Lectionary for 12/31/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 60.1-22 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+60.1-22 ) and Luke 1.39-56 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Luke+1.39-56 ).

The coming of Christ, which we are celebrating on this seventh day of Christmas, is our cause for rejoicing at all times.  Mary's song of praise in Luke 1 talks about two specific reasons to celebrate Christ.  He has shown mercy on all those who trust him.  He is the one who rearranges power structures of this world.  Our passage in Isaiah 60 proclaims the same truths.

Writing in haste, may the Lord bless the reading of his word.  May he convict us of our failure to show mercy.  May he work according to his good pleasure and will in this world, humbling the lofty and exalting the humble.

Lectionary for 12/30/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 58.1-59.3 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+58.1-59.3 ), Isaiah 59.14-21 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+59.14-21 ), and Luke 1.26-38 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Lk.+1.26-38 ).

Last night around the dinner table we were discussing the SOS of God's Law.  God's Law works to "show our sin."  We see that quite clearly in our passage from Isaiah today.  What are we to do?  Many of the demands God makes of us there appear quite easy to do, at least on the surface - no slavery, care for the needy, treat people justly.  Yet when we dig deeper and consider the price of freeing people from bondage, caring for others as we would care for ourselves, and truly exercising justice we see that we are unable to do what God commands.  God has shown us our sin.  

God's Law also works to "show our Savior."  What we are unable to do because of our sin, Christ is able to do.  It is often easy to take on a moralistic tone.  Jesus does righteousness.  We need to think about what Jesus would do.  Then we will go and do the same things he does.  Well enough, but again we are not going to do the works that Jesus does because we are sinful and he is not.  We should try, and try very hard, to live in an upright way which honors God.  God is pleased by our doing what he has commanded.  But our efforts will never earn us merit before God.  If Jesus is only our example we are undone.

Look again at Isaiah 59.16-17.  Because we will not live fully according to God's command God himself steps in.   He brings salvation by himself.  He upholds those who have been sinned against by his own righteousness.  He arms himself for war with righteousness and salvation.  And he is zealous to save his people from their oppressors.

Lord, let us realize that we ourselves are our oppressors, and the oppressors of many others.  Forgive us our sin.  Make us work rightly in your kingdom, caring for the needy.  Through us, we pray, bring help and deliverance to the downtrodden, work righteousness for the sake of your own name.

No Posts for a while

I'll be in and out of town with sporadic Internet access until January.  Read the Scripture!  Rejoice in what God has done in Christ!

Lectionary for 12/18/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 34.1-2 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+34.1-2 ), Isaiah 34.8-35.10 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+34.8-35.10 ), Revelation 6.1-17 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Rev.+6.1-17 ), and Micah 1.1-7.20 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Micah+1.1-7.20 ).

In this very long reading we see scenes of vast ruin as God pours out his wrath on the earth.  It's just as he promised.  He destroyed the earth by flood once, the next time will be by fire.  This means everyone who is not under his special protection will die.  Worse yet, those who are not judged righteousness by faith in Christ will go into eternal condemnation as well.  This is reason to hide indeed, as we see in Revelation 6.

Lest we read too quickly, we should be sure to notice in Micah 5 the promise of a deliverer, coming from Bethlehem.  Yesterday we saw the conquerer who was a slain lamb, today we see the delivering king who comes from a wide spot in the road.  He appears to be a nobody from nowhere in particular, yet he is indeed the Lord.

Lord, let us look to you in faith today.  May we be judged according to your righteousness, not our own.  May we trust in your deliverance from doom.  May we joyfully receive your righteousness.

Lectionary for 12/17/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 33.1-24 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+33.1-24 ) and Revelation 5.1-14 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Rev.+5.1-14 ).

In the Christmas season people often wonder about the savior of the world presented as a baby.  But our reading today in Revelation presents even bigger wonders about our savior.  Let's think about just a few of these strange, seemingly contradictory statements today.

1) The conqueror is a lamb.  When we think about a sheep of any age we hardly think of a ferocious animal.  We never think of courage and intelligence when we think about a lamb.  We never think of wisdom.  Yet God, in his wisdom, has appointed that the lamb be the one who overcomes the sin of the world.

2)  The conqueror overcame by dying.  What kind of victory is this?  We think of victory as implying failure to die.  On the contrary, we picture it as bringing down the enemies and remaining at least mostly unscathed.  But this dying savior is the one we are given in Revelation.  And he's the only one we're going to be given.  This is not your run of the mill savior.  He's something altogether different.

3)  The death of the conqueror means life for the world.  What kind of overcomer dies and secures a different result for all his followers?  I thought we were supposed to be partakers of the victory of our victorious conquering king.  Again, our Lord has a different idea about what works.

As we look at the baby Jesus in the manger this Christmas season, let us look at the other seeming contradictions. The poor man who owned only one good garment was the Lord of the whole planet and all its wealth.  The one who is the bread of life is hungry.  The one who gives living water is the hot and thirsty man.  The one who cleanses is walking around with dirty feet.  The dying one gives life.  The one rising to judge all faithlessness is judging those who believe on him as if they are faithful.  Keep looking for those unexpected comparisons in the upcoming weeks. 

Rejoice in Christ!

Lectionary for 12/14/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 30.15-26 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+30.15-26 ) and Revelation 2.1-29 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Rev.+2.1-29 ).

In the past I have often heard sermons about the letters to the different churches in Revelation 1-3.  Without exception these have been sermons which close by urging people to commit their lives to more active obedience to the Lord under threat of Christ's coming judgment.  They have consistently mistaken Law for Gospel.  As we read these letters to the churches, then, what is our attitude to be?  We see that the Lord knows all about his people.  He knows what they are doing and what they are thinking.  He knows what they need.  And he knows how what they need differs from what they would have on their own.  In his mercy and grace our Lord and Savior points out to each of these churches their failure in terms of what they have done and haven't done.  He uses God's Law to convict the believers, showing them that their best efforts will always fall short of God's glory.  What does the Lord consistently affirm?  He points to their faith and their belief in him.  After all, he is the Lord of the church.  They would not be a church rightly considered if not for the Lord at work in them.  What is the exhortation?  Continue in belief.  Continue in faith.  That faith, granted, will be visible through our actions.  But the actions without the faith will serve to condemn us.  Let us simply believe.  The rest will fall into place.

What liberty we have in Christ!

Lectionary for 12/13/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 29.15-30.14 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+29.15-30.14 ) and Revelation 1.1-19 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Rev.+1.1-19 ).

Our reading in Isaiah today points to the topsy-turvy world we inhabit.  People think their sins are hidden from God.  They, the clay, presume to tell God, the potter, what is good and right.  We make plans but we forget our Lord in the plans.  Or we make plans involving the Lord but he is our servant, not our master, and he is the one who works all things according to our plan.  What do we see coming out of our plans?  In recent history we have made lots of new and exciting plans and seen lots of fascinating results.  Remember the eugenics movement which led to the rise of totalitarian regimes, most notably the Nazi party in World War 2?  Remember the way HIV infections tend to spread and how hesitant governments are to issue quarantines as they would for other highly infectious diseases?  How about plans to let students come up with their own values and morality in a values-neutral educational institution?  Looked at information about academic dishonesty lately?  How about stimulating economic growth by "creating" more money and more jobs?  Certainly we come up with lots of exciting plans and they do have results.  

