God Hears Our Prayers
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by Jon Buck
“My” Ministry?
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by Jason Park
Maybe you’ve never said those words, but perhaps you’ve thought them, especially if you’ve served in church for any period of time. If you’ve taught, if you’ve led, if you’ve been in charge of some sphere of church life…especially then.
Has it ever crossed your mind…It’s “my” ministry? But is anything wrong with that thought?
Now, I want to be careful not to judge motives; however, to conceive of service to Christ as “my ministry” can be a dangerous thing. That one word, “my,” is often pregnant with dangerous spiritual impulses and desires that turn ministry from Christ-service to self-service.
We have to be extra-careful when it comes to serving the church. The more you serve, the more you lead, the more public your role becomes, the more dangerous ministry can be to your spiritual health (consider James’s admonition to those who want to teach in James 3:1).
Why? Because we’re all infected with pride. It’s in our blood. We think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. We compare our flaws with those of people we know are worse than we are (think speck and log from Matt. 7:1-5). We’re quick to deny or defend when criticized or rebuked. And when we do well, we’re overly happy with ourselves. We praise ourselves, (contra. Prov 27:2). Even our modesty upon being thanked or praised can cloak an insidious pride that loves approval (consider the Pharisees who looked haggard in public as they fasted – Matt. 6:16-18).
Specifically, regarding service in the church, pride can show up in at least the following ways. For example…You always have to have your way in ministry. You don’t listen to the input of others you’re serving with or especially serving under. You have to serve in the ministry you’ve served in and are resistant to letting go or changing. You have to serve in specific ways but not others. You’re more about parachurch ministry than church ministry. You wonder why people don’t listen to you. You wonder why others aren’t serving as much as you are and with the zeal that you possess. You’re condescending or harsh (even just in your own heart) when someone doesn’t do something the “right” way.
As I write these responses, they sound terrible; they really sting because I’ve been guilty of all of them. And I know that I can think and do any one of these but for the grace of God. Apart from Him, none of us are safe – safe to serve, safe to lead, safe to follow.
That’s why we need to daily remember Christ and His gospel. It reorients our hearts to the fact that all of life and ministry are founded on His grace, not on our performance. It reminds us that our faithfulness and fruitfulness are not as important as His faithfulness and His power to bear His fruit in and through us.
The cross cuts our pride at the knees. It shocks us back to our senses to think rightly – that ministry is never “mine.” That all ministry is a response of love to the One who loved me and died for my sins and called me, purely by His grace to serve in whatever capacity right now for the good of His church and for His glory.
Devotional on Love, Part 17 - Love Endures All Things
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By Jon Buck
Serve Because You ‘Get’ To, Not Because You ‘Have’ To
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by Jon Buck
“To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” ~ Eph. 3:8
Paul’s ministry was anything but easy. A quick perusal of the book of Acts, along with the list of 2 Cor. 11:16-29 should make it clear that Paul understood suffering. These trials weren’t just the basic things—long work days, exhaustion, poverty—Paul was truly persecuted in incredibly painful ways.
When Paul considered his ministry, though, he didn’t see it as a cause for grumbling or complaining. Instead, Paul was stunned that the Lord would allow him to serve! He says that it was a ‘grace’ that he didn’t deserve.
He saw himself as the least of all the saints, and therefore unworthy of the blessing of the ministry he received. He had killed Christians and persecuted the work of God. How blessed and graced he was to be able to now serve the very One against Whom he had rebelled.
This is instructive for us. When God’s love for us, and His grace to us in Christ, is truly known and loved, it produces a willingness to serve Him.
None of us will likely face the kind of pains that Paul did (though some may!). But we will nevertheless have struggles in service. Even in the most trying of circumstances, we have the great privilege of worshiping and serving Christ! This isn’t something we are forced to do, but something we receive as a gracious gift from God.
Blessed Having Jesus, No Matter What
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by Jon Buck
The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot.
~ Psalm 16:5
This text is fascinating. David had lived a life of wide variation. At the time of the writing of the Psalm, he was likely king in Jerusalem. And yet, he had lived in the desert in caves, fleeing for his life.
