Day 259
Pray (ACts) Read - 2 Corinthians 13v1-4 Message - Scott Woodburn The cry of exasperated mothers up and the down the land once wad "You wait until your father gets home." If I heard that once, I heard it a thousand times and so it would lead me into a place of pretending that my mother's slaps to my backside actually hurt. It was better to act sore than to actually be sore if my dad became involved. Paul plans to visit the Corinthians for a third time (v1) and he reminds those who have been sinning that they must repent or face the discipline of the apostle (v2). This of course wouldn't involve a slap from granny's slipper or a father's belt. Paul would discipline the guilty party by removing them from the fellowship. This removal was a tool to bring the sinner to a place of Godly sorrow and repentance, eventually leading to that individual's full restoration. Even at this late stage, Paul wanted the false apostles to repent and be restored. We don't do church discipline much anymore. Not because the church has grown in maturity but because the church has grown in weakness. Wait a minute. What about grace? Don't fill our heads with any of that discipline stuff, instead let grace abound! I hear you, but please hear me when I say that Christ is the only King and head of the church. He may have been crucified in weakness (v4a) but He was raised in power (v4b). Paul may minister in weakness (v4c) but as an apostle he will deal with the Corinthians by the power of God (v4d). Christ is powerful among the Corinthians (v3) and while we cling to His unfailing grace we should not doubt the zeal that Jesus has for His church. Imagine going to a restaurant and telling the other diners that the food was disgusting. I'm certain the owner would have something to say. Imagine going to Buckingham Palace and insulting a member of the Queen's family. I'm sure you would quickly be rebuked. Yet how often do we mock, slander and wound the church of Jesus Christ? The church is the body for whom Christ died (Ephesians 5v25) and He ever lives to make intercession for her (Hebrews 7v25). To all of those who over the years have sown seeds of division in the church, you must repent. To those who have divided fellowships and "planted" a bright, shiny, new church, you must repent. To those who engage in anonymous letter writing designed to crush the spirit of God's people, you must repent. To those who have turned hearts hard by a campaign of whispers, you must repent. May we tremble at the thought of wounding Christ's church. We would never dream of entering a lion's den to stamp on the lion cubs. Yet why do we ignore Christ the lion-like-lamb (Revelation 5v5-6) who roars against all powers of hell for the sake of His children? Only a fool disturbs the peace of Christ's church, such a man must not think that he has escaped Christ's gaze (Revelation 1v14). Another path is offered. Paul speaks "Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (v11-14) The church does not belong to us and so may we strive for such verses to be true of our own fellowships. David wrote, Paul agreed and so we sing "behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!" (Psalm 133v1). Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q34 What is adoption? Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges, of the sons of God.
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Day 258
Pray (ACts) Read - Micah 5:2-5a Message - Alan Burke They say hindsight is a wonderful thing, when one is able to look back at the difficult situation that one has faced and see how it has worked out for the best. But right in the midst of those difficult times all we want is relief from what we face. That may be how you are feeling today, you just want relief from what you are facing, maybe it’s the pandemic that we are in the midst off, or a broken relationship, an illness that we face, anxiety or depression, you may be facing any number of different things that life can throw at you. In Micah’s day the situation that the people of God faced was dire, the poor were oppressed, some of the religious leaders their priests were sexually promiscuous, justice was being bought and sold, the debauchery of the people was rampant, none of them could escape it. So God sent Micah to prosecute the covenant, that is to convict His people of their sinfulness, for even though God had remained faithful to them they had been faithless and now the Lord would act as the Judge, he would scatter his people for their transgressions and sins, because of their faithlessness, for their iniquity had reached its climax. He would allow them to be ravaged by their enemies in his divine judgment. It may not sound like something you really want to hear in the midst of what your facing but keep reading, for in the midst of God telling his people what the result of their sin, he was also giving them good news. The Lord God according to his wise and holy counsel had purposed it and Saviour was coming, he wanted them to look beyond their past and present and look ultimately to him and his hope, the hope of every nation. Though judgment would fall, God was telling his people though Micah in today’s passage a ruler born in Bethlehem will redeem a faithful remnant (Micah 5:2). This coming ruler would shepherd