I’ve been committing time to pondering the beauty and depth of relational connection among individual members of the Body of Christ. The New Testament Greek word koinonia has many varied meanings from it’s varied uses. From a relatively innocuous “contribution” translation of the ESV in 2 Corinthians 9:13 to a God-sourced quality of κοινωνία πνεύματος (participation in the Spirit) of the ESV in Philippians 2:1, this special word describes the mystical aspect of countless, ethnically divergent people being united into one in Christ Jesus.

We are called fellow members of the one Body by the Apostle Paul. Throughout the New Testament we see the use of another Greek word, allaylone, that usually gets translated as “one another” to describe the various ways we are to be connected. Love one another. Comfort one another. Bear one another’s burdens. Forgive one another. Encourage one another. Of course, this is not an exhaustive representation of the New Testament witness to the bonds of fellowship in the Body of Christ.

Christian community is a precious gift. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, Christian community is an extension of your very self. As there is a mysterious oneness of a husband and wife according to the truth of God’s word, there is a oneness of a person of faith and anyone else who is a person of faith in the mystery of their connectedness as members of the Body of Christ.

For a husband and wife, God’s math says that one and one equals one. For a person of faith in Christ as Lord, one and countless other people of faith equals one, one Body. The author of Hebrews affirms this. “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Heb 10:25 NLT).

The gathered body is essential to the life of a faithful follower. Jesus wept over the reluctance of His own people, the Jews, to be “gathered.” He said,

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.

Mat. 23:37 NLT

The Greek word in Jesus’ lament for “to gather” is also the word Jesus uses in teaching about the gathering that will happen at His second coming. “And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven“ (Mat 24:31 NLT).

The Apostle Paul uses another form of this same word in teaching about the return of our King. He writes, “Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him“ (2 Thes. 2:1 NLT). The form Paul uses is the same form as the writer of Hebrews uses to invite, convict and command the people of faith to meet together, to gather.

We are to gather in this way especially now that the day of Christ’s return is so near. It is as if this invitation is pointing to our preparation as the church for when we will be gathered at Christ’s return. We are duly warned that when the whole body of Christ comes together there will be unity in the diversity of the body of Christ.

Back in Deuteronomy, the ancient creed of the Jewish faith declared, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut. 6:4-5 ESV). The “one” אֶחָד (ekh-awd’) Lord we are called to love with our all, took on flesh and came among us. In prayer, Jesus said, “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you“ (John 17:21 NLT).

We need each other if we are going to lead godly lives. It’s not a preference, it’s a necessity according to God’s design. If we neglect the Body, the “meeting together,” we do so to our own ineffectiveness as people of God who are called to join Jesus on His mission to redeem and restore all things.

Peace

• David selected five smooth stones to fight Goliath. 1 Sam 17

  • Our fourth “smooth” Biblical stone for fighting the giants

    • Fight - Resist, oppose - ἀνθίστημι (anth-is’-tay-mee)

      • Eph 6:10-12, 13, 14-18

        • withstand & stand (ἀνθίστημι & ἵστημι)

          • To stand - ἵστημι

            • Acts 12:6-17 - great story, not the usage as our smooth stone

            • 1 Cor 10:12-13 - we’ll come back to this passage next week

          • Biblical usage in Eph 6:13

            • continue safe and sound, stand unharmed, to stand ready or prepared

            • to be of a steadfast mind

            • of quality, one who does not hesitate, does not waiver

      • 1 Peter 5:8-9

        • The communal quality of fighting with this smooth stone.

          • Remember how David would fight lions and bears to protect the flock

          • Your family of believers all over the world

          • Psalm 23:4-5 - Satan may look, but he cannot touch: the offensive action of HC

      • James 4:6, 7 & 8

        • Our fighting stance - knowing our Champion has our back

          • “humble yourselves before God.”

          • “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”

        • Picture the courage of a cub when the alpha male lion is behind.

    • Resist! Stand strong! Withstand in the evil day, that…

      • ... having done all, you will stand firm.”

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Have you ever felt invisible? I don’t mean like someone would run into you if they were passing by… they can see you, but they don’t really SEE you. Like you aren’t worth seeing. You don’t matter. You simply are a part of the scenery, not a living, breathing, created-in-the-image-of-God kind of valuable person.

It’s not a good feeling. Maybe that sort of experience has caused you to question your own self-worth. I’ve had enough experiences of running into someone I’ve met before, known. I remember them, but they show absolutely no acknowledgement of having ever met me. Not an inkling. I felt small, insignificant, not worth remembering.

It’s moments like that, experiences like that that drive me to the Word. There I find truth to temper my inadequacy, my obscurity, my feigned worthlessness.

1 O Lord, you have examined my heart

and know everything about me.

2 You know when I sit down or stand up.

You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

3 You see me when I travel

and when I rest at home.

You know everything I do.

4 You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, Lord.

5 You go before me and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too great for me to understand!

Psalm 139:1-6 NLT

Correct. I cannot understand how or why the Almighty Creator of the universe sees me as significant enough to know at such depths. The thought indeed is too wonderful for me. But it sure does feel good to be seen.

My Father sees me when I’m at my best, at the highest of highs. And He sees me when I’m at my lowest, my rock bottom, in the pits. Yet He puts His blessed hand on my head and blesses me. Me!?!

I can’t run from Him. I can’t hide from Him. I don’t want to either. That is precisely why I turn to the Word in the first place. I want to be seen. I want to be known. I need my Father to go before me and follow me.

7 I can never escape from your Spirit!

I can never get away from your presence!

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;

if I go down to the grave, you are there.

9 If I ride the wings of the morning,

if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 even there your hand will guide me,

and your strength will support me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me

and the light around me to become night—

12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.

To you the night shines as bright as day.

Darkness and light are the same to you.

Psalm 139:7-12 NLT

As I ponder such omniscient love, the care with which my God has formed me, I sense a rising desire not only to take hold of this love in my life, but to see others with such love. I want that anyone who is near me could feel seen by me, feel me seeing them as a meticulously fashioned image bearer of God.

God’s thoughts for every person are precious, innumerable. If a simple poor Intha fisherman on Inle lake in Myanmar is of such value to God that His thoughts about said fisherman cannot be counted, how could I not see that fisherman as an equal, worth seeing as I want to be seen?

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

16 You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.

They cannot be numbered!

18 I can’t even count them;

they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up,

you are still with me!

Psalm 139:13-18 NLT

My intention is one thing. Actually living the intention out is another. I do see people. However, too often I see scenery instead of people. I perpetuate for others the uncomfortable, undesirable feeling of not being seen.

I need to be checked, called out, reminded of how desperately dependent on God’s grace I am to live as a light-bearer in this world. I want the correction. Here, too, I turn to the Word.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Psalm 139:23-24 NLT

May we seek to have the eyes of our Lord, to see everyone as a valued child of God. May we acknowledge others as worthy of notice, staying attentive to small signs of their being a unique, meticulously sculpted work of our Master Creator. May you not doubt how precious you are in the eyes of our Father. When you do doubt, turn to the Word and be assured that He loves you and will lead you along the path of everlasting life.

