21 Days in 2 Corinthians – Day 1

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day 1 – 2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort. For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.

Paul, in his introduction to the church in Corinth, writes about affliction and comfort. On the surface it would seem that he is either expressing profound gratitude for the comfort he received in his suffering or just fishing for sympathy. The fact that he does not specify the suffering he endured seems to suggest that he is much more interested in making a theological statement about affliction and comfort. What generally happens when we encounter affliction? We draw in our borders and retreat into ourselves. Feeling sorry for ourselves, we only want to be comforted by others who see our affliction. But Paul seems to challenge us here to a broader understanding. We are the body of Christ, and though we may not go through the same afflictions we share in them nonetheless. When one suffers we all share in that suffering and in a similar manner we also share in the comfort. How do we share? Through our prayer life, through empathy and sympathy we express, and through making our presence known. Let us today pause in the midst of our business to lift someone in prayer, sincerely inquire about a fellow believer’s welfare, really listen to the one who cries for help, offer tangible help where you can, but mostly be present. Doing so causes God’s favor to be bestowed on them and on you.

Dear Father, we are often so busy that we hardly take the time to pray for more than our personal needs or the needs of our small circle of family and friends. Forgive us for our lack of empathy and sympathy. Help us today to reach out to those around us suffering through all manner of affliction whether close or distant. Give us a burden that will move us to pray so that abundant suffering might give way to abundant comfort in Christ. Amen.

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21 Days with Haggai – Day 21

Posted on January 22, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Haggai 2:23

‘On that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ ” declares the Lord of hosts.[1]

What are we to make of this last prophetic utterance of Haggai? It appears, in exegetical terms, to be prophesy gone wrong because on the surface it seems to point to the restoration of the Davidic royal line accompanied by the overthrown of Gentile nations. An examination of history makes it clear that none of that happened as Haggai envisioned it. In fact, not very long after Haggai’s prophecy is given Zerrubbabel disappears from the scene and is not heard from again. History does not tell us of Zerrubbabel’s fate. We do not know whether he was removed as governor by the Persians, died in office, or just moved off into obscurity. We do see his name mentioned, along with Joshua son of Jehozadak, mentioned in gratitude for the construction of the temple in intertestamental material. So, what are we to make of this last prophetic utterance of Haggai?

There is another way of looking at this verse that makes far better sense and holds some value for us today. Haggai may not have been aware of it but his prophecy had far greater impact on the whole of humanity than he could have imagined. “Haggai’s promises given to Zerubbabel, while true of him in a limited way, find their ultimate expression in a greater Zerubbabel who was to come.”[2] If you look at the genealogies of Jesus in both Matthew and Luke you will see that Zerubbabel is mentioned in the messianic line. So Haggai’s prophecy was not false, but it was delayed and we are the benefactors of that promise. Haggai could not have known what God would ultimately do. He could only speak what God gave him to speak, but over time his words would help validate and authenticate the promise of restoration that find fulfillment in Christ Jesus.

The promises God gives today are not always for today. Sometimes they may very well be for generations yet unborn. The writer of Hebrews says of the past heroes of the faith, “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect” (Hebrews 11:39). Yet still Zerubbabel was commended for accomplishing what had been assigned to him. What will history say about us?

Lord Jesus, thank You leaving such an incredible legacy that has enabled us to chart an easier path. Thank You for heroes of the faith who have gone before paving the way for us to follow. Help us to be more appreciative of their lives and example, and motivate us to desire to walk in their shoes to the extent that we leave a legacy for our children’s children and generations to come. While everyone focuses on wills and bequests help us to leave a lasting legacy that will survive the course of time and never be spent. So then let us live our lives that our descendants may indeed rise up one day and call us blessed. This we ask in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Hag 2:23.

[2] Richard A. Taylor and E. Ray Clendenen, Haggai, Malachi (vol. 21A; The New American Commentary; Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2004), 200.

