Author Archives: Randy Buchman

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About Randy Buchman

I live in Western Maryland, and among my too many pursuits and hobbies, I regularly feed multiple hungry blogs. I played college baseball, coached championship cross country teams at Williamsport (MD) High School, and have been a sportswriter for various publications and online venues. My main profession was as the lead pastor of a church in Hagerstown called Tri-State Fellowship for 28 years before retiring in 2022. I'm also active in Civil War history and work/serve at Antietam National Battlefield with the Antietam Battlefield Guides organization. Occasionally I sleep.

The Fast Track to Church Unity – Romans 15:1-13

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It is a sad truth that churches are very often known as places of interpersonal warfare and party squabbling. The stories of ridiculous church fights are legendary. The typical tale is that the brawl was sourced in the color of the carpet or drapes or something of that level of relative insignificance. Many times controversies have broken out over the music program – historically called “the worship wars.” 

My father was not especially excited to see his son heading off to Bible College and Seminary with a view toward church work, beginning with music. Though he was a generous supporter of the local church and superlative servant, when it came right down to it, he would rather that the pastor be someone from someone else’s family! He had seen so many pastors brutalized over the years, he would have rather I had chosen to go into finance and investing. Dad was especially wary of me doing the music component; and he was famous for saying to me, “Randy, don’t you know that when the Devil fell, he fell into the choir loft and he’s been there ever since!”

In my first church ministry position in Texas, I remember that there was some sort of controversy in the music program – the details of which have long since slipped my mind. But one of the things I did at the time in the midst of it was put a sign on my office door that covered over the “Minister of Music” label … my new sign saying, “Office of the Department of War.”

Of course, it is not supposed to be this way at all. And when any church is acutely a place of conflict, the end result is a shameful appearance to the unbelieving world … in front of people who either recall specifically, or minimally sense, that the way it should be is like Jesus said, “They will know you are my disciples by your love for one another.”

The prescription for the fast track to church unity is really very simple and is found in our passage today. It is simply this:  Don’t think about yourself; give yourself completely to help and build up others around you, and in doing this, you will do the same thing Jesus did when he gave his life for you; and when all of you within the same walls do this, the end result will be that you will with one voice together worship the Lord in incredible unity.

Is this realistic? Maybe not fully, at least not as it will be finally in heaven. But certainly we (like any church) can be a lot better than we are. That is our goal and vision … as it is also God’s vision for us. Notice from this passage how God anticipated incredible diversity within the church even centuries and millennia ahead of when it was realized in Christ. We may think that this inclusion of Gentiles into God’s overall scheme of things was sort of like a “plan B” when “the Jewish Messiah plan A” failed. Not so. Look at verses 9-12 today, which are a series of quotes from the Old Testament – talking about grace to the Gentiles and quoting from the books of 2 Samuel, Deuteronomy, Psalms, and Isaiah!

God’s heart for diverse people of all nations and ethnicities is pervasive in the Scriptures. His love is expansive; and our love should certainly be expansive enough to cover even the crop of eccentrics and unique personalities within our church community. It has to go beyond simply the people we naturally love and gravitate toward. The text today says that when Christ accepted us and died for us, it was not at a time when we loved him first! NO, we love him because he first loved us – at a time when we were in total rebellion against him. That is an amazing love! And it is the goal and vision toward which we strive together.

Romans 15:1-13 – One voice of unity from the same attitude as Christ Jesus

15:1  We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.”

10 Again, it says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.”

11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.”

12 And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.”

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Remembering Your Roots – Romans 11:11-24

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The incredible abundance of online resources and digital search capacities has made ancestral research a popular activity in our day. You can even take continuing education classes to enhance your techniques and the use of such tools as ancestry.com, etc.

One of the advertising tools to draw people into this hobby is to promote that you might find out that you are related to the Royal Family of England or some such thing. Perhaps your forgotten great-grandfather produced a famous invention, or perchance he served as a hero in the Civil War.

