Category: Devotional

Devotional thoughts for my benefit and yours from here, there, and everywhere

Manute Bol, Basketball Redeemed for Christ

~ Bob Hayton ~ 3 Comments

The Wall Street Journal is not the place I would expect to read this piece. It was so good, I had to share it with my readers.

Back in the days when I collected basketball cards and followed the sport, I learned all the statistics I could. So I remember Manute Bol of the Washington Bullets, because he was the tallest basketball player ever at 7’7″ tall! He wasn’t all that great, but he did get some blocks in. As it turns out he left a much greater legacy than basketball heroics.

Let me quote from the opinion piece in the online WSJ:

Manute Bol, who died last week at the age of 47, is one player who never achieved redemption in the eyes of sports journalists. His life embodied an older, Christian conception of redemption that has been badly obscured by its current usage.

Bol, a Christian Sudanese immigrant, believed his life was a gift from God to be used in the service of others…

Bol reportedly gave most of his fortune, estimated at $6 million, to aid Sudanese refugees. As one twitter feed aptly put it: “Most NBA cats go broke on cars, jewelry & groupies. Manute Bol went broke building hospitals.”

When his fortune dried up, Bol raised more money for charity by doing what most athletes would find humiliating: He turned himself into a humorous spectacle. Bol was hired, for example, as a horse jockey, hockey player and celebrity boxer. Some Americans simply found amusement in the absurdity of him on a horse or skates. And who could deny the comic potential of Bol boxing William “the Refrigerator” Perry, the 335-pound former defensive linemen of the Chicago Bears?

Bol agreed to be a clown. But he was not willing to be mocked for his own personal gain as so many reality-television stars are. Bol let himself be ridiculed on behalf of suffering strangers in the Sudan; he was a fool for Christ…

Bol’s life and death throws into sharp relief the trivialized manner in which sports journalists employ the concept of redemption. In the world of sports media players are redeemed when they overcome some prior “humiliation” by playing well. Redemption then is deeply connected to personal gain and celebrity. It leads to fatter contracts, shoe endorsements, and adoring women.

Yet as Bol reminds us, the Christian understanding of redemption has always involved lowering and humbling oneself. It leads to suffering and even death.

It is of little surprise, then, that the sort of radical Christianity exemplified by Bol is rarely understood by sports journalists. For all its interest in the intimate details of players’ lives, the media has long been tone deaf to the way devout Christianity profoundly shapes some of them…

I encourage you to read the whole thing. Great words being shared and a wonderful story of a life lived for Christ. May each of us redeem the spheres of influence we find ourselves in. And may God give you a blessed Lord’s Day tomorrow in worship.

Quotes to Note 17: Jonathan Edwards’ Letter to George Whitfield

~ Bob Hayton ~ 2 Comments

I recently picked up, Stephen Nichols’ excellent book Jonathan Edwards: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought (P & R). He gives an overview of Edwards’ life and a summary of his key writings by way of introduction to the study of Jonathan Edwards. In the biography section I came across a true gem. Nichols shared excerpts from a letter Edwards wrote to Whitefield requesting that he minister in Northampton. The letter shows Edwards’ sincere desire for revival and for God to use Whitefield in his own life, family and church. He further requests that Whitefield pray that God would see fit to use Edwards for the cause of Christ as well. Let me share this wonderful excerpt for the blessing of my readers.

Sir,

My request to you is that in your intended journey through New England the next summer, you would be pleased to visit Northampton. I hope it is not wholly from curiosity that I desire to see and hear you in this place; but I apprehend, from what I have heard, that you are one that has the blessing of heaven attending you wherever you go; and I have a great desire, if it may be the will of God, that such a blessing as attends your person and labors may descend on this town, and may enter mine own house, and that I may receive it in mine own soul.

Indeed I am fearful whether you will not be disappointed in New England, and have less success here than in other places: we who have dwelt in a land that has been distinguished with light, and have long enjoyed the gospel, and have been glutted with it, and have despised it, are I fear more hardened than most of those places where you have preached hitherto. But yet I hope in that power and mercy of God that has appeared so triumphant in the success of your labors in other places, that he will send a blessing with you even to us, though we are unworthy of it….