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21 Days with Haggai – Day 20

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Haggai 2:20-22

Then the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, “Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of another.’[1]

This is a particularly harsh word from the Lord to Zerubbabel concerning his judgment on the nations. Presumably it is a word concerning the overthrow of the Persian Empire but one cannot be entirely certain. What it does show, however, is that the Lord will take care of His people. There was a purpose for their exile and now the reasons for their exile have come to an end. Now is the time for restoration.

God’s judgment does not last forever. Our God is patient and longsuffering. His desire is that none should perish, but all come to repentance. So when we come humbly before our Lord repenting of our sins we can count on being forgiven and restored. That is the good news. The bad news is that there will be a tremendous shaking in the heavens and the earth. This shaking could include everything from natural disasters, to cataclysmic events like volcanic eruptions.

It seems to be a lot to process, but obviously the Lord was not content to wait for a political solution to their national plight. Today we wait for the manifestation of many promises, but if we note the number of times the first person is used in these verses then one will most certainly know that God was speaking to Zerubbabel personally and specifically. It was a warning concerning what He was preparing to do. God has the same care and concern for His people today as He did for the people of Haggai’s day. He does not want His people to suffer unnecessarily but when they do He wants us to know that recompense is coming.

Dear Father, thank You for Your amazing grace and our endless mercy, for You have freely forgiven us of our sin and restored us to right relationship with You. Thank You for confounding the enemy who sought to bring indictment against us and attempted to derail our destiny. Help us to live in the light of our mercy and grace. Give us the capacity to go further and do more than we have done in the past. Make us watchmen on the wall able to discern the times. Keep us in the hollow of You hand and guide and direct our paths. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Hag 2:20–22.

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21 Days with Haggai – Day 19

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Haggai 2:18-19

‘Do consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of the Lord was founded, consider: ‘Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree, it has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’ ”[1]

When repentance comes there are still consequences with which to contend. Such was the case with the Jews in Haggai’s time. The devastation to their crops came as a direct consequence of their unwillingness to walk in obedience to the will of God. There was no more seed in the barns and presumably what they had planted had not yielded a return. This was a painful reminder of their shortsighted choices. Yet in the midst of this great devastation Haggai offers an incredible ray of hope from the Lord, “Yet from this day on I will bless you.”

Perhaps one of the hardest things with which the believer has to contend is the consequence of their sin. We would like to believe that once the Lord has forgiven us we are free from everything associated with what we had done. We hope upon hope that the Lord will reverse what we have done so that there is no evidence whatsoever of any wrongdoing on our part. While it is true that God forgives us and forgets what we have done, the consequences of we what have done still linger, i.e. a pregnancy occurs, one’s infidelity is discovered, a job is lost, jail time is served, etc.

Here is the good news; God says that from this time on He will bless us. In the midst of all the craziness, all of the hell that is swirling around us as we endure the consequences God says he will bless us. Consider today what it is you have missed in your walk with the Lord. What have you left undone you were charged to do? What has been the obstacle to your forward momentum? Have you confessed it? The consequences are still with you, but in the midst of it God will bless you.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for forgiving our sin. Thank you for blotting it out of the book of remembrance so that it exists no more. Thank you casting it away from us as far as the east is from the west. Thank you for giving us the capacity to forgive ourselves. Now Lord, give us the grace to endure the consequences of our actions. We love You and trust You to do as You promised and bless us in the midst of it. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Hag 2:18–19.

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21 Days with Haggai – Day 18

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Haggai 2:16-17

From that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there would be only twenty. ‘I smote you and every work of your hands with blasting wind, mildew and hail; yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares the Lord.[1]

God expects faithful obedience to His Word and way. The consequences for disobedience, as set forth in Deuteronomy 28, is that one is blessed for obedience and cursed for disobedience. It would be easy for one to minimalize this judgment and subsequent discipline except that Haggai is absolutely emphatic; it was God Himself who ‘smote the Israelites.’ The expectation was, of course, that the people would repent of their ways and come back into the proper alignment of obedience, yet they did not.

Shocking as it is, some people just don’t ever seem to get the message. They continue to live their lives on the basis of their occasional successes and are willing to accept a certain amount of loss and failure as just the price of seeking fulfillment. But anyone who continues to do the same things repeatedly is considered insane. If everything one has been doing always ends in disaster, if everything to which they put their hands seems to suffer loss then perhaps it is time to consider that maybe, just maybe something is being missed.

