Encouragement

While Paul suffered greatly for the name of Christ, and often found himself pursued, imprisoned, abandoned, beaten or left for dead, he was also continually supported by faithful friends and fellow ministry workers. Throughout Paul's letters, he at times detours from his writing to mention those friends who have been helping him. He will list all sorts of names like Timothy, Luke, Justus, Clement, Epaphroditus....and all kinds of other names I can't even pronounce. Sometimes I feel kind of like I do with the genealogies of the Old Testemant. The "I'm tired of reading all these names; let's get back to the good stuff" feeling...

But recently I've realized that these names of Paul's friends and co-laborers ARE the good stuff. These are the people who visited him in jail, sometimes even finding themselves imprisoned alongside him. They would bring him food and clothing. They would house him. They would travel with him, experiencing hardship, hunger, and persecution. They would painstakingly pen his letters for him (remember they didn't have computers or even ballpoint pens). They would carry his letters to churches abroad, often taking long and dangerous journeys to bring the word of God to various cities throughout Asia Minor. They would pray with Paul, weep with Paul, enourage Paul, and eagerly soak up his teaching and live by his example.

So when Paul praises "Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father, he has served me" (Phil. 2:22) or when he rejoices over Epaphroditus who "nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life" (Phil. 2:30) to help Paul, I am learning to realize how essential this encouragement was. When Paul says that Aristarchus, Mark, and Justus "are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers...and they have been a great comfort to me" (Col.4:11), I can only imagine how nice it must have been to have just a few Jewish friends in the midst of being imprisoned in the foreign culture of Rome.

So I ask myself, how can I encourage those around me who have devoted their life to ministering to God's people? How can I support and encourage my pastor and his family, especially as we go through this time of uncertainty with our chuch location and finances, as they await the birth of their fourth child and wonder how in the world they will get a vehicle big enough to hold their whole family (so excited to see what God provides!)? How can I serve my friends who serve abroad as full-time missionaries in some of the most remote or poorest places in the world? How can I labor alongside them as Paul's fellow workers did, even though I am halfway across the world? Can I suport them financially? Can I send a care package? Go visit them? Send them a letter or e-mail of encouragment? Pray for them often? Pray for the culture in which they live and the people to whom they minister? Instead of finding myself bored with Paul's thank you lists in his letters, I am finding myself inspired to encourage my own pastor and missionary friends in new ways. Praising God for His constant transforming of my mind.

No grudges allowed...

Thankfully, I have never been one to hold a grudge. It's not that I have never wanted to... my sinful flesh sometimes likes the idea of remaining bitter or even being vengeful when I have been hurt or betrayed. But thankfully God has made it impossible for me to stay mad at people for too long. In the moment, it seems annoying. I think "I want to be mad at you. You don't deserve my forgiveness." But for some reason, God has given me a heart that can't really hold a grudge, and it is a HUGE blessing, even when my sinful heart doesn't really appreciate it.

The Bible speaks boldy about grudges. They are not allowed in the Christian life. Colossians says the Christian life should look like this: "bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive." (3:13). It's not that we won't ever be hurt or wronged by a Christian brother or sister. We will be. The Bible is pretty clear that as we live in the flesh, we will be wounded by friends and family, even by people who love the Lord, but fall short at times.

What should be our response? To bear with each other's failings. To forgive. It seems like a difficult task, and it is, but it is also possible because of Christ. Jesus has forgiven our utter betrayal of him. He is perfect and loves us completely, yet we fail Him time and time again. But that cross of forgiveness is always there. Always prepared to bear our sins. So we too, with grateful hearts, should forgive those who sin against us.

There have been lots of Christian analogies about bitterness and unforgiveness. The first one that comes to mind is that bitterness is like a cancer of the soul. While this is not straight out of Scripture, the author of Hebrews does warn his readers to make sure "no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled." (12:15). Clearly, there is something poisonous about bitterness, and unforgiveness can be harmful to the church. So obey God today... bear and forgive...because you have a Savior who has done the same thing for you at a far more drastic price.

Lovin' Jesus Today (and Always)

Not much to say about these verses, because I think they speak for themselves in giving glory to Jesus. I am slowly making my way through Colossians right now, trying to read no more than half a chapter a day in order to really soak it all in. I leave you with these verses today as you rejoice that you have been raised with Christ. Set your mind on Him today...

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

~ Colossaians 3:1-4 ~

Reward?

I am departing a bit from my usual structure of simply reflecting about what I am reading in God's Word during my own quiet times...

This past week at our Missional Community Group, we somehow stumbled upon discussing the idea of "reward" in heaven. One guy in our group asked "If I want to out-do people on earth, so I have more reward than them in heaven, is that wrong?" Yes, our pastor replied. Thank goodness. I don't think acting out of "selfish ambition" (Philippians 2 happened to be what were studying that night) - sinfully competing with your neighbor to earn God's blessing - is really going to get you any type of reward on earth OR in heaven.

A girl in our group quickly piped up and said that JESUS is our reward in heaven, which was considered the "John Piper" answer.

And another guy asked, why use the term "reward" at all then, if reward just means salvation or eternal life with Christ?

