NT: “For this reason, although I have great boldness in Christ to command you to do what is right, I appeal to you, instead, on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an elderly man and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus, appeal to you for my son, Onesimus. I became his father while I was in chains. Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me. I am sending him back to you — I am sending my very own heart. I wanted to keep him with me, so that in my imprisonment for the gospel he might serve me in your place. But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be out of obligation, but of your own free will. For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave — as a dearly loved brother. He is especially so to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would me. And if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.” (‭‭Philemon‬ ‭1:8-18‬ ‭CSB)

This, the shortest of Paul’s epistles, was written during Paul’s first Roman imprisonment. This letter was most likely delivered, along with the letter to the Colossians, by Tychicus and Onesimus. The Epistle to the Colossians was for the church at large, and this letter was sent specifically with Onesimus and written directly to Philemon.

Philemon was likely a somewhat wealthy member of the church in Colosse. From what can be gathered in this letter, Philemon was probably lead to faith in Christ by Paul, and the Colossian church (or at least one of the fellowships) met in his house. Onesimus was one of Philemon’s household slaves who had either damaged or stolen some of Philemon’s property and run away. Upon fleeing Colosse, Onesimus ended up in Rome and encountered Paul, who ended up leading Onesimus to faith in Christ.

Slavery was an accepted practice and social reality in the Roman Empire. Slaves were the property of their masters and had no rights. Under Roman law, runaway slaves could be severely punished and even sentenced to death. Any free citizen of Rome who found a runaway slave could assume custody and intercede with the owner.

While Onesimus was still legally a slave, he was also now a fellow brother in Christ. Paul’s desire in writing this letter was to see Philemon forgive Onesimus and receive him, not as returned property, but as a brother in Christ. Between the lines of this letter is the dichotomy between rights and doing what is right. Under the law, Philemon had rights to Onesimus and a legal way that he could respond to Onesimus’ return. Paul, as a Roman citizen and Apostolic authority in the church, also had rights. Instead of claiming his rights, Paul sent Onesimus back to Colosse, with the hope that Philemon would also do what was right instead of claiming his rights. Paul acted out of love for both Onesimus and Philemon. He asked Philemon to respond out of his love for Paul and a love for his new brother in Christ, Onesimus.

In the United States, rights are very important to us. Our nation was founded on the idea of rights under God, and we fought for our independence from a tyrannical King who routinely violated our rights. As wonderful as rights are, we must realize that the ways of God’s kingdom trump the rights afforded us in the constitution. Just because we have the right to do or not do something, it doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do or not do. As redeemed disciples of Christ who have been shown extraordinary love, mercy and grace, we are called first to live righteously according to the word, will and ways of our Lord and King, even if we have the legal right in our nation to do something else.

Psalms: “I will sing of faithful love and justice; I will sing praise to you, Lord. I will pay attention to the way of integrity. When will you come to me? I will live with a heart of integrity in my house. I will not let anything worthless guide me. I hate the practice of transgression; it will not cling to me.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭101:1-3‬ ‭CSB)

This psalm was written by David, King of Israel, most likely near the beginning of his reign. In a way, this psalm could be seen as David’s inaugural address. As King, David had expanded rights and privileges. There were even things that he could do and get away with because he was King. However, David knew that as King of God’s people, he was called to be God’s representative on earth and rule the way God would rule. Though he had rights, he set those rights aside for righteousness. Though there were things that he could get away with, David chose to live with a heart of integrity – before God and before the people. The same can and should be true of us. We are representatives of God and Christ here on earth. Though we may have rights and things we can legally get away with, we should always endeavor to walk in righteousness and integrity of heart by grace through faith in Christ.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You didn’t treat me in the way that I deserved under the law. Instead of demanding my life, You gave Your life so that I could have life abundant and eternal in You. You acted righteously with love and mercy – and You showed me great grace. Help me, through Your Holy Spirit, as I submit to Your word, will and ways, to always do what is right, even if I have the legal right to do something else. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Psalms: “Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we are his— his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100:3-5‬ ‭CSB)

Psalm 100 begins with a call to the whole earth to shout to the Lord and serve Him with gladness… to come before Him with joyful songs. In order for the whole earth to do that, they must first acknowledge that the Lord is God. The active Hebrew word in that charge is the word ‘yada,’ which is oftentimes translated as ‘know.’ ‘Yada’ is not a “book-knowing,” but an experiential knowing. The psalmist called the entire world to experience the Lord… and upon experiencing Him, come to the point of acknowledging Him as the One True God of all creation.