Of course, there is probably a greater chance that just the opposite sort of ignominious revelation will surface, but that doesn’t make for very good advertising! Actually, I could testify to this very experience.

Some of you reading this have likely heard me reference my experiences in the last couple of years of accessing these resources to learn about the rather dark one-half of my background through my biological father. I had only a few clues to begin. Yet I was incredibly able to trace back a number of generations, and I was even able to find and eventually meet with a cousin I did not know even existed. However, I have also discovered that great-granddaddy Parks spent a decade or so in federal prison for a crime related to stealing from the mail in the post office where he worked!

The fact is that most of us don’t have very auspicious roots. Not many are from royalty or fame. And if we consider the issue spiritually, ALL OF US have a very dark and troubled background dating back to Adam and Eve.

Today’s passage is more difficult to understand than most, and in a way, it is sort of unusual that we put it in this series and in this week of talking about spiritually caring for one another. But if we are going to be successful in really being an interpersonally caring and serving community, it is good to remember our spiritual roots – whatever they are. Because, whatever they are, this much is for sure: It is all by grace! And that is a major takeaway point when reading this portion of Paul’s writing to these Roman Gentiles about their standing relative to the people of Israel.

OK… to begin… step back from the passage!  Remember this about Romans: Chapter 9 talks about Israel’s past (a glorious history of God’s covenant promises), chapter 10 is Israel’s present (a condition largely of unbelief in Jesus as the promised Christ), and chapter 11 is Israel’s future (where there will be a day of salvation and return to the Lord).

So as Paul is writing to a largely Gentile audience, he is telling them that they are (pictorially) wild olive branches that have been grafted into the natural olive tree of God’s program of the ages. By this he is referencing how God’s work was through the nation of Israel and the promises and covenants that had been instituted – and then fulfilled so expansively in the work of Christ that an extensive universal grace was offered to all who would trust in this provision. Through unbelief, the natural branches of Israel were broken off, and now newly grafted branches of the Gentiles were gaining nourishing sap from the root. And Paul makes it clear that this was nothing for them to boast about, as they were supported by the root, not the other way around!

For everyone – Jew, Gentile, whatever – it is all by grace … or as the passage put it, “the kindness of God.”  And that is why this reading is a part of our conversation this week. All of us in the church family are there by God’s kindness and grace. None of us have a place for boasting. So much grace has been given to each of us that there is no place for us to stand above or stand aloof … no, we should stand alongside each other in spiritual encouragement. And that is the vision of the leadership of this church.

Romans 11:11-24 …. Ingrafted Branches

11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!

13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

How to be a “Star” – Philippians 2:12-18

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It has been a strange autumn for me in several respects. For the first time in my life, I was hospitalized with that crazy pulmonary blood clots surprise; but also it is odd since it is the first year that I’ve not been coaching cross country runners in a very long time (and for many years before that, I was a running news sportswriter).

I had the great privilege of coaching a lot of “star” runners – having 27 different kids achieve all-state status a total of 50 times. But the athletes that most stand out in my memory are those who were the most serious about the sport, yet remained also cheerful and compliant along the way as evidenced by the manner in which they diligently did their work each day.

There was one day when I was really pushing that great three-time state champions girls team through a very difficult workout. It was quite grueling, without doubt!  And they did not like it and were not very happy with me – even uncharacteristically argued that I was killing them! As a group (I learned later), they decided they were going to ice me out by not talking to me anymore that day. Being a very verbal bunch, it did strike me that they were unusually focused on just running fast. After the last element, I was so excited that they hit all their target times that I went running across the WHS athletic fields to heap praise and congratulations upon them … which I did. But they did not turn their heads to even acknowledge me … instead, just went walking toward the locker room. I’m not sure what I said or did, but one of the girls just couldn’t hold it together. She broke from the pack and came back to me in tears saying she was sorry for ignoring me and just could not do what the others had agreed upon. It was so sweet of her, and also a very humorous moment. But she was such a great kid who always indeed did everything without grumbling or arguing.

