Handling Money; February 20, 2020


2 Corinthians 8:21 For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.

In various places the Bible talks about not fearing people and their opinions, but this would seem to be an exception. It’s not a matter of fear, but rather avoiding any opportunity for accusation. These people were to be involved in handling money, specifically, other people’s offerings, and Paul was very rightly concerned that everything be aboveboard. As Jesus said, we are not of the world, but we are still in the world. (John 17:14-18) Not every rule and expectation of the world is wrong! Particularly when it comes to money, we are very prone to temptation in various ways, so there are social rules and even laws about how we handle it. The Church should not be more lax than society in general here. We have more reason to trust each other, but there are inadvertent errors that should be guarded against, and no one is immune to temptation. Anytime there is a scandal of any sort in the Church, the devil uses it to try to discredit the whole thing, and we are not to give him any opportunity to do that.

This is very close to home for me, because right now I am dealing with the church finances because of the simple fact that we don’t have anyone else to do it at this point. I am as careful as possible, but not only is it something I would rather not deal with, it lays us open to potential suspicion. Over the years we have had several church treasurers leave the church because of the stress of the position. People don’t deal well with trusting God for finances! Part of the problem may be that I am the biggest single donor to the church, since we don’t have many households to be agreed on tithing. One very earnest treasurer, whose husband is not a believer, said to me, “We couldn’t survive if you weren’t paying rent to the church every month.” I said that I was aware of that, but it didn’t bother me. It obviously bothered her, and she ended up leaving the church. I would be thrilled if the Lord brought several tithing families into the church, as well as someone with the time and the ability to be treasurer, but in the mean time I am to be scrupulously honest and faithful, trusting God to supply what we need, when and how we need it.

Father, this isn’t something I think about very often. Thank You for meeting our every need. I pray that I would place no stumbling blocks in anyone’s way, but would be pure and honest before you, before the people around me, and before the law, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Giving; February 19, 2020


2 Corinthians 8:12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

This verse expresses a very important principle. We tend to compare things on a strictly quantitative basis, when God, as always, looks deeper. This verse reminds me of a Christmas poem that is thought of as being for children. The speaker is a child, considering what they can give the baby Jesus, listing various possibilities such as, “If I were a shepherd, I’d give Him a lamb.” It lists various occupations that the speaker doesn’t meet, and then concludes with, “What will I give Him? I’ll give Him my heart.” The poem is seen as very “cute,” and when a small child recites it, adults often get emotional. However, it applies to every person of whatever age. If we are one of those occupations listed, God asks us to give accordingly. The thing is, every one of us has a heart, and that is what God wants most. We tend to focus on, “I don’t have to give what I don’t have,” and forget that we do need to give what we do have. Too often we limit giving to finances, or at least to material things, when actually it covers everything: ability, time, consideration, love, respect, as well as all the material stuff. Also, we get confused about how to give to God, specifically. He doesn’t need anything we can give Him, but He desires us to give for our sake, because it changes us for the better. However, Jesus made it very clear how we can give to Him: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) Yesterday I saw a video on Facebook about “professional” beggars in the US today. There have been such throughout history, so discernment is called for. The thing that is angering about that is that such people blind us to those who are in genuine need. That said, we give to God by giving to those around us. If we have no time for our children, for example, do we really have time for Jesus? All that God gives us, even including time, is blessed and multiplied when we allow it to flow through us to bless others.

This can be a hard thing to keep in mind. I’m as self-centered as anyone, I think, and I tend to think of my own convenience and comfort first. If I am as Christ-centered as I would like to be, then I will see the needs around me and offer myself as God’s instrument to meet those needs. God has given me many abilities, and those aren’t simply for my satisfaction. Yesterday I was able to help some friends who are moving by doing some things that seemed simple to me but not so simple to them, and it blessed me. The greatest thing I have is knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, so the best thing I can do for anyone is to share that knowledge. However, I am never to use that as an excuse for failing to share the many other things God has given me as well.

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do sometimes resent some of the many demands that are made of me. Help me be discerning, but in no way hold back when You have made provision for someone else through me. Thank You. Praise God!