Peace

• David selected five smooth stones to fight Goliath. 1 Sam 17

• Our third “smooth” Biblical stone for fighting the giants

  • Rebuke - ἐπιτιμάω (ep-ee-tee-mah’-o)

    • To honor (non-biblical), to adjudge in the sense of merited penalty, to censure severely, rebuke

  • We need rebuking - from the Lord

  • When we are right with the Lord, rebuke becomes a tool for the good of His Body,

  • And a weapon to be used through the Lord.

    • Jude 1:9–Michael the archangel “did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you.’”

• Jesus rebuked

  • The devil and demons

    • Mt 17:18; Mk 1:25; Lk 4:35, 9:42; etc.

      • See Zechariah 3:2

  • Natural forces: wind, waves, fever

    • Mt 8:26; Mk 4:39; Lk 4:39

      • See Ps 106:9; Nahum 1:4; Malachi 3:11

  • People not to reveal Him before the right time

    • Mt 12:16, 16:20; Mk 3:12, 8:30; Lk 9:21

  • James and John get rebuked by Jesus because of the state of their hearts

    • Luke 9:51-56

• The disciples and other people rebuked

  • Other people for bringing children to Jesus

    • Mt 19:13; Mk 10:13; Lk 18:15

  • Those seeking healing from Jesus

    • Mt 20:31; Mk 10:48; Lk 18:39

  • Peter rebuked Jesus!

    • Mt 16:22 (Jesus doesn’t rebuke back); Mk 8:32-33

• To be used with godly wisdom

  • 2 Tim 3:16 & 4:2

    • All Scripture is to: teach, rebuke, correct, train

      • Rebuke here is actually ἐλέγχω (el-eng’-kho)

    • Preach, reprove, rebuke, exhort

      • el-eng’-kho, ep-ee-tee-mah’-o, par-ak-al-eh’-o

  • Luke 17:1-10 esp v4

    • We are taught to rebuke for the sake of forgiveness and healing the Body

• For fighting the giant - in Christ and with the Lord

  • Rebuke Satan, demons, powers of darkness

    • Satan’s strongholds

    • Any spirit of deception or division in the Body

    • Any powers that stand in the way of God’s Kingdom

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Tempers are flaring again. Tensions are rising again. Elections are upon us and political polarization hasn’t ebbed a bit. Nearly every conversation I have has included comments interjected about gasoline or grocery prices, natural disasters, family divisions, global violence, El Nino, or some other anxiety provoking topic.

Can’t we all just listen to The Beatles more and let it be?

I was recently sitting with a group of friends and it came out that my granddaughter is a huge Beatles fan. Everyone was taken back. I told them all, “I tried to stump her one time saying, ‘let’s sing When I’m Sixty-Four.’” I started singing and soon she stopped me.

“That’s not how it goes, granddad.”

“What are you talking about,” I shot back. “Of course that’s how it goes.”

“No, the words are…” and she recited the words accurately. A soon as I heard them come out of her mouth, I knew she had nailed it.

“Oh. Right” I said. “That IS how it goes.”

I got corrected on Beatles lyrics by my 8 year old granddaughter!?! All my friends got a good laugh out of that story.

The retelling of that story to my friends has actually served to make Beatles songs pop into my head more often, which of course is a good thing. I woke up just the other day humming “when I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me speaking words of wisdom, let it be. And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me speaking words of wisdom, let it be.”

Some would say this is a song about surrendering control during difficult times. But surrendering to whom?

Sadly, Paul experienced the death of his dear mother to cancer when he was a young teen. It was during a very stressful and turbulent time for the band that Paul had a dream. In his dream his mother, Mary, comforted him, assuring him everything would be alright. The vivid night vision inspired the song.

Plenty of people have assumed that Paul was inferring Mother Mary as in the mother of Jesus. So, although that isn’t who McCartney’s lyrics were about, I’d much rather consider the wisdom of Mother Mary, Jesus’ mother in my time of need. How about you join me in this consideration?

When we find ourselves in times of trouble, Mother Mary’s words come to us, speaking words of wisdom, “how can this be…” (Luke 1:34 ESV)? Mary modeled for us the humility of heart that is willing to ask for revelation in the midst of circumstances we are unable to control. Show us, Lord. Tell us how You will do for us what we cannot do in, for or through our own selves. We need you.

Mother Mary received exactly what she requested. She was given insight into how God was going to do God’s thing with her and through her. She listened and took it in. Then she responded with deeper words of wisdom. “Let it be… (Luke 1:38 ESV). Let it be. We are God’s servants. Let it be with us as God has determined.

46 Mary responded,

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.

47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,

and from now on all generations will call me blessed.

49 For the Mighty One is holy,

and he has done great things for me.

50 He shows mercy from generation to generation

to all who fear him.

51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!

He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.

52 He has brought down princes from their thrones

and exalted the humble.

53 He has filled the hungry with good things

and sent the rich away with empty hands.

54 He has helped his servant Israel

and remembered to be merciful.

55 For he made this promise to our ancestors,

to Abraham and his children forever.”

Luke 1:46-55 NLT

Tempers may flare and tensions may rise, but we may always have words of praise and glory on our lips. As Mother Mary has shown so beautifully, our souls need not be burdened under the pressure of our worlds unbelief. Our souls may magnify the God of our salvation. For when broken hearted people living in a broken world agree that our God reigns, there is our answer. Let it be. Let God be God!

It wasn’t always easy for her though, Mother Mary. She travailed in her heart over the time her Son was about the Father’s business while she and her husband frantically searched for Him. When they discovered Him where Jesus said they should have known Him to be, in His Father’s house, she blurted out, “why have you treated us so” (Luke 2:48 ESV)?

This can remind us that Mother Mary’s wisdom is still subject to her own humanness. Jesus said they shouldn’t have been frantic. Shouldn’t they have known where He would be? Jesus was moving towards adulthood. He was stepping into His purpose. Mother Mary couldn’t wrap her head around it all. So He “went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:51 ESV).

The treasuring of all she had seen, heard and experienced raising Jesus as His mother since His birth and infancy increased in her the wisdom that came out of her as Jesus finally stepped into His work of the redemption of the world. We don’t want to miss these words of wisdom.

Her last words recorded in the Bible come from the Gospel of John’s story of a wedding banquet. The hosts ran out of wine, an embarrassing faux pas that is hard for modern people to appreciate. Such a situation would lead to social disgrace, humiliation and a critical loss of standing within the family’s wider community.

Mother Mary steps in. She quietly, subtly, but decisively approaches Jesus. “They have no wine” (John 2:3 ESV). This is the equivalent of saying,

“I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how any of the multiple aspects of this terrible situation can be rectified. But I know who to come to with the statement of reality that bears underneath it the plea for help. JESUS! I need You! We need You! They need You! Everyone needs You! I/we/they have no _______,” fill in the blank. Then let the “wine” of Mary’s words remind you of the joyful celebration of love that is about to be disrupted by the lack. And surrender your heart again to the One who alone is ENOUGH.

