7 November 2010
Psalm 93. 96; Ecclus 51.13-22; 1 Cor 14.1-12; Matt 20.1-16
The writer shows that he already possessed a degree of wisdom before he ever sought wisdom. He proves it by knowing where to seek it, in prayer and before the temple. Solomon was rewarded by the Lord for seeking wisdom as the one thing he wanted from God to be a good king. This writer sought wisdom in the only place it may be truly found, in the Lord, the source of all things, the creator of all that is and therefore the only one who truly understands not only how things work but why they do so and for what purpose they were created. Even greater wisdom is in the last verse. What do I do with the wisdom I have received? I use my tongue to praise the one who gave me wisdom.
When you came to the Lord and received salvation and eternal life, was it bundled with a lot of other things? Does Jesus promise eternal life and material prosperity? How did we get that idea? It seems as though it doesn’t take us long in our journey to start looking around and come to the conclusion that other people seem to have gotten things in their bargain that we didn’t get and now we are a bit less happy with our deal. What once brought us joy now feels like we got the short end of the stick, we should have held out for more. Are you happy with Jesus and His offer of life or are you like the first laborers in the parable?
Apparently the gift of tongues has always been a bit problematic for the church. There has always been a tendency to either exalt the gift as the most exotic and somehow the most intimate of the gifts or to deny its existence. Paul tries to walk the balance between the extremes by asking the question of purpose. Why are we seeking the gifts at all? The best reason he can give for seeking particular gifts from the Lord is to focus on the purpose of the gift and says that those which build up the body are the ones that are truly most important. He does not diminish the value of tongues but says to seek those things that edify the whole rather than the individual. The greater good is always in mind.
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!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
6 November 2010
Psalm 75, 76; Ecclus 51.1-12; Rev 18.1-14; Luke 14.1-11
In the Kenyan liturgy we use at our church the bidding to the congregation for the Lord’s Prayer says, “Lord, you taught us to hope for salvation, the joy of every longing heart. And so we pray for the coming of your kingdom in the words our Savior taught us.” Like the writer here, we have found the answer to our hope for salvation in Him alone. The writer says that he had hoped for human intervention and none was forthcoming and when he realized that his only hope was in you, he reacted like Jonah in his prayer from the belly of the fish, proclaiming salvation comes from the Lord. He not only proclaims this truth but remembers to be thankful for his salvation. We don’t know the circumstances from which this paean springs but we would do well to emulate this prayer in our own lives, today and every day thanking God for the great salvation He has worked on our behalf, saving us from sin and death in the sacrifice of His beloved Son, Jesus.
The ruler of the Pharisees would have been an important person in Judaism at the time of Jesus and the man with dropsy would be someone who would have been unimportant and yet Jesus’ attention here is on this man who needs something from Him, not the ruler. Since it is the Sabbath, Jesus doesn’t just heal the man, he uses it as a teaching moment for His host as well. The teaching has to do with interpretation of Scripture but more its application than understanding. Surely a person, created in the image of God, particularly a member of the covenant community, is of greater priority than an animal and yet He has been criticized for healing on the Sabbath when the law makes provision for rescuing an animal from danger on the Sabbath. The parable is a word of warning to those who would exalt themselves as the Pharisees and the scribes and lawyers were fond of doing but here Jesus has put them into their place.
After the great city has been destroyed and angel again appears in the heavens to proclaim not only her destruction but also her sin and shame and calls the people out of her. It would seem unnecessary to do so in her ruined state but clearly it is necessary. The angelic voice clearly directs attention to God as the agent of destruction, displaying His power and His judgment for all to see and yet they will not turn to Him in spite of His greatness, the fear of the Lord fails to find a place in their hearts. Sadly, the truth is that they will weep for her because she has satisfied the desires of their hearts, they have not sought Him and their desires are not on things eternal but on things of creation. He has created all good things, to Him be praise and glory!
Surely the wrath of man shall praise you;
the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt.
Make your vows to the LORD your God and perform them;
let all around him bring gifts
to him who is to be feared,
who cuts off the spirit of princes,
who is to be feared by the kings of the earth.