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God’s Grace; February 18, 2020


2 Corinthians 6:1 As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.

This verse has two major points. The first refers back to the last two verses of the previous chapter, which say that by Gods incredible grace, in Christ we are made into God’s righteousness and act as His direct representatives. That is an earthshaking assertion indeed. Then Paul, secure in that position and authority, urges the Corinthian believers not to receive God’s grace in vain. Just what does that mean? God’s grace is poured out on all mankind. Jesus didn’t die just for the Jews, or for that matter, just for the “nice guys.” Rather, as John 3:16 so famously declares, he came for the whole world, that whoever would believe would receive eternal life. However, the key word there is believe; we don’t receive without faith. And as Jesus and James both said directly, genuine faith acts. (Luke 6:46, James 2:17) Even if we say we believe, but then don’t live out the faith we proclaim, we are receiving God’s grace in vain. Anything less is deceiving ourselves. (James 1:22)

Both halves of this are of major importance in my life, as I think they should be for every Christian. I have demonstrated that I am very proficient at deceiving myself, because I have had extensive knowledge of the Bible from an early age, yet my obedience to God has been spotty indeed. I am very grateful God didn’t give up on me, but then, He sees the end from the beginning. I was not yet a teenager when I memorized 2 Corinthians 5:20 as part of my participation in Royal Ambassadors, a Southern Baptist group for boys, and I really liked it. The idea of acting as God’s agent excited me! That said, I didn’t really grasp the level of submission that is involved in that. If I am to do the things Jesus did, (John 14:12) I’ve got to be as submitted to the Father’s will as He was. (John 5:30 and several more) I realized many years ago that when believers really grasp who they are in Christ, they change the world. Our individual impact may seem small, but as the Church indeed, the Body of Christ, we are such that the very gates of hell cannot withstand us. (Matthew 16:18) To this point in my life I haven’t been involved in much world transformation that I’ve been aware of, but God is the judge and Jesus is Lord, so I look forward to what He is going to do through me.

Father, You bring this to my attention from time to time, and it really whets my appetite. Sunday we had five nations represented in our service right here. Nothing is impossible for You! May Your name be acknowledged as holy indeed and Your kingdom come as Your will is done, even right here and even in and through us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Motivation; February 17, 2020


2 Corinthians 5:14-15 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

This whole section is so rich! Especially from verse 17 through 21, many songs have been written and countless sermons have been preached, including quite a few by me. However, it’s these two verses that speak to me particularly right now. This expresses the difference between religion and discipleship. We see people from various groups, both Christian and otherwise, out proselytizing, and sometime accuse ourselves for our relative inaction. That sense of guilt might be from the Holy Spirit, but then again it might not. Far too much of that sort of thing is driven by a sense of religious obligation, and is thus exhausting. If the Gospel is really being proclaimed then it is not meaningless, as Paul noted to the Philippians, (Philippians 1:15-18) but if the motives are wrong, the one doing the proclaiming gets little or no benefit. The proper motivation is stated right here: Christ’s love. We are to share the Gospel out of an overwhelming awareness of how much we are loved by God in Christ Jesus. Frankly, if we don’t share Christ, it shows we don’t understand how much He loves us. If we did, we would want everyone else to know that love as well. The expression Paul uses seems to be a little hard to translate. The NIV, and several others, say “compels us.” The Japanese I use says “surrounds us.” Other translations say, “hems us in,” or “leaves us no choice.” All of those are doubtless justified translations, but it all boils down to being overwhelmed by love and then responding to that love. We tend to think of love as a kind of romantic froth, when the love of God is the most powerful motivation in the universe. As John 3:16 says, it caused the Father to send His Son to die for us! Paul is just responding to that love, and the more we grasp that love, the more we will respond too.

Growing up in a missionary family and serving as a missionary myself, I have seen all sorts of motivations, as well as recognized several in myself. I have seen missionaries who seemed to be on “power trips,” lording it over those whom they “served.” That is obviously in direct violation of Jesus’ teaching. I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but I have since learned of horrendous sins committed by some such people. On the opposite end of the spectrum I have seen people, both missionaries and other believers, who simply exuded love to all they encountered. Those are the ones who will receive crowns in heaven! Jesus warned us that “the love of most will grow cold,” (Matthew 24:12) and He expressed to John a very stern warning about that. (Revelation 3:15-16) We need to “take our temperature” from time to time, meditating on God’s love for us and asking Him how He wants us to express that to those around us. I may be a missionary pastor, but that doesn’t mean my motives are always pure or that my love is always white-hot. I too need to submit myself to God and to my neighbor, allowing His love to flow through me from Him to them, for their salvation and His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the new missionary family from Taiwan that were here yesterday. Thank You for Your love that motivates them. I ask Your grace, wisdom and strength for each one. Each has different challenges in adjusting to living in Japan in the first place, and each has a unique mission from You to fulfill here. I pray that You would pour Your grace and wisdom into them, enabling them to navigate the language and the culture that are so different from what they are used to. May Your peace and joy surround and fill them, making them marvelously attractive to all they meet, drawing many into Your kingdom for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Satan; February 16, 2020


