revmattil.org

Redefining things seems to be the thing to do these days. And I’m talking about more that just ‘rebranding’ something as newer, bigger and better. There is the mindset that we can arbitrarily change the definition of things to suit our own desires. It has reached the extreme that someone could say, “I don’t care if everyone else calls that color blue. I have decided it is going to be red from now on,” and there would be people who would support him in that belief. It doesn’t matter that there is already a color called red. The will insist that you accept and support their decision to call blue “red.”

You see it happening. Even though God created only two genders, male and female, and instituted marriage as the union of one man and one woman, our society decided to “redefine” marriage. More recently, we have been told that we cannot force our definition of gender on anyone. People can identify themselves any way they wish. Where are those voices that always shout, “follow the science” in this discussion?

Sometimes we joke about it. Like those who say that with the President’s Student Loan forgiveness, their mortgage has redefined itself as a Student Loan. We joke at the absurdity that is being tolerated and accepted as normal.

But I find myself doing more than just joking about such things. My first response is usually to get angry. And I try to tell myself it is righteous anger. Maybe I should get a whip and start turning over tables!

John 2:15 So [Jesus] made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.

But then that “pesky” Holy Spirit starts whispering in my ear again, asking me if I’m looking at them the way Jesus would. Does their sin break my heart and want to help them, or am I just disgusted and want to punish them? I say “pesky” because my sinful, fallen human nature does not want to listen. But He is insistent. And I am reminded that There is only one instance in Scripture where Jesus acted in anger. The rest of His interactions were kind and gentle, and all were motivated by His love. That is what we need to do as well. Speak God’s truth lovingly into all situations.

Ephesians 4:14–18 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. 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. 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.

One of the things I have come to realize is that this trend of “redefining” things is as old as the Fall into sin. It is men wanting to be God. He is the one that created all things and gave definition to this world. But the serpent tempted the woman to “redefine” what God had said. Adam went along with her, and sin became our reality. With it came our condemnation and deserved punishment. But God promised a solution that only He could accomplish. He would send a Savior to buy us back from sin and restore us. As His plan unfolds in Scripture, He chose to send this Savior through the line of Abram.

Romans 4:17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

God calls things that are not as though they were. The Creator is the one who can rightfully redefine things.That is why he can call you and me “righteous” because of our faith in Jesus. We know we are not righteous. God knows we are not righteous. But He applies the righteousness of Jesus to all who believe that He died to pay for sin and rose again to open heaven for us. That is the redefining we all need and that we should continue to share with the world around us.

Father, remind me daily of your love that reached out to me to rescue me from death and destruction. Fill me with that love so that I will share this message with the world around me, letting them know they can be redefined as righteous and forgiven as well. Thank you for sending Jesus to do this for me and everyone else. In His name I pray. Amen.

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Cheryl and I will be co-hosting a trip to Greece next year with Donna Snow:  “Walk in the Footsteps of Paul.”

Links to the registration and brochure, along with previous devotions, can be found at revmattil.org.  If you want more information, email mike@revmattil.org.

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

If you have ever watched a serial television show, one that caries the story line over from week to week, you have witnessed people making a lot of bad choices and decisions. It seems to be the formula for what attracts an audience. Something I noticed a while back is that characters in these stories always ask each other for advice.

Let that sink in for a moment. We see one character make a terrible choice that hurts himself and everyone around him. Then we see another character go to him for advice. People keep asking advice from those who are just as messed up (if not more so) that they are.

The reality is that we are all messed up. Any advice that comes from within us will be tainted, “the counsel of the wicked” and “the way of sinners.” But we have a better place to go. We should not seek the answers from within us, but from God and His Word. We turn to the source of mercy, grace, and comfort, which is Jesus. And if we fill ourselves with His Word and Promises, we have something to offer others that does not come from our sinful nature, but from God Himself.

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

It is in God’s Word that you will find a message a Law, the way God expects His people to live, a partial revelation of His will for you. It is also in God’s Word that you will find the sweet proclamation of the Gospel, the good news that Jesus has fulfilled the Law for you, paid for all your sin, conquered death for you and opened the gates of heaven for everyone who will believe in Him. That is the completion on God’s good, pleasing and perfect will. He wants you to accept the gift of forgiveness and eternal life.  He wants you to respond to that gift with at life that trusts Him, gratefully strives to live according to His instruction, and shares His promises with others.

