Encourage one another

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up- just as in fact you are doing. 

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. (1 Thessalonians 5:11,14)

Thoughts: We are called to lift up, build up, strengthen and encourage one another.  This means to especially look for those who are hurting or discouraged and seek to help them.  In a world full of bullying and putting people down, a little encouragement would be helpful and honors God.  

Prayer: Help me to build others up and not tear them down.  

The Song

12all the Levitical singers— Asaph,Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps, and lyres,accompanied by 120priests sounding trumpets.13The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They raised their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” Then the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud… (2 Chronicles 5) 

Thoughts: Singing is important.  Singers, song leaders are important (they are listed here by name).  But the song goes on- the song of praise- "He is good- His love endures forever." If you believe God is good and loving- it will well up inside of you a song.  Each week you are invited to join the everlasting song.  When the singing started (not preaching), the Spirit filled the place that a visible cloud rested on the Temple so that the priests couldn't even see.   

Prayer: Lord, put a song in my heart and on my lips.  May your love endure forever in me!

Onesiphorus one of the 72

1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two^a others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

5“When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. 7Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

8“When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

16“Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

17The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

18He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”  (Luke 10)

Thoughts: Onesiphorus was supposedly one of the 72 disciples that are pointed out here.  He went out as an evangelist.  Jesus said to pray that the Lord of the harvest would bring about a harvest.  In our church we are encouraged to pray at 10:02 for our daughter church each day.  As one of the 72 Onesiphorus saw the power of the name of Jesus to overcome evil and to make a difference in this world.  

Prayer: Lord, let me be a witness for you.  Remind me to pray to you for those who need to come home to you.  

Onesiphorus' Search

 17On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he searched hard for me until he found me.  (2 Timothy 1:17)

Thoughts: Rome was the largest city in the world.  Onesiphorus did not know where Paul was.  He was just a prisoner among thousands of prisoners.  He just wandered around and around until he found Paul.  Then he sought to encourage Paul and serve him.  He had to persevere.  He had to keep on trying and failing until he found his mentor and friend.  

Prayer: Lord, help me persevere to encourage the downtrodden and hurting.  

Onesiphorus

May the Lord show mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. (2 Timothy 1:16) 

Thoughts: Onesiphorus was a convert of Paul's from Ephesus.  Paul was writing 2 Timothy (his last book) from prison expecting to die in Rome.  2 Tim. 1:15 speaks of "everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me." 
    There is something to be said about someone who refreshes others who are in tough situations when they can get nothing in return.  Paul could do not more for Onesiphorus that to pray for him and his family. 
    So he prayed for god to show mercy to him who showed mercy.  This is perhaps modeled on Jesus prayer of Matthew 5:7- "Blessed are the merciful for they shall be shown mercy."  Or the verse in Proverbs that says, "He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."  

Prayer: Lord, give me the grace to show mercy to others and to refresh those who are in tough spots.  

God cares for all generations

You, LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. (Lamentations 5:19)

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. (Luke 1:50- Mary)

Thoughts:
God is concerned not just for the younger (Pepsi?) generation, not for the gerontocracy or older generation.  God is concerned for all people, and the power that people desire is secondary to His concern. 
    In Lamentations it is recorded that God still is concerned for the next generation even though the older generation had pretty much been wiped out. 
    In Luke it was the opposite. It was a praise from Mary that God had remembered all generations- through this baby-Messiah. 
     God wants us to pass the faith on from one generation to another.  There is an important role for the church in Christian education.  The first part of that is making sure the next generation hears the Gospel and has every opportunity to believe and follow the Creator-Redeemer.  

Prayer: Lord, give me a heart for the generation that will follow mine.  