Psalm 75, 76; Ecclus 51.1-12; Rev 18.1-14; Luke 14.1-11
In the Kenyan liturgy we use at our church the bidding to the congregation for the Lord’s Prayer says, “Lord, you taught us to hope for salvation, the joy of every longing heart. And so we pray for the coming of your kingdom in the words our Savior taught us.” Like the writer here, we have found the answer to our hope for salvation in Him alone. The writer says that he had hoped for human intervention and none was forthcoming and when he realized that his only hope was in you, he reacted like Jonah in his prayer from the belly of the fish, proclaiming salvation comes from the Lord. He not only proclaims this truth but remembers to be thankful for his salvation. We don’t know the circumstances from which this paean springs but we would do well to emulate this prayer in our own lives, today and every day thanking God for the great salvation He has worked on our behalf, saving us from sin and death in the sacrifice of His beloved Son, Jesus.
The ruler of the Pharisees would have been an important person in Judaism at the time of Jesus and the man with dropsy would be someone who would have been unimportant and yet Jesus’ attention here is on this man who needs something from Him, not the ruler. Since it is the Sabbath, Jesus doesn’t just heal the man, he uses it as a teaching moment for His host as well. The teaching has to do with interpretation of Scripture but more its application than understanding. Surely a person, created in the image of God, particularly a member of the covenant community, is of greater priority than an animal and yet He has been criticized for healing on the Sabbath when the law makes provision for rescuing an animal from danger on the Sabbath. The parable is a word of warning to those who would exalt themselves as the Pharisees and the scribes and lawyers were fond of doing but here Jesus has put them into their place.
After the great city has been destroyed and angel again appears in the heavens to proclaim not only her destruction but also her sin and shame and calls the people out of her. It would seem unnecessary to do so in her ruined state but clearly it is necessary. The angelic voice clearly directs attention to God as the agent of destruction, displaying His power and His judgment for all to see and yet they will not turn to Him in spite of His greatness, the fear of the Lord fails to find a place in their hearts. Sadly, the truth is that they will weep for her because she has satisfied the desires of their hearts, they have not sought Him and their desires are not on things eternal but on things of creation. He has created all good things, to Him be praise and glory!
Surely the wrath of man shall praise you;
the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt.
Make your vows to the LORD your God and perform them;
let all around him bring gifts
to him who is to be feared,
who cuts off the spirit of princes,
who is to be feared by the kings of the earth.
Friday, November 5, 2010
5 November 2010
Psalm 69; Ecclus 50.1, 11-24; Rev 17.1-18; Luke 13.31-35
As a pastor myself it is humbling to hear the writer proclaim the glories of the priest in the leading of worship. Sometimes it is easy to forget that you aren’t performing the worship but instead you are actually participating in worship as you read the liturgy. There is a delicate balance between being fully engaged in the worship and leading others simultaneously and sometimes I want to rest in the words and contemplate what I am saying but I can’t allow my private reverie to keep me from the work. The goal of the work is to lead others into the presence of God which means that we will truly glory in Him. The worship described here sounds glorious. Let us resolve this day to worship the One who sits on the throne.
The Pharisees, in an attempt to get Jesus to leave Jerusalem tell Him Herod is out to kill Him. Jesus speaks briefly about Herod, calling him that fox. It is impossible to tell for certain what this particular reference may mean, today it would mean clever but in Jesus’ time it also meant something on the order of insignificant. Herod is not, however, Jesus’ target here but rather the Pharisees themselves. It is not Gentiles who stone the prophets, it is the Jewish people themselves and the leaders in particular and Jesus is lining these contemporary leaders up with those in the past as He knows it is they and not Herod who are looking to kill Him.
The angel shows John the truth about what is to come, when the nations will gather themselves together and submit themselves to one power, the beast. Contrast this with the picture of the New Jerusalem which comes later in the book where the city is arrayed in splendor with God as her light and Jesus as the lamp through which the light shines and into the city the nations bring their glory to be subsumed into the glory of the city. Here we see the city of man as the great prostitute and the beast and the dragon hate her for she steals the hearts of men to herself and so the forces of evil are at war with one another for glory. After her destruction will come the unity of the nations arrayed against the Lord yet we are told that ultimately the Lamb will triumph. Hallelujah!