Jesus, be enough for this moment. Be enough for us. Be my Good Shepherd. Teach me the fundamental truth that because You are my shepherd, I lack nothing. I have all I need. I shall not want.

Mary, I am convinced, had no idea what her Son Jesus was going to do. I am absolutely confident that she hadn’t imagined for one fraction of a second that her Son, the only begotten of the Father, the Word made flesh, the One who was with God from the beginning and in whom all things came into being, would manipulate the physical and chemical properties of water into the physical and chemical properties of the best tasting wine the world had ever known. All she knew was to go to Him.

How often have you found yourself perseverating over a decision made by some elected official with whom you don’t agree, or a dastardly action taken by a deranged perpetrator, or a painful circumstance over which no human has control? Follow the wisdom of Mother Mary. Take it to Jesus. “They/we/I have no capacity to celebrate Your glorious, loving enough-ness.”

When the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me. I can see light in the darkness. I can even reflect the light of Christ in the twilight of our world’s pain. Listen to the last words of wisdom of Mother Mary recorded in the Scriptures. She simply says, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5 ESV).

These words of wisdom cannot be more profound, and should not be underestimated or undervalued. Do what HE tells you. Love Him. Abide in Him. Pray for those who persecute you. Love your enemies. Don’t judge. Don’t worry. Let your light shine… shine until tomorrow. Let it be.

Whisper words of wisdom. Pay attention to the wise words of Mother Mary. They are recorded for us to read and re-read in these particular places in the Gospel’s.

• Luke 1:34, 38, 46-55

• Luke 2:48

• John 2:3, 5

Especially her last words. “Do whatever He tells you.” Jesus tells you and me,

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[g] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:25-34 ESV

Why should we worry? What is there to fret about? Anxiety has no place in the life of the beloved sheep of the Good Shepherd. We should let it be with us according to God’s word. Maybe I should just let it be.

Peace

• David selected five smooth stones to fight Goliath. 1 Sam 17

• πρὸς καθαίρεσιν ὀχυρωμάτων - “pulling down strongholds” (2 Cor 10:4)

  • Our second “smooth” Biblical stone for fighting the giants

    • Opportunity - τόπος (top’-os), place, quarter

    • Mat 14:13 - Jesus made a discipline of going to solitary places (ἔρημον τόπον)

      • Silence, solitude - disciplines of spiritual warfare

• The battle: Eph 4:27 - give no place, no foothold, no opportunity to the devil.

  • What gives Satan τόπος ?

    • Anger, offense.

  • Rom 12:19 - “give place unto wrath” KJV God will judge

    • No Quarter! - Mat 12:43-45

      • Led Zepplin song

• The strategy: Mark 6:30-32

  • Quiet τόπος, desolate τόπος,

    • When you have received the cleansing of your heart, mind and spirit through the blood of Christ, fill the τόπος

      • Silence before God

      • Solitude with God

      • Resting in God

• Let the Light shine in the dark τόπος. From the quiet τόπος, take the τόπος to listen to God’s powerful word of victory.

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O Lord, my heart is not lifted up. My eyes are not raised too high. I have heard and seen devastation coming upon lands around me. Hurricanes and earthquakes shaking the immovable to their foundations. Trees uprooted. Apartment buildings decapitated. Lives lost.

The shaking is unnerving. Disquieted within me is my own soul. How? Why? To whom shall I go? Wisdom is far off. I want to know, but knowledge holds no comfort. What will crumble next? Where is security to be found? In You?

Only in You. I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. I know I need rest.

Has Satan asked to sift me like wheat? The tremors continue. Will my faith hold firm in the aftershocks? The chaff is being separated. The kernels remain. Are You still interceding, Lord? For I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother. My faith will not fail according to Your pleading.

I may stumble. I may fall. But You, Lord, have not abandoned me. In my turning again to You, You call me to be strong, to strengthen and build up my fellow stumblers. Like a weaned child is my soul within me. I will hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever more.

Amen.

While news of three major tropical storms hitting North America on the same weekend swirled in my mind, I heard of a major earthquake rocking the country in Central America to which family members of mine are relocating. Together with the grief of family loss and the joy of family celebrations, these life events have me aware of how dependent I have become on my Good Shepherd for peace and the rest I know I need.

You too can find the green pastures and still waters your soul needs in Him. He is praying for you, pleading for you. He doesn’t take us out of our trials. His prayer support sustains us through our trials.

Be still.

Tune in.

Give attention to the power of His prayers for you.

1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;

my eyes are not raised too high;

I do not occupy myself with things

too great and too marvelous for me.

2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the Lord

from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 131 ESV

31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32 But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.”

Luke 22:31-32 NLT

Be quiet my soul.

Peace

• David selected five smooth stones to fight Goliath. 1 Sam 17

• ὅπλα τῆς στρατείας ἡμῶν - “weapons of our warfare” (2 Cor 10:4)

  • Our first “smooth” Biblical stone for fighting the giants

    • Thoughts - νόημα (no’-ay-mah), mind

    • The peace of God keeps our νόημα in Christ - Phil 4:7

• The battle: 2 Cor 3 & 4

  • Our preconceived notions about what is “right”

    • The brilliance of the covenant and the veil - 2 Co 3:14

  • The light of the new and eternal covenant

    • Jars of clay - 2 Co 4:4, 7

• The strategy: “every thought captive to obey Christ” 2 Cor 10:5

  • Context: There are people sowing division in the Body of Christ

    • If Satan (the giant) can foster discontent with leadership, that’s a huge win for the enemy

    • It’s no good to have a mouth full of Bible verses if your heart is full of hatred

  • Paul is not only being undermined, he is being attacked personally

    • One of the most vulnerable points of our lives is our insecurity. It’s an identity issue. vs 7

      • The armies of Israel didn’t have the confidence to face the giant, but David did.

      • We know the God of heaven’s armies

      • Isa 54:17 - no weapon formed against us…

  • We know Satan’s ways: evil schemes, designs, sly ways - 2 Cor 2:11

    • A real concern - 2 Cor 11:3

• May Peace return and win the day: Phil 4:7

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• Sticks and stones… words can be powerful

  • hapax legomenon - a word that appears only once within a document or corpus

  • The works of William Shakespeare — known for wide variety in his vocabulary — are estimated to contain more than 6,000 hapax legomena (the plural form).

    • Honorificabilitudinitatibus - “the state of being able to achieve honours”

    • Wm Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost” - Act 5, Scene 1

• David selected five smooth stones to fight Goliath. 1 Sam 17 Why five? Many people say because Goliath had four brothers. ??? Why smooth?

  • Wouldn’t a jagged or sharp edged stone be more lethal?

    • A smooth stone launched from a sling will fly truer than a jagged stone.

