Peacemakers - Sons of God

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Over the years, I’ve watched diplomats frantically fly from country to country in an effort to secure peace. Sometimes they succeeded, if only temporarily, and sometimes their efforts were futile. 

Being a peacemaker is a noble effort. Have you ever thought of yourself as a peacemaker? I’m not talking about being a politician or diplomat. I’m talking about being in an elite group who work tirelessly to restore peace that was forfeited because of sin. 

Christ followers are called to be peacemakers. There is no greater privilege. And there are two distinct ways to go about it:

1. Help others find peace with God. We can do that when we preach the gospel of peace with clarity; that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, thus making peace [2 Corinthians 5.19]. That’s the message of the early church and ours as well. Earlier I said that peacemaking is a noble effort. Listen to Paul’s commendation to the Roman Christ followers, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” [Romans 10.15, an adaptation of Isaiah 52.7].

2. Help reconcile believers to one another. Scripture is clear that God doesn’t accept worship from Christ followers who are at odds with each other. They must resolve their conflict, then bring their offerings to God [Matthew 5.23-24].

Peacemaking is necessary, but not necessarily an easy task. It requires that we speak the truth in love, then allow God the Holy Spirit to bring reconciliation. And, by the way, to be an effective peacemaker, you have to maintain peace in your life! Sin will disrupt that peace and make it difficult, if not impossible, to dispense God’s peace to others. So, guard your heart by confessing your sin [1 John 2.9], and let God use you as a peacemaker.

As a Christ follower, you are an ambassador of peace!

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9

Amaziah, the Half-Hearted King

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

In one of my daily readings, I’ve been going through the Kings and Chronicles. The other day, a verse seemed to leap from the pages, which arrested my attention. It had to do with a king of Judah. Amaziah was his name. He was the son of Joash whom he followed to the throne after his father was assassinated. He became King at the age of 25 and ruled for nearly 30 years, some of which was as a co-regent. His reigned around the time of the prophet Joel.

What struck me as I read about him was a verse that said he did things for the Lord, but not with all his heart. Quite frankly, it’s a haunting verse. By way of application, it describes:

A person who professes Christ, but never owns his faith.

A person who loves church activity more than Christ.

A person who talks the Bible, but doesn’t walk the Bible.

A person who does good things, but suffers from spiritual anemia.

A person who would rather please people than God.

A person who is “kind of” about Christ, but “all” about riches.

It describes exactly the person I don’t want to be—a half-hearted Christ follower! 

I know of only one way to escape half-heartedness: to walk low before the Lord, asking Him daily to make you more like His Son, our Savior, Jesus.

He [King Amaziah] did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly. 2 Chronicles 25.2

Christ Our Peace

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

World peace. That’s why the United Nations was created after World War II, to promote world peace. While, arguably, they have been good at something else, they have failed miserably at bringing world peace. History records there hasn’t been a single day of global peace since its inception in 1945. 

That hasn’t always been the case. There was a time when peace reigned on earth because everything was in perfect harmony with God. That’s right, there was global peace before the fall of man. The fall introduced sin in the world, which interrupted peace by alienating God and man, thus bringing a curse upon the creation. True peace was impossible to attain because man no longer had peace in his heart. That’s why Jesus came. Listen to His inspired words to the disciples, “I did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give My life as a ransom for many” [Matthew 20.28].

A couple were arguing their case in front of a judge. They had irreconcilable differences and a divorce seemed inevitable. Their young boy was distressed and crying at what was happening. While the couple continued to argue, the boy took his Father and Mother’s hands and tugged on them until he joined them. 

That’s what Jesus did; He made a way for God and man to join hands. The Apostle Paul said it this way to the Roman Christ followers, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ” [Romans 5.1]. And to the Colossian Christ followers he said that God reconciled all things to Himself “having made peace through the blood of His [Christ’s] cross” [Colossians 1:20].

The cross was anything but peaceful. Humiliation, pain, darkness, hatred mockery, and death were everywhere pervasive. Yet through it all, Christ did what only He could do: join God and man together, making peace. What a precious gift!

One day, Christ will return as Prince of Peace, and of His government and peace, there will be no end [Isaiah 9.7]. Until then, His peace reigns in the hearts of those who love Him. 

Christ’s atonement made it possible for man to be at peace with God.

For unto us a Child is born, 

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9.6

If You Want to be Great

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

We used to sing this Scripture song many years ago:

If you want to be great in God’s kingdom

Learn to be the servant of all

The very first set of commentaries I bought were written by R.C.H. Lenski. He wrote this: “great men are not sitting on top of lesser men, but bearing lesser men on their backs.” To that, Jesus would agree, “…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…” [Matthew 20.26]. 

When Jesus spoke about being great, He referred to genuine servanthood, not the kind of public service we see in many who use their positions for power and prestige. As a matter of fact, the word Jesus used for servant, referred to the lowest level of hired help. He could have chosen a more noble word, but He chose the word from which we get our English deacon, because it best described the selfless humility of one who served.

