Refs Do Miss Calls

Matthew 8:5-13

 

 

Many years ago (it seems like a lifetime now), I was a certified basketball official. You know, the guys in the striped shirts who are blind that you love to yell at. My authority was given to me when I passed the exam and was given a patch to wear on my shirt.

 

The centurion knew how authority worked. There was a chain of command. His superior gave him an order and with that order the authority to carry it out. In turn, the centurion gave the order to those who were under his authority. And with that order, they had the authority to carry it out. The order was carried down the line of authority.

 

The Bible says that Jesus spoke with authority unlike the Pharisees and teachers of the law who just gave their opinion. He healed with authority by touching people and being touched. He performed miracles just by speaking. His authority came from somewhere and the centurion recognized its source as God.

 

Did Jesus have that authority because of who he was, or whom he belonged to? The answer is yes to both. He was the Son of God and he belonged to God his Father. In the same way, we are sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. It is who we are in Christ and who we belong to.

 

Jesus was obedient to who he was and who he belonged to. He could have said, ‘No. I’m not going through all of that’, but instead he obeyed. He accepted his “calling”, if you will, and the authority that went with it.

 

In a similar way we have been called. God is calling you to ministry. It might be at your place of work or home or neighborhood or church, but God has called you and given you the gifts, resources and authority to complete your ministry.

 

When I was a referee there’s no doubt that I missed some calls. Ok, maybe there were a lot of missed calls. But the fact is that I was responsible to referee the game and had the authority to complete it. Don’t miss your call to ministry which comes with the authority to complete it.

 

 

Buckeye Quarterbacks: Next Man Up

1 Corinthians 15:35-49

(This is the 2nd of two devotionals on this passage.)

 

 

In the late summer of 2014 there was great anticipation in the Buckeye Nation. Braxton Miller, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year the previous two years, would be returning from his shoulder injury. Urban Meyer, the Buckeyes rock star head coach, had lost only 2 games in the previous two years. Expectations for a national championship were rampant.

 

Suddenly though the bottom fell out. Only a few days before the first game, Braxton Miller reinjured his shoulder and would require surgery. All seemed lost. Hopelessness set in. What would the Buckeyes do? They had two backup quarterbacks that had very little game experience.

 

Any self-respecting Buckeye fan, or in my case, someone who happens to live in

Columbus, knows what happened. It was the next man up. J.T. Barrett took over as starting quarterback and had a record setting season. In fact, by the end of the regular season he had the Buckeyes in contention for the Big 10 championship.

 

But again, the unexpected happened. This time Barrett was injured during the Michigan game and would require surgery. All hope was now beyond lost. There was no way the Buckeyes could overcome such an insurmountable obstacle at this late stage of the season. But again it was next man up as Cardale Jones took over and led the Buckeyes to their first national championship since 2002.

 

In 2014, the hope of the Buckeye Nation had shifted from Braxton to J.T. to Cardale – the next man up. If one man was injured another took his place, almost like they were interchangeable. Going into 2015, nobody knows who will be the next man up; not even Urban Meyer.

 

As believers though, we know who will be the next man up. He’s the same man who has been there for us all along. In today’s passage, Paul wrote about our hope in Jesus for resurrection that will never need to shift. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Jesus is the resurrection. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus is not interchangeable.

 

When the time comes, he will be there to meet us and to bring us home.

 

 

 

 

Hope Springs Eternal

1 Corinthians 15:35-49

(This is the first of two devotionals on this passage.)

 

 

Hope! Can you feel it? There is something about the human spirit that wants to hope; needs to hope. As the saying goes, “Hope springs eternal”.

 

Every year the loyal fans of the snake bit Cleveland Browns hope for a championship. We hope that the rain will finally stop and the sun will come out. We hope that our boss will give us that raise. We hope that our kids excel in school. We hope that life will be wonderful, full of happiness and laughter. Hope springs eternal.

 

And yet we live in a dying world. A baby is born, lives for a lifetime and dies. Like taxes, it’s inevitable. Ever since Adam and Eve made that fateful decision in the Garden, death has had the final word… until Jesus.

 

Jesus was raised from the dead and promised that he would return for us. Not only did Jesus promise to return for us, but Paul tells us that we will receive new bodies.

 

“…Our earthly bodies which die and decay are different from the bodies we shall have when we come back to life again, for they will never die... they will be full of glory when we come back to life again… they will be full of strength... they will be superhuman bodies.”        Vs. 42-44

 

When people hope for good weather or good fortune or for their favorite sports team;

they are really wishing. It’s just like rubbing a bottle in hopes that a jeannie will grant your wishes. But the hope that we have in Jesus returning and bringing us home with resurrected bodies is more than a wish. It’s a promise.

 

Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled. You are trusting God, now trust in Me. There are many homes up there where my Father lives, and I am going to prepare them for your coming. When everything is ready, then I will come and get you, so that you can always be with Me where I am”.             John 14:1-3

 

Because of this promise, even in the midst of hopelessness, there is hope. Even in the midst of difficult times, there is hope. Even in the midst of failure, there is hope. Hope springs eternal, not because of a jeannie in a bottle, but because of a Savior who was raised from the dead, and will return to bring us home in new bodies.