    • Sling hunters will tell you that blunt force well placed is the effectiveness of dropping game, not penetration.

  • Smooth stones - חַלֻּק (khal-look’) only used in 1 Sam 17:40

    • A Biblical hapax legomenon

  • From root חָלַק (khaw-lak’)

    • to divide, share, plunder, allot, apportion, assign

    • to be smooth, slippery, deceitful

      • Smooth Operator - Isa 41:7

      • Smooth Criminal - Ps 36:1-4 (esp v2)

• Here are five “smooth” Biblical stones for fighting the giants of spiritual warfare

  • Thoughts

    • Mind, thoughts - νόημα (no’-ay-mah) Phil 4:7, 2 Cor 2:11, 10:5

  • Opportunities

    • Occasion for acting - τόπος (top’-os) Eph 4:27

  • Rebuke

    • Rebuke of the Lord - ἐπιτιμάω (ep-ee-tee-mah’-o) Jude 1:9

  • Fight

    • Resist, oppose - ἀνθίστημι (anth-is’-tay-mee) James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:9

  • Flee

    • Exit, way out - ἔκβασις (ek’-bas-is) 1 Cor 10:13

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• Can you believe these stats?!?

  • Over 11,000 downloads (listens?) as far as I can tell

    • 6 of the 7 Continents!!

    • From 58 different countries.

    • What!?!

  • First podcast published on Substack on Aug 17, 2023

  • Podcast platform went live on Nov 10, 2023

    • Learning curve with RSS feeds, etc.

    • Setting up a Domain (johnbromhal.com)

    • Distribution began beyond Substack to

      • The BIG five (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio)

      • And (Podcast Index, Castbox, Overcast, Pocket Cast, Podcast Addict, Deezer, and many others)

• Why is 150 significant?

  • It is how long the waters of the flood covered the earth.

    • Gen 7:21-24 - the time over which the chaos waters ruled.

      • Everything that had breath, died. Except Noah and his family and the animals on the Ark.

      • Noah’s ( נֹחַ ) name means “rest” -

      • Ark תֵּבָה (tay-vaw’) , the same word used for the basket Moses was saved by in the waters of the Nile

    • 8:1-5 - the time after which the ark “rested” on Ararat

      • Rested ( נוּחַ )

      • Mountain peaks reappeared

    • 150 days was not the end of the time in the ark.

      • Most scholars put the stay in the ark duration at 370-371 days total.

      • I’ve got a ways to go if I’m going to do as many podcast episodes!

• Psalm 150 - The last great celebratory Psalm in the Psalter. The where, why, how and who of worship

  • Verse 1 - Praise the Lord… where?

    • In the holy places

    • And the created places

      • See Gen 1:6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 17, 20

      • A space רָקִיעַ (raw-kee’-ah), an expanse, sky, heavens

  • Verse 2 - Praise the Lord… why?

    • For what He does - megaleia (mighty works)

    • For who He is - unequaled, excellent, magnificent greatness

  • Verses 3-5 - Praise the Lord… how?

    • The full range of instrumentation

    • Full body worship - dancing

  • Verse 6 - Praise the Lord… who?

    • Circle back to what suffered in the encroaching chaos of the flood. - everything that had breath.

    • Lift not just our body in dance, nor just through instruments, but with our voices in song.

• Praise the Lord! - Here’s to the next 150 episodes!

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My family has been roaming the full gamut of emotions recently. We joyfully celebrated the marriage of our youngest niece which happened just ten days after my Father-in-law went home to be with Jesus and to be reunited with his beloved wife.

So, I’ve not got enough in me this week to write much. I’ll just include the lyrics of a song I wrote for my father-in-law a few years back. He was quite an influence on me.

So here is “Gratitude Waves.”

Tender footed first class,

Never seeing star light

Or the life of eagles

But the life of the master

Float across the stage of

Make believe romances

Baroness who dances in

The set builder’s eyes

Words never fit even what they are trying to say at

Invented by those who need them to fill up their lack

Simple strength of quiet fortitude

Crowning servitude

Ethic born of a

Navy blue collar

Never asked permission

Of the man whose mission

Is to hold tradition up

More loosely than love

Words never fit even what they are trying to say at

Invented by those who need them to fill up their lack

Gratitude waves crashing on the shoreline of sorrow

Levying back all the tears

All the todays make me hungry for more tomorrow

Adding to hope not to fears

Build a house or maybe

Build a home for baby

And a baby’s siblings

Home is wherever the heart is

Generations progress

Joyful heart reflection

The giver’s given shines

In the giving back

Words never fit even what they are trying to say at

Invented by those who need them to fill up their lack

Gratitude waves crashing on the shoreline of sorrow

Levying back all the tears

Wings of the Dawn glowing red warning mercy’s

Kairotic passage to come

Half a cent to sixty

Rushing’s not your forte

Height and depth and length and breadth

The breath of a lifetime

Waiting for your room to be prepared

No need to be scared

Simply fall

Into His arms.

No time for explanation. Soon.

Peace

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• Review A Jesus Parable and Romans 12:1-2

  • Don’t be “conformed”

  • But be “transformed”

• Review Matthew 25:31-46

  • Separating - aphorisms - from Merriam-Webster Online

    • a concise statement of a principle

    • a terse formulation of a truth or sentiment

      • “Let us value the quality of life, not the quantity.”

      • Compare with a proverb (check out last week’s episode).

  • Sheep vs Goats

    • Being a goat is to practice transactional kindness

    • Being a sheep is to practice joyful generosity

• “Lord, when did we see you… and help you?”

  • Sheep mindset considers loving service of others as a natural, joyful default.

    • “How can I help” flows from a foundational awareness of grace, loving as one has been loved.

    • Sees people through the eyes of compassion, seeing the image of God in the vulnerable.

  • Biblical support or clarification:

    • Proverbs 14:31; 19:17 (NLT) - God’s wisdom reveals that how we treat the poor is how we directly treat God.

      • My experience on the mission field has been that the poor often don’t see themselves as worthy of visiting, help, compassion, dignity.

    • 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (NLT) - Sacrificial generosity grows from first giving one’s self to God, then the joyful response to God’s overwhelming gracious love.

      • I have stories of desperately poor people showing me a sheep’s heart in their joyful generosity.

  • Judgement:

    • “‘when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”

    • Into eternal life!

• I just wanna’ be a sheep. Baa baa ba baa.

  • By the renewal of my mind.

  • By the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

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I’ll never do THAT again!

I don’t know what’s going to happen. Are all my teeth going to fall out? Will I get some horrific form of gum disease? I recently learned that I have a developing abscess on a root canal I had done who knows how many years ago. I flossed my teeth recently and as I was putting the floss container away, I noticed that there is an expiration date on the floss.

FLOSS EXPIRES?!? Who knew?

In my more rational state of mind now I’ve come to accept that my abscessing root canal is not caused by floss that has become toxic because it’s past its expiration date. However, I’ll go back to the toothpick method of clearing food from between my teeth, thank you very much. To the best of my knowledge wood, unlike flavored waxed string, doesn’t expire.