Let's look to the Lord of all in our plans.  Let's look to our Lord and Savior and the plan he has for this world.  Let's learn to accept his word, his wisdom, his authority as what it is - the word, wisdom and authority by which the world was created and by which it is sustained.

Lectionary for 12/12/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 29.1-14 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+29.1-14 ) and Jude 1-25 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Jude+1-25 ).

What is the importance of proclaiming the Christian faith?  Many times in our society we are urged to exercise "tolerance" and encourage people's "autonomy."  In other words, we are not to stand firmly on a point of view and we should not try to influence others to take on that point of view, especially if that point of view disagrees with our predominantly liberal secular and anti-Christian establishment.  But Jude reminds us in verse 1 to "contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" (ESV).  And Isaiah 29.13 tells sorrowfully of people whose "fear of me is a commandment taught by men" (ESV), i.e., it is not something they have adopted and held to themselves, but which they follow as a mere cultural idiom.

God calls his people to wholehearted commitment - contending for the faith.  We are to do all we can to influence our society to take on the Christian faith, not simply as a societal pattern but as a similar wholehearted commitment.  That's the call God has for his people.  The very idea that sin is real and that it can be atoned for by death, specifically by the death of Jesus on the behalf of every sinner is repugnant to our world.  But that is the faith which has been delivered to us.  That is the message we are given.  And it is the only message Christ's Church has borne throughout the millennia.  

Will we hold to Christ's message wholeheartedly?  No.  We will fail.  But we can try, trusting our Lord for the strength to engage our world in the battle for people's hearts and minds.  And as we try and fail we can show the repentance and receive the forgiveness that is so very foreign to our culture.  Let's go, knowing that God's kingdom is real, his promises are real, and he will never leave us or forsake us.

Lectionary for 12/11/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 28.14-29 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+28.14-29 ), 1 John 5.1-21 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+John+5.1-21 ), 2 John 1-13 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=2+John+1-13 ), and 3 John 1-15 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=3+John+1-15 ).

In making this world the Lord has created it to function in certain ways.  The same way with people.  God has made people to have fellowship with him, to seek out truth, to listen to God's voice, to wonder at what he has done.  It's simply the way we are made.  

One of the ways sin influences this world is that people seek to have fellowship just with themselves, to seek out their own ideas only, to listen to their own voices, and to wonder at what they have done.  In short, we seek to replace God with ourselves.  Today's readings confront that idea.  Rather than having a world created and sustained by us, we are to realize that there is a world created and sustained by God, who has made all things to work together in an orderly manner.

1 John 5.21 warns us to protect ourselves against idols.  What kind of idols are rising up in our lives today?  Do we seek to have something other than God on the throne?  Do we give glory to someone who is not worthy of glory?  Do we exalt ourselves and our wisdom?  Do we live to have our own way rather than God's way?  Do we seek to rearrange the order God has appointed to this world?  If we are doing this, maybe we'd like to figure out a way to redeem the world and get it all to serve us?  Maybe we think we can sustain the world by our own power or goodness?  Maybe we think we could fix everything if we were only God for a few days?

These idolatrous ideas bring ruin.  They attempt to overthrow what the God of all wisdom and grace has created and is sustaining.  Let us flee those ideas and throw ourselves on the mercy of Christ, who will teach us in his way to love our neighbors for his sake.  Let us look to Christ to change our character and desires.  And let us rejoice in his mercy and love.

Lectionary for 12/10/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 26.20-27.13 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+26.20-27.13 ) and 1 John 4.1-21 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+Jn+4.1-21 ).

In Isaiah 27.12 we read a very encouraging idea.  The context shows that the Lord is removing pollution from his world.  He is removing thorns and thistles - the weedy things that characterize this fallen and accursed world.  What are his people to do?  They are to hide while he removes evil.  Our hiding, our shelter, is in the arms of our Savior who, curiously enough, is the one who dies for the crime of the very world where we live.  And then in verse 12, while God is threshing the grain - getting rid of the chaff, stems, husks, and all the other stuff which isn't productive and useful for eating - we are reminded that we who are fallen kernels will be gleaned.  Our Lord is going to leave behind none of those who trust in him.  Though all that goes on in this world may look like calamity, we are not abandoned.  We will not be scooped up with the other leavings and thrown into the fire at the end of the day.  We will be picked up as valuable parts of the kingdom of our Lord.

Let us look confidently to our Lord and Savior.  He will not leave us or forsake us.  He is with us to the end of the world.  Thanks be to God.

Lectionary for 12/9/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 26.1-19 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+26.1-19 ) and 1 John 3.1-24 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+Jn.+3.1-24 ).

We read today in Isaiah that God is jealous for his people.  He defends them against all sorts of harm.  His desire is for his people to be safe and secure, entering joyfully and freely into their relationship with him and with one another.  This is a key to understanding God's judgment against all sin.  By its nature, sin is harmful.  It kills, destroys, divides people, creates hostility and enmity.  This is always against God's will.  It is what he works to protect his people from.  And we see that in Jesus Christ sin has been put to death.

What are we to do then?  See the summary at the end of our reading in 1 John 3.  We believe on the Lord and love one another.  With that attitude all else will fall into place.  Let us watch how we can actively show our belief by loving our neighbors.  This will encourage us in our faith and it will be beneficial to our neighbors.  It will continue our Lord's healing work on earth.  It will defend God's people (and those who are not God's people) against much of the harm which could come upon them.  

Lectionary for 12/8/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 24.14-25.12 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+24.14-25.12 ), 1 John 2.15-29 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+John+2.15-29 ), and Obadiah 1-21 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Obadiah+1-21 ).

As we look at the end of time in this season celebrating the coming of the King it's easy to let our terminology regarding the final judgment be kind of sloppy.  And that's been the case on this blog as well.  Something our Isaiah passage makes clear is that the final return of God to judge does not exactly constitute a judgment between life and death.  He doesn't kill those in their unbelief in such a way as to put an end to them as I would put out the flame of a candle.  On the contrary, God's return in judgment brings this world as we know it to an end but it sets up a very different manner of being.

First, resurrection will be the word for the day.  Who will be resurrected?  All the dead are to be resurrected.  The resurrection is not only for those who died in faith.  It's for everyone in this world, all who receive Christ's redemption, which would be everybody.  Remember as we read recently in 1 John 2 that Christ died for the sins of the whole world.  So the dead are resurrected, those who are alive are brought face to face with God as well.

What else happens?  It seems clear that there is some sort of judgment.  This does not appear to be a time when people give testimony, but rather when they are presented with the testimony God has.  And since God knows all about everything the testimony will be quite complete.  And with God's stated standard that we are to be holy like he is holy, nobody will stand in the judgment of God.  Here's where it becomes easily muddled.  But it's also where the good news comes in.

Since Jesus has already borne the penalty for the sin of the whole world, all that sin which God points out in judgment is accounted to Christ.  There's just one more step.  Who has lived and died in disbelief, thinking he has been adequately good, wishing to earn merit before God on the weight of his own goodness?  In other words, who is there who in life did not believe that Jesus bore the penalty for his sin?  That person is allowed to bear the penalty for his sin himself, even though Christ has already done so.  And since we see that everyone is resurrected and everyone has an immortal soul, that penalty is not some sort of physical death or an obliteration of the soul.  Rather it consists of an eternal separation from God, an inability to trust that Jesus has paid the penalty for sin.  It's an eternity being allowed to pay for sin which costs more than we can ever pay.  This is condemnation indeed.  This is what God views as true death - not the removal of the soul from the body, not the extinguishing of the existence of the soul, but leaving the human to pay his own way.

