Ecclesiastes 2:1-2 12/10/2024

“I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure. So, enjoy yourself.” And behold, it too was futility.  I said of laughter, “It is senseless,” and of pleasure, “What does this accomplish?” 

Nelson Henderson said, “The true meaning of life is to plant trees; under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”  That’s a nice quote but it’s misleading.  Kindness and unselfishness towards others are evidence of a meaningful life, but they are only symptoms. They are byproducts of  WHY we were created.  This passage points out that when it comes to the meaning of life, we habitually chase appearances, instead of the actual source.

Solomon achieved everything we think makes life meaningful. Wealth, power, popularity…  He accomplished it all, won it all, and realized it was all meaningless. Yet when we read Ecclesiastes, where Solomon documents this failure, it doesn’t change our aim.  We continue to pursue trivial things in order to find meaning… build, buy, own, wisdom, pleasure… all just chasing the wind. And at the end of the chase, everyone finds out that nothing matters, except one thing. 

In the movie City Slickers, Curly points that out… but he thought the “one thing” was different for everyone. The fact is it is the same thing for all of us. We have all been designed for the same purpose… to have a beautiful, loving, eternal relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Fellowship with God  is the reason you were created, and nothing will fill the void you feel except that relationship.

Concerning Henderson’s quote, any tree you plant will die and be forgotten, regardless of who sat under it. Furthermore, any trinket you purchase will rust; any accolades you receive will disappear. Those things can be enjoyable but true meaning is only found in an eternal relationship with your Heavenly Father… If you miss that, you miss it all.  

God created us for Himself, and our purpose is to walk hand in hand with Him daily.  That should start today, and never end. Embracing the fact that you belong to God and fully pursuing that relationship is the only thing that gives your life eternal meaning – anything else is the wrong target, and even if you hit it, will leave you disappointed. 

"… I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine"  - God  (Isaiah 43:1)

John 12:9-10 12/3/2024

“But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also,  because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.”

This verse made me laugh.  Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead,  and the best threat the chief priests could come up with was to kill him again?   What do you think Lazarus had to say about that? … Probably something like, “Really? … Again? …  You guys understand that doesn’t scare me, right? …  I’ve been there, and there, is better than here”. 

The priests are clearly the ones who are fearful here ...  I bet most would have rather heard Lazarus discuss the afterlife, instead of threatening him with more of it… How revealing is it that this groups ultimate threat was something that Jesus had already exhibited complete power and control over? 

As I imagine Lazarus’ attitude toward their attempts to intimidate him – I am challenged by it.  

Haven’t I too been released from the power of death?  Hasn’t death lost its sting in my life just as it had in Lazarus’?  I should be bolder, less intimidated, and less focused on the temporal,  as I have already begun my eternal life… I have died and been raised to walk anew in Christ…  The only thing  that physical death changes now, is location. 

These facts should change us.  As in this passage, are we so bold that it can be said that on account of us, many are going away and believing in Jesus?  If not, why not?  What are we afraid of?  Where is the courage we see in Lazarus after he was called out of death? Our salvation means we too have been called out of the grave to walk with Christ.  Based on that, shouldn’t we be more like Lazarus when this world is threatening?

My guess is, that the day after Jesus raised him, Lazarus’ “to-do” list looked very different than it did before… His fear and anxiety about worldly issues no doubt vanished as he walked out of that tomb… Maybe we should examine what we allow to frighten us, and what we plan to invest our time in today.  Let’s make sure that as people  who have already been delivered from death, we are fearlessly chasing what matters.

“Living in the light of eternity changes your priorities.” - Rick Warren

TITUS 2: 9-10

 “Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.”

“Bondslave” refers to  people who had acquired debt and for financial reasons were sold into slavery.  Paul isn’t validating slavery in any form. He is stating how we are to conduct ourselves when we end up in oppressive situations.

There are many forms of slavery today. Criminal slavery imposed on others,  as well as slavery, we impose upon ourselves such as career, credit card debt, image, etc. … So, there is a lesson here on what you allow yourself to be a slave to,  but that is not the point of this passage. 

