31 December 2009
Psalm 46, 48; 1 Kings 3:5-14; James 4:13-17;5:7-11; John 5:1-15
Solomon proved that he already had a gift of wisdom by his prayer. He knew the Lord had been with David and he knew enough to know what made a good king. He began so well. Solomon knew that if he was to be a good king he would need wisdom to discern how to rule. God was pleased and promised him all that he could desire or dream of having and in fact we know that Solomon indeed possessed all these things and great, supernatural wisdom. The promise even included lengthened life but that part of the promise was contingent on walking in the ways of the Lord, and here Solomon did not keep his end of the bargain.
The Sabbath police get their man. Jesus does an incredible work of healing a man who had been an invalid for 38 years and their concern is that the man is now carrying a mat. He was doing so in obedience to Jesus’ command and Jesus had to know the Sabbath restriction. He could simply have told him to get up and walk but included the command that became the focus of attention, proving their priorities were out of order. This man is very different from the man born blind in John 9. This one seems to be interested in assigning blame, chasing back to the Jews to let them know that Jesus was the one who was responsible for his Sabbath breaking.
It isn’t wrong to make plans for tomorrow but we need to be humble about them and hold them lightly. Are we able to take things as they come or are our plans more important? Jesus always seems to have been gentle with people who interrupt Him. When they come seeking healing or when they follow Him when He was seeking solitude He never blew them up or blew them off. He acted as though people were more important than plans. The patience and endurance of which James speaks are born out of the reliance on God he encourages regarding long-range planning. A farmer has to do some long-term planning in order to have a crop, James doesn’t tell him not to plant a crop, but to be patient as it grows by the Lord’s will and provision of all that is necessary for it to grow. Imagine how James would speak to our society today that barely has the patience to microwave popcorn.
We have thought on your steadfast love, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
As your name, O God,
so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with righteousness.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
30 December 2009
Psalm 20, 21; 1 Kings 17:17-24; 3 John 1-15; John 4:46-54
God had already done a great miracle for this widow and yet now her son lay dead and she questioned both Elijah and his God. She initially told him she was baking one last cake and then she and her son would eat it and wait for death by starvation to come. She had no hope when she met Elijah and now she had put her faith in God, had seen His remarkable provision of oil and flour and God and the prophet had let her down in her son’s death. What she had once prepared for she now sought to understand in light of God and her faith. She had faith, she had given Elijah all she had left and the Lord had provided continually for them ever since, but now things no longer made sense to her. Elijah’s prayer was answered and her faith was strengthened. I believe that this too is coming like a little child and faith seeking understanding.
The man at Capernaum believed Jesus, took Him at His word and acted in faith. Jesus tells him that he won’t believe unless he gets a sign and the man hears the challenge and responds. He acts on Jesus’ promise, not waiting for the sign but hearing the word and walking in faith. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in Cost of Discipleship that only he who is obedient believes and only he who believes is obedient. We can talk about faith all we want but until we are willing to take the step of faith in accordance with our beliefs we cannot lay claim to having faith at all. It can only be properly called faith if we act on it.
John speaks of “walking in the truth” as the measure of his joy. To know the truth and teach the truth is one thing, but walking in the truth is the measure of faith. What a delight it must have been for John that those whom he had taught were walking in that truth. Walking in the truth means taking risks and trusting God. Walking in the truth is standing at the Red Sea waiting for God to act, it is Gideon trusting God as he entered battle with a force that was a joke numerically, it is Jesus going to the cross believing in the resurrection from the dead and it is choosing to witness to one who was born of a virgin and resurrected from the dead to life everlasting by being willing to be fools for Christ.
Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.
Psalm 20, 21; 1 Kings 17:17-24; 3 John 1-15; John 4:46-54
God had already done a great miracle for this widow and yet now her son lay dead and she questioned both Elijah and his God. She initially told him she was baking one last cake and then she and her son would eat it and wait for death by starvation to come. She had no hope when she met Elijah and now she had put her faith in God, had seen His remarkable provision of oil and flour and God and the prophet had let her down in her son’s death. What she had once prepared for she now sought to understand in light of God and her faith. She had faith, she had given Elijah all she had left and the Lord had provided continually for them ever since, but now things no longer made sense to her. Elijah’s prayer was answered and her faith was strengthened. I believe that this too is coming like a little child and faith seeking understanding.
The man at Capernaum believed Jesus, took Him at His word and acted in faith. Jesus tells him that he won’t believe unless he gets a sign and the man hears the challenge and responds. He acts on Jesus’ promise, not waiting for the sign but hearing the word and walking in faith. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in Cost of Discipleship that only he who is obedient believes and only he who believes is obedient. We can talk about faith all we want but until we are willing to take the step of faith in accordance with our beliefs we cannot lay claim to having faith at all. It can only be properly called faith if we act on it.
John speaks of “walking in the truth” as the measure of his joy. To know the truth and teach the truth is one thing, but walking in the truth is the measure of faith. What a delight it must have been for John that those whom he had taught were walking in that truth. Walking in the truth means taking risks and trusting God. Walking in the truth is standing at the Red Sea waiting for God to act, it is Gideon trusting God as he entered battle with a force that was a joke numerically, it is Jesus going to the cross believing in the resurrection from the dead and it is choosing to witness to one who was born of a virgin and resurrected from the dead to life everlasting by being willing to be fools for Christ.
Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.
29 December 2009
Psalm 2, 26; Isaiah 49:13-23; Matthew 18:1-14
The comfort of the Lord to His people through the prophet is beautiful. The promise is that they will return to the land and that once they are there they will experience the blessedness of the Lord. I can only imagine what it would be like to be in exile from my homeland and know that it had been utterly demolished and devastated, reduced to rubble and ruin. How much worse when your homeland is truly the city of God, the one you have confessed as creator of heaven and earth, who lives and who loves you and the city He had chosen, where His Name was great, where His glory dwelt? What a wonderful promise to hear that He has not forgotten you or His city! The promises here are extraordinary and in Jesus we see that all nations have been blessed from this nation.
What does it mean to come like a little child? I believe it means that we are able to simply believe. We can find many objections to faith and belief and yet I find that the more I come with simple faith the more understanding I receive. St Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury in the late 11th century, had a motto, “faith seeking understanding.” That motto, in my opinion, captures this statement of Jesus’. We come with a love of God and an implicit trust of God in search of deeper knowledge of Him. The Israelites who heard Isaiah’s prophecy had a choice to make, believe it or ignore it, but believing it with their whole being would enable men like Nehemiah and Ezra to undertake things like the rebuilding of the city in the faith that God would enable the impossible to be done. The same goes for the apostles, including Paul, who undertook the Great Commission to take the world for Jesus and William Carey, known as the Father of Modern Missions, whose motto was “Attempt great things for God, expect great things for God.” Do we trust Him enough to believe Him for all things, including the fulfillment of His promises?
Vindicate me, O LORD,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
Prove me, O LORD, and try me;
test my heart and my mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in your faithfulness.
Psalm 2, 26; Isaiah 49:13-23; Matthew 18:1-14
The comfort of the Lord to His people through the prophet is beautiful. The promise is that they will return to the land and that once they are there they will experience the blessedness of the Lord. I can only imagine what it would be like to be in exile from my homeland and know that it had been utterly demolished and devastated, reduced to rubble and ruin. How much worse when your homeland is truly the city of God, the one you have confessed as creator of heaven and earth, who lives and who loves you and the city He had chosen, where His Name was great, where His glory dwelt? What a wonderful promise to hear that He has not forgotten you or His city! The promises here are extraordinary and in Jesus we see that all nations have been blessed from this nation.
What does it mean to come like a little child? I believe it means that we are able to simply believe. We can find many objections to faith and belief and yet I find that the more I come with simple faith the more understanding I receive. St Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury in the late 11th century, had a motto, “faith seeking understanding.” That motto, in my opinion, captures this statement of Jesus’. We come with a love of God and an implicit trust of God in search of deeper knowledge of Him. The Israelites who heard Isaiah’s prophecy had a choice to make, believe it or ignore it, but believing it with their whole being would enable men like Nehemiah and Ezra to undertake things like the rebuilding of the city in the faith that God would enable the impossible to be done. The same goes for the apostles, including Paul, who undertook the Great Commission to take the world for Jesus and William Carey, known as the Father of Modern Missions, whose motto was “Attempt great things for God, expect great things for God.” Do we trust Him enough to believe Him for all things, including the fulfillment of His promises?
Vindicate me, O LORD,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
Prove me, O LORD, and try me;
test my heart and my mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in your faithfulness.
28 December 2009
Psalm 97, 98; Proverbs 8:22-30; John 13:20-35
This passage from Proverbs is about wisdom, which some have equated with Jesus. We must be careful, however, in that analogy. The first verse speaks of having been created and Jesus is not created but, rather, begotten. There is a difference and we need to preserve that difference. The “fight” at Nicea and Constantinople when the creed we know as the Nicene from the Eucharistic liturgy was over this very issue and Athanasius, in the creed that bears his name, sought to make this distinction plain. The words, of one being with the Father, mean of the same essence, as opposed to the image of God. What they tell us is that whatever God “is”, Jesus “is” in contradistinction to us. We are created of other created stuff, not of the same essence as God. We have, however, been given His Spirit to dwell in this flesh as a foretaste of what will be when we have new, imperishable bodies.
When Judas goes to betray Jesus we are never told what was in Judas’ mind, but Jesus knew. We know what the disciples thought Jesus meant when He told Judas to quickly do what he had to do, but what did Judas think Jesus meant? The wisdom we just read about in Proverbs was part of Jesus’ makeup and He knew all things, had seen this moment from the beginning of time and yet here it is in real time and how would it go from here? Jesus is certain about what is next and tells the disciples exactly what will come and how they are to live after his death. There are many ways one can tell disciples. I can identify in my own life how I sometimes emulate those who have taught me and influenced my life and I can see it in others. Jesus says that His disciples will prove to be His own to the extent they love one another. The unspoken part of that is that they love one another because He loved them, a reality that John picks up in his 1st epistle in chapter 4, a fuller exposition of John 3.16.
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
Psalm 97, 98; Proverbs 8:22-30; John 13:20-35
This passage from Proverbs is about wisdom, which some have equated with Jesus. We must be careful, however, in that analogy. The first verse speaks of having been created and Jesus is not created but, rather, begotten. There is a difference and we need to preserve that difference. The “fight” at Nicea and Constantinople when the creed we know as the Nicene from the Eucharistic liturgy was over this very issue and Athanasius, in the creed that bears his name, sought to make this distinction plain. The words, of one being with the Father, mean of the same essence, as opposed to the image of God. What they tell us is that whatever God “is”, Jesus “is” in contradistinction to us. We are created of other created stuff, not of the same essence as God. We have, however, been given His Spirit to dwell in this flesh as a foretaste of what will be when we have new, imperishable bodies.
When Judas goes to betray Jesus we are never told what was in Judas’ mind, but Jesus knew. We know what the disciples thought Jesus meant when He told Judas to quickly do what he had to do, but what did Judas think Jesus meant? The wisdom we just read about in Proverbs was part of Jesus’ makeup and He knew all things, had seen this moment from the beginning of time and yet here it is in real time and how would it go from here? Jesus is certain about what is next and tells the disciples exactly what will come and how they are to live after his death. There are many ways one can tell disciples. I can identify in my own life how I sometimes emulate those who have taught me and influenced my life and I can see it in others. Jesus says that His disciples will prove to be His own to the extent they love one another. The unspoken part of that is that they love one another because He loved them, a reality that John picks up in his 1st epistle in chapter 4, a fuller exposition of John 3.16.
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!
27 December 2009
Psalm 93, 96; 1 Sam. 1:1-28; Col. 1:9-20; Luke 2:22-40
The birth of Samuel brings a new era in God’s relations with His people. The story of his birth, the story of his mother’s travails, is a beautiful one. The adjectives that describe Hannah prior to the birth tell of a woman whose life is complete misery to her and the annual trips to the festivals of celebration only serve to remind her that she has nothing to celebrate in spite of the love of her husband. The one thing she wants, however, is a child. It is quite possible that there is another wife because of Hannah’s barrenness and yet her husband loves her dearly. Can you imagine a priest accusing you of drunkenness based on watching you pray and how that accusation would be devastating, especially in this circumstance? Hannah, however, walks away from the encounter cheered. It is even more amazing that she gives this child to that same priest, but what she says is that she has lent him to the Lord. This one will be the Lord’s own, not Eli’s.
The buzz about Jesus begins. Simeon and Anna, two elderly prophets who hang around the temple in Jerusalem, speak words of truth about Jesus. Simeon’s prophecy is part of the Anglican liturgical heritage in Morning Prayer, his hymn of praise to God for fulfilling His promise to allow Him to see the Messiah. I wonder if he knew how incredible this One was. He saw all that would happen to Jesus, telling Mary, “a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Mary had much to ponder in her heart when she left Jerusalem and there is no doubt she remembered those words verbatim and tumbled them over and over in her heart and mind through the years, what did they mean?
Paul begins with a wonderful prayer for the Colossians and that prayer then leads him to incredible doxology (praise) for Jesus. Paul speaks of Jesus as the firstborn, before all things, the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. In all things Christ has pre-eminence, before creation and before re-creation. Everything finds its beginning in Him. The purpose and meaning of all things is in Him and all things find fulfillment in Him. Pondering the meaning of Jesus’ incarnation and death can and should consume our thoughts and always it should lead where it leads Paul here, praise.
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth!
Psalm 93, 96; 1 Sam. 1:1-28; Col. 1:9-20; Luke 2:22-40
The birth of Samuel brings a new era in God’s relations with His people. The story of his birth, the story of his mother’s travails, is a beautiful one. The adjectives that describe Hannah prior to the birth tell of a woman whose life is complete misery to her and the annual trips to the festivals of celebration only serve to remind her that she has nothing to celebrate in spite of the love of her husband. The one thing she wants, however, is a child. It is quite possible that there is another wife because of Hannah’s barrenness and yet her husband loves her dearly. Can you imagine a priest accusing you of drunkenness based on watching you pray and how that accusation would be devastating, especially in this circumstance? Hannah, however, walks away from the encounter cheered. It is even more amazing that she gives this child to that same priest, but what she says is that she has lent him to the Lord. This one will be the Lord’s own, not Eli’s.
The buzz about Jesus begins. Simeon and Anna, two elderly prophets who hang around the temple in Jerusalem, speak words of truth about Jesus. Simeon’s prophecy is part of the Anglican liturgical heritage in Morning Prayer, his hymn of praise to God for fulfilling His promise to allow Him to see the Messiah. I wonder if he knew how incredible this One was. He saw all that would happen to Jesus, telling Mary, “a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Mary had much to ponder in her heart when she left Jerusalem and there is no doubt she remembered those words verbatim and tumbled them over and over in her heart and mind through the years, what did they mean?
