"Summer of One" Devotional

“An angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road, the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out...” Acts 8:26 Philip is an example of how God calls us to step out in obedience even if it doesn’t make sense at the time. The angel of the Lord gave clear directions for Philip to go from Jerusalem to Gaza. He was asked to travel in the heat of the day through the desert, not the normal paved route to Gaza. Philip did not question God or try to figure out why God was asking him to go. He didn’t pause to wonder how he was going to deal with the physically draining aspects of the journey or who was going to fund his trip. He simply started on his way. As he went along, the Holy Spirit directed him to an Ethiopian eunuch. Philip struck up casual conversations which led to sharing the good news about Jesus. Many people have told me they desire to go on a mission trip but are not sure if they should go. They want to have all the answers ahead of time.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.” Acts 1:8-9 These are the last words Jesus speaks to his Apostles just before ascending into heaven. Not what they were expecting. They were wondering when Jesus was going to set up His Kingdom on earth. As He was ascending into heaven He reveals we are the ones to accomplish the task. Jesus’ departure is not desertion; it is a commission to be the storytellers of truth to the rest of the world. Frequently, we look at this scripture in relationship to our life. We perceive Jerusalem as our own community, Judea as our city, Samaria as our country and the ends of the earth as the world. Christ informed the apostles they will have the power of the Holy Spirit to reach these people. Notice the word “and...” Jesus didn’t say

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:2 This poetical verse is from the Proverbs of King Solomon. Dr. Henrietta Mears in her book, “What the Bible Is All About,” contrasts the book of Psalms and the book of Proverbs. She writes in Psalms we find Christians on their knees, in Proverbs we find them on their feet. Psalms are for the Christians devotions; Proverbs are for Christians’ walk. Psalms are for the prayer closet, Proverbs are for the work, home, and play. When a team prepares for a mission trip we put this verse in an acronym... F.A.T. Flexible, adaptable and teachable. We make plans with our best intention to be helpful. After we arrive we often learn our best intentions are put aside for God’s prevailing purposes. We experience being F.A.T. How many times did your plans not go as you planned? Interruptions can cause an unexpected change. You may plan to travel but work holds you back. You may plan to go to the

“For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” 2 Corinthians 11:4 Paul was speaking to a church that showed evidence of dysfunction. They were taking each other to court rather than settling matters between themselves. They were arguing over which preacher they liked the best and who they were “following.” They tried to outdo each other about their spiritual gifts. They were not following the way of love in Christ. And now they were entertaining false teachings about Jesus and the Gospel. Recently I heard again about someone who is a long-term church attender and presumed Christian seemingly shocked that Jesus is the only means of salvation. This person responded, “Well if you are saying that people of other faiths are not going to heaven, then that is not my Jesus.” There are many closet univer

“I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.” Galatians 1:11 If you were writing a story about yourself, how would you write it? How would you appear in the story? There have always been skeptics and critics who say that the Bible is a fable written by men to try and explain good and evil in our world, and nothing more. But it seems to me they have never read the story. If written by men, wouldn’t men be spoken of in a better light? Think of it. And in what universe would an all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present God not just wave His hand and destroy those who stood against Him? Yet in the Bible, this God comes in human form to His rebellious creation, preaches truth to them, and then DIES for them. Paul is right, this Gospel is not of human origin. It has its roots in the eternal heart of God, who loves His creation, and longs for all to be redeemed into a right relationship with Him. What we as fallen human beings could not do

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” Galatians 1:8 We seem to be a culture that is swayed by personality. Through the years, I have had the privilege of meeting some very prominent people. There is a picture in my office of Pam and me standing beside Billy Graham. We felt very blessed. Even though Dr. Graham is in ill health now, it is amazing to think of how the Lord has used him. Like others, I have talked to a few famous golfers and got their autographs, and even met a few politicians. Even though each of these are people, human beings not significantly different than us, we feel different in their presence as if they are something more. And when they speak, we tend to listen. I have watched people who get caught up listening to people that inspire them, move their emotions, or get them excited, and they seem drawn into their wake. It is easy to do. But if they listened closely to

