Quick Note – Romans 8:18-25 – What Do You Want for Christmas?

Romans 8:18-25 – “18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

During the Christmas season, one of the most common questions that are asked is “What would you like for Christmas?”  Parents ask their children this question to find out what present they need to place under the Christmas tree as Santa that year.  Husbands ask their wives this question so that they won’t get in trouble for not buying any gift at all.  Friends ask their friends this question so that they won’t buy a completely useless gift that is either returned or placed in storage.  It’s an important question for the giver to ask to avoid wasting money, but it is also an important question for the receiver to ask him/herself so that he/she can better understand what he/she values.

When I asked myself this question, I came up with a list of material things that ranged from new board games (a hobby that I really enjoy) to a new laptop computer (that doesn’t sound like an airplane that is about to take off the runway).  These were all valid things to want for Christmas and would answer the question asked of me by anyone who might want to buy me a gift, but it made me think of whether this was actually what I was also pursuing in my life.  Was I living my life for the things of this earth – chasing the material rather than the spiritual?  Did I long for my heavenly home and being in the presence of my Lord Jesus Christ, or was I content to live my life here on earth?  These are the questions that I want you to think about today as we look at our passage in Romans 8 today.

In our passage today, Paul begins with a very strong statement by saying “that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed…”  At the time, Christians suffered large amounts of persecution for their faith.  Those who were Jewish like Paul were often excommunicated from their families and synagogues.  Those who were Gentiles were likely seen as weird foolish people to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  And soon very many of them would be persecuted to the death by the Roman Empire for not worshipping the emperor.  It was not easy to live as a Christian.  Yet Paul, who suffered beatings, imprisonments, and even stonings, could confidently say that these difficulties were nothing compared to the glory that was coming for being a child of Christ.  How could Paul say this?  Because his hope and his desire were not the things of this earth but the things of Christ.  Instead of looking for the comforts of this life, he looked toward the glory that would come with being adopted as a child of God, the redemption of his body, and the return of Jesus Christ.  He had no problem suffering when his hope was secure in Christ.

But Paul was not the only person that longed for the rule of God, all of creation also looked forward to that day (vs. 19-21).  We are told that creation “longs” for the revealing of the sons of God.  When Adam sinned, the ground was cursed, and the world fell into corruption.  This is the reason why we see all the disasters and troubles that we now have on this earth.  But creation itself, including the animals, the plants, the ground, the sea, the moon, the stars, everything longs for the day when it will be restored to the perfection that made it good in God’s sight in Genesis 1.  This will only happen when Christ returns bringing with him a new heaven and a new earth.  This is why Creation looks forward to that day.

Paul then says that Christians who are filled with the Spirit also “eagerly wait” for that day (vs. 23).  It was this statement in vs. 23 that forced me to consider whether I was also looking forward to that day or if I was content to just live my life in this world.  We as Christians should be anticipating the day when Christ returns – the day when God’s kingdom and rule comes upon this whole earth.  We should not be chasing after the things of this earth but “longing” just as Creation longs for the rule and reign of Christ in our lives.  Throughout Scripture we are told that we need to seek heavenly treasures rather than the things of this earth.  For example, the heroes of faith described in Hebrews 11 constantly looked forward to the promises of God, whether it was Abraham who was looking for “a city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God,” or Moses who chose “rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”  These men and women of faith considered Christ to be greater than all the riches of this earth.  David is mentioned in passing in Hebrews 11, but his desire for God and His rule could be seen in many Psalms that he wrote, of which, Psalm 37 is only one example – “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (vs. 4)  We should be like the Christians before us and who will hopefully come after us – longing to be with Christ.

Matthew 6:19-21 sums up what I want us to think about today – “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  What you long for in this life indicates where your heart is.  Are you seeking the things of this earth that are fleeting and passing?  Or are you looking for treasures in heaven, which can never be destroyed and have eternal value?  So as we reflect on what we want this Christmas materially, let us spiritually also eagerly look forward to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ and desire His reign in our hearts and lives today.

Quick Note – 2 Corinthians 9 – Giving

2 Corinthians 9:7 – “7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9

Today, I am not going to write a long devotional, but I just want to share with you a few key principles about giving found in 2 Corinthians 9.  In this letter to the Corinthian church, Paul was trying to encourage the Corinthian believers to give to the other church in Jerusalem which was currently suffering (likely due to the famine that was occurring there at the time).  Paul was sent by the churches to gather funds and deliver them to the Jerusalem church to provide for those believers who were struggling.  So he went to the various churches he had started and basically fundraised.  In this chapter as well as the previous chapter, he shares some key principles about giving as he encouraged his fellow Christians to give.  I encourage you to click the link above and read the whole chapter of 2 Corinthians 9 and meditate on this passage about giving as you review these few bullet points I want to share with you today.