Jesus didn’t stop there. His next words took it even further, “…whoever wants to be first must be your slave…” [Matthew 20.27]. Being a servant is one thing, but being a slave is another ball game. Servants had some personal freedoms, slaves did not. Slaves worked at their master’s bidding. For Christ followers, the application is clear: “whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” [Romans 14.8].

The Lord’s kind of greatness means you are willing to work in the hard place, the lonely place, even the unappreciated place. While there, you endure the suffering without self-pity or complaint, and work with excellence. When you do, one day you will hear, “Well done, good and faithful slave . . . enter into the joy of your master” [Matt. 25.21].

In God’s sight, greatness is marked by a humble, servant’s heart.

Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20.26-28

There’s No One Like God

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Solomon had completed an important, twenty-year construction project in Jerusalem - The Holy Temple. First things first, a prayer of dedication. He stood on a platform in the center court of the Temple, then fell on his knees (a posture of humility) to pray. The first words from his lips were an exaltation of two of God’s attributes.

Uniqueness: “There is no God like You in heaven and earth,” he said. He’s right about that. Carefully search the world over. And if it were possible, go on a fact-finding mission throughout the universe. Do you know what you will find? Nothing that compares to our God — nothing even comes close! God is unique: omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient. There is no one like Him.

Faithfulness: “You keep Your covenant and show unfailing love,” Solomon cried out. God is a covenant-keeping God. In other words, He won’t break any of His promises — not a single one. And speaking of His unfailing love, nothing can separate us from it. That’s a promise too! [Romans 8.39]

No wonder Solomon fell on his knees and raised his hands toward the heavens. That was an appropriate response to the covenant-keeping, faithful-to-His-promises God. It’s an appropriate response for us too. Fall on your knees, lift your hands toward heaven, and praise God for His unfailing love and work in your life.

Then Solomon…stood on the platform, and then he knelt in front of the entire community of Israel and lifted his hands toward heaven. He prayed, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like You in all of heaven and earth. You keep Your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before You in wholehearted devotion. You have kept Your promise to your servant David, my father. You made that promise with Your own mouth, and with Your own hands You have fulfilled it today. 2 Chronicles 6.13b-14

Get Up!

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

One of my favorite miracles of Jesus is when He raised Jarius’ daughter from the dead [Mark 5.21-43]. We really don’t know much about the characters in the story. The daughter was young, only twelve years old. Was she an only child? Was she one of many children? Was she the baby of the family? The firstborn? Had she been sick a long time, or had she recently become sick without warning? 

We know that Jarius was the was a ruler in the synagogue, but how did he know Jesus. Had he met Him before? Had he merely heard stories about the healing power of Jesus? Was this the last ditch effort to save his daughter? The details surrounding this story remain a mystery to this day.

All we really know from the text is that Jarius went to Jesus, and Jesus agreed to go to his house. On the way, they encountered another sick person, a woman who was nearly bled out. As Jesus dealt with her, I wonder if Jarius poked his Rolex thinking, “Tick-Tock, time is wasting!” 

It doesn't matter, though, because while Jesus dealt with the sick woman, messengers came with the news that Jarius’ daughter had died. Jesus went to the home anyway, quieted the house, and went to the little girl and said just one thing, “Get up!” 

And she did!

To tell you the truth, I’m rather glad that we don’t know that much about the characters in this story. Why? It highlights who our Savior is, the One who brings life from death.

And speaking of mysteries, we don’t know what happened next. Did the family become passionate Christ followers? Did the relatives and neighbors put their trust in Jesus? We just don’t know, but that’s OK too. Nothing could change what happened that day. She was dead. Jesus gave her life.

By way of application, that’s our story too. We were dead in our trespass and sin. No hope, only the wages of sin - death - but Jesus gave us life. We are everything we are because of that moment when Jesus said to us, “Get up!”

One more thing. There is no sin beyond the death-defying power of Jesus. There is no brokenness beyond His restoring touch. Just obey Him when He says, “Get up!”

He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” [which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”]. Mark 5.41

Pass It On

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Can you imagine receiving a $4 million dollar inheritance? Me neither! But that’s the inheritance left by the widow of Gene Roddenberry (creator of Star Trek) to her dogs! It’s really a paltry sum compared to the $80 million Carlotta Liebenstein left to her German Shepherd. 

I’m getting up in years and have recently been thinking about what I can leave to my family when I am gone. It strikes me that the best thing I can pass on doesn’t necessarily involve a hefty sum of money, but rather the testimony of a life that has been tested and tried, yet remained standing — the assurance of God’s presence and strength in the crucible of life. 

King David’s journey from Jesse’s sheep pens to the palace was a circuitous one. One day, he was holding a giant’s head in his hand and welcomed as a hero; and the next day, he was dodging the spear of King Saul and running for his life. He was many things: a victorious general, a king,  an adulterer and accessory to murder, a man after God’s own heart. And during his lifetime, David learned a lot about himself, but more importantly, a lot about his God. And that’s what he wanted to pass down to His son Solomon, not as a Scripture “promise” packet, but the real Word of God experienced in real life. 

