note to his general, Joab (a note carried by Uriah, himself) thatās actually a death sentence. When David receives word of Uriah’s death, he shrugs it off with “war kills.” In this case it isn’t war that kills. Itās David. In the words of Agatha Christie, this is “murder most foul.” Davidās a great man, a real hero, and a key figure in God’s plan for the world. Still, the writers of Scripture do not avoid the issue here. They tell us the whole ugly story. Still, what happens, as unsavory as it is, isnāt beyond the grace of God. I’m glad the story doesn’t end here.
Take Away: The Lord canāt deal with our sin until we admit we have sinned and repent of it.
Devotional on 2 Kings
Spiritual role models
2Kings2: Your life repeated in my life. I want to be a holy man just like you.
Thereās no one on earth as powerful as is Elijah. As he lives his last day in this world it seems he already has one foot in heaven and spiritual power and authority radiate from him. Somehow, probably because Elijah himself has announced it, everyone knows that this is his day. His assistant, Elisha, who has walked with him through the years, is glued to him on this day. More than once the old man of God has told him to stay put but both of them know it isn’t going to happen. Now, as a moment unique in human history nears, the old prophet asks Elisha what he can do for him before heās taken. Elisha isnāt shy! He wants to be the man Elijah is. He desires that, even as their names are similar, that their walk with God will also be much the same. I thank God today for the spiritual role models heās provided in my life. Frankly, itās easy to fail to recognize them because Iām so close to the situation that I canāt see the big picture of their influence. Because of that Iām sometimes unaware of the spiritual depth of others till theyāre gone. A couple of things come to mind as I consider these things. First, I want to open my eyes to spiritual greatness in these special people. Second, I want to allow the Lord to do in me what heās done in them. “Your life repeated in my life,” — what a powerful phrase!
Take Away: Thank the Lord for powerful spiritual role models in your life.