Nevertheless, whether in the wilderness or on the throne, David states that the Lord is his portion of inheritance and his cup. These two refer to God as his sustainer and his true possession. David was now the sole monarch over Israel, but his true possession was still only God alone.
That God protected this inheritance gave David great peace. His ‘support’ of David, and His promise to protect their relationship was his hope.
But of course, this begs the question—if David was now king, wouldn’t that be David’s source of joy? After all, God had promised him this blessing! And yet, David acknowledges that no matter what he owns or where he is, God remains his true portion.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.
~ Psalm 16:6
Interestingly, the next verse expresses David’s feeling about having God as his only inheritance.
The lines were boundary markers for land, and David’s reference to them is a comment on God as his portion. He says that the lines are pleasant to him, and that his inheritance is beautiful.
When David considered that God alone was his inheritance, he didn’t have to resign himself to that. Instead, he saw it as a pleasant and beautiful blessing! God was enough for him!
David isn’t unique. The author of Psalm 73 felt the same (see vv. 25-26), as did the Apostle Paul (Phil. 3:7). In fact, when we ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’, we discover that He is enough for us. When we discover that we are loved by Him, our inheritance is beautiful.
Devotional on Love, Part 16 - Love Hopes All Things
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By Jon Buck
Lacking Community? You’re Called to Love, Because You’re Loved
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by Jon Buck
“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” ~ John 15:13
I’m not a naturally outgoing person. Ask my wife. She’ll affirm that I tend to be socially awkward and struggle with conversation. Put me in a room of people I don’t know, and I’ll go home exhausted.
I genuinely envy those who are able to carry on a conversation without struggling. We all know them - the dear folks in church who ask the best questions, have great conversations, and get to know others quickly. These things are remarkable gifts from the Lord—I just don’t have them!
The problem is…
However, the fact that I don’t have that gift, and that I can struggle at times, can turn into an excuse quickly. I can begin to ‘let myself off the hook’ easily, patting myself on the back by thinking that my gifts are different.
While that is true, it comes with a dangerous result. I can eventually begin slouch into never reaching out, never getting to know, and always having the excuse of my ‘gifts’ to fall back on.
This can quickly lead me to blame others for my lack of relationships. I can dangerously begin to look at others and demand that they love me. After all, the church is supposed to be about community! And why shouldn’t others offer that to me?
But, of course, the problem isn’t everyone else. The problem is me.
The solution is…
Notice that Jesus commands the disciples to love one another. That’s a command to all of them, but a command to each of them individually. They are EACH to love the others. When they do that, they’ll love one another.
Christ doesn’t command them to BE loved, but commands them to love.
But of course, how is that possible? One of the disciples in that room heard that command and later told us how to keep it. John explained that ‘We love because He first loved us.’ (1 John 4:19)
All that you lack in love…all the soul-satisfying community you desire…all the care and comfort you need is found in Christ’s love for you! The One by Whom the universe exists LOVES you, and died for your sins!
Let that sink in.
As you’re satisfied in that reality, you’ll reach out in love because you’ve been loved.
Devotional on Love, Part 15 - Love Believes All Things
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By Jon Buck
Seeing Ourselves Rightly
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by Jason Park
How do we see ourselves?
Not just in terms of Christian identity – child of God, brother or sister in Christ, royal priest, etc. – but in terms of Christian service.
Whether someone has a formal position or not, we’re all vital members of the body of Christ (cf. Rom 12:4-6). And Christ, through His Spirit in us, has given each believer different gifts for the building up of His church (cf. Eph 4:7-13).
So, how do we see ourselves as we exercise our gifts for the good of the church? Leaders? Teachers? Volunteers? All of these titles are perfectly fine, but what gives each of them (or any other designation) its proper perspective is Spirit-produced humility; humility wrought in our hearts as we realize that we are nothing apart from Christ (cf. Jn 15:5).