When Paul wrote that young pastor Titus in Crete, he started it this way:

Titus 1:1–2 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time…

Paul was describing how those who have come to faith should live, that the knowledge of God’s truth leads to godliness because He has given us eternal life. And he includes this clarifying phrase:  “God, who does not lie…” God always speaks His truth to us, which is what we need to hear. That is why you should go to Him in His Word, and to people who speak His Word faithfully, when you are looking for advice.

P.S.  Yesterday was a great day fishing. Not a great day catching. I’ll try again soon.

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Cheryl and I will be co-hosting a trip to Greece next year with Donna Snow:  “Walk in the Footsteps of Paul.”

Links to the registration and brochure, along with previous devotions, can be found at revmattil.org.  If you want more information, email mike@revmattil.org.

JOHN 12:27-28   “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?  ‘Father, save me from this hour’?  No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.  Father, glorify your name!”

Yesterday I wrote about how self-serving we can be if we are not careful. Our sinful nature would lead us to think only of ourselves and not others. But that is not the life to which we have been called as the redeemed children of God. Knowing of our forgiveness, life and salvation for Jesus’ sake makes us want to respond to God’s goodness.

Jesus did not take the ME, ME, AND ONLY ME attitude. He was tempted and struggled with it, but it does not prevail. He had just come into Jerusalem, with all the people hailing Him as their Messiah on Palm Sunday. It was only a matter of days before His cruel execution for the sake of others. He knew what was coming. Just a few verses before the passage above He said “unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (12:24). He knew of the impending death, not for His own wrongdoing, but for yours. So He was struggling with the issue of what to do: Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say?  ‘Father, save me from this hour’?  No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour…  Jesus was a man. He had human emotions like you and me. He experienced the feelings we undergo. And when it came time for Him to serve others, what did Jesus say? “I’d rather be fishing? I’d rather be golfing? I’d rather be sailing?”

Even though Jesus was wrestling with what to do, Jesus knew the will of His Father and He wanted to do that. He knew there were difficult days ahead. But did He ask to be excused, saying He would rather be somewhere else? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name! He could have looked ahead at the arrest, the trial, the mockings, the whipping, the humiliation, the pain and crucifixion and said, “No thanks! I’d rather be fishing.” But He did not. He did not because His purpose was bigger than fishing. There is nothing wrong with fishing, but there is a time and a place for everything. His bigger calling was to glorify His Father, and at the same time bring salvation to all who would believe in Him.

You have come to this hour for a purpose as well: to glorify our God and bring honor to his name. Do you find yourself going through life always wishing you were somewhere else or doing something different? How much time do we waste wanting to be somewhere other than where we are? There is so much that you can and should be doing in response to the love of our gracious God.

There was a doctor who lived through the terrible bombing of Hiroshima. He was waiting for a streetcar only a mile away from the blast, but was sheltered by the corner of a concrete building.  Within seconds after the explosion, his ears were filled with the screams of victims all around him. Not knowing what had happened, he stood there for a moment bewildered. One doctor, wondering how he could help this mountain of patients. Then, still somewhat stunned, he knelt down, opened his black bag, and began treating the person lying at his feet. He may not be able to help them all, but he did something, which was better than doing nothing at all. You, too, must do something. Don’t despair that there is so much to be done. Bloom where you are planted, and do something. Do good to those around you. Share your faith. Pray, and give sacrificially to the work of the church. All God asks is that you do what you can with what He has given to you.

God has called each of you to be His own. Not only did He bring you to faith, but He called you to live for Him. The victory that Christ has won for you through His death and resurrection gives you the assurance of forgiveness. But it also gives you the power to overcome your sinful desires of the flesh, the power to live as God’s child. For this purpose you have come to this hour, that you might glorify your Father in heaven. How will you live for Him as you move forward from this point?