For the whole earth to experience and ultimately acknowledge the Lord God, His people – the sheep of His pasture – need to be faithful to proclaim the Lord’s praises. The overriding call of the nation of Israel was to declare to the rest of the world, the greatness and goodness of the Lord. For God’s people to passionately proclaim the Lord’s praises to the rest of the world, they also needed to know God by experience. So the psalmist called the people of God to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. In Psalm 22, David stated that the Lord inhabits (or takes His throne on) the praises of His people. God dwells and reigns in the midst of praise that is lifted up in His name, and through that thanksgiving and praise, God’s people are able to draw near to Him and experience His goodness, faithful love (mercy, kindness, faithful covenantal love), and faithfulness (steadfastness and security). As God’s people express their thanksgiving and offer up praise, it blesses the Lord and reveals God to the rest of the world.

Proverbs: “Rich and poor have this in common: the Lord makes them all… Humility, the fear of the Lord, results in wealth, honor, and life.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭22:2, 4‬ ‭CSB)

All people are created by the Lord God. Therefore, all people, regardless of their socioeconomic status, are of equal value to the Lord. Of course, all people are uniquely crafted and gifted in different ways – but they all have equal value. Being rich does not make you better than those who are poor, and being poor doesn’t make you less valuable than those who are rich. This understanding only comes to those who truly acknowledge the Lord as God. The earnest acknowledgment of the Lord as God leads us away from pride and toward humility and the fear (honor and respect) of the Lord. Our humility before the Lord and our faith-filled honor and obedience to His word, will and ways results in true wealth (that cannot be taken away), honor, and abundant life for all – rich and poor alike.

Prayer: Lord, You are good. You are steadfast and true to Your word. You are loving, merciful, kind and gracious. I know that because Your word says that of You – but I also know that because I have experienced it first-hand. You are God. I acknowledge that without reservation. I also endeavor to make that truth known to all through praise and thanksgiving. Help me, by Your Holy Spirit, to not miss an opportunity to give You the glory that is due Your name – so that all the earth will experience You and know You as God. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “On the tenth day of the fifth month — which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon — Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, entered Jerusalem as the representative of the king of Babylon. He burned the Lord’s temple, the king’s palace, all the houses of Jerusalem; he burned down all the great houses. The whole Chaldean army with the captain of the guards tore down all the walls surrounding Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, deported some of the poorest of the people, as well as the rest of the people who remained in the city, the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen… Now the Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze pillars for the Lord’s temple and the water carts and the bronze basin that were in the Lord’s temple, and they carried all the bronze to Babylon. They also took the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, dishes, and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. The captain of the guards took away the bowls, firepans, sprinkling basins, pots, lampstands, pans, and drink offering bowls  — whatever was gold or silver… The captain of the guards also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three doorkeepers… Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guards, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. The king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile from its land.” (‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭52:12-15, 17-19, 24, 26-27‬ ‭CSB)

The book of Jeremiah ended with the recording of the demise of Jerusalem. The words of the Lord and the warnings of Jeremiah came to pass. After two years of siege and famine, Jerusalem fell as the Babylonian army burst through the walls of the city. All of the city was burned to the ground, including the temple of God. The priests in the temple were taken captive and later executed. All of the treasures in the temple were carted back to Babylon along with the thousands of people who were holed up in the city.

Though the city of Jerusalem had fallen, God had not. Though the temple was burned to the ground and the priests were executed, the worship of God still flourishes across the globe, and the purposes of God are still being accomplished every day. The Lord God is not confined to the four walls of a holy structure. He does not exist in an edifice made with human hands. His worship is not dependent on a line of priests. His purposes do not come to an end because of the failure of a group of people. Though the fall of Jerusalem was tragic, it did not bring about the end of God nor the failure of His will. If anything, the fall of Jerusalem, though tragic and unfortunate, was necessary for the uncompromised and unadulterated fulfillment of His promises and purposes. Though the enemies of God will try to snuff out His people and His progress, they will never bring an end to His worship, nor to His word, will and ways. In the words of Julia Ward Howe, “Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth is marching on.”