We see such humility in Paul as he describes his apostleship (a high position if ever!) as granted “by the will of God, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 1:1). He goes on in 2 Tim 1 to recount how he was saved by God, not according to his works but according to God’s own purpose, and grace “which was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (v. 9). Yes, I’m an apostle. But first and foremost, I was a desperately wicked sinner saved by God through the gift of His Son. This personal coming to grips with the gospel of grace humbled Paul and cast a huge shadow over all he did in his service to Christ.
And so, as he saw himself clearly – through the lens of the gospel – he saw that he was a nothing but a “workman” (a laborer; 2 Tim 2:15), a household “vessel” (like serving dish; 2 Tim 2:20-21), and a “bond-servant” (a slave; 2 Tim 2:24). Yes, the apostleship set him apart from nearly every other believer, but in that function, he was no better than Timothy in his service to Christ…no better than any of us in our service to Christ, whatever our respective sphere of labor.
It’s an amazing privilege to be called any of these titles. Seeing yourself as a workman, vessel, or slave is less about demeaning yourself and more about magnifying the One who has called us, gifted us, and brought us into the good works that He prepared beforehand for us (Eph 2:10).
If we’re just laborers or vessels or slaves of Christ, we’re just infinitely beloved and blessed by God to carry forth His life-changing gospel to our church, our families, our neighbors, and our world.
Take Heed! Put Confidence in Christ Alone
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by Jon Buck
“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.” - 1 Cor. 10:12
Paul spends three chapters in the book of 1 Corinthians calling the church to turn from idolatry. His argument culminates in chapter 10, where he reminds them that the majority of the wilderness generation also received many blessings, but were not actually saved.
The argument reveals Paul’s concern for the church. They had professed Christ, but were moving into idolatry with arguments about freedom and knowledge, rather than with genuine reliance on Christ.
Paul’s warning in 10:12 is a stark reminder that externals simply don’t matter. The wilderness generation had participated in crossing the Red Sea, had received supernatural sustenance, and had heard the voice of God on the mountain.
Still, they quickly fell when Moses left them, and their bodies fell in the wilderness.
Paul connects these events to the Corinthian church, and to every successive generation. The warning is simple—external participation in the body of Christ is no guarantee.
This is what Paul means when he says ‘him who thinks he stands’. The one who believes he is standing because of his external conformity is actually not standing at all. Instead, he is resting on things that simply won’t support him in the end.
Instead, Paul’s warning has a message of hope. The one who stands on Christ—who truly knows and loves the Savior—will stand and not fall.
Confidence in our righteousness or our participation in religious things is empty. But confidence in Christ and His finished work is certain and sure.
Paul’s warning should send our hearts back to Christ. Where is our confidence? Do we trust in Him and His finished work and love for us? Or have we allowed other things to become our hope?
What Do You Need to Suffer Well?
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by Jason Park
What do you need to suffer well?
Good friends? Family stability? More security – money, a safe and secure home, and material possessions?
None of these are bad things in and of themselves. But will they truly help you endure trials?
What about a good church? Spiritual discipline? Obviously, these aren’t bad; they’re very good things. And with them, we’re closer to the real answer to our original question.
Paul gives his ministry protégé, Timothy, the one thing that all Christians need to handle trials well: Jesus Christ.
By the time he penned 2 Timothy, Paul is in prison suffering for the gospel (1:8, 16). And Timothy, pastoring the church at Ephesus, was struggling with shame over Paul’s imprisonment for the gospel. In fact, he was wary of fully engaging in the ministry he was called to for fear of facing the shame and disrepute of suffering for the gospel. That’s why Paul exhorts him to not be ashamed of the gospel or of Paul’s testimony (1:8), to guard the gospel entrusted to him (1:14), and to suffer hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2:4).
But to motivate Timothy properly for future gospel-sufferings, Paul undergirds his exhortations with Christ – the grace of Christ that strengthens us (2:1), the grace of Christ that gives us wisdom through His Word (2:7), and the grace of Christ in His death and resurrection that saves and sanctifies us (2:8). So, what Paul is telling Timothy, and us, is this: to suffer well, you need more of Christ. We need to remember Christ – who He is, what He did for us, and what He is doing for us now.