Does your trust in the God who sustained and empowered Biblical figures seem like it has some kind of expiration date? Think about how you respond when circumstances oppose your confidence in living out your faith and fulfilling your mission from God to represent Jesus Christ in all you say and do (see Col 3:17). Are your daily peace and joy tied to external circumstances and how others treat you, or are they anchored in Christ’s larger purpose?

The Apostle Paul had every reason one could concoct to waffle in his trust in God’s plan and how it would impact his life. He not only regularly found himself opposed by the people with whom he was sharing the good news of God’s kingdom. He even had opposition from within the community of faith pressing hard on his determination to carry out the mission God had placed upon him.

People with aspirations of being “super-apostles” were jealous of Paul. Jealous of God’s work through him and his message, that is. Not jealous of his imprisonment. They wanted to defame Paul because of his imprisonment. Paul and his message had reached their expiration date. These rivals were there, ready to take up the mantle of “Good News Messengers.”

Paul didn’t take the affront personally. He could discern that even with their faulty and less-than-upright motives, the gospel was being advanced. He wrote,

But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance.

Philippians 1:18-19 NLT

Did you catch that? Paul rejoiced at opposition. He didn’t give up, throw in the towel, find a more conciliatory line of work, soften his message or curl up in the fetal position and wish the trouble would go away. He rejoiced!

When your family member rolled their eyes and huffed, “whatever,” when you told them that Jesus cares about their situation and that you would be praying for them, did you wish you could take your words back? Or did you rejoice because the message about Christ was being made known?

When you heard from an angry parent of one of your students that you need to keep your faith out of the classroom, did you hide the Bible on your classroom desk? Or did you rejoice because the message about Christ was being made known?

When your boss said, “never mind, I’ll give the job to your coworker,” when you asked for time to pray about the assignment, wondering how it would impact your family, did you wish you could retract that request and take the assignment that held potential for advancement in the company? Or did you rejoice because the message about Christ was being made known?

When your God given ministry idea for single young adults was bought into by a single young adult who ran with it, then took full credit for the idea and the ministry work, did you make an appointment with the Pastor to make sure they knew you were the source of the dream and the plan? Or did you rejoice because the message about Christ was being made known?

Paul’s joy was not rooted in his comfort, his reputation, or his immediate circumstances. It was rooted in a perspective larger than himself. It was rooted in the advancement of the Gospel. He refused to let personal slights or difficult environments steal his joy. He knew God’s faithfulness has no expiration date. God is trustworthy and will further His Kingdom as well as work for the relief and deliverance of those who serve Him.

Of course Paul’s confident stance was not founded upon his own strength or extraordinary will. He had people praying for him. He also had absolute confidence in the Holy Spirit’s presence and power. He relied on the practical power of intercession and the active, daily sustenance of the Spirit of Christ to see him through any circumstance and meet his deepest need.

When people misjudge you or act out of poor motives, reframe the situation. Ask, how may God be using the situation to further His Kingdom and be glorified here? Don’t fight your battles alone. Reach out to trusted believers and invite them to pray for you. Likewise, commit to regularly lifting up others who are in hard seasons. When your emotional or physical tank is empty, ask for the “help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” He provides strength, wisdom, and endurance exacted for the dynamic demands of modern life. His strength and help have no expiration date.

I currently have the dental floss container sitting on my desk in my home office. It is there to remind me that when I feel the challenges of opposition, when I second guess my actions or words for the Lord, when it seems like I’m fighting the good fight of faith alone, I need and can depend on the spiritual mental floss of God’s word. For in it I find the truth of God’s “no expiration date” faithfulness.

Peace

• A Jesus Parable and Romans 12:1-2

  • Conformed - συσχηματίζω (soos-khay-mat-id’-zo)

    • BLB - to conform one’s self (i.e. one’s mind and character) to another’s pattern, (fashion one’s self according to)

    • 1 Peter 1:14

  • Transformed - μεταμορφόω (met-am-or-fo’-o) as in Christ’s transfiguration

    • BLB - to change into another form, to transform, to transfigure

    • 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

• Matthew 25:31-46 - the Sheep and the Goats parable

  • Separate - ἀφορίζω (af-or-id’-zo)

    • BLB - to mark off from others by boundaries, to limit, to separate

    • Word from which we get “aphorism” (compare proverb)

      • Proverbs …

        • are a traditional, popular saying rooted in folk wisdom that offers common-sense advice.

        • focus on moral instruction, caution, or practical guidance for daily life.

      • Aphorisms…

        • are a clever, original observation on life usually attributed to a specific writer or thinker.

        • aim to provoke thought, offer a fresh philosophical insight, or reveal a deeper reality.

  • Sheep from Goats

    • Being a sheep is to practice joyful generosity

    • Being a goat is to practice transactional kindness

• “Lord, when did we see you… and not help you?”

  • Goat mindset considers self first.

    • “How can I help” may be based on convenience, obligation, or an attention seeking righteousness (see the “hypocrites” teachings in Mt 6, esp MSG).

    • See people through the lens of utility, measuring others by what they offer or cost.

  • Biblical support or clarification

    • 1 John 4:20 (NLT): Our treatment of the visible “least of these” is the ultimate diagnostic of our invisible faith.

    • James 2:15–17 (NLT): Real faith isn’t abstract theoretical agreement; it has hands and feet.

  • Judgement:

    • “‘when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’”

    • Into eternal punishment!

• I don’t want to be a “Goat.” Nope, nope, no, nope.

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The sixth season of “The Chosen,” will become available to view this fall of 2026. The seventh and last season is currently in production. Season six will cover the crucifixion and death of Jesus. The seventh will portray Christ’s resurrection. To say I am eager for the last two seasons of this outstanding TV show is an understatement.

I began watching the TV series in the first season. By the second episode I was hooked. I found the portrayal of Jesus and His followers to be engaging, thought provoking and entertaining. I also find the back stories the writers create to flesh out the characters plausible compliments to the Biblical foundation. I have been a vocal–and financial–supporter of the show since those early days.

As the show grew in popularity, voices began emerging from parts of the Christian world denouncing the show. The reasons given were unfair assessments of the series from my perspective. I found it troubling that detractors were coming from within the Body of Christ. Why are leaders, teachers and influencers within the church so threatened by the success of this endeavor?

Quite honestly, it reminds me of the words of Paul when he wrote,

15 It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16 They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me.

Philippians 1:15-17 NLT

The habit of speaking critically of Christians by fellow Christians breaks my heart. I believe it breaks the heart of God as well. It was happening in Paul’s day and in our own time isn’t limited to criticism of “The Chosen.” There is no lack of people of faith feeling compelled by their confidence in their own “right”-ness to tear down those who practice an expression of faith that differs from their own. Paul lists this behavior among the works of the flesh in Galatians as “rivalries, dissensions, divisions,” (see Gal 5:20).