Jeremiah was faithful to the Lord to the end – and because of that, his life was spared, his words have been preserved, and his name has been revered for millennia. The question before us is whose side will we be on? God’s kingdom will not be stopped and His purposes will come to pass – with us or without us. By remaining faithful to Him, it may at times seem like we are on the losing side, but in the end, He always wins.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You are not a god made by human hands. Your existence is not contained within a temple of wood and stone. You are the God of all creation. Nothing and no one can silence Your worship nor bring an end to Your purposes and plans. Not only are You The God, You are my God, and I choose to remain faithful to You and worship You always. May Your truth march on, and may I be found faithful to the end. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people. For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us  —not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy  — through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life. This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed God might be careful to devote themselves to good works. These are good and profitable for everyone.” (‭‭Titus‬ ‭3:1-8‬ ‭CSB)

Paul instructed Titus to insist on the Cretan believers treating the non-believers in the community with mercy and grace. Paul wrote that they were to submit to the ruling authorities and obey. Are there caveats to that charge? Yes, there are – but more often than not, submitting to and obeying authorities does not require you to disobey God. The believing community was to reject slander, avoid fighting, and engage everyone with kindness and gentleness. Why was that so important? God had engaged them with kindness and gentleness, and had shown them mercy and given them grace when they were foolish, deceived, enslaved to sin and hateful. Despite their depraved state, God loved them, saved them, cleansed them, renewed them and abundantly filled them with His Holy Spirit. As people of God and ambassadors of Christ, they were to treat the unbelievers in their midst the same way God had treated them. It was also important that the Cretan believers kept themselves from getting caught up in worldly concerns and devote themselves instead to good works. If instead of treating the people around them with mercy and grace, they engaged the world in the world’s attitude, they would get sucked into all the drama of the world and would get distracted from the works that God had called them to.

As we look objectively at the church in our day, are we heeding Paul’s insistence? Are we peacefully submitting to our rulers and authorities? Are we engaging those in the world with love and kindness? Are we treating those who are opposed to us with mercy and grace? Or are we constantly pushing back and railing against our authorities? Are we slandering those who disagree with us? Are we getting involved in fights and arguments of all sorts? Are we keeping the good works of God (seeing souls saved and disciples made) as our devotion, or are we getting caught up in all the cares and drama of the world? Are we treating others the way that Christ has treated us and representing Him well, or are we no different in attitude and action than the unbelievers in the world? If we are heeding Paul’s instruction, then we need to keep at it by grace until the end. If we are not, we need to repent and return to the grace and mercy of the Lord and the works He has called us to do.

Psalms: “Exalt the Lord our God; bow in worship at his footstool. He is holy. Moses and Aaron were among his priests; Samuel also was among those calling on his name. They called to the Lord and he answered them. He spoke to them in a pillar of cloud; they kept his decrees and the statutes he gave them. Lord our God, you answered them. You were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their sinful actions. Exalt the Lord our God; bow in worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭99:5-9‬ ‭CSB)

We are called, as people of God, to exalt (lift up on high) the Lord God and bow ourselves at His feet in humble, reverent and submitted worship. Moses exalted he Lord above everyone and everything and humbled himself before God. Samuel did the same. Through their honor and humility, God heard them, responded to them, showed them mercy and forgiveness, and gave them grace beyond their abilities. A key part of exalting and worshipping the Lord involves honoring and obeying the Lord’s word, will and ways. If we claim to honor the Lord, but do not honor and obey His word, will and ways; then we are not exalting Him, nor are we bowing before Him in worship. Instead we are exalting ourselves and standing before the Lord in pride. God shows mercy and gives grace to those who truly exalt Him, bow before Him, and do the good works He has called them to do.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for the mercy that You have shown me and the amazing grace that You have given me. I thank You, that though I deserved condemnation, You engaged me with love and kindness – and through that love, You saved me. After being shown so much mercy and given so much grace, how could I justifiably treat others any differently. Help me by Your Holy Spirit within me to treat others with mercy and grace, and stay engaged in the good works You have called me to do. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works. Proclaim these things; encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.” (‭‭Titus‬ ‭2:11-15‬ ‭CSB)