The church family is critical for helping us suffer well in our trials. Good Christian friends…also critical. Bible reading and prayer…absolutely vital. But at the center of all those things, what makes all those powerful to give us heart-strength to handle trials well is Jesus Christ, risen from the dead (Savior and Lord), son of David (Messiah/King), and the faithful Shepherd who will ever remain faithful to us even when we are faithless (2:13).
Even when we are ashamed of the gospel in front of hostile or skeptical people. Even when we struggle with unbelief about the power of the gospel to change us or others. Even in all of our instances of faithlessness, Christ remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself, and so, He cannot deny us. We know this to be true because He suffered the greatest suffering of all for us on the cross and is now, and forever, never ashamed to call us His brethren (Heb 2:11).
So, remember Christ…before you enter a trial. Meditate on His glory as Lord and Savior. Believe that He died for you, rose again from the dead for you, and will one day have you reign with Him in His kingdom forever and ever.
Unity: The First Fruit of Biblical Truth
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by Jon Buck
“…being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” ~ Eph. 4:3
Paul’s letters often reflect a similar flow of thought.
He spends a lengthy part of the beginning of each letter describing the theological points he wants to communicate to the recipients. He then applies that theological grid to practical situations, calling for a change of life in response to the truths he has shared.
The most clear example of this type of literary structure is in Ephesians. Paul there spends three chapters explaining truth (the ‘indicatives’ of chapters 1-3), and three chapters applying truth (the ‘imperatives’ of charts 4-6).
This structure is important because it puts a spotlight on the truths that Paul saw as most important. In Ephesians, that truth is the unity of the body of Christ through the Holy Spirit.
In Eph 4:2, Paul tells the church about the heart attitudes that should flow from the blessings of life with Christ. These are humility, gentleness, patience, and love.
But these heart attitudes should produce a diligence in maintaining the unity of the body of Christ! The first fruit of a heart that is changed by Christ is a life that seeks to maintain unity.
Unity is hard, but central
The reason Paul says to be ‘diligent’ should be painfully obvious. Unity requires labor because we are prone to polarization and division.
There are a host of things to divide over. We can disagree over politics, church practice, individual decisions, conscience choices, and much much more. Many a church has split over the color of the carpet in the new sanctuary.
However, no matter how hard, unity is the first and critical component for all true believers. This is why Christ taught the disciples to have love for one another as the first fruit of the upper room discourse (John 13:34-35). This is why the Apostle John repeated this truth as the central command of his letter (1 John 3:11), and Peter did as well (1 Peter 1:22). This is why Paul’s letters always mention unity and love as central realities (Gal 5:4, 1 Thess 4:9, others).
The writers of the New Testament had learned from Christ Himself that unity and love for the brothers was hard. But they saw it as the central component in our Gospel witness.
We live in an age of polarization. Opinions on a massive variety of topics vary greatly within even small local congregations. However, we need to be careful with our pet doctrines, tribalism, or personal beliefs.
The Gospel, embraced by true faith, must produce a genuine love and care for those who also trust the Gospel. If it doesn’t, the witness of church will collapse, even as we seek to support it through our personal theological perspectives.
Nothing Lasts
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by Jason Park
Nothing lasts. Have you noticed that? You buy a new car and a week later you get a scratch or a tiny crack in the windshield.
Your favorite team lands that coveted free agent. A year later, he wants out.
You start a new job. You’re excited for the change. Then COVID-19 hits, and you’re working remotely for a supervisor you met once and co-workers you can only see online.
Beyond that, there are more serious realities of aging and death.
Nothing lasts. The world, and all it contains, is impermanent. And as creatures of this world, so are we.
Moses says in Psa 90:10 that our life is but 70 years, 80 if we have strength. Better hygiene, nutrition, and medicine has prolonged that to even 90 or 100 (in blue zones like Loma Linda!). But in the end, the pride of man “is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away” (v. 10).
In the midst of all this transitoriness, all this fading away, how should we see our lives? Moses tells us in v. 12: we need to ask God to teach us to number our days so that we may present to Him a heart of wisdom. In light of the brevity of life and the eternity that awaits us in God’s presence, we need to see and evaluate our lives appropriately. We need to let eternity remind us what’s actually valuable, what actually should be our treasure. It should be God. It should be Christ. It should be the Holy Spirit.
