True Wisdom Leads to Humility and Peace

 2 Timothy 2:22-26

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.  Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.  And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.  Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

"Don't have anythng to do with foolish and stupid arguments."  How would your life change if you could take this advice to heart?  How many of your problems and quarrels with other people come from this trap?  If we're honest, don't most conversations on politics turn into this: foolish and stupid arguments?

Sadly, no matter what community you belong to, this will always be a challenge because if there's a community there are people there.  This is a problem that can only be caused by people, you and them.  Others aren't the only source of this problem.  Often times you are.  Just like them, you are a selfish arrogant sinner.  This is why Paul gives Timothy, and us, the advice to avoid foolish and stupid arguments.

Paul is encouraging us to guard ourselves from being drawn into this nonsense.  The guidance he gives us to help guard against this is to remember: you are the Lord's servant, be kind to everyone, and approach the situation as a teaching opportunity.  Essentially, he is telling us to keep our emotions in check and love the other person enough to want to lead them back to Jesus.  We want to instruct them in the truth so as to help them turn away from their sinful attitudes and behaviors.

When these situations come up with other people it is helpful to remember that the quarreling person has been caught in a trap of the devil.  In that moment, he has taken them captive to do his will.  What they need is for us to be compassionate and patient with them.  We need to care enough to lovingly instruct them in the truth to help them escape the trap they have been caught in.  We can not do this if we allow ourselves to get caught up in a quarrel.  Satan loves division, especially in Christ's church.

This teaching of the Apostle Paul is a key way to squash conflicts before they get started:

 Love obstinate people enough to instruct them in the truth with the hope of leading them to repentance.  

The goal is to lead them to Jesus, and remind them they are forgiven for his sake, so they can grow in faith and wisdom.

James 3:13-18

Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

God bless

Jason Fredrick

Awake From Your Slumber

 Romans 13:11-14

And do this, understanding the present time.  The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.  So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.  Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

This is an especially relevant message for everyone today: Christians and non-Christians alike.

For Christians, it is time to wake up from your complacency and start living your Great Commission calling.  It is time to stop living like the world and start living the faith that you profess.  It is time to stop making excuses for not engaging with your church.  It is time to stop expecting your pastor to be the only one carrying out the ministry of your church.  It is time to take responsibility for leading your family.

Christian, the church in America is dying because you have been asleep for far too long.  Wake up!  God is not fooled by your empty words.  You cannot placate God.  He knows your heart.

For the non-Christian, it is time to wake up.  Judgement Day, and your personal judgment day, is closer now than it ever has been.  It is time to turn from your self-indulgent perversions.  It is time to stop working so hard to lead people away from Jesus, especially your own children.  It is time to stop trying to make sinful lifestyles normal and acceptable so as to sear your own conscience.  

Non-Christian, you are on the road to hell.  Your arrogant rejection of Jesus Christ and his free gift of salvation is sending you to hell!  Your time is short.  Your condemnation will be forever.  Now is the time to repent and turn away from your wickedness and perversions.

The good news for everyone is simple: Jesus has already paid the price for your sins.  Your sins are forgiven.  Some will joyfully embrace Christ and recieve his free gift of forgiveness and salvation.  Some will set themselves stronger against Christ.  

The time is short.  We are nearer now more than ever.  We will all face our final judment much sooner than we think.  Will you harden your heart and hold on to your guilt?  Or will you turn to Jesus and be found "not guilty" for his sake?

You are reading this today.  You will have no excuse on your last day.

My prayer is that you turn to Jesus.

God bless
Jason Fredrick

Faithfully Serve Wherever the Lord has Placed You

 Genesis 39:1-6a

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt.  Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishamaelites who had taken him there.

The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.  When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant.  Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.  From the time he put him in charge of his household and all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph.  The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.  So he left in Joseph's care everything he had; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Joseph's situation was not ideal.  He had been assaulted by his brothers and then sold into slavery.  Now, a thousand miles from home, he was put to work.  It's easy to think that Joseph was bitter.  He certainly had every right to be.  You would think Joseph would be angry and resentful toward his master.  It would even make sense that Joseph would be mad at God.  After all, it was God who gave him those dreams and the ability to understand what they meant.

But the Bible tells us Joseph responded to his situation much differently than we might expect.  Nowhere are we told that Joseph prayed to God demanding an explanation for his situation.  Perhaps it's reasonable to think that on that long journey from Canaan to Egypt, Joseph had plenty of time to think through his situation.  It seems like Joseph realized that he was just as responsible for his situation as his brothers were.

Whatever the case may have been, Joseph's response teaches us an important lesson: No matter what our situation, we are to glorify God by giving our very best everyday.  Joseph had no reason to think that his faithful work would earn him a promotion.  Joseph sumbitted to the authority that God had placed over him and he faithfully served Potiphar to the best of his ability.  He was honoring God by honoring Potiphar.