Why was it so important for the believers in Crete to conduct themselves in a godly manner? Why is it so important for believers today to conduct themselves in a godly manner? Jesus Christ gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Redeem means to liberate by payment of a ransom. We were held captive by our own sin – the debt we owed was our very lives. Instead of us losing our lives for eternity, Christ paid our ransom with His sinless life and set us free. In setting us free from sin, He cleansed us from all unrighteousness and made us righteous.  He bought us out of slavery with His own blood, cleaned us up, dressed us in royal robes of righteousness and made us a part of His chosen and blessed people. He then called us to His glorious purposes, equipped us with His grace and ever-works in us to will and do the things that please Him. As the old song of the church goes, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

For those who have placed their faith in Christ and been redeemed from sin, grace from God has shone upon us for salvation, and the words or our Lord and Savior have instructed us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts unto living righteously with a sound mind in the midst of the present age. As the Apostle Peter wrote, “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. (2 Peter 1:3)” Given all that Christ has done for us, the very least we can do is live a life that glorifies Him by the grace that He richly supplies us by faith.

Psalms: “The Lord reigns! Let the peoples tremble. He is enthroned between the cherubim. Let the earth quake. The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted above all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awe-inspiring name. He is holy. The mighty King loves justice. You have established fairness; you have administered justice and righteousness in Jacob.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭99:1-4‬ ‭CSB)

The Lord reigns over all the earth. He is the holy and mighty King of all creation. As King and Lord, He has established fairness (uprightness and equity) and administers (executes and accomplishes) His judgements and righteousness in His kingdom people. His kingdom people are those who have been redeemed, reconciled and and made righteous through faith in His Messiah who is the Lord Jesus Christ. His fairness is established and His judgements and righteousness are administered in and among His kingdom people by His grace through faith. Those who are truly of God’s kingdom walk according to His kingdom word, will and ways. If we do not desire to walk according to His word, will and ways, then it would be right to question whether we are truly His.

Prayer: Lord, I am so grateful that You truly paid it all… and accomplished it all for me. Not only did you save me and redeem me, but You made me righteous and continue to make me righteous by Your grace. I owe my entire life to You, and so I gladly lay my life before You as a living sacrifice of worship. I choose to not conform myself to the world but to allow my mind, and thus my actions and words, to be transformed by You. Work in me to will and do Your good pleasure. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “But you are to proclaim things consistent with sound teaching. Older men are to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance. In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. They are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home, kind, and in submission to their husbands, so that God’s word will not be slandered. In the same way, encourage the young men to be self-controlled in everything. Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching. Your message is to be sound beyond reproach, so that any opponent will be ashamed, because he doesn’t have anything bad to say about us.” (‭‭Titus‬ ‭2:1-8‬ ‭CSB)

One of the most influential and life-giving entities on earth is the functional family. The church is a family in macro form and a family is the church in micro form. It truly is amazing how one faith-filled fully-functional family can impact a neighborhood. In the same way, a faith-filled, fully-functional church made up of genders and generations can powerfully impact a city. A family or a church can only be fully-functional by the grace of God, and a fully-functioning family and church is a powerful testimony to the faithfulness of God and the claims of the gospel. In order to see the Christian communities in Crete grow into fully-functioning churches, made up of fully-functioning families, Paul gave Titus some guidelines for how people in the church were to conduct themselves as they were sanctified and graced by the Lord.

Paul began with the older generations. It is so easy to discount the older generation, thinking that their best years are behind them – but churches and families need the experience and wisdom that comes through years of living. A church made up of only young people will be lacking in the depth and maturity needed to see the unseasoned successfully navigate the challenges of life and grow into well-rounded maturity. It is also easy for those of the older generation to become frustrated and fed up with the young – becoming more and more cantankerous and cynical with age. The longer a person lives in the Lord, the more gentle, patient, loving and respectable they should become. Paul said that the older generations needed to be examples to the younger in soberness, self-control, respect and soundness of faith. Instead of being annoyed by young people, they should pour into them and teach them how to live honorable and respectable lives. The older women should impart womanhood to the younger women and help them become loving and effective managers of their households so that the families of the church can function well.