I fear that it is too much for me to desire a particular remembrance in your prayers, when I consider how many thousands do doubtless desire it, who can’t all be particularly mentioned; and I am far from thinking myself worthy to be distinguished. But pray, Sir, let your heart be lifted to God for me among others, that God would bestow much of that blessed Spirit on me that he has bestowed on you, and make me also an instrument of his glory. I am, reverend Sir,

Unworthy to be called your fellow laborer,

Jonathan Edwards

[Nichols, Jonathan Edwards: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought ( P & R Publishing, 2001), pg. 55)]

Mark — Good News of Jesus, the Suffering Savior (part 2)

~ Bob Hayton

Introduction – Mark 1:1

–continued from part 1

3. Theme Verse — Mark 1:1

A. Gospel — (Evangel / Good News, from euangelizomai – to evangelize)
1) The “Gospel” is connected by the “as” in vs. 2 to the quotation in vs. 2-3. The intimation there as well as in 1:14-15 is that the “Gospel” is a fulfillment of something foretold in the Old Testament. — The “Gospel” is connected by the “as” in vs. 2 to the quotation in vs. 2-3. The intimation there as well as in 1:14-15 is that the “Gospel” is a fulfillment of something foretold in the Old Testament. [See also, Rom. 1:1-4, 1 Cor. 15:1-4, Gal. 3:8, 1 Pt. 1:25 and Ps. 40:9, 68:11, 96:2, Is. 40:9, 41:27, 52:7, 61:1]

B. The Identity of Jesus — Christ, the Son of God
1) Christ = Messiah = Anointed One
A messianic expectation was already present in Jesus day (Luke 1). An expectation of deliverance from enemies and the Messiah as King-Deliverer was current.
2) Son of God, this title has OT precedence. Psalm 2 & 2 Sam. 7 join the title Son and Christ together as we see here in Mark 1. Son was a title given to David’s heir, it was also used of Israel, as being God’s Son (Hos. 11:1). But Mark shows that for Jesus, this means even more than the idea of Messianic Ruler.

DISCUSSION: How was Jesus less and more than what the Jews of His day were expecting in a Messiah? How might Mark 1:2-3 help us see what aspect of the Messiah’s ministry that Jesus was going to focus on in his first advent? Jot down your observations.

Less = Not the physical deliverer (that is the second advent). Not concerned with Jewish state and Jews alone.
More = Suffering Servant (hinted at from Mark 1:2-3’s focus on Isaiah 40), Son of God, a spiritual Savior.

3) The identity of Jesus certainly is key to what makes the Gospel good. And the identity of Jesus is a key theme of Mark.

The words Christ and Son (of God, or of the Highest), as a title for Jesus, appear in a uniquely important way in Mark. Jesus rarely calls himself these titles, preferring instead Son of Man which appears 14 times at least of Jesus in Mark.

  Christ / Son of David / King of Jews     Son of God / Son of the Highest  
1:1 (by Mark) 1:1 (by Mark)
8:29 (by Peter) 1:11 (by God the Father)
10:47-48 (by a blind man) 3:11 (by a demon)
14:61 (by the high priest) 5:7 (by demons)
15:2 (by Pilate) 9:7 (by God the Father)
15:32 (in derision at the cross) 14:61 (by the high priest)
  15:39 (by the centurion)

DISCUSSION: What can we see from this arrangement? What stands out?

After declaring Jesus is Christ and the Son of God, Mark proceeds to keep this quiet and show how people are not understanding His identity. Jesus never declares himself to be the Messiah directly. He distances Himself form some of the wrong ideas of a physical overthrow of governments as a result of his first coming. The climactic mid-point of the book is Peter’s recognition of Jesus as the Messiah (8:29). The title Son of God is only at the end of the book used of Jesus by a person, and it is a Roman Centurion at the climax of Jesus’ suffering on the cross. In contrast before his end while on the cross, the Jews derided him challenging his claim to be Messiah.

4. Key Themes in Mark

A. Identity of Jesus
1) See questions about Jesus: 1:27, 2:7, 4:41, 6:2-3, 8:29, 10:18, 14:61.
2) See also statements of amazement about Jesus: 1:27-28, 2:12, 4:41, 5:42, 6:2-3, 6:14, 7:37, 10:24-26, 10:32, 12:17.
3) Notice the bewilderment and lack of understanding displayed by the disciples throughout the book 6:52, 7:18, 8:17-18, 8:21, 9:10, 9:32, 10:24-26.
4) Finally see how Jesus continually asks people to keep quiet about who He is: 1:34, 1:43-45, 3:10-12, 5:43, 7:24, 7:36-37, 8:26, 8:30, 9:9.