Coaches don’t like grumblers or complainers … neither does the boss, nor does a parent. And you can add God to that list also!

shining-starsAs the Apostle Paul continues to speak to the Philippians about some of the attitudinal situations that were creating strife in the church in that city, he tells them to be serious about the execution of their faith and to do things without grumbling and arguing. Doing this would make them a “star” – for they would stand out like a bright dot of light in the dark night sky. The natural proclivity for mankind is to be self focused and to easily be personally annoyed – expressing that with complaints and wrangling with others. To be different from that tendency would cause them to particularly shine in an exemplary way, being also in accord with God’s Word. And that is a timeless truth that extends to our day.

As you read the passage, recall that Paul is writing this letter to them from a time when he was a prisoner. He could not be with them, and he appeals to them from his precarious position. Paul was uncertain if he would be released; and though he had an underlying tone of optimism, it was not certain. So we see him thinking even in terms of his legacy with them – hoping his efforts were indeed fruitful among these Philippians. He desired to be pleased that they were obedient and moving forward in their faith.

Grumbling, arguing, and otherwise participating in discord in the church family is really such a waste of time and energy. There is so much work to be done. And we all need to check ourselves regularly in this regard, to be sure we are not losing focus on what is most important. But we can be pleased also in the knowledge that it is God who works in us as we yield to him – not only to fulfill his purposes for us, but to also build in us an increasing desire to do so.

So, go be a “star.”

Philippians 2:12-18 … Do Everything without Grumbling

12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Getting to the Top by Going through the Bottom – Philippians 2:1-11

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How do you get to the top by going through the bottom? Doesn’t that go completely against everything we were taught by our parents about standing up for ourselves? We were told to not let people run over us. Be assertive! Take charge!

Let me tell you the story of a fellow from my previous church where I was the pastor many years ago. Don was a sort of “special” person. He was exceedingly nice and kind … and also odd and eccentric in many ways. I don’t think he had actual mental deficiencies, though it may have looked that way to many people. Having been a professional musician in earlier life before coming to know Christ, he may well have burned out some of his brain on substance abuse. Whatever his background, there was no doubt that Don deeply LOVED everyone in the church.

He worked diligently to know every person, and he had a genuine concern for each and every individual. In fact, whenever anyone from the church was in the hospital, he would visit with them each day they were admitted.  Yes, he was a little strange and some of those visits were a bit awkward, but there was no doubt that Don was a guy who simply loved you and believed when he prayed for you, God was going to help you!

One day, Don had a medical emergency – I forget if it was a gall bladder surgery or a ruptured appendicitis – but it was something that had him admitted for a series of days. And even long before the era of the immediacy of emails and Facebook communications, the word spread like wildfire through the church family that Don was in the hospital. And people started to visit him. Dozens of people would show up at the same time, and over the initial two or three days there were more than 150 people wanting to visit. They were continuously overflowing the hospital’s waiting area in the lobby. After a while, the hospital administration called the church office to appeal to us to make some church-wide effort to call off the visitation.

The application of this story to today’s reading is clearly obvious. The story of Don and our passage today from Philippians both illustrate the principle as stated in the words of Jesus Christ:  “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

It is clear from the letter to the Philippians that there was discord among certain people and factions in the church family in that city. The Apostle Paul reminds them in the first four verses of all the assets they possessed through faith and relationship with Christ Jesus. And he tells them that it would make his own joy complete if they would stop thinking of themselves and rather imitate Christ in humbly serving one another.

This great theological passage that defines the combination of Christ’s humanity and deity is given by Paul to remind his readers of the incredible humility of Christ – who set aside his personal rights in glory to condescend to earth, become human, and die the most awful of deaths. Surely the story of one who did something this amazing would goad the Philippians to faithfully follow that example in selfless service, one to another.