For the young and up-and-coming in the church, they were to follow the example of their elders as their elders walked in sensibleness and self-control. Titus, as a young man himself, was to be an example to the other young men in the church. He needed to make sure that he lived a life above reproach – so much so that anyone who opposed him would end up being ashamed because of his impeccable reputation and character.

What was expected of Titus… what was expected of the young and old in the Cretan communities of believers, should be expected of us in our day as well. Our lives are just as much of a testimony to the truth of the gospel as the words that we speak… in many cases even more. We are called to preach the good news of Christ, and we are called to demonstrate the good news of Christ, both through power and the evidence of our transformed lives. If we are disciples of Christ and followers of Jesus, we are called and equipped by grace to live exemplary lives that serve as a testimony to the world of the reality of our hope and faith.

Psalms: “Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has performed wonders; his right hand and holy arm have won him victory. The Lord has made his victory known; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen our God’s victory. Let the whole earth shout to the Lord; be jubilant, shout for joy, and sing. Sing to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and melodious song. With trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn shout triumphantly in the presence of the Lord, our King. Let the sea and all that fills it, the world and those who live in it, resound. Let the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains shout together for joy before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world righteously and the peoples fairly.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭98:1-9‬ ‭CSB)

When we place our faith and trust in the Lord… when we submit to Him fully and live according to His word, will and ways, we make our lives a living testimony of His glory. Though the Lord’s path may take us through difficult, dangerous and challenging experiences, as He leads us through the valley of the shadow of death to victory and blessing, our lives reveal His love, faithfulness and righteousness to the world. As we submit to the Lord… even in the hard times… especially in the hard times, He makes signs and wonders of our lives: signs of God’s power and faithfulness that make people stand amazed in wonder. When God is glorified through our lives, the reality of God’s goodness and greatness, along with the reality of His coming judgement is made evident to all.

Prayer: Lord, what an honor it is to be a living testimony for Your goodness, greatness, faithfulness and love. As I live fully for You and submit my life to your sanctifying process, You will make me a sign and wonder to the world – a living proof that Your word is true. Lord, make me an instrument for Your glory and grace me to live an exemplary life unto You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “To Titus, my true son in our common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. The reason I left you in Crete was to set right what was left undone and, as I directed you, to appoint elders in every town. An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, with faithful children who are not accused of wildness or rebellion… holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it. For there are many rebellious people, full of empty talk and deception, especially those from the circumcision party. It is necessary to silence them; they are ruining entire households by teaching what they shouldn’t in order to get money dishonestly… To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their mind and conscience are defiled. They claim to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.” (‭‭Titus‬ ‭1:4-6, 9-11, 15-16‬ ‭CSB)

Titus was an uncircumcised Greek who had been won to the Lord through Paul’s ministry. Therefore, Titus was one of Paul’s true sons in the faith. Apparently, after Paul was released from his first Roman imprisonment, he and Titus ministered on the Greek Mediterranean isle of Crete. Paul left Crete to continue his ministry elsewhere, and left Titus behind to lead and bring formal structure to the newly-birthed Christian communities. Sometime later, Paul wrote this letter to Titus to give more detailed instructions on establishing church leadership, his role as a pastor of the flock, and the importance of godly conduct.

Cretans, by nature, did not have a very good reputation. Epimenides, a well-known Cretan poet at the time wrote, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” Adding to the challenge of the Cretans’ character, false teachers had also begun to teach errant doctrine that was leading believers astray. It was imperative that Titus select leaders for the church that had both impeccable character and a commitment to sound doctrine.