2 Corinthians 2:10-11 If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven–if there was anything to forgive–I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

It strikes me that many Christians and many churches are remarkably unaware of Satan’s schemes. We have so caricatured him into a cartoon figure that it seems few people really believe he exists, and yet the New testament speaks several times of him as an active, malicious enemy. (1 Peter 5:8, etc.) His first trick in these days is to get us not to believe he’s around and out to get us! When he succeeds in that, we let down our guard and he does all sorts of mischief. We aren’t to be so afraid of him that we forget that the One who is in us is far greater than he is. (1 John 4:4) However, we also are not to forget that he comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) In this passage Paul is speaking of the devil trying to steal our peace and unity by convincing us not to forgive. We need to remember that he is “a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) I’m reminded of a few lines I wrote many years ago:
Satan is a liar,
that I know full well,
and every word he speaks to me
comes from the pit of hell.
We are not to so focus on the devil and demons to the point that we lose sight of Jesus. There are some who seem to do that! However, we are certainly not to walk in blind ignorance of the devil and his schemes, just as Paul references here.

I’ve been deceived and tripped up by the devil myself, more times than I have been aware. However, any time I do become aware that has happened, my first response must be repentance, and an active surrendering of myself and the situation to the Lord. (1 John 1:9) When I do that, then God takes it all and turns it around and uses it for good. (Romans 8:28) It would have been better had I not fallen, but it isn’t the end of the line that I did fall. My mouth has gotten me into a lot of trouble, speaking words that wounded rather than building up, and words spoken cannot be retrieved. I need to be increasingly aware of such traps to avoid them, speaking light and life and never lending my mouth to the liar.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me walk in this awareness at all times, doing Your will and Yours alone, acting as Your agent in forgiving and healing and lifting people up, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Gender; February 15, 2020


1 Corinthians 16:13-14 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.

These two verses together like this violate all sorts of societal expectations. In the first place, “be manly” (the NIV softened that) violates the current teaching about “toxic masculinity.” God created men and women to be different for many good reasons. It is all the rage to deride “gender stereotypes,” but the fact remains that in general, boys and girls will choose to play in different ways with different things. Each can benefit from learning from the opposite gender, but that doesn’t erase their biological gender, whatever people claim. Actually verse 14 is a perfect example of that, because “doing everything in love” certainly doesn’t fit the stereotype of a man. We don’t become less male, or conversely, less female, by learning from the opposite gender. We are to exercise our strengths, but not use our weaknesses as excuses, asking and allowing God to keep growing us in every way.

Even after 50 years of marriage (tomorrow is the 51st anniversary of our 1st date) my wife and I are still learning from and about each other. We are of equal value, but certainly not identical. Each of us has strengths that dovetail into weaknesses in the other, so we are far stronger together than we are separately. I don’t fit some of the male stereotypes, particularly in relation to sports and alcohol, but I am still undeniably male in my thinking, and that sometimes makes for conflict. Conversely, my wife has never been one for makeup (for which I am thankful) but she still responds to situations as a woman. Over the years we have learned that “doing everything in love” doesn’t necessarily look the same to each of us. We have had to learn to recognize expressions of love, both in word and action, and be grateful for them. All of that said, each of us needs to be on our guard and stand firm in the faith. Those two things are universal indeed!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the way You indeed continue to grow and shape us. May we not resist You in any way but rejoice to flow with Your spirit, not only toward each other but also toward everyone around us, so that as Your agents we may do Your will for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Spiritual Gifts; February 14, 2020


1 Cor 14:1, 12 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.
So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.

