Mysterious Plea, Mysterious Peace

  • October 17, 2022
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  • John Tillman

Scripture Focus: Philippians 4.2-7
2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Reflection: Mysterious Plea, Mysterious Peace
By John Tillman

The church at Philippi was one with which Paul had a special relationship. The letter to them is joyous, intimate, and loving. At Philippi, Paul started the first church on the European continent. Lydia hosted this congregation and was its founding and leading member. The Philippian jailer and his family worshiped here. The former demon-possessed slave girl certainly would have been found there as well.

As Philippians enters its closing chapter, Paul and Timothy make a plea for unity to two feuding leaders. Who are these people, so influential that their disagreement is consequential enough, influential enough, that Paul and Timothy would call them out by name? Euodia and Syntyche—two co-workers who contended for the gospel at Paul’s side, now were contending against each other.

Many theorize about the nature of the conflict, but if Paul did not think it worth inclusion, we shouldn’t waste too much time theorizing. (Even if nerding out about those things can be entertaining…) If we trust God’s word, and we do, we trust that its omissions are not errors any more than its inclusions are.

What do we learn from this mysterious plea for unity?

1- Those who care passionately about the gospel can still disagree.
2- Disagreements don’t mean one’s salvation is in doubt.
3- Disagreements can be healthy, as “iron sharpens iron.” (Proverbs 27.17) We may learn better why we believe what we believe when we are challenged by differing interpretations.
4- Disagreements can become damaging internally (inside the church) and externally (in the wider world).

Wielded carelessly, iron breaks iron rather than sharpening it, and unhealthy disagreements flavor the gospel with strife rather than peace.

We certainly could use some unity in Christian circles today. Factions of evangelicalism seem constantly to be at one another’s throats rather than “greeting with a holy kiss.” (Romans 16.16) Some misuse scripture to normalize cruel words, mockery, and threats as “Jesus-like.” Our social media-driven world thrives on conflict but the gospel brings peace.

Rather than pursue conflict shaped by the world’s methods, let us keep reading Paul’s path to peace. Paul’s next words after issuing his challenge for unity are about rejoicing, gentleness, and overcoming anxiety through prayer. The result of this process will be peace, and not just between Euodia and Syntyche, but for us as well. The gospel provides mysterious peace for you and me that surpasses understanding.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting
Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long. — Psalm 25.34

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
Ezekiel 17 (Listen 4:26) 
Philippians 4 (Listen 3:20)

Read more about The Thriving Tree
Jesus, the king planted by God upon Zion, is the tree that will thrive, bringing all the birds to his shade.

The Thriving Tree

Read more about The Step After Surrender
A life that has been poured forth to Him must find its crown, its completion, in being poured forth for man

The Step After Surrender :: Throwback Thursday

Paul’s Example of Thankfulness

  • October 14, 2022
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  • Jon Polk

Scripture Focus: Philippians 1:3-5, 9-10
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now…And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ…

From John: I am so thankful for those who assist me in this ministry. I refer not only to Jon and Erin who regularly contribute writings to lighten my load. But others of you readers who lighten our load by your financial donations, by your prayers, and by your regularly emailed encouragements. This support is deeply felt, and I thank you all. This repost from 2019 by Jon Polk says it well. I hope you will turn to those who encourage you and express your thankfulness for them. 

Reflection: Paul’s Example of Thankfulness
By Jon Polk

Who has been used by God to help you in your walk with Christ? Who has come alongside you during difficult times? Who has helped shape you into the follower of Christ that you are today?

In his letters, Paul frequently gives thanks for other Christians that have been important in his life and he has good reasons to have fond feelings for the church in Philippi.

There, Paul met Lydia and a group of “God-fearing” women praying down by a river. Lydia and her household responded immediately to the Gospel message and she invited Paul to stay in her home. The fledgling Philippian church started by meeting in her house.

There, Paul was imprisoned after incurring the wrath of a slave owner. While he was praying and singing hymns, an earthquake broke open the prison doors! Because Paul chose not to escape, the jailer and his household came to faith.

There, Paul would return to minister at least three times following his initial visit. The church in Philippi began to financially support his traveling ministry. Their support was so significant that Paul would brag about them in a letter to another church.

So it is no surprise that Paul writes about them, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” How many people in your life can you say that about, that you thank God for them every time you think of them? Not only does Paul thank God for them, he also prays for them on a regular and frequent basis.

What exactly does Paul pray for them? He prays that their love increases and grows to overflowing. He prays that as their love grows, so does their relationship with God. He prays that their actions and motives would be pure, driven by this profound love.