Some of the false teachers in Crete were Judaizers who were trying to force the legalistic restrictions of Jewish law onto the new gentile believers. Jesus taught that it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth from the heart (Matthew 15:11,18). If a person has not been given a new and undefiled heart by the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ, then nothing they say or do can be pure of substance and pure of motive. Like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, people can present themselves as pure and religious and appear like good leadership material on the outside, but the fruit of their lives says otherwise. In order to lead God’s people well without ulterior selfish motives, leaders in the church need to both love the Lord and hate evil, and the proof of that needs to be evident in their lives and in their children.

Psalms: “The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coasts and islands be glad. Clouds and total darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and burns up his foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord  — at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness; all the peoples see his glory… You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his faithful ones; he rescues them from the power of the wicked. Light dawns for the righteous, gladness for the upright in heart. Be glad in the Lord, you righteous ones, and give thanks to his holy name.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭97:1-6, 10-12‬ ‭CSB)

The Lord reigns! He is the King, Judge and Great Potentate of the whole earth, ruling over everyone and everything in omnipotence and ultimate authority. The scene described here is similar to the scene in Exodus when the people stood around the base of Mount Sinai as the Lord God descended on the mountain in awesome glory. It is right and appropriate to fear the Lord God in all of His greatness and inapproachable glory. Evil and unrighteousness cannot exist in His holiness. Anything that stands against Him melts like wax in His presence. Yet, at His core, God is righteous and just, merciful and good, loving and gracious. To those who love God and evidence that love through faith and obedience, He allows them to approach them and abide with Him in peace. Truly loving God means hating the things that He hates. You cannot both love God and have an affinity for evil. When we come to faith in Christ and submit our lives to Him as Lord, we are made righteous in Him. As we abide in Christ and allow the word of God to abide in us, we are sanctified ongoingly by the convicting and purifying work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. So much better it is to be in the Lord than outside. Be glad in the Lord, you who have been made righteous, and give thanks to His holy name.

Prayer: Lord, You truly are wonderful and awesome, worthy of fear and honor. Lord, I thank You that through faith in You, You not only allow me to approach You, but You allow me to abide in the safety and peace of your powerful and encapsulating presence. I love You, and I desire to always love You. Work in me through Your Holy Spirit to truly hate all forms of evil and be transformed more and more into Your image. And may the fruit of my life testify to Your goodness and glory. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

OT: “Sing a new song to the Lord; let the whole earth sing to the Lord. Sing to the Lord, bless his name; proclaim his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his wondrous works among all peoples. For the Lord is great and is highly praised; he is feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; bring an offering and enter his courts. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; let the whole earth tremble before him. Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. He judges the peoples fairly.” Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and all that fills it resound. Let the fields and everything in them celebrate. Then all the trees of the forest will shout for joy before the Lord, for he is coming — for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with his faithfulness.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭96:1-13‬ ‭CSB)

Psalm 95 was a call for the people of God to enter His presence with thanksgiving and praise, bow and worship before Him, and hear and obey His word. Psalm 96 is a call for the whole world – all the peoples of the earth – to give glory and honor to the Lord and worship Him in the beauty and splendor of His holiness.

God is not merely the God of Israel or the God of the United States. God is not merely the God of the Jews or the God of the Christians. The Lord God is the Creator, Sustainer and God of the whole earth. As such, He loves and desires to save and bless everyone, everywhere. The Lord reigns! As the King and Judge of all, He and He alone rules and judges fairly and righteously… and in order to save and bless fairly and righteously, He only saves and blesses those who surrender to Him by faith and submit to His righteous word, will and ways. But as Paul said in Romans 10, “How, then, can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can the hear without a preacher? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”

Gods and idols made of wood, stone or steel cannot bless, save or give life. The god of this world, the devil, may “bless” for a time, but his ultimate long game is to rob, kill and destroy. It is only the Lord God who is willing and able to save, bless, and bestow eternal life – and He is ever calling all peoples to repent from their own unrighteous ways and return to Him through faith in the life, death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.

Oh, that the whole earth would truly sing songs of praise to the Lord and bless His name. What a different place the world would be. But much of the world has never heard of the beauty and splendor, the goodness and righteousness of God… or they have been blinded to the truth by the God of this age. So what do we do? How do we – those who have experienced the salvation, blessing and life of the Lord God of Creation – get the good news of God’s offer of salvation out to the rest of the world?  We ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. We ascribe to Him the glory that is due His name… not silently in our hearts, but out loud for all the world to hear. Proclaim His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations. Celebrate His wondrous works among all the peoples. That is our call and commission, that the world may know and that peoples from the whole earth may one day receive of His everlasting life and  sing His praise.