his flock and they will live securely in him (5:4). The Messiah would come and has now come, this hope is in King Jesus who was born in Bethlehem (5:2). The Lord wanted his people to know that even though they suffered under the hands of occupiers, there was hope in what lay ahead, he wanted his people to look beyond their present circumstance to this truth of how he would act. For all of us, it can be hard to know there is hope in what lies ahead, to look beyond our present circumstances to the truth of how God has acted and will act. We may not be facing what the people in Micah’s day faced but we all face the trials and temptations of this life, we experience the estate of sin and misery that the fall has caused, but today like every day, we need to look with hope, not at the fulfilment of this promise that has already come that Micah spoke off, but to look with hope at the future fulfilment of God’s promise of how Jesus, the promised ruler from Bethlehem will return and we will be glorified people (1 John 3:2), like him, like our Savior. Like Jesus, we will never have to die again (Rom. 6:8–9), unable to sin ever again (Phil. 3:11–12; 2 Tim. 4:8). This week as we think on this passage from Micah 5, keep the knowledge of this truth and hope in your heart, for even though we don’t face what the people did in Micah’s day, we don’t face being ravaged by our enemies in judgement this day we still face many things that can steel our joy, cause us to despair, lead us to doubt and in those times we need to look to that hope, not in how the Messiah would one day come but in how he will come again. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q 33 What is justification? Justification is an act of God’ s free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, (Rom. 3:24–25, Rom. 4:6–8) and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, (2 Cor. 5:19,21) only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, (Rom. 5:17–19) and received by faith alone. (Gal. 2:16, Phil. 3:9) Day 256
Pray (ACts) Read - 2 Corinthians 12v11-21 Message - Scott Woodburn Paul's "boasting" should have been utterly unnecessary and yet, because the Corinthians had tolerated the false apostles, his boasting was necessary. They had, in effect, forced Paul's hand (v11a). They should have commended Paul who ministered in much weakness but was in no way inferior to the so called "super apostles (v11b). Paul was no fraud. He had performed the "signs of a true apostle" in their midst (v12a). These signs showed that the man and his message were true. They accompanied the apostolic office and as it closed, so the signs ceased. Paul held nothing back from the Corinthians except that he didn't take any financial help from them (v13). Indeed he was ready for another visit, again not to burden them but to serve them and care for them like a parent would care for their child (v14). Paul was prepared to give everything to the Corinthians, his time, his money and his very life (v15a) expecting only to receive their love (v15b). He was not a burden (v16a), he was not crafty (v16b), he had not taken advantage of them (v17) and neither had Titus (v18). As we near the end of this letter you might be tempted to wonder why Paul bothered with the Corinthians? He was constantly defending himself to them despite acting with integrity. Some might say he should just wash his hands of the whole lot of them. Yet Paul's motive in "defending" himself is actually to speak in Christ for the upbuilding for the Corinthian church (v19). The Corinthians weren't Paul's board of directors. They had no authority over him. He wasn't on trial. Instead he speaks for their spiritual good. Paul longs for the sanctification of the Corinthian church, for a growth in their Christlikeness and maturity but he fears that when he comes he might find the opposite (v20a). He worries that evidence of the flesh might be rampant in the church. What does that look like? Quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder (v20b). Paul dreaded a return to Corinth where he would mourn over unrepentant sinners and be forced again to exercise church discipline (v21). The local church wasn't an irrelevance for Paul. He was instrumental in the founding of the church in Corinth and despite several bruising encounters he still wanted nothing but the best for his spiritual children. It might be painful but it was certainly going to be worthwhile and so Paul wouldn't shake the dust off his feet and leave the Corinthians in his rearview mirror. How can we respond to this? I'm reminded of Paul's prayer for the church in Colassae in Colossians 1v9-14. Perhaps you'll pray it for your own fellowship today? Father, I pray for my church today asking that we may be filled with the knowledge of your will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that we may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to you: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to your glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to You, for You have qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. You have delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of your beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. I pray for my church, for Christ's sake. Amen. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q32 What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life? They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, adoption, sanctification, and the several benefits which, in this life, do either accompany or flow from them. Day 255