Instead, these verses reinforce Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men”.  The concept is to realize that you are God’s servant, no matter what the endeavor.  It is all encompassing, and  “fairness” is not the target, excellence is. 

Today’s “entitled” philosophy does not embrace this teaching. This passage demands your unfair boss and the selfish people on your team become important to you. It requires you to enthusiastically work with, not against your demanding employer.  It expects you to be a servant in your marriage and family even when it is not reciprocated. Every group you are involved in should run smoother because you are a part of it, even when it is unfair or one-sided. Your assignment is to treat others as more important than yourself simply because God loves them.

That is where the bar has been set. And though it is tough to swallow in our culture of individual rights, the all-important goal is not to tarnish the name of your Savior.  If you think this is unfair – you are correct… But you don’t want fairness, you want grace. That is what God has given you,  and what you must offer others as well. 

So, if you can’t sacrificially treat your family with respect, work hard for your boss, and be a positive influence on your friends, please don’t teach Sunday School.  This chapter says your self-centered response to unfairness will significantly minimize any impact your religious lecture might have.

“Preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words” - St. Francis

John 4:10 11/19/2024

“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

The most troubling flaw in my prayer life is that I often forget who I’m talking to… Jesus tells this woman she doesn’t ask the right questions, because she doesn’t know the power He possesses.  I spend a lot of time in prayer making suggestions instead of listening because I forget who He is… If I contemplated the majesty of  the one hearing my prayers, they would be different. 

When Christ gave us the templet for praying, He said… “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name”. Hallowed means respected, holy, sacred…  the natural next step after such an acknowledgement  should be to contemplate that… It makes sense that His holiness would shape your interaction with Him. 

The next phrase, “thy will be done”…  is the only logical progression… If you realize you are communicating with The Creator, the only rational next statement is to ask Him to control everything in your life.  If you prefer your own will, then you too have forgotten who you’re talking to. 

The foundation of my prayers must be the recognition of His Power. When I begin there, I ask the right questions… Instead of “placing my order” for the day, I come desiring guidance. I come with more questions and less solutions. Approaching God with a  “poor spirit” gives me the attitude that prepares me to hear the correct answers.  

There is a difference between saying your prayers and praying.  One is a one-way religious exercise in frustration, and the other is a two-way personal communication that results in guidance, power, and peace. 

The enemy’s desire is to have us habitually recite our memorized mantras, instead of crawling into the lap of our loving God and praying… Prayer brings our heart before Him with all our scars and allows us to receive the healing power of our Father.  Prayer changes things, and its power comes from the  power of the One to whom we pray. 

“Our ordinary views of prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer as a means for getting something for ourselves; the Bible’s idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.” -  Oswald Chambers 

1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 11/12/2024

“…Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.  Therefore, comfort one another with these words.”

“Two minutes!”... 

We used to shout that in the locker room as the time approached for us to head to the football field for the game.  The excitement and anticipation were palatable.  All the work that we had put in, all the sweat we had invested – was forgotten and overrun by our enthusiasm. You could hardly hold us back as we were headed out to play. Our focus was not on the safety and comfort of the locker room but the reckless excitement waiting for us on the field. 

That kind of focus and anticipation is what we should feel every morning as Christians.  JESUS IS COMING BACK… And it won’t happen gradually. Like a kickoff… the trumpets of Heaven will sound, and the King will return.   The question is not IF, but WHEN? 

Do I live in that reality? Do I wake up each morning with that thought on my mind motivated by Heaven …or am I distracted by the temporary trinkets of this world? 

C. S. Lewis turned our worldview upside down when he pointed out that you don’t HAVE a soul… you ARE a soul… you HAVE a body.  Is that my templet for life? Do I live as though everything in the physical realm is temporary and only the Spiritual is infinite?

Being a part of a church is wonderful, having buddies who support you and remind you that we are not alone is uplifting… But the kickoff is the reason for the team. The Kickoff is our purpose… and this is what should occupy our minds through the difficult times of preparation. Christ’s return is the event that should dictate a mood of anticipation and excitement as it approaches.  

