Eternal Covenant

What do you know about covenants? Have you been told they are like contracts? Have you heard a covenant is similar to a promise? Do you think of a covenant as a legal document? Have heard of a covenant being an agreement between two parties?

We often hear someone explaining a covenant with God being similar to a contract. We hear of it being like a legal agreement. Perhaps that is due to our lack of understanding of God’s promises. Perhaps we need a better understanding.

In one respect, it is true God’s covenant is between Himself and us. Yet, in another respect, it is God making a promise we can accept or reject. In every case of a covenant in the Bible, blood was required. In the Old Testament, it was the blood of an animal, usually a lamb. In the New Testament, it was Christ’s blood that sealed the New Covenant.

However, equating a covenant to a legal contract does not do it justice. Though similar, the difference is God will never break His covenant with us. We hear of and may even break a contract ourselves. God never will. In our culture, we know people go to court over the legalese within a contract. Not with God’s covenant.

I sometimes like to think of God’s covenant with us like a blood brother’s oath. If you are old enough, you have heard of this or may have done it. Two people cut a thumb or finger so that it bleeds, and they rub their blood together, making an oath to be true to one another forever. Typically, both parties take it very seriously and do not break their oath.

God’s covenant with us is even more serious than a blood brother’s oath. It is more serious than marriage vows. It is more serious than an oath of office. It is more serious than any contract. It is a promise of God that He will never break, even if we reject His covenant.

I pray we all take God’s covenant with us very seriously. I pray we accept His covenant. I pray each one of us will live within the covenant God has made with us, accepting eternal life. Know that God does not neglect His promises. Know that God’s covenant is forever. Trust God’s promises. Accept God’s covenant. Accept an eternal inheritance.

Hebrews 9:15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

Be United

Have you noticed the division across our country? Have you noticed division in your local community? Is there division within your workplace? Is there division within your local church? What will come from all the division?

We cannot miss the division we are continually bombarded with in the news. It seems every news story is about and exacerbates division on whatever topic it covers. Division results in the organization that is divided to fall.

I know. The arguments on both sides have valid points. Both sides dig in their heels and refuse to budge. The result is ruin. We can continue to dig in our heels, or we can choose to give in so we continue to stand. That is not to say we cannot have healthy debate. But healthy debate does not include slander, hatred, stubbornness, nor mudslinging. Healthy debate results in an agreed upon way forward. It results in remaining united.

Jesus knew this hard truth and stated the obvious to those who were accusing Him of casting out demons in Satan’s name. Yes, it is obvious that a person or group who works against itself will be torn apart and fall. It doesn’t take much thought to see the truth in Jesus’ statement. If a husband and wife are continually pulling in different directions, they will eventually separate. If one part of an organization is going in one direction and another part is going in another, the organization will experience failure and eventually go out of business.

Jesus prayed that we, the church, would be united (John 20:20-23). He did so on purpose. He knew the truth He speaks in today’s passage. If we are divided, why would we believe we will succeed in reaching a broken world? Why would we think we can grow God’s kingdom (and our churches) here on earth? We must be united as the body of Christ if we are to do His will.

I pray we all seek to be united in Jesus Christ. I pray we set aside our differences to do the will of God. I pray each one of us spend time praying for unity in the body of Christ, the church. Eliminate division. Seek unity. Pray for unity. Trust in the truth of Christ. Know that He has prayed for us.

Matthew 12:25 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”

Strength in the Father

Have you ever felt betrayed? Was it a family member who betrayed you? Was it a friend you considered to be close? Was it a co-worker you thought you could trust? Was it a spouse? Were you devasted when it happened?

The likelihood of us being betrayed at some point in our lives is high. The betrayal may be relatively simple and easily overcome or it may be very significant and hurt deeply. But make no mistake about it, it will come sooner or later.

What can we do to prepare ourselves for the betrayal? The same thing Jesus did. Have a great relationship with the Father. Our strength to get through that extremely trying time comes from Him. Jesus forewarned His Apostles they would be betrayed. His warning is for us as well. He set an example for us. He knew He would be betrayed. He knew He would need the Father’s strength. We will, too.

I know this personally. I was unceremoniously relieved of duties a few years ago, meaning I was fired. I was the fall guy for a failure by a junior person who was halfway across the country. I’m not even sure who the real betrayer was. It may have been my boss, his boss, or our client. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is I had a good relationship with my Father and trusted in Him to get me through the difficult time. My relationship was built on years of not merely going to church, but actively participating and studying God’s Word and spending time in prayer.

Each of us can be prepared for the betrayal to come by building our relationship with God. He is patiently waiting for us to come to Him. He desires a close relationship with each of us. But He won’t force us to come to Him. It is our choice.

I pray we all choose to participate in church activities. I pray we choose to study God’s Word. I pray each of us choose to build a close relationship with God before the betrayal comes. Be prepared for betrayal. Rely on God’s strength. Build a close relationship with Him. Be an active member in your church. Spend time studying God’s Word. Spend time in prayer.

Matthew 10:21-22 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Deep Truths

Do you want to be a servant of God? Are you trustworthy? Do others respect you? Will you pursue and hold onto the deep truths of faith?