Pray (ACts) Read - 1 John 3:3 Message - Alan Burke There are all ways in which we are like our parents, whether that is because of genetics or learnt behaviour. We don’t really mind when we are being told that we are like our mum or our dad when it is a quality that is admirable, but when were told that we have our ma’s temper, and our da’s laziness were not so keen to hear it. When people look at us they should also see a familial resemblance in who we as the children of God. As a child of God one would expect to see the visible fruits of the work of God’s free grace (2 Thess. 2:13) whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, (Eph. 4:23–24) and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness (Rom. 6:4,6, Rom. 8:1) (WSC Q36). This is a result of God work within, although sin is not instantly eradicated, all those who hope in him purify themselves just as he is pure (1 Jn 3:3). That is what John is making clear to us as he continues, for we purify ourselves as the children of God as he is pure. The truth is that the flesh and the fallen instincts remain and will try to drag the child of God back into sin, as Paul says he is unable to do what is right, and unable to restrain himself from doing what is wrong (Rom 8:14-25), the conflict and the frustrations continue in our daily walk with God continue. Yet within the life of those who claim faith there must be a desire to put to death particular sins that are incompatible with the life of the Christian (Rom 8:13, Col 3:5). There may be failures along the way as we battle sin, yet we do not expect the believer to place themselves facing temptations that are impossible to resist (1 Cor 10:13). In our lives we seek and desire to be conformed be conformed more into the likeness of Christ, that as we come into the presence of the pure son of God. For everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him for he is righteousness (2:29). The more we know of the truth of what God has done for us, the more we see the hope that awaits us though faith, the more we should desire to live in a way that pleases him. It will be seen in our lives. There are many who have put there hand up at a meeting, who have prayed the sinners prayer but it has never made a difference in their lives, well John makes it clear that if you have come to know Jesus as the Holy One of God then it will be seen in our lives, for we live as the children of God. If you are in doubt about your standing as a child of God then ask yourself have you sought to live in this way, as a child of God, being more and ore conformed into the likeness of Christ, that you seek to purify yourself from sin, of course there will be struggles along the way, there may be persistent sins that you are finding hard to die to, but if you are seeking to live for Christ, if you are purifying yourself then know that you have all the privileges of God’s children. Maybe you are frustrated with your current progression in holiness, you think that you will never overcome those persistent sins, but know that if your hope is in Christ you are his, a child of God and are already becoming more like Him. Ask the Lord to remind you that you are His child. Thank Him for restoring you when you do fall, and hope on Him today so that you might live accordingly. Do not listen to the lies that Satan will tell you or accept that this is it in your battle with sin, do not believe Satan’s lie that you can’t do it, that you may just give on, instead continue to look to the saviour knowing the hope that there is as a child of God. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q 31 What is effectual calling? Effectual calling is the work of God’ s Spirit, (2 Tim. 1:9, 2 Thess. 2:13–14) whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, (Acts 2:37) enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, (Acts 26:18) and renewing our wills, (Ezek. 36:26–27) he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel. (John 6:44–45, Phil. 2:13) Day 254
Pray (ACts) Read - 2 Corinthians 12v6-10 Message - Scott Woodburn Paul has been boasting about his experiences as an apostle of Christ. That sounds entirely negative but Paul isn't like a proud parent at the school gate boasting of their little one. He plays the fool to show the boastful and foolish false apostles for what they are. Yet, if Paul actually wanted to boast, to boast properly and seriously, he wouldn't be a fool because he would be speaking the truth (v6a). His opponents only had exaggerations and lies. Paul could honestly speak of being taken to heaven and hearing awesome things (v2-4). But he still doesn't base his ministry on boasting. He refrains from it (v6b) so that no one will be obsessed with Paul but instead look to Christ (v6c). Paul seems so grounded that it is hard to imagine him becoming conceited and yet he realises the danger (v7). He has been given surpassingly great revelations (v7a) the scale of which could drive any single one of us to sinful pride and arrogance. But he has also