Prayer: Lord, You are good and You are great… You are greatly to be praised. You are beautiful and splendorous in Your holiness and righteousness. The greatest human right is the right to know of Your offer of life, blessing and salvation through faith in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Remind me and embolden me by Your Holy Spirit to always ascribe to You the glory that is due Your name and proclaim Your salvation from day to day. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved his appearing… At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that I might fully preach the word and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.” (‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4:6-8, 16-18‬ ‭CSB)

Paul had been through his preliminary first trial. For one reason or another, anyone who could have stood with Paul in his defense, did not. He had to face the judge alone… but he wasn’t alone. The Lord, who had promised to be with Him until the end, stood with him and strengthened him through the trial, that he could continue preaching the gospel to the gentiles as long as he had breath to do so. Paul did not deny the faith. As he stood before the judge defending his life, he also defended the faith that he had given his life for. The devil did not claim him as another victim. Through Christ’s strengthening presence, Paul was rescued from the temptations of the devil… and Paul knew that Christ would continue strengthening him until he came to his rest in Christ’s heavenly kingdom.

With his first trial complete, Paul knew that his second and final trial was just a matter of time. He knew that in his second trial, he would be found guilty and executed. The man who beseeched the Roman believers to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice was in the process of not just offering his body, but his very life for the sake of the kingdom. The time for his departure was near. The Greek word for departure refers to a ship that has been loosed from its moorings and is ready to set sail. Paul was ready to be finally loosed from his body of flesh and set free to enter his eternal life with Christ. The only judge that Paul was truly concerned about pleasing was the Lord, the only truly righteous judge. Not only would he soon be standing before the Roman judge, he would soon be standing before the Judge of all Creation. As Paul looked back over his life in preparation of standing before the Righteous Judge, he was confident that he would be rewarded with his crown of righteousness. He had fought the good fight and kept the faith. The long marathon of faith that he had begun so many years ago on the road to Damascus was nearly over. He could see the finish line, he had strength from the Lord, and he knew that he would finish well.

Unfortunately, it is very common for people to not finish well. The Bible is replete with stories of people who started out strong in their race of faith, but got off track or gave up before the finish. The Lord desires to see us finish our race well, and like Paul, He will stand with us and strengthen us for our battles. He will rescue us from the mouth of the lion and any other evils and bring us safely into His kingdom. For us to receive His strength and experience His rescue, we have to remain submitted to Him, filled with His Holy Spirit, and ever-listening to His voice.

Psalms: “Come, let’s shout joyfully to the Lord, shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation! Let’s enter his presence with thanksgiving; let’s shout triumphantly to him in song. For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. The depths of the earth are in his hand, and the mountain peaks are his. The sea is his; he made it. His hands formed the dry land. Come, let’s worship and bow down; let’s kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, the sheep under his care. Today, if you hear his voice: Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on that day at Massah in the wilderness where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. For forty years I was disgusted with that generation; I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray; they do not know my ways.” So I swore in my anger, “They will not enter my rest.”” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭95:1-11‬ ‭CSB)

The Lord is the creator of the universe and the God of all the earth. His is our Maker and we are His creation. He desires to be our Great Shepherd, and we His sheep. As our Good and Great Shepherd, the Lord will lead us to green pastures and quiet waters. He will renew us, lead us, protect us and care for us. Under His leadership and lordship, we find rest for our souls. As much as God desires to be our Shepherd, there are conditions to being in His flock. We must enter His presence with praise and thanksgiving. We must submit ourselves to Him in loving and reverential worship. We must hear His voice and obey His words. Though the children of Israel, after they were delivered from Egypt, praised God and offered acts of worship, they did not believe and obey God’s word. Therefore, they were not allowed to enter into the promised land, and had to wander in the wilderness outside of God’s rest. Paul was able to enter into the rest promised to him by the Lord because he honored the Lord with praise, submitted himself to the Lord in worship, and obeyed the Lord to the end. We need to not follow the example of the Israelites, but follow the example of Paul instead.