When you think about those who have been influential in your life, is this the way you pray for them? Do you pray that they might have so much love that they can’t expend it all? Do you pray that their relationship with God grows and deepens? Do you pray as frequently for your friends as Paul says he does for the Philippians?

Perhaps we should.

So why don’t you take a moment now to thank God for significant people in your life. But don’t stop there. Like Paul did, send them a note letting them know how much you appreciate them. Surprise someone with encouragement today. You’ll be glad you did. And so will they.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who trust in him! — Psalm 34.8

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
Ezekiel 14(Listen 4:09)
Philippians 1(Listen 4:03)

This Weekend’s Readings
Ezekiel 15(Listen 1:09). Philippians 2(Listen 4:352)
Ezekiel 16(Listen 10:36). Philippians 3(Listen 3:21)

Read more about Praising Christ’s Righteousness
How pitiful a situation we would be in if our salvation relied on human institutions.

Praising Christ’s Righteousness

Read more about Transformed by Koinonia
Within us are exalted idols and habits that must be torn down. Within us are fruits of the spirit that we have trampled under selfish feet.

Transformed by Koinonia

What is a False Prophet?

  • October 13, 2022
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  • Erin Newton

Scripture Focus: Ezekiel 13:6, 10
6 Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to fulfill their words…

10 “‘Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace.

Reflection: What is a False Prophet?
By Erin Newton

There is no single word in Hebrew to designate a false prophet from a legitimate prophet. In the New Testament, the Greek language provides a word, pseudoprophetes. Quite clearly, we see the two words combined: pseudo + prophet. This is a phony, fake, counterfeit speaker for God.

In the Old Testament, they are referred to generically as “prophets” without a specific qualifying word to denote falsehood. How do we know it is a false prophet?

In Ezekiel, false prophets spoke out of their own imagination but claimed they had the words of God. They spoke about peace when there was none. They created a sense of security, that was merely a façade, a prop. God speaks against these imposters and declares their coming ruin.

There is a good warning here from the lack of a Hebrew word for false prophets. They have the same titles as legitimate pastors, priests, reverends, and leaders. By name, they are just like those who speak the words of God, the words of truth. How will we know if those among us are false prophets?

When every religious leader claims to be speaking truth, declaring the words of God, heralding their interpretation as “gospel,” what will be the litmus test for all these words? The example in Ezekiel reveals two things to look for: ignoring the reality of suffering and avoiding convicting or uncomfortable messages.

False prophets will tickle the ear of their audience with words of false peace. When injustice or abuse are in their midst, a false prophet will ignore these issues and downplay their significance. They speak peace when there is no peace.

False prophets build a sense of security for their audience by erecting walls that are nothing more than paper mâché. This may look like claims of financial or physical blessings as a way to ward off suffering in life. This may be the call to rely on political parties or elected officials to keep evil from encroaching on one’s way of life. They will claim that nothing can harm you as long as you [fill in the blank.]

These messages cannot be supported by the whole of Scripture. Look at Job. Look at Esther. Look at Paul. These were all righteous people who suffered personally or had to walk through the hardship of suffering around them.

False prophets call themselves authentic; we must learn the difference.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, Lord God of hosts; let not those who seek you be disgraced because of me, O God of Israel. — Psalm 69.7

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
Ezekiel 13 (Listen 4:14)
Romans 16 (Listen 3:30)

Read more about Sufferings and False Prophets
False prophets today may be religious or political…what they have in common is telling us exactly what we want most to hear.

Sufferings and False Prophets

Read more about Cut and Run from False Prophets
Zechariah’s audience knew that lying prophets were deadly. Their lies killed.

Cut and Run from False Prophets

Falling on Deaf Ears

  • October 12, 2022
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  • Erin Newton

Scripture Focus: Ezekiel 12:27-28
27 “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’
28 “Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Reflection: Falling on Deaf Ears
By Erin Newton

They have ears to hear but do not hear. When Jesus spoke parables, he often concluded with, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” For the most part, everyone has ears and most people with ears can hear. Metaphorically, to have ears is an ability to understand, think critically, and humbly accept teaching that might seem counterintuitive.

God speaks to Ezekiel, “They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear…” The cause of their metaphorical deafness is their rebellion. It is a self-inflicted spiritual deafness. God has been speaking. In fact, Ezekiel has been using visual performances to relay the message of God. They are not only deaf, but they are also blind.

At moments, it seems that they can hear God, but they refuse to accept it. The prophet’s words are dismissed, brushed aside. They prefer to live in ignorance, assuming that everything will continue as normal. Judgment had been prophesied for years, centuries in fact, but they continued to ignore it as some mythic future.