“Jesus said: ‘For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.’”  John 18:37 Interestingly, in the next verse Pilate says to Jesus, “What is truth?” It is a very difficult word to define, and even more difficult to know and live by. It seems that the whole world is living a lie. That’s because Satan is a liar from the start, and Ephesians says he is the prince and power of the air, more powerful than flesh and blood, but not more powerful that God. Truth is now more evasive than at any time in the history of the world. So much for the age of enlightenment. It’s more like an age of darkness, even becoming worse than the “dark ages.” That’s because truth is embodied in the person of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is being rejected by the “enlightened” world more than ever before. He has never been more hated than He is today, and that is the truth. But the goo

“Jesus said: I am the door. If anyone enters by Me he will be saved, and will go in  and out and find pasture.” John 10:9 In my previous devotional, I used the word “exclusivity” in describing the Gospel. I’m sure that word rubs many people the wrong way, but it is precisely what the scriptures teach, throughout the Bible, both old and new testaments. But people want it to be otherwise. They want it to be all inclusive. You’ve heard the phrase, “all religions lead to God, we just take different paths to get there.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Remember yesterday’s verse? “I am the Way and the Truth.” Yet people have believed that lie since the beginning of time, so much so that it has spawned large movements of theology that have denied the doctrine of hell throughout the ages. That is actually the premise of the doctrine of universalism which is a subtle and pervasive doctrine that has fooled even many believers because they just don’t want to believe that God will rej

“Jesus said: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6 This is one of the clearest verses in all of the Bible, yet millions of professing Christians stumble over it, question it, or outright deny it, all because they cannot accept the exclusivity of the Christian Gospel. Yet, there it is as plain as day. The implication, of course, is that there is NO OTHER way, as much as we might think there is, or wish there was. We would like to alter the way to heaven in order to accommodate those who don’t know Jesus, and even those who reject the message of the Gospel altogether. But in so doing, we nullify the express purpose of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. Why bother with the crucifixion if people can get to heaven any other way they want? Although I believe in death bed conversions, I believe they are very rare. I’ve prayed with many people on their death beds over the years, and only a few have appeared to be sincere i

“Fear not, for today I bring you Good News of Great Joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10 We live in a day and age where we, as Christians, can be so leery about sharing our faith with others for fear of being intolerant and harsh. And yet just the opposite is true. We have GOOD NEWS to share, and who doesn’t want to share good news? Now true, we shouldn’t walk into the grocery store shouting, “Fear not people, for today I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people!!” But on the other hand, we should not be so fearful that we forget that we have good news to share. The message of Jesus is good news, matter of fact it is the only good news that ultimately impacts our future destiny. No other religion offers this hope and peace to the world. No other religion has a god who died for His people and pursues them love with reckless abandon rising from the dead and offers forgiveness full and free. What we have is truly good news and we need to strategica

“…and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 3:21 There is a fascinating nuance in the mention of baptism by Peter in this passage. He is discussing how the flood experience of Noah is similar to our salvation experience. Noah and his family were carried above or through the water. We are baptized in the waters of baptism, symbolizing our dying with Christ, but then we are brought up out, symbolizing the resurrection of Jesus. And Peter says, this baptism is not the removal of dirt from our body, like a bath, but literally an “inquiry toward God for a clear conscience.” Our humble appeal to God is that He take action to make us clean through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is a great reminder that our salvation is a work of God and not because of actions on our part. Our baptism is a sign, a symbol, a dem

“The high places, however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.” 1 Kings 22:43 I am convinced that most of us don’t understand the power of the actions we take and the patterns we establish. This passage in 1 Kings 22 is about King Jehoshaphat, a good king of Judah by all accounts, but despite his desire to follow the Lord he did not remove the high places. These high places were places of worship to idols, not to the Lord God. I wonder if most people would have probably rationalized away that they were serving God, but just had the high places as a backup or in addition to their worship of God. Unfortunately, the very action of having high places there and having a continual pattern of returning to these high places shaped them. We are shaped by what we think and do, and we are mostly shaped by what we think and do continually. If our thoughts and actions are divided between loyalties, we will be confused and unhealthy. This is

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10 On my recent trip to Israel, one of the very poignant experiences was my baptism in the Jordan River. This was the third time I have been baptized. The first was as an infant. The second was in the old sanctuary (now Evangel) when I was born again and wanted to make a public declaration of what God had done for me. The third time was in the Jordan River. As I came up out of the water my prayer and deepest longing was that God would once again create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. I recall that phrase spinning through my mind as I walked to get changed. All Christians, by placing saving faith in Him, have been spiritually immersed into the person of Christ, united and identified in Him. In baptism, Jesus’ death and burial become ours. We are united with Him in His resurrection. There is a new quality and character to our lives. I recall the fresh feeling as the water dr