What hope do we have then?  During this life, let us believe on the Jesus who died for our sin.  Let us trust his righteousness.  Let us throw ourselves upon his mercy.  And let us take courage.  Jesus has conquered death, hell, and the grave.  He graciously makes those who believe him him partakers of that victory as well.

Lectionary for 12/7/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 24.1-13 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+24.1-13 ) and 1 John 1.1-2.14 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+John+1.1-2.14 ).

Our reading in Isaiah is quite clear.  Our world is in distress.  People are tired, hungry, disenfranchised.  The distinctions between rich and poor, important and lowly, are being erased.  This is presented as a reason for sorrow.  Society works very well when there is a variety of social and economic classes.  The rich and influential know who may need help and the poor know where to appeal for help if they need it.

While this economic and social leveling is a problem in some ways, there is a sense in which role distinctions disappear.  As regards repentance and forgiveness all stand equal.  Our reading in 1 John makes that clear.  Let's make a few observations in order.

First, look how real Jesus is.  He is not some concept introduced to spark our interest.  He's real.  Jesus lived a real life and died a real death for sin, which is also real.  Jesus' death was not just for some sins or the sins of some people, but for all the sin of all the world, always.

With a statement like that, why aren't we universalists?  John tells us that forgiveness is linked to living a life of confession.  It's clear that we do continue to sin.  And Scripture is clear that sin condemns us.  We are always in need of forgiveness.  What promise do we have?  Confession brings forgiveness based on Christ's faithfulness, not on ours.  Jesus is there to forgive, cleanse, and heal his people.  And who are his people?  All who turn to him for forgiveness.  Here the role distinctions are gone and it is decidedly good.

Let us look in these last days to Jesus, the lamb of God who takes away all our sin. 

Lectionary for 12/6/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 14.1-23 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+14.1-23 ) and 2 Peter 3.1-18 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=2+Pet.+3.1-18 ).

Today we read about the coming day of the Lord, the day when he will come in judgment, bringing a final destruction to sin.  In this coming to bring the final restoration of those who believe, look at the Lord's desire as stated in 2 Peter.  In verse 9 we read that the Lord "is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance" (ESV).  This is God's stated attitude toward the world.  Understanding this verse may help us deal with many other passages in Scripture.

First, we hear of God's patience.  He is enduring, longsuffering, slow to anger, and quick to hear and understand the struggles of his people.  Through the ages God has proven himself to be the Lord who does not bring summary execution on those who sin, but calls them to relent, to confess their sin, and hold to the promised forgiveness. 

Second, we see that God does not wish any to perish.  Again, this is exactly what the Lord has shown through the ages.  Since the time that God instituted sacrifice and gave protection to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 to the very end, there has always been a means of grace available to all people.  God's clear plan is that all should be able to see what he is like and turn to him for life.  Time and again it has been the people's sin which has separated them from God.  Even in the flood, God chose one moderately faithful family to be left behind when the rest of the world was taken - look at Noah's actions after the flood for an interpretation of "moderately faithful."  In the tower of Babel, the people are scattered and cast off from the revelation of God's presence not because of God's exclusivity but because of their self-centered attitude.  In the Scripture we never see the idea that God has a double mind about forgiveness.  He always shows the desire that none should perish.  It is never his will to condemn anyone.  It is the will of fallen mankind to exalt itself as if it is God and to reap the just condemnation of God.

Finally, we see the means of God's grace.  Life does not come through good deeds.  It does not come through being intelligent enough, wealthy enough, or planting enough trees.  It comes through repentance, a kind of old-fashioned word in our culture.  To repent means to turn from sin in faith that God will forgive sin and cleanse the sinner.  It is not an activity which earns us any merit before God.  It is simply the way God works in this world.  Like the force of gravity is to keep rivers in valleys, the force of God's perfection is to bring people to repentance, which brings a natural outcome of forgiveness - as natural as knowing the river is flowing downhill rather than uphill.

How is that forgiveness established?  We see in Scripture that Jesus became sin for us, dying for the sins of the whole world.  And that death is made active and redemptive in all who repent of their sin and believe that Jesus died for them.  Jesus' atoning death extends to every person in history.  God's will is that none should perish.  But it is applied only to those who repent.  Those who do not live lives of repentance will surely receive the reward for their sin, even though Jesus already received that reward in their place. 

Rather than thwarting God's will, let us live in repentance today, fulfilling the command in 2 Peter 3.18 (ESV) "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."

Lectionary for 12/5/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 11.1-12.6 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+11.1-12.6 ) and 2 Peter 2.1-22 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=2+Pet.+2.1-22 ).

We live in a world that is obsessed with the ephemeral.  Yesterday i out, today is all there is.  Where do you want to go today?  Unleash the power of modern technology.  You can buy your college degree, instantly find deep and caring relationships in a cyber-community, accelerate your retirement plans, lengthen your lifespan, or become physically fit in a matter of minutes with today's technology.  Just don't wait.  Buy now while it is still cutting edge.  While you're at it, revitalize your spiritual life.  Find yourself a bunch of likeminded Christians who will encourage you to be your own person, finding the spirituality that is right and relevant for you.  Create your own creed and live by it as long as you believe in it.

See anything wrong here?  What happened to the eternal truth and plan of God?  What kind of biblical faith is this if today's good news is outmoded tomorrow?  In stark contrast to this contemporay view we find the eternal biblical Gospel in today's readings.  God has a plan to redeem all who believe to himself.  He accomplishes thi through the perfect life of his Son, Jesus.  Because many people persist in their unbelief, they get to make their own destiny, one in which they reap the reward of their own faithfulness, or lack thereof.  Because the stuborn sin and rebellion of mankind is opposed to God's perfect righteousness and peace it is only right that he will destroy rebellion.  Then the lion and lamb can lie down together and the child can play with the snake.  There is no more harm in the world once our Lord destroys the evil.

This plan of God is eternal and unchanging.  It is the same steadfast and sure Gospel proclaimed throughout the Bible and through nearly two mllennia of Church history.  We need nothing new and perishable.  We need what is old ans sure.

To Christ be the glory both now and forever.

Lectionary for 12/4/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 10.12-27a ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+10.12-27a ), Isaiah 10.33-34 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+10.33-34 ), and 2 Peter 1.1-21 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=2+Pet.+1.1-21 ).

During Advent we celebrate the coming of Christ.  Yet we remember that Christ's coming in its fullness is not the birth of the child only, but is also the second coming which he has promised, when he will come in judgment against sin.  Look at the promised judgment in Isaiah.  The king of Assyria is our picture of sinful man.  He trusts in his riches and the power of his kingdom.  What is his outcome?  The Lord has used him to bring judgment on unbelieving Israel.  Yet in his arrogance he claims the glory for himself.  The Lord destroys him utterly and easily, showing that in himself the king is nothing. 