Then there are others who justify their behavior by placing the blame for their failures on external forces. The crops failed because of the bad climate that season, or the marriage ended because of their former spouse’s behavior, or the ministry failed because there was just not enough money and the people were unreliable. Somewhere along the line one has to be willing to consider that the continued negative occurrences they experience have come because of their disobedience. Faithful obedience is what God requires of us all. He will do as He promised but we are expected to do our part. What decisions will you make today to walk in obedience to our Lord’s will? I pray you will choose the path of obedience.

Dear Heavenly Father, we confess our disobedience to You today. You are so faithful to us, fulfilling every promise You made and yet we continue to thumb our noses at You and pursue our own agenda. Help us today to consider all that has happened to us in the past and to be honest about those places where we walked in disobedience. We commit this day to change our fortunes, change our present and our future by walking in obedience to Your will for our lives. So strengthen us to that end that no one and nothing will be able to hinder us. This we ask in the precious name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Hag 2:16–17.

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21 Days with Haggai – Day 17

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Haggai 2:14-15

Then Haggai said, “‘So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. ‘But now, do consider from this day onward: before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the Lord,[1]

The people returning from exile to the land of promise had an assignment, rebuild the Lord’s Temple; but there was a problem. The people were in a deplorably sinful condition because of everything with which they had come into contact. In the earlier verses, Haggai establishes with the priests that one cannot be made pure by contact alone with that which has been consecrated. However, one can be defiled by contact with that which has been itself defiled.

Haggai is presented with a huge dilemma, he has a project to advance but the sin of the people makes anything they touch unacceptable to the Lord. “Like a cancer that has invaded a human body, bringing destruction and disintegration to the cells it comes in contact with, so these people were bringing spiritual defilement to everything they touched.”[2] How could the work go forth with such spiritual defilement? Until the spiritual issue of defilement was resolved there would be no way anything the people offered to the Lord would be accepted. If the work was to continue repentance was the order of the day.

What was true in Haggai’s day is still true in our generation. We have a huge issue of spiritual defilement just as in Haggai’s day. Everything we touch becomes defiled because we have allowed ourselves to come into contact with those things that are dead and defiled. Our sin is ever before us and without repentance we expect our labor to be acceptable to God. Haggai says to us over the generations, just as he said to the people of his day, “do consider from this day onward.” In other words, check yourself and repent before “one stone [is] placed on the other in the temple of the Lord.” The great thing is that when we do repent God is “faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Only then will what we bring be acceptable in His sight.

Lord Jesus, we humbly repent of all our sin. We have been recalcitrant, unruly, hard to handle, and stubborn. We know the right way to go but persist on doing things our own way. Instead of resisting the pull of our flesh our weak spirits betray us. But our earnest desire is to do Your will and to walk in Your way. We surrender to You everything that we have stubbornly held onto, and submit ourselves to be washed by the water of Your Word. Like David, create in us clean hearts and renew a right spirit within us. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Hag 2:14–15.

[2] Richard A. Taylor and E. Ray Clendenen, Haggai, Malachi (vol. 21A; The New American Commentary; Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2004), 179.

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21 Days with Haggai – Day 16

Posted on January 17, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Haggai 2:12-13

‘If a man carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches bread with this fold, or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’ ” And the priests answered, “No.” Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will become unclean.”[1]

In these two verses Haggai asks the priests two separate questions. The questions are rhetorical but are answered nonetheless, and are important because of the issue they address. What is it Haggai seeks to discover? The answer is simple and direct and sets forth a fundamental principle that is clearly applicable today. “How can an impure people engage in a holy task? Will not their contagious condition of impurity render impure everything with which they come in contact?”[2]

The question is posed using consecrated meat on the one hand and a corpse on the other. The consecrated meat is holy and pure by virtue of its consecration, but the corpse is unholy and impure. One cannot be made holy and pure simply by coming into contact with that which itself is holy and pure, but coming into contact with that which is unholy and impure can defile one. So, here is the principle: holiness and purity are not communicable, but uncleanliness and impurity are.