Paul begins with a wonderful prayer for the Colossians and that prayer then leads him to incredible doxology (praise) for Jesus. Paul speaks of Jesus as the firstborn, before all things, the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. In all things Christ has pre-eminence, before creation and before re-creation. Everything finds its beginning in Him. The purpose and meaning of all things is in Him and all things find fulfillment in Him. Pondering the meaning of Jesus’ incarnation and death can and should consume our thoughts and always it should lead where it leads Paul here, praise.
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth!
Friday, December 25, 2009
26 December 2009
Psalm 28, 30; 2 Chronicles 24:17-22; Acts 6:1-7
I don’t really know why there is no Gospel reading today.
How can God’s people abandon Him? God sends the prophet Zechariah to admonish them and call them to return to the Lord and their response, stone him. Jesus told a parable that clearly had this sorry episode in mind, the parable of the landowner who planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants who beat those who came to collect the rent and finally killed the son when he came. The prophet is trying to call them to their God and they decide the only good prophet is a dead prophet and his death presages what they will do to Jesus. From the beginning of Jesus’ life, the end was in view.
Some need to be set aside for the preaching of the Word. It is important, always has been, for some to devote themselves to the Word. Even today all the evidence points to the need and importance of pastors being devoted to the task of preaching. Those churches which are most evangelistically are those where the preacher spends 20 hours a week working on sermons. The task of preaching is vitally important but it takes more than a gifted speaker and a great illustration, it requires immersion in the Word and the realization that neither the gift of public speaking nor the illustration is the power, but the Word itself carried by the Holy Spirit. In order for the Body of Christ to reach its potential, clergy must primarily be devoted to the ministry of the Word and the laity must attend to most of the pastoral needs of the congregation and they must use their gifts to minister in the congregation and carry the burden of outreach, just like in the early church.
Blessed be the LORD!
For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
The LORD is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
Psalm 28, 30; 2 Chronicles 24:17-22; Acts 6:1-7
I don’t really know why there is no Gospel reading today.
How can God’s people abandon Him? God sends the prophet Zechariah to admonish them and call them to return to the Lord and their response, stone him. Jesus told a parable that clearly had this sorry episode in mind, the parable of the landowner who planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants who beat those who came to collect the rent and finally killed the son when he came. The prophet is trying to call them to their God and they decide the only good prophet is a dead prophet and his death presages what they will do to Jesus. From the beginning of Jesus’ life, the end was in view.
Some need to be set aside for the preaching of the Word. It is important, always has been, for some to devote themselves to the Word. Even today all the evidence points to the need and importance of pastors being devoted to the task of preaching. Those churches which are most evangelistically are those where the preacher spends 20 hours a week working on sermons. The task of preaching is vitally important but it takes more than a gifted speaker and a great illustration, it requires immersion in the Word and the realization that neither the gift of public speaking nor the illustration is the power, but the Word itself carried by the Holy Spirit. In order for the Body of Christ to reach its potential, clergy must primarily be devoted to the ministry of the Word and the laity must attend to most of the pastoral needs of the congregation and they must use their gifts to minister in the congregation and carry the burden of outreach, just like in the early church.
Blessed be the LORD!
For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
The LORD is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!
Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
25 December 2009 – Christmas Day
Psalm 2, 85; Micah 4:1-5,5:2-4; 1 John 4:7-16; John 3:31-36
Out of many, one. That is the meaning of the Latin inscription on our money, e pluribus unum. That is also what today means, we whose ancestors followed after other gods that were not God now follow after the One, true God. The prophecy of Micah heralds that day, tells that the nations will come to seek the way of the Lord God of Israel. In Jesus, we who were far from God, strangers and enemies of the living God and His people, are now one in Christ Jesus. We seek to know the ways of the God who chose Israel, who chose Jerusalem as His earthly habitation, and who chose to come as an Israelite in the incarnation. His prayer for His followers in John 17 is that we would be one as He and the Father are one.
Jesus links obedience and belief. He makes claims about Himself, that He is sent by God, has knowledge of more than earthly things, is above all, and is speaking the words of God. More than this, the Father loves Him and has placed all things in His hands. Jesus says that belief in Him is essential. If we would know truth, we must receive it from Him. That doesn’t mean no one else can have a portion of the truth, but if we would know the entire truth it comes only through the One who later says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” Our call is to accept that claim and then transfer all our allegiance to Him, forsaking all others. Why do we need another teacher if this one is the truth embodied and there is no falsehood in Him? No one else can make that claim so even if they possess some truth, they don’t possess it all and they don’t claim that they are infallible with respect to truth.
Why did Jesus come? The incarnation is a love letter from God, delivered in person. He didn’t send a messenger like a prophet or priest to tell us He loves us, He came Himself. He loves us simply because He is God. His love tells us more about Him than about us. We are not lovely or loveable in ourselves. We are sinful messes who He chooses to love as creator and Father. Our love for God is in response to His love for us, always has been. The Israelites loved Him for His works on their behalf in bringing them out of Egypt and establishing them in their own land. We love Him because of what He has done for us in the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Our response to that is part vertical and part horizontal, we love Him and we love those whom He loves. That love is our way of witnessing to Him and if we don’t love then we aren’t of God who is love. Lift up your hearts to the Lord this day and give thanks for His lovingkindness in not leaving us as orphans but declaring Himself our adopted Father who has sent His only begotten Son to die that we might share in the inheritance of eternal life.
Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.
Yes, the LORD will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him
and make his footsteps a way.
Psalm 2, 85; Micah 4:1-5,5:2-4; 1 John 4:7-16; John 3:31-36
Out of many, one. That is the meaning of the Latin inscription on our money, e pluribus unum. That is also what today means, we whose ancestors followed after other gods that were not God now follow after the One, true God. The prophecy of Micah heralds that day, tells that the nations will come to seek the way of the Lord God of Israel. In Jesus, we who were far from God, strangers and enemies of the living God and His people, are now one in Christ Jesus. We seek to know the ways of the God who chose Israel, who chose Jerusalem as His earthly habitation, and who chose to come as an Israelite in the incarnation. His prayer for His followers in John 17 is that we would be one as He and the Father are one.
Jesus links obedience and belief. He makes claims about Himself, that He is sent by God, has knowledge of more than earthly things, is above all, and is speaking the words of God. More than this, the Father loves Him and has placed all things in His hands. Jesus says that belief in Him is essential. If we would know truth, we must receive it from Him. That doesn’t mean no one else can have a portion of the truth, but if we would know the entire truth it comes only through the One who later says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” Our call is to accept that claim and then transfer all our allegiance to Him, forsaking all others. Why do we need another teacher if this one is the truth embodied and there is no falsehood in Him? No one else can make that claim so even if they possess some truth, they don’t possess it all and they don’t claim that they are infallible with respect to truth.
Why did Jesus come? The incarnation is a love letter from God, delivered in person. He didn’t send a messenger like a prophet or priest to tell us He loves us, He came Himself. He loves us simply because He is God. His love tells us more about Him than about us. We are not lovely or loveable in ourselves. We are sinful messes who He chooses to love as creator and Father. Our love for God is in response to His love for us, always has been. The Israelites loved Him for His works on their behalf in bringing them out of Egypt and establishing them in their own land. We love Him because of what He has done for us in the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Our response to that is part vertical and part horizontal, we love Him and we love those whom He loves. That love is our way of witnessing to Him and if we don’t love then we aren’t of God who is love. Lift up your hearts to the Lord this day and give thanks for His lovingkindness in not leaving us as orphans but declaring Himself our adopted Father who has sent His only begotten Son to die that we might share in the inheritance of eternal life.
Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
and righteousness looks down from the sky.
Yes, the LORD will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him
and make his footsteps a way.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
24 December 2009
Psalm 45, 46; Baruch 4:36-5:9; Gal. 3:23-4:7; Matt. 1:18-25
What a wonderful vision of the glory of Jerusalem returning. We don’t really have a picture of what it means to be in exile. I have seen a glimpse of what it looks like in Rwanda. Many of the people I have met there have spent most of their lives in exile from their homeland and as soon as it was safe to return after the war in 1994, they came back. At that time the country was desolate with the stench of death all around and most of the buildings in the capital were full of holes from the shelling in the war. Nonetheless, they saw it for what it once was and what it could be and chose to return and rebuild. The eternal city of Jerusalem will be of a glory all its own and, with the coming of Jesus, we shall see that glory and the book of the Revelation tells us that nations will stream to its light, just as Baruch sees in this prophetic vision.
Joseph was a righteous man in that he was obedient to the heavenly vision in the same way that Mary was obedient to her vision. It must have been a difficult thing for the man to believe, who can blame him for hearing her story and deciding to put her away? Matthew tells us what had to have been first hand information regarding Joseph and Mary in order that we know that she remained a virgin until after the birth of her son, Jesus. They both sacrificed for the sake of the fulfillment of God’s will in their lives and for the world.
The law was our guardian prior to the coming of Jesus. Does that mean that we are now no longer under any obligation to live according to the law? No, it means, however, that we are no longer under the penalty of the law for transgressions, there is plenteous forgiveness in Christ Jesus. It does not mean that we should sin greatly so that mercy may abound. The law has not passed into meaninglessness, it still governs our conduct, but it is now written on our hearts by the Spirit of God who leads us into real righteousness. That righteousness is apart from the law but it is in keeping with the law, not just the letter but the spirit of the law. Jesus did not come to break the law or change the law but to interpret it by being the living Word. The glory of God revealed to us allows us to see the Word made flesh in order that we might be clothed in Christ and enabled to live like Him, in keeping with the will of the Father.
"Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Psalm 45, 46; Baruch 4:36-5:9; Gal. 3:23-4:7; Matt. 1:18-25
What a wonderful vision of the glory of Jerusalem returning. We don’t really have a picture of what it means to be in exile. I have seen a glimpse of what it looks like in Rwanda. Many of the people I have met there have spent most of their lives in exile from their homeland and as soon as it was safe to return after the war in 1994, they came back. At that time the country was desolate with the stench of death all around and most of the buildings in the capital were full of holes from the shelling in the war. Nonetheless, they saw it for what it once was and what it could be and chose to return and rebuild. The eternal city of Jerusalem will be of a glory all its own and, with the coming of Jesus, we shall see that glory and the book of the Revelation tells us that nations will stream to its light, just as Baruch sees in this prophetic vision.
Joseph was a righteous man in that he was obedient to the heavenly vision in the same way that Mary was obedient to her vision. It must have been a difficult thing for the man to believe, who can blame him for hearing her story and deciding to put her away? Matthew tells us what had to have been first hand information regarding Joseph and Mary in order that we know that she remained a virgin until after the birth of her son, Jesus. They both sacrificed for the sake of the fulfillment of God’s will in their lives and for the world.
The law was our guardian prior to the coming of Jesus. Does that mean that we are now no longer under any obligation to live according to the law? No, it means, however, that we are no longer under the penalty of the law for transgressions, there is plenteous forgiveness in Christ Jesus. It does not mean that we should sin greatly so that mercy may abound. The law has not passed into meaninglessness, it still governs our conduct, but it is now written on our hearts by the Spirit of God who leads us into real righteousness. That righteousness is apart from the law but it is in keeping with the law, not just the letter but the spirit of the law. Jesus did not come to break the law or change the law but to interpret it by being the living Word. The glory of God revealed to us allows us to see the Word made flesh in order that we might be clothed in Christ and enabled to live like Him, in keeping with the will of the Father.
"Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Monday, December 21, 2009
23 December 2009
Psalm 72; 2 Samuel 7:1-17; Titus 2:11-3:8a; Luke 1:39-56
David realizes that he is secure enough now to build a house for the Lord. Nathan agrees and says, “Go for it.” Later, however, he listens to the Lord who has an opinion on the matter. The time has not come for building the temple and David isn’t the guy to do it. The promise the Lord makes concerning David’s line seems out of place to us today, seeing the government of Israel and how things have gone there for so long. The reality is that we, as Christians, know there is one from David’s line seated on the throne who will indeed be there forever. It isn’t, however, about an earthly kingdom, just as Jesus spoke to Pilate in John 19 when asked if he was a king. His throne is, for now, a heavenly throne, and we await the coming of the kingdom to bear on all of creation.
Mary explodes in praise for her condition, the fulfillment of the promise of God. Elizabeth’s greeting must have been sweet music to her ears. We don’t know how her family reacted to the news of her pregnancy but we do know about Joseph’s reaction, he decided to put her away quietly. What a blessing it must have been to hear Elizabeth rejoicing with her and confirming the word of the Lord to her. It hardly seems possible that two women, two cousins, at the same time, conceived children who would be the fulfillment of the prophets, the hopes and dreams of all peoples. Mary’s hymn of praise is all about the One who has done great things and her expectations of what this will mean, little does she know that in the short term things won’t go so well.
Paul states that his expectations of Christians is that they truly become new creations. We are to be different people since we received salvation and the Holy Spirit. He reminds them that even though their lives are more characterized by righteousness it isn’t for their righteousness that they were saved but through the mercy of God to those who were foolish and disobedient. The giving of the Spirit was so that we could be heirs of hope and be capable of devoting ourselves to good words as we wait the fulfillment of that hope. Let us be pregnant with hope and ready to proclaim the greatness of God to all who share that hope.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!
Psalm 72; 2 Samuel 7:1-17; Titus 2:11-3:8a; Luke 1:39-56
David realizes that he is secure enough now to build a house for the Lord. Nathan agrees and says, “Go for it.” Later, however, he listens to the Lord who has an opinion on the matter. The time has not come for building the temple and David isn’t the guy to do it. The promise the Lord makes concerning David’s line seems out of place to us today, seeing the government of Israel and how things have gone there for so long. The reality is that we, as Christians, know there is one from David’s line seated on the throne who will indeed be there forever. It isn’t, however, about an earthly kingdom, just as Jesus spoke to Pilate in John 19 when asked if he was a king. His throne is, for now, a heavenly throne, and we await the coming of the kingdom to bear on all of creation.
Mary explodes in praise for her condition, the fulfillment of the promise of God. Elizabeth’s greeting must have been sweet music to her ears. We don’t know how her family reacted to the news of her pregnancy but we do know about Joseph’s reaction, he decided to put her away quietly. What a blessing it must have been to hear Elizabeth rejoicing with her and confirming the word of the Lord to her. It hardly seems possible that two women, two cousins, at the same time, conceived children who would be the fulfillment of the prophets, the hopes and dreams of all peoples. Mary’s hymn of praise is all about the One who has done great things and her expectations of what this will mean, little does she know that in the short term things won’t go so well.
Paul states that his expectations of Christians is that they truly become new creations. We are to be different people since we received salvation and the Holy Spirit. He reminds them that even though their lives are more characterized by righteousness it isn’t for their righteousness that they were saved but through the mercy of God to those who were foolish and disobedient. The giving of the Spirit was so that we could be heirs of hope and be capable of devoting ourselves to good words as we wait the fulfillment of that hope. Let us be pregnant with hope and ready to proclaim the greatness of God to all who share that hope.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!
22 December 2009
Psalm 66, 67; 1 Samuel 2:1b-10; Titus 2:1-10; Luke 1:26-38
In the first chapter of 1 Samuel, we meet a woman whose heart is sad, who is depressed, bitter, provoked in spirit, who weeps constantly and won’t eat. The same woman is now exulting in the Lord who has heard her prayer and answered it. Amazingly, she has given the child for whom she had so fervently prayed to the priest who had accused her of drunkenness when she prayed! Hannah knows how to give thanks, something we would do well to cultivate in our prayer life, always giving thanks for what the Lord has done for us, in the present as well as for all He has done for us.
What an incredible promise, “He (your son) will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary’s response was to ask how this could be since she was a virgin. Even Mary didn’t believe in a virgin birth. She could have asked the angel if it was alright to wait a few months until she was married but she didn’t, she simply said, “let it be to me according to your word.” She had to know it could cost her everything, her engagement, her reputation, her family. She simply acquiesced to the will of the Lord, and she never saw the earthly fulfillment of the promise. Mary is quite an remarkable person.
Paul understood that our lives matter as much as pure doctrine. In each of his admonitions to right living, he gives a particular reason. Women are to live a certain way in order that the word of God not be discredited, younger men so that any opponent be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of Christians, and slaves so that they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Savior. We can’t make sound doctrine our only aim, it must be a life lived in accord with the teaching of Jesus if we are to prove the doctrine is sound. We can’t simply believe in Jesus without living according to His Word.
Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name."
Psalm 66, 67; 1 Samuel 2:1b-10; Titus 2:1-10; Luke 1:26-38
In the first chapter of 1 Samuel, we meet a woman whose heart is sad, who is depressed, bitter, provoked in spirit, who weeps constantly and won’t eat. The same woman is now exulting in the Lord who has heard her prayer and answered it. Amazingly, she has given the child for whom she had so fervently prayed to the priest who had accused her of drunkenness when she prayed! Hannah knows how to give thanks, something we would do well to cultivate in our prayer life, always giving thanks for what the Lord has done for us, in the present as well as for all He has done for us.
What an incredible promise, “He (your son) will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary’s response was to ask how this could be since she was a virgin. Even Mary didn’t believe in a virgin birth. She could have asked the angel if it was alright to wait a few months until she was married but she didn’t, she simply said, “let it be to me according to your word.” She had to know it could cost her everything, her engagement, her reputation, her family. She simply acquiesced to the will of the Lord, and she never saw the earthly fulfillment of the promise. Mary is quite an remarkable person.
Paul understood that our lives matter as much as pure doctrine. In each of his admonitions to right living, he gives a particular reason. Women are to live a certain way in order that the word of God not be discredited, younger men so that any opponent be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of Christians, and slaves so that they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Savior. We can’t make sound doctrine our only aim, it must be a life lived in accord with the teaching of Jesus if we are to prove the doctrine is sound. We can’t simply believe in Jesus without living according to His Word.
Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise!
Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name."
21 December 2009
Psalm 61, 62; Zeph. 3:14-20; Titus 1:1-16; Luke 1:1-25
The time has come for rejoicing, not that the work of deliverance is complete but because the Lord has declared His intentions for His beloved. He has promised that He will act on Israel’s behalf, will return them to the land, will deal with their enemies, and will set all things to rights. In addition to all that, He will be in their midst and will exult over her with singing. Because of the promise the prophet encourages rejoicing. Worship should never wait. In this time of waiting for the fulfillment of the promises of the Lord to return and establish His everlasting kingdom we are called to worship Him for those promises and to live as those who know the future and are confident that He will do as He has promised.
Zechariah did not believe but doubted the word of the angel. One would think that an angelic visitation in the holy place where only the priest could go would be enough to convince him that this would happen, but the years of waiting and hoping had dulled his ability to believe. The incense offering Zechariah was making represented the prayers going up to God and here an angel tells him that his own prayers have been answered. The sign given is that he will not be able to speak until the promise is fulfilled. He is unable to convey the fullness of what he has seen and heard until after it is done. For someone like me it would be incredibly difficult not to talk about something as awe-inspiring as this event for the period of time necessary to bring it to pass. No promise is made concerning when this will be, I wonder if Zechariah was thinking about a similar promise to Abraham and how long that took to fulfill.
Paul writes to a leader instructing him how to arrange the affairs and leadership of the church. Paul describes himself as an apostle of the truth in the hope of eternal life. He is counting on God, who never lies, to fulfill that promise and, as we know, Paul bet the farm on that promise. Paul went to prison and continued to preach and write about the truth, went to his death proclaiming the truth. Truth is important to Paul, something to be defended and taught in the belief that the Holy Spirit was carried to the hearts of the elect in the truth and the truth itself was the hope of the world. We have a foretaste of what is to come and the promise of what it will be, now is the time to stand in that hope.
For You alone my soul waits in silence;
from You comes my salvation.
You only are my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
Psalm 61, 62; Zeph. 3:14-20; Titus 1:1-16; Luke 1:1-25
The time has come for rejoicing, not that the work of deliverance is complete but because the Lord has declared His intentions for His beloved. He has promised that He will act on Israel’s behalf, will return them to the land, will deal with their enemies, and will set all things to rights. In addition to all that, He will be in their midst and will exult over her with singing. Because of the promise the prophet encourages rejoicing. Worship should never wait. In this time of waiting for the fulfillment of the promises of the Lord to return and establish His everlasting kingdom we are called to worship Him for those promises and to live as those who know the future and are confident that He will do as He has promised.
Zechariah did not believe but doubted the word of the angel. One would think that an angelic visitation in the holy place where only the priest could go would be enough to convince him that this would happen, but the years of waiting and hoping had dulled his ability to believe. The incense offering Zechariah was making represented the prayers going up to God and here an angel tells him that his own prayers have been answered. The sign given is that he will not be able to speak until the promise is fulfilled. He is unable to convey the fullness of what he has seen and heard until after it is done. For someone like me it would be incredibly difficult not to talk about something as awe-inspiring as this event for the period of time necessary to bring it to pass. No promise is made concerning when this will be, I wonder if Zechariah was thinking about a similar promise to Abraham and how long that took to fulfill.
Paul writes to a leader instructing him how to arrange the affairs and leadership of the church. Paul describes himself as an apostle of the truth in the hope of eternal life. He is counting on God, who never lies, to fulfill that promise and, as we know, Paul bet the farm on that promise. Paul went to prison and continued to preach and write about the truth, went to his death proclaiming the truth. Truth is important to Paul, something to be defended and taught in the belief that the Holy Spirit was carried to the hearts of the elect in the truth and the truth itself was the hope of the world. We have a foretaste of what is to come and the promise of what it will be, now is the time to stand in that hope.
For You alone my soul waits in silence;
from You comes my salvation.
You only are my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
20 December 2009
Psalm 24, 29; Gen 3:8-15; Rev. 12:1-10; John 3:16-21
The beginning of all the trouble in the world. At that time we knew how to react to sin, to hide from God. He knew what had happened and He came anyway and had to call us out of hiding. As sin becomes more prevalent, we no longer see it for what it is and we no longer feel the need to hide, instead believing we are righteous. Isaiah got quite a surprise in the temple one day and in the light of God’s holiness, saw himself as sinful and therefore shouldn’t have been in the temple. By the coming of Jesus, God walked among us and we decided we were more righteous than God. Today we talk very little about righteousness and, in the words of CS Lewis, put God in the dock and ask for explanations from Him about how a loving God could allow horrible things to happen. It’s easier than looking at ourselves.
Our sins deserve the death penalty but God’s love wouldn’t allow Him to execute that judgment. We were given a chance at reprieve in Jesus’ death on the cross. Our sins, all of them, are transferred to Him if we are willing to believe and to accept His Lordship over our lives. Accepting His sacrifice is also acceptance of the law at one level as in order for Him to take our sins we have to be willing to agree on what they are which then provides us with a definition of righteousness for the future. Like our first ancestors, some refuse to come out of hiding in the darkness and come to the light because they prefer their sin to change. Dealing with sin requires us to come at His summons and confess our sins in order to receive pardon.
Satan is the great accuser, the one who wants the law applied down to the letter and punishment for sins to the nth degree. His defeat in heaven is the sign that the judgment of God is at an end, we no longer have an accuser. It is his desire to destroy God’s plan for salvation, to destroy the baby before it is born, before it can begin to proclaim God’s love. He has hated us from the start and it was his plan to destroy us in death. The revelation of John tells us that there will be a time when sin and death are destroyed and it requires a battle in the heavens. Sin is an awful thing, no matter what it is, a little thing like a piece of fruit eaten in disobedience to God’s command necessitated all of this. Maybe we need to reconsider that reality as a check in our lives.
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory!
Psalm 24, 29; Gen 3:8-15; Rev. 12:1-10; John 3:16-21
The beginning of all the trouble in the world. At that time we knew how to react to sin, to hide from God. He knew what had happened and He came anyway and had to call us out of hiding. As sin becomes more prevalent, we no longer see it for what it is and we no longer feel the need to hide, instead believing we are righteous. Isaiah got quite a surprise in the temple one day and in the light of God’s holiness, saw himself as sinful and therefore shouldn’t have been in the temple. By the coming of Jesus, God walked among us and we decided we were more righteous than God. Today we talk very little about righteousness and, in the words of CS Lewis, put God in the dock and ask for explanations from Him about how a loving God could allow horrible things to happen. It’s easier than looking at ourselves.
Our sins deserve the death penalty but God’s love wouldn’t allow Him to execute that judgment. We were given a chance at reprieve in Jesus’ death on the cross. Our sins, all of them, are transferred to Him if we are willing to believe and to accept His Lordship over our lives. Accepting His sacrifice is also acceptance of the law at one level as in order for Him to take our sins we have to be willing to agree on what they are which then provides us with a definition of righteousness for the future. Like our first ancestors, some refuse to come out of hiding in the darkness and come to the light because they prefer their sin to change. Dealing with sin requires us to come at His summons and confess our sins in order to receive pardon.
Satan is the great accuser, the one who wants the law applied down to the letter and punishment for sins to the nth degree. His defeat in heaven is the sign that the judgment of God is at an end, we no longer have an accuser. It is his desire to destroy God’s plan for salvation, to destroy the baby before it is born, before it can begin to proclaim God’s love. He has hated us from the start and it was his plan to destroy us in death. The revelation of John tells us that there will be a time when sin and death are destroyed and it requires a battle in the heavens. Sin is an awful thing, no matter what it is, a little thing like a piece of fruit eaten in disobedience to God’s command necessitated all of this. Maybe we need to reconsider that reality as a check in our lives.
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD, strong and mighty,
the LORD, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory!
19 December 2009
Psalm 55; Zech. 8:9-17; Rev. 6:1-17; Matt. 25:31-46
The promise of blessing is announced. The link is clear between the trouble of the past and the hand of the Lord as well as the promise of plenty which is His will and His doing. The reality is that all that we have and all that we are is simply gift, it need not have been this way. It is important to realize He is both source and supply. The earth need not yield to our efforts to obtain daily sustenance, that the environment is designed to support life and cooperate with us to produce all that we need is a result of His desire and plan. The conditions He sets forth for this blessing of His people are simple: speak truth, render true (impartial) judgment, make peace, don’t devise evil against one another and don’t give false oaths. If we could do those few things we would be an extraordinary community, but so much more is possible by the power of the Spirit He has given us.
We are called to extend mercy and love to one another. The way that we live bears witness to whose we are. As He has loved the world, so are we called to love the world in practical ways, providing for one another as the need and opportunity arises. One of the collects for mission in Morning Prayer says, “Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace; so clothe us with your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. This Gospel lesson not only says that, it tells us how we can reach forth our hands in love.
The judgments of God are revealed. The beginning of the end is announced. John is now a prophet and is telling us what is to come, the wrath of God will be poured out. The scene is ominous and tells us that what is to come is fearsome. There in the midst of this is the vision of the martyrs crying out for divine retribution on those who shed their blood. John would certainly have seen and known Christians who paid with their lives for their testimony. We live in a day when brothers and sisters in Christ are shedding their blood regularly and yet in America we don’t see it and have little or no connection to the persecution of others. Today is a good time to begin praying for the persecuted church around the world, that is one way of reaching out to others in the Name of Jesus.
Give ear to my prayer, O God,
and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
Attend to me, and answer me;
Psalm 55; Zech. 8:9-17; Rev. 6:1-17; Matt. 25:31-46
The promise of blessing is announced. The link is clear between the trouble of the past and the hand of the Lord as well as the promise of plenty which is His will and His doing. The reality is that all that we have and all that we are is simply gift, it need not have been this way. It is important to realize He is both source and supply. The earth need not yield to our efforts to obtain daily sustenance, that the environment is designed to support life and cooperate with us to produce all that we need is a result of His desire and plan. The conditions He sets forth for this blessing of His people are simple: speak truth, render true (impartial) judgment, make peace, don’t devise evil against one another and don’t give false oaths. If we could do those few things we would be an extraordinary community, but so much more is possible by the power of the Spirit He has given us.
We are called to extend mercy and love to one another. The way that we live bears witness to whose we are. As He has loved the world, so are we called to love the world in practical ways, providing for one another as the need and opportunity arises. One of the collects for mission in Morning Prayer says, “Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace; so clothe us with your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. This Gospel lesson not only says that, it tells us how we can reach forth our hands in love.
The judgments of God are revealed. The beginning of the end is announced. John is now a prophet and is telling us what is to come, the wrath of God will be poured out. The scene is ominous and tells us that what is to come is fearsome. There in the midst of this is the vision of the martyrs crying out for divine retribution on those who shed their blood. John would certainly have seen and known Christians who paid with their lives for their testimony. We live in a day when brothers and sisters in Christ are shedding their blood regularly and yet in America we don’t see it and have little or no connection to the persecution of others. Today is a good time to begin praying for the persecuted church around the world, that is one way of reaching out to others in the Name of Jesus.
Give ear to my prayer, O God,
and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
Attend to me, and answer me;
Thursday, December 17, 2009
18 December 2009
Psalm 40, 54; Zech. 7:8-8:8; Rev. 5:6-14; Matt. 25:14-30
The former days of Jerusalem are remembered, the failure to heed the Word of the Lord. They are reminded of two basic things, that they disobeyed and that God judged their disobedience. They were not simply losers in the battle for the city with other nations, this was the judgment of God being executed against their sin and that judgment was righteous in the sense that it was deserved by their failure to keep covenant. The second part of the reading tells that not only is God righteous, He is also merciful. The return of the exiles has nothing to do with their obedience, it is God’s desire alone that has allowed them a hope and a future and the future He promises is peace and righteousness. The vision is of old and young in the city, and faithfulness and righteousness are the hallmarks of the relationship.
This Gospel lesson haunts me as a leader in the church in America. We have been given many talents by God, freedom, money, you name it we have it, and yet we are providing less return on investment than the one talent guy who buried his talent. Are we being faithful stewards of those talents with which we have been entrusted? It seems we have tried to hoard those things instead of sharing them in order to grow the kingdom. We have a great responsibility to the One to whom they belong and we will be required to give an accounting of our stewardship.
This 5th chapter of the Revelation is an amazing one. Where before there had only been the one on the throne who was worthy to receive glory and honor, now comes the lamb and the reaction of the elders and the living creatures is to fall down in His presence and offer Him the exact worship they had previously offered the One on the throne! Their worship is then followed by the angels and all the creatures in heaven, on earth and under the earth, all of creation explodes in the worship of the lamb. Our joy should be to join in that worship in the power of the Spirit at every opportunity as we recognize the worth of both the Father and the Son to receive our worship.
Blessed is the man who makes
the LORD his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after a lie!
You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.
Psalm 40, 54; Zech. 7:8-8:8; Rev. 5:6-14; Matt. 25:14-30
The former days of Jerusalem are remembered, the failure to heed the Word of the Lord. They are reminded of two basic things, that they disobeyed and that God judged their disobedience. They were not simply losers in the battle for the city with other nations, this was the judgment of God being executed against their sin and that judgment was righteous in the sense that it was deserved by their failure to keep covenant. The second part of the reading tells that not only is God righteous, He is also merciful. The return of the exiles has nothing to do with their obedience, it is God’s desire alone that has allowed them a hope and a future and the future He promises is peace and righteousness. The vision is of old and young in the city, and faithfulness and righteousness are the hallmarks of the relationship.
This Gospel lesson haunts me as a leader in the church in America. We have been given many talents by God, freedom, money, you name it we have it, and yet we are providing less return on investment than the one talent guy who buried his talent. Are we being faithful stewards of those talents with which we have been entrusted? It seems we have tried to hoard those things instead of sharing them in order to grow the kingdom. We have a great responsibility to the One to whom they belong and we will be required to give an accounting of our stewardship.
This 5th chapter of the Revelation is an amazing one. Where before there had only been the one on the throne who was worthy to receive glory and honor, now comes the lamb and the reaction of the elders and the living creatures is to fall down in His presence and offer Him the exact worship they had previously offered the One on the throne! Their worship is then followed by the angels and all the creatures in heaven, on earth and under the earth, all of creation explodes in the worship of the lamb. Our joy should be to join in that worship in the power of the Spirit at every opportunity as we recognize the worth of both the Father and the Son to receive our worship.
Blessed is the man who makes
the LORD his trust,
who does not turn to the proud,
to those who go astray after a lie!
You have multiplied, O LORD my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
17 December 2009
Psalm 50; Zech. 4:1-14; Rev. 4:9-5:5; Matt. 25:1-13
We like to measure things but we don’t know how to properly measure them. Do not despise the day of small things is the word of the Lord and yet we, particularly in America, constantly despise small things. Here, the rebuilding of the temple has just begun and yet even that is a major triumph in that no one thought it would even be started. The vision of the lamps connected to the two olive trees is a picture of who we are to be in the church, filled with the Spirit and knowing that we are connected to a continual source of more. Our problem is that we get disconnected from that source and when we do, we begin to make wrong judgments and allow ourselves to be discouraged rather than looking for small signs of God’s grace.
The bridesmaids were not prepared for the coming of the bridegroom, their lamps had gone out and they had no oil. In that time of waiting on the return of the bridegroom from his work of preparing the bridal chamber, (see John 14.2-3) we must indeed remain connected to the source of our life and hope, the Holy Spirit. We know that meditation on His Word and prayer are the ways in which we remain connected and that we need the fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ in order to encourage one another and yet we allow ourselves to be distracted by many things as Martha did and fail to choose the best thing. It is in our choices that lose our connection, it requires wisdom.
The elders around the throne have crowns and yet in the presence of the one seated on the throne, whose name is not given, they throw down their crowns and give glory to Him, who alone is worthy of glory. They recognize their own unworthiness in the light of His glory. Praise and worship, either in prayer or song, is essential to our lives as followers of Jesus. We need to constantly remind ourselves that we are children of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Our worship here is the place where we are filled and refreshed, and our lives are to be worship. How can we worship with our lives today, as living sacrifices?
The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!"
Psalm 50; Zech. 4:1-14; Rev. 4:9-5:5; Matt. 25:1-13
We like to measure things but we don’t know how to properly measure them. Do not despise the day of small things is the word of the Lord and yet we, particularly in America, constantly despise small things. Here, the rebuilding of the temple has just begun and yet even that is a major triumph in that no one thought it would even be started. The vision of the lamps connected to the two olive trees is a picture of who we are to be in the church, filled with the Spirit and knowing that we are connected to a continual source of more. Our problem is that we get disconnected from that source and when we do, we begin to make wrong judgments and allow ourselves to be discouraged rather than looking for small signs of God’s grace.
The bridesmaids were not prepared for the coming of the bridegroom, their lamps had gone out and they had no oil. In that time of waiting on the return of the bridegroom from his work of preparing the bridal chamber, (see John 14.2-3) we must indeed remain connected to the source of our life and hope, the Holy Spirit. We know that meditation on His Word and prayer are the ways in which we remain connected and that we need the fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ in order to encourage one another and yet we allow ourselves to be distracted by many things as Martha did and fail to choose the best thing. It is in our choices that lose our connection, it requires wisdom.
The elders around the throne have crowns and yet in the presence of the one seated on the throne, whose name is not given, they throw down their crowns and give glory to Him, who alone is worthy of glory. They recognize their own unworthiness in the light of His glory. Praise and worship, either in prayer or song, is essential to our lives as followers of Jesus. We need to constantly remind ourselves that we are children of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Our worship here is the place where we are filled and refreshed, and our lives are to be worship. How can we worship with our lives today, as living sacrifices?
The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!"
16 December 2009
Psalm 119:49-72; Zech. 3:1-10; Rev. 4:1-8; Matt. 24:45-51
The high priest is a representative of the people. As he stands before the Lord, Satan rightly accuses him of being unprepared and unfit for the Lord. Satan knows righteousness, he is the ultimate legalist and here we see a foreshadowing of the coming of Jesus. By fiat, the Lord declares Joshua to be righteous and provides him with the clean garments required to come into His presence. It is all about grace and mercy triumphing over judgment but it does not mean there is no judgment. The passage ends with the Lord making a promise to Joshua concerning the future of the nation and the peace and prosperity it will enjoy.
Jesus says there is such a thing as judgment. The master chooses between his servants and makes distinctions between them. The delay in God’s coming again seems to either encourage us to speculate on the signs or to lose our sense of expectant waiting and go pursue other interests. Christians are to be in the mode of expectant waiting, a waiting that knows what it is waiting for and is preparing for the coming or advent of what it is waiting for. We are called to be “faithful and wise” if we are to be commended and blessed. Faithful relates to knowing our Lord and continuing to do His will even when He is absent and wise relates to remaining prepared for His return that we would greet Him with joy and not shame.
The scene in heaven at the throne is glorious and awe-inspiring. The idea of a door in heaven standing open is a thrilling idea and yet John wisely waits until the angel with the trumpet bids him come up. The majesty of God should give us an indication of what we are waiting for, what is to come. All of heaven worships and proclaims His glory with the three-fold proclamation in which we join our voices each Sunday in the celebration of the Eucharist. As we either sing or say those words we should be reminded that our hearts are indeed lifted up to heaven with the chorus who forever sing this song that never becomes rote but ever remains spontaneous praise in His presence.
You have dealt well with your servant,
O LORD, according to your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
for I believe in your commandments.
Psalm 119:49-72; Zech. 3:1-10; Rev. 4:1-8; Matt. 24:45-51
The high priest is a representative of the people. As he stands before the Lord, Satan rightly accuses him of being unprepared and unfit for the Lord. Satan knows righteousness, he is the ultimate legalist and here we see a foreshadowing of the coming of Jesus. By fiat, the Lord declares Joshua to be righteous and provides him with the clean garments required to come into His presence. It is all about grace and mercy triumphing over judgment but it does not mean there is no judgment. The passage ends with the Lord making a promise to Joshua concerning the future of the nation and the peace and prosperity it will enjoy.
Jesus says there is such a thing as judgment. The master chooses between his servants and makes distinctions between them. The delay in God’s coming again seems to either encourage us to speculate on the signs or to lose our sense of expectant waiting and go pursue other interests. Christians are to be in the mode of expectant waiting, a waiting that knows what it is waiting for and is preparing for the coming or advent of what it is waiting for. We are called to be “faithful and wise” if we are to be commended and blessed. Faithful relates to knowing our Lord and continuing to do His will even when He is absent and wise relates to remaining prepared for His return that we would greet Him with joy and not shame.
The scene in heaven at the throne is glorious and awe-inspiring. The idea of a door in heaven standing open is a thrilling idea and yet John wisely waits until the angel with the trumpet bids him come up. The majesty of God should give us an indication of what we are waiting for, what is to come. All of heaven worships and proclaims His glory with the three-fold proclamation in which we join our voices each Sunday in the celebration of the Eucharist. As we either sing or say those words we should be reminded that our hearts are indeed lifted up to heaven with the chorus who forever sing this song that never becomes rote but ever remains spontaneous praise in His presence.
You have dealt well with your servant,
O LORD, according to your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
for I believe in your commandments.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
15 December 2009
Psalm 45; Zech. 2:1-13; Rev. 3:14-22; Matt. 24:32-44
What a glorious promise this prophetic word is! A man with a measuring rod is going out to lay out the plan of the rebuilt city and an angel says, in essence, don’t bother, the city you build won’t be big enough to hold all those who will come and live here. The Lord promises greatness such as the city has never seen and punishment for the nations who had plundered her. It is a wonderful thing to think of being the apple of God’s eye. John saw this same vision and described it in Revelation 21 when he saw the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, its architect and builder God Himself.
Jesus continues to speak of the end of time. His comparison is with the days of Noah, and Genesis 6 tells us that the land was filled with sinfulness, the only intention of man’s heart was only evil all the time. In our world today we can see that reality on a daily basis on the news and the internet. Jesus warns us to be prepared and stay awake for that day is coming. When God judged the earth at the time of Noah, only he was found righteous enough to be the seed of the new creation. Our hope is in Christ alone and His righteousness, but we are called to emulate Him and live by the Spirit as a means of preparation for eternal life in His kingdom. Our pleasures are to be kingdom pleasures and our delight in Him. This life is preparation for eternity.
The letter to the church at Laodicea is almost the opposite of the letter to Philadelphia. There is nothing good in this letter. The Laodiceans are deceived in heart and mind, they do not see their own condition. I wonder sometimes about the church in the west as we have become so carnal in our desire for wealth and ease and we fail to see and address suffering and injustice all around us. Do we recognize our need or are we satisfied and therefore lukewarm?
I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;
therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.
Psalm 45; Zech. 2:1-13; Rev. 3:14-22; Matt. 24:32-44
What a glorious promise this prophetic word is! A man with a measuring rod is going out to lay out the plan of the rebuilt city and an angel says, in essence, don’t bother, the city you build won’t be big enough to hold all those who will come and live here. The Lord promises greatness such as the city has never seen and punishment for the nations who had plundered her. It is a wonderful thing to think of being the apple of God’s eye. John saw this same vision and described it in Revelation 21 when he saw the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, its architect and builder God Himself.
Jesus continues to speak of the end of time. His comparison is with the days of Noah, and Genesis 6 tells us that the land was filled with sinfulness, the only intention of man’s heart was only evil all the time. In our world today we can see that reality on a daily basis on the news and the internet. Jesus warns us to be prepared and stay awake for that day is coming. When God judged the earth at the time of Noah, only he was found righteous enough to be the seed of the new creation. Our hope is in Christ alone and His righteousness, but we are called to emulate Him and live by the Spirit as a means of preparation for eternal life in His kingdom. Our pleasures are to be kingdom pleasures and our delight in Him. This life is preparation for eternity.
The letter to the church at Laodicea is almost the opposite of the letter to Philadelphia. There is nothing good in this letter. The Laodiceans are deceived in heart and mind, they do not see their own condition. I wonder sometimes about the church in the west as we have become so carnal in our desire for wealth and ease and we fail to see and address suffering and injustice all around us. Do we recognize our need or are we satisfied and therefore lukewarm?
I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;
therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
13 December 2009
Psalm 63, 98; Amos 9:11-15; 2 Thess. 2:1-3,13-17; John 5:30-47
The promise of the Lord is that the judgment is not a final judgment on the people. They are not entirely rejected. They will be restored to their former status and they will again possess the land and it will produce in abundance. If the Lord had said, “It’s over” the people would not have returned to Him. The prophet does not leave them without hope. As bad as it will be, there will be a time when they are restored. We live for the hope of the coming of the Lord and the establishment of an eternal kingdom of righteousness and justice.
Jesus comes speaking truth to the people and they will not hear it or receive it. He has just healed the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda but He has done so on the Sabbath and so he is doubted. In many of Jesus’ miracles there is a place where the religious leaders can find fault, typically because He dared to do something on the Sabbath when no work was to be done. They would rather have religion and righteousness on their own terms, be in control. Jesus points to the testimony of John, the Father, the Spirit, the works He is doing, the Scriptures and to Moses as at one concerning Him. The charge, you prefer receiving glory from one another than from God. The call, lay down that desire and walk humbly before God and receive the One who has been sent by God.
Paul speaks prophetically to the people of Thessalonica concerning what will come, lawlessness and rebellion. They are told that Jesus has not come back yet, no matter what they have heard or what anyone has said in Paul’s name. The promise is that He will come again and in order to receive glory from Jesus requires them to stand fast in the belief in the truth and holding to the “traditions” Paul and his companions taught them. God’s people have always been required to stand for truth against the world in order to receive the promised glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
Psalm 63, 98; Amos 9:11-15; 2 Thess. 2:1-3,13-17; John 5:30-47
The promise of the Lord is that the judgment is not a final judgment on the people. They are not entirely rejected. They will be restored to their former status and they will again possess the land and it will produce in abundance. If the Lord had said, “It’s over” the people would not have returned to Him. The prophet does not leave them without hope. As bad as it will be, there will be a time when they are restored. We live for the hope of the coming of the Lord and the establishment of an eternal kingdom of righteousness and justice.
Jesus comes speaking truth to the people and they will not hear it or receive it. He has just healed the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda but He has done so on the Sabbath and so he is doubted. In many of Jesus’ miracles there is a place where the religious leaders can find fault, typically because He dared to do something on the Sabbath when no work was to be done. They would rather have religion and righteousness on their own terms, be in control. Jesus points to the testimony of John, the Father, the Spirit, the works He is doing, the Scriptures and to Moses as at one concerning Him. The charge, you prefer receiving glory from one another than from God. The call, lay down that desire and walk humbly before God and receive the One who has been sent by God.
Paul speaks prophetically to the people of Thessalonica concerning what will come, lawlessness and rebellion. They are told that Jesus has not come back yet, no matter what they have heard or what anyone has said in Paul’s name. The promise is that He will come again and in order to receive glory from Jesus requires them to stand fast in the belief in the truth and holding to the “traditions” Paul and his companions taught them. God’s people have always been required to stand for truth against the world in order to receive the promised glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
14 December 2009
Psalm 41, 52; Zech. 1:7-17; Rev. 3:7-13; Matt. 24:15-31
Zechariah’s prophecy was written during the time of Ezra-Nehemiah as the city and now the temple were being rebuilt. This vision shows that the nations who had destroyed the city and the temple are at peace while God’s people are harassed by enemies and in the midst of rebuilding. The angel of the Lord, on hearing this news, intercedes on behalf of Jerusalem. God’s response is that He is angry with the nations because they went too far in conquering. He was angry and used them as a tool for correction of His people, but they went beyond their boundaries in dealing with the nation. The vision ends with a promise of restoration of glory to the city.
Jesus gives an apocalyptic vision. His prophetic words are dire, reminiscent of Sodom and Gomorrah in the beginning of the vision, telling them to flee from the destruction. The temple and the city continue to matter to God and the vision of Revelation is of a new Jerusalem coming down from heaven. We are warned of those last days that the suffering will be great and yet the mercy of the Lord will shorten that time. We are also warned that many will claim Messiah has come but we are to wait for His coming in the heavens. The promise is clear, that He will return and set all things to rights.
The church at Philadelphia is the one church against whom God does not state a grievance, only a promise. The word is spoken to a church with “little power” and who are opposed by what is referred to as the “synagogue of Satan.” Apparently the church was insignificant on the landscape but important to God and the opposition was Jewish and their particular sin was the denial that Jesus is Messiah. They are commended and encouraged in patient endurance with the promise that if they continue they will be kept from the judgment that is coming. The words “hold fast” are words Paul and others use to encourage their followers to keep the faith, not lose heart, and continue in the Way. Our promise is that one day, the nations will be judged and that we will see the kingdom established forever.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.
I will thank you forever,
because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, for it is good,
in the presence of the godly.
Psalm 41, 52; Zech. 1:7-17; Rev. 3:7-13; Matt. 24:15-31
Zechariah’s prophecy was written during the time of Ezra-Nehemiah as the city and now the temple were being rebuilt. This vision shows that the nations who had destroyed the city and the temple are at peace while God’s people are harassed by enemies and in the midst of rebuilding. The angel of the Lord, on hearing this news, intercedes on behalf of Jerusalem. God’s response is that He is angry with the nations because they went too far in conquering. He was angry and used them as a tool for correction of His people, but they went beyond their boundaries in dealing with the nation. The vision ends with a promise of restoration of glory to the city.
Jesus gives an apocalyptic vision. His prophetic words are dire, reminiscent of Sodom and Gomorrah in the beginning of the vision, telling them to flee from the destruction. The temple and the city continue to matter to God and the vision of Revelation is of a new Jerusalem coming down from heaven. We are warned of those last days that the suffering will be great and yet the mercy of the Lord will shorten that time. We are also warned that many will claim Messiah has come but we are to wait for His coming in the heavens. The promise is clear, that He will return and set all things to rights.
The church at Philadelphia is the one church against whom God does not state a grievance, only a promise. The word is spoken to a church with “little power” and who are opposed by what is referred to as the “synagogue of Satan.” Apparently the church was insignificant on the landscape but important to God and the opposition was Jewish and their particular sin was the denial that Jesus is Messiah. They are commended and encouraged in patient endurance with the promise that if they continue they will be kept from the judgment that is coming. The words “hold fast” are words Paul and others use to encourage their followers to keep the faith, not lose heart, and continue in the Way. Our promise is that one day, the nations will be judged and that we will see the kingdom established forever.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.
I will thank you forever,
because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, for it is good,
in the presence of the godly.
Friday, December 11, 2009
12 December 2009
Psalm 30, 32; Haggai 2:1-9; Rev. 3:1-6; Matt. 24:1-14
The prophet speaks words of encouragement regarding the rebuilding. It has become increasingly clear to me that the Lord always wants his people to be realists, understanding the situation in which we find ourselves, aware of the obstacles and the impossibility of the task confronting us. Never do we see Him giving His people a job to do that they are able to do on their own. He always wants them to see the enormity of the work but not to discourage them, but rather that they will pray and ask Him for help. We tend to take on the work we estimate ourselves to be capable of doing but He generally calls people to greater things. Haggai calls them to remember the former splendor in order to give them a vision of what they are working towards. They are also reminded that all the resources needed to accomplish the work belong to the Lord and even though they may see a lack of resources, the Lord does not.
Jesus speaks prophetically of the overthrow of the temple and of what else the disciples will suffer. The disciples remark on the grandeur of the temple and Jesus immediately tells them it will not be left standing, a prophecy that came true in their lifetimes. Jesus wants them to not be afraid when they see the obstacles before them as they go about the work of establishing the church, and not lose heart in the work. To hear his words would, for many, be so discouraging that they would not attempt the work at all, but the disciples will experience the physical resurrection of Jesus after having seen Him crucified, will witness the ascension and will receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit before that work begins. They will know that there is more than this life at stake and they will be willing to sacrifice everything for what they know to be true. Are we?
The word to the church at Sardis is that all that glitters isn’t gold. What looks good to outsiders is not appealing to the Lord. They are called to remember what they have heard, obey and repent. While the message may seem less clear in some ways than the other letters we can assume that the people of Sardis knew what this referred to. The call is to purity, as only those whose garments are unsoiled will be allowed into the banquet. We cannot take a haphazard approach to the Lord, we must come undefiled.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
Psalm 30, 32; Haggai 2:1-9; Rev. 3:1-6; Matt. 24:1-14
The prophet speaks words of encouragement regarding the rebuilding. It has become increasingly clear to me that the Lord always wants his people to be realists, understanding the situation in which we find ourselves, aware of the obstacles and the impossibility of the task confronting us. Never do we see Him giving His people a job to do that they are able to do on their own. He always wants them to see the enormity of the work but not to discourage them, but rather that they will pray and ask Him for help. We tend to take on the work we estimate ourselves to be capable of doing but He generally calls people to greater things. Haggai calls them to remember the former splendor in order to give them a vision of what they are working towards. They are also reminded that all the resources needed to accomplish the work belong to the Lord and even though they may see a lack of resources, the Lord does not.
Jesus speaks prophetically of the overthrow of the temple and of what else the disciples will suffer. The disciples remark on the grandeur of the temple and Jesus immediately tells them it will not be left standing, a prophecy that came true in their lifetimes. Jesus wants them to not be afraid when they see the obstacles before them as they go about the work of establishing the church, and not lose heart in the work. To hear his words would, for many, be so discouraging that they would not attempt the work at all, but the disciples will experience the physical resurrection of Jesus after having seen Him crucified, will witness the ascension and will receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit before that work begins. They will know that there is more than this life at stake and they will be willing to sacrifice everything for what they know to be true. Are we?
The word to the church at Sardis is that all that glitters isn’t gold. What looks good to outsiders is not appealing to the Lord. They are called to remember what they have heard, obey and repent. While the message may seem less clear in some ways than the other letters we can assume that the people of Sardis knew what this referred to. The call is to purity, as only those whose garments are unsoiled will be allowed into the banquet. We cannot take a haphazard approach to the Lord, we must come undefiled.
I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
11 December 2009
Psalm 31; Haggai 1:1-15; Rev. 2:18-29; Matt. 23:27-39
Haggai’s prophetic words were addressed to the returned exile community who had re-settled in the land. They have seen to their own needs and gone about their business seemingly unconcerned with rebuilding the house of the Lord. They are confronted with this neglect and then the prophet shows them that their lives and labor have failed to live up to their expectations and says that this is God’s judgment on their failure to attend to the temple. The prophetic word stirs the people to action.
The righteousness of the Pharisees is condemned in the strongest possible way, calling them “whitewashed tombs.” When festivals were held in Jerusalem, one of the public works projects was to whitewash the tombs in order to make everything as beautiful as possible and at the same time this whitewashing obscured the fact that they were the abode of the dead. Jesus uses this powerful image to describe the religious leaders. Further, he links them with their ancestors who killed the prophets while these contemporary leaders disavowed the connection. At this very festival they will do far worse than killing God’s messengers, they will kill His only begotten Son.
The church at Thyatira is criticized for listening to a false prophetess who is leading them astray from their spiritual loyalty to Christ. The specific teaching here is not available to us and yet we can surmise certain things based on what we do know of teachings that were current among those who would lead the church astray. It seems likely that this prophetess claimed special revelation from God and that this revelation was leading the people into truths that were not found in Scripture, the deeper truths as it were. This same spirit exists today in some churches and we should always be careful of those who claim to have this knowledge that is unattainable to others. We have the Word written and the Spirit of God to guide us into all truth, we should be skeptical of those who claim new revelation.
Blessed be the LORD,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
I had said in my alarm,
"I am cut off from your sight."
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
when I cried to you for help.
Psalm 31; Haggai 1:1-15; Rev. 2:18-29; Matt. 23:27-39
Haggai’s prophetic words were addressed to the returned exile community who had re-settled in the land. They have seen to their own needs and gone about their business seemingly unconcerned with rebuilding the house of the Lord. They are confronted with this neglect and then the prophet shows them that their lives and labor have failed to live up to their expectations and says that this is God’s judgment on their failure to attend to the temple. The prophetic word stirs the people to action.
The righteousness of the Pharisees is condemned in the strongest possible way, calling them “whitewashed tombs.” When festivals were held in Jerusalem, one of the public works projects was to whitewash the tombs in order to make everything as beautiful as possible and at the same time this whitewashing obscured the fact that they were the abode of the dead. Jesus uses this powerful image to describe the religious leaders. Further, he links them with their ancestors who killed the prophets while these contemporary leaders disavowed the connection. At this very festival they will do far worse than killing God’s messengers, they will kill His only begotten Son.
The church at Thyatira is criticized for listening to a false prophetess who is leading them astray from their spiritual loyalty to Christ. The specific teaching here is not available to us and yet we can surmise certain things based on what we do know of teachings that were current among those who would lead the church astray. It seems likely that this prophetess claimed special revelation from God and that this revelation was leading the people into truths that were not found in Scripture, the deeper truths as it were. This same spirit exists today in some churches and we should always be careful of those who claim to have this knowledge that is unattainable to others. We have the Word written and the Spirit of God to guide us into all truth, we should be skeptical of those who claim new revelation.
Blessed be the LORD,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
I had said in my alarm,
"I am cut off from your sight."
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
when I cried to you for help.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
10 December 2009
Psalm 37:1-18; Amos 9:1-10; Rev. 2:8-17; Matt. 23:13-26
This is a fearsome vision of the destruction of the people of God. In it are images familiar from Psalm 139 where David speaks of not being able to escape from God, ultimately finding it to be a source of comfort. Here, however, there is no comfort to be found in any place. The judgment of God is complete and his anger unabated against them. The judgment is against the sinful, it is not utter destruction, a righteous remnant will remain. God’s judgment is never unjust, it falls on those who have rejected Him and His ways, and now, His Son.
Jesus speaks directly to those who bear responsibility for the law, the scribes and Pharisees. They have taken this responsibility upon themselves and have received public acclaim for their work. Jesus says that they have mis-interpreted and mis-applied the law. Their logic is not good in their teaching and that teaching reveals their own values. They value gold and offerings above the temple itself and thus the God of the temple. His words concerning the tithe are in line with the words the prophets have spoken time and again, calling them to true righteousness which has to do with justice and mercy first and other things later. The final admonition is the reminder that God sees the heart and the heart is the source of sin and of righteousness, the source of desires.
These two letters mince no words and speak directly to the two churches. The first speaks of a coming persecution of the church in Smyrna and an admonition to persevere in the faith and witness in order to receive life. The second speaks of the sin of holding to the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolatians. Jewish teaching concerning Balaam is that he instructed the king of Moab that the way to destroy Israel was not militarily but rather by sending the beautiful women of Moab to tempt the Israelites, become their wives and then entice them to follow their gods. In all these things, sex was more important than the Lord. It isn’t just our modern world that was sexually obsessed. Righteousness matters to God and we, as forgiven sinners, are called to a greater righteousness made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit. The cross isn’t a get out of jail free card, it is the way to the life God wants us to live.
Psalm 37:1-18; Amos 9:1-10; Rev. 2:8-17; Matt. 23:13-26
This is a fearsome vision of the destruction of the people of God. In it are images familiar from Psalm 139 where David speaks of not being able to escape from God, ultimately finding it to be a source of comfort. Here, however, there is no comfort to be found in any place. The judgment of God is complete and his anger unabated against them. The judgment is against the sinful, it is not utter destruction, a righteous remnant will remain. God’s judgment is never unjust, it falls on those who have rejected Him and His ways, and now, His Son.
Jesus speaks directly to those who bear responsibility for the law, the scribes and Pharisees. They have taken this responsibility upon themselves and have received public acclaim for their work. Jesus says that they have mis-interpreted and mis-applied the law. Their logic is not good in their teaching and that teaching reveals their own values. They value gold and offerings above the temple itself and thus the God of the temple. His words concerning the tithe are in line with the words the prophets have spoken time and again, calling them to true righteousness which has to do with justice and mercy first and other things later. The final admonition is the reminder that God sees the heart and the heart is the source of sin and of righteousness, the source of desires.
These two letters mince no words and speak directly to the two churches. The first speaks of a coming persecution of the church in Smyrna and an admonition to persevere in the faith and witness in order to receive life. The second speaks of the sin of holding to the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolatians. Jewish teaching concerning Balaam is that he instructed the king of Moab that the way to destroy Israel was not militarily but rather by sending the beautiful women of Moab to tempt the Israelites, become their wives and then entice them to follow their gods. In all these things, sex was more important than the Lord. It isn’t just our modern world that was sexually obsessed. Righteousness matters to God and we, as forgiven sinners, are called to a greater righteousness made possible by the power of the Holy Spirit. The cross isn’t a get out of jail free card, it is the way to the life God wants us to live.
9 December 2009
Psalm 38; Amos 8:1-14; Rev. 1:17-2:7; Matt. 23:1-12
Amos continues to call for justice in the land. The accusation against them is that they are driven entirely by commercial interests, desiring not to worship God but instead only to do business and, if that weren’t enough, desiring to do so dishonestly. The great punishment of God in all this is that there will be a famine in the land of hearing the word of God. Along with the other judgments this one will cut them off from hope. When they need to hear from God, He will be silent.
Jesus is doing away with the organization chart. They are accustomed to a second hand relationship with God, mediated through priests and scribes, professional religious people. The sacrificial system actually required all this. Sacrifices must be done at the temple and the only ones authorized to offer them were the priests. The law needed to be interpreted in order to be applied, so you needed someone to interpret it, thus the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. The problem was the motives of the leaders were as wrong as the people of Amos’ day. Jesus’ sacrifice would open the way to a more direct relationship with God, no priests offered that sacrifice, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit means that the law is written on our hearts, we don’t need another to interpret. It isn’t that there is no need for anyone to preach or interpret the Word, we can always learn from one another, but it does mean that we can seek the Lord on our own and receive wisdom and knowledge.
The letter to the church at Ephesus is similar in some ways to much of the prophetic books of the Bible but remarkably dissimilar in one important way. The similarity is the accusation of abandoning the love they had at first. They have made secondary things primary things and in the process lost the one primary thing. The dissimilarity comes in the encouragement they receive in this brief letter. We are always tempted to make secondary things primary but we must constantly resist that temptation and keep the love of God primary. Jesus’ admonition in Matthew 6 was to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be added remains true. We allow other things to take precedence, sometimes good things, but the love of God must always be primary.
Do not forsake me, O LORD!
O my God, be not far from me!
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
Psalm 38; Amos 8:1-14; Rev. 1:17-2:7; Matt. 23:1-12
Amos continues to call for justice in the land. The accusation against them is that they are driven entirely by commercial interests, desiring not to worship God but instead only to do business and, if that weren’t enough, desiring to do so dishonestly. The great punishment of God in all this is that there will be a famine in the land of hearing the word of God. Along with the other judgments this one will cut them off from hope. When they need to hear from God, He will be silent.
Jesus is doing away with the organization chart. They are accustomed to a second hand relationship with God, mediated through priests and scribes, professional religious people. The sacrificial system actually required all this. Sacrifices must be done at the temple and the only ones authorized to offer them were the priests. The law needed to be interpreted in order to be applied, so you needed someone to interpret it, thus the Pharisees and the teachers of the law. The problem was the motives of the leaders were as wrong as the people of Amos’ day. Jesus’ sacrifice would open the way to a more direct relationship with God, no priests offered that sacrifice, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit means that the law is written on our hearts, we don’t need another to interpret. It isn’t that there is no need for anyone to preach or interpret the Word, we can always learn from one another, but it does mean that we can seek the Lord on our own and receive wisdom and knowledge.
The letter to the church at Ephesus is similar in some ways to much of the prophetic books of the Bible but remarkably dissimilar in one important way. The similarity is the accusation of abandoning the love they had at first. They have made secondary things primary things and in the process lost the one primary thing. The dissimilarity comes in the encouragement they receive in this brief letter. We are always tempted to make secondary things primary but we must constantly resist that temptation and keep the love of God primary. Jesus’ admonition in Matthew 6 was to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be added remains true. We allow other things to take precedence, sometimes good things, but the love of God must always be primary.
Do not forsake me, O LORD!
O my God, be not far from me!
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
December 8, 2009
8 December 2009
Psalm 26, 28; Amos 7:10-17; Rev. 1:9-16; Matt. 22:34-46
Not surprisingly, the prophet’s words are not warmly received in Israel by either priest or king. Bethel is the site of the temple of the northern kingdom of Israel, the word meaning “house of God.” It was the oldest worship site in the land, dating to the time of Jacob. It is the place where Jacob saw the vision of heaven standing open, angels ascending and descending on the ladder. Jerusalem, however, seems clearly to have been the site God chose for the worship of the nation. The kingdom was divided into two sections, with Israel being the northern kingdom and Judah being the southern, during the reign of Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. Israel was made up of 10 tribes and Judah, two, Judah and Benjamin. At that time Bethel was re-established as the site of worship for the northerners. Amos states that he isn’t a prophet for hire, that he was called from his day job with the word of God.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day prove themselves as unreceptive to prophets than the leaders of Amos’ day. Attempting to establish a pecking order among the commandments, the Pharisees send a lawyer (expert in the law) to ask Jesus a question. Jesus’ answer distills the commandments to two, love God, love your neighbor. The question is one that occupied the minds of the legal scholars, trying to summarize the law more succinctly. Since it seems that this one is an expert, Jesus returns the favor by asking a question of the expert concerning the Messiah. Jesus proves more adept at Bible games than the expert in proving that the Messiah is greater than David and therefore cannot be David’s son but his superior.
The imagery John sees here relates to Daniel’s prophetic vision. It should not be surprising that the two should correspond so closely as they are both revelations of and by the same God. John’s revelation is more complete as he is able to identify this Son of Man who remained an enigma to Daniel and those who do not know Jesus. John’s book here is prophecy in the same sense as the Old Testament prophets. It will be written to the people of God in seven particular churches in the form of letters of both commendation and condemnation, a warning of what will happen if correction is not made. We need to be able to hear from the Lord that we are not getting it right in some of what we do, we should always be open to correction as we continue to struggle to follow the Lord. Our humanness still carries weight in all we do and we tend to need course correction.
Blessed be the LORD!
For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
Psalm 26, 28; Amos 7:10-17; Rev. 1:9-16; Matt. 22:34-46
Not surprisingly, the prophet’s words are not warmly received in Israel by either priest or king. Bethel is the site of the temple of the northern kingdom of Israel, the word meaning “house of God.” It was the oldest worship site in the land, dating to the time of Jacob. It is the place where Jacob saw the vision of heaven standing open, angels ascending and descending on the ladder. Jerusalem, however, seems clearly to have been the site God chose for the worship of the nation. The kingdom was divided into two sections, with Israel being the northern kingdom and Judah being the southern, during the reign of Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. Israel was made up of 10 tribes and Judah, two, Judah and Benjamin. At that time Bethel was re-established as the site of worship for the northerners. Amos states that he isn’t a prophet for hire, that he was called from his day job with the word of God.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day prove themselves as unreceptive to prophets than the leaders of Amos’ day. Attempting to establish a pecking order among the commandments, the Pharisees send a lawyer (expert in the law) to ask Jesus a question. Jesus’ answer distills the commandments to two, love God, love your neighbor. The question is one that occupied the minds of the legal scholars, trying to summarize the law more succinctly. Since it seems that this one is an expert, Jesus returns the favor by asking a question of the expert concerning the Messiah. Jesus proves more adept at Bible games than the expert in proving that the Messiah is greater than David and therefore cannot be David’s son but his superior.
The imagery John sees here relates to Daniel’s prophetic vision. It should not be surprising that the two should correspond so closely as they are both revelations of and by the same God. John’s revelation is more complete as he is able to identify this Son of Man who remained an enigma to Daniel and those who do not know Jesus. John’s book here is prophecy in the same sense as the Old Testament prophets. It will be written to the people of God in seven particular churches in the form of letters of both commendation and condemnation, a warning of what will happen if correction is not made. We need to be able to hear from the Lord that we are not getting it right in some of what we do, we should always be open to correction as we continue to struggle to follow the Lord. Our humanness still carries weight in all we do and we tend to need course correction.
Blessed be the LORD!
For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.
December 7, 2009
Psalm 25; Amos 7:1-9; Rev. 1:1-8; Matt. 22:23-33
Amos successfully intercedes for the nation on two occasions. The first two judgments shown, locusts and fire, caused him to plead with God not to bring them as they will destroy the nation. The third part of the vision involves the plumb-line, that which measures whether a vertical plane is truly vertical. The law served as the plumb for the nation. The prophecy of Amos concerning Judah in the second chapter is different from the judgment of God on other nations (Gentiles) in that the transgressions of the nations are specified while in the case of Judah it is said, “because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his statutes, but their lies have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked.” The nation has a unique responsibility for the law and it serves as the plumb-line against which they will be measured. The judgment of God is not arbitrary or capricious.
The Pharisees have tried to trick Jesus and now it is the Sadducees turn. Their ridiculous parable fails to achieve its goal in that Jesus simply tells them they are denying Scripture to believe there is no resurrection of the dead. His answer begins with that flat statement that they don’t know Scripture nor do they know the “power of God.” They have made everything logically work, no miracles allowed, God is defined out of the picture. In essence they are early materialists who believe in a closed system, what we see is what is and nothing comes into the system or intervenes in it from outside. Jesus, standing among them, is proof that their logical system doesn’t work, but they have refused to believe He is indeed the incarnate God. His answer is also judgment. He is holding them accountable to the revelation they have received as the people of God, and finds them wanting.
Jesus has become the plumb-line. The testimony of Jesus is that by which everyone will be judged, on answering the question He posed to the disciples at Caesarea Philippi, “Who do you say that I am?” We will be judged first on that answer and then on the witness of our lives to the truth of our answer. Life lived according to His commands to love God and love your neighbor, walking in His ways, is the testament He is looking for. Our lives testify to what we truly believe. As the song says, “When it's all been said and done, There is just one thing that matters. Did I do my best to live for truth? Did I live my life for you?”
Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
Psalm 25; Amos 7:1-9; Rev. 1:1-8; Matt. 22:23-33
Amos successfully intercedes for the nation on two occasions. The first two judgments shown, locusts and fire, caused him to plead with God not to bring them as they will destroy the nation. The third part of the vision involves the plumb-line, that which measures whether a vertical plane is truly vertical. The law served as the plumb for the nation. The prophecy of Amos concerning Judah in the second chapter is different from the judgment of God on other nations (Gentiles) in that the transgressions of the nations are specified while in the case of Judah it is said, “because they have rejected the law of the LORD, and have not kept his statutes, but their lies have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked.” The nation has a unique responsibility for the law and it serves as the plumb-line against which they will be measured. The judgment of God is not arbitrary or capricious.
The Pharisees have tried to trick Jesus and now it is the Sadducees turn. Their ridiculous parable fails to achieve its goal in that Jesus simply tells them they are denying Scripture to believe there is no resurrection of the dead. His answer begins with that flat statement that they don’t know Scripture nor do they know the “power of God.” They have made everything logically work, no miracles allowed, God is defined out of the picture. In essence they are early materialists who believe in a closed system, what we see is what is and nothing comes into the system or intervenes in it from outside. Jesus, standing among them, is proof that their logical system doesn’t work, but they have refused to believe He is indeed the incarnate God. His answer is also judgment. He is holding them accountable to the revelation they have received as the people of God, and finds them wanting.
Jesus has become the plumb-line. The testimony of Jesus is that by which everyone will be judged, on answering the question He posed to the disciples at Caesarea Philippi, “Who do you say that I am?” We will be judged first on that answer and then on the witness of our lives to the truth of our answer. Life lived according to His commands to love God and love your neighbor, walking in His ways, is the testament He is looking for. Our lives testify to what we truly believe. As the song says, “When it's all been said and done, There is just one thing that matters. Did I do my best to live for truth? Did I live my life for you?”
Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
December 6, 2009
December 6, 2009
Psalm 148, 149, 150; Amos 6:1-14; 2 Thess. 1:5-12; Luke 1:57-68
Amos’ prophecy is more concerned with justice than any other. His words are spoken to those who are at ease in their wealth and who care nothing for those who suffer. The covenant with the nation was built on social justice and the welfare of all. The nation was to model God’s loving concern for all the people. Just as God had chosen Israel out of all the nations on earth for His loving-kindness and mercy, so were those in Israel who had much to show loving-kindness and mercy to those who did not. In so doing, they were showing themselves to be godly. The nation was the family of God and they were to care for one another by providing for one another as the Lord had provided for them a land when they were slaves. Amos’ call is to remind them of this obligation.
A child is born to the barren! Elizabeth and Zechariah, in their advanced age, give birth to a son who, in obedience to the word of the Lord, is to be called John in spite of the fact that no precedent existed within the family for this name. Zechariah’s doubts have turned to faith in obedience and his mouth is now opened in praise, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has looked favourably on His people and redeemed them.” The old priest sees this birth as God’s movement on behalf of His people, not just the answer to the prayers long uttered on his own behalf for a son. The circumstances of this child’s birth tell Zechariah that something is happening, justice is being established in Israel.
Paul speaks to the Thessalonians of the judgment of God to come, the establishment of true justice, when the guilty are punished and the afflicted are comforted. It is easy to be discouraged in this life when it seems that justice is not done, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Paul promises that all this will be reversed in the day of the Lord, that there is judgment in the end. When we are in the midst of the struggle, it seems unfair, but when we consider eternity we can begin to see how brief this struggle truly is. We are called to establish the kingdom now, in our places, just as the Israelites were in their day. How do we care for and provide for one another in the body of Christ in such a way as to show the world what true sacrifice and justice are?
Praise the LORD!Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!
Psalm 148, 149, 150; Amos 6:1-14; 2 Thess. 1:5-12; Luke 1:57-68
Amos’ prophecy is more concerned with justice than any other. His words are spoken to those who are at ease in their wealth and who care nothing for those who suffer. The covenant with the nation was built on social justice and the welfare of all. The nation was to model God’s loving concern for all the people. Just as God had chosen Israel out of all the nations on earth for His loving-kindness and mercy, so were those in Israel who had much to show loving-kindness and mercy to those who did not. In so doing, they were showing themselves to be godly. The nation was the family of God and they were to care for one another by providing for one another as the Lord had provided for them a land when they were slaves. Amos’ call is to remind them of this obligation.
A child is born to the barren! Elizabeth and Zechariah, in their advanced age, give birth to a son who, in obedience to the word of the Lord, is to be called John in spite of the fact that no precedent existed within the family for this name. Zechariah’s doubts have turned to faith in obedience and his mouth is now opened in praise, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has looked favourably on His people and redeemed them.” The old priest sees this birth as God’s movement on behalf of His people, not just the answer to the prayers long uttered on his own behalf for a son. The circumstances of this child’s birth tell Zechariah that something is happening, justice is being established in Israel.
Paul speaks to the Thessalonians of the judgment of God to come, the establishment of true justice, when the guilty are punished and the afflicted are comforted. It is easy to be discouraged in this life when it seems that justice is not done, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Paul promises that all this will be reversed in the day of the Lord, that there is judgment in the end. When we are in the midst of the struggle, it seems unfair, but when we consider eternity we can begin to see how brief this struggle truly is. We are called to establish the kingdom now, in our places, just as the Israelites were in their day. How do we care for and provide for one another in the body of Christ in such a way as to show the world what true sacrifice and justice are?
Praise the LORD!Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!
December 5, 2009
December 5, 2009
Psalm 20, 21:1-7(8-14); Amos 5:18-27; Jude 17-25; Matt. 22:15-22
Often my prayer is, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.” This prophetic word reminds me that the prayer is not without content. The day of the Lord is for judgment on the earth and the destruction of all things in order that the new creation can come into being. It is, quite literally, a purgation of all that is sinful. This passage contains a quote familiar to many Americans of a certain age, Martin Luther King spoke the words, “let justice roll down like waters” in the speech where he laid out his dream of a new America. This is a call to action, the establishment of what we would pray for, “your kingdom come.” It is a call to establish justice and righteousness and peace.
Flattery didn’t work any better for the Pharisees with Jesus than innumerable sacrifices did with God in the time of Amos. What a ridiculous preface to their little test, you are since, speak the truth, show deference to no one, you don’t regard anyone with partiality. His answer leaves them speechless. Can you imagine being one of the disciples and watching this exchange? Do you think the Pharisees caught the analogy using the word image? What belongs to God is that which bears His image. We worry more about the tithe of money than we do the whole of life.
Jude warns against worldliness, living in accord with the lusts of the flesh rather than living by the Spirit. Divisions in the church rarely have to do with spiritual things it seems and nothing has changed. We can spiritualize anything though and therefore justify our desires on spiritual grounds. The antidote is to keep our focus on Jesus, to seek the Lord and to do His will and other things will generally lose their import.
Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.
Psalm 20, 21:1-7(8-14); Amos 5:18-27; Jude 17-25; Matt. 22:15-22
Often my prayer is, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus.” This prophetic word reminds me that the prayer is not without content. The day of the Lord is for judgment on the earth and the destruction of all things in order that the new creation can come into being. It is, quite literally, a purgation of all that is sinful. This passage contains a quote familiar to many Americans of a certain age, Martin Luther King spoke the words, “let justice roll down like waters” in the speech where he laid out his dream of a new America. This is a call to action, the establishment of what we would pray for, “your kingdom come.” It is a call to establish justice and righteousness and peace.
Flattery didn’t work any better for the Pharisees with Jesus than innumerable sacrifices did with God in the time of Amos. What a ridiculous preface to their little test, you are since, speak the truth, show deference to no one, you don’t regard anyone with partiality. His answer leaves them speechless. Can you imagine being one of the disciples and watching this exchange? Do you think the Pharisees caught the analogy using the word image? What belongs to God is that which bears His image. We worry more about the tithe of money than we do the whole of life.
Jude warns against worldliness, living in accord with the lusts of the flesh rather than living by the Spirit. Divisions in the church rarely have to do with spiritual things it seems and nothing has changed. We can spiritualize anything though and therefore justify our desires on spiritual grounds. The antidote is to keep our focus on Jesus, to seek the Lord and to do His will and other things will generally lose their import.
Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.
Friday, December 4, 2009
December 4, 2009
December 4, 2009
Psalm 16, 17; Amos 5:1-17; Jude 1-16; Matt. 22:1-14
The Lord promises the destruction of the nation. They have perverted justice and have accumulated wealth and not cared for the poor among them. Worse still, they have not sought the Lord. Fat and happy is usually our downfall. When Jesus said it was more difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle He was revealing keen insight into human nature. Rare is the person who can have the things of earth and not lose things eternal. The prophet sees that their religious observances are not the problem but the condition of their hearts. This isn’t about religion, it’s about relationship, it is about loving God and loving your neighbor. This passage implores them to both.
Jesus speaks of losing your place at the table from disrespect. The king had invited them long in advance but when the day came they couldn’t be bothered to come to the wedding feast of the son. The king executed judgment against those who treated him with disdain and compelled others to come to fill the banquet. The one who is singled out here could have worn the wedding garment but apparently refused it when offered and came anyway. The “scandal of particularity” in theology says that there is but one way to the Father and that is Jesus. We must accept the offer of being clothed with Christ in order to enter the kingdom.
Jude says that what was promised in the prophets has now been accomplished. The Lord did as He said He would. Jude also speaks of the ones like the character in Jesus’ parable who would not wear the wedding robe, those among them who refuse the truth and so Jude calls his readers to contend for the faith once for all entrusted to the saints. It is our role to present a pure, spotless bride. We contend for the faith because it is the only way and it is our desire that no one be left out or cast out of the banquet. Truth matters and it matters ultimately to everyone, it is out of love for all that we contend for the faith, lest no one be deceived to eternal judgment. In that way, we have the role of prophet, warning the world of what is to come and that truth matters.
Psalm 16, 17; Amos 5:1-17; Jude 1-16; Matt. 22:1-14
The Lord promises the destruction of the nation. They have perverted justice and have accumulated wealth and not cared for the poor among them. Worse still, they have not sought the Lord. Fat and happy is usually our downfall. When Jesus said it was more difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle He was revealing keen insight into human nature. Rare is the person who can have the things of earth and not lose things eternal. The prophet sees that their religious observances are not the problem but the condition of their hearts. This isn’t about religion, it’s about relationship, it is about loving God and loving your neighbor. This passage implores them to both.
Jesus speaks of losing your place at the table from disrespect. The king had invited them long in advance but when the day came they couldn’t be bothered to come to the wedding feast of the son. The king executed judgment against those who treated him with disdain and compelled others to come to fill the banquet. The one who is singled out here could have worn the wedding garment but apparently refused it when offered and came anyway. The “scandal of particularity” in theology says that there is but one way to the Father and that is Jesus. We must accept the offer of being clothed with Christ in order to enter the kingdom.
Jude says that what was promised in the prophets has now been accomplished. The Lord did as He said He would. Jude also speaks of the ones like the character in Jesus’ parable who would not wear the wedding robe, those among them who refuse the truth and so Jude calls his readers to contend for the faith once for all entrusted to the saints. It is our role to present a pure, spotless bride. We contend for the faith because it is the only way and it is our desire that no one be left out or cast out of the banquet. Truth matters and it matters ultimately to everyone, it is out of love for all that we contend for the faith, lest no one be deceived to eternal judgment. In that way, we have the role of prophet, warning the world of what is to come and that truth matters.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
December 3, 2009
Psalm 18:1-20; Amos 4:6-13; 2 Pet. 3:11-18; Matt. 21:33-46
The nation fails to recognize and respond to the Lord’s discipline. He is trying to get their attention and remind them that He is the God of all. This piece of the prophecy reveals the sovereignty of God over creation as well as all other nations. They suffer from lack and drought, blight, mildew, locust plagues, and ultimately from the death of their soldiers at the hands of an enemy. When all of creation is working against you, surely you turn to the God of all creation, but they have not.
Can you imagine being in the temple and hearing Jesus tell this parable and give the interpretation? “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.” They are the chosen people of God, their real distinction on earth is that they are the people of the God of all. They don’t have multiple gods, they have one God, and He has rejected His children. The prophets have never warned about a final solution of losing it all, they have always been able to come back, He has never threatened to embrace another people. Jesus has just separated himself from everything they believed about their relationship with the Lord. His words aren’t very different though from the words spoken to the churches in Revelation, churches that don’t bear fruit will have their lampstands taken away.
Peter writes that all of creation is ultimately under the curse and all things will be done away with in order for the new creation to appear. We are to be the harbingers of that new creation. The work has begun in the lives of those who have accepted the truth about Jesus and have new life. It isn’t simply the hope of eternal life that we have received. We have also received His Spirit to enable us to live as we were meant to live, lives characterized by peace, holiness and godliness. Are the expectations of God actually higher for those upon whose hearts He has written His laws? Do we not have greater responsibility than the Jews to whom Amos and Jesus spoke?
Psalm 18:1-20; Amos 4:6-13; 2 Pet. 3:11-18; Matt. 21:33-46
The nation fails to recognize and respond to the Lord’s discipline. He is trying to get their attention and remind them that He is the God of all. This piece of the prophecy reveals the sovereignty of God over creation as well as all other nations. They suffer from lack and drought, blight, mildew, locust plagues, and ultimately from the death of their soldiers at the hands of an enemy. When all of creation is working against you, surely you turn to the God of all creation, but they have not.
Can you imagine being in the temple and hearing Jesus tell this parable and give the interpretation? “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.” They are the chosen people of God, their real distinction on earth is that they are the people of the God of all. They don’t have multiple gods, they have one God, and He has rejected His children. The prophets have never warned about a final solution of losing it all, they have always been able to come back, He has never threatened to embrace another people. Jesus has just separated himself from everything they believed about their relationship with the Lord. His words aren’t very different though from the words spoken to the churches in Revelation, churches that don’t bear fruit will have their lampstands taken away.
Peter writes that all of creation is ultimately under the curse and all things will be done away with in order for the new creation to appear. We are to be the harbingers of that new creation. The work has begun in the lives of those who have accepted the truth about Jesus and have new life. It isn’t simply the hope of eternal life that we have received. We have also received His Spirit to enable us to live as we were meant to live, lives characterized by peace, holiness and godliness. Are the expectations of God actually higher for those upon whose hearts He has written His laws? Do we not have greater responsibility than the Jews to whom Amos and Jesus spoke?
New Format for the blog
Several years ago I undertook to comment on the daily lessons from the lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer. It was a good discipline for me and some people seemed to have appreciated the work. A few months ago I decided to do that again for the next two years as the readings are arranged in a two year cycle. I had hoped that my church's website would be updated to allow me to post the commentary there but, alas, we aren't quite prepared to do that and I have already begun the writing, so I wanted to post them here.
A little background is in order. The lessons for each day include a reading from the Psalms, either a portion of a Psalm, a Psalm or several Psalms. There are also lessons from the Old Testament (or the Apocrypha), an Epistle reading, and a reading from one of the Gospels.
I was once taught that the lectionary should flow in a certain way. The epistle reading should give the theological basis for the Old and New Testament readings. I read Scripture as a single, united message not at conflict with itself but with the Gospel teaching of Jesus, either in word or deed, as a fuller exposition of the law. I believe it to be my task in preaching and teaching to show that the Bible is a seamless garment, its teachings consistent from beginning to end. Article 7 of the Articles of Religion establishes this as an Anglican principle - "The Old Testament is not contrary to the New, for in both the Old and New Testaments eternal life is offered to mankind through Christ. Hence he, being both God and man, is the only mediator between God and man. Those who pretend that the Patriarchs only looked for transitory promises must not be listened to. Although the law given by God through Moses is not binding on Christians as far as its forms of worship and ritual are concerned and the civil regulations are not binding on any nation state, nevertheless no Christian is free to disobey those commandments which may be classified as moral."
In my commentary on the readings I follow this principle. The first paragraph is comment on the Old Testament reading, the second on the Gospel and the third paragraph comment on the Epistle. I use a portion of the Psalm as a prayer to end the commentary.
Regarding the Psalms, there are actually Psalm readings appointed for both morning and evening each day and I have chosen only to include the reading for the morning. The morning and evening pattern relates to the offices of Morning and Evening Prayer. The Book of Common Prayer also contains the entire collection of Psalms or the Psalter (which can be accessed here). Within the Psalter, the Psalms are divided into sixty reading portions which allows one to read through the entire Psalter monthly. The divisions are indicated by means of headings such as: First Day: Morning Prayer. If you would like to add the discipline of reading the Psalms monthly, the link above provides that information.
Regarding the Old Testament and Apocrypha readings, I will provide links to those readings at Bible Gateway. For the daily lessons I will include the Apocrypha readings. The 39 Articles of Religion state the following about reading from the Apocrypha: (they are) read for example of life and instruction of manners but they are not used to establish doctrine. To the extent that they conform to the doctrine established in the 66 books recognized by all as the Old and New Testament, they are useful, wherever they may be used to establish doctrine not in agreement with these canonical books, they fall to the ground.
Regarding the epistles and Gospel, sometimes the lessons omit parts of these books. Sometimes the omission is nothing more than lists of names and at other times the omission is because the passage points to some doctrine or teaching the compilers would prefer to avoid. I am choosing to restore those passages to our reading in keeping with Paul's word to Timothy, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3.16-17)
If you have comments or questions, feel free to send email to john@spc-asheville.org
A little background is in order. The lessons for each day include a reading from the Psalms, either a portion of a Psalm, a Psalm or several Psalms. There are also lessons from the Old Testament (or the Apocrypha), an Epistle reading, and a reading from one of the Gospels.
I was once taught that the lectionary should flow in a certain way. The epistle reading should give the theological basis for the Old and New Testament readings. I read Scripture as a single, united message not at conflict with itself but with the Gospel teaching of Jesus, either in word or deed, as a fuller exposition of the law. I believe it to be my task in preaching and teaching to show that the Bible is a seamless garment, its teachings consistent from beginning to end. Article 7 of the Articles of Religion establishes this as an Anglican principle - "The Old Testament is not contrary to the New, for in both the Old and New Testaments eternal life is offered to mankind through Christ. Hence he, being both God and man, is the only mediator between God and man. Those who pretend that the Patriarchs only looked for transitory promises must not be listened to. Although the law given by God through Moses is not binding on Christians as far as its forms of worship and ritual are concerned and the civil regulations are not binding on any nation state, nevertheless no Christian is free to disobey those commandments which may be classified as moral."
In my commentary on the readings I follow this principle. The first paragraph is comment on the Old Testament reading, the second on the Gospel and the third paragraph comment on the Epistle. I use a portion of the Psalm as a prayer to end the commentary.
Regarding the Psalms, there are actually Psalm readings appointed for both morning and evening each day and I have chosen only to include the reading for the morning. The morning and evening pattern relates to the offices of Morning and Evening Prayer. The Book of Common Prayer also contains the entire collection of Psalms or the Psalter (which can be accessed here). Within the Psalter, the Psalms are divided into sixty reading portions which allows one to read through the entire Psalter monthly. The divisions are indicated by means of headings such as: First Day: Morning Prayer. If you would like to add the discipline of reading the Psalms monthly, the link above provides that information.
Regarding the Old Testament and Apocrypha readings, I will provide links to those readings at Bible Gateway. For the daily lessons I will include the Apocrypha readings. The 39 Articles of Religion state the following about reading from the Apocrypha: (they are) read for example of life and instruction of manners but they are not used to establish doctrine. To the extent that they conform to the doctrine established in the 66 books recognized by all as the Old and New Testament, they are useful, wherever they may be used to establish doctrine not in agreement with these canonical books, they fall to the ground.
Regarding the epistles and Gospel, sometimes the lessons omit parts of these books. Sometimes the omission is nothing more than lists of names and at other times the omission is because the passage points to some doctrine or teaching the compilers would prefer to avoid. I am choosing to restore those passages to our reading in keeping with Paul's word to Timothy, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3.16-17)
If you have comments or questions, feel free to send email to john@spc-asheville.org
Monday, September 28, 2009
The Rolling Stones were right
The Rolling Stones wrote and sang, I can't get no satisfaction. That is the anthem of the age in spite of the reality that it was meant to be a corrective to consumerism and superficiality. We live in the most superficial age in history. Advertising appeals to our vanity and our desires and as Christians the one thing we should know is that those desires are ultimately the problem, they are misordered and misdirected. We believe that stuff or people can satisfy the desires that exist in our lives yet if I said that out loud we would all know that it isn't true.
The message of the Rolling Stones was meant to be a cynical condemnation of the age of consumerism and yet it became an anthem without a message. There are places in Scripture, particularly in the prophetic literature, where God says the same kinds of things to His people and yet they don't get it, they simply can't be satisfied, they want more and because they can't be satisfied, they seek someone or something to give them what they want and they fall into idolatry, worshipping that which they believe will provide satisfaction of their desires.
The problem isn't that we can't get no satisfaction, the problem is that we don't know what it takes to satisfy our desires. We fail to feed on God, fail to understand His greatness and goodness. We are superficial people with superficial desires. God knows that about us, and His Word tells us that. The first man and woman weren't satisfied with everything on earth at their disposal and God walking with them in the Garden, they wanted more and believed it could be found in a piece of fruit which they were promised would satisfy that desire they previously hadn't identified or even known existed. There was something good that God had kept from them, ergo He wasn't as good as they might think. What is it you are thinking right now would fulfill your life, would be the difference maker in your life? It's a lie.
The message of the Rolling Stones was meant to be a cynical condemnation of the age of consumerism and yet it became an anthem without a message. There are places in Scripture, particularly in the prophetic literature, where God says the same kinds of things to His people and yet they don't get it, they simply can't be satisfied, they want more and because they can't be satisfied, they seek someone or something to give them what they want and they fall into idolatry, worshipping that which they believe will provide satisfaction of their desires.
The problem isn't that we can't get no satisfaction, the problem is that we don't know what it takes to satisfy our desires. We fail to feed on God, fail to understand His greatness and goodness. We are superficial people with superficial desires. God knows that about us, and His Word tells us that. The first man and woman weren't satisfied with everything on earth at their disposal and God walking with them in the Garden, they wanted more and believed it could be found in a piece of fruit which they were promised would satisfy that desire they previously hadn't identified or even known existed. There was something good that God had kept from them, ergo He wasn't as good as they might think. What is it you are thinking right now would fulfill your life, would be the difference maker in your life? It's a lie.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Do we really have a Christian worldview?
Christianity is a distinct worldview in the best sense of the term. It is a way of understanding the world around you, your place in the world and the purpose of life. Christianity says that the world matters to the one who created it as good, you matter to the God who created you in His image, and the purpose of your life is bound up in Him and your life matters and has meaning, but not a meaning you determine independently of your creator, who alone knows the purpose for which you were created.
A Christian worldview allows me to see creation, time and space, as coherent and moving towards something. Science says that in beginning was an explosion and that everything that is the universe was set in motion moving away from everything else and that expansion continues to the present day. What Christianity says is that this particular planet and the life on it matters to God enough that HE came in the form of Jesus and died in order that this life form might continue to live forever. There is something unique about us in the cosmos.
It is that worldview that impels Christians to go to places and do things that are dangerous and that might cost them their lives. Even extreme sports measure risk better than Christians. Base jumping might be risky but no one does it without a parachute. Since the day of Pentecost Christians have chosen to take risks that they knew were likely to result in death but not with the despair and hopelessness of suicide, but rather in affirmation that my life matters. It matters enough that I am willing to risk it on behalf of the Gospel and on behalf of others.
It is easy to pick on Richard Dawkins but the truth is that Christianity as a worldview is different from Dawkins' worldview in that people who have a truly Christian worldview will take risks that Dawkins' worldview would never demand. The one thing I will say is that Dawkins is willing to risk popularity for his worldview and most western Christians aren't willing to do the same. It is easier to keep your head down and not speak out. If some are willing to risk their lives for the sake of the Gospel, it should shame the rest of us into at least speaking up and speaking out and risking people's opinions of us in order that they might hear the Gospel.
A Christian worldview allows me to see creation, time and space, as coherent and moving towards something. Science says that in beginning was an explosion and that everything that is the universe was set in motion moving away from everything else and that expansion continues to the present day. What Christianity says is that this particular planet and the life on it matters to God enough that HE came in the form of Jesus and died in order that this life form might continue to live forever. There is something unique about us in the cosmos.
It is that worldview that impels Christians to go to places and do things that are dangerous and that might cost them their lives. Even extreme sports measure risk better than Christians. Base jumping might be risky but no one does it without a parachute. Since the day of Pentecost Christians have chosen to take risks that they knew were likely to result in death but not with the despair and hopelessness of suicide, but rather in affirmation that my life matters. It matters enough that I am willing to risk it on behalf of the Gospel and on behalf of others.
It is easy to pick on Richard Dawkins but the truth is that Christianity as a worldview is different from Dawkins' worldview in that people who have a truly Christian worldview will take risks that Dawkins' worldview would never demand. The one thing I will say is that Dawkins is willing to risk popularity for his worldview and most western Christians aren't willing to do the same. It is easier to keep your head down and not speak out. If some are willing to risk their lives for the sake of the Gospel, it should shame the rest of us into at least speaking up and speaking out and risking people's opinions of us in order that they might hear the Gospel.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
The cowardly sophistry of Richard Dawkins
I was reading an article about the most famous atheist in the world, Richard Dawkins, in the Times and realized there are significant differences between Christian missionaries and Dawkins. Dawkins muses that he would like to "convert" Muslims to evolution, odd language to begin with, but his proposed methodology is to have his books translated into Arabic so he can sell them. He "wishes" someone would do it and then complains that his books have been censored so no one has ever been able to read them in the Middle East. If they were able, he believes they would immediately see his point and come round to his way of thinking.
There are several things that separate Dawkins in this proposed missionary endeavor or actually desire, from Christians. The first is that Christians haven't simply waited and wished for someone to translate the Bible so that others can read it, they have actually gone about the work of either translating it themselves or paying for the work to be done. They haven't complained about censorship of the Bible or it being banned in these countries, they have risked their lives smuggling it. They haven't sought to make the Bible a bestseller, they have given them away for nothing.
Another distinction is that Dawkins gives only a second hand account about what may have happened to his Turkish publisher. He "may have been arrested." It seems that Dawkins hasn't actually gone to try and convert anyone in person. Christians have risked their lives on their beliefs because they believe that it is eternally important to others that they take these risks in the belief God loves those other people. Dawkins rests easy, hires a publisher, stays home, gives lectures to fawning audiences, attempts to sell books and bemoans the failure of the enterprise.
The only risk Dawkins takes is that Christians will disapprove of his work and disagree with his writings. The price he pays for that risk is that his books sell well to those who agree with him and even more so because of the controversy. Christopher Hitchens, Dawkins fellow in arms against religion, characterizes Christianity and Islam as equally dangerous, but this article puts the lie to that false equivalency. Dawkins work isn't censored in the west, he is at no physical risk and he openly speaks his opinions. To do so in a Muslim country would require a greater level of courage of conviction. That courage takes a committed Christian, someone who truly believes that this life and the next are important, that other people truly matter, and that what they believe is worth dying for.
There are several things that separate Dawkins in this proposed missionary endeavor or actually desire, from Christians. The first is that Christians haven't simply waited and wished for someone to translate the Bible so that others can read it, they have actually gone about the work of either translating it themselves or paying for the work to be done. They haven't complained about censorship of the Bible or it being banned in these countries, they have risked their lives smuggling it. They haven't sought to make the Bible a bestseller, they have given them away for nothing.
Another distinction is that Dawkins gives only a second hand account about what may have happened to his Turkish publisher. He "may have been arrested." It seems that Dawkins hasn't actually gone to try and convert anyone in person. Christians have risked their lives on their beliefs because they believe that it is eternally important to others that they take these risks in the belief God loves those other people. Dawkins rests easy, hires a publisher, stays home, gives lectures to fawning audiences, attempts to sell books and bemoans the failure of the enterprise.
The only risk Dawkins takes is that Christians will disapprove of his work and disagree with his writings. The price he pays for that risk is that his books sell well to those who agree with him and even more so because of the controversy. Christopher Hitchens, Dawkins fellow in arms against religion, characterizes Christianity and Islam as equally dangerous, but this article puts the lie to that false equivalency. Dawkins work isn't censored in the west, he is at no physical risk and he openly speaks his opinions. To do so in a Muslim country would require a greater level of courage of conviction. That courage takes a committed Christian, someone who truly believes that this life and the next are important, that other people truly matter, and that what they believe is worth dying for.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Parenting for/from relationship with the Father
I went to a funeral this past week and what I heard was something that always frightens me a little bit, the effect of parenting on children. I heard grown children reflecting on the shortcomings of their father and the lasting impact this had in their lives. I happen to know this father and understand the reality they were talking about but I also know my own shortcomings and imperfections. In my time in ministry I have counseled quite a few people whose lives and their walk with God are deeply affected by their relationship with their earthly fathers. I always wonder how my own failings as a father will keep my children from fully knowing God the Father.
The effects of sin in my life are such that I lash out in anger and withhold affection at times when I am upset with my children. I have a responsibility to raise my kids in a way that teaches right and wrong and so I know that sometimes that means we have difficulty with one another and yet other times my anger is for reasons other than that. One of my kids carelessly backed out of the driveway and in the process hit my car. He was certainly remorseful for what he had done but that wasn't good enough for me this time. I was tired and emotionally worn out and my reaction wasn't Godly to say the least.
It amazes me always to read in the Gospels when Jesus has gone through tough times and still has resources and reserves of compassion with which he continues to minister when the crowds come to Him. I believe that abiding is the secret to that and yet I allow other things to take away my focus on Him and communion is temporarily interrupted and then I am prone to sin against others. Abiding is work but the work has a gigantic pay off. Parenting requires more abiding than I ever realized.
The effects of sin in my life are such that I lash out in anger and withhold affection at times when I am upset with my children. I have a responsibility to raise my kids in a way that teaches right and wrong and so I know that sometimes that means we have difficulty with one another and yet other times my anger is for reasons other than that. One of my kids carelessly backed out of the driveway and in the process hit my car. He was certainly remorseful for what he had done but that wasn't good enough for me this time. I was tired and emotionally worn out and my reaction wasn't Godly to say the least.
It amazes me always to read in the Gospels when Jesus has gone through tough times and still has resources and reserves of compassion with which he continues to minister when the crowds come to Him. I believe that abiding is the secret to that and yet I allow other things to take away my focus on Him and communion is temporarily interrupted and then I am prone to sin against others. Abiding is work but the work has a gigantic pay off. Parenting requires more abiding than I ever realized.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Faith and fear
I had a friend whose biggest concern about heaven was that when she got there God would play a movie of all the horrible stuff she had done in her life and she would know the shame of it all. I told her two things, one was that if she had confessed and repented those things were forgiven and forgotten and the second thing was that God wouldn't be watching filth like that.
My greater fear was in the Gospel lesson for today, Mark 6.47-56, the disciples in the boat on the lake. Jesus comes walking to them on the water in the midst of a storm that has them scared out of their wits and now they don't know whether to be scared of the storm or what they take to be an apparition. In the end Jesus calms both the storm and the disciples. What we are also told is that they didn't understand because their hearts were hardened.
I am prepared to be embarrassed by looking back on those times in my life when I felt completely overwhelmed by life's difficulties and like Elijah decided I had had enough and was prepared to quit and it was fine with me if my life ended then. God sometimes allows us to be in the storm in order that He can come and prove Himself, hopefully strengthening our faith and trust so that the next time we will not react with the same fear. Somedays I wonder if I will ever get it right. As John Prine once wrote, "its a half an inch of water and you think you're gonna drown."
My greater fear was in the Gospel lesson for today, Mark 6.47-56, the disciples in the boat on the lake. Jesus comes walking to them on the water in the midst of a storm that has them scared out of their wits and now they don't know whether to be scared of the storm or what they take to be an apparition. In the end Jesus calms both the storm and the disciples. What we are also told is that they didn't understand because their hearts were hardened.
I am prepared to be embarrassed by looking back on those times in my life when I felt completely overwhelmed by life's difficulties and like Elijah decided I had had enough and was prepared to quit and it was fine with me if my life ended then. God sometimes allows us to be in the storm in order that He can come and prove Himself, hopefully strengthening our faith and trust so that the next time we will not react with the same fear. Somedays I wonder if I will ever get it right. As John Prine once wrote, "its a half an inch of water and you think you're gonna drown."
Monday, July 27, 2009
Spiritual pandas
Because I have been teaching through John 6 the past few weeks I have been thinking a lot about Jesus' statements that He is bread and water for life. As Christians we know the truth of those statements yet frequently we continue to live as though we were searching for sustenance elsewhere. Too often we are nothing more than spiritual pandas.
A panda is actually a carnivore and its digestive system is designed to eat a widely varied diet yet it more or less subsists on bamboo shoots, which have all the nutritional content of cardboard. The failure of bamboo to adequately provide for the nutritional needs of the panda requires it to consume great quantities of bamboo in order to provide what it needs for fuel. That need requires the panda to spend nearly all its waking hours finding and consuming bamboo which causes the animals to be ever more lethargic, conserving what little energy they derive from their food in order to find more of it.
A panda was made for more yet it has settled for less. Too often we live as Christians as spiritual pandas who relentlessly consume either spiritual junk food or no spiritual food at all in a fruitless search to fill our time and our souls with something. We are meant to feast on the richest fare and yet we fail to live into the new creation we are in Christ Jesus simply because we fail to take advantage of our new nature.
A panda is actually a carnivore and its digestive system is designed to eat a widely varied diet yet it more or less subsists on bamboo shoots, which have all the nutritional content of cardboard. The failure of bamboo to adequately provide for the nutritional needs of the panda requires it to consume great quantities of bamboo in order to provide what it needs for fuel. That need requires the panda to spend nearly all its waking hours finding and consuming bamboo which causes the animals to be ever more lethargic, conserving what little energy they derive from their food in order to find more of it.
A panda was made for more yet it has settled for less. Too often we live as Christians as spiritual pandas who relentlessly consume either spiritual junk food or no spiritual food at all in a fruitless search to fill our time and our souls with something. We are meant to feast on the richest fare and yet we fail to live into the new creation we are in Christ Jesus simply because we fail to take advantage of our new nature.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Hungry and thirsty?
Do we as Christians hunger and thirst after righteousness or do we satisfy our hunger and thirst in pretty much the same way the rest of the world does? More often than not it seems, we satisfy our hunger and thirst with that which is not bread and water. Oddly, that is the road to gluttony because those other things fail to satisfy the hunger and thirst and we simply need more and more.
I know that I am guilty of this very thing and I sense in myself the need to get away and spend time alone in what the Gospels refer to as a desolate place with the Lord. I can attempt to satisfy the thirst with people or books or other activities or things and what I really need is time alone in the Word and with the Word.
Summer is particularly difficult because we have so many other things going in our life and it seems that I lurch from one thing to another and all of them are good things (well, most of them), but they leave me with less and less time to spend just feasting on the Lord. When I examine the way I spend my time I realize that I am spending time and money on what the Lord says through Isaiah " that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
I know that I am guilty of this very thing and I sense in myself the need to get away and spend time alone in what the Gospels refer to as a desolate place with the Lord. I can attempt to satisfy the thirst with people or books or other activities or things and what I really need is time alone in the Word and with the Word.
Summer is particularly difficult because we have so many other things going in our life and it seems that I lurch from one thing to another and all of them are good things (well, most of them), but they leave me with less and less time to spend just feasting on the Lord. When I examine the way I spend my time I realize that I am spending time and money on what the Lord says through Isaiah " that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)