received a "thorn in the flesh" (v7b) in order to keep him from becoming conceited (v7c). Paul's thorn is a much debated topic. Some argue that the false apostles were the thorn. Others tie the mention here of Satan as evidence that Paul's thorn was the constant attacks and fiery darts of the enemy. Still others say that Paul's thorn was a physical weakness (perhaps his eyesight) that caused him agony day and night. Just as we cannot be sure about what Paul heard in heaven, so too we cannot be sure about his thorn. Nevertheless we know that it was a torment and he pleaded with God three times for it to be removed (v8). The Lord did not answer Paul's prayer with the removal of the thorn but instead with His Word saying “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (v9a). God speaks to Paul of His grace. The road ahead for the apostle will be hard, indeed at times awful with Paul's life taken from him in the city of Rome, but through it all, God's grace would be enough. So Paul will continue to boast of his weakness (v9b). Humanly speaking he didn't match up to his opponents, but he had come to realise that there was power in weakness (v9c). He knew that in weakness, he was in fact strong (v10b) and so he endured all things, including his thorn for the sake of Christ (v10a). Charles Hodge says that verse nine should be written on the palm of every believer. We will never be called up to heaven like Paul at the beginning of his ministry, but I suspect each of us could well speak of a "thorn". Tragedy, broken relationships, depression, anxiety, fear, scorn, poverty...and more...all of these are sometimes unwelcome but constant companions in a Christian's life. Beloved of the Lord, if your prayers for relief seem to go unanswered and if tears seem to constantly flow, then may the Lord speak. I do not offer this to belittle or patronise but the Lord has said “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Look unto Jesus, look unto Jesus for "those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed." (Psalm 34v5) Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q30 How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ? The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling. Day 253
Pray (ACts) Read - 1 John 3:2 Message - Alan Burke It is through faith that we are now the children of God, but there is something even more wonderful that the knowledge of sins forgiven, than the reconciliation between us and our heavenly Father, than the love that he has shown us in the present age, it is the experience of that which awaits us in the future. Even though this is the last hour (1 Jn 2:18) and this world is perishing (1 John 2:17), even though we live in these in-between times, since the ascension of Christ and his Second coming. Today we can look to that future glorious hope that awaits all who have been reconciled to God and called his children and that is when he appears, even though what will be has not been made known, we know that we shall be like him (1 Jn 3:2). This is the confident hope that John is looking forward to in the second coming of Jesus. There is a sense in which as the children of God we are already like Jesus. We live in the light and we have been freed from the power of sin, but this looks to when he appears, his second coming and the assurance that believers are given here is that on that day they will be glorified with him, our bodies will be raised imperishable (1 Cor 15). For all those who have died in the Lord before this day takes place, who have been waiting in heaven for that moment they will be reunited with their bodies, they and we will enjoy eternal life in a new creation, when the earth will be transformed, recreated by God, dwelling with our God where he dwells (2 Peter 3:13). There is a sense that we go back to the garden, not a literal Eden but a new Eden, a new paradise where the living God will dwell with his people. According to the Father’s plan, a transformation will take place because we shall see him as he is and sit as a mirror reflect the image of the person in front of it, And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Cor 3:18). This is the hope that we can know through faith, that we will be conformed finally and fully, body and soul to the image of Christ Jesus our Lord. We do not know everything about what life will be like as resurrected, glorified people (1 John 3:2). Yet, it also tells us that we will “be like him,” that is, our Savior. Like Jesus, we will never have to die again (Rom. 6:8–9). We may also surmise that, although we will be different, we will be recognisable to those who have known us, for Jesus’ friends all recognised the risen Christ, even if not at first (Luke 24:13–35; John 20:11–18). Finally, we will be glorified, unable to sin ever again (Phil. 3:11–12; 2 Tim. 4:8) (HBC Q&A 57). Christ’s work of salvation is comprehensive, involving not only rescue from the penalty and power of sin but also from sin’s corruption. We who are in Jesus can look forward to the day when even our bodies will be perfected, and the Spirit, who dwells within us now, will be the One to perfect our bodies. On that day, we will be like Jesus, and we are to pattern our lives after His example now in glorious anticipation of that final day. Is it a hope