We are living in a time when this principle is flipped. We declare that God does not have grandchildren but then, incomprehensively, think that just because a person comes to church they are justified. The reverse is equally incomprehensible; we do not tend to believe that contact with that which is defiled will defile us. We think that we can manage the level of defilement. We tell ourselves that we are not being programmed by that to which our senses are exposed because we can make a compartmental distinction between that which is holy and that which is profane. But it is an insidious lie from the enemy that siphons many from their Kingdom journey. One cannot be made holy simply by coming into contact with that which is holy, but they can be and are defiled by their contact with that which is impure and unclean. God has called us to holiness, which means ‘to be separate.’ He calls us to be holy because He is holy (Leviticus 11:44). The only contact that makes us holy is a continual dedicated, uncompromisingly personal relationship with Jesus Christ. How is this principle operating in your life today?

Dear Lord and King, You are holy and righteous in all Your ways. As high as You are above the heavens so are Your ways higher than our ways and Your thoughts than our thoughts, and yet we desire to be holy even as You are holy. But our love for the impure and the profane keeps getting in the way. We want to be where You are but the pull of our flesh hinders us. Help us today to say ‘no’ to the ways of the world and the impure desires of our hearts that we might say ‘yes’ to Your will and Your way. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Hag 2:12-13.

[2] Richard A. Taylor and E. Ray Clendenen, Haggai, Malachi (vol. 21A; The New American Commentary; Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2004), 177.

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21 Days with Haggai – Day 15

Posted on January 16, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Haggai 2: 10-11

On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Ask now the priests for a ruling:[1]

Haggai now receives instruction from the Lord to ask the priests a question. One Old Testament commentator suggests, “It was to prophets that the Lord communicated fresh disclosures of the divine will either for their own age or for the future. But it was priests who were recognized as being uniquely qualified to provide a ruling on matters of cultic purity by virtue of their role as trusted custodians of the Mosaic law.”[2] It is interesting to note the deference Haggai gives to the authority of the priests and it begs the question of how those who minister before the Lord and supposedly guard the Word of God are viewed in our day. It is not uncommon for the clergy to be overlooked or completely ignored when questions of purity or morality emerge in our society. Is there, perhaps, a word here for those who would serve the Lord and to whom one takes their questions?

It is rare that clergy are sought for an opinion and when they are, especially in the public arena, only those whose perspectives coincide with the intended agenda are chosen. Perhaps, this lack of deference in our day is symptomatic of the lack of any unified voice. Opinions and perspectives are so diverse that one can find many who will agree with their particular view. Perhaps it is no longer the Word of God that is referenced when an opinion is sought, but rather one’s particular perspective based upon their education and experience. Lest it appear that this is an indictment of the clergy alone, remember that we are a priesthood of believers. Do people seek us for an opinion, and if they do, how do we respond? Is our response merely an echo of the opinions of popular culture, or the Word of God? If we have no one seeking us out, is it because our lives do not convey anything that would suggest we have any spiritual authority?

Jesus taught in His Sermon on the Mount that we should let our lights so shine before people that they would see our good works and glorify God (Matthew 5:16). Wouldn’t be grand if someone were to ask us today for a ruling because they saw something honorable, holy and authoritative in lives?

Dear Lord, we do not always live in the light of Your Word in such a way that people would see You. We are often so interested in pursuing our own agendas that we have hardly a thought for others around us. Allow us the grace today to live in such a way that people would see in us that which would indicate faithfulness, trustworthiness, obedience and authority. Then, make us willing and prepared to give a loving, yet emphatic opinion whenever it is sought. Make us today, instruments of Your will, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Hag 2:10–11.

[2] Richard A. Taylor and E. Ray Clendenen, Haggai, Malachi (vol. 21A; The New American Commentary; Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2004), 172–173.