This could be what is reflected in Paul’s words to the church in Corinth? He wrote,

10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 11 For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. 12 Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ. 13 Has Christ been divided into factions?

1 Corinthians 1:10-13a NLT

The expected response to Paul’s rhetorical question about Christ being divided into factions is clearly “NO!” Nevertheless, our humanness has created a diversity of denominations within the church. One of the ways I have tried to make sense of the various Christian denominations is to say that the Holy Spirit wants unity within the Body, not uniformity.

We can agree to think differently theologically without condemning brothers and sisters who differ from us. Collaborative ministry is possible. More than that, it is pleasing to God. That should not be understood to mean that we look the other way when a member goes astray of the Orthodox Christian faith. We should seek the good of a brother or sister in Christ trying to bring an erring member of the fellowship back to the truth. In this regard Paul writes,

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. 4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.

Galatians 6:1-5 NLT

This gentle and humble help is not a public blasting away at members of the Christian family on social media. It is a compassionate desire to protect the heart and spirit of the one who is in error. While criticising a Ministry may be considered to be not against an individual, the people who are involved in the ministry being criticised bear the weight of the criticism.

Broad brush stroke denunciations also don’t take into account the damage being inflicted upon those who are being blessed by the ministry. For example, those who have come to faith in Christ Jesus through “The Chosen” may feel confusion and pain at the accusations levied against the show by those who are professed followers of Christ who are being critical. It is a disservice to and wounding of the Body of Christ.

Those who were critical of Paul were nameless voices that pointed to his suffering and imprisonments as signs of his error. They took offense at his chains. Paul wrote to Timothy not to be ashamed of me, even though I’m in prison for Christ (see 2 Tim 1:8). I imagine the creator of “The Chosen” saying, “don’t be ashamed of me even though I am making a TV show for Christ.”

God cares about what you do, but also about why you do it. As Paul points to the distinction between jealousy and pure motives, we need to carefully consider our comments. Are our words motivated by jealousy, rivalry, self-ambition, or insincerity? Or are we seeking to build up the Body of Christ?

May we take encouragement from Paul’s explanation of differences and different approaches to the sharing of the Gospel and nurturing of the community of faith when he writes,

5 After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. 6 I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 9 For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.

1 Corinthians 3:5-9 NLT

Be built up in Christ. Love and serve Him. Use your words to build up, not tear down. Humbly encourage even those members of the Body of Christ who are different than you. If you can’t speak positively of a ministry or a minister of the Gospel, consider saying nothing at all.

God makes Gospel seeds grow.

Peace

• Labor Day Weekend - back to עָבַד

  • Labor - עָבַד (aw-vad’)

    • Work - as in till or cultivate

      • Gen 2:5, 15 - part of the 1st command of God, a blessing

      • Gen 3:23 - a part of the curse in the fall story

    • Serve, slave - a prophetic word to Abram

      • Gen 15:13 - God describes the time of Israel in Egypt after Joseph has died and been forgotten

      • Gen 15:14 - God’s judgement upon the Egyptians who will enslave Israel

    • Serve - working for another for compensation

      • Gen 29:15, 18, 20, 25, 27, 30 - Jacob working for Laban

      • Gen 31:40-42 - “I have עָבַד you” for 20 years and you’ve changed my wages 10 times!

  • So עָבַד can feel like slavery or like freedom and flourishing. It all depends on who you עָבַד. God rescues the Israelites so that they can עָבַד Him through life-giving work.

    • Ex 3:12 - עָבַד - serve, worship

    • Ex 20:5, 9 - 10 commandments

• The Hebrew word עָבַד translated into NT Greek

  • From Gen 2 - till, work = ἐργάζομαι (er-gad’-zom-ahee)

    • Think of ergonomic (ergon-work + nomos-law)

    • Mt 21:28; Mk 14:6; Lk 13:14

    • From ἔργον - see John 17:4 “I have finished the WORK…”

  • From Exodus - forced service, enslave = καταδουλόω (kat-ad-oo-lo’-o)

    • Gal 2:4

    • From δοῦλος (doo’-los) - servant or slave

      • See Rom 1:1; Phil 1:1; Titus 1:1

      • Also Rom 6:16-20

• So be a good ἐργάτης (er-gat’-ace) worker

  • 2 Tim 2:15-21

  • 1 Peter 2:15-17

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It was supposed to be a simple, outpatient medical procedure. Instead it was a radical shift in ministry, the closest I ever experienced the audible Voice of God.

I had gone through a few pre-surgical tests and exams and found myself sitting in my doctor’s office with my wife beside me rather than on a gurney being wheeled into the operating room. The doctor spoke quickly, though not uncompassionately. Nine words is all it took for my life to change.

“I’m sorry to tell you, but you have cancer.”

My wife wilted under the heat of that diagnosis. Weeping and trying to catch her breath kept her from hearing or understanding everything that happened next. I’ve often thought diagnoses like that are harder on the spouse than the person receiving the diagnosis.

As for me, I heard the words and immediately heard, although in my spirit, another voice. Not my doctor’s. Not my wife’s. Like a whisper, but as clearly as I heard the doctor’s voice, I heard God say to me, “Trust Me and I will change your ministry.”

On the spot I trusted God. I asked the doctor, “OK, what do I do now?”

“I need you to come in for surgery on Thursday,” he said. It was Tuesday!

“In two day?” I asked with some incredulity.

“It’s a fast growing cancer. We need it out as soon as possible.”

“Ok,” I said. What time?”

“I’ve got my assistant scheduling it now,” he clarified. “We’ll have the details before you leave here.”

Have you ever wished your life circumstances were different? Maybe you’ve felt like you could be more useful to God if you had more flexibility in your schedule, or more resources, or greater health, or fewer problems. The Apostle Paul didn’t fall into the trap of thinking about what he didn’t have or couldn’t do. He focused on what God was up to in his current circumstances. From a prison cell he wrote to the faith community in Philippi,

I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.

Philippians 1:12-14 NLT

Paul had been called by God to preach the gospel, plant churches, build the Kingdom. Now he was restricted, chained, and unable to travel freely. From a human perspective imprisonment seemed like a setback. But Paul saw his circumstances differently. He didn’t complain or express frustration that his ministry had been interrupted. He said, “everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.” What may have looked like an obstacle to Paul became an opportunity in God’s sovereign hands.

Through imprisonment God gave Paul access to people he may never have reached otherwise. He speaks of “the whole palace guard.” Rather than being thrown into a dungeon like a common criminal, Paul’s status as a Roman citizen awaiting trial before Emperor Nero granted him a form of high-security house arrest. He was chained to a Praetorian soldier at all times, chained at the wrist to the wrist of his guard.

The Praetorian Guard operated on strict, rotating shifts, typically lasting four to six hours. These soldiers had no choice but to be immersed in what Paul was saying. They could try to ignore, yet overheard his dictation of letters that became New Testament epistles. They heard him praying. They were necessarily soaked in Paul’s preaching and teaching of the followers of Christ who came to visit him.