This passage says this is what we should use to comfort each other and prepare ourselves for His return.  We must acknowledge that flesh is fleeting and will pass away – The Spirit is eternal…  the main thing, is to keep the main thing, the main thing…. Will I leave the house this morning with my mind set on Heaven?...

”Two Minutes!”

“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.”
— Bruce Lee

Philippians 2:5 - 8 11/5/2024

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross.”

That is an overwhelming passage… 

Christ, being fully God, humbled Himself and came to earth as a servant.  Offering redemption to those who were not only beneath Him… they were His own creation.  Yet, they rejected and crucified Him …as He prayed for their forgiveness. 

This passage says that is the attitude I am supposed to have … This is not poetry or a parable… it is an historically recorded example we are required to follow that at times feels unattainable. 

I can be a servant,  when I am recognized for it… I might even enjoy it as long as others are appreciative.  But it would be difficult to serve those who disrespect me…  For the Son of God to become a lowly human …and then have other lowly humans mock and crucify Him? ...while He loved them?  That seems outrageous …Yet according to this passage, that is where the bar has been set.  

So, today if I am gracious and those I serve are not grateful… or I’m unselfish, and no one applauds…  how will I respond? … How will I react when others ignore my kindness?   The answer to those questions will be embarrassing if I go through the day with the “mind of Boyd”.  But if I willingly choose to have the “mind of Christ”, the results can be astounding.  

If I decrease, and Christ increases, my life will become radiant, lighting up any room I enter.  If I have the mind of Christ I will serve people – not out of obligation or religious devotion – but because like Christ, I love them. Love never stands still, it demands action. Sometimes to lift someone up you must get beneath them… Are you willing to lower yourself so you can effectively elevate others?  

There is no way around it… this passage insists that we decide who we love most. 

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
- Anne Frank

John 8:31-33 10/29/2024

“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples;  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus is addressing new believers, telling them that obedience to His Word is the identifying mark of His true followers and that without it, they were living as captives. …. He tells them that His Word will set them free, but they arrogantly argue that they have never been slaves.  

What about you… have you been set free?  Or have you adopted a  mediocre faith that ignores scripture and maintains that you don’t need liberation?

There are no chains more powerful than those we choose not to acknowledge…  the ones we have accepted as “normal” and no longer try to break.  The strongest prison is the one we choose to sit in, even though the door is open. 

Our culture offers “shrink to fit” truth, and limited freedom, while The Bible offers radical truth and complete liberty. But we miss it, because we don’t seek truth, we seek comfort.  As long as our jail cell is comfortable, we are content.  

What if we changed that?  What if we re-evaluated “normal” and filtered every “accepted” habit through God’s word.  What if  we decided to get comfortable being uncomfortable and change our lives to fit scripture, instead of changing scripture to fit our lives?  Living out truth produces freedom that makes us effective warriors for the Cross. 

It is a choice you will have to make deliberately; the enemy is content to leave you restfully undisturbed in this area because your captivity makes you ineffective for the Kingdom of God.  

It is your call… you can stand there on the sidelines and be comfortably ordinary  – or get in the game and pursue being dangerously extraordinary.  

If you will open your Bible and question the status quo, you might find freedom to do what you were created to do… You might find that the Son has obliterated the chains you’ve been putting on every morning and realize that you’re living in bondage, and only the Truth will set you free.  

“Freedom is something that dies unless it's used.” -  Hunter Thompson

Galatians 3:1-5 10/22/2024

“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?  This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?  Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” 

When writing to the adulterous Corinthians Paul instructs them gently. To the Cretans in the book of Titus he is patient and explanatory. But here he is straight out rebuking the Galatians without much of a filter. In this passage he basically asks them if they’re stupid.

We find a similar approach when Jesus encountered thieves and prostitutes, He corrected them, but gently. But when faced with Pharisees who believed they could earned their way Christ was severe, calling them snakes, and whitewashed tombs for thinking they could earn redemption. 

This seems to indicate that arrogance and believing you can earn deliverance is especially repulsive to the Holy Spirit.  That makes sense, because for God to pay the price He paid for my salvation, and then I act as though I can earn it -  is an amazing display of ignorance and ingratitude. 