For some reason, I felt really fired up about all this. How could anyone even compare our idea of earthly rewards (money, fame, material goods, comfort, praise and acknowledgement) to the glory and goodness of KNOWING God and living eternally with Him? First, I have to admit that a few years ago, I might have had some of the same questions about reward, but as I see more and more of God's grace and goodness  in my own life, and reflect on the love He has for me that covers all my awful sin, the last thing in the world I am thinking about is what kind of "rewards" I will get in heaven. Are you kidding me? I get to go to heaven?!?!

So this conviction led me back to the Bible to search out what God really says about reward. For some reason, over the past twenty years or so (or maybe it just seems like the last twenty years, because those are the years I have been alive to see), it seems like there has been this growing idea about reward in heaven, an obsession with being honored by God there, the whole idea that good deeds on earth will result in jewels in one's crown later on or gifts or prizes or something like that.

But the Bible doesn't really talk about reward as jewels at all. Here are some examples:

God to Abram (soon to be Abraham): After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." (Genesis 15:1) This is right before God takes Abram outside to count the stars... indicating that the heritage God will build through Abram's line will be vast. The blessing is getting to be the earthly "father" of God's people. God's heritage. His sons and daughters. His blessed Israel. Pretty amazing reward if you ask me...better than a jewel in a crown or some heavenly sports car.

The Psalmist David writes in reference to God's commands: "Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." (Psalm 19:11). What is the reward here? Well, first of all following God's Word prevents us from folly and hardship (it "warns" us about sin). But secondly, the reward of following God is to have assurance of salvation and ever-increasing growth of character. The reward is being a more holy, obedient child of God. The reward is NOT trying to be more obedient so God will reward you.

Jesus says to his disciples "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:6). I don't know exactly what Jesus meant by this (he said the same thing about the discipline of fasting as well... but here it seems to indicate some kind of earthly blessing. Intimacy with God perhaps. God's favor toward the prayer itself. Some kind of other blessing for obedience. It seems like a simple example of the way that God longs to reward and bless his obedient children during their earthly lives.

Paul says: What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. (I Corinthians 9:18). Here Paul is talking about his responsibility and calling to share the Gospel. His reward IS getting to share the Gospel. How I wish I could be more like Paul....

And now my two favorites...

The writer of Hebrews, in the Hall of Faith, explains that Moses chose to forsake his comfortable Egyptian upbringing to live with his poor, enslaved Israelite poeple because "He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward" (Hebrews 11:26). Moses not really know of Christ like we know of Him. He probably had some vague idea that God would send a Messiah, but even that was probably pretty hazy. Yet, he was willing to suffer as Christ did, because He knew that God was great and worth suffering for. His reward was in heaven. In this same passage, the writer talks about all those who died without seeing much, if any, earthly blessing for their faith. Abel was brutally murdered by his brother. Noah lived through the flood. Abraham wandered around and lived in tents in order to obey God. Yet these men "all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth... But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." (Hebrews 11:13-16). The reward for their faith is to dwell with God in a heavenly city. I can't wait until the day I am there with them!

And finally, I think Colossians 3 says it best: "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward (Colossians 3:23-24). Our inheritance is life with God. To be counted as sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty. To be the brothers and sisters of our Savior Jesus Christ. Everything else pales in comparison. Any other blessing or reward is "rubbish" compared to knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8).

I'm not saying that blessings won't abound in heaven. I can't even imagine the goodness that awaits us there. The Bible doesn't say that much about it in detail, but Jesus promised he has prepared a place for us there, and I know there is going to be an amazing feast when the bridegroom, Jesus, celebrates with His bride, the chuch. Other than that, I don't really know what heavens rewards will look like... except that I know I will get to see the Father and the Son face to face, and there is NO better reward than that.

"Indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance..." -Psalm 16:6

Pleasing to God

How crazy is it that we can please God? That the God of the universe, who created us, and whom we have failed time and time again, can still take pleasure in us? That we can actually behave in ways that bring him joy?

I think that's what so much of this journey through the Bible this year has been about for me. How can I everyday acknowlege my own sin, my shortcomings, be transparent about my failures before God and before man, and still strive to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord? It seems like a strange juxtaposition, yet the Bible makes it clear that those who are in Christ CAN live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. Because Christ's righteousness has been given to us, and through the power of the Holy Spirit to fight the sinful tendancies of our flesh, we can bring God pleasure with the way we live our lives in this fallen world.

As he encourages believers, Paul's epistles nearly always touch on this idea of living to please the Lord. II Corinthians 5:9 says: "So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him." Paul also commends the Philippians on their thoughtful gift to him (they sent him money during his imprisonment in Rome), calling it "a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God" (Phil. 4:18). And Paul tells the church at Colasse to "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in knowledge of God" (Col. 1:10).

So whether in life or death, with the gifts I give, with the works I do, in my devotion to learning God's word, my aim is to please the Lord. And because of Jesus, who sits at the right hand of God advocating on my behalf, my life, though imperfect in so many ways, is genuinely pleasing to the absolutely holy and perfect God who made me and loves me.