that we look to, a day that we long for, as we live today in a fallen broken world in corrupted bodies that age, that are decaying is our comfort this hope or is it in the many things that make our life easier than those who lived before us, our comfort in the central heating, double glazing as two, or maybe its in the hope of science or medicine that we will keep living for longer and be healthier. But what could possibly be better than seeing God face-to-face? Since He is the source of all that is good, true, and beautiful, to see the Lord face-to-face is to see goodness itself, truth itself, and beauty itself. No longer will we need to be content with created things that only reflect these attributes, but we will see the very attributes themselves. Let us yearn for that day when our faith shall become sight. We can hardly anticipate what that will be like, but it will entail a delight of such magnitude that our present suffering cannot even be compared to it (Rom. 8:18). Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q 29 How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ? We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us, (John 1:11–12) by his Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5–6) Day 252
Pray (ACts) Read - 2 Corinthians 12v1-5 Message - Scott Woodburn We heard in last week's devotions that Paul's opponents considered him to be a fool. Turning their argument on their head, Paul played the fool exposing the foolishness of the false apostles. They delighted in visible things, they looked and sounded the part while Paul ministered in much weakness, and yet, only Paul was genuine. Paul has told us that we should only boast in the Lord but he begins here with more boasting (v1a). He knows there is nothing to be gained by it (v1b) but he meets the man centred boasting of his opponents by outlining his own experience as an apostle, in particular his visions and revelations of the Lord (v1c). The false apostles loved their comfort and could only be silent as Paul outlined his troubles. Here their silence continues as Paul describes how he had been carried up to heaven. Paul writes that he knows a man who had been called up to the third heaven (v2a). This was either a bodily or out of body experience, Paul wasn't sure but God knew the truth (v2b). I'm sure we all often stop at this point and begin wondering about such an experience. Who was this man? Where did he go? Is this experience to be expected for all Christians? Let's work our way through these questions. Who was the man? Paul was the man. He is defending his ministry against the false apostles and so speaks here of his own experience. Yet not with any arrogance but instead he speaks of himself in the third-person. He leaves no room to shout about his wonderful experience. He doesn't act like the child in the playground singing "I know something you don't know". Paul knows this boasting should be left unsaid, but as he defends himself, he speaks humbly of a glorious experience. Where did Paul go? Paul says he went to the "third heaven" (v2) and later he states he went to "paradise" (v3). We should stop and marvel here. Paul, either in body or spirit, was taken to heaven where he heard things that cannot be told or uttered (v4). Paul was taken into the presence of Christ. Why the third heaven? Look above you. You see the clouds in the sky, the first heaven. Tonight you will see the stars in the sky, the second heaven. Yet Paul was taken to the heaven above the heavens, the third heaven, Paradise, where Jesus is. Christ has passed through the heavens (Hebrews 4v14) and now stands at the right hand of the Father exalted above the heavens (Herbews 7v26). Should we expect such an experience? No. There is a big market for books about how the author died and went to heaven before coming back to earth with a God given message. Brothers and sisters, don't buy these books and don't believe them - they are nonsense. Paul's experience took place fourteen years before his letter to Corinth (v2). That means he was taken to heaven probably between 40-42AD before he went on his first missionary journey. This vision was given to him to confirm his apostleship and to prepare him to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. We can only imagine what Paul saw and heard and yet instead of trumpeting his experience, Paul would much rather speak of his own weakness (v5). What's going on here? Christ's servant Paul, with more experiences, more trials and more to say than any of his opponents is still content to preach Christ crucified. Charles Spurgeon once said “A sermon without Christ in it is like a loaf of bread without any flour in it. No Christ in your sermon, sir? Then go home, and never preach again until you have something worth preaching.” I know Paul would agree and I trust you and I do too. Paul saw heaven and one day he went there permanently. By faith in Christ we will join him and see for ourselves what he witnessed. Until our faith becomes sight, just like the Greeks we say "we wish to see Jesus." (John 12v21). Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q28 Wherein consisteth Christ’s exaltation? Christ’s exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day. |
Alan
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