Apart from Him, nothing we do or gain here on earth lasts; nothing matters. Everything will be swept away (Psa 90:5). But in Christ, our good works are not in vain, so we should abound in them (1 Cor 15:58).
And we should go to God and say, “You are the everlasting God, who doesn’t change, and You are my dwlling place” (Psa 90:1). When we believe that, we’re safe; we’re not anxious; we’re at peace. We know who is in control over all this flux. And we know where we’re headed – straight into His presence, where His lovingkindness will wash over us for all eternity.
John Newton’s Advice During Times of Controversy
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by Jon Buck
“Controversies, for the most part, are so managed as to indulge rather than to repress his wrong disposition; and therefore, generally speaking, they are productive of little good. They provoke those whom they should convince, and puff up those whom they should edify.”
There have been times of controversy in the church since the book of Acts (see Acts 15, for example). When controversy comes, how should we handle those who may take a different side of an issue than ourselves?
The answer can be found in a host of places, of course, but the words of the English pastor John Newton in a letter to a friend ring very true.
If you have the time, read it. It’s worth a careful read in times like these.
https://www.ligonier.org/blog/john-newton-on-controversy/
Devotional on Love, Part 14 - Love Bears All Things
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By Jon Buck
Do You Have to ‘Feel Like’ Reading Your Bible?
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by Jon Buck
“What should I do if I don’t feel like reading my Bible?”
This is a common question among many Christians. You might have even felt this yourself at various points in your Christian life. Sometimes, when we feel cold to God’s Word, this can cause guilt, doubt, and concerns over our assurance.
Maybe you’ve found yourself wondering, “If I’m really saved, why don’t I feel like reading my Bible more?”
Feelings BEFORE Faith?
The answer to this dilemma is to recognize the danger of lumping all feelings together into a single mass. Not all feelings are good feelings, and not all feelings are bad feelings.
The problem is the order of things.
Feelings that come before faith in God’s word aren’t generally good feelings. Feelings of doubt, lack of desire to read, and anxiety are actually sinful feelings!
So how do we change those feelings? The answer, very simply, is faith. We need to believe in order to deal with those sinful feelings. But the problem, of course, is where to find faith in moments when we feel cold, apathetic, and doubtful.
The Bible tells us to find faith in the Word.
“Now, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word about Christ.” ~ Romans 10:17
When we find ourselves with sinful feelings, we are in danger. The very worst thing we can do is allow that guilt to keep us from reading our Bibles! Instead, we need to respond to those guilty feelings by opening the Bible and READING! Faith comes to us by hearing the word about Christ—the word that Jesus loves us, and gave himself up for us.
So what should you do if you don’t feel like reading your Bible? Read it. Read it again. Keep reading it. And as you read, ask God to increase your faith in His love for you.
Faith-fueled Feelings!
But let’s not make feelings a bad thing either. The Bible is full of emotions! Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, etc., are all emotional things. But those feelings flow from the Spirit of God.
When we believe the love of Christ for us, we find ourselves producing feelings that are good, right, and God-honoring. These feelings are good, and are the direct result of the work of God.
In fact, amazingly, Paul tells us that a love for our neighbor is the fulfillment of the whole law! That internal affection for a neighbor will produce holiness in the life…nothing else will! (1 Cor. 13:1-3)
So, fight false feelings with faith (through disciplined Bible reading!), and let faith fuel your Spiritual feelings!
In the Darkness (Psalm 88)
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by Jason Park
The Lord is near (Phil 4:5). He is intimate with His children. His love is inseparable from us (Rom 8:37-39). It doesn’t increase with our practical holiness. And it doesn’t decrease when we sin. His nearness, His abiding in us, His presence…it’s always so near.
So, when we feel, “how long, O Lord,” in a trial, the truth is God has not rejected us or hidden His face from us (cf. Psa 88:14). He’s already given us Christ; His Spirit dwells within us; and He has poured out His love into our hearts through the Spirit (Rom 5:5).