Jesus died to redeem my soul, and there is no amount of work I can do,  or money I can pay to earn that … it is insulting to insinuate that there might be.

That is a frightening observation because “legalism”, “works-salvation”,  and “judgementalism”, are sins we in the church dance pretty close to, and it appears these sins and the arrogance from which they originate are particularly offensive to God. Egotism may be the enemy’s most powerful tool. 

Have I been saved by grace, but become better than you because of my works?  Did the Holy Spirit provide salvation and then my flesh say, “I’ll take it from here”?  Paul calls that whole line of thinking foolish.  

While we must boldly speak truth, we also had better check our hearts regularly and make sure we are not being bewitched by some foolish, self-exalting approach to Christianity that allows us to feel anything but gratitude for our salvation.

“If there be ground for you to trust in your own righteousness, then all that Christ did to purchase salvation, and all that God did to prepare the way for it, is in vain.” — Jonathan Edwards

John 6:61-64 10/15/2024

“Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?  Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!  The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing”. 

The dilemma for the American church is that when Jesus spoke it often offended people.… and we are some of the most easily offended people on the planet.  Our default response to correction is victimhood.  This predicament interferes with us “recruiting” members for our church. 

Our focus on increasing membership makes us unwilling to lovingly address unpopular topics that are clearly defined by God’s Word.  Any honest reading of scripture reveals God’s definition of marriage, sexuality, morality, the value of the unborn, greed, and a host of other topics that have been deemed “off-limits” by our culture … Jesus addressed difficult subjects, and never once changed truth to pacify His audience. 

It is not our goal to offend but some will see truth as offensive. If you call truth hate, you will hate truth. But like a good doctor we cannot be overly concerned with how medicine tastes to the patient - only that it heals them. I must lovingly give the correct dose, no matter how it impacts the patient’s opinion of me. 

If the truth offends my audience,  the remedy is to remind them that truth does not originate from man; man came from truth.  You can’t look through the lens of deception, and self-will, and expect to see the truth of God.

If you desire to change scripture and only follow what suits you … it is because you have forgotten who wrote it.  It isn’t a rough draft for you to edit.  It is a document written by the omnipotent Creator of the universe. Its purpose is to light your path, and without it you’re walking in the dark. 

“Christian” is not something you comfortably add to your resume.  You die to yourself, and Christ lives in you.  You become “unoffendable” by anything written in scripture and simply dedicate your life to following it. 

 If the Bible offends you… It is not scripture that needs to be adjusted…. You have options for responding to The Word of God, but being offended by it, and demanding it be changed isn’t one of them.

"An offended heart is the breeding ground of deception." - John Bevere

John 1:45-46 10/8/2024

“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets also wrote: Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth!”  Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good be from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 

Philip found the Messiah and ran to let Nathanael know…  He realized who Jesus was …He said “We found the promised one”… Philip had met the Son of God, and he recognized Him because they had been looking for Him for Centuries.  His knowing  “who  and what” he had found was the key…. and it still is today.  

Jesus is not a surprise. His first appearance in the manger was prophesied for thousands of years, and His return has been foretold by historically documented predictions. He is one of the most recorded figures in history.   His life has been verified by both church and secular historians, so the question of His existence is not the question…  Knowing “who and what” He is – is what changes everything.

When Philip realized this, he did the only logical thing he could do… He ran to tell his friend.  That is the only rational response we can have as well. If you realize that He is the foretold lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world, and you don’t tell the people you love… How can you say you love those people? 

The problem is that they may not be interested in your discovery.  So, we can also learn from Philip’s confident approach to witnessing… When Nathanael mocked him,  Philip didn’t retaliate, he simply said “come and see”… Those three words carry a wealth of theological implications and are incredibly powerful. 

You and I need to put away our argumentative rebuttals to naysayers and simply say “come and see” …  Our intellectual opinions are not as powerful as saying, “look at the changes Jesus has made in my life”, and then living in such a way that they can “come and see” Christ in us. 

The power of the gospel is that you have been made a new creation, and our job is let others know that God offers new life to all who come to Him.

“Live as a credible witness. If our actions don’t line up with the message we’re proclaiming, we risk losing our credibility.” — David Jeremiah