Have we been used of God?  Have we lived a life which brings honor to God and has nurtured his people, strengthening them in the faith?  Or maybe we have had opportunity to do great charitable deeds.  Maybe we have profited in times when others have endured economic hardship.  Or we have had an abundance of food, clothing, and possessions while others in this world have been dying in poverty.  Maybe we've done pretty well for ourselves.  Do we think we have done it apart from the Lord?  Do we claim the glory which God reserves for himself?  Are we so haughty in our attitude?  We must remember that we ourselves are mortal, that we have no claim to divinity, and that our Lord says that he himself has done all things through us.  What is the outcome of those who trust in riches?  The riches pass away.  What is the final state of those who trust in their earthly authority?  They pass away from this earth and leave all authority.  When Christ comes to claim his people he will make no distinction - rich or poor, strong or weak, healthy or unhealthy, the CEO and the guy who sweeps the floor, all are alike to him.  They are all instruments to be used in this life by the Lord.  They are all called to account for one thing - do they believe that Christ is Lord?  Do they know that it is by his righteousness alone that they stand?

We turn our attention to 2 Peter 1 for our good news.  In Isaiah we find that there is a remnant gathered by God.  In 2 Peter we see that the Lord has given all we need for life and godliness in Jesus.  He has given us the power to live a godly life for the Lord.  He shows us how to grow in godliness so we can be fruitful for him.  And he reminds us that all this life for Christ is intended to show the light of Christ in the world, shining through us.  This is God's work.  This is how he reveals himself, as his people live out Scripture, that revelation which is not from the prophets but from God.

Let us put off our earthly arrogance.  Let us put on Christ Jesus.

 

Lectionary for 12/3/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 9.8-10.11 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+9.8-10.11 ) and 1 Peter 5.1-14 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+Pet.+5.1-14 )

As we read 1 Peter 5 today we see a tremendous list of responsibilities, God's provision that we can meet thse demands, and God's reward for those who persist in faith.  Look at how we are to strive in these troubled times.  We are to be humble.  We hold fast to faith and obedience.  We must have cares for we are to cast hem on Christ.  And we suffer.  What provision has our Lord given us in this evil age?  He has gven us his Spirit and he works by the Spirit in the leaders he has appointed in his Church.  We do not walk alone, but with a multitude of faithful undershepherds following Christ the good shepherd.  Finally look at the reward God provides for the faithful.  Surely this evil time of affliction is brief and light.  Let us hold fast to our Lord in anticipation of our blessed rest.

Lectionary for 12/2/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 8.9-9.7 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=+Is.+8.9-9.7 ) and 1 Peter 4.1-19 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+Pet.+4.1-19 ).

Today we look in some detail at our text in Isaiah.

We read in verses 8-9 that all the striving people might do against God in the day of his judgment is for nothing.  We may well ask the question - how do we strive to assert ourselves against God?  Maybe we look at particular examples of evil in the world and criticize God.  "If I were God there's no way those people in Africa would be starving."  What about terrorist attacks in India?  How about human right abuses in China?  What about assaults on a free pres or free speech in Canada?  If God is good why doesn't he do something about all this?  If he really knows everything why does he let those villains get by with murder?

There's our nswer, of course.  This iSGod's loving forbearance at work.  For at the same time that some people are killing others with firearms others of us are hating our neighbors without cause.  We are guilty of spiritual murder when we don't get the parking place we want.  We commit adultery against our wives when we think about that other woman.  We prove ourselves to be atheists and haters of God when we fail to love and trust him perfectly.  Do we still want the Lord to swoop down and destroy all those sinners?  Maybe we'd rather he did things his way after all. 

In verses 11-22 we see that God's judgment against sin will not follow the pattern we might all expect.  What, after all, were we expecting?  A God made in our image?  That's no God at all.  But we see that in his bringing of mercy where he brings mercy and condemnation where he brings condemnation the mercy extends to all who belive him, while the condemnation falls on those who arrogantly assert their own plan above God's plan.  This is more subtle than we might expect, though.  Our Lord is not going to act in the way we would predict.  He isn't made ib our image, after all.

In chapter 9 verses 1-7 we see the unexpected source of both God's judgment and his deliverance of his people.  How does he do this?  The judge, lawgiver, and atonement comes into this world as a frail, helpless baby.  Though he is the mighty God he humbles himself to be one of us.  Our Lord knows our weakness.  He understands all our temptation to sin.  And he understands that left to ourselves that is exactly what we will do.  Again we see the forbearance of our Lord as Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us and rescued all who believe on him from the penalty of their sin.

This same Jesus, whose first coming we celebrate at this time of year, will return to bring final judgment on sin.  We do not know when that will be.  We do know it will be at exactly the right time, in perfect accord with his plan to redeem the world to himself.

Lectionary for 12/1/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 7.10-8.8 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+7.10-8.8 ) and 1 Peter 3.1-22 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+Pet.+3.1-22 ).

Look at the love and forbearance of God today.  As we read in Isaiah 7 we see the last thing God promises before a final sentence of destruction is a deliverer.  How consistent this is with our Lord's character.  From the start, when Adam sinned and blamed God for making it possible to this very day, when we sin we are generally proud of ourselves, casting blame on God.  What is God's response?  He declares his glory and holiness, explains the just judgment against sin, and then provides forgiveness and protection for his people.  

Let us look to this deliverer.  His name means "God with us."  This is surely a promise of Christ the savior, come to be the very God of very God, but entirely man, only without sin.  He becomes subject to the curse of sin which will curse him to death.  And being the perfectly sinless one who is also perfectly and entirely human, his death is able to accomplish what the death of Adam and billions of other humans since that time has not accomplished - he has taken the penalty of sin and death and died as the representative man who was to die when Adam sinned.

During this season of Advent let us look to the coming of Christ, come to save the world from sin.  Rejoice and be glad in this expectation!

Lectionary for 11/30/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 6.1-7.9 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Isaiah+6.1-7.9 ) and 1 Peter 2.13-25 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+Pet.+2.13-25 ).

Let's pick up a smattering of observations from today's readings.

1)  God is the purifier of his people.  He is able to use the means he chooses to accomplish his purpose.  Once he has declared his purpose accomplished it is accomplished.

2)  It appears that God punishes sinful disobedience and refusal to hear him by making it difficult for people to hear him.  This is consistent with Jesus' speaking in parables - not to make his meaning clearer but to hide it even more from those who did not wish to hear.  

3)  For those whose desire is to hear and obey God he provides all they need.

4)  We are commanded to do things which bring order to society.  These are decidedly good things we are to do.  And with our Lord enabling us we can actually do them.

Did you ever notice that people who reject Scripture still say some things in Scripture are good and right?  This means that the person who refuses the authority of Scripture is deciding that some parts are appropriate and some are not.  What criteria are in use?  Human wisdom?  The wisdom of which human?  How do we decide what is good and what is not?  This is a losing proposition because it invariably puts the fallible human as the judge of what is wise.  Yet we don't have to look at ourselves long to see that we are fallible.  Since Scripture claims authority and since we see its authority appears valid in many many things, why don't we decide we are fallible and accept what the Lord has said?  Maybe that's related to point #2 above.  

Lord, let us be ready to hear and receive from you.  Let us not hide in our own wisdom, clinging to our own judgment as that which will determine whether you are right or not.

Lectionary for 11/29/08

Today's readings are Isaiaha 5.1-25 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+5.1-25 ), 1 Peter 2.1-12 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+5.1-25 ), and Amos 1.1-9.15 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Amos+1.1-9.15 ).

Our reading today points out the judgment of God poured out on the world.  We can still look around and see that this world is full of toil, disappointment and sorrows.  It's a rough life and people who engage in it can be hurt.  Just yesterday on the news we heard of a store where a mob of bargain hunters had arrived prior to the opening time of the store, knocked down the doors of the store, and rushed in, trampling an employee to death.  People doing their duty are harmed and even killed simply because of people's greed and lack of forbearance.  And we can all ask ourselves what kind of self-centered desires are running our lives.  Maybe they don't spur us to harm retail sales associates.  But maybe we are busy running down other people with our mouths, with our attitudes, with common bits of discourtesy, by making their lives harder, harming their reputations, thinking the worst rather than the best of them.   

Our Lord has more than enough judgment to pour out on this world for the sinful attitudes that undergird such behavior.  Our Lord has a perfect understanding of all that is going on in our hearts and minds.  And he is not shy about confronting sin in order to put an end to it.

But look at the distinction he makes between those who believe on him and those who do not.  In 1 Peter 2 we see the identity of those who believe God as he has revealed himself in Scripture.  Those who believe are honorable, a royal priesthood before God.  Let us look realistically at our identity.  May we live according to that identity we receive as believers on Christ, living for him in this world, bringing kindness, joy, and redemption to those around us.

Lectionary for 11/28/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 2.1-22 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+2.1-22 ), 1 Peter 1.13-25 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+Pet.+1.13-25 ), and Isaiah 3.1-4.6 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+3.1-4.6 ).

See today the invitation of our God, portrayed in Scripture as the creator, sustainer, and ruler of the universe.  He calls us people to come to him in joy.  He calls all people to trust him and enter into the fellowship which he has prepared for his people.  He invites us to walk along with him, safe from all harm in his protective hand.  He welcomes us despite our weakness, despite our sin and shame.  And as we see in 1 Peter, God himself has sent his son to bear the penalty for our sin and shame so we don't have to bear that penalty.  With what a huge price has our Lord bought us!

What of those who determine they will reject the offer the Lord extends?  In the final day they will face the wrath and judgment of the Lord.  He is God over the believing and the unbelieving alike.  He has welcomed people to be his people, to walk as his friends.  Those who refuse are stating that they are able to run their own lives, to care for themselves, to stand in the final day as their own judges, their own lawgivers, their own wise, good and kind rulers.  

We see in today's reading that only those who are perfect can stand in that final day.  And there is only one who is perfect, the one true God.  If we think we can stand in our own righteousness we need to look again at the standard which God has proclaimed.  It is not a standard we can uphold.  It is a standard only he can fulfill.  Let us not deceive ourselves.  Let us not think we can prove ourselves good enough.  Let us not lean on our own wisdom, twisted as it is.  Let us cast ourselves rather on the perfect righteousness of Jesus, who lived a perfect life, died a shameful death taking our sin upon himself, and lives again because he himself is the resurrection and the life.  Let us look to his coming and celebrate him in all we do and say.

 

Lectionary for 11/27/08

Today's readings are Isaiah 1.1-28 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Is.+1.1-28 ) and 1 Peter 1.1-12 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+Pet.+1.1-12 ).  

This year it just happens that the American Thanksgiving holiday coincides with the first day of Advent.  There's an obvious tie-in there, right?  Many times around a Thanksgiving table people will try to express some of the things for which they are thankful.  What about giving thanks for the coming of Christ and the expectancy of his coming yet again?  What about giving thanks that we are not bound to the sacrificial system we read about in Isaiah, but that we have been called by God himself to approach his throne by the name of Jesus Christ, our Righteousness incarnate?  

We have been given a living hope in the resurrection from the dead - for eternal delight to those who believe and for condemnation to those who don't believe.  And our Lord has promised that all who desire to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ may come to him.  For this we can surely give thanks.

Lord, we look forward to your coming.  We celebrate the coming of our savior and the expectancy we can hold, looking for both the season of Christmas and for the return of Christ to gather his people to himself.

Lectionary for 11/26/08

Today's readings are Daniel 6.1-28 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Dan.+6.1-28 ), Revelation 22.1-21 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Rev.+22.1-21 ), and Daniel 9.1-27 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Dan.+9.1-27 ).

Daniel 9.3-19 is one of the most moving prayers in the Bible.  As we read it we join Daniel in confessing our sin and acknowledging the sin and guilt of our own nation.  We plead that God will have mercy for the sake of his name, to show that he is the kind of God who cares for his people.

Today is the last day of the Church calendar.  Advent begins tomorrow.  In the time of Advent we celebrate the coming of the Christ who redeems us from our sinful condition.  Today, however, is a day of intercession.  We pray that we will see the deliverance of God.  Then tomorrow we rejoice because of the expectation of that deliverance.

May the Lord add hope to our confession of sin today.  May we see God's deliverance from sin, truly and effectually, in Jesus Christ.

Lectionary for 11/25/08

Today's readings are Daniel 5.1-30 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Dan.+5.1-30 ), Revelation 21.9-27 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Rev.+21.9-27 ) and Daniel 7.1-8.27 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Dan.+7.1-8.27 ).

As I am writing this, millions of families in my country are preparing for a celebration of Thanksgiving.  They will probably center that celebration around a gathering of family and maybe an assortment of friends, along with a big dinner, some sort of noble feast, full of food, drink, talking, and laughing.  This is how we seem to kick off the season which is affectionately termed "the holidays" - the period from late November through the first of January, with three major holidays.  It's good that we value gatherings with our families.  It's good to have a jolly feast now and then.  Once in a while it's a fine thing to eat until you think you're going to burst.  All the rejoicing we have is, in fact, a very dull foreshadowing of the fullness of joy we can look forward to in eternity, celebrating in the marriage supper of the Lamb, where the Church, his bride, is ushered into eternity.

Yet even as we look at the great times of celebration we may have in the upcoming six weeks or so, there's something more important we need to watch.  As we inculcate the precious gift of family togetherness, the inter-generational learning, the opportunities to see people we haven't seen for a long time and learn from their adventures, it is absolutely critical that we remember why we are here in the first place.  Let's take a quick look at the historic Church calendar and realize what is happening.  The season of Advent begins about this time of year, lasting four weeks, taking us up to Christmas, which then lasts twelve days and is replaced by Epiphany.  Advent is a time of longing for the coming of Christ.  Christmas is a time of celebration of Christ's presence, and Epiphany is a celebration of Christ's youthful life up until the baptism of John.  So we expect Christ, we celebrate Christ, and we watch as the man Jesus grows to adulthood, preparing to bear our sins.  This season of holidays is a time of watching our Lord and Savior.  What better way of doing that than in the context of a family gathered together?

So my question comes up. Are we so caught up in the busy attitudes of these holidays that we forget to watch our Lord?  Are we so busy shepherding our children through the holiday season that it is more like a forced march than a holiday?  Are we focused on the tasks rather than on the giver of all good?  Have we turned delight into drudgery?  In Daniel chapter 5 we read about a culture which has turned feasting and celebration into an end in itself.  It is weighed in the balances and found wanting.  Let us never be like that.  Let us rather look to Christ, the master of the feast, the Lord of life, and celebrate him.

Lectionary for 11/24/08

Today's readings are Daniel 4.1-37 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Dan.+4.1-37 ) and Revelation 21.1-8 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Rev.+21.1-8 ).

You know, as we approach the time of the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, we see that people are really pretty good.  It's the season of kindness, charity, feasting.  Individuals and organizations give more food to food banks and homeless shelters at this time of year than at other times of year.  Many churches  have drives to fill laundry hampers with gifts for poor people within their congregations and outside of their congregations.  The guy with the red kettle shows up on the sidewalk and people put money in rather than snatching the kettle and running away.  Snow starts falling and people shovel each other's cars out, give people a push to get started in a slippery place, and share their mittens and scarves with others.  Companies, big and small, throw parties for their employees and even ignore the fact that half the employees didn't get anything much done for the last half of the day before a paid holiday.  We can look at our society and at ourselves and say we are pretty good.  We've made this great culture, we are generous, we are kind, we are ready to help the poor, we are spreading prosperity all over the place.

Now look at Nebuchadnezzar.  Are we acting the same way he did at the beginning of Daniel chapter 4?  It would seem we are.  We glory in our good deeds.  We suggest that we are  the savior of our nation. We claim sovereignty over all creation, though we didn't create it and we don't sustain it.  We, like Nebuchadnezzar, are a people just waiting to be humbled.  And when we read our selection in Revelation we see that those same Nebuchadnezzar-like tendencies are the character qualities of the people who are cast into the lake of fire in the end.  Though we deny being adulterers, murderers and sorcerers, we cannot deny that we are liars.  We cannot deny that we are ultimately faithless.  We deceive ourselves and others, claiming goodness which is not ours.  We put our faith in ourselves and our possessions rather than in God's provision for us in Christ.  Truly we are people who are subject to God's condemnation. 

Is there no hope for us then?  Certainly there is hope and it is great hope.  When we see our sin, our failure to measure up to the perfection of God, we are being humbled like Nebuchadnezzar.  And look at the lengths to which God may go to humble someone and bring his eyes to see that his true provision is in God.  He humbles Nebuchadnezzar about as far as a human can be humbled.  May he never need to humble us that far.  May our Lord give us a tender heart to hear his correction and receive his direction.  May he turn our eyes to look at his perfection and see it in stark contrast to our sin.  And may he make us to rejoice in the fact that in Jesus Christ all the wrath of God against our sin is poured out.  May we gain hope in this season when we consider the resurrection of the dead and how Jesus is himself the firstfruits of the resurrection - rising to show the power of God over death, he will also raise us in the last day.  Take heart and believe on the Lord.  He is raising all people in the last day - those who believe on him to eternal bliss and those who do not believe on him to condemnation.  May we cast our cares upon the Lord who is all our true goodness and righteousness.

An Occasional Sermon from Romans 15

Rather than the lectionary today I'll post an occasional sermon I prepared for an event tomorrow, November 21.

Hear the word of God as recorded in Romans 15.1-14 (ESV).

15:1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me." 4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

"Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
and sing to your name."

10 And again it is said,

"Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."

11 And again,

"Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and let all the peoples extol him."

12 And again Isaiah says,

"The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope."

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.

Thanks be to God.

 

We see in this text today that our duty is to bear with those who are weak, building them up in the faith.  "We who are strong" – that would be anyone who is hearing this Scripture.  Do we hear what God says to his Church?  Do we receive the riches of the living Word of God, Jesus Christ?  Are we people called according to his name?  There can be no strength which is stronger than that.  If the Lord has proclaimed us to be his holy vessels, immortal, recipients of every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus, who is stronger than we?  We are indeed strong.  And we have a holy obligation.  This is God's command.  We are to please our neighbor, not for his whims or sinful desires, but for his good. 

What does our text today tell us about pleasing our neighbor for his good?  In verse 3 we see that Jesus did good for those who believe on him by enduring suffering for our sake.  Jesus has given us hope, according to verse 4.  In verse 5 we try to live in harmony with one another.  In verse 7 we welcome one another.  But see how we are moving to talk about Jesus rather than us?  So let's take a good look at Jesus.

Generally I hesitate to use terminology like this.  But it seems to fit the context of this passage of Scripture so I'll put down my discomfort for a moment.  We see here that Jesus himself is an example of bearing with the weak.  Now before there's any misunderstanding, Jesus is far more than an example.  The incarnation is not so we can have an example.  It's so we can have a savior.  Yet at the same time, Jesus, living a perfect life on my behalf, does live in such a way that I can learn how I should live as well.

In verse 8 we see that Christ confirmed God's promises, showing the Jews about God's faithfulness.  In our attempts at doing what is good for our neighbor we too show God's faithfulness and how Jesus himself is the fulfillment of the promises of God.  Our service to our neighbor is radically God-centered and not neighbor-centered or self-centered.

In verses 10-12 we see that these demonstrations of God's mercy and faithfulness are not only good for the Jews but also for the Gentiles.  While we show God's love to our neighbors quite purposely we also show God's love to countless onlookers.  Do our neighbors talk to their friends about what those strange Christians are doing?  Sure.  Do people see us caring for our neighbors?  They might.  What happens as we go about doing good?  We develop a reputation.  And while it may be tempting to take the honor and glory for our reputation as our own, we can't do that.  Our service to our neighbor is God-centered.  It isn't about us.  It's about Jesus, who laid down his life for us.

This is, of course, exactly where our attempts fall apart.  We fail to do the duty our Lord has given us.  We grumble about our annoyingly weak neighbors like they grumble about us.  We want to do what pleases us.  And if there's any doubt in our mind about that, picture a Thanksgiving dinner.  It's been cooking all day, the house is full of wonderful smells.  There's turkey in abundance, a big pot of gravy, mounds of stuffing, corn with too much butter to imagine.  Fresh bread and a couple of pies are baking in the oven.  We are ready for a feast fit for kings.  Then the phone rings.  The homeless shelter has just called.  We pack up the dinner, piping hot, drive to the shelter and drop off the food.  Because we need something to eat, we drive by the nearby fast food restaurant and stop near the dumpster.  After a few minutes of rummaging around we find some cold, limp, only partially eaten food.  Ahh, the delight of half of two whoppers!

We like to please ourselves.  Unlike Christ in Philippians 2, if we have heavenly delights we do consider them something to be clung to.  We consider our comfort more important than the comfort of others.  We fight for our own way.  We get the surveyor to check the exact property line so as to make sure our neighbor doesn't put a picket fence in our yard, and if he does do it, we don't assume it is an accident.  We look down on those who are not dressed as nicely as we are. And we are jealous of those who are dressed more nicely than we are.  This ought not to be.  It is not the way of our Lord and Savior.

In light of this, what will we do?  We don't need just an example.  We need a savior.  We don't need to be told what to do.  We need the ability to do it.  We don't need to be confronted with our sinful failure any more, at least not today.  We need to see Christ's forgiveness.  And that brings us to the good news in this passage.