But, if you’re in darkness right now – for whatever reason except for unconfessed sin – what can you do? What should you do? If the nearness of the Lord is true, and it is, here are some helps from a psalm all about feeling shut out by God (Psalm 88):
1) Cry out to Him…relentlessly (vv. 1, 9, 13). Be honest with God. Don’t fuss about prim and proper prayers. Spread out your hands to Him with moans and sobs if you have to (v. 9).
2) Cry out to Him. Take your doubts, fears, and frustrations to the Lord (vv. 1, 2). Process them in prayer, which is always before the throne of His grace (cf. Heb 4:16). Bring up your questions to Him; you won’t surprise or dismay Him (vv. 10-12, 14). He loves you. The worst thing we can do in a season of darkness is to deal with it on our own. So, let your prayers come before God (v. 13), even if they are weak and confused. A season of darkness is designed, at the very minimum, to make us desperate for God.
3) Acknowledge truths about God as you cry out to Him. The psalmist calls the Lord, “the God of my salvation” (v. 1). He’s saved already; he’s secure eternally. But he feels like he’s going to die. But the circumstances and those dark feelings don’t change who God is for Him. He also attributes the darkness to God Himself, not to chance or fate (vv. 7, 8, 15, 16). It’s remarkable that the psalmist is able to recognize the sovereign providence of God in all things in the midst of His afflictions. But that’s what a child of God does. Even when terrors surround you like floodwaters all day long (v. 17), your new heart will believe in God, in His truth, and in His gospel. Eventually, you will. God made the heart in Christ to work that way.
Now, of course, it’s better if you can believe in Him sooner rather than later. Yet, at times, we just have to be taken through the divine ringer to really see God as our one and only help (cf. v. 13). Even then, He hasn’t cast us off.
His love for us is just as near and as intense as it ever was or will be. And maybe, just maybe, He wants us to taste the juicy marrow of His love in a way we couldn’t have…before going through the darkness.
Devotional on Love, Part 13 - Love Rejoices in the Truth
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By Jon Buck
For God’s Sake, Submit
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by Jon Buck
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution…” ~ 1 Peter 2:13
Christianity is a profoundly submissive religion. As Christians seeking to obey God’s word, we must submit to a host of authorities all around us.
We are to submit to governing authorities (Rom 13:1-5)
We are called to submit to church leaders (Heb. 13:17)
Children are called to submit to parents (Eph. 6:4)
Wives are called to submit to husbands (1 Peter 3:1-6)
Employees must submit to their employers (Eph. 6:5)
We are called to submit to every human institution! (1 Peter 2:13)
What is so fascinating about these many calls to submission is that they rarely deal with the character of the authority. There simply are no caveats or ‘escape clauses’ to these calls for submission.
Paul doesn’t tell wives to submit to only perfect husbands.
He doesn’t call children to submit to only the ‘good’ decisions parents make.
He doesn’t call employees to submit to only Christian employers.
He doesn’t tell us to submit only to Christian kings, or righteous governors.
Of course, when an authority calls us to sin, we must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29), but we must have a chapter and verse to rest on. A violation of our first amendment rights does not meet that standard.
So then why is submission so widespread in the Bible?
The answer is found in nearly every text on submission, but you have to look carefully for it. Every time we are called to submit, the call is based on the reputation of God.
Peter tells us we should submit ‘for the Lord’s sake’.
Paul tells Titus that submission is so that the word of God would not be ‘dishonored’.
Paul calls employees to submit ‘as to Christ’.
Submission to authorities brings glory and praise to God! When we willingly humble ourselves under authorities (especially those that are ‘tyrannical’), we show our confident trust that God is sovereign, and that He loves us.
A submissive Christian is willing to part with every right, every desire, every comfort for the sake of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hard as submission may be, a submissive Christians is not weak, but strong.
At the end of the day, our submission is not to any earthly authority at all. As Christians, we submit to a sovereign God who turns the hearts of kings wherever He wishes (Prov. 21:1).
Finding Weaknesses, Filling Holes in the Church
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by Jon Buck