But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD.
At an acceptable time, O God,
in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
I will praise the name of God with a song;
I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Psalm 69; Ecclus 50.1, 11-24; Rev 17.1-18; Luke 13.31-35
As a pastor myself it is humbling to hear the writer proclaim the glories of the priest in the leading of worship. Sometimes it is easy to forget that you aren’t performing the worship but instead you are actually participating in worship as you read the liturgy. There is a delicate balance between being fully engaged in the worship and leading others simultaneously and sometimes I want to rest in the words and contemplate what I am saying but I can’t allow my private reverie to keep me from the work. The goal of the work is to lead others into the presence of God which means that we will truly glory in Him. The worship described here sounds glorious. Let us resolve this day to worship the One who sits on the throne.
The Pharisees, in an attempt to get Jesus to leave Jerusalem tell Him Herod is out to kill Him. Jesus speaks briefly about Herod, calling him that fox. It is impossible to tell for certain what this particular reference may mean, today it would mean clever but in Jesus’ time it also meant something on the order of insignificant. Herod is not, however, Jesus’ target here but rather the Pharisees themselves. It is not Gentiles who stone the prophets, it is the Jewish people themselves and the leaders in particular and Jesus is lining these contemporary leaders up with those in the past as He knows it is they and not Herod who are looking to kill Him.
The angel shows John the truth about what is to come, when the nations will gather themselves together and submit themselves to one power, the beast. Contrast this with the picture of the New Jerusalem which comes later in the book where the city is arrayed in splendor with God as her light and Jesus as the lamp through which the light shines and into the city the nations bring their glory to be subsumed into the glory of the city. Here we see the city of man as the great prostitute and the beast and the dragon hate her for she steals the hearts of men to herself and so the forces of evil are at war with one another for glory. After her destruction will come the unity of the nations arrayed against the Lord yet we are told that ultimately the Lamb will triumph. Hallelujah!
But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD.
At an acceptable time, O God,
in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness.
I will praise the name of God with a song;
I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
4 November 2010
Psalm 71; Ecclus 44.1-15; Rev 16.12-21; Luke 13.18-30
We tend to single out those whose faith is known to us in the pages of Scripture and this passage reminds us that “famous” is not the standard for God. It is well to recall the lives of those who walked well the walk of faith and whose stories are knowable. In our tradition we remember those from the Bible and from our history who have walked well. We don’t venerate them or pray to them but we do well to have set before us their good examples as inspiration. This writer speaks of those who were great in the eyes of the world and then reminds us that there are countless others, who quietly and anonymously had great impact on their generations and who are no less worthy of praise. I know many of these quiet saints who have impacted my life and who continue to challenge me with their walk to keep the faith and press on towards the goal.
What is the “narrow door”? That door is Jesus Himself. In John 10 He speaks of being the gate of the sheepfold through which only the sheep may pass and that then leads to John 14, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father but by Me.” He is the only way to eternal life, there are many paths but only one which leads to eternal life with God. We don’t get to choose our own way, we must follow the way of Christ and that is the path of faith, the way of the cross. It may not be popular but if we would receive the crown of glory we must receive it from Him.
There are many Biblical references in this reading from the Revelation. The word from the throne says “It is done.” Does that sound like Jesus from the cross proclaiming “It is finished.” This proclamation is accompanied by the signs Matthew gives us in his Gospel about the crucifixion, signs in the heavens and an earthquake. Babylon is required to drain the cup to the last connects with Psalm 75, a psalm of judgment on the nations. The hailstones are reminiscent of the plague of hail in Egypt. All these cause men not to turn to God here but to curse Him for the plague. They recognize Him as responsible but they will not turn to Him for salvation.
In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame!
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me, and save me!