Principles of Giving

• Give as you would want to be given – vs. 6
• Give from your heart – vs. 7
  • Giving should be your choice and desire.
  • Giving should not be done reluctantly or grudgingly as if you are unsure you want to do it.
  • Giving should not be done under compulsion. Don’t give because you are forced to because of guilt.  Give because you want to give.  Give because God gave to you.
• Give cheerfully – vs. 7
  • Don’t give as if it is a struggle for you to give. Don’t give with a sad face or heart.  Give willingly and with joy.
  • Don’t be like those people who give but in the depths of their hearts really wish you wouldn’t take it.
• Give as God has blessed you – vs. 8, 10-11
  • God provides for us so that we can be His instrument to serve others.
  • He has blessed us so that we can bless others.
  • Don’t wait for someone else to do the job, when He has provided you the means to give.
  • He has given us all sufficiency in all things at all
  • He has given us everything we could ever want to make us content in everything every time.

Results of Giving

• By choosing to give, you will encourage others to give as well – vs. 2
  • The Macedonian church was encouraged to give when Paul told them the Corinthian church had prepared their gift already.
  • Paul also used the Macedonian church’s desire to give to encourage the Corinthian church to give.
  • By doing good, you will encourage others to do so as well
• Giving is a fruit of your righteousness – vs. 10
  • We as Christians are called to produce good fruit in keeping with our salvation.
  • Giving is proof of the change that God has made in our lives. It is proof of His love and grace flowing through us.
• Giving produces thankfulness to God – vs. 11-12
  • When others are provided for, they will thank God not only for the provisions but for you being a blessing to them.
• Giving supplies the needs of others – vs. 12
  • Obviously, when you give, you provide for the needs of others. This needs little explanation.
• Giving brings glory to God – vs. 13
  • As Christians, our ultimate goal is to bring honor and glory to God. When you give, you display His characteristics, especially His love.  This will cause others to glorify God.
• Giving brings unity and love to the church – vs. 14
  • Paul said that those supplied by the gifts from the church were longing and praying for the Corinthian believers. Through prayer and love, believers no matter what part of the world they were from were unified as the body of Christ.
• Giving is a reminder to us of God’s inexpressible gift to us – vs. 15
  • God gave a gift that can never be matched, when He sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins. There was no greater gift than His willingness to let His Son die in our place so that we could have a restored relationship with Him.
  • When we give, it is a reminder to us of the Greatest Gift – Jesus Christ.

I hope you take the time to reflect on these points as you read 2 Corinthians 9.  May these words encourage you to give not only financially but also of your time and love.  Thank God for His inexpressible gift!

Quick Note – Jeremiah 2:9-13 – A Bad Trade

Jeremiah 2:9-13 – “9 Therefore I still contend with you, declares the Lord, and with your children’s children I will contend. 10 For cross to the coasts of Cyprus and see, or send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has been such a thing. 11 Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. 12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord, 13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

I have an obsession with games, not the typical video games that most guys play but board and card games.  I don’t mean Monopoly or Twister or Poker, but strategic games that are similar to Catan or Ticket to Ride (although I have never played those two classics but have played games that are more “advanced.”).  For card games though, I love playing trading card games/collectible card games.  These are games where you buy a pack of cards usually of 9 to 15 cards in hope that when you open the pack you will find a “rare” card.  Then you build decks and play against each other.  I love the strategy that comes with building decks and playing/piloting them, but I also love the surprise of opening and finding a rare card in one of those packs.  For those who still don’t know what I am talking about look up card games like Magic:  The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, or Pokemon, and you will know what I mean.  These games are not just toys but collectibles, because there is a trading aspect to it, where you buy, trade, and sell these “rare” cards.  I’m sure most of you can remember the Pokemon card fever that came in the late ‘90s.  People were buying pack after pack trying to get the rare Charizard card.  One copy of that card would sell for hundreds of dollars, and today, that card in mint condition can probably fetch thousands when placed in auction.  I never managed to get one, but one of my younger cousins did.  I think at the time he was under the age of ten, so he didn’t know what he actually had.  So one day, when he was at school, he traded his Charizard for three other Pokemon cards that he liked better but were not even close to them in value.  He was tricked and cheated but could do nothing about it, because he accepted that deal.  To this day, I think he regrets that naïve mistake.  He traded something of value for something that resulted in no profit.  You may wonder why I told you this story today.  It’s not to embarrass my cousin but to use his mistake as an illustration for our passage today in Jeremiah 2:9-13.  Specifically, I want us to focus on vs. 11b, “….But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.”