Proverbs: “The one who pursues righteousness and faithful love will find life, righteousness, and honor.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭21:21‬ ‭CSB)

As Paul proved out with his life, the one who runs the race of pursuing the righteousness and [checed] zealous mercy and covenantal love of God will find life, righteousness and honor.

Prayer: Lord, You are my Lord, my God, and my Master. I am thankful to be one of Your people – a sheep in Your flock. I know that You will be faithful to care for, protect and strengthen me as long as I remain with You. Help me to run the race You have called me to run with endurance, diligence and faithfulness. Help me to lay aside the weight and sin that can easily trip me up and hold me back as I look to You, the author and finisher of my faith. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

NT: “I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. But as for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4:1-5‬ ‭CSB)

As Paul began to bring this last letter to Timothy, his beloved son in the faith, he gave Timothy (and us) a solemn charge… an earnest imploring. Paul conjured Timothy, before the Lord God and Christ Jesus, the creator and judge of all creation, to fulfill – to carry through to the end – his ministry. What was Timothy’s ministry? His ministry – his service to all who would hear him – was to preach the word (in season and out of season)… and in preaching the word, using the word to correct, rebuke, encourage, and teach. He was to do the work on an evangelist – which is the propagation of the good news of Christ – that through faith in Christ one can be saved from the wrath of God, redeemed from sin, declared righteous, and filled with new and eternal life.

Why was Paul’s plea so urgent? The day of the Lord is an inevitability… it is going to happen. The Lord Christ will return to fully establish His kingdom on earth; and when He does, He will judge with righteous judgement, the living and the dead. Paul also knew that as time progressed, people would devolve to the point that they would no longer tolerate sound doctrine… they would not be willing to hear the truth of the word, for they would surround themselves with “teachers” who would tell them what they wanted to hear… they would no longer listen to reason, but would instead listen to myths and conspiracies and treat those as truth. Paul knew that the window of opportunity for people to hear and respond to the gospel was growing short, and he wanted Timothy to get the word of God into as many people as he could before it was too late. In order to do that, Timothy needed to exercise self-control, endure hardship and press on in the ministry he was called to.

The scenario that Paul described nearly 2,000 years ago sounds very similar to the environment we find ourselves in 2021. People no longer accept sound doctrine. Social media has created a context for people to live within their own echo chambers and listen to only the teachings and “truth” that they want to hear. Sound reason and logic has, in many cases, been replaced with conjecture, conspiracy, personal opinion and hearsay. The window for people to actually hear and respond in faith to the truth is quickly closing. Paul’s solemn charge to Timothy is so much more imperative for followers of Christ in this era. We need to fulfill our ministry.

Psalms: “The Lord will not leave his people or abandon his heritage, for the administration of justice will again be righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it. Who stands up for me against the wicked? Who takes a stand for me against evildoers? If the Lord had not been my helper, I would soon rest in the silence of death. If I say, “My foot is slipping,” your faithful love will support me, Lord. When I am filled with cares, your comfort brings me joy.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭94:14-19‬ ‭CSB)

As the world grows darker and darker… as people’s acceptance of sound doctrine becomes less and less commonplace… as we continue in faith to fulfill our ministry despite hardships and constant pushback, we can take confidence in this truth: The Lord will not leave His people or abandon His heritage. The peoples of the earth are His inheritance, and He will have a worshipping community of disciples out of every people group on earth that bares His likeness and expresses His glory. In the midst of fulfilling our ministry to be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth with the glory of God by seeing souls saved and disciples made, as we experience hardships and are surrounded by anxieties and cares, the Lord – who has promised to be with us even to the end – will comfort us and fill us with joy.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You for the ministry that You have given me. You have given me the privilege of giving people truly good news – news that has the power of God to save them and set them free, if they believe it. Help me, as I endeavor to faithfully fulfill my ministry, to not become overwhelmed and discouraged by the deteriorating state of the world, but to be stirred up to action and graced with endurance by Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.