The Greek word for deacon, diakonos, literally means “to wait on tables.” In our society today, a person who waits on tables does not necessarily command a lot of respect, although some do. However, in the first century, only the wealthy had such servants. Those servants had to be trustworthy. They were respected by those who employed them. After all, they often tasted the food before it was put before their employer.

In the New Testament, the term deacon is used to identify someone who is well respected and who is trustworthy to carry the message of Christ to others. Carrying the message does not mean they were preachers. In fact, they almost never preached. They carried the message through service to others, being the hands and feet of Christ to those in need.

The deacon also serves alongside the overseer or elder, often carrying out supporting efforts. In the case of Phoebe, she was serving with Paul and carrying out his orders by delivering his letter to the church in Rome. She was on one of the most important missions of the New Testament era being entrusted with Paul’s message.

I pray we all conduct ourselves in such a way as to be trustworthy. I pray we are respected for our behavior and attitudes toward the children of God. I pray each of us seek to hold the deep truths of faith. Be trustworthy. Seek respect. Seek to maintain respect. Keep hold of the deep truths of faith. Have clear conscience.

1 Timothy 3:8-10 In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

Respect

Are you looking for respect? Do you wonder why people do not respect you? Have you looked at how you live your life lately? Have you asked yourself, honestly, how you would react to someone who behaves like you do?

We may be wondering why people don’t show us respect. As the old adage goes, respect is not given, it is earned. It is earned through hard work. It is earned through good behavior. It is earned by being an upstanding person who is mostly self-sufficient.

We all want respect. Unfortunately, we don’t all work to gain the respect we want. Why? My guess is we value being selfish over being respected. Think not? Think about the choices we make. We choose to back out on someone because someone else asked us to do something we like better. We ask others regularly to do things for us rather than doing for ourselves. We buy a new outfit for ourselves rather than helping a homeless person find a place to live. What is the common thread in all these choices? It’s all about me, it’s selfishness.

Notice what the Apostle Paul tells the church in Thessalonica to gain respect. Mind your own business. Work with your hands. And a couple of verses prior to today’s passage, he said to love all of God’s family. This is how we earn respect. Why? Others will see us doing the right thing and respect us for it.

Earning respect is no easy task. And, unfortunately, it only takes one slip up to lose it. Earning and keeping the respect of others is a 24/7/365 task. We can never let our guard down. No, if we want respect, especially as we grow old, we must earn it every moment of every day for many years leading to our older years.

I pray we all want to be respected. I pray we commit to earning respect and keeping it. I pray each one of us take the first step toward earning respect and keeping it for our entire lives. Mind your own business. Work with your hands. Love everyone in God’s family. Earn respect. Keep respect.

1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Sufficient Grace

Do you have a weakness you just can’t seem to overcome? Have you been frustrated by the weakness for a long time? Have you considered you were given the weakness for a purpose? Do you know that God is glorified in your weakness?

Whether we want to admit it or not, we all have at least one weakness. For some of us, the weakness is glaringly apparent. For others, it is less apparent. But we all have a weakness we must deal with throughout our lives.

We may wonder why God would give us a weakness. After all, if He wants us to work for Him, we might think it would make sense to make us strong. But God’s design is to make us strong in community. He intentionally gave us weaknesses so that we must rely on others.

He is also glorified in our weakness. That may sound counterintuitive. Yet, when He works through our weakness to reveal Himself, He is glorified. It is only by Him working in our lives that we can accomplish tasks that require our weakness to be a strength. That is when we give glory to God for helping us and others see God working in our lives.

The Apostle Paul was no different than any of us. He had a weakness he wanted God to remove or strengthen. But he was told that God’s grace was sufficient. God used his weakness to glorify Himself. Paul knew it was God working through him. Paul gave the glory to God and those who knew Paul also glorified God as they saw God working in him.

I pray we all ask God work through our weaknesses. I pray we give up making excuses and rely on God to help us execute His plan. I pray each of us accept our weakness and trust God is in control. Give the glory to God. See Him working in your life. Trust He will help you in your weakness. Know that God’s grace is sufficient.

2 Corinthians 12:7b-9 Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

We Are Messengers

Have you been a messenger? Have you been part of an advanced party to set up for the main party’s arrival? Have you been entrusted with preparing the way for someone else? If so, did it turn out to be more work than you thought?

We prepare in advance for many different events. We may prepare for a birthday party in advance—blowing up balloons, baking a cake, putting frilly tablecloth on the table, setting up extra tables and chairs, and making the food for everyone.

I remember being sent on an advance party to Korea for a deployment while still in the Marines. We arrived ahead of the main unit to prepare for their arrival. We filled sandbags, strung concertina wire, set up tents, set up radios, installed a local network for computers, and generally had an entire camp set up for them when they arrived. It was a lot of work. Once the main unit arrived, we were dissolved into it and carried out our normal tasks like everyone else.