Christ was glorified to the highest level due to his humble sacrifice, and likewise, those who serve others will have their own needs met in abundance by the grace and supply of a faithful heavenly Father who sees all and judges with fairness and equity. When we serve at the bottom, God ultimately rewards us at the top. It seems crazy to the way of the world’s thinking, but that is how God works his math … and we’ll talk about this again on Friday.

Philippians 2:1-11 – Imitating Christ’s Humility

2:1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very natureGod, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Steelers and Ravens Merger – Ephesians 2:11-22

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At the risk of losing all the non sports fans and football antagonists, yet also in the spirit of the Fall season, I’m going to go ahead with the following analogy. For some of you, it is going to hit you on the head; but if you are not one of them, well, “give it the old college try.”

Living here in Western Maryland, we are at once in the distant “football fan boonies” of the Ravens to the east and the Steelers to the west. Every Sunday in church I see the mix of yellows, purples, and blacks.

Imagine if there was a restructuring of the NFL and the Ravens and Steelers were merged together into one new team called the Steel Ravens! And, imagine the color of the new team was designated as blue and silver! (Some others of you might have to imagine a Cowboys/Redskins, Packers/Bears, or likewise odious admixture of traditions.)

Could you make the shift? Think about all the office people with whom you’ve argued over the years because they were too stupid to see it your way! Think about how you are now going to be sitting in the stands with those same people, wearing blue and silver together. Think about how your favorite players are going to have to work together with their former enemies on the other side of the ball! Who is the new quarterback – Rothlisberger or Flacco? Don’t you suppose the whole thing might be just a little bit awkward?

YEP! And that is the sort of environment that Paul is writing about in our passage today. He is writing (in terms of our analogy) to the one fan base – the Gentiles – as he talks to them about how through the work of Christ they have been merged together with the Jews into a new team called “The Church.”  He reminds them as to how they were seen as total outsiders, without hope, and completely foreign to all the promises of God in his covenants with the Jewish people. But now, that has all changed, they’ve been brought near and made one through the blood of Christ.

For you see, Jesus and what he has done is bigger than the things that divided the two groups before. The old laws of the Jews have been done away with, and the wall of hostility that separated everyone has been broken down. Christ has truly made them into one new people – one new team – the Church of Jesus Christ. Now there is a new peace, as each has the same access to the same Father God.

So what is the practical result? It is that they are all to no longer act likes enemies and strangers. They are rather to see one another in a variety of illustrative ways: as fellow citizens of the same country, as brothers together in the same household, as building blocks who together with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone now form the greatest building ever constructed.

So, there is no room in such an arrangement for the old squabbles to break out!  There is no more yellow on one side and purple on the other, because there is only one new entity that exists. And the health and vitality of that new team is contingent upon the mutual support and love of previously disparate people now coming together to work together as one.

So today begins the first of five readings and devotionals that talk about point number four (of five) in our series on the vision statement of Tri-State Fellowship: We envision a multi-generational community of theologically-sound believers, who manifest Christ’s character, by applying biblical principles to daily life, encouraging one another spiritually and relating the Gospel to our culture.  Yes, we are one body in Christ – one new team, and we need to be about encouraging one another in every way … so let’s talk about that this week.

Ephesians 2:11-22 – Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

“I’m Not Making This Up!” – 2 Peter 1:12-21

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Being a lifelong public speaker, teacher, communicator, story-telling kind of guy, give me a couple of minutes to dream up something, and I can lay a pretty wild yarn on you! And I do love telling stories that are funny or that illustrate a teaching point. When speaking, I try to always make it clear when I’m telling a made-up story by saying something like, “Imagine if there was a fellow who …” versus telling you something that really happened about which I was a participant or witness. But once in a while, one of those real-life true stories is so wild and unimaginable, that I feel like I need to qualify it by saying, “I’m not making this up – it really happened.”