Because of Jospeh's faithfulness, God blessed him and all of Potiphar's house.  There are certainly blessings that come with faithfully honoring God in all we do, and obeying his commands; but God does not promise any particular blessings for our faithfulness.  He does not promise to bless us like he blessed Joseph while he served in Potiphar's house.  Joseph's motivation for honoring and obeying God was his love for God, his faith in God's promise of salvation.  Our motivation must also be the same: A thank you to God for his gift of faith and forgiveness of sins for Jesus' sake.

Joseph didn't serve Potiphar diligently because he was trying to earn God's favor.  He served Potiphar diligently because he already had God's favor.  It was God's love for Joseph and Joseph's faith that empowered him to love God and love his neighbor- Potiphar.

This is the same for us.  As God's children, we are called to love God and love our neighbor.  This love is displayed in our lives through service.  As a response to God's love for us, we diligently work everyday to serve our neighbor- in our family, at work, in the community, and in church.  Wherever God gives us an opportunity to serve, that's where we serve each day.

We can serve in this way, every day, because Jesus has served us in the most important way: He lived the perfect life we can't live.  He died the death we deserve.  He rose from the dead to conquer death for us.  "Becasue Jesus lives, we also will live."

God bless,

Jason Fredrick

The Storms of Life

 The lectionary readings for this week are:

Job 38:1-11
Acts 27:13-26
Mark 4:35-41

In all three of these readings there are some common threads: Storms and major life challenges will come.  Also, God is faithful, he honors his promise to protect and provide through those challenges.

Mark 4:35-41

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee]."  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.  There were also other boats with him.  A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.  Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.  The disciples woke and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet!  Be still!"  Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have no faith?"

They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this?  Even the wind and the waves obey him?"

Several of the disciples were professional fishermen.  They knew the Sea of Galilee well.  This most likely was not the first time they had been caught in the middle of the lake when a storm suddenly blew in.  There response was interesting, though.  We're not told how long they tried to fight the waves themselves, but it doesn't seem like they fought the storm for very long before waking up Jesus.

Reading through the text, it doesn't seem like Jesus was mad that they woke him up.  He rebukes them for their lack of faith.  That was displayed with their accusation toward him, "Don't you care if we drown?"  They accused Jesus of not caring about them.  It is a ridiculous accusation, but how often are we guilty of the same thing?  We get overwhelmed with the storms that hit us in our life, we panic, and turn to God, "Don't you care about me God?  How could you let this happen?"

This is obviously a ridiculous question.  God loves us.  He has demonstrated his love for us in so many ways, it is total arrogance to even ask such a question of God.  Here Jesus gave a short, but strong rebuke to his disciples.  In Job 38-39 God gives Job a lengthy and crushing rebuke.  Job quickly recognized that he had been a whiny baby about his challenges and God didn't owe him an explanation.

God doesn't owe us an explanation for the challenges we face in life.  In faith, we know that the storms of life are the result one thing- sin.  We live in a sinful world so sometimes bad stuff happens to everybody.  We also know that God uses those storms for our good (Romans 8:28).  

Sometimes the storms of life are of our own making.  They are the natural effect of sinful behavior or bad decisions.  Sometimes they are the natural side-effect of living in a sinful world.  Whatever the case, God always uses them as an opportunity to draw us closer to him.  In all three readings above Job, Paul, and the disciples turned to God to see them through the storm.  This is the same place that we must turn during the storms of life.  Only Jesus can carry us through.

You never need question Jesus' love for you like the disciples did.  Jesus cares about you.  Jesus loves you.  His greatest statement of just how much he loves you was made on Calvary.  He gave up his life that you may live.  Despite being totally innocent of any sin, he took all of yours on himself and paid the price for all of them on the cross.  No matter what happens in life, you can be confident of one thing: Because Jesus lives, you also will live.  God's got it all worked out all ready.  He is not suprised by the storms you face.

So do not worry, but seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all good things will be added to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)  That is God's promise to his children.

God bless.

Jason Fredrick

A Pastoral Vacancy

 1 Timothy 3:14-16

Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the the truth.  Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:

God appeared in a body,

was vindicated by the Spirit,

was seen by angels,

was preached among the nations,

was believed on in the world,

was taken up in glory.

The previous thirteen verses of 1 Timothy 3 are Paul's instructions for deacons and overseers in the church.  Paul wanted to make sure churches understood how to conduct themselves in the absence of a trained pastor.  One underlying point here is that the ministry of an individual congregation can't stop because of a pastoral vacancy.  The leaders of the church have to be prepared to step up and lead.  Every member of the church has to be prepared to act on, and live out, their Great Commission calling.

Notice how Paul calls the church "the pillar and foundation of the truth."  The church is all of God's people united in individual congregations all over the world.  The church is not the pastor.  While it can be frustrating and scary for church members to carry out the ministry of Christ's Church without a pastor, they must.  That is what they have been called to.  Pastor or not, it is the call of every Christian church to take the gospel of Jesus Christ into their community.  While the mystery of godliness is great, the Holy Spirit empowers God's chidlren to be able to understand it a little, believe it totally, and share it generously.  That is what every Christian has been called to do.

God's grace be with you.

Jason Fredrick