Being the messenger that goes ahead of Jesus is no small task. I can imagine those messengers going around town telling people He was coming. They likely tried to round people up to listen to His message. The messengers knew the importance of His message and tried to get people to come to listen to Him. But not everyone would take time to listen.

We face this challenge still today. Jesus will return. But at that time, there will be no more time for messengers to prepare the way. He will be returning to reclaim His own and finish the defeat of Satan and all who follow him. Our task can appear to be daunting. It is definitely urgent. We are entrusted with a very important message—Jesus is Lord and Savior. May we take up the task of being a messenger.

I pray we all understand the importance of being a messenger. I pray we realize we are messengers for Jesus. I pray each one of us takes the task of being His messenger seriously. Be a messenger for Jesus. Tell others of His saving grace. Jesus will return to claim His own. Prepare the way for His return.

Luke 9:52 And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him;

Living Within

Have you ever had two bosses at the same time? If so, how did it work out when they gave you conflicting instruction? Did you feel as though you were caught in the middle? Were you frustrated and wondering which one to obey?

Having two bosses can be very frustrating. Especially if they are continually giving us contradicting instructions, or they both want us to complete their tasks first. It can bring us to the brink of wanting to throw our hands up and give up.

We may not have two bosses in the same job. Perhaps we are working two part-time jobs or a full-time job and a part-time job. Scheduling time at both jobs can be challenging. Which one gets priority? How do we handle it when both jobs have us scheduled to work the same time?

This is the same point Jesus was making in today’s passage. Serving God and money is frustrating and contradictory. We cannot be continually stiving after the almighty dollar and serve God as He has commanded us. We will give one a higher priority over the other.

Far too often, we put the pursuit of more money ahead of serving God. When we do, we feel dissatisfied. So, we strive to make more money. As we strive harder, make a little more, we feel good momentarily. But it is short lived, and we work ever harder.

When we choose to serve God first, we are at peace. We trust God to provide for our needs. We learn we don’t need what money can buy but need the peace that goes beyond understanding. We don’t go without, we go within—within God’s will for our lives.

I pray we all see the challenge in serving two masters. I pray we choose to serve God. I pray each one of us will seek the peace that goes beyond understanding over the almighty dollar. Choose your master. Seek the peace of God. Trust God to provide. Live within God’s will.

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

Unchanging Jesus

Are longing for consistency? Are you looking for solid footing in the midst of unceasing change? Do you look for someone you can count on in the middle of the storm? Do you know there is someone who can be your rock and never changes?

We wake up each morning wondering what change will happen today. We make plans and wonder if they will come to fruition. It seems each day brings on a new challenge. A new twist is thrown our way and we must adapt or determine a way around it.

We are faced with an ever-changing world, an ever-changing environment. New disruptions occur, if not daily, at least weekly. Reflect for just a moment on all the changes you have seen over the past few months. We can think of several within the blink of an eye.

We may think of the rising cost of living, protests against this or that, an ongoing war, hungry children, a vehicle that needs unexpected repairs, or changes being made within our professions. The list seems to be never ending when we spend a little time thinking about it.

There is One we can count on to be consistent day after day. He has been the same for thousands of years, He is the same today, and he will be the same forever. Jesus is the same. His message has not changed. His example has not changed. His expectations have not changed.

His message is a message of love. It is a message of respect. It is a message of obedience. It is a message of eternal glory. His expectation is to follow Him, follow His example. Jesus has not commanded us to do anything He did not do Himself.

I pray we all rely on Jesus to be our perfect example. I pray we decide to follow Him. I pray each one of us will hold on to Him as our rock in the storm and as our unchanging Savior. Look to Jesus for stability. Seek to know Him. Follow His example. Obey His teachings. Know He is the same throughout history and eternity.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Trust Jesus

Do you ever wonder who Jesus really is? Have ever questioned what you have in Him? Do you wonder how things will turn out in the end? Are you putting your trust in God? Or are you putting your trust in people?

I believe we all experience times of doubt. We ask ourselves if what we believe is true. And there is nothing wrong with that. It is by exploring our doubts, digging deeper into the truth, that our knowledge, belief, and faith are increased.

As a word of encouragement to alleviate the doubts of the Corinthian church, Paul writes the below passage. He quotes from Job first, then from Psalms. He informs them that God knows everything, and He catches the wise.

He goes on to tell the Corinthians to stop boasting about their human leaders. Why? Corinth was one of the leading cities of political debate and Gnosticism. In other words, a leading city of human thought. There were debates for entertainment purposes.

But Paul tells the church they have everything. It is all theirs. And he reminds them that Christ is God. Sometimes we forget that. We get wrapped up in this world, its worries, and moment by moment tasks. We strive to complete the list of tasks as long as our arm. We forget that one day none of that will matter. Christ has already conquered it all. He has promised us an eternal life with Him. He has promised no more worries, no more tears, only the bliss of being in God’s presence.

I pray we all remember Christ is God. I pray we remember He has conquered this world. I pray each of us look forward to spending eternity with Him in the new, perfect world with new heavens. Christ is God. Christ has conquered. Christ is victorious. Put your faith in Him. Be confident of your future.

1 Corinthians 3:19-23 As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.