Grandparenthood

I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. ...  (2 Timothy 1:5) May you live to see your children's children-- peace be on Israel. (Psalm 128:6) Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. (Pr. 17:6) But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-- (Psalm 103:17) 25After you have had children and grandchildren and have lived in the land a long time—if you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God and arousing his anger, 26I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed.  (Deuteronomy 4) Thoughts: Just to live long enough to see grandchildren is a blessing from God.  When the Old Testament was written, the average person lived until 27.  There was much infant morality, famine, disease, war, and death in child birth.  Today, we may take seeing our grandchildren for granted as the average person lives until they are 73. So we take things for granted- which was the problem alluded to in Deuteronomy 4.        Having grandchildren is a blessing if we pass on our faith and idea of righteousness on to them.  But if we take them for granted and ignore the Lord, we open ourselves up to trouble.        Lois was Timothy's grandmother.  The faith first lived in her.  She passed it on to her daughter Eunice.  They both passed it on to Timothy their grandson/son.  She is an example to us all.  Eunice was obviously willing to let Lois pass the faith on.  But Lois obviously wanted to pass this on and looked for an opportunity to do so. Prayer: Lord, bless the grandparents with a desire to teach their grandchildren the faith they need.  Help us not to take grandchildren for granted but to be good stewards of the gift they are to us.

Discipline

Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death. (Proverbs 19:18)

Thoughts: What does this mean?  In our day in the West is especially clear.  Discipline helps children- teens and adults to say no to immediate gratification-for a greater cause.  Discipline teaches focus and self-control.  Discipline helps in things like dieting- which a poor diet leads to poor health- and yes death.  Discipline helps us to say no to temptation which keeps fathers and mothers with children.  To discipline here does not simply mean "spank."  But it means to say no to our children, and not always say yes.  It means sometimes we are not our childrens' friends but someone who is looking out with their best interests in mind.  Hebrews 12:7 says "Endure suffering like disciipline.  Prov. 29:`15 says "a child left to himself disgraces his mother."  All studies show that the worst thing we can do for our children is not to pay them any attention- to ignore them.  In our day many set them in front of a TV or an ipad or a phone and just let them be entertained with the colors and songs of professional entertainers.  But do not leave a child to themselves.  Discipline takes work, attention and a whole lot of love.  It takes love to deny bad things even when a child is screaming at you.  But it teaches a child it is okay to not get everything they want.  

Prayer: Lord, give me grace to care for the children of my family, the grandchildren of my family, the children of my church and community.  When it is my responsibility, help me to love them by caring for them.   

Father's take Responsibility to Train in the Lord

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3“so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”^a

4Fathers,^b do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1-4) 

Thoughts: Children are called twice in these verses to listen to their parents and then are motivated with the idea of blessing and long life (taken from the Ten Commandments).  Father are called not to be harsh or exasperating to their children.  The opposite of exasperating and abuse is to bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.  This involves grace and love.  So Paul is encouraging children to listen to their fathers especially when they are encouraging children/teens to follow the Lord.  This is not an option.  The secular world will tell you that religion is a choice and a secondary choice at that.  One of the major role as a father is to encourage children in their faith.  

Prayer: Lord, help fathers to take this responsibility seriously.  

Tell Your Children

1These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

4Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^a 5Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.  (Deuteronomy 6:4-6)

Thoughts: The faith is to be passed on from generation to generation.  Parents need to make the passing on of the faith a priority. This means practicing the faith ourselves, but also putting the faith as a priority for our children. 
     Today we live in a world that is apathetic to God.  Our world does not realize how many blessings we have from Him.  These are not blessings we earned but that are given to us by His grace. 
     We are to talk about God as we are living, as we are travelling, as we are doing life.  The world will tell us to only talk of God on Sundays in a certain place.  But we must obey God rather than man.  

Prayer: Help me, Lord to talk of you so that my children will listen and respond to you. 

A Promise for Parents

6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) 

Thoughts: Today many children went to school.  Some went to church preschools/day schools/Christian schools.  Many Christian parents entrusted their children to teachers today.  It is a scary thing to let a child go.  But to balance this out, there are many who will be training their children in the right way to go.  Ironically, it does not say, "Train a child in the way they shouldn't go and when they are old they will stay bad."  This implies that the bad can be transformed to do good.  It also gives hope to many a parent of a prodigal today.  These days, with the drug epidemic and the dangerous behavior of many a young adult, parents just pray that they make it "when he is old."  But the hope is that if they were trained as a child to go the right way, perhaps they will boomerang back to the way of the Lord, the way of life, and the way of hope.  This is a real promise to claim for many a parent.  

Prayer: Lord, today we pray for the children of our land.  Bring them up in your way that the next generation will come to you.  