In verse 13 Paul prays for the Romans.  In verse 14 he states his conviction that the Romans are full of goodness, knowledge, and the ability to serve one another in love.  How does this come about?  It is nothing we can do on our own.  It is not something we can work up by trying and trying to serve our neighbors.  It is not something we can do just because we see the example of Christ.  The best we can hope for under those circumstances is self-righteousness which draws attention to our own goodness rather than Christ's promises.  No, we don't do good works on our own.  We do them in dependence on Christ's forgiveness.  We realize that Jesus did not care for his own comfort but he cared for our good.  He took our sin upon himself and died for it, the just for the unjust, to redeem us to God the Father.  Jesus Christ died our death and then rose again to live our life.  And in this era of the resurrection Jesus is living our life through us.  As we serve our neighbors we are serving Christ.  More importantly, as we serve our neighbors, it is actually Jesus serving them.  We are his hands.  He is our head.  He is our heart.  He is the one who gives us the desire to serve.  He is the one who shows us what is for the good of our neighbor.  He is the one who proclaims his glorious provision and love.  He is the one who is exalted in all things.  And he does this through us.

Our Lord, Comforter of the nations, let us go and love our neighbors in Your name, for their good.  Let us bring glory to You as you work in this world through us.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit – Amen.

Lectionary for 11/19/08

Today's readings are Jeremiah 38.1-28 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Jer.+38.1-28 ), Matthew 27.57-66 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Matt.+27.57-66 ), and Jeremiah 39.1-44.30 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Jer.+39.1-44.30 ).

Today our readings are full of contrasts between man's expectations and God's fulfillment of his promises.  Here, in a nutshell, is what I'm seeing.  Hopefully it can be of some encouragement.

Man hopes for deliverance from destruction.  This hope is easily shaken, as we see ourselves, like Jeremiah, doubting, being starved, being thrown into cold damp holes partially filled with mud, expecting to be beaten and executed.  We look to Christ as a deliverer and see him dead and buried. Like the king of Judah we expect that one or another of our political enemies will kill us in the near future.

What do we see when God moves is that he always, always keeps his promises.  Our Lord's keeping of his promises may not be in the timing we hoped for.  It probably will not be in the manner we would expect.  If we were the Lord we would surely plan things out differently.    Yet the world is the Lord's and in his time, through his means, he will bring his people safely to his side.  Trust in the Lord!  Do not walk by sight.

Lectionary for 11/18/08

Today's reading are Jeremiah 37.1-21 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Jer.+37.1-21 ), Matthew 27.33-56 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Matt.+27.33-56 ), and Revelation 17.1-18 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Rev.+17.1-18 ).

As we wind down the church calendar for this year we see the severity of God's judgment.  Saints are imprisoned and killed.  The Son of God is put to death at the hands of sinful man, and is not only put to death but he is put to scorn and ridicule.  It is not enough that this sinful world brings death to the bodies of the saints.  They are also subject to ridicule and mockery.  As people mocked our Lord, they will mock his people.  As our Lord was subject to death, so are we.  How will we respond?  Like Jeremiah we can trust in our Lord's hand of mercy and providence.  Though we should die yet our God has placed us in perfect safety.  Let us look together at the death Jesus died, abandoned, scorned, and tortured, all on our behalf.  And let us not stop looking there, but let us look on to the resurrection.  Jesus himself is the resurrection and the life.  We come to the Father through his resurrection.  And we know that Jesus rose again from the dead on the third day, that he ascended into heaven where he sits at the right hand of the Father, and that he will come from there to judge the living and the dead - everyone.  May we be found in him!

Lectionary for 11/15/08

Today's readings are Jeremiah 30.1-24 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Jer.+30.1-24 ), Matthew 26.57-75 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Matt.+26.57-75 ), and Revelation 15.1-8 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Rev.+15.1-8 ).

Our God is coming to pour out righteous judgment on the earth.  He will surely judge those who have sinned against him in thought, word and deed.  He is preparing that judgment.  We can see in Revelation the "behind the scenes" look at the coming judgment - a great and terrible judgment as our Lord prepares to pour it out on the world.  Some have resisted sin and are standing before God, bearing witness to his greatness.  We see in Jeremiah that in God's wrath he will spare his true people, gathering them to himself.  And we see in Matthew the means by which he gathers his people to himself.  He is gathering them to himself in these last days through the humility of Christ the Lord, our Savior, who has refused to give a defense, knowing that his children by the adoption of faith are unable to give a defense.  Our Lord likewise stands before human judgment without defending himself, subjecting himself to the tyrrany of sinful man, becoming subject to sin for us, on our account.  Though we deny him as Peter, he will not deny us.  He will make no defense.  His claims are true, his evidence sure, and his divine right rejected by sinful man.

What a savior, who bears our sin, who dies on our behalf, who is himself the resurrection and the life, and will protect his people against every evil of man and even against the terrible wrath of God against that evil.

Lectionary for 11/14/08

Today's readings are Jeremiah 29.1-19 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Jer.+29.1-19 ), Matthew 26.36-56 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Matt.+26.36-56 ), and Revelation 14.1-20 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Rev.+14.1-20 ).

As we approach the end of the Church calendar our readings talk about the end of time.  See the incredible wrath of God poured out against all ungodliness.  See that our Lord is not planning to remain silent and allow sin to reign forever.  See how he brings judgment, death, and destruction upon all those who choose to live their own way, not by faith in the risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

What are we to do as we approach the final day?  Though I'm not an extremist saying that I'm pretty sure the end of times will come in my earthly lifetime or in anyone else's, I know that every day which passes brings us another day closer to the final judgment of God.  Do we throw up our hands and wait for everything to come to a head?  Not at all.  What does Jeremiah tell the captives in Babylon?  Buy houses, have children, plant fruit trees.  What is our "wartime" mentality in these last days?  We are to go about life conscious of the fact that the end is near. And we are to go ahead and make the decisions that will lend to the well being of our society in the time of our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. 

With all the doom and gloom forecasts in our world financial markets, this is the perfect time to invest in the future.  With all the doom and gloom forecasts in housing markets, this is the perfect time to live in a house we can afford.  With all the doom and gloom about world energy availability it is a fine time to have a reliable vehicle which uses fuels we have now and to use that vehicle to go to work, contribute to the economy, take the family someplace to have some fun, and to pick up a nice apple tree to plant in the yard and enjoy a few years down the road.  We go on with our lives, knowing that the Lord will bring the end to pass in his good time.  We just go on with our lives while believing in the sufficiency of our Lord's death in our place.  Rejoice in the Lord and live the life he has given you today.

Lectionary for 11/12/08

Today's readings are Jeremiah 25.1-18 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Jer.+25.1-18 ) and Matthew 26.1-19 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Matt.+26.1-19 ).

As we read today we see God's mercy and his strict judgment.  Our Lord warns people, again and again, to turn from their ways and look to him in love and trust.  He gives them means of grace to enable them to turn to him.  And how quickly God's people desert him!  Again and again we turn our backs on our Lord.  We deny that his word and his actions in this world are good.  We wish we could be God for a day, just one day, and straighten out all this world.  We exalt ourselves above our Lord.  

What incredible forbearance our God shows for his people.  Yet at some point our Lord does give us over to our desires, whether a desire to trust his faithfulness or a desire to go our own way.  Those who trust in themselves will reap the fruit of their labor, their own righteousness, their own goodness.  They will be cast off to be prisoners to human desire, prisoners of Babylon, a nation which is destined for destruction due to its refusal to believe in the Lord.  