 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20corinthians%2015%3A35-49&version=NIV;TLB

 

 

The Dick Van Dyke Show

2 John

 

 

We live in a time of moral, legal and spiritual relativism where truth is relative! You have your truth and I have mine… and both are right. There are no absolute truths. As an example, just look at how TV has changed.

 

When I was growing up Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore, who were married on the show, slept in separate beds. Today, it is common for unmarried individuals to have sex with multiple partners. What was once considered immoral is now widely accepted.

 

I don’t necessarily believe that TV was better back in the 50’s and 60’s. Or that we were more of a Christian nation back then. I am not pining for “the good ‘ol days”. But I am stating that there appears to be a decline of the truth, that as believers, we need to be aware of because that subtle decline can attack us.

 

John wrote this letter to warn believers to watch out for false teachers. Apparently even in the first century truth was under attack. In fact, over the centuries, Christians have written down various Creeds and Confessions to defend Biblical truth. In reality, the truth is constantly under attack.

 

Unfortunately Christians, in the name of truth, have often only expressed what they are against. As a result, Christians have come across as self-righteous and judgmental. That may be why John not only warned about false teachers, but he also reminded them about “a command we have had from the beginning”.

 

As the people of Israel were preparing to cross the Jordan to the Promised Land, Moses instructed them with God’s greatest command: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength”. Jesus expanded on this in Luke: “Love your neighbor as yourself”.

 

John understood that truth and love had to go hand in hand. He understood that as humans with a sinful nature, there are temptations for both. In my opinion, as 21^st century believers, we shouldn’t hammer people with the truth. We should however, obey our Lord in love, and as a result, share the Gospel in truth and in love.

 

In doing so, we may one day say the words of Paul to the Thessalonians: “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy”.

 

Therefore, who are you investing yourself into? Who are you sharing the truth and love of Christ with? Who will you be able to say in Paul’s words, “Indeed, you are our glory and joy”?

 

 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20John%201&version=NIV;TLB

 

 

 

Walk the Walk

James 2:14-26

(The 2nd of two devotions.)

 

 

“'Walk the walk' is almost always said in combination with 'talk the talk'. This is a 20th century American alternative to various old sayings which epitomize the notion that 'talk is cheap', 'actions speak louder than words' and 'practice what you preach'.” (Taken from www.phrases.org)

 

It seems like this is what James was saying to the early church when he wrote, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” And then, “…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead”.

 

To make his point James gives this example. “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”

 

This reminds me of the parable that Jesus told about the sheep and goats. In this story the King told the righteous that they had fed him, given him drink, invited him in as a stranger, clothed him, cared for him and visited him in prison when they did it for the “least of these”. In other words, they ‘walked the walk’.

 

As evidence that faith results in action, James gives two examples from the Old Testament. The first was Abraham, the father of the Jewish faith. Any self-respecting Jew would find no fault with him. But the second is Rahab, a prostitute. Even though she is an acknowledged sinner, her faith was visible by her actions.

 

Driving his point further that faith leads to actions, James makes this statement, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe and shudder”. In other words, believing, or having faith, is not enough unless the appropriate actions follow.

 

Listen to the words of Jesus on this topic of action and deeds: “So Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, “If you are faithful to what I have said, you are truly my disciples. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free!” Later in the book of John he said this, “If you really love me, you will keep the commandments I have given you…”

 

To walk the walk requires action. It requires obedience. It requires good works. But to

do it requires a loving relationship with the Living God that is fleshed out every day, every hour and every minute. As you walk the walk, keep this verse in your mind and heart:  ^“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

 

 

 

 

 

This is My Friend Dan

 



James 2:14-26

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”      

1 Thessalonians 1:3

 

 

I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine. His name is Dan. Dan graduated from Ohio State in social work. His faith in Christ gave him a desire to help the poor and the disenfranchised.

 

On the near West side of Columbus, just across the Scioto River from downtown, is a neighborhood called Franklinton. However, for many reasons, it is also referred to as The Bottoms. Consider these statistics from Wikipedia:

• 56% of Franklinton residents do not have a high school diploma.
• Over 60% of the residents live below the poverty line.
• 93% of the students at the public elementary schools are eligible for free or reduced lunch.

 

Coming out of college, Dan took a job at Gladden Community House. Gladden is a settlement house located in the heart of Franklinton. It was founded by Reverend Washington Gladden and Mrs. Celia Jeffrey in 1905 as a neighborhood outreach mission of First Congregational Church. Although it has lost the purpose of a Christian mission, that is exactly why Dan has worked there for the past thirty years.

 

 In addition to serving full time at Gladden he has volunteered in numerous other ministry outreaches in Franklinton and beyond.

Dan on a Kentucky mission trip

1. For about 10 years he was one of the leaders of the Big Event Club that met before school at Starling Middle School.
2. For over 10 years he volunteered at Mt. Carmel Hospital, located in Franklinton, with the Chaplaincy Services.
3. He helped start the Franklinton Development Association, a non-profit that provides affordable housing.
4. For 20 years he has made an annual journey to DC to participate in the “March for Life” to keep the issue of abortion in the political conscience.
5. More could be written if there was space.

 

James wrote in today’s passage, “You see that his (Abraham’s) faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” In the same way, Dan’s faith has been made complete by his actions.  As believers, we are each called for our faith to lead to actions; for “faith without works is dead”.