Be to me a rock of refuge,
to which I may continually come;
you have given the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
Psalm 71; Ecclus 44.1-15; Rev 16.12-21; Luke 13.18-30
We tend to single out those whose faith is known to us in the pages of Scripture and this passage reminds us that “famous” is not the standard for God. It is well to recall the lives of those who walked well the walk of faith and whose stories are knowable. In our tradition we remember those from the Bible and from our history who have walked well. We don’t venerate them or pray to them but we do well to have set before us their good examples as inspiration. This writer speaks of those who were great in the eyes of the world and then reminds us that there are countless others, who quietly and anonymously had great impact on their generations and who are no less worthy of praise. I know many of these quiet saints who have impacted my life and who continue to challenge me with their walk to keep the faith and press on towards the goal.
What is the “narrow door”? That door is Jesus Himself. In John 10 He speaks of being the gate of the sheepfold through which only the sheep may pass and that then leads to John 14, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no man comes to the Father but by Me.” He is the only way to eternal life, there are many paths but only one which leads to eternal life with God. We don’t get to choose our own way, we must follow the way of Christ and that is the path of faith, the way of the cross. It may not be popular but if we would receive the crown of glory we must receive it from Him.
There are many Biblical references in this reading from the Revelation. The word from the throne says “It is done.” Does that sound like Jesus from the cross proclaiming “It is finished.” This proclamation is accompanied by the signs Matthew gives us in his Gospel about the crucifixion, signs in the heavens and an earthquake. Babylon is required to drain the cup to the last connects with Psalm 75, a psalm of judgment on the nations. The hailstones are reminiscent of the plague of hail in Egypt. All these cause men not to turn to God here but to curse Him for the plague. They recognize Him as responsible but they will not turn to Him for salvation.
In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame!
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me, and save me!
Be to me a rock of refuge,
to which I may continually come;
you have given the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
3 November 2010
Psalm 72; Ecclus 43.23-33; Rev 16.1-11; Luke 13.10-17
We could say more but could never say enough; let the final word be: ‘He is the all.’ What a wonderful thing to read first thing in the morning! We need to do as the writer says, marvel at the works of the Lord, praise Him for all He has done, glory in Him and exalt Him as much as you can, give thanks to Him and adore Him. He is indeed worthy of all our praise, all our worship, all our adoration, all our thanksgiving, all our strength, soul and mind. Let us resolve this day to begin our day with praise to the Lord who has created all things, sustains all things, our strength and redeemer. Remember, Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
The woman who was healed glorified God but the ruler of the synagogue was indignant at the healing because it occurred on the Sabbath. Can you imagine what Jesus’ inner reaction was to the indignation? The spiritual blindness of the leader is amazing yet we often do similar things when we judge the worship of others when it differs from ours. God’s way of working is frequently not our preferred way and we should join in the chorus of heaven that the Lord is working among us even when it doesn’t fit our model. Fortunately, the people joined in the woman’s praise and glorified the Lord for Jesus’ works.
The bowls of God’s wrath are poured out on the earth and what is the reaction of man? They did not repent and give Him glory. How could this be? Look around us today and you will see the answer. Because we believe the universe to be a closed system, closed to God, we see the problems as other than God’s judgment, other than His call to us to repent. We believe that since the system is closed we can more or less work on things and come up with solutions to problems and if we can’t at the moment we believe that in the future we will certainly know enough to fix them, thus the belief in cryogenics, the freezing of bodies rather than burying them so that later we can be fixed and running again. Natural disasters are indeed often natural in the sense that because of sin the whole creation participates in the fall and bad things happen but they should call us to consider God’s original creation when all things worked together to produce beauty and fruitfulness.
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!
Psalm 72; Ecclus 43.23-33; Rev 16.1-11; Luke 13.10-17
We could say more but could never say enough; let the final word be: ‘He is the all.’ What a wonderful thing to read first thing in the morning! We need to do as the writer says, marvel at the works of the Lord, praise Him for all He has done, glory in Him and exalt Him as much as you can, give thanks to Him and adore Him. He is indeed worthy of all our praise, all our worship, all our adoration, all our thanksgