Sermon from 7/20/08

I had the opportunity to preach two Sundays in a row in my local church.  Here's the sermon from 7/20.  Hopefully it is a help and blessing to someone.  Of course, I always like seeing feedback.

 

Winning is losing - losing is winning

Sermon presented July 20, 2008 at Grace Fellowship Church.

Winning is losing - losing is winning. We see this in the life of Jesus. We see it in the life of the early believers. We may see it in our lives. Then again, maybe not. But in the final analysis that doesn't matter all that much. What do we see in the Scripture? What is in the life and ministry of our Lord and Savior? Winning is losing - losing is winning.

When I first make a statement like that, many Christians immediately go to a different pasage of Scripture than the one I intend today. Though we would affirm that Mark 9.35 is in the Bible and that if we wish to be first we should be last and servant of all, that isn't our main text today. So now that we know where we aren't going, let's see where we are going.

Two events serve as bookends for the temporal earthly ministry of Christ. Those two events frame nearly all that we know of Jesus' words and deeds. They are foundational to understanding this Christian life. They are the temptation and crucifixion of our Lord.

In the temptation and the crucifixion we see divine power and authority introduced and brought to fruition. My desire today is that we mght see and understand more of the way our Lord works in this world. How is his divine power shown to us? How does our Lord and savior show his authority in this world? I think sometimes we assume that God's ways are our ways and His thoughts are our thoughts. Time to change that thinking. I pray that my ways may be conformed to God's ways and my thoughts may be conformed to God's thoughts.

Many of the ideas I have for us today are not my own ideas. We should be very careful of people who bring their own ideas. Of course, we want to be careful of the people we borrow ideas from as well. But I think these are carefully borrowed ideas and that at least the parts I have borrowed are faithful to Scripture. I'll try to define things carefully and fairly, looking to Scripture as we move on.

Important ground rule: We don't generally understand what God is saying to us, at least not very well. So we need to listen carefully and accept what he is saying, not necessarily what we think he ought to say. In Matthew 13, where we will go next week, Jesus says something kind of cryptic to his disciples. He says (NIV):

"9He who has ears, let him hear."

10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

11He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables:

"Though seeing, they do not see;

though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

" 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

15For this people's heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.' 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. "

 

See that people whose eyes are on themselves, who look to their own preconceived notions of what is right and wrong, strong and weak, wise and foolish - those people won't receive the things of God. They have turned themselves from the hearing of faith. I can picture them with their eyes closed as tightly as possible and their fingers in their ears trying not to see or hear. No surprise. In our sinful nature that's exactly what we do. Jesus has revealed himself to his people, though. He has given us eyes to see. He has given us ears to hear. He has given us a heart to understand, turn, and receive healing. At least I hope he has. We will know when we see, hear, understand, turn, and receive.

So there's our ground rule. We don't generally understand what God is saying to us. But he's saying it anyway and he will accomplish his purpose through what he says.

Now we need to make a couple of shorthand definitions. We often talk about power or authority. But we don't always define that power too well. For these concepts we need to get a fairly clear picture of two different types of power. And for a shorthand, I'll call them "right handed" and "left handed" power.

Let's try to get a working definition of right handed and left handed power. Those of you who have studied Luther's two kingdom theology need to forget what you know for a while. This isn't that. So leave those ideas behind. They are useful but not for this.

I'm right handed. Doctors who study the brain might say I process information in ways typical of right handed people. I tend toward linear thinking. Outlines work well for me. Pictures don't. That's generally more typical of righties than of lefties. Right handed power works more this way: Come up with a plan, execute the plan, no fuss, no muss, mission accomplished. As an example of right handed power, I want to break up a concrete sidewalk, so I take a sledge hammer and beat the daylights out of it until it comes apart.

Left handed power is different. I can't quite understand it. I'm a rightie. But I'll try to explain anyway. Left handed power looks a lot more like gentle influence or even inactivity. Think about "making" your garden plants grow and mature. That's what we'll call left handed power. As an example of left handed power, I want to break up a concrete sidewalk, so I plant a bunch of acorns right beside it and wait a dozen years. Or I find a crack in the sidewalk and pour some water into it every time there's a below-freezing day. The mission will be accomplished though I don't seem to be doing much.

Come with me now to Matthew 4 and the temptation of our Lord. We will look at the right hand and left hand power shown there. We'll keep praying for eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to understand and turn. Of course, the fact that we are praying for those things does mean we already have them.

Let's read Matthew 4.1-4 together.

1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4But he answered, "It is written,

"'Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

 

In the first temptation we see that God's power has nothing to do with food, drink, or other earthly sustenance.

Satan comes to Jesus with a plan to solve hunger. Jesus has been fasting and is hungry. Satan's proposal sounds good. "You can have all the food you want. For that matter, say the word and nobody in the world will ever be hungry again. Nice plan, right? You just need to cut loose and be God, Jesus! Make the plan, put it into operation, end of story. No more hunger for you or anyone else." That fits our right handed sesnsibilities just fine.

What is Jesus' response? He's decidedly left handed about the issue. There are more important issues than making sure suffering people have all they like at no personal cost.

Why does Jesus act this way?

The Bible doesn't say, I don't know, I refuse to speculate. That's just the way it is. Our Lord has spoken. He has not given us a limitless supply of rocks which turn to bread. He has not provided food for all the poor and hungry. Even when we try to distribute things to needy people, it's hard to identify people with real needs, it's hard to supply those needs, and people manage to become needy no matter what we do. Jesus says "the poor will always be with you." He's right. We don't know why.

 

We continue now to Matthew 4:5-7 (NIV).

5 "Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

"'He will command his angels concerning you,'

and

"'On their hands they will bear you up,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"

7Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

 

In the second temptation we see that God's power is not shown by the preservation of this current bodily life or by our doing things that will look like a show of power.

Satan tells Jesus how great it would be for him to do a death defying public leap from the temple. "Wouldn't it be great? You could let people see that God really does care. You could get lots of attention stirred up. Maybe we could direct mail market the event, have balloons, a clown, a raffle, invite some NASCAR drivers and three generations of the Knievel family, and make everyone feel right at home while we show what God does when we are really radical. Sounds good, right? God really protects his people."

What is Jesus' response? "God doesn't work this way. He will show his hand of protection and mercy according to his own plan, in his own way, to whom he desires. It is not our place to doubt or test God." We fear, love and trust in God above all things. We do not put him to the test to see if he is enough God. He is decidedly enough God for everyone who is in danger of death. And that includes all of us.

We now turn our attention to Matthew 4.8-11.

8 "Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

"'You shall worship the Lord your God

and him only shall you serve.'"

11Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him."

In the third temptation we see that God's power belongs to him and has not been given to anyone else. The Lord does not show his power and provision because of our claim to deserve it, our goodness, our faith, but because He is the great and mighty God.

Satan comes to Jesus and tells him he can have everything imaginable just by misplacing his worship. "Go on, I'm the prince of this world, after all. And you can have all that power you want."

To this absurd blasphemy Jesus restates the first commandment. "There is only one God. We serve only him." And all this that we see in the world? It doesn't belong to Satan. The whole world belongs to the Lord. He made it, he filled it, he sustains it, he will bring everything to its proper conclusion in the end.

Despite Satan's attempt to pull Jesus off-message, despite Satan's false claims to authority which is not his own, despite all the rambling theological arguments which can make us feel the need to trot out lots of evidence of the reality of God and use natural revelation to prove everything the Scripture asserts, despite all this Jesus does not come off-message. He asserts the truth, which has never changed, and brings the critical issue back to who God is and what He deserves.

Remember, just about every sin we can think of is somehow a violation of the First Commandment. Think about it. What is the first commandment? You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things. Can you think of a way you can truly keep this command and enter into sin? I can't.

This moves us to the other bookend of Jesus' life. We've seen four things already:

1) We don't understand God's power or nature very well. We like things to be right-handed.

2) God's power doesn't have anything much to do with earthly sustenance.

3) God's power doesn't have much to do with preserving this present bodily life or bringing attention to himself through obvious signs.

4) God's power belongs to him and nobody else.

If you are like me, you are at least a little bit uncomfortable with God's idea of what real power is. You realize it doesn't match our ideals too well. You probably want to change your ways to be more like God's ways and see the futility in that attempt. So now it's my job to make you . . . less cofortable.

We are all familiar with the narrative of Jesus' crucifixion, death, and resurrection. We can all confess that Jesus, though sinless, was put to death, that he died in our place, and that the third day he rose again from the dead, showing that he is the firstfruits of the resurrection of the dead and that he has conquered sin and death. That's just plain basic Christian doctrine.

Does this seem like a powerful act on God's part? We picture Jesus beating death to death with the bloody crossbeam he was hung on. Yeah, power. But sometimes it is helpful to look at a familiar event through the lens of a less familiar parallel. So I'd like to tell you a brief story. This is also a borrowed story, at least in its basic concept. I'm not that creative.

It was a bright sunny summer day, much like today. A lot of people were on the beach that day, enjoying the sun, sand, and surf. There was a new lifeguard on duty, but, as normal, nobody really paid much attention to the lifeguard. He was a little out of it anyway. He had forgotten his whistle and was wearing a non-uniform pair of shorts. He looked kind of ragged and talked like a hick, frequently saying odd things. But everyone was having a good time despite him. The tide started to go out. Since there were fairly forceful undertows, all but the strongest swimmers got out of the water while the tide was going out. All of a sudden, one young girl realized she was too far out and was being dragged out to sea. Hearing her screams we all looked at the lifeguard stand, which was empty. Then we saw the lifeguard's head. He seemed to have forgotten the lifeboat provided for his use and was swimming out to help the girl. We all watched as he reached the girl, was attacked by a shark, and disappeared under the bloody water together with the girl. They did not reappear. We called the police, who came and scouted around, dragged around the bottom with a hook and a net, searched the surrounding shoreline and sent patrol boats out. Neither the girl's nor the lifeguard's remains were found in the next two days. The third day, the lifeguard came out of the water alone, assured us everything was all right, stayed around for a while telling us odd things, then flew off into the sky.

Is everything all right in the resurrection of Christ? What kind of power is this? I thought Jesus came to conquer sin and death. He doesn't look much like a winner in his poverty-stricken lif or death. How about now, after the resurrection? People don't fear, love, and trust in God above all things. People are hungry. People are dying. Every day around 155,000 people die in this world. That means that in the past 20 minutes we can expect that about 2000 people have died in this world. I thought Jesus conquered death.

He has conquered death, but he has not done it in the right-handed straight-line no fuss, no muss, no hassle mission accomplished manner that I would have chosen. You see, the one who seems like the loser is the winner.

Through this quiet victory, his death on the cross on our behalf, the winning of Christ which looks suspiciously like losing, our Lord and Savior has atoned for the sins of the world and has seated himself on the throne which belonged to him all along and which does not pass away. And he has proclaimed the message of forgiveness that I proclaim today. This is that Gospel which is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. Jesus has done what we couldn't and wouldn't do. What must we do to be saved? Would you ask that question if you didn't believe? Not in faith you wouldn't. Do you believe that Jesus has actually accomplished something? He has accomplished salvation on your behalf and on my behalf. He has atoned for sin. God's righteous requirement is satisfied. And that is the Gospel I proclaim to you today. Notice I proclaim the Gospel, I don't try to persuade you of it. That's right handed power. But the fact is that whether you and I believe or not, Jesus has atoned for sin and has procured forgiveness. That's a done deal. Do we believe? I pray that we might. Remember as we gather around the Lord's table the Lord's body broken for us and his blood shed for us. We don't earn it. We just believe it.

Lord, help my unbelief!

Amen.

 

Lectionary for 7/25/2008

Today's readings are 1 Samuel 9.1-27 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+Sam.+9.1-27 ) and Acts 21.37-22.16 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+21.37-22.16 ).

 

In today's readings we have two different Sauls.  We meet Saul the son of Kish, whom Samuel anointed king of Israel.  We also see Saul of Tarsus calming a riot.  In both instances we have a prophet of God (Samuel and Paul) speaking with a voice of reason to a situation which was not looking for or even desiring their message.

 

We speak the words of life, given us by Christ.  Let us speak them in a reasoned way, yet holding firm to the radically unexpected message our Lord has given us.  May our hearers not have personal reason to reject us though they reject the message of Christ crucified for their sins.  May we present Christ in such a way that there will be no hindrance to the message we bring through our own poor conduct.

 

 

 

Lectionary for 7/21/08

I've had some interruptions lately and am in the midst of dealing with a big computing crisis.  But I found a computer which is working so I thought I'd make a post.  Still hoping to post yesterday's sermon if I can ever retrieve it from the other computer.

 

Today's readings are 1 Samuel 4.1-22 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+Sam.+4.1-22 ), Acts 16.23-40 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+16.23-40 ) and Acts 17.1-34 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+17.1-34 ).

 

The Philippian jailer asks the question which we are all inclined to ask at one time or another.  "What must I do to be saved?"  Paul and Silas respond in a way which makes some of us uncomfortable.  "Just believe."  They  tell the jailer what to believe, the Gospel, and apparently make an adequate explanation that he knows what they are calling him to believe.  Of course, God has just secured the jailer's attention through the miraculous prison opening and keeping the prisoners in the prison despite their ability to flee.  So we'd expect the jailer to be receptive to whatever Paul and Silas say.

 

Notice how he washes the wounds that Paul and Silas have and he and his household are then baptized?  Consider the symbolism inherent in baptism as a washing.  The bloodstains, the evil, the pain are being washed away from the person who is receiving baptism.  He is then clean and refreshed.

 

What a joy when God sends His Gospel of grace to someone who is in need.  Shortly before he had no hope for the future and was ready to end his life. Now he has new life.  What a God we have!

 

 

Lectionary for 7/18/2008

Today's readings are 1 Samuel 1.21-2.17 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+Sam.+1.21-2.17 ) and Galatians 6.1-18 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Gal.+6.1-18 ).

 

The first two sentences in Galatians 6 should be at the forefront of any discussion of order in the church, discipline, discipleship, or biblical counseling.  Here's how they read (ESV): "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted."

 

Let's unpack these two quite simple sentences a little.

 

1) Brothers are those who are believers, those who are members of Christ's body by faith.  The care for God's people is administered by God's people.  We can trust that the Lord will raise up mature believers who can help other believers through in every need with biblical perspective.

 

2)  Anyone can become involved in sin.  Nobody escapes all temptation on this planet.  Nobody is above it.  And we minister God's hope and help to anyone who needs it, not just to those who appear repentant already, not just to those who are following all our little (and big) rules of conduct.  This aplies to anyone.

 

3) The picture of being caught in a transgression is the same picture of being caught in a hunting net.  We don't go there on purpose.  We may or may not know it is there.  In most cases, when an animal is caught in a net the animal didn't know the net was there.  The animal did not go to its location expecting to be caught.  It is taken by surprise.  It would have avoided the situation if it could.  We are caught in sin.  Very few of us get up in the morning with plans to sin.  But we manage to do it anyway.  And if we are caught in it we won't be able to escape by ourselves.  That's part of being caught.

 

4) What kind of transgressions do we help with?  Any kind.  Even with sinful patterns which are hard to break?  Yes.  How about sinful patterns that are really unacceptable socially?  The Bible says clearly, "any transgression."

 

5)  Who does the restorative work?  Those who are spiritual do it.  Does this mean people without sin?  No, if it meant that, nobody could help.  But believers who are not badly endangered by the sin someone is trapped in should come to help.  What does this say about support groups for people who struggle with sin?  While those are fine and good, you should not expect that one person with a drinking problem will be likely to help another person with a drinking problem in any serious and lasting manner.  When we are caught in sin we need people who are not like us to drag us out.

 

6)  What do we "spiritual" people do?  Kick the person out?  Administer penalties?  Make him prove himself?  None of the above.  We restore him, and we do it gently.  Is there anyone who can't become entrapped in sin?  Nobody.  Do we become entrapped in sin on purpose?  Rarely.  Especially the entrapment.  We will enter into sin on purpose but not if we think we can't retreat again when we want to.  We are all subject to our sinful nature, though we all have different strengths and weaknesses.  What we need is caring restoration.  We need to be shown the grace and mercy of Christ, who laid down his life so we could receive his live for ours.  We need to be reminded that Jesus was subject to every temptation which comes to us.  We need to be reminded that he lives a righteous life before God and that he dresses us in his righteousness.  We are all restored to fellowship with God in one and the same way, not by our works but by the grace of God.

 

7)  We who are spiritual need to watch out for ourselves as well.  There are dangerous sin nets all over the place just waiting to entangle us.  As we guard ourselves against temptation we are more able to help those God has put in our paths.

 

"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted."

Lectionary for 7/17/08

Today's readings are 1 Samuel 1.1-20 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=1+Sam.+1.1-20 ) and Galatians 5.1-26 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Gal.+5.1-26 ).

 

Our reading in Galatians has bookends in verses 1 and 26.  See the freedom we have?  See how we are to stand firm in that freedom?  Now look at all the things we are to do because of the freedom we have in Christ.  In the final analysis, the more we try to do things the more we will run into error.  The more we try to care for our salvation through our works, the more we will choke out the fruit the Spirit grows.  And notice, as we close this very brief post, that we have a contrast between the "works" of the flesh (that which we do) and the "fruit" of the Spirit (which grows according to the Spirit, not based on anything we do).  We can't do fruit.  Only God can grow fruit.  Best not to try to stand in his way.

 

 

Lectionary for 7/16/2008

Today's readings are Judges 16.4-30 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Judges+16.4-30 ), Galatians 4.12-31 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Gal.+4.12-31 ), and Judges 17.1-21.25 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Judges+17.1-21.25 ).

 

Consider the prevailing American view of ministry for a moment.  Develop a ministry plan, find a location in which we wish to promote the Gospel, do a demographic analysis to find out what kind of church people are looking for, what will thrive in the community.  Gather a leadership team of already committed Christians, a big enough leadership team that people in most parts of the world and through most of history would consider that to be an established church.  Start having exploratory services, then finally launch yourself as a church when you have enough interested people.

 

This is not what happened in Paul's time.  Why, we might not even think he had a "call" to proclaim the Gospel to the Galatians.  He ministered Christ to them because of his illness.  Apparently something happened, we don't know what, causing Paul to end up somewhere in Galatia needing some time to recover from a malady.  While recovering, Paul did what any Christian would be expected to do.  He talked about Jesus.  God used his illness and temporary detainment in Galatia to plant a church.

 

So what are we going to do next time we are somewhere and have opportunity to talk with people?  Maybe the Lord will use us to plant a church.  Maybe not.  But I pray that our talk and our actions will be talk and actions hat exalt Christ above all things.

 

 

 

 

Lectionary for 7/15/2008

Today's readings are Judges 15.1-16.3 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Judges+15.1-16.3 ) and Galatians 3.23-4.11 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Gal.+3.23-4.11 ).

 

In Galatians 3 we read more about the nature of our custody to the Law.  Think of it as protective custody.  Apart from Christ, God has given us his Law and held us captive by it.  We try to disobey and find at least some level of restraint because of the Law.  In Christ, the same Law applies but there are some fundamental changes.  First, we are given a desire to obey God.   I recall the difference between a city dog and a country dog.  The city dog needs a leash because otherwise it will run away and harm itself.  The country dog may have a leash but it doesn't matter since the dog spends all day lying on the porch.  In Christ we become the country dog who does not desire to bolt and run.  We are at home in God's household and wish to stay.  Second, we realize the implications of God's law.  He doesn't just condemn actions, but attitudes as well.  The prison bars can guard our actions but do nothing about our attitudes.  Only God's Spirit does something about our attitudes.  A third way that God uses his Law in us is by our distinctiveness in our culture.  What of the situation when we can openly tell our unbelieving neighbor that we choose to do something in a particular way because it's a way the Lord has revealed in Scripture?  What of the time when we point out that we are guarding our thought life because it matters to our Lord?  We are a peculiar people, set apart for God's praise.  Free from the Law, by the Gospel we are partakers of Christ's obedience to the Law.

 

Lectionary for 7/14/2008

Today's readings are Judges 14.1-20 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Judges+14.1-20 ) and Galatians 3.1-22 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Gal.+3.1-22 ).

 

Galatians 3 has been used to annul God's law.  People who are in grace are free from the law.  We are not saved by the law, it is a curse.  Yet this is not what Paul is saying.  Let's take just a brief moment to consider what Paul is really saying about God's law.  First, the one who is able to keep the law receives life.  It is a good thing and a blessing to those who keep God's law.  The problem is that we are not able to keep God's law.  Therefore, it becomes a curse to us.  How are we to be pleasing to God then?  We are pleasing to God only by receiving his Word in faith.  Then what of the law?  Is the Mosaic law part of God's word?  Indeed it is.  Are we to receive it by faith?  We most certainly are.  So what do we do?  We can't keep the law.  But Jesus has kept the law on our behalf.  As we believe this he imputes his righteousness to us so that God sees us dressed in Christ's righteousness, not by our faithfulness but by his faithfulness.  So what is God's law good for?  Without a doubt it convicts us of sin.  When applied to the broader community it restrains evil, at least helping to keep behaviors in check.  And God's law shows us what is pleasing to God.  Since Christ gives us a desire to be obedient to God, the law provides us with ways we can try to be obedient, though we will often fail.  So we establish the law and we rejoice in grace.

 

 

Lectionary for 7/12/2008

Today's readings are Judges 7.1-23 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Judges+7.1-23 ), Galatians 1.1-24 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Gal.+1.1-24 ), and Judges 7.24-12.15 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Judges+7.24-12.15 ).

 

Paul sums up the reading that we do in Judges very quickly and concisely.  In Galatians 1.6-9 (ESV) he says, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed."

 

How quick we are to turn from the God who loved us and gave his life to secure ours.  How quickly we seek some other gospel, which is not a gospel at all.  We see it in Gideon, we see it in national Israel, we see it in the Galatians, and we can see it in ourselves.  Are we people who fear, love and trust in God above all things? 

 

Lord, forgive us our sins and restore us to right fellowship and trust in you.

 

 

 

Lectionary for 7/11/2008

Today's readings are Judges 6.25-40 (
http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Judges+6.25-40 ) and Acts 15.6-21 (
http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+15.6-21 ).

Our Lord works in amazing ways. He calls people like us to himself.
Look at the amazement of the apostles assembled in Acts 15. Can God
really save Gentiles without their conversion to Judaism? Based on
the testimony of Peter and Paul and the exegesis of James it would
seem that God can and does do this. How are we going to react? See
how the council at Jerusalem reacted by affirming that God indeed
saves Gentiles just like he saves Jews, apart from obedience to the
Mosaic Law. The apostles do tell the Gentile Christians to avoid some
practices which would be so offensive to every Jew in the world that
they would be immediately alienated. But they affirm for Jewish and
Gentile Christians alike that people from every nation can be
believers.

How are we going to react when God works in ways which make us
uncomfortable? How about our reaction when we see that the same Holy
Spirit is working in people who are in radically different church
traditions from ours? How about when we see the Lord saving the rich,
the poor, the educated, the uneducated, people outside of our cultural
group? How do we respond? Actually, that is an irrelevant question.
It doesn't matter so much how we do respond. How should we respond?
That's what matters. And Scripture is quite clear. We respond by
bringing glory and praise to the Lord who is able to do all things
according to his will by his spirit to reconcile the world to himself
in Christ.

Give thanks to the Lord, who works outside the boundaries we have
constructed for him.

Lectionary for 7/10/2008

Today's readings are Judges 6.1-24 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Judges+6.1-24 ) and Acts 14.19-15.5 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+14.19-15.5 ).

 

Think you're having a bad day?  Our culture seems obsessed with its bad fortune.  We're tired, too busy, nourished inappropriately, depressed, oppressed, repressed, and unpressed (in the sartorial line, that is).  We are overworked, underpaid, and get no respect whatever.

 

Look at the characters in our readings.  They are having a bad day indeed.  What is our Lord's response to the evil situations these people are in?  All is well.  God is on the throne.  He will bring all to rights in his good time.  All our present afflictions are but light.  Our suffering, however, is not trivial to our Lord.  He understands our pain.  He knows us.  And his mercy and grace are sufficient for us.  See how when the Lord visits Gideon he encourages him that all is well, then he disappears, not apparently accomplishing anything  But we have a promise.  God is good and he is on his throne.  All is well.

 

 

Lectionary for 7/9/2008

Today's readings are Judges 4.1-24 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Judges+4.1-24 ), Acts 14.1-18 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+14.1-18 ), and Judges 5.1-31 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Judges+5.1-31 ).

 

Look carefully at the activities of Paul and Barnabas in Iconium.  I'll just make a quick list of what I observed, then see if I find any application.

 

1)  They speak so as to be persuasive.

2)  Unbelievers seek to be persuasive as well.

3)  Paul and Barnabas  are committed to staying for a long time if need be.

4)  The Holy Spirit affirms their presence.

5)  Eventually the tide turns against Paul and Barnabas from all ethnic and political groups, resulting in death threats.

6)  Paul and Barnabas flee that area but continue to proclaim the Gospel.

 

Applications:

1)  God's Word is effective.  At the same time, God speaks through people who strive to be effective as well.  We are facing opposition so need to work as hard as we can to make the Gospel plain.

2)  It may take a while to accomplish the work the Lord has given us. 

3)  We can sometimes tell when the Holy Spirit is working through us.  Especially in difficult situations we may find some sort of signs of God's presence.

4)  Sometimes proclamation of the Gospel is life threatening.  Hostility is not necessarily a sign that we are doing something wrong.

5)  It is all right to strive to protect our lives in order to continue to spread the Gospel.

 

Go through your life for Christ today.  See what the Lord does through you.

 

 

Lectionary for 7/8/2008

Today's readings are Judges 3.7-31 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Judges+3.7-31 ) and Acts 13.42-52 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+13.42-52 ).

 

Paul and Barnabas, speaking with Jews in Antioch, created quite a stir.  Notice that their message of the Gospel was something many people were ready to receive. It was, after all, good news.  The people demanded that Paul and Barnabas keep talking with them about the Gospel (at least on the next Sabbath).  Yet the Gospel, while it creates joy and delight also creates divsion.  Those who were not receptive stirred up crowds against Paul and Barnabas, eventually managing to throw them out of town.  Let's learn a few things from this incident.

 

First, the Gospel is, above all, good news.  Through the Gospel the Lord proclaims freedom from sin and deliverance into eternal life and blessedness.

 

Second, the Gospel divides.  Those who reject the Gospel often actively try to discourage others from belief.  If we have figured out how to earn merit with God we immediately reject others who say they don't have to earn merit with God.  But the Gospel is not something we earn, so it will always reap criticism.

 

Third, the Gospel spreads through circumstances.  Those God was calling to himself at that time in Antioch received the Word.  Those who were rejecting Christ and his apostles also accomplished the work of spreading the Gospel by driving the apostles out so they would spread the Gospel elsewhere.  Even seed sown along the path and eaten by birds is redistributed.

 

Lectionary for 7/7/08

Today's readings are Judges 2.6-23 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Judges+2.6-23 ) and Acts 13.13-41 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+13.13-41 ).

 

See today the way that people who have heard the truth, God's revealed word of salvation, act.  Within a generation they walk away from their faith.  They quickly depart from what the Lord has revealed to them.  Swiftly we return to following the ways that seem right to us rather than the ways that are right before God.  We rush to our destruction.  And we who are in Christ are no different.  Though some of us are quicker to believe and more steadfast in looking to Jesus our hope of salvation, we are sinners all, ready to follow the path to death.

 

How important it is that we keep reminding ourselves and one another of the truth of the Gospel.  Exhort one another today.

 

 

Lectionary for 7/6/08

Today's readings are Joshua 24.1-31 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Josh.+24.1-31 ), Acts 13.1-12 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+13.1-12 ) and Judges 1.1-36 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Judges+1.1-36 ).

 

How does the Lord communicate with his people?  We see three different readings today, all of which deal with God and people communicating with each other.  Many times today we are apprehensive about people's experiential statements about communication with the Lord.  Yet we need to confess that God does communicate with his people.  His final word, so to speak, is the living Word of God, Jesus.  Yet even after the resurrection, while the New Testament was being written, prophets received messages from God, people knew where to go and what to do, in short, they did receive communication from God.  And we still have no problem with the idea of praying that the Lord will guide us in what we should do.  Though some take it to extremes (Lord, should I put milk on my cereal this morning?), nobody would deny that we should address serious life events with prayerful discernment.  And we don't pray with the expectation that God will not communicate with us.  That would be tantamount to idolatry.  Rather, we pray with the expectation that God can and will make our path clear, give us assurance, help us find the right job, or better yet will show us the employer who really needs to be served and blessed by us.

 

But how does this happen?  We understand that the Lord has spoken in his written word, that he communicates with us through circumstances, and that he will act in our lives in accordance with the graces and gifts he has given us.  That's about the extent of what I can say.  But we need to be ready for God to work in us.  He is the living God.  He is the God who communicates with us.  If it appears that God is silent we should expect that it is actually we who are not listening.

 

Grace to you, and may the Lord bless you with peace, not silence.

 

Lectionary for 7/5/08

Today's readings are Joshua 23.1-16 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Josh.+23.1-16 ) and Acts 12.1-25 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+12.1-25 ).

 

I hope we will consider ourselves in light of the beginning of Acts 12.  Notice the three groups of people in the first five verses, three groups of people who portray all of humanity in microcosm. 

 

First we have Herod, in a position of power and wishing to please people.  He does what people-pleasers will do - whatever seems to please people.  It is in his power to persecute James and Peter or it is in his power to nurture them and care for them.  What do most people around him seem to like?  That's what he does.  Herod, in his position of power, was known as a dictator who would use cruelty to accomplish political advancement and popularity for himself.  That's exactly what he aimed at with James, who was annoying to him.  Finding that his execution of James pleased the people, he proceeded to put Peter in prison, no doubt with a similar goal.  How often do we act in a way that will please people, not because we are personally involved in the situation but because we want to please people and get something out of it?  There's nothing wrong with doing things that will please others.  We are to love our neighbor as ourself.  Loving our neighbor often ends up pleasing the neighbor, whether it is by going ahead and sweeping the snow off the neighbor's steps or by cleaning up after our dog.  But we love our neighbor not to earn that neighbor's praise, but to reflect the love of God and to provide what the neighbor needs.

 

Our second group of people are the oppressed, James and Peter.  Are we in positions where others take advantage of us?  Are we in positions where we are vulnerable to attack?  How much more we should realize that our Lord and Savior allowed others to take advantage of him, that he made himself vulnerable to attack, and that he endured a shameful, defiling death on our account.  If Jesus so allowed himself to be mistreated while showing his care for the world, how much more should we endure hardship for the sake of Christ?

 

The third group of people are the saints raising prayers for Peter.  The encouragers are often neglected.  Are there people we can pray for?  Are there people we can support and love, even if they themselves will never know our support in this life?  Are there times when we can show kindness in the name of Christ?  Let us pursue this saintly ministry wholeheartedly.  It is at the very heart and center of Christian ministry, as we do the work of Christ by loving and serving those who are unable to love or serve us back.

 

 

Lectionary for 7/4/2008

Today's readings are Joshua 10.1-25 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Josh.+10.1-25 ), Acts 11.19-30 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+11.19-30 ), and Joshua 10.28-22.34 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Josh.+10.28-22.34 ).

 

As we look at Acts 11, let's notice carefully the way the early Church leaders treat believers.  They nurture them, exhort them in the Gospel, support them when they endure persecution, and they encourage them not to depart from their faith.  I have lately engaged in discussions with Calvinists who say that those who depart from their faith only seem to have been Christians before.  But what does the Holy Spirit tell us through the author of Acts?  These were believers and they were being encouraged not to depart from the faith.  It is a very clear possibility that unbelief could grow in a genuine believer's life, planted and nourished by adversity, driving the believer away from Christ. 

 

With this in mind, let me make two exhortations.  First, we should not go beyond Scripture to protect God's sovereignty or his ability to save and guard his people.  The Scripture says that all who are believing on Christ are safe.  The Scripture says that we can depart from the faith.  We dare not say those people who depart from the faith never had it in the first place.  They are called believers in Scripture.  The second exhortation, and obviously the most important one, is that we must cling to faith in Christ and his atonement for our sins.  We do not add anything to our salvation.  We can take away from our salvation.  Let us not put ourselves in jeopardy by trying to add to our salvation.  Let us not be discouraged by adversity and trials.  Let us hold fast to our Lord.

 

 

Lectionary for 7/3/2008

Today's readings are Joshua 8.1-28 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Josh.+8.1-28 ) and Acts 11.1-18 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+11.1-18 )

 

We have all heard the slogans like "doctrine divides" and "deeds, not creeds."  In today's Christian culture it seems that doctrinal purity is no longer seen as the foundation for our practice, but that practice is what leads to unity, and unity in attitudes and practices lead to the doctrines we consider important.  How does this compare with what we see in the early Church?

 

When Peter brought the news that Gentiles had been given the Holy Spirit, that they had been granted repentance and faith, some of the Jewish Christians didn't believe him.  They were ready to reject this salvation of God because it didn't coincide with their categories, that salvation was mediated through and intended for Jews, not for Gentiles.  Their understanding that the biological descendants of Abraham were the chosen people and that the entry of others into this covenant of God's grace would be very rare was driving their program.  They wouldn't deny that Gentiles could believe.  There was a long history of Gentiles converting to Judaism, so it would be natural to expect that within the Church as well.  But it was unheard of that people who believed on Jesus would skip what seemed the natural and logical intermediate step of becoming a Jew.

 

Peter's explanation, thankfully, cleared up the dissension within his initial audience.  They understood that he had proclaimed the same gospel to the Gentiles that he had proclaimed to Jews and that the Gentiles had believed.  They had been regenerated just the same way the Jewish believers had, despite not converting to Judaism first.  But Peter's clear explanation of what happened helped draw the doctrinal lines of soteriology in such a way that the Jewish believers understood that Peter was not proclaiming a different Gospel but that God was redeeming people who had not converted to Judaism.

 

This is a real-life example of doctrine unifying, not dividing.  And Scripture is replete with similar examples.  Doctrine is, after all, that teaching which (if we interpret it rightly) the Lord has given to his apostles who have given it on to others, including through the written Word of God.  It is God's doctrine.  This is what we need to see the Lord more clearly.

 

Lord, open our eyes to understand what you are saying, to cherish your words, to love your laws, to persevere in your doctrine that you have given us.  Draw us together through genuinely biblical beliefs.

 

Lectionary for 7/1/2008

Today's readings are Joshua 6.6-27 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Josh.+6.6-27 ) and Acts 10.18-33 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+10.18-33 ).

 

We can gain some insight into Peter's character, and maybe our own, from Acts 10.28-29.  Peter was a devout Jew.  He had been accustomed, from his earliest childhood, not to have dealings with Gentiles and not to engage in activities which would make him unclean.  Now here, as a Christian, he was staying in the house of a tanner, who would be in a fairly constant state of ceremonial uncleanness due to his exposure to blood.  He had received a vision from God telling him that God proclaims things clean, including all sorts of unclean animals.  And now Peter has been visited by people from a Gentile's household, has received them to hear their plea, and has even gone with them to the house of Cornelius, a place he never would have entered without divine command.  Look at the words of Peter.  "God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean" (ESV). 

 

One of the "hot topics" within American evangelical Christianity lately has be so-called "racial reconciliation."  Though there is but one race of humans (hence the "human race") we have taken color and stature characteristics, and even more importantly, cultural characteristics, and allowed them to divide people.  How many times have we faced prejudicial feelings based on someone's apparent background, based on appearance or accent?  When will we realize that Jesus came to bear the sins of the world - not the sins of one particular cultural group?  When will we realize that the good news is to be proclaimed to all nations?  When will we realize that when the Lord has proclaimed people clean they are clean indeed?  Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and a person who appeared as different from most of us as you can be.  May we find our unity in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 

Lectionary for 6/30/08

Today's readings are Joshua 5.1-6.5 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Josh.+5.1-6.5 ) and Acts 10.1-17 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+10.1-17 ).

 

Look at the preparations made by God in both Joshua 5 and Acts 10.  See how the Lord visits people and makes them aware of his greatness.  In the case of the Canaanites the Lord strikes them with terror.  In the case of Cornelius the Lord gives him an eagerness to inquire into the Lord's answer to sin.  In both cases God's believing people (the Israelites and Peter) receive God's preparation for the task they are to do.  The Israelites are shown how to refresh their obedience to God's covenant and law.  Peter is shown that God may proclaim that which is unclean to be clean.

 

How has the Lord worked in bringing His Gospel to you?  How is he preparing you to serve him in bringing the Gospel to others?  May we be sensitive to his leading and obedient to his calling and plan.

 

 

Lectionary for 6/28/08

Today's readings are Joshua 3.1-17 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Josh.+3.1-17 ) and Acts 9.1-22 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+9.1-22 ). 

 

"Deeds, not creeds," right?  "Doctrine divides."  In this modern comfortable version of Western Christianity that we see all so often, many Americans will blithely assume that purity of doctrine is not very important.  As long as you have "the basics" everything is fine.  And what are "the basics"?  Sometimes it's awfully hard to see what those might be.  Every Christian group seems to have its own version of what is basic.  Every Christian group seems to have its own standard for whether the things on their "basic" list are necessary for fellowship with other Christians or not.  Yet while we look at these distinctives as defining ourselves we pass off theological distinctives as unimportant.

 

Not so in the early Church.  Saul went out looking for people who were following what he saw as incorrect doctrine.  The goal was to imprison them and bring them to death.  This is no gentle religious pluralism.  And when he was converted, while we can see that the early Christians did not pursue unbelievers to death, it is crystal clear that your doctrine does matter.  It's tremendously important.  Genuine believers are called to repentance over doctrinal distinctives.

 

Where are we going to draw the lines today?  We have a very wide variety of groups going by the name "Christian."  What are the essentials?  I pray that we may all pursue genuine answers to those questions.  May we be changed by the Scripture as we seek the truth.

 

 

 

Lectionary for 6/27/08

Today's readings are Joshua 2.1-24 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Josh.+2.1-24 ) and Acts 8.26-40 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+8.26-40 ).

 

Looking at Acts 8.26-40 we see how the Lord has arranged this meeting between Philip and the eunuch, a meeting which will ultimately bring the Gospel to Ethiopia.  See how Philip is told to go out into the middle of nowhere for no apparent reason.  Once he has gone, he meets the Ethiopian.  Had Philip arrived at a different time he would have missed the eunuch altogether.  This man was a man of influence.  He was doubtless accompanied by others who would have heard the conversation and witnessed all that happened.  So God prepared witnesses for his miraculous work of regeneration.  The eunuch was reading about Jesus and was already asking the right questions.  He was predisposed to believe what Philip told him.  And the Lord arranged that there was a good place to apply baptism to this new believer.  When on a journey through arid regions you guard your water supply, taking advantage of such places to water the livestock and people.  Whether the baptism is by immersion, pouring, or sprinkling (and it is not clear, it is simply clear that they didn't use the drinking water supply carried by people, which could be suicidal, and that they went down rather than up to find water, which follows the laws of physics), we know that the eunuch stopped his progress to be baptized and that it was important enough to stop his progress almost right away.

 

Having God's name and promises applied to us is critical.  The apostles are commanded to baptize people.  We should treat this sacrament as it is - God's very command and promise.  The Ethiopian eunuch seemed to understand it. 

 

 

Lectionary for 6/26/08

Today's readings are Joshua 1.1-18 ( http://www.officesupplyoutfitters.com/dcp7020.html ) and Acts 8.1-25 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Acts+8.1-25 ).

 

In the beginning of Acts 8 we see that a persecution falls upon the Christians in Jerusalem.  What is our reaction when decidedly bad things happen?  To recap the situation, the believers are persecuted, Christians other than the apostles flee to different areas, bringing the message of the Gospel with them.  The apostles remain in Jerusalem.  I think, though it doesn't state it outright, we can safely assume that the apostles weren't the only Christians who remained at Jerusalem, but that many fled and many stayed.

 

We could say the persecution was actually a good thing because it spread the Gospel.  But persecution is never good.  We could say that the persecution is something which is bad and which God tried to thwart.  But God is able to protect his people against evil. 

 

One of the keys to understanding this passage and the many evil things that happen in this world is that God can and does use evil things to accomplish good.  In a like manner, we can't say Jesus' death, or anyone's death, is good.  Death is bad.  But God can use that bad to accomplish good. 

 

We should be hesitant to say that God is the one bringing evil upon us.  The Bible shows evil people acting in evil ways and doing it of their own accord.  We should be hesitant to say that we understand why we are enduring evil.  We really don't know, though the ultimate reason is that God is going to use the evil to accomplish his good purpose somewhere and somehow.

 

But let us be confident in this.  As God commissioned Joshua at the beginning of our Old Testament reading, to lead the people and endure hardship in order to reach the victory God is giving to Israel, he also commissions us to live our lives in obedience to Christ's command, to endure hardship, and to reach the victory of our heavenly home through faith in Jesus.

 

Lectionary for 6/25/2008

Today's readings are Proverbs 31.10-31 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+31.10-31 ) and John 21.1-25 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+21.1-25 ).

 

Today we see the disciples after the resurrection returning to their work.  Peter realized his responsibility to his family and his community so returned to his former way of life, which was honorable and just. 

 

How do we respond after Christian experiences which we would consider "mountaintop" or "valley" times?  Jesus has given each of us many vocations, callings, in our daily lives.  For instance, I have a vocation as a husband, as a father, as a neighbor, as a leader in my local church, as an employee, as a supervisor of other employees, as a citizen, and as many other things.  Almost everything I do is somehow related to one or more of these callings the Lord has placed upon me.  They aren't mutually exclusive (I'm law-abiding as an employee, citizen, and for the sake of all the people I try to model godliness for).  And in my various vocations, the Lord has given me, and all of us, standing orders of what to do.  All husbands, regardless of their source of income, their zip code, or hair style of preference, are called to love their wives, leading them and laying down their lives for them as Christ did for His Church.  But regardless of the mountaintop or valley we are or have experienced, we are to fulfill our callings.  Are you discouraged in life?  Love your wife.  Are you rejoicing?  Love your wife.  Are you worried about finances?  Love your wife.  Same response.

 

Peter goes back to work.  Several other disciples resume their lives and work as well.  Were they being disobedient to the Lord?  No.  But Jesus came to them and gave them revised directions.  What if they had returned to their business after Jesus sent them to do other work?  Then they would be disobedient.

 

The bottom line - take the work the Lord has put before you.  Do it with all your heart, to the best of your ability, and fulfill your calling before Christ.  Whatever that calling, it is noble.

 

 

 

 

Lectionary for 6/24/08

Today's readings are Proverbs 30.1-9 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+30.1-9 ), Proverbs 30.18-33 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+30.18-33 ), and John 20.1-31 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+20.1-31 ).

 

In Proverbs 30.1-4 we see some true wisdom and discernment.  How often we think we are intelligent, wise and discerning but in fact we are not.  The words of Agur here show us to be like a toddler toddling around saying, "Me big, no baby."  As we grow in wisdom we start seeing our inability.  As we grow in godliness we start seeing our sin.  As we grow in grace we see that we are not gracious.

 

Let us thank the Lord that he grants us eyes to see the great distinction between man and God.  Let us likewise thank the Lord that he is in the business of reconciling a people to himself, changed into his image.

 

 

 

Lectionary for 6/22/08

Today's readings are Proverbs 25.1-22 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+25.1-22 ), John 19.23-42 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+19.23-42 ) and Proverbs 26.1-28 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+26.1-28 ).

 

Proverbs 25.2 (ESV) "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out."  Original researchers are amazing.  Isn't it fascinating that someone can take a look inside a cell just to see what's in there?  Isn't it amazing that someone would think of decoding DNA to find out where genetic predispositions might be found?  How about the people who decided to classify minerals by the way they broke when you whacked them with a hammer?  This verse has been used to justify original research, government funded research, the government's role in education, all sorts of things.  And it is wonderful to see what human inquiry gives us.  If it weren't for inquiring people we would not have the benefit of a good deal of technology that is decidedly good for us.  A simple example - corrective eyewear.  How many of us have glasses or contacts?  Lots and lots of us.  Isn't it nice to be able to see things clearly at a distance by putting on glasses?  Or to see things close to you clearly by putting on glasses?  Who would have thought of this?  Someone who searched things out.

 

Yet there's something much more important in this proverb.  While we are all certainly pleased by searching things out, that is not what the author is getting at.  His main point is that God, the one who is infinitely greater than the kings, is the one who conceals things.  And what God conceals, the kings can't search out.  He has concealed some things that the natural mind will never search out.  How is this played out in the Scripture?  Look at all the times God chooses the weaker over the stronger, the younger over the older, the insignificant over the significant.  See how God promises an inheritance and innumerable offspring to an elderly nomad who is childless.  See how God sends a Messiah who comes and lays down his life, dying instead of doing what kings normally do.  "It is the glory of God to conceal things."  "What must we do to be saved?"  Really, nothing.  You've already "done" it, if it can be termed as doing anything at all, because you wouldn't ask if you hadn't already repented and believed.  How can I grow in godliness?  Well, that's like a tree asking how it can grow.  It doesn't do anything.  It just follows its nature.  God has concealed all the riches of salvation in a way that we will never search out.  Without the living Word of God acting in our lives we will never ever figure out that losing is winning, dying to self is taking up the life Christ has for us, that we find our life by losing it, and that we in fact can do nothing that accomplishes any merit in the eyes of God.

 

The rulers of this world may strive, the scientists may study, the economists may make their theories, the engineers may try their hand at unravelling the mysteries of how creation works.  But they will not find that which God has concealed except as it is revealed to them in Christ.  "It is the glory of God to conceal things" and he has revealed to us all that we need for life and godliness in these last days through Jesus, the living Word. May we see this revelation clearly.

 

 

 

Lectionary for 6/21/08

Today's readings are Proverbs 24.1-22 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+24.1-22 ) and John 19.1-22 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+19.1-22 ).

 

Look at Pilate for a moment.  See how John portrays him as attempting to release Jesus and to hold the Jews accountable for Jesus' death.  Though history portrays Pilate as a governor of only moderate competency - that's how a Roman governor ends up assigned to the Middle East - with a speckled record of keeping the peace wherever he went, we get the idea from John's portrayal of his efforts that he is at least making an attempt to do the right thing.  He is unsure whether Jesus should in fact be put to death.  He is unsure whether Jesus is guilty of any crime against the Roman government.  He is unsure whether Jesus has been rightly characterized to him.  When he hears Jesus is making a claim at deity, he realizes that it is possible, just possible, that there is something to the accusations, but that it is something he does not want to deal with.  Let the religious fanatics be put to death by the other religious fanatics.

 

All the while we realize Jesus has a greater and deeper purpose.  He is intending to come and die to redeem a people to himself.  He is intending to fulfill prophecy as he dies, the lamb of God slain for the sins of the world.  Jesus does what he does to accomplish his purpose, a purpose which thwarts both the plans of Pilate and, ultimately, the plans of the Jewish leaders.

 

May the death of Christ thwart our plans, plans bent toward sin.  May our Lord and Savior draw us close in his arms, showing us that the pain he suffered was for us.

 

 

 

Lectionary for 6/19/08

Today's readings are Proverbs 22.1-21 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+22.1-21 ) and John 18.1-14 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+18.1-14 ).

 

As we look at the arrest of Jesus we see a very odd situation.  While reading John 18 with some students this year I looked up the term which the ESV translates "band" of soldiers.  As with most military terms, it is a rather specific one.  The force of soldiers Judas brought with him, in addition to the temple guards, was a group of about 600 men. Over six hundred men to arrest one man?  At night?  What were they expecting?  Maybe they expected Jesus and his disciples to be armed?  Maybe they expected them to resist arrest?  Yet outnumbering the people you are planning to arrest 50:1 seems excessive.  Those soldiers, unarmed, could apprehend even well armed and trained opponents with that ratio.  And here the soldiers were armed and trained.  Peter pulled a sword out from somewhere, but seems to have used it approximately as a fisherman would, attacking a servant and not a real soldier. 

 

Jesus in fact does not resist arrest.  This is a show of his power and authority.  Jesus knew they would come to arrest him.  He knew that his purpose would be accomplished by being put to death.  He was ready to do so out of his love for you and for me.  Jesus, the mighty God, came to bear our sin so we would not have to bear it ourselves.  He, alone, is more powerful than the hundreds of men who came to arrest him, for he conquered sin and death through his death, something all the people in the world will not overcome through their lives or deaths.  And he goes willingly, considering the shame of the cross and the pain of death less important than redeeming your life.

 

Rejoice!  When everyone else was sleeping, Jesus was praying that the Father's will might be done, though it would cost him his life.  While we were yet dead in sin (a sort of sleep), Jesus gave himself over for us.  They probably could have sent one officer to come get Jesus.  If the disciples had let him in, Jesus would have gone.  It is God's good will to redeem the world to himself in Christ.

Lectionary for 6/17/2008

Today's readings are Proverbs 17.1-28 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+17.1-28 ), John 16.17-33 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+16.17-33 ), and Proverbs 18.1-20.4 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+18.1-20.4 ).

 

A few days ago I had a visitor for lunch.  This visitor made a complaint about the lunch he was served.  He reminded me specifically of Proverbs 17.1.  Lest you misunderstand, I'll quote my visitor.  "My brother, this bread doesn't seem dry and crumbly."  For some years we have joked that he could come over any time and we would share with him what we had.  He has quoted Proverbs 17.1 and accepted the invitations graciously.  Our friendship has grown as we have talked about many issues - church governance, child rearing, education, and theology to name a few.  This visit was no different.  But I had joked about putting some bread out to dry for him since he seemed to like those "dry morsels."  I even meant to do so and present him with a napkin containing an inedible piece of bread while giving everyone else a nicer lunch.  But I had neglected to prepare adequately.

 

Would you rather have a simple meal with those you love and trust and who love and trust you?  I would.

 

Jesus calls us to a very simple meal.  Just some bread and wine there.  And Jesus is there with us too.  Let us not despise the simplicity of God's provision in Christ.  Let us rather enjoy the fellowship and love we receive by the good pleasure of our heavenly Master.

 

 

 

Lectionary for 6/16/08

Today's readings are Proverbs 16.1-24 (http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+16.1-24 ) and John 16.1-16 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+16.1-16 ).

 

At the outset of John 16, Jesus tells why he has told the disciples what he told them at the end of chapter 15.  So let's turn a page back and remember what Jesus has just been telling the disciples . . . people will hate them and persecute them because they hated God first, but believers will be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, the Helper Jesus will send and who proceeds from the Father.

 

Now, why did Jesus tell the disciples all he told them?  To strengthen them and keep them from falling away.  Jesus here presents the very real possibility that true believers will face persecution, specifically physical and societal threats (being killed or cast out of the synagogue), and will depart from their faith in Jesus in order to protect their physical and social well-being.  Jesus encourages his people to trust in him and his provision, not to fear those who can disrupt their earthly lives.

 

There are a few aspects of this brief paragraph which I think are very important.  First, it is a very real possibility that genuine Christians may depart from the faith when facing persecution.  I was speaking about this with two Calvinists a few days ago, both people whom I respect greatly, people with what appears to be a deep-seated trust in Christ and assurance of his love for them.  As I understood the conversation I had with these friends, people who depart from the faith were not believers to begin with.  While that point of view protects the Calvinist's high regard for the effectiveness of Christ's salvation - he will guard all genuine believers forever - it does not seem to fit in with what Jesus says here.  Jesus, though he is certainly able to keep his people secure in  him, allows people to flee from their trust in him and depart from the faith.  He warns against it.  He provides teaching about the ultimate safety of the believer.  He provides the Holy Spirit to encourage and confirm believers.  But believers appear quite able to depart from their faith.

 

A second aspect which is important to realize in reading the beginning of John 16 is that unbelievers, by and large, think they are doing the right thing by rejecting Christ and his people.  They do not understand the way our Lord works salvation.  They do not understand God's love in Christ the suffering servant.  They don't understand the glory of laying down your own life, hopes, dreams, and future to receive that which Jesus has prepared for you.  God's kingdom is counter-intuitive.  We cannot expect that everyone will fear, love and trust God in Christ.  This is one of the reasons I think a seeker-sensitive church growth model of ministry is dangerous.  It approaches life and ministry with an attitude that says the world will understand Jesus, embrace him, and follow him if we present him in terms they are already predisposed to accept.  Yet these terms run counter to the nature of God.  Let God be God and every man a liar!

 

The final aspect of this passage which I'd like to mention is, in my opinion, the most important.  However, I'll treat it in the briefest of terms because it is readily understandable.  God in Christ has seen our future.  He knows our dangers.  He knows the struggles we will face.  He has acted in time and space to protect us and carry us through those struggles.  When we face discouragement and doubt in our lives, or if we face genuine threats to our life and well being, we can know that our Lord understands and has provided his grace for us.  He has spoken in advance to protect us from the trials to come.  Let us rejoice that our Lord knows our frailty and has anticipated all that will come upon us.  Let us look to him in his resurrection, trusting that he has indeed overcome the world.  By faith, we will overcome the world as well.

 

 

 

Lectionary for 6/14/08

Today's readings are Proverbs 14.1-7 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+14.1-27 ) and John 15.1-11 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+15.1-11 ). 

 

Jesus the carpenter makes some interesting agrarian statements.  Some of them are quite counter-intuitive, such as his parable of the weeds, where the weeds should be allowed to grow alongside the grain.  Some of them, however, are completely in synch with normal agricultural practice, and this is one of them.  When caring for plants, nearly any kind of plant, regular trimming is one of the more important ways of shaping the plant and encouraging its growth.  I have a bush in my yard which has a thin place in it for some reason.  Yesterday (really, I did this) I trimmed that bush and particularly paid attention to the areas around the thin place, trimming the branches near it even if they weren't very long.  Those branches will become more bushy and the little trimming will stimulate their growth.  The thin place should fill in.

 

God the vine-dresser prunes our branches.  Unproductive habits, relationships we should not develop, desires we have and which don't bring him honor, all are subject to the pruning of God.  Unlike the plants, we are quite aware of God's pruning and don't like it.  We shy away from God's glorious activity in our lives.  This ought not to be.  God is doing it for our good and for his glory.  Let us rather embrace God's good work in our lives, knowing that he will bring much fruit out of it.

 

 

Lectionary for 6/13/08

Today's readings are Proverbs 13.1-25 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+13.1-25 ) and John 14.18-31 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+14.18-31 ).

 

Are we guilty of saying, "when Jesus was with the disciples" as if he is no longer with his disciples?  I expect nearly all of us have taken that attitude.  If only Jesus were here, he'd know what to do, so we would too.  But what is Jesus' promise in John 14.18 and following?  Jesus promises that he will be with his people, that he brings life, understanding, rejoicing, and confidence.  Jesus promises that in fact he is not bound by evil but has overcome.

 

Truly Jesus is with his disciples.  Since the ascension he has never left us.  Jesus is present with those who believe.  Let us therefore take confidence in his presence and the validity of all his promises.  Let us rejoice in our Lord who has triumphed over sin and death.  Let us seek out Jesus, the living Word of God who brings wisdom and understanding (the Greek word for "word" also means account or reckoning and hence orderly understanding).  Let us look to Jesus, the way, the life and the truth.  Let us walk in the presence of the living Lord who has promised that he will be with us always.  We are not alone.

 

 

 

Lectionary for 6/12/08

Today's readings are Proverbs 10.1-23 (   http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+10.1-23 ), John 14.1-17 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+14.1-17 ), and Proverbs 11.12-28 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+11.1-12.28 ). 

 

What is the way to heaven?  How do we reach that secure eternal home?  What must we do to be saved? I observe today that Jesus' statements in John 14.1-7 run counter to my expectations and typical desires.  I expect they ran counter to the expectations of his disciples with him as well.  "Jesus, how do we know God?"  "You know me, don't you?"  Maybe we don't know Jesus very well.  While Jesus goes ahead and does all that is needed to bring us into eternal safety and reconciliation with God, we want to know what we need to do.  While we sing "Jesus paid it all" we think about what we can do to keep him from bearing the responsibility for our salvation.  When we are told to believe the Gospel, we want to know how we can show that belief and whether we are believing well enough.  Maybe we don't know Jesus very well at all.

 

Believe that the Lord has taken our sin.  Believe that the Lord has conquered sin, death, and hell on our behalf.  Believe that the Lord has redeemed a people for himself.  Believe that he is preparing a heavenly home for his people, so he may be the firstborn among many brothers.  Believe that he will accomplish all he has said.  Salvation is of the Lord, not of us.  Believe it.  Live in light of that belief - confidently knowing that Jesus is indeed the author and finisher of our faith.  Believe that when we fail to live like believers, Jesus is there to forgive and restore us.  Just believe.  That's all.  The rest will work itself out.

 

 

Lectionary for 6/11/08

Today's readings are from Proverbs 9.1-18 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+9.1-18 ) and John 13.21-38 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+13.21-38 ).

 

The Athanasian Creed talks in detail about the divine and human natures of Christ being "unconfused" or "unmixed."  We may be seeing an example of this unconfusion of the divine and human nature at the beginning of our passage in John.  As Jesus looks around at his disciples he becomes troubled.  It seems that he is realizing that he will be betrayed and that it will be by one of them.  He may even be startled with the realization that Judas is the one who will betray him.  In his perfect and true humanity, Jesus knows things exactly the way you and I know them.  He is informed by Scripture, he makes observations, and may occasionally get impressions in prayer which lead him to consider particular facets of his world and statements of God in Scripture more seriously.  Here, our Lord and Savior who is FULLY HUMAN experiences the same kind of devastating realization many people have experienced over the years.  Things are not looking good.  My situation is turning sour.  This is going to hurt.  And what will hurt most is the fact that I wll be betrayed by a trusted friend.

 

Have you experienced disappointment?  Have you been betrayed by friends, family members, co-workers, employers, even spiritual leaders?  Jesus has experienced the same disappointment.  And he did not experience it as some sort of Superman with resources that you do not have.  He experienced it in his bodily life on this earth, fully human at the same time that he is fully divine.  His nature is not confused.  He is not God with a little man mixed in.  He is not some sort of super human person with a mixture of a bit of God.  He is indeed fully divine and fully human.  There is no intermingling.  Jesus, the true man, the Son of Adam, has been where you are.  Jesus, the divine Son of God has taken on your sin and grief, bearing death in your place and rising victorious over all your struggles.  Though we are confused in our single nature, Jesus is unconfused in his dual nature.  We can surely trust hm and cling to him for help and hope.

 

Lectionary for 6/10/2008

Today's readings are Proverbs 8.22-36 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+8.22-36 ) and John 13.1-20 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+13.1-20 ).

 

In our reading from John's Gospel we see that Jesus loved the disciples to the end.  What does this mean?  Look at the text and see how John shows Jesus loving the disciples to the end.  He lays aside his dignity and station to serve the disciples, including the one who will betray him.  He reminds them through Peter that his cleansing is adequate for them.  He gives the disciples an ongoing ministry of serving one another and, by extension, serving other believers as well.  He promises that he is really received by those who receive his disciples bearing his word.

 

Surely Jesus is with us when we are faithful to his word.  Let us wash one another's feet, refresh one another, care for one another.  This is the ministry Jesus has given every believer in the world, to testify to his care for his people.

 

 

 

Lectionary for 6/9/08

Today's readings are Proverbs 8.1-21 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+8.1-21 ) and John 12.36b-50 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+12.36-50 ). 

 

Jesus' words in John 12 are perplexing, to say the least.  Why would Jesus say what we won't understand?  Why would he seem to be hindering people from coming to him?

 

In the final analysis, though the hindrance is in our eyes, which are closed to the method God has chosen to rule this world.  The key to our perplexity may well be in Jesus' words which immediately follow.  In verses 47 and following Jesus says that he will not judge unbelief, but will rather allow his statements to do the judging in the final day.  We have a tendency to expect God will work in very direct, predictable ways.  We sin, God judges.  We do works of righteousness, God rewards.  We pray for the sick, God heals them.  Simple, no-fuss, no-muss religion.

 

That isn't the wisdom of God.  It's our wisdom.  Our Lord works in a different way, with the supreme example of that different way being his death as a substitution for us.  He laid down his life and took our sins upon himself, suffering intensely for your sake, in order to destroy sin.  Yet in this world which our Lord created by the power of his Word, he could have prevented sin altogether, he could have wiped out sin some other way, he didn't need to suffer as a man.  Despite all that, God is acting in accord with his character by atoning for sin in the way he has chosen, and it is good and right.

 

God's wisdom is different from ours.  When we expect him to act in a particular way, let us always look at Scripture to see if he actually plans to act that way.  His ways are not our ways.

 

 

 

Lectionary for 6/8/08

Today's readings are Proverbs 4.1-27 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+4.1-27 ) and John 12.1-19 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+12.1-19 ).

 

In John 12.8 Jesus tells his disciples that they will always have poor people with them but they will not always have him.  What can he mean by this?  After the resurrection, Jesus promises that he will never leave his disciples.  We confess that God the Son is with us all the time.  Yet Jesus says he is going away.  Of course, we perceive him differently after the resurrection.  We can now walk with Jesus all day every day no matter the geography, but we never see him walking around sweating with dirty feet and disheveled hair.

 

But what does Jesus mean by saying that the poor will always be with us?  Surely the Lord who holds all the resources of creation in his hand can take care of the poor?  Surely if we give people the help they need to get back on their feet the poor will no longer be with us?  As we consider it biblically, much poverty is the result of sin.  It is the result of sinful priorities, sinful lack of interest in acting responsibly, sinful desires being set above wise stewardship.  And all of us are quite able to become poverty-stricken, no matter how wealthy we are, all the resources we have can be plundered by our foolish and self-centered decisions.  Surely we are sinful people.  As we put our own momentary desires above wisdom, we squander the resources God has provided for us. 

 

Sometimes the word "squander" seems excessive.  Is it squandering resources if I spend some money on a pack of chewing gum because I like to chew gum?  It isn't harmful and it is quite inexpensive.  My expenditure, joined with the habit of millions of other gum chewers, provides economically for those people engaged in the manufacturing and distribution of the product.  Spending money in a wise way is a means of loving our neighbors and providing for their well being.  This is a fine way to spend some of the resources God has provided us with.  We are free to engage in activities and spending which are not absolutely necessary to sustain life.  Yet we are free to do so only within our means.  If, for instance, I have a small child who is in need of basic nutrition and choose instead to spend my very limited resources on sodas and potato chips, I have wronged my child and am also wronging the people I subsequently ask to help provide for my child.  If, on the other hand, I decide to spend a small portion of my resources on sodas and potato chips rather than buying a new decoration to go on my porch, something else quite optional, I have done no wrong.

 

How can we wisely use those resources the Lord has given us?  Sometimes we lavish them on the Lord.  Sometimes we lavish them on the poor around us.  Sometimes we use some for different reasons.  In all things, let us use our resources to honor our Lord and Savior, to celebrate the abundance he has created, and to share that abundance with others.

 

 

 

Lectionary for 6/6/08

Today's readings are Proverbs 3.5-24 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+3.5-24 ) and John 11.38-57 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+11.38-57 ).

 

Where should we look for wisdom and guidance?  In Proverbs we see that God is the giver of wisdom.  Yet he sometimes guides us through unexpected means.  Caiaphas, in John 11, being the high priest, acts as God's prophet in saying that it would be good for one man to die for the whole nation.  He then sets out to have Jesus arrested and killed.  Here we have someone who was apparently not exactly the most gentle and devout high priest in history making a prophecy which accurately reports the necessity of Jesus' death for us, and then setting out to see that it happens.

 

We are told in 1 Timothy 2 that we should pray for our rulers.  They are God's servants, whether they know it or not.  I remember on a national day of prayer some years ago I was with a class of students visiting our nation's capitol.  We had an appointment to visit our U.S. Senator, who, as far as I can discern, is no kind of Christian believer whatsoever.  With my class, I cornered him in a lobby and after we had asked him a few questions the students wanted to ask, before he needed to leave for a meeting, I told him it was a national day of prayer and this Christian school class would like to pray for him.  He looked a little worried but agreed.  We prayed that the Lord would give him wisdom to understand what would be best for this country, that he would have endurance in his heavy work load, and that he would rightly perceive God's priorities and apply those in the legislation he worked on.  We prayed that he would rejoice in the fact that many people pray for him and that he would grow in godliness.  This was no purposeless prayer to the mush God.  This was prayer with purpose to the God of the Universe who guides the hearts and minds of legislators.

 

I wish I could say that this U.S. Senator had changed his legislative agenda in the past ten years since I visited with him.  He hasn't.  Yet I know that our Lord is able to use him or anyone else he pleases to speak God's wisdom and apply God's priorities in this world.  May the Lord use these unexpected vessels and may we be ready to see God's hand in our world.

 

 

Lectionary for 6/5/08

Today's readings are Proverbs 1.8-33 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Prov.+1.8-33 ) and John 11.17-37 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+11.17-37 ).

 

"You just don't understand!  This was really important to me!  I'm discouraged!  I'm angry!  This is serious!  You can't understand what I'm going through!"  I've heard this kind of complaint many times in my life, and expect to hear it many more times.  Sometimes I even make this kind of complaint.  Believe it or not, lots and lots of people think they are unique in their suffering.  And at least in our modern American culture, we seem to have raised up a generation of people who have been mistreated and have a lot to complain about.  We are all victims.  No doubt about it.  Nobody can feel my pain, though I would like to be sure they all know I'm in pain and what I am in pain about. 

 

When Jesus comes to see Mary and Martha about Lazarus, he is confronted not once but twice with accusations like this.  And not only does he find that Mary and Martha are grieving, but each of them independently blames Jesus.  "If only you had been here . . . "

 

Despite the many issues I've had in my life, I dont think any would exceed having a dear brother who has lived in my household and from whom I can expect to derive my support become sick and die.  Maybe there are some, but this situation in which Mary and Martha find themselves has to be among the worst situations that ever come up.  What comfort does Jesus give them?  "I am the resurrection and the life."  Jesus is the one who has conquered death, hell and the grave.  Jesus is the one who is master over life and death.  And Jesus is the one who is moved to weep with us when we are weeping.  He is acquainted with our griefs.  He knows our frame. 

 

Do we have such a human Jesus?  That's the way the Bible portrays him.  Do we unjustly strip him of his humanity and say that he can't possibly identify with us, that our sufferings are too great for his compassion?  We dare not do so.  That lessens the greatness of our Lord and Savior.  We do have just such a Jesus, who understands our griefs and has borne them.

 

Thanks be to God for his wonderful love!

 

Lectionary for 6/4/08

Today's readings are Ecclesiastes 12.1-14 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Eccl.+12.1-14 ) and John 11.1-16 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+11.1-16 ).

 

We often think of ourselves as more or less permanent.  This is true especially of young people.  Why, for many years, I remember being pretty much invincible.  I had intelligence and energy sufficient to do anything.  My future was unbounded.  I would be able to go here, go there, do this, do that, and accomplish all manner of things for the Lord.

 

Something happens during the course of adult life.  I'm not permanent, at least not on this earth.  We see in Ecclesiastes 12 that all these things around us will wear out.  They will break.  The hard-working youthful and energetic people will become old.  The machines we use will wear out and fall apart.  Life on this earth is temporary.  For that matter, this earth is temporary.

 

Where is our treasure?  Where is our supply?  Do we look to eternity in all things?  Do we have an eager expectation of the life to come, in which nothing will wear out and nothing will pass away? 

 

Lord, give us a longing for the eternal even as we serve as good stewards of the temporal.

 

 

 

Lectionary for 6/3/08

Today's readings are Ecclesiastes 11.1-10 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Eccl.+11.1-10 ) and John 10.22-42 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+10.22-42 ).

 

There are some days when we wonder whether it was a good idea to get out of bed.  We get up, find the dog has been sick and is now grumpy.  Bitten by the angry dog while cleaning up after him, we get into the shower and find the water heater has died during the night.  After the cold shower, we go outside to find that we forgot to set the parking brake on the car and it is now in the pond.  Then we finally manage to get to work and realize that our day is not going to go any more easily.  This is a world full of woe and strife.  Was it worth getting up?  What in the world can I be accomplishing with this kind of life situation?

 

I am able to accomplish much in any way for Christ.  Look again at the start of the passage from Ecclesiastes.  We do not know what God is accomplishing.  We tend our fields but God gives the increase.  It is good to work in obedience to him.  We are often not aware of the good the Lord is doing in and through us, nor will we be aware of it all.  That's simply the mystery of the way our Lord and Savior works.

 

May the Lord be with you!  You can be assured from this reading that in fact he is with you and is working in and through you.

 

 

Lectionary for 6/2/08

Today's readings are Ecclesiastes 10.1-20 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Eccl.+10.1-20 ) and John 10.1-21 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+10.1-21 ).

 

As Jesus begins his "good shepherd" statements let us draw our attention to his identity.  Jesus is very clear about this. He has come in the "authorized" manner.  He arrives according to God's command and the prophecy which God has revealed over many generations.  He does not swoop down into society to create an alternative religion.  He is not some sort of commando savior who breaks into the world, ruins everything that God has ever done in the past, and establishes a new order.

 

Though there is undoubtedly a new covenant and some sort of what we would call discontinuity between Old Testament and New Testament, between Moses and Christ, the old and new lawgivers, we see in a much greater sense that Jesus has come to fulfill, not to destroy.  He is the one Moses spoke about.  He is the one the Gospel has always looked to.  He has always been the fulfillment of the Law.

 

Like sheep, we will never keep the demands of the Law.  We don't know the way.  We don't have the desire.  We are sold to sin.  Let us look to our shepherd, who has kept the demands of God's law on our behalf. Let us look to him for protection, guidance, sustenance, and provision.  And let us rejoice that all Jesus is doing on our behalf is in accordance with what God has ordained and revealed to us in ages past.

 

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever!

 

 

 

Lectionary for 6/1/08

Today's readings are Ecclesiastes 9.1-17 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Eccl.+9.1-17 ) and John 9.24-41 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+9.24-41 ).

 

I'd like to show you that I am a righteous person.  You'd probably like to show me your righteousness too.  We like to be thought righteous, wise, blameless, and often even respectable.  But how can we really know?  And how are we going to judge righteousness and sin in others?  Doubtless there is an assurance we can have in Christ.  As we believe the Scripture we see that if Jesus has set us free through faith in his name, we are indeed free.  And much of time most people find an emotional assurance, their soul does find some degree of rest, even in this sinful world.  But in the final analysis I am ultimately unable to prove my righteousness to you and you are unable to prove your righteousness to me.

 

In Ecclesiastes 9 the preacher points out that we will not always recognize righteous people, we will not always recognize wise people, our understanding is skewed.  We do the best we can to hear and understand wisdom when we can perceive that it is wisdom, and we trust that the Lord will guide everything in the end.

 

In John 9 we see that the Jewish leaders, who were zealous to protect God's law and the righteousness of the nation, failed ot recognize Jesus, the true Lord and Savior.  May the Lord give us the grace that we, like the man born blind, may recognize Jesus for who he is, turning to him in faith.

 

 

 

 

Lectionary for 5/31/08

Today's readings are Ecclesiastes 8.1-17 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Eccl.+8.1-17 ) and John 9.1-23 ( http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+9.1-23 ).

 

Today's reading starts out with an admonition to honor and obey the king.  I've been thinking today about a related passage, 1 Timothy 2.1-2.  What is God's attitude toward our political leaders?  He clearly views them as important in their authority and influence.  We are to honor and respect them.  We are to pray for them.  It is not our place to grumble about what they do or don't do.  It is our place to give whatever input our government allows us to give to officials.  But just like the rest of us, they will have to stand before God in the final judgment and answer for the way they have lived out their vocation before him.  They do not stand before us as the final judge, they stand before God.  Pray for your leaders.  Encourage them to act righteously.  Remind them that there is indeed a God in heaven and that they are working ultimately for Him.  May they act in a manner pleasing in his sight.