In a way, that is what Peter is saying in today’s reading. He is communicating to his readers that he is not fabricating the things he is saying and teaching – that he really did hear the voice from heaven at Christ’s baptism, and that he was on the Mount of Transfiguration and saw the glory of Christ. And by sharing this message, he stood in a long line of prophets dating back from 500 to 1500 years – people who likewise shared information they gained through incredible experiences and revelations by the Holy Spirit.

Peter’s point to his readers is this: “I have not devised all the things you have been taught any more than the old prophets fabricated their stories. This is timeless truth that you had better heed in your lives if you want to be successful, and as long as I’m alive, I am going to remind you of these things. And I’m even making efforts to have it written down so that after I’m gone (looks to be pretty soon), you are going to continue to be reminded of this truth.”

And that is our vision as a church leadership – to have a multi-generational community of people who know and apply the Scriptures. This week we have seen that without Christ, you/we/TSF can do nothing … NOTHING. So we had better be tied to Christ and letting his life flow through us… and that demands we be people of the Word. All of this works together.

And speaking of “together” … that is the theme for this coming week – encouraging one another spiritually. It is a fantastic theme!  Really, it is – I’m not making that up!

2 Peter 1:12-21

12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Confirmation Activation – 2 Peter 1:3-11

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In our electronic and digital world, we often have to activate something we have received in order to gain the benefits and power of that item – be it a credit card, online account, or computer program. For example, with a new credit card that comes in the mail, our name is on it and there is nothing else we have to receive, but to activate it for beneficial use, we have to call a number or connect online to actually activate the card for its intended purposes and values.

So also, when we have come to know Christ and gained membership into his kingdom and family, we have access to a new divine power. But that benefit is useless unless we chose to activate it. And the way that we do this confirming and activating is by growing in the knowledge of God (verse 3), adding to our lives the associated character qualities that define Christlikeness (verses 6-8), and confirming our calling and election to Christ’s family by the persistent hard work of increasing these virtues throughout our lives (verse 10).

Again, as in several passages we are looking at this week, we have a listing of character and behavioral qualities that define a person who is connected with Christ – or, to use the words of Christ himself, these are elements that describe the quality and connection we as branches have to the vine.

The list today even has a sort of “flow” to it. It begins with faith, which is trust >> to which we add goodness – the desire to do what is right >> and if we’re to do what is right, we have to have knowledge of what is correct >> which helps us to have self-control, in that we are knowledgeable of a larger perspective on all things >> helping us to gain perseverance through whatever circumstances befall us >> and that ends up with an expression of a godly attitude and perspective >> helping us have a greater affection for other people who have great difficulties as well >> ending up as a person steeped in expressions of love. So see, it’s not that difficult – just a step at a time!

Peter says that anyone who is not on this continuum is like a person who is near-sighted and unproductive. Are you near-sighted physically? I sure am! Without visual correction, I’m pretty much lost on focusing on anything more than an arm’s length away! Left on my own in that condition, I would indeed be unproductive, as there is little that I could do while living in a world that is about 95% a total blur. And apart from abiding in the knowledge of Christ and in the vine, that is how we are, practically speaking. We are without power and sight, and we are sure to stumble.

So Peter concludes this thought by saying that we should make every effort to activate and confirm with our actions the blessings of our position in Christ. Just as it would be pretty crazy to carry around a credit card in your wallet that you had never activated, so it is foolish to be a Christian by name, but never proving it and using it through connection to the Lord. So get activated!

2 Peter 1:3-11 – Confirming One’s Calling and Election

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Vine Connections – John 15:1-17

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When we built our home here in Maryland in 1995, it involved our purchase originally of an 8.4-acre lot that was largely untamed wilderness! The house went in the portion that was the least overgrown, and since then, I’ve worked here and there to recover, lose, and re-recover acres of the forest. I have yet to ever get past about 50% of it being manageable, and at this point of life, this may be one of those things I will never get done. I actually enjoy doing it. I can’t imagine a much happier day personally than waging war on the wilderness, clearing brush, pruning and cutting down smaller trees, etc.