“I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” Luke 12:49-51 Jesus was feeling the weight of His passion, the baptism of His death. What that baptism was going to release is anything but peace. There is and will be great division between people because of Christ. Rejection by family and friends, within families, deep divisions of world views. The fire of the purging of sin in our lives and the establishment of the righteousness He desires to release is evident. And it will continue until the end of time. We often think of the meekness and gentleness of Jesus. But never forget that He is also holy, righteous and just. And one day everyone, by faith or by force, will acknowledge Him as Lord. Prayer Focus: Jesus, thank You for carrying the weight of justice for each of us. Thank You for

“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” Mark 10:38 James and John were asking (through their mother) for special consideration in the Kingdom. Mrs. Zebedee asked that her sons sit in the seats of honor right beside Jesus and His Father. Jesus asks them a hard question: “If that is what you want, do you think you can face and go through all that I am about to go through, even to the point of dying?” Without really knowing what they were saying, they answered, “We can.” We want God to give us special attention and honor, but in doing so we don’t always understand what we are asking for. He was not speaking of a dunk in water here. He was speaking of immersion in a life of sacrifice, becoming “obedient to death, even death on a cross.” James and John would face difficult days ahead. James was shortly hereafter executed for his faith. And while John outlived the other disciples, at one point

“Having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12 Baptism is one of the two sacraments instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ when He lived among us in human form (the other being the Lord’s Supper, also known as communion). Just before He ascended back into heaven, He instructed His followers to make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But why did He instruct us to baptize those who become disciples? Aren’t we saved by faith in Christ and His sacrifice to pay for our sins on the cross alone? Why do we need to go through the additional process of baptism? The answer to these questions actually demonstrates God’s wonderful love for us. Baptism (and communion) is God’s sign-act of His love and care for us. Sign-acts are acts that convey meaning using actions, words and objects. They are not merely symbols, but much more

“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:3-4 Symbols always point to something far deeper. We talk about baptism and we think of the act of being dunked in water. (Sorry for being a little crass.) But talking about the outward act does not capture its meaning. For those of us who have been baptized in the name of Jesus, it is an outward sign of us dying with Him on the cross, being buried, and being raised to life. Death precedes life. Our old self must die in order to share His life. Years ago, I did an outdoor baptism, one of the candidates was a very special autistic young man. I tried to explain baptism as simply as I could and David seemed to understand. I could tell he was a little nervous but he confidently joined me in the water.

“…strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said.” Acts 14:22 Faith is not a one and done thing. We need encouragement. We need help to be strong. In Acts, we find Paul and Barnabas visiting with those they led to the faith. It is in mutual care, spending time together, praying together, working through life issues, that our faith gets strengthened. Recently I was at a prayer meeting. Most of those invited were not able to attend. There were three of us. After we spoke to one another, dreaming together and encouraging each other, we prayed. Afterwards, one man said, this was one of the most meaningful prayer times we have had from my perspective because there was only a few. I am greatly encouraged. As we experience the “Summer of One”, let’s continue to spur each other on, and strengthen each other, knowing that like me, each of us need to be strengthened and encouraged to

“So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:7 Immediately after Pentecost, the word of God spread. Part of the group of people who responded to the Gospel were Jewish priests. Not just a few, but “a large number” of them. Think about it. They were well versed in the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament) and the traditions and teachings of the rabbis. But all of that was challenged by the Gospel, and they now became “obedient to the faith.” This was a massive change with great implications. I find that there are a lot of people around us who while not necessarily living a “practicing” faith, have a faith tradition background. And there are some like the priests of Jesus’ day who are regularly following their tradition. What will they do, what do we do, when the Gospel challenges or overrides our traditional beliefs? We can either reject the Gospel and hold tight to our tradition

“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:4-5 The apostle John uses the Greek word, nikao, which means one who “overcomes”, to set forth a picture of the power of faith. It is a word denoting victory and conquering power. We would understand it as a crushing victory. The word reflects a superiority that leads to overwhelming success. Perhaps you can recall those epic movies like Cleopatra or Ben Hur, where there is a triumphal parade/march and the hero rides up in pomp and grandeur. This is the image John is trying to present to us. He wants us to know that this results from the believer’s union with Christ. As Christ has been victorious so too does the faithful believer share in Christ’s victory thereby overcoming the world. The word “overcomes” in the original language conveys the idea that the believer’s fait

“Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work – which is by faith.” 1 Timothy 1:4 Have you ever found yourself in this situation being extremely confused about a very important question about God and getting many different opinions from people when you ask about it? It can be disheartening and even cause you to doubt God. But here’s the thing, we live in a world that is unique from most of human history before it. Information about almost everything is easily accessible to all and confidence in our own individual sense of knowledge is so strong, people will speculate even though they have limited reason to do so. For instance, you might ask someone what grace means and they will take a podcast they heard one time, combine it with a conversation they had with a friend years ago, combine that with a statement they always heard their mom say growing up, and give you an answer. They may even talk confidently about it, but their answer may have noth

“At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.” Matthew 24:10 In June, we talked about persecution and the reality that we all may face at some point. Jesus describes in Matthew 24 how difficult it is going to be. Amid that discussion, He says at one point, when the going gets very tough, many will turn away from the faith. Not “their” faith, but the faith. He is talking about a shared belief system. In a singular definite article, He affirms that there is only one saving faith, and that is faith in Him. And there will be those who are initially drawn to that faith when things are good or beneficial to them, but will turn away and betray and hate each other when standing up for that faith brings hardship, suffering and perhaps even death. He goes on to say, “but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” And this Gospel, the Gospel of “the” faith must be preached to all nations. We can’t deviate from “the” faith. We can’t lessen the i

“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.” Jude 3 Faith is essential for our salvation. But faith in what? Jude reminds us that faith is a noun and not just a verb. He is referring to a body of truth, not just the exercise of belief. Just because someone claims to believe in a god, or is faithful in the practice of their religion whatever that religion may be, does not mean that they are saved. It is faith in the true God that saves. I have watched too many people enter into abusive or deceitful relationships. When warned by their friends that this is not healthy for them, that the track record of their boyfriend or girlfriend clearly shows it will lead to a painful end, the inevitable response is, “Not with me. They love me. It will be different with me.” They are deceived by a misguided belief. Rather than look at the

“By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.” Acts 3:16 I find this to be an interesting statement. It’s the name of Jesus and the faith that comes through Him that the healing took place. What. I thought it was the man’s faith, or Peter’s faith. No, it was Jesus’ name and a faith that comes through Jesus. So, the ability to believe, the atmosphere that cultivates faith, is found only in Jesus. I come to those challenge points. One person recently wrote me and said when they come to tight spots they forget. Me too. I come to those points and I feel that I do not have the faith to trust God for the challenge in front of me. Suddenly, I ask the question, “Has Jesus ever dealt with this kind of issue?” Yes. What was the outcome? Now, the faith to believe is not based on what I feel but what I know to be true through Him. So, in the authority (n

“‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good—except God alone.’” Luke 18:19 We find Jesus answering a question with a question. He was good at that. He asks this man if he were truly acknowledging Him as God. That is the key to what happens next. The man asked what he had to do to have eternal life. When Jesus gave him a final step to take in following Him, the man balked. He became sad. He was rich and Jesus asked him to give his wealth to the poor and follow Him. He was reluctant. And he turned away. I have come to a number of points in my life that were crossroads of decision. At those points, I had to answer the same implied question here: Will I allow God to be God or not? This young man seemed to want to, but when the time came for the rubber to meet the road, he walked away. Jesus is asking us the same question today: Why do you call me good? And will you follow? Prayer Focus: Lord, it is easy to call You Lord when life is easy and blessed. Yet when I ha

“Elijah went before the people and said, ‘How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.’ But the people said nothing.” 1 Kings 18:21 Imagine the scene with me. Elijah, this wild prophet of the Lord, stands before the people of Israel pleading with them to simply decide, once and for all, who they will serve. They have been following the false god, Baal. Their wicked king and queen, Ahab and Jezebel, have 450 prophets of Baal at their service. Elijah is wildly outnumbered and yet he stands, challenging them with such an important question, “How long?” Elijah’s question should pierce us to the core. I wonder how often we stand there, as the people of Israel did, and say nothing when confronted with our own idolatry. Idolatry, you say? Most of us don’t have idols laying around our house. Yet, many days we bow our knee to the idol of money or sex or power or self or consumerism or our job or a relationship. We do things