Maybe you haven’t gotten there yet, but one day, you’ll ponder what you will pass on to your heirs. Here’s a thought: Share your confidence that God will guide, guard, and deliver them safely home regardless the tough terrain of life. Make sure the truth in your head is passed on with the passion of your heart.

Then David said to Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God - my God - is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the LORD is finished. 1 Chronicles 28.20

The Cross Makes a Difference

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

I woke up early this morning and an old Gaither song came to mind — The Old Rugged Cross Made the Difference. The chorus goes like this:

And the old rugged cross made the difference

In a life bound for heartache and defeat;

I will praise Him forever and ever

For the cross made the difference for me.

© 1970 Gaither Copyright Management

The significance of the cross is not lost on those who suffer for it around the world. I once read about a Chinese Christ follower who spent over 20 years in prison for his faith. He was one of the fortunate ones to be released. Later, he wrote about the inhumane treatment and suffering he faced during that time. What struck me was the way he looked at it. In essence he said that it was nothing compared to the cross.

A humanitarian worker was overwhelmed by the needs of Christ followers in Southern Sudan. He went there to help any way he could. In a small village he ran across some children playing on a dirt street. They were completely naked except for a hand-carved cross worn around their necks. He went up to one of the emaciated kids and pointed to the cross. He tried to question the child about it by means of hand motions. The sickly child smiled, took off the necklace, and handed it to him.

He was deeply touched by the action of that child and later wrote about it in his journal. He concluded that that little act characterized the suffering Christ followers in Sudan. With absolutely nothing in the way of material possessions, they had the cross of Jesus and they were prepared to share it. 

The Apostle Paul shared that same sentiment. While laboring for Christ in Corinth, he told them, “For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the One who was crucified” [1 Corinthians 2.2].

The “old rugged cross” made the difference for them. And for me. And for you!

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. Romans 1.16

A Good Spiritual Appetite

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, You are what you eat. It’s the same in the spiritual realm. If true, then King David had a ravenous appetite for God. Listen to the cry of heart: “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek You; I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water." [Psalm 63.1].

That is a healthy spiritual appetite. It reminds me of the famous Sermon on the Mount when Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness" [Matthew 5.6]. 

The words “hunger” and “thirst” are present participles in the Greek. It implies continuous action: “Blessed are the hungering” and “Blessed are the thirsting.” The point is, it speaks of an intense desire - for righteousness. The joy is, that continuous intense hunger and thirst for righteousness is continuously satisfied in Christ. 

In his great book, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, Martin Lloyd-Jones quoted J. N. Darby, a Plymouth Brethren commentator: "To be hungry is not enough; I must be really starving to know what is in [God's] heart towards me. When the prodigal son was hungry he went to feed upon husks, but when he was starving, he turned to his father” [vol. 1, p. 81].

Here is a final quote from King David. I hope they will be your words too:

“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness" [Psalm 17.15].

Your appetite for righteousness should equal your appetite for food and water.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5.6

Resurrection Hope

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Stability. We love it, especially in our lives. We like for things to stay the same, to stay manageable. I don’t know anyone who likes disruptive change. — like getting laid off, or finding out they have an incurable disease, or being moved into a nursing home, or worse, moved to hospice. 

Last week I went to the funeral of a dear friend who died instantly in an automobile accident. That was a disruptive change, a nightmare, in fact. It reminded me of another nightmare that came true for Mary and Martha. Jesus had arrived too late to heal their brother, Lazarus. It was Martha who expressed her angst, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died!”  [John 11.21]

Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” Had those words been spoken by mere mortal, they would mean nothing. But they came from the Lord, Master of sin, sickness, and death. Then He demonstrated His power at Lazarus’ tomb by calling the dead man to come out and live. That was a singular example of what will happen on a much larger scale at the end of time. 

What a display of power! That should calm our every fear. That kind of power secures our salvation with a guarantee of the forgiveness of sins. And, joy of joys, it secures our future resurrection too.

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” John 11.23

H.O.P.E.

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

Theologically speaking, the resurrection is the basis of all things Christian. No resurrection, no Christianity. 

Practically speaking, the resurrection is our greatest source of hope. We could all use a little hope in the days that we live in. It is the hope that…

Helps you. Hope will help you through the darkness of disappointment. 

Opens possibilities. Hope makes possible restoration after defeat.

Provides answers. Hope provides answers to your doubt. 

Enables you. Hope enables you to overcome the sting of death.

Many people will go to churches all across America on Easter Sunday. I wonder how many of them enjoy the hope afforded them because Jesus rose from the dead.

Here’s what I’m thinking: Because He lives, I have hope of sins forgiven, hope of a fulfilled life (“life abundant,” Jesus said), and hope of eternal life with God, which is to come. 

Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. John 20.16-18