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Cheryl and I will be co-hosting a trip to Greece next year with Donna Snow:  “Walk in the Footsteps of Paul.”

Links to the registration and brochure, along with previous devotions, can be found at revmattil.org.  If you want more information, email mike@revmattil.org.

Mark 10:45 “…the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

You have seen bumper stickers that say “I’d rather be flying, sailing, jogging, swimming, fishing, golfing” and the like. For a while there were so many of those bumper stickers it made you wonder if anyone was actually doing what they want to do! Everyone seems to wish they were somewhere else.

We all understand this attitude. Life has duties and responsibilities. Some things are more fun than others. Some things are more satisfying than others. There are lots of times I find myself thinking, “I’d rather be fishing.” In fact, I’m going to do just that tomorrow!

The message of those bumper stickers is “I want to have fun all the time!” We all do. But life is not like that. We are called upon to be responsible individuals in our families and in our communities. There may be some things that we do not like, but we still have to do them. And as the followers of Christ, we need to recognize that God has called us to duties and responsibilities, not just privileges.

The Christian faith is a marvelous thing. We know beyond all doubt that our God has given us the richest treasure imaginable: complete forgiveness for all sin. Our sin had separated us from God and doomed us to punishment in hell. But our loving God intervened to provide the forgiveness we need. He did that by offering His Son to die in our place, making payment for sin, and raising Him again as the victor over death. He came as a Servant. Faith in Him gives forgiveness. This forgiveness entitles us to live in the certainty that we will live and reign with Christ for all eternity. It is a message that should make you feel warm inside, secure and happy.

However, the Christian faith is not a feel-good do-nothing faith. It is not centered in self. Rather, it continually leads its followers to ask, “Where can I serve?  How can I help you?  What can I do to make things easier for you?  What are your needs today?” That is what your faith in Jesus Christ should lead you to ask. But what I so often find is people doing everything they can to make life easier and more enjoyable only for themselves.  They stop at nothing in their efforts to feather their own nests. Some act as though they think God has called them to serve themselves, not others.

This philosophy is espoused by many in our society. This attitude was evident when a lady offered to take care of a six-year-old daughter of a friend, who was leaving town for a few days. On the first morning, the lady prepared breakfast, and brought a big plate of ham and eggs to the table. The little girl said, “My mother always fixes biscuits.” Wanting to be cooperative, the lady returned to the kitchen and made some biscuits. When she brought them to the table, the little girl said, “No, thank you.” “Didn’t you say your mother always had biscuits for breakfast,” the lady exclaimed. “Yes, she does,” replied the six-year-old, “but I don’t eat them.”

Do you get it? I do what I want to do, and I don’t do anything I don’t want to do. If you don’t like it, too bad. Many of us behave just like that six-year-old. We would like to go through our entire lives and do only what we want to do, and what we want to do is be happy, secure and comfortable. This attitude of society has spilled over into the church, and it can be summed up easily: ME, ME, ME, ME.

The attitude of the Christian should be just the opposite of this attitude of selfishness. Our faith in Jesus tells us that God is first, other are second, and we are third. Instead of ME, ME, ME, it should be GOD, GOD, GOD and OTHERS, OTHERS, OTHERS.  We should be living lives that serve others the way Jesus did. It is only after we have seen to the needs of others that we should attend to our own needs. This is quite a contrast to the way most people live. Our sinful flesh would have us consider only our own needs.

Chew on that a while and I’ll have more on this tomorrow.

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Cheryl and I will be co-hosting a trip to Greece next year with Donna Snow:  “Walk in the Footsteps of Paul.”

Links to the registration and brochure, along with previous devotions, can be found at revmattil.org.  If you want more information, email mike@revmattil.org.

Psalm 143 A psalm of David.    O Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah  Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.

Previously I shared that we had gone over two months at my house without any measurable rainfall. That changed while we were out of town for ten days. Upon our return, I found my five-inch rain gauge was filled to the top and had overflowed. I don’t know if it came all at once, or over several days, but the results were evident. Our pool was filled to the rim, and our pond had come up several feet. While the cracks have not completely disappeared they have closed up quite a bit. Grass that was brown and crunchy when we left had once again greened up and needed mowing. This parched land enjoyed the rain, it soaked it up and responded. Even the few squash plants that I had left were now flourishing and bearing fruit! What a blessing!