But what of those who have trusted in Christ's faithfulness?  Christ, our Passover, invites his people to dine with him, to trust in his riches, to reap all the benefits of his provision.  He goes ahead of his people in death and shows himself victorious over death.  He dies for our sins so we may live in his righteousness. He indeed keeps the Passover with his disciples.  He has given us heavenly food and drink, all the nourishment we need.  He has given us means of grace.  He has given us his sure promises.

Lord, renew our trust in you. Lead us to your Passover.  Make us partakers of your blessings.

Lectionary for 11/11/08

Today's readings are Jeremiah 23.21-40 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Jer.+23.21-40 ) and Matthew 25.31-46 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Matt.+25.31-46 ).

In today's readings look how the world is full of people who claim to know God's will.  They proclaim what must be pleasing to God.  Many of them claim a mandate from God to do this or that.  And these people are speaking, allegedly in the name of the Lord.  Not only are they dedicated to their cause but it seems they are effective servants of God.  People are hearing them and accepting what they have to say.  What does our Lord say about this situation?  He says that he is the one who gives true callings and appoints his messengers with the message they are to carry.  He is the Lord who accomplishes in the world what he wishes to accomplish.  And in Matthew we see that Jesus himself is in the world.  The people who are sick, hungry, and in prison are being used by our Lord as his masks.  He is there in the prisoner, in the hospitalized person, in the beggar on the street.

What is our response to this?  First, we want to be very hesitant to appoint ourselves as ministers of Christ.  It is God who appoints, who gives a calling, who gives a message, and who is himself the Gospel.  This is not something to be taken lightly.  Thanks be to God he has given us the message in the Scripture.  We do not have to discern his priorities without his written word.    Second, we want to look for Christ's presence everywhere.  He may be there in the homeless person who asks for a dollar.  How would our Lord have us minister to those around us? He has appointed that they be around us.  Finally, as the people Jesus characterizes as "sheep" in Matthew 25 find out, we need to also realize that we will not recognize Christ in the poor, sick, and imprisoned.  When we are serving our Lord best we are probably unaware that we are doing anything in particular to serve him.  On the contrary, we simply go around doing what the Lord has given us to do each day.  The Lord brings his work to us and enables us to minister in his name, often without being aware of the importance of what we are doing.

Lord, may we see everything we do today as a holy opportunity to delight in you.  We pray you will take what we are doing and use it in your kingdom in ways we would never anticipate.  And we pray you will guide us willingly into many opportunities to serve our neighbors for your sake.

Lectionary for 11/10/08

Today's readings are Jeremiah 23.1-20 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Jer.+23.1-20 ) and Matthew 25.14-30 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Matt.+25.14-30 ).

In the parable of the talents we have another parable which is difficult for us to understand .  This difficulty is again probably due to our man-centered bias that God will act in a way which is merciful to the humble, that he would always be giving and forgiving every imaginable sin, and that he would never ever cast away someone who feared him, as the servant with the one talent seems to.  As we look more closely at this parable we see that in fact our Lord did show the servant what to do with the talent, that he expected him to act in accord with his master's desires, and that he is acting quite rightly to accomplish his will of delivering his grace to those he chooses at the end of the parable.

First off, how did our Lord show his servant what to do with the talent?  The servant condemns himself.  He knows the master gathers where he has not planted.  He knows the master uses his resources to gather an increase.  But this servant stubbornly ignored the master's habits and procedures, preferring to act according to his own plan.  Our God desires to show his riches to the world.  He does not desire his riches to be buried and hidden away.  The Light of the World has revealed himself to mankind.  This is our second point.  God has revealed his desire and expects us to act in accord with it.  Let us act according to his obvious desire by displaying his riches.  Even putting the investment out for interest would do so, says the master.  It might not make the kind of increase that the others who were apparently more speculative did, but it will be in accordance with what the master desires.  By acting according to his own fears and by devising his own plan to keep this large sum of money safe the servant thwarted the master's plan.  At the end of the parable the master shows that he is going to deliver his grace to those who will be stewards according to his desire.  This is altogether righteous.  The servant who was disobedient receives the very reward that he has prepared.  Do we receive the grace of God and strive to hide it?  What does our Lord give us? He makes his grace invisible.  He may take it from us. Do we receive the riches of salvation and avoid sharing it with others through thought, word and deed?  Will he not let us keep to ourselves and our own plan of salvation rather than his plan of salvation?  Does he not come to his own who reject him and then turn to the Gentiles?

Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, has given himself so as to draw all people to himself.  He has died to apply forgiveness of sins to everyone who believes.  How dare we hide such a great salvation from those around us?  Our Lord will accomplish the proclamation of his good news.  And if he finds us unwilling to reveal that good news he will take the good news of salvation and give it to those who believe him enough to act in accordance with his desire - to reveal him as the light of the world.  May we repent of our evil selfishness.  May we take this gift of the Gospel and share it with the world around us.  And may we take courage.  We don't have to become successful futures traders for the Lord.  We can go into the marketplace and open a savings account for him.  We can bring his light with us wherever we go.  We have the resources of our great and mighty Lord available, openly, living and working in our lives, wherever we are, from day to day. 

Lord, work through us.  Gather an increase to yourself.

 

Lectionary for 11/9/08

Today's readings are Jeremiah 22.1-23 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Jer.+22.1-23 ) and Matthew 25.1-13 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Matt.+25.1-13 ).

The parable of the virgins is a particularly difficult parable.  It is very difficult to avoid reading it in a way which exalts our foresight and provision, making the believer (the virgin) the person responsible for being well equipped for heaven, procuring all he needs and preparing wisely so as to present himself in good order at the Lord's coming.  What will we do then?

First, we need to remember that the supplier of the oil for the lamps is not mentioned.  Our Lord has supplied his Holy Spirit - the universal "oil" of Scripture, to bring us warmth and light.  He has given us what we need.  As we acknowledge this work of God, as we trust in his supply and not ours, we are promised that we will have all we need.

It seems that some people, though they presumably had access to the "fuel" of the Holy Spirit, chose to reject that and depend on their own supply.  When they asked other humans for a share in their supply, the response was negative.  Am I in a position to give the Holy Spirit to you?  What spiritual blessing can I give you?  I am not your source of life.  You must go to the true source of life.  Yet the people in this parable, the foolish virgins, rather than waiting in the dark for the Master to come with oil aplenty, seek out supply through their own human means.  And you have to realize that Palestine in the 1st century was not crawling with all-night lamp oil stores.  Where do you go in the middle of the night when you need more oil for your lamp?  All I can say is that you'll have about as much success finding an all night fishing tackle shop in the Sahara desert.  

When we seek our own method of filling our spiritual lamp with the Holy Spirit we find nothing but a dry fuel tank.  We have to wait for the Master to come.  He has a limitless supply.  We see our poverty, which is obvious since we have no lamp and really can't see anything at all.  We call upon the Lord and we receive what we need.

What would have become of those foolish young ladies if they had simply waited in the dark?  The Lord who is the light of the world would care for them and welcome them into the feast.  Let us be wise.  Are we waiting in the dark?  The Lord is here through word and sacraments.  His kingdom is at hand, and he welcomes us to his feast.  He brings light and life through the resurrection of the Son, another thing which happened at night when we couldn't see anything.  Let us rejoice in him and be ushered into his light.