The prophetic message is not encouraging. The vision of judgment is not comforting. To accept the message is to admit one’s failure. Hearts that cannot accept teaching, blind to the word of God, are proud and rebellious. Calls to repentance are met with a shrug and a wave, “That’s good for thee, but not for me.”

Why is it easy to hear a convicting message and quickly lay it aside? Sometimes we think it is something we might need to deal with later but certainly not now. We detach ourselves from culpability either by calling it a future problem or someone else’s problem.

Like the Israelites, we cannot feign ignorance. God has sent many messengers to preach and to perform. For us, we have the Word of God and the Spirit of God which speaks to us each day.

The Israelites had a proverb, “The days go by and every vision comes to nothing.” It was common knowledge that God had delayed his judgments. But in his delay, which Peter later calls loving patience (2 Peter 3.8-9), they had continued in rebellion. Perhaps they assumed they could clean their lives up for God later but continue in sin now.

We err in our assumption about God’s delay. It is foolish to rely on his mercy to forgive us tomorrow while we pursue sin today.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
Be still, then, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth. — Psalm 46.11

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
Ezekiel 12(Listen 4:53)
Romans 15(Listen 4:32)

Read more about Puking Prophets of Success
We must open our eyes to see, open our ears to hear, and open our hearts to feel the uncomfortable, the painful, the hurtful truths.

Puking Prophets of Success

Read more about Turn Out the Lights
God covered false prophets with darkness…If we ignore the light long enough, God will blind us.

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Prayer Beyond Petitions—Readers’ Choice

  • October 11, 2022
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  • John Tillman

Readers’ Choice Bonus:
This is a “bonus” Readers’ Choice from 2018. Thank you for your readership. You don’t have to wait until next Summer to send Readers’ Choice selections. You can submit them all through the year at the following link: Submit a Readers’ Choice post today.

Today’s post was originally published, on June 6, 2018, based on Isaiah 38.2-3.
It was selected by reader, Susan Houg, Ft. Jones, CA: “I had just about bought into the false premise about prayer not changing things – except for oneself – when this essay posted. The Lord used it to revive my expectation, based on His character, teachings and history, that He is honored and glorified and, indeed, pleased when we bring our urgent as well as long-term needs to Him. Recently I had occasion to pray, “Even the wind and waves obey You. Please stop these winds from spreading this fire.” And you know what? That fire (McKinney) laid down and stayed within its containment lines. Firefighters considered it “unusual.””

Scripture Focus: Isaiah 38.2-3
Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Reflection: Prayer Beyond Petitions—Readers’ Choice
By John Tillman

The adage, “Prayer doesn’t change things, it changes us,” is a cop-out.

If it is anything other than a cop-out it is at best a description of only part of what prayer is. It diminishes prayer to a self-counseling tool, a mere coping mechanism.

Todd Edmondson discusses this in his essay, Praying for a Change:

Such a perspective, however neat and tidy it might be, is profoundly unsatisfying and contradictory to what the Church has long held to be true.

When we envision prayer solely as something we do, as a work of human agency, it is almost impossible not to see it as a ritual designed for our benefit, as an incantation in which only the most superstitious or simple-minded people believe.

The healing of Hezekiah from his illness is a unique scriptural example of a prayer for change for several reasons.

There is not a formula to be applied in a prayer for change other than giving ourselves to a relationship with God. We cannot attribute success to Hezekiah’s words or the words of any recorded prayer. We must, instead, get to know Hezekiah’s God.

That our prayers to God would bring the realities of this world into contact with divine purposes, or that God would join us in our this-worldly struggles, should not strike us as odd or irrational, because it is exactly what God has been doing for thousands of years… Indeed, other methods of affecting change and other recipients of our trust—from politics to technology to military might—would seem to be far less proved than prayer, if our memories were not so short and our imaginations so easily manipulated by the kingdoms of this world.

It is more important that we know God through prayer than petition him. God answers Hezekiah’s unasked prayer through relationship. Our needs, like Hezekiah’s will be apparent to God, when we invest time in a relationship that goes beyond petition.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading
Jesus taught us, saying: “There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.” — Luke 12.32

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Summertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
Ezekiel 11(Listen 3:53)
Romans 14(Listen 3:28)

Read more about Finding God :: A Guided Prayer
Even today my complaint is bitter;
his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.

Finding God :: A Guided Prayer

Read more about Artful Prayers
May we live artfully in the power of the Holy Spirit, creating with our lives a prayer that may be seen, heard, felt.

Artful Prayers