I and many others had prayed to God and asked Him for relief. And in His perfect timing He provided it. It is good for me to meditate on that, remembering His faithfulness, all that His hands have done for me in my life. The physical and material blessings are innumerable. The family and friends I have been given are astounding. The gifts and abilities God has given me are immense. But there is something even better than all that.

When I say or sing or think, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits,” there is always one that outshines them all. God has given me the gift of Himself. His love for me and the rest of the world was so overwhelming that He would not be content for mankind to be separated from Him eternally, even though that was our deserved destiny due to sin. Right after the initial sin, God promised to provide the solution. And He kept that promise by coming to this earth as one of us, living without sin yet taking our sin on Himself, and using His perfect life as the payment for the sin of the entire world. Think about what His hands have done in allowing the nails to be driven through them for your sake.

And then He rose from the dead to share His victory over death with all who put their trust and faith and confidence in Him.

I gratefully put my trust in Him and try to follow the way He has shown me to go.

Oh, and thanks again, Lord, for the rain.

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Cheryl and I will be co-hosting a trip to Greece next year with Donna Snow:  “Walk in the Footsteps of Paul.”

Links to the registration and brochure, along with previous devotions, can be found at revmattil.org.  If you want more information, email mike@revmattil.org.

Matthew 5:14–16 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Thursday Cheryl and I flew to Lubbock and back for the funeral I mentioned. The service was a wonderful celebration of what God did for Roy (and all of us) in sending Jesus to be our Savior. It was good to see his family and a lot of other friends we had not seen for a while.

After an early morning flight, we stopped in Lubbock for breakfast. As is our custom, we told our server, Victoria, that we were going to pray for God to bless our meal and we were going to pray for her as well. Was there anything in particular she would like us to pray about?  She said she had a friend back home in Hawaii, Gweneviere, whose boyfriend of 5 years complained of a severe headache. She took him to the hospital, and doctors said he had a very rare and untreatable form of cancer. He died that night. Victoria was having a hard time not being able to visit with her. We told her that we were in town for a funeral. And then we held her hands as we prayed. The prayer went something like this.

“Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the safe journey we had this morning. Be with us as we gather to remember Roy and your goodness to him in his life. We also ask you to bless our meal. We pray for Victoria and her friend, Gweneviere. May your strong presence comfort them in this difficult time. Help them to cling to the promises that you kept in coming here to pay for our sin so that we could know your love, mercy, forgiveness and comfort in our lives. We pray this in your holy name. Amen.”

She thanked us and walked away quickly. She was very attentive during the meal, and when we were done, she came by to speak with us again. She said she had already taken care of our meal for us. I told her that was not necessary, but she said it was already done. She also told us she went to the kitchen and cried after we prayed with her, and then thanked us for being such special people. We told her we were just trying to share God’s love with her. She walked away, and we left her a tip that more than covered the cost of the meal, along with a short handwritten note from Cheryl.

That night, after we landed back in Dallas, we took a shuttle to our parking lot. It was crowded. A man, woman and young boy sat next to us. Cheryl was interacting with the boy a bit and visiting with his mom. We had been holding hands the whole time. Then Cheryl rested her head on my shoulder. The lady asked, “How long have you been married?”  I replied, “43 years.” She said, “That’s what I want. I can tell you love each other a lot.”  I said, “God has been very good to us.”  And we visited a bit more.

We often fail to realize the impact our actions have on those around us. Two simple scenes illustrate the opportunities we have to share the love of God in Christ in our everyday conversations.

And please don’t think I am bragging. Absolutely not. You see, Cheryl and I know the wretched sinners that we are. So does Jesus. But we also know what He did for us to be forgiven. And we want others to know it, too. We live in the confidence that He is with us now and we will be with our Lord forever. So we try to live in a way that will let people know, too, so we take advantage of the chances we have to share His good news.

1 Peter 2:12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

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Cheryl and I will be co-hosting a trip to Greece next year with Donna Snow:  “Walk in the Footsteps of Paul.”