Paul’s chains became a testimony. His suffering became a platform for the gospel. His faithfulness in these circumstances encouraged other believers to become bolder in sharing Christ in their own circumstances.

Clearly God is not limited by any “setback” that comes into our lives. I’m sure that’s why I heard God say to me, “Trust Me and I will change your ministry.” The road through my battle with cancer was not fun or easy. Following the surgery two days after the diagnosis, I was back in the pulpit, sharing with the congregation I was serving at the time as sole Pastor the news and the anticipated journey through radiation therapy and recovery. Some members were saddened. Some were afraid. Many caught my words of trust in God’s ability to use the battle with cancer for His glory.

Paul’s circumstances also produced courage in others. When believers saw Paul’s confidence in Christ, they became more willing to speak about Jesus themselves. One person’s faithfulness became an encouragement to an entire community. Sometimes the most powerful sermon one can preach is not what one says when everything is going well. It is how one lives when everything is NOT going well. Paul’s chains did not silence his witness. They amplified it.

What circumstance in your life are you currently viewing as an obstacle? Could God be inviting you to see it as an opportunity?

Being a follower of Jesus, trusting Him completely, means learning to say, “Wherever God has placed me, I am available to Him.” Your home, neighborhood, classroom, workplace can all become places where Christ is made known through your humble surrender to God. When you encounter the unexpected or hurtful circumstance, trust Christ Jesus then and there.

For the Apostle Paul it was in his captivity, constantly connected to an elite Roman guard, that God used him. For me it was a cancer diagnosis and ensuing battle to beat it that “changed my ministry.” God gave me a new way to relate to anyone going through such diagnoses and a new ministry of compassion there. God often uses the very circumstances we view as obstacles to build our testimony. The same can be true with your current “chain.” Do you have a difficult job? Are you in a long season of waiting? Is there a physical ailment or another uncomfortable limitation that has been sidelining you? Maybe its not to be a detour from God’s plan but the venue for it.

In your daily life, who are the people who make up the “whole palace guard,” the captive audience God has placed around you? How might you practically reflect Christ’s love to them today? Your faithfulness may be doing more than you realize. Someone may be watching how you respond to adversity and learning what it means to trust Jesus.

When you next encounter an obstacle in your life, try turning to Jesus and ask “what opportunity are you giving me here, Lord? Show me how I can honor You here.”

Peace

When I was a teenager my father once asked me to please pour him a little more Kool-Aid. I poured him “a little” Kool-Aid. Maybe an ounce. Without flinching he said, “a little more.” Again, I poured maybe another ounce. He kept saying, “a little more,” and I kept pouring a little more.

Eventually his glass was nearing full. He kept asking. I kept pouring.

By the time my mother walked back into the room and heard my father saying, “a little more,” and seeing me pouring another ounce of the drink as it overflowed the glass and was, at that point, all over the table, she shouted at us both, “what are you two doing?!? STOP IT!!!”

My dad claimed that he wanted to see how long I’d keep pouring. I countered that I wanted to see how long he’d keep asking. Mom thought it was all ridiculous. Dad and I thought it was hilarious. He and I worked together to clean up our mess.

There are some things that are better left not overflowing. The Apostle Paul, however, believed that there are some things that are good to have in such abundance that it exceeded boundaries. He wrote,

I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Philippians 1:9-11 NLT

The word Paul used that gets translated as “overflow” actually means “to exceed a fixed number of measure, to be left over and above a certain number or measure,” according to the Blue Letter Bible online. Kind of like the Kool-Aid in my father’s glass.

How can love overflow? What would it mean for love to abound? Can love really exceed a fixed number of measure? I believe it can. Such love, though, must be maturing, growing in knowledge of God and God’s Word and understanding, grasping in deeper ways the implications of God’s wisdom for our daily lives. It cannot be blind or merely sentimental. It must overflow the banks of comfort, preference and convenience.

One of the ways I learned of such love was from another family member whose own child was caught in the clutches of drug addiction. This young adult was living on the streets, in and out of jail, and would plead for money to get something to eat. In love for this confused and hurting progeny my family member refused to give money. Sometimes love must be tough, and tough love is really hard.

“If you love me you would give me some money for food. I’m starving.”

“I love you more than you know. I won’t give you money.”

Such love is tough but is not cold or hard. It is wise, godly, overflowing. Thus, Paul prayed that with the abundant love would come growth in knowledge and understanding. Knowledge and understanding are not ends in themselves. They serve love by helping us discern what is excellent and what is merely urgent or popular.

Love without knowledge and understanding becomes soft and directionless, a feel-good love that affirms every want.

Knowledge and understanding without love become sharp and prideful, a callus “I know what’s best” legalism.

Put love together with Spirit given knowledge and understanding and the result is the kind of life that can stand before Christ without regret. In a culture saturated with noise, distraction, and selfish demands of what’s important, this prayer remains urgently relevant.

Paul wanted the Philippian community to understand “what really matters.” Could they have wanted to intervene in Paul’s suffering? Did they want to rescue him from his chains, break him out of his prison cell? Paul knew that was not possible. He also knew that when one cannot do what seems to be the loving thing, one needs wisdom to see God’s higher plan and to love according to that plan.

How could you intentionally pair godly love with discernment this week? Imagine loving someone while also seeking God’s wisdom about how best to love them. Do you need greater knowledge and understanding so that your love may become wiser and more effective? Perhaps your love is currently contained rather than overflowing. Think of a specific relationship and situation that needs the overflow of Christ’s love through you.

God has loved you with an overflowing love in Christ Jesus. He has blessed you with that love not according to your personal ideas of what the loving thing for you would be, but according to your true need. You, like me, need a little more… a little more.

So, I speak words of blessing over you dear reader as Paul did for the Philippian believers. May you be filled with the fruit of your salvation. May love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control exceed measure in your life. May the indwelling power and giftings of the Spirit enable you to serve and bless the lives of those around you according to God’s surpassing goodness. For when that blessing is fulfilled, God gets glorified and praised.

Peace

1 Now I will sing for the one I love

a song about his vineyard:

My beloved had a vineyard

on a rich and fertile hill.

2 He plowed the land, cleared its stones,

and planted it with the best vines.

In the middle he built a watchtower

and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks.

Isaiah 5:1-2b NLT

I recently presided at the wedding of a young woman I’ve known for decades. Her husband is an engineer. I struggle to wrap my head around what any engineer does. I suspect there is always a lot of math involved which tends to make my brain spasmodic. She, however, is a trained viticulturist and has been working at vineyards, gaining experience in the workings of a vineyard.

I’ve harvested grapes before–gleaned really–and I made the grapes I gleaned from a friend’s vines into wine. Consequently, her world seems more understandable for me, relevant to my life experiences and vocation. What I mean by that is my vocational endeavors align with vineyards. After all, Jesus was the One who used the grapevine metaphor of Himself, likening those who are IN Him to branches that will be pruned in order to be fruitful.