B. Mission of Jesus 1:38, 2:17, 10:45.

C. Importance of Faith: 1:15, 2:5, 4:40, 5:34, 5:36, 9:24, 9:42, 10:52, 11:22-24, 11:31, 13:13, 15:32.

D. Inevitability of Persecution 1:12-13, 3:21, 3:31-35, 8:34-38, 10:30-34, 10:45, 13:8-13.

Download this study in PDF ~ See all posts in this series.

The posts in this series include notes from a Men’s Bible Study I’m teaching on the Gospel of Mark every other Saturday morning. I am sharing them so they might possibly be a blessing to others. Feel free to download the lesson sheets and use them for your own purposes.

Mark — Good News of Jesus, the Suffering Savior (part 1)

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Introduction – Mark 1:1

1. “Gospel” — A New Kind of Book

A. Mark’s opening verse gave a title to a new kind of book — a Gospel.
B. The non-inspired titles: “The Gospel According to Mark, Matthew, Luke, John” likely derive from Mark 1:1.
C. A Gospel is not an objective, historically focused biography.
D. They are similar to other “lives” of philosophers and political leaders in ancient times — they are crafted to tell a story with a goal in mind for the reader.
E. They are different in that they focus on Jesus Christ in a unique way — they unpack the theological significance of Jesus Christ and give us the true Good News.
F. They don’t simply give us what happened, they tell us what to believe about what happened. They are in essence, preaching materials. They tell the story of God’s saving actions in Christ Jesus.
G. The Synoptic Gospels are Matthew, Mark, and Luke and it is believed that Matthew & Luke made use of Mark in the writing of their Gospels. They certainly followed his pattern. Each of the four authors had particular emphases in his writing.

DISCUSSION: What are some benefits to the four-fold Gospel that we have in the New Testament? Why four books instead of one? Why are the books similar and different. What can we learn from that? Record your thoughts.

2. Mark — The First Gospel

A. Author
The Book is anonymous, but from early on it has been attributed to Mark — the John Mark of Acts 12:12, 12:25, 13:5, 15:36-39, Col. 4:10, Philemon 24, 1 Pet. 5:13, 2 Tim. 4:11.

Here’s the earliest attribution of the book to Mark, by Papias in AD 140 (but known to us through Eusebius’ quote in roughly AD 320):

The Elder (likely John) said this also: Mark, who became Peter’s interpreter, wrote accurately, though not in order, all that he remembered of the things said or done by the Lord. For he had neither heard the Lord nor been one of his followers, but afterwards, as I said, he had followed Peter, who used to compose his discourses with a view to the needs of his hearers, but not as though he were drawing up a connected account of the Lord’s sayings. So Mark made no mistake in thus recording some things just as he remembered them. For he was careful of this one thing, to omit none of the things he had heard and to make no untrue statements therein.

Another early tradition (AD 160-180) reads: “Mark declared, who is called ‘stump-fingered’ because he had short fingers in comparison with the size of the rest of his body. He was Peter’s interpreter. After the death of Peter himself he wrote down this same gospel in the regions of Italy.”

Interestingly, Mark received relatively little attention in the preserved writings of the church, up until around the 1800s for the most part. There are aspects of Mark which make it difficult, and Augustine assumed Mark just offered up an abbreviated version of Matthew which was certainly larger, and which Augustine thought was written first. (However, often in the sections Mark shares with Matthew, Mark’s account is more detailed and longer than Matthew’s.)

B. Date
Most put this after the death of Peter in AD 64 and before the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. This is our best guess.

This becomes important when we remember the intense persecution of the Christians at the hands of Nero in this time, Paul was martyred in AD 67 near the end of the persecution period. (see 1:12-14, 8:34-38, 10:30-34, 10: 45, 13:9-13)

C. Destination and Place of Writing
Both are likely Rome. Mark is first quoted in 1 Clement & the Shepherd of Hermas, both associated with Rome. Church tradition is almost united in having Mark writing to the Romans from Rome, and Mark is associated with Peter who almost certainly spent the last few years of his life in Rome where he was martyred. Clues in the letter point to a Gentile audience and possibly even a Latin / Roman audience. Grammatical points as well as many explanations of Jewish customs and translations of Aramaic into Greek given in Mark.