Links to the registration and brochure, along with previous devotions, can be found at revmattil.org.  If you want more information, email mike@revmattil.org.

Sometimes you wonder what happens to people. You cross paths with someone, interact with him for a while, but then you lose track of him. You might think of him from time to time, but you have no contact information so you pray that he is doing well and go on with your life.

That happened to me many times. In a few cases, I would hear from that person many years later, but more often than not I was left wondering.

One such individual was someone I’ll call Mike. Mike showed up in my office one day with a lot of questions. He was searching. We talked for quite a while that day. He came to worship services and Bible Class for a time, and then faded away. A while later he started attending again. He made more visits to me in my office. We talked a number of times. I tried to make sure that Mike heard what God had done for him in sending Jesus to live and suffer and die and rise again FOR HIM. If memory serves, he started attending one of my Adult Instruction Classes that would lead to membership, but did not complete the course. I didn’t see him for a while. Then the lockdown for Covid 19 hit, and 5 months later I retired. I have been retired for almost two years now, and I got this message yesterday from Mike:

“Good afternoon. I finally did it. I know it has been a while since I walked into your office. I walked in there on August 22,2017. Today, August 21, 2022, 5 years later I was confirmed at Grace Lutheran Church, Denison, Texas. Lots of love brother.”

Reading that brought a smile to my face. Many times you sow the seed, but do not see any results. However, this time I got to hear what God did, using someone as flawed and sinful as me along the way. I played a small part, but it was the part God wanted me to fill. And I thought of Paul’s words to the church in Corinth.

1 Corinthians 3:6–9 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

God is the one who saves people, not us. We just share the message. And don’t underestimate the importance of doing the task assigned to you. Whether it is planting or watering or whatever, it all needs doing. The Holy Spirit will work through your witness, and God will bring the increase.

Lord, thank you for using me to help “Mike” in his faith journey. Remind each person reading this that You can and will use them, too. Help them sow the seed of Your Word and promises, letting their light shine for you. Amen.

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Cheryl and I will be co-hosting a trip to Greece next year with Donna Snow:  Walk in the Footsteps of Paul.  The links to the brochure and registration form are below.

https://www.artesianministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/10-Day-2023-Greece-Tour-Brochure.pdf

https://www.artesianministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/10-Day-Greece-3-Night-Cruise-Registration-Form-SnowG23.pdf

Hebrews 13:7–9 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace…

Think about the person who was instrumental in helping you understand Jesus and His love. I would imagine you have good memories about that person. While he or she was not perfect, they did a good job of pointing you to Jesus. They told you about His perfect life, His death on the cross, His resurrection on the third day, and what all that means for you. That person made an impact on your life.

I would imagine the person you are thinking of is someone who did not just talk the talk. He or she also walked the walk. That person put his/her faith into action. That person lived with the certainty that while situations and circumstances are constantly changing in our lives, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. That is our constant. The Psalmist put it this way.

Psalm 136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.

He does not change. His love endures. In any and every episode of your life.

When you think about that person who played a major role in your spiritual development, the writer of Hebrews tells you this: Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. That is some solid advice that we would all to well to heed.

As I was reading this passage, which is part of the Second Reading assigned for this day in the church year, the first part of verse nine leapt off the page for me:

It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace…

This is what we need to hear. This is what I crave when I go to worship. I want my heart to be strengthened by the undeserved love of God in Christ. I want the free gift of God’s forgiveness for Jesus’ sake to fill me. I have to hear that in spite of all my sin and failures and shortcomings, God gives me what I don’t deserve:  the forgiveness, life and salvation that Jesus earned for me. It is good for my heart to be strengthened by grace.

May your heart be strengthened by grace today.

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Cheryl and I will be co-hosting a trip to Greece next year with Donna Snow:  Walk in the Footsteps of Paul.  The links to the brochure and registration form are below.

https://www.artesianministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/10-Day-2023-Greece-Tour-Brochure.pdf

https://www.artesianministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/10-Day-Greece-3-Night-Cruise-Registration-Form-SnowG23.pdf