“I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied…” Psalm 63:2-5a When we enter into a relationship with Our Heavenly Father we share life with Him. At the heart of this shared life is the continued communication between “parent” and child. We express joy in times of abundance and pleasure but also with equal intensity during times of hardship and loss. We give thanks when we are happy and blessed, complain when we feel let down, supplicating when we are in need, delighting in goodness and raging at injustice. We cry out when we feel abandoned. Our human dysfunction often causes tension with our Father and His Lordship. The Book of Psalms tenders to us ample expression of the complexities inherent in any relationship. They are an example of what authentic relationship with the Father lo

“The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.” Matthew 15:25 If you take time to read the context of this desperate cry, you will find a mother who is seeking help for her daughter. It’s terrible, the demonic attacks on her. Desperation breeds persistence. Jesus remains silent for He did not want to go against what the Father directed, which was to begin with and focus on the Jews and later the Gospel would spread to the Gentiles. And they were right now in Gentile territory and this desperate mother did not fit His current assignment. Or did she? God always responds to confident faith. The confidence was not in herself or her goodness. Her desperate cry was from a heart that knew Jesus was the only answer. And that confident faith acknowledged the priority set by the Father (the Jews) while saying that even the children’s dogs get a few crumbs from the table. I think Jesus smiled. She understood but her banter demonstrated great faith. And He immediately healed

“Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’” Matthew 16:22 Peter thought he was doing something right and noble. In fact, he was the one who had just acknowledged and confessed that Jesus was truly the Messiah, the Son of God. Perhaps he even felt emboldened when Jesus responded to his confession by saying that it was upon such faith and truth that He was going to build His church and hell would not be able to stand up against it. I don’t know. But what happens next is interesting. Jesus starts to speak about what was coming. Suffering. Death. Resurrection. He was about to experience it all. Peter intercedes to protect Him. Notice the actions and the words. Peter did not want to embarrass Him, so he took Jesus aside and said, “Never, Lord.” What? Peter was acknowledging that Jesus is Lord but then proceeds to tell Jesus what was and what wasn’t going to happen. He, Peter, was going to save the day! It makes me wonder h

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Luke 6:46 Jesus asks a good question and then goes on to tell them that whoever hears His words and puts them into practice is like a person who builds their house on a solid foundation. And whoever fails to do this is like someone who builds their house without a foundation. When the storms come, that second house will collapse and be destroyed. Years ago, I was backpacking with my scout unit. It was my first trip and the scoutmaster was watching out for me. That night, I shared a tent with him and we placed our tent on a firm, level spot. My brother, cousin and two friends wanted to tie their tents together. They found the largest clear place to accomplish their goal, but the scoutmaster suggested it would not be wise. The area was a dry wash and if it rained they could get wet. They felt they knew better. That night it rained hard. I slept like a baby, safe in the tent with the scoutmaster. I did hear their yelling

“Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.” John 9:38 It is fascinating to observe groups of people. When I do, I find what I assume to be true is not always true. In this account, a beggar is healed of his blindness. Jesus did the healing. Because it was a Sabbath day when this was done and no work was to be done on the Sabbath, the religious leaders investigated the healing. They determined that Jesus had violated their rules concerning the Sabbath and was therefore a sinner. And since the formerly blind man was giving testimony in support of Jesus, he was kicked out of the synagogue. Interesting. Jesus finds the man on the street and asks him a simple question: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” In other words, do you believe that I am the Lord? The man affirms that he does believe in Him and worships Him. Jesus then goes on to say that blind people will see and there will be people who think they see who will be shown to be blind. Here is our caution. T

Summer in Western New York is wonderful. And since our winters are challenging, we want to take advantage of all the opportunities to be outside, enjoying the sunshine. Gardens, boating, sports activities, hiking, picnics and vacations fill our spare moments. It is great. But this flurry of activity can also unintentionally take us away from some of the important disciplines and practices that keep us strong spiritually. I have learned that when I ease up or allow my intentions to flow a different direction, I find myself stopping and saying, “Wow, it has been a long time since I touched my Bible or spent time in prayer or…” This devotional, written by our staff and ministerial students, is intended to help us stay connected with each other on some level as we navigate our summer. It will focus each day on the teaching theme for the week. It will also serve as a reminder to pray for each other and encourage each other. May our “Summer of One” bring glory to the One we love and serve, a