It strikes me from verse 12 that the Corinthian believers were indeed doing what Paul had said to do in verse 1, but he was trying to put more of a point on it, focusing on the purpose of spiritual gifts. It would seem that people in the 1st Century had the same sort of problems we do today, with people looking at spiritual gifts like “merit badges,” trying to accumulate as many as possible for the sake of bragging rights. That was a real issue when the modern Pentecostal movement started around 1900, and then again when the Charismatic Movement started around 1970. People naturally get disgusted with that, and in consequence, spiritual gifts get neglected. That is a tremendous waste. Paul lays down some principles here that should help us approach spiritual gifts properly. In the first place, we should indeed eagerly desire them. God gives only good things, (Luke 11:13) so we should be open to everything He wants to give. In the second place, God’s gifts aren’t just for the direct recipient. God gives gifts of the Holy Spirit specifically to build up the Church, the Body of Christ. That should immediately eliminate the “merit badge” approach. They aren’t for decoration, they are actively to be used to benefit others. And that fits in with the third point, which is that it all must be done in love. Sometimes love is very firm, and even prophecies of judgment express the love of God, warning people to flee destruction, but if there is no love, then a different spirit than the Holy Spirit is at work. We are indeed earnestly to seek spiritual gifts, because the challenges that face us are more than our natural gifts can handle.

This is a very good reminder, because spiritual gifts have really faded into the background for me. Since being baptized in the Holy Spirit in 1974, I have experienced every gift listed in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 at least once, and most of them multiple times. I do pray in tongues, probably every day, but very rarely in group settings. The thing that bothers me a little is prophecy. I have been used in prophecy many times over the years, but very rarely indeed in this church. I certainly seek to preach prophetically, that is, speaking out what God is saying, but specific words to specific individuals or groups have been largely nonexistent. That’s not been the case when I have ministered in other places, other churches. I want to be actively available to my Lord, fully useful for whatever He wants to do through me, but prophecy has seemed largely dormant, at least in terms of my being aware that it was prophecy. It’s entirely possible that I have spoken the Word of the Lord into people’s lives without being especially aware that was happening. If so, then praise the Lord, because that would eliminate the temptation to pride. I want everything I do to build up the Body of Christ in love, and Him to get all of the glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me not be anxious about any of it, but rest, relax, and rejoice in You, allowing You to use me or not use me, at Your choice and Your convenience, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Knowing; February 13, 2020


1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

It’s interesting to have this on the heels of yesterday’s reading. We are designed to want to know things. Seeking for knowledge has brought about some marvelous discoveries, but it has led to some pretty horrible things as well. We have the English proverbs of “Curiosity killed the cat,” and “Ignorance is bliss,” but the first is used as a joke or a tease, and the second is an attempt to comfort when we really want badly to know. The problem is, our knowledge is always imperfect at best, just as Paul says. We are used to glass mirrors that are, historically speaking, marvels of precision. In Paul’s day, mirrors were polished metal, and with the technology of the day, a perfect reflection was an impossibility. Today, in contrast, we have “deep fake” video technology that can seem totally convincing, making people seem to say and do things they never did. It’s only a matter of time before such technology is used for active deception. However, God deals in truth, and those who belong to Him must do so as well. We need the help of the Holy Spirit to discern what is true and what is deception, even in looking at ourselves. The devil actively tries to convince us of things that are false, about ourselves and about those around us. We need God’s help to see through such “deep fakes” and see things as He does. In this world we won’t get it all 100%, but we can have the assurance that there will be no deception whatsoever before the throne of God, and look forward to that.

I have liked the song, We Will Understand it Better By and By for as long as I can remember. It certainly agrees with this verse! I was talking just last night with someone about how we have such a limited perspective, but God can see it all at once. The example I referenced was the current epidemic stemming from China. With its high rate of contagion it is very scary, but it seems possible that God has allowed it in order to break the communist regime in that country. We can only watch prayerfully as it all unfolds. It isn’t my business to speculate on God’s purposes, necessarily, but rather to trust that He is still God whatever happens. I need to remember what God told Jeremiah: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24) In my quest for knowledge I am to rejoice particularly that I know God, imperfect though my knowledge is, and share that knowledge gladly with those around me so that they too may share in His grace.