Our passage today is a rebuke that God had for His people Israel.  He was shocked to see that these people who He rescued out of captivity to Egypt, established in the Holy Land of Israel, and provided and protected, would abandon their worship of Him to worship idols.  He couldn’t believe that these people whom He constantly showed His love, mercy, and grace to would change Him for a false god of wood and stone.  In this passage, He told them to think about what they had done, to examine whether any other nation had ever traded their false gods for another set of gods.  If they wouldn’t do it out of fear and respect, why did the people of Israel who had the one true God, trade Him for a lie?  He just couldn’t understand their decision.  Rather than worship and treasure the God of glory, they traded Him for something that would bring about no profit or help to their lives.  They forsook the fountain of living water for a broken pot that could hold no water at all.  They made a bad trade.

Though these verses may not seem to apply to us when we first read them, when you take the time to meditate on them and place yourself into the shoes (or should I say sandals) of the Israelites, you will begin to ask yourself whether you are also trading God for something that brings about no profit.  Are you chasing after earthly pleasures and successes, like money, power, and fame, rather placing your treasures in heaven?  Are you putting anything in your life before your love for God?  Are you breaking the first commandment of the Ten Commandments and having any other gods before God, whether it be your family or your friends or your ministry?  Ask yourself, “Are you trading God for anything?”  If your answer is “Yes” then you are making a bad trade.  Stopwasting your time chasing after something that has no profit, and instead, set your heart on seeking after God.  He is the one thing that is worth more than anything else you can ever desire.  Don’t make a bad trade!

Quick Note – Proverbs 12:12 – Stop Longing for This World’s Success

Proverbs 12:12 – “Whoever is wicked covets the spoil of evildoers, but the root of the righteous bears fruit.”

In my daily reading of the Bible right now, I am in the book of Proverbs, so my schedule tells me to read two to three chapters of the book a day.  I always find this book hard to read in chunks, like multiple chapters at a time, because it is so dense with lesson after lesson.  In most chapters, each verse has a very different thing to teach, so I often feel like I am having information overload when I read it.  Honestly, I think it is better to read the book of Proverbs a few verses a day, so that you can get a good lesson to think of throughout the day but not so much that you overlook something important.  But I digress.  The beautiful thing about the book of Proverbs though is that most verses are easy to understand but pack a strong spiritual punch.  Our passage today is one of those verses.  And I would like to take a few moments to share that with you today.  Again, since it is so self-explanatory, I won’t spend much time describing it.  I just want to bring that verse to your attention.

Our passage today is Proverbs 12:12.  This short but simple proverb hit me like a brick, because I never thought it was wrong to covet the success of those who do wrong.  I figured that as long as I don’t do what they do and continue to follow Christ, there was nothing wrong with my longing to have what they have.  But this proverb says something different.  It describes those who covet the success of evildoers as wicked.  I am considered wicked for coveting their success.  When I watched TV and coveted the money that they made, when I read the tabloids and coveted their fame, when I heard about their accomplishments and coveted their success, I was sinning.  Who would have thought?  This made little sense to me, but when I meditated on this verse, I began to understand why it said that.  God wants us to long for and desire Him, not the things of this world.  When evildoers succeed, they obtain worldly temporary pleasures that fade not heavenly treasures that last for eternity.  Matthew 6:19-21 tells us that we should be storing up treasures in heaven not earth, where moth and rust can destroy and where thieves can break in and steal.  That is why coveting the spoil of evildoers is considered wicked, because our eyes are not on God but on the things of this earth.  Let us stop longing for the temporary pleasures of this earth but for our eternal loving God and Father.

Quick Note: Hebrews 10:24-25

Hebrews 10:24-25 – “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

There are a lot of churches popping up nowadays which are more or less like “drive-thru” churches – people go in and out of the church, participating in a 30min-1hr long worship service that gets the need of going to church out of their system.  People have even turned successful growing “mega-churches” into semi-drive-thru churches, as they enter into the service and leave without ever once saying “Hello” to someone else that is attending that same service.  The worst thing about all of this is that many Christians actually prefer this way of worshiping, because it gets the “requirement” of church out of the way.  This is the completely wrong attitude to have towards meeting together with other Christians.  Our passage today does two things, it tells Christians how often they should meet and what they should do when they meet.  First, it reminds us that we need to meet as often as we can as the Day of Christ’s Second Coming draws nearer.  In the first century, the Christians were meeting almost every day with each other, worshiping God together and encouraging one another.  But nowadays, we do everything we can to get out of going to a church service.  Why is that?  We need to get into the habit of spending time with other Christians, for that is where we can encourage and grow with one another.  Even just your presence at the service can brighten up a person’s day – I should know for I see it happen with my dad, a pastor, every Sunday.  Second, the passage reminds us that when we meet, we are “to stir up one another to love and good works” and to encourage each other.  When we meet, it is not just to gossip or talk about politics or to sing a few songs and listen to a sermon.  No.   When Christians meet, it should be to help encourage each other to follow Christ, grow in love for each other, and to do good works that will display the life of Christ in us.  We are supposed to sharpen each other and get each other ready for His Second Coming.  As the Day draws nearer, let us find other Christians and meet often so that we can encourage each other in our daily walks.