Something that I have always found fascinating are the vines that stretch high up into the very largest trees in my woods. I’m talking 60 feet or more into the air – all wrapped around branches stretching way into the sky. They are so intertwined that there is simply no easy way to just pull them down out of the tree. Rather, I cut the vines at the ground (often the circumference of a small tree!), and over time, the dead branches will eventually come to the ground. Yes, all the leaves and stringy connections that are 60 feet into the air simply die off when they lose connection to the nutritional source of the primary vine.

Our passage today in John 15 is one that we can readily understand. This would have been even more true for Jesus’ time and agrarian culture. People were very familiar with working with vines – particularly in the growing of grapes. All the strength comes from the vine – everyone understands that. The orchardist cuts off the fruitless branches (no need to keep them as a drain on the vine) and prunes the healthy branches in a wise way in order to make them most productive.

Obviously, there are no disconnected branches out there bearing any kind of fruit! And here is where the analogy “jumps” a bit … as Christ says he is the vine, and we disciples are the branches. We need to stay connected. Unlike the natural world, as human “branches” we may choose to disconnect ourselves from connection to the vine. It may work for a short time, but ultimately the fruit from it is zero. There is little negotiating room here for what we can accomplish apart from Christ – NOTHING!

So how do we know if we are well-connected to the vine? Well, there will be evidence of the life of the vine in us. What is that life? It about love – love of others – love that looks away from self in the same way Christ through his sacrifice looked away from himself in choosing those who would be a part of the life-sustaining organism.  If the principle of the life of Christ is really alive and flowing through a believer, that person will be driven by a passion and love for other people. That is the characteristic of this vine. If that characteristic is present, we are connected to the life of Christ. If an opposite characteristic is present … well … it may be time for tracing back toward the roots to see what is wrong.

I didn’t make this up. It is there in the text, where it ends with the words, This is my command: Love each other. This is why I question and wonder and worry about Christians who are so focused on “my needs being met” or “I’m not sure I’m being fed” – all the characteristic stuff of looking toward self. I’m yet to hear, “I’m frustrated because I just don’t have enough avenues to love other people right now in this church!”  You get the picture.

John 15:1-17 – The Vine and the Branches

15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

The Christian Team Jersey — Ephesians 4:17-32

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Everyone knows I’m a rather partisan sports fan. I’m very proud of my teams – especially the ones I’ve coached (Wildcats!), as well as certain professional teams – and I’m quick to wear the team jersey of “my guys.”  I will occasionally tease church people when I see them wear an “enemy jersey” (like the Yankees or the Redskins as two notable examples) and will ask, “How do you expect God to bless your life when you’re walking around in a shirt like that?”

This is essentially the idea behind Paul’s writing to the Ephesians as we look at today’s passage. He is saying to them that there is a new way to live now that they are in Christ Jesus. No longer should they live as they did on the old team – a bunch who had no moral compass other than the gratification of selfish desires – and to rather live differently by wearing the jersey of the new team.  The terms Paul uses actually speak pictorially of the idea of taking off one garment and putting on another (verses 22-24).

Both for these new Christians in the first century who were living in the terribly secular society of Ephesus, and for us today who live in an increasingly hedonistic world, the admonition is not merely a cold “just do it!”  There are resources. There is the teaching of the Scriptures – for the Ephesians from Paul and Timothy and others, while for us it is the completed Word of God. And there is the tremendous resource of the indwelling Holy Spirit – God living within who guides us into understanding the Word and toward wisdom in life choices and perspectives. And so, the passage today says not to “grieve” this inner resource by resisting this power and authority and living like the rest of the folks in the natural world who have no inner compass whatsoever.

The practical nature of this application is listed in the final paragraphs today and needs little expansion beyond a couple of remarks.