Father, thank You for this reminder. In this information culture it is easy to get distracted by unimportant things. Help me focus fully on You, not ignoring the world but seeing it through Your eyes, so that I may be Your agent indeed, for the sake of the Body of Christ and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Knowledge; February 12, 2020


1 Corinthians 8:1-3 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God.

On the face of it, this looks like Paul is saying we should never have assurance that we know anything, and I don’t think that’s the case. What he is assailing here is pride. We have trouble associating with the whole “food sacrificed to idols” thing, but it was a very real issue in the 1st Century, and even has echos in such modern countries as Japan today. Japan doesn’t have animal sacrifices, but in devout Buddhist homes, fruit and such is placed in front of the family altar where the ancestral tablets are displayed, offering it/sacrificing it to the ancestors, but then it is later eaten by the people in the house, and even fed to visitors. At some Buddhist funerals, there are great quantities of food – fruit, vegetables, canned goods, etc. – offered like that to the deceased. I have been served such fruit on numerous occasions. So then, the whole issue is, what difference does it make? Paul is saying, whether you “know” that it’s no big deal or you “know” that it is idolatry, if your focus is on your knowledge, you’ve got it wrong. The whole point is that love trumps knowledge. In my case, refusing to eat fruit taken from a Buddhist altar would offend the person giving it to me and make them far less open to hear the gospel through me. In Paul’s day, animals were most often butchered as a ritual of sacrifice. Reading the Old Testament, we can see that a major function of the temple in Jerusalem was as a meat market, so to speak. In pagan countries, most of the meat in the city markets had come from pagan temples, and thus the conflict. As Paul points out in verse 8, the meat itself isn’t the issue, it’s the heart attitude. All our knowledge is relative, and compared to God’s knowledge it is totally insignificant. We are to stand on the principles God reveals to us, but do so always in love, both for God and for our neighbor.

Whereas I do encounter this specific issue in visiting Buddhist homes, the wider issue of pride in knowledge is more pertinent for me. I have struggled with intellectual pride all my life. I used to read the Encyclopedia Britannica for fun in the 4th grade, and still continue to enjoy absorbing information of all sorts. However, the moment I come to, “I know and you don’t, and that makes me better than you,” I am in serious trouble. I’ve got to remember that, as Paul says a little later in chapter 13, knowledge will pass away, and our current knowledge is imperfect at best. (1 Corinthians 13:8-9) I am to be grateful for the capacity to learn but never proud, speaking the truth in love to build others up, and never to lord it over them.

Father, thank You for the mind You have given me. Help me remember always that it is a gift from You, and not something I earned. Help me use it as You intend, blessing those around me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Family; February 11, 2020


1 Corinthians 4:15-16 Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

God indeed never misses a trick, knowing the end from the beginning. He knew what I would be hearing at the conference that started yesterday, and He planned this passage for today, causing me to choose the topic of love many months ago and arranging that this passage came up today. The speaker yesterday was emphasizing that a church isn’t a company, but rather a family, and he talked about how we don’t choose our family members, and neither do we discard them or give up on them. I had been thinking I wanted to share that in a message to our church, but I didn’t know from which passage to start. And here we are! Family relationships aren’t always smooth. We are closer to some members of our biological families than to others. However, that doesn’t change the fact that they are family! As Paul pointed out, the command (in the 10 Commandments) to honor our father and mother is the first one that includes a promise. (Ephesians 6:2-3) There are of course wide variations among people, and some of them seem far more worthy of honor than others. Frankly, there’s no one alive who hasn’t done some things that might be unworthy of honor. However, that doesn’t change the commandment. Individual churches are very different, and being in a church isn’t quite the same as being in a family, but the speaker yesterday stressed that a church isn’t just not a company, it is especially not a restaurant, but many people treat it that way. They go where they like the menu! “Hmm. Today I feel like Chinese food.” That’s no way to have spiritual growth! The more we realize that we are family, in many different senses, the more we will mature and grow, in many different ways.

This is especially close to home for me, because as a pastor over the years I have had spiritual children who still honor me as “Daddy Jack,” though they are geographically far away and it’s been many years, and I have had spiritual children, even ones I have baptized, who have discarded me and don’t honor me at all. I have had those who have gone through periods of rebellion, but have since come to respect and even love me. In turn, I have had spiritual children I would love to have close to me forever, and I have had spiritual children I would be just as happy not to be bothered with again. As the speaker yesterday was saying, I’m not to give up on anyone, even if they give up on me! God is the Father of us all, and Jesus is our Big Brother, (Romans 8:29) so I am to operate as a mentally and spiritually healthy member of the Family of God.

Father, thank You for this marvelously confirming Word. May I not only communicate it effectively on Sunday, but also live it out faithfully day by day. May I be the son, husband, father, and brother You want me to be to each of the various people with whom You have connected me, building them up and drawing them closer to You, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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