The truth is, vines and vineyards play prominent rolls in Scripture. They make for rich and helpful imagery when speaking of the relationship of God’s people to the Kingdom of God. Jesus told the parable of the vineyard workers in Matthew 20:1-16 to teach about God’s abundant generosity. He told the parable of the two sons sent by their father to work in the vineyard in Matthew 21:28-32 to teach about a godly response to the Father’s instructions. Then, there was this one.

• Parable of the Evil Farmers - Matthew 21:33-46 NLT

  • “Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country… I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.” When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers.”

Vineyards played a prominent roll in ordinary life for first century Judeans. When Jesus used the vineyard as a metaphor in the parable of the evil farmers, everyone could relate, especially the leading priests and Pharisees. I wonder how many of them were recalling the song of Isaiah about the vineyard. Jesus may have had that passage of the Prophet in mind when He told His story, but he changed it enough that rather than a judgement of all the people, He made the religious leaders the villains. They were the wicked farmers.

Isaiah’s song doesn’t let the people off the hook that way. He wrote,

Then he waited for a harvest of sweet grapes,

but the grapes that grew were bitter.

3 Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah,

you judge between me and my vineyard.

4 What more could I have done for my vineyard

that I have not already done?

When I expected sweet grapes,

why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes?

5 Now let me tell you

what I will do to my vineyard:

I will tear down its hedges

and let it be destroyed.

I will break down its walls

and let the animals trample it.

6 I will make it a wild place

where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed,

a place overgrown with briers and thorns.

I will command the clouds

to drop no rain on it.

7 The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

The people of Judah are his pleasant garden.

He expected a crop of justice,

but instead he found oppression.

He expected to find righteousness,

but instead he heard cries of violence.

Isaiah 5:1b-7 NLT

How might we think about and apply this text to our lives today? This is a word of God against the covenant people of Israel. However, those who live in covenant relationship with God through His grace and the completed work of the Savior Jesus Christ are now the “Israel” of the Lord. So, let the Christian Church be the vineyard of the Lord of heaven’s Armies. The people of the Body of Christ are His pleasant garden, His vineyard.

Read in this way, God is expecting of us His people to be fruit bearing. Justice and righteousness are the sweet fruit God desires. Oppression or cries of violence from those we are called to love would be the bitter grapes of Isaiah’s song’s metaphor. How are we doing as the vineyard of our Lord?

I regularly hear of people in these days who have been wounded by the Church. Some say traumatized. In some cases these hurts are caused by legalistic leaders and members of the Church who are proficient in pointing out others’ specks while ignoring their own logs. In John 1:14 ESV we read, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” We should not miss the grace for the sake of guarding the truth. It is significant that grace leads truth. When we lead with truth, grace is too easily lost.

In other cases it is outright abuse inflicted by people who hold positions of influence and authority in the Church. Many such cases go on for too long before being brought to the light of justice so that the cries of violence go unaddressed and oppression grows instead of being righted in righteousness.

Brothers and Sisters, we should grieve at the Song of the Vineyard. We should weep and mourn for those who are being crushed by an oppressive Church. We should collectively confess and repent on behalf of those parts of the Body that inflict violence on souls that need healing and hope. We should commit ourselves to justice and righteousness, to bearing sweet fruit, to loving as Jesus loved, to the wisdom of letting God’s word speak into our lives for the reformation of His whole Body.

Lord, may I not avoid Your conviction coming through the ancient word You delivered through Isaiah. May I be willing to suffer with those who suffer unjustly, having compassion enough to pray for those who are hurt and seek to reform the approach of the Church to a broken and messed up world. Protect Your Church from compromising the truth. But give us the wisdom to lead with grace as we seek to represent You, Jesus, in all we say and do. Amen.

Peace

SPAM was a common selection. Scanning the shelves of a local food bank stocked by loving Christians for the needy, knowing that my kids would eat it cut thin and fried crisp like bacon, it would go in the shopping bag. Same with the boxed macaroni and cheese kits, the canned fruit, vegetables, soups and jarred spaghetti sauce with a box of pasta.

I used to donate non-perishable food items for a local ministry when I was working full time and supporting my own family. In this season of life, I was an unemployed full time graduate student and my family landed in the category of society that needed to make withdrawals from that bank rather than making deposits for others. “We” were “them.”

There are moments in life that function as a crucible of character. The Apostle Paul knew this truth. He spent time in prison, unjustly suffering for blessing others with the truth of the Gospel. At one such moment in his life, chained to a Roman guard, he composed words to a group of people he had blessed in such a way, helping them come to know Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life. As he wrote, the quality of heart oozed out of him through his words.

So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:7-8 NLT

You see, a truly amazing part of these words are their setting. One would reasonably expect incarceration to cause a shrinking into a shell of self-preservation. Paul’s internal world, however, is expanding. He is tied to these believers by a common experience of God’s favor that is far stronger than the iron links of his prison cell’s chains. Through the steadfast prayer and abundant generosity of the community, they have moved beyond mere acquaintances to become a true family in the faith.

In a similar way I was longing, with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus, to express my gratitude for the nameless brothers and sisters in Christ who had a special place in my heart because of our sharing together the special favor of God. As I stood in that food bank time after time, as a customer rather than a donor, I realized how deeply grateful I am for the Body of Christ, for the koinonia of fellowship, even with those members of the Body I’d never meet or know personally.

What happens in your heart when you face the crucible of a time of trial in life? Can you examine the depth and quality of your own Christian relationships? Do you cherish the people who walk with you through trials, especially when the path is costly? Do you in turn allow the compassion of Christ to shape how you feel about and long for members of the Body? True gospel partnership does not require constant proximity. It requires a shared commitment to Jesus that creates a lasting place in one’s heart for the other.

Genuine Christian fellowship goes deeper than a shared Sunday morning worship experience or surface conversation. It is rooted in the shared experience of God’s unmerited favor. Paul wasn’t afraid to tell his friends how much he loved and longed for them. How about you? Loving like Jesus means letting people know they hold a special place in your heart. Standing with and walking along side people when they are bound up in their own “chains” builds a connection rooted in the gospel. Whether it’s illness, grief, or personal hardship, we can bear one another’s burdens.

Who has stood by you in your crucible of “chains” or hardship? Have you taken time recently to thank them and acknowledge how they shared God’s grace with you? Is there someone in your circle who is currently going through a hard season? How can you partner with them in their crucible? Is there a friend or mentor you need to encourage today by letting them know they have a “special place in your heart”?

Paul loved deeply even from a prison cell.

I remember with deep gratitude my partners in the Gospel I never met but received the blessing of their generosity.

May God give you a heart of tender compassion for those who stand in the gap for you, who walk the hard road with you, who minister to you in the crucible of trial. May you learn to value these partnerships in the Gospel more than comfort, and long for your sisters and brothers in Christ with a love that reflects the love of your Savior.

Peace