From Secret to Open Faith

38Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.^e 40Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:39,40)

Thoughts: Nicodemus was known as the man who visited Jesus at night.  But here he came into the light- out into the very presence of the governor himself.  Some have fussed that Nicodemus didn't come public until after he died.  That would be true if that was the end of the story.  But Jesus is alive, he saw Nicodemus' profession- just as He sees ours.  As long as Nicodemus had breath it was not too late.  Jesus used Nicodemus late profession to help bury him.  This burial is part of the Apostles' Creed- "dead and buried."  But we know, Nicodemus' secret faith was not dead and buried- it came out into the open just as Jesus did.       Today many want to have a private, secret faith.  Nicodemus knew this was not enough- and Jesus told him he must be born again.  He was.  We should be.  

Prayer: Lord, May your love flow from me.  May my desire to hide my faith give way to your resurrection and born-again power.  

Nicodemus at the end

38Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.^e 40Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (John 19:39,40)

Thoughts: Nicodemus shows up at the end to bury Jesus.  Joseph of Armiathea helped but he did so secretly.  They had mercy on Jesus and were not embarrassed to invest in his burial.   Isaiah 53, the passage about the Messiah as suffering servant, says in verse 9 that he was given a tomb with the rich.  In the end, Nicodemus came out as a follower of Jesus.  

Prayer: In the end, let me be found faithful to you.  

Cavarragio- the Burial of Jesus

14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)

1Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

2Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.” (Joshua 6)

Thoughts: I have often thought that Chapin is like the mythical Lake Woebegone where "all the children are above average."  Chapin has great schools.  It has consistently scored way above the state in average SAT and ACT scores.  We have great teachers, and parents who care for the students.  But in any school there is a lot that can go wrong.  The discipline, the attention can break down.  Teachers could start working for money instead of seeing their work as a service to the community, to the students, and to God.  Administrators could grow weary and shirk their important work.  It takes a lot to make a school work.  But if a school works well, it is a blessing from God. 
       Tomorrow there is a Chapin School Prayer Walk.  You are invited to come out and pray at each school or just one or two schools.  When Joshua and his people came against the walls of Jericho, God told them to walk around it six times, and then on the seventh day seven times.  It is a visible sign of prayer.  On the final day they blew the trumpet as if they were saying, "Now Lord, Help us!"  And then the walls fell.  We can have confidence in prayer.  He hears us, loves us, and wants and is able to answer us.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to pray.  Help our schools to be great to your glory and honor.  Help those Christians in our schools to do their work well and kindly as a good witness for you this year.  

Nicodemus goes from Curious to Neutral

45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

46“No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.

47“You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. 48“Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”

50Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked,51“Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”

52They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”  (John 7:45-52)

Thoughts: Nicodemus went from going to see Jesus at night to simply asking for fairness.  He wanted Jesus to be treated fairly.  A little ironically, in verse 48 they ask if any religious leaders have believed in him.  This is Nicodemus' chance.  He does not say, "Oh, I believe in Him."  No, but he asks that he be treated legally and fairly.  Of course they do not treat Jesus fairly.  He went from being curious about Jesus to being neutral about Him.  There are many people today who may not believe but they want Christians to be treated with a fair shake.  Eventually Nicodemus stands up for his new found faith (we'll see this tomorrow).  But he progresses from curiosity to fair, to believing.  In the meantime, Christians should welcome those who treat Christ and his followers with curiosity or fairness.  

Prayer: Lord, help me to follow you and give myself to you.  Give me grace to treat others who are not against you with respect.  

God So Loved the World

16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.  (John 3)

Thoughts: Nicodemus encounter with Jesus inspired this greatest of Gospel statements.  It is a focus on the world and not just on the Jews.  It is saying that God doesn't just love one chosen people but the whole world.  Yet God had to come into the world through a chosen people.  This also is an open invitation to believe.  The "whoever" is open to anyone in the whole world.  It is a call to all the world to believe in the Son of God who is Jesus the Christ.
  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
   Today Christianity is the only religion with adherents in every country in the world.  It has people from every language group, every major culture.  Efforts are being made to reach people from every tribe.  

Prayer: Lord, let me see your care for all the world, and your care for me as a part of that world.  Let me take part somehow- by prayers, by giving, by my actions- to reach the world for you.  