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21 Days with Haggai – Day 14

Posted on January 15, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Haggai 2:9-10

‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the Lord of hosts.”[1]

 

This is a verse many love to quote because it speaks of a future reality that far outpaces and outweighs either the past or the present. The verse has often been quoted as the glory of the latter house placing the emphasis on the house, but the proper translation places the emphasis on God’s glory. One should ask, “What is God’s glory of which Haggai speaks?” The glory of God is a difficult concept to explain. It is rather like trying to explain the word beauty in that it cannot be done in a simple and short definition. But in essence it is the beauty of God’s Spirit, or as John Piper describes it, “it is the infinite beauty and greatness of His manifold perfections.”

Another way to get a handle on what it means is to consider passages like Psalm 19:1, “The heavens are telling the glory of God.” What do we see in the heavens? We see the blue sky, clouds, the sun, moon and the stars, and it is glorious. So the glory of God is manifested in our ability to see and understand what we could not see or understand before. One can look back over their past and see the places where they were filled with confusion and self-doubt, when things seemed impossibly complex, and now having come through it they can throw their head back and declare, ‘GLORY!’ because they see now why they experienced what they did.

Haggai offers to this early community an incredible ray of hope that is available to His readers today as well. The glory that is to be revealed, that is yet to come, that is on its way will be greater than anything that has been experienced in the past. Solomon’s temple was great and majestic. The glory in that house fell in such strength that the priests could not minister, but what is yet to come will outpace it all. That is marvelously good news because it means that the best is yet to come. But wait, Haggai is not finished. He adds, “and in this place [God] will give peace.” Peace here is more than just the absence of strife; it is wellness, wholeness, and soundness. It is securing the opportunity of every creation of God to attain their full potential in God. It is a promise well worth anticipating. What is to come will be greater because the glory of God will be greater in it.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, we receive today the promise of Haggai of a future that is greater and more glory filled than our past. You alone know our past struggles, our doubts and fears. You know our sorrows and grief. You know the things we have given up because our futures looked bleak. Help us this day to grasp hold of the hope for a brighter tomorrow you offer us today. Enable us to believe, claim and declare that our best days and blest days are not behind us but are yet in front of us, and then motivate us to move with haste to step into that future with confidence knowing that You never break a promise. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Hag 2:9.

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21 Days with Haggai – Day 13

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Day Thirteen – Haggai 2:7-8

‘I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of hosts.[1]

In the previous verse Haggai tells the Jews that the resources they will need to build the temple He will provide. As the God over all creation, He will “shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land,” but now He expands His reach to all the nations of the earth. “They will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory.” So often our forward momentum is stopped when presented with a seeming insurmountable challenge because we cannot figure out how we will come up with the necessary finances. Of course, wisdom dictates that one should count the cost before beginning a construction project to make certain they have the finances to complete it, and Jesus Himself confirms such a consideration (Luke 14:28). But there is a distinct difference between the projects we decide and the charges God gives.

When God gives a charge He does not have to count the cost, He is the cost. So, Haggai tells the Jews that God declares that all the wealth of the world belong to Him, the gold, the silver, all of it. The Psalmist tells us that “the cattle on a thousand hills” belong to Him. But it is hard to wrap ourselves around such a reality. We have been conditioned to be self-reliant. We go at the challenges of our lives as if it is all up to us. We stand upon our own ability, and either succeed or fail on our own merit. Living life in this manner only causes us to live beneath our privilege as the children of God.

Understand that God knows better than we do the challenges we face as well as those we will face. He is not surprised by the obstacles we encounter, but has the capacity to either move them out of the way, or lead us through and around them. The community had delayed fulfilling their assignment for fourteen years. How long have you delayed because you could not see how you would complete your assignment? Make a decision today to revisit the calling on your life. Stretch your faith and trust God to do in you what He has always promised He would do and go to work.

Dear Lord, we confess our weak faith. We confess we have placed more confidence in our own ability than in Your word. As a consequence we have failed to do the things You have assigned and have settled for things we decided were more attainable. Forgive us for our lack of faith and confidence and speak to us once again. Show us the things You would have us to do and, like the community of old show us, tell us what You will do to provide for those assignments. Today we recommit ourselves to walking in Your will and Your way for our lives and with confidence begin again the work to which we have been assigned, in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Hag 2:7–8.

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