An idea that comes back a couple of times in this passage is the issue of anger and holding onto inner rage. This is an emotion that does great damage within and seldom accomplishes anything good when expressed. It is allowing oneself to be eaten up from the inside out. The phrase where it says to not give the devil a foothold is especially interesting in the original language. This is expressed by a Greek verb that would immediately give the reader the picture of a military base of operation. So the meaning is this: If you hang on to anger, you are allowing the devil a base of operation inside of you from which he can launch his attacks into your life!  Why would anyone want to do that?

And the passage ends with one of the “one anothers” of Scripture – of forgiving … which follows naturally on the heels of the previous ideas. We’re to do it as Christ forgave us … so, not based on anything earned, but rather on grace extended. It takes a big person to do that; that is our calling!

So be big; put on the Christian Jersey and live like a champion who is part of a champion outfit!

Ephesians 4:17-32

Instructions for Christian Living

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

A New Kind of Freedom – Galatians 5:13-26

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As we begin the middle of the five weeks of this series and associated readings/writings, let’s re-orient as to the purpose.  “PATHWAYS” is the title of our series to present a five-point breakdown of the vision statement of Tri-State Fellowship. That statement is: We envision a multi-generational community of theologically-sound believers, who manifest Christ’s character, by applying biblical principles to daily life, encouraging one another spiritually and relating the Gospel to our culture.  So we have already talked about the multi-generational community component and the idea of being theologically-sound believers = people who know God’s Word. Now this week we take on speaking about applying biblical principles to life.

Imagine being confined for an extended period of time where you were unable to go anywhere or experience the things you would like to be doing. I’m not suggesting you think about being incarcerated in a jail and having your freedoms completely taken – though that idea would fit today’s passage quite well. But whatever reason – maybe health for example – that had you away from the normal ebb and flow of life for a very long time. But then … circumstances all suddenly change, and you are free to do anything anywhere! What would you do? How would you think? Would you want to just jump in the car and disappear for a few weeks at the beach, followed by a few weeks in the mountains, etc.?

The fact is that before we met Christ as savior, we were not free. We were actually, in biblical terms, completely controlled by the “flesh” – our natural sinful state of self-serving focus.

FREEDOM!  The moment of salvation and all that follows creates an entirely new era of freedom! But freedom for what? To do and serve one’s self and one’s own pleasures? Not really! That is not different than the old way of things! It is a freedom to … in the words of today’s text rather, serve one another humbly in love … and to Love your neighbor as yourself. When Christians fail to do this in the context of the church family, they essentially “go zombie” on one another! And we know from the TV show that this is NOT a pretty sight!

The Apostle Paul states it in stark terms that there are two powers at work: the flesh and the spirit. There is an inner war. The most oft-used illustration of this over the years of preacher-dom is to speak of it in terms of a dog fight that is going on inside. Which dog prevails? Well, the punch line is that it is the dog that is fed the most.

Our passage today goes on to make a list of the things that characterize the two sides of the flesh and the spirit. Some of the “flesh stuff” is pretty out there – like orgies and witchcraft. I’m not expecting any of you to be involved in something like that … but … discord, dissensions, factions – those are things we might actually find even in a place like TSF. So, where does that stuff come from?  Hmm… puts it in a different light.

Likewise also, with the positive list of characteristics of the life of the Spirit – look at the list. Is this an inventory that others would say describes you in the way you handle yourself in the church and the community?  These are all good questions for all of us.

And then I just love verse 25 – Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Only the older half of the folks reading this are going to connect with me here. But I always think of Gomer Pyle when I see this verse. Remember the weekly clip where he was trying to march in step with everyone else but was too uncoordinated to do it? And the Sergeant is right there in his ear yelling at him? Well, that is what we look like when we start to serve ourselves rather than others and hence get all out of step with the Spirit – we look ridiculous like Gomer Pyle, USMC.

Galatians 5:13-26 – Life by the Spirit

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.