D. Purpose
We can only sketch ideas on this and as we study Mark we’ll learn if we are right or not in our ideas here.
1) To make the Gospel accessible to Gentiles (a missiological aim)
2) To encourage those facing persecutions, particularly the beleaguered Christians in Rome.
3) To explain and defend the faith — particularly the nature of Christ being fully man and fully divine (as well as how Jesus fulfilled and superseded the Messianic expectation of the Jews)
4) To explain the significance of the cross (almost half the book is devoted to the last week of Christ’s life– the passion week), and Christ’s death is foretold in 3:6.

DISCUSSION: What other thoughts come to mind when you think of characteristics or traits of Mark. Are there other themes which come to mind?

3. Theme Verse — Mark 1:1

A. Gospel — (Evangel / Good News, from euangelizomai – to evangelize)
1) The “Gospel” is connected by the “as” in vs. 2 to the quotation in vs. 2-3. The intimation there as well as in 1:14-15 is that the “Gospel” is a fulfillment of something foretold in the Old Testament.

DISCUSSION: Can you think of other places where the “Gospel” is rooted in the Old Testament? Is “the Gospel” really in the Old Testament? Jot down your observations and thoughts.

Rom. 1:1-4 & 1 Cor. 15:1-4 root the Gospel in the OT Scriptures. Initial Gospel sermons stemmed from OT texts (Acts 2:16-36, 13:16-41). Gal. 3:8, Abraham had the gospel preached to him beforehand. 1 Pet. 1:25 ties the word of Isaiah 40 to the gospel preached in the NT era (as does Mk. 1:1 with 1:2-3 – Is. 40 again is quoted) [cf. 1 Pet. 1:10-12]. OT “Gospel” texts are Ps. 40:9, 68:11, 96:2, Is. 40:9, 41:27, 52:7, 61:1). The Good News of God’s saving reign, and the ushering in of an era of righteousness is foretold in Isaiah. Mark connects Jesus’ ministry with the beginning of that fulfillment. “The beginning of the Gospel…” (Already / Not Yet fulfillment)

Download this study in PDF ~ See all posts in this series.

The posts in this series include notes from a Men’s Bible Study I’m teaching on the Gospel of Mark every other Saturday morning. I am sharing them so they might possibly be a blessing to others. Feel free to download the lesson sheets and use them for your own purposes.

“Matthew Henry: Daily Readings” edited by Randall Peterson

~ Bob Hayton ~ 2 Comments

Perhaps no other pastor has bequeathed a greater treasure to the church, than Matthew Henry and his commentary on the entire Bible. Since 1710 his commentary has blessed generations with a clear explanation and devotional treatment of Scripture. His work set the bar for future commentaries with its blend of accessibility, practicality, spiritual warmth and doctrinal depth. It is truly a classic which should continue to endure for years to come.

Charles Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher from the 19th Century, recommended that ministers read through Henry’s 6 volume commentary once a year. Few pastors today have done so. Many churchgoers today, have an abridged Henry on their shelf or access to his entire work in a Bible study computer program or online, but few of them have read significant portions of his work. I must confess myself to be in the number of those who haven’t read enough of Matthew Henry.

Randall Peterson has offered a wonderful introduction to Henry’s writing, through a selection of daily devotional readings excerpted from his commentary. Matthew Henry: Daily Readings is nicely published and presented in a leather bound, conveniently sized edition, complete with a ribbon bookmark like you would find in most Bibles.

Each reading includes the day’s date, a title for the selection, a Scripture verse from the ESV, and at the bottom of the page, the section of Henry’s commentary where the selection is to be found. Selections cover the wide range of the Bible with a special emphasis on Psalms.
Henry has a firm grasp of the Gospel and will not lead the believer wrong. An excerpt from his May 21st entry illustrates how challenging this devotional can be:

We know not his riches and our own poverty, therefore we run not to him; we perceive not that we are lost and perishing, therefore a Savior is a word of little relish. Were we convinced of the huge mass of guilt that lies upon us, and the wrath that hangs over us for it, ready to fall upon us, it would be our continual thought, Is the Savior mine? And that we might find him so, we should trample on all that hinders our way to him.

This devotional will not be as easy to read as Our Daily Bread, but its nutritional content will be a balm to your soul. I highly recommend this excellent work which is suitable for a special gift or a lifelong treasure.

Pick up a copy of this book at Amazon.com, Westminster Bookstore, or directly from Christian Focus Publications.

This book was provided by Christian Focus Publications for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.