How can a person be born again?

9“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.^e 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^f 15that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3)

Thoughts: Nicodemus asked "How can a man be born when he is old?".."How can this be?"  Jesus is a bit surprised that Nicodemus does not understand.  But at the time there were few proselytes and lots of people leaving the faith (this is also true in our day).  Jesus wanted Nicodemus who was assuming faith comes through genetics and education, to see that there is a spiritual element of faith.  Jesus was saying something radical- that he was like Moses' snake that healed people of their snake bites.  He would be lifted up in order that people could see and believe they would be healed.  Just as God loved the people of Israel in order to save them from death by serpents, so God loves the whole world to save them from spiritual death into eternal life.  So it takes believing and trusting in Jesus in order to be healed spiritually; saved from sin,death, and hell; and born again to a new way of life. Being born again is not going into the womb again, but it is becoming a brand new person- with new eyes, a new way of life.  It is like getting glasses and being able to see again.  It is like getting an operation and being able to hear for the first time.  It comes by the grace of God drawing us out.  Just as a baby cannot make itself be born- so God draws us out into the new life by the Spirit.  

Prayer: Lord, it is not so important that I know how to be born again but that I am being born again.  

Nuances of Being Born Again

3Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^a ” (John 3:3) 

4“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^b gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^c must be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”  (John 3:3)

Thoughts: Jesus speaks of the radical transformation of the heart.  It is like being a zombie and then being made alive.  It is like just existing- to living with meaning and a purpose. 
       The word "anothen" in Greek is the word that is translated different ways.  The two most common ways are born "again" (King James, NIV, ESV, NAS) or born "from above" (ISV, CEV).  The American Standard version says "born anew." The Literal Translation says, "generated from above." 
   So what is the big difference?  It is subtle.  Born again is like a transformation- doing it all over again.  Here anothen emphasizes time but also doing it again. 
      "From above" is a common translation too- and it emphasizes position.  John 3:31- speaks of the one who comes "from above." James 1:17 says "every good and perfect gift is from above. (See also James 3:15,17, Mt. 27:51, Mk. 15:38). 
        Truth is, being born again comes from heaven- from God.  A person can be focused only on the stuff of earth or they can be focused on God.  This emphasizes that the Christian faith comes not from ourselves but from the grace and love of God. 
     However, being born again is also a very good translation.  Nicodemus did not understand Jesus' words because it seemed radical to him- like being born again not just born from above.  Some (Ehrman) have said that Jesus spoke Aramaic and the Aramaic does not allow "again"- but this is not true.  The word "derish" in Aramaic allows both meanings- again/anew and from above.
          For many, the Christian life is just a slow evolution of thought.  It makes sense. It is a call to live not by our instincts like animals but a call to live from above.  But such a way of life differentiates the Christian from others.  It is a holy way of life. The word "holiness" emphasizes "otherness"- being separated from the mundane and usual.  The Greek word "anothen" here emphasizes both senses.  The Christian life indeed is a radical transformation that comes from above.
      Jesus also says we must be born or water and born of the Spirit.  This emphasizes the need for cleansing (symbolized by baptism) and the need to have God's Spirit inside of us.  Again it is like a zombie being filled with a soul and real life.  We can be functionally alive like an animal but having faith in God (not just intellectual belief- but trust) makes us alive to Him.  Calvin speaks of it like being blind to the Word and then the Spirit giving us spectacles to see it.  The world opens up with beauty, understanding, meaning, wholeness and peace.  

Prayer: Lord, keep me from being focused only on this world.  Help me to be radically transformed by your Spirit.   

Be Born Again

3Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^a ”

4“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

5Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^b gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^c must be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3)

Thoughts:  Most scholars believe Nicodemus was exposed to the idea of proselytes becoming Jews by being born again.  But Jesus was asking Jews to be born again.  Yet, there is a spiritual rebirth necessary when someone believes in Jesus.  It is not a flesh birth- like being born a Jew.  It is an opening of the blind eyes- the hearing of the deaf ears.  It is being born all over again.  Life begins when someone starts to believe in Jesus.  Being a Christian is not about a political stance.  It is about a change of heart not a change in vote or simply a change in mind.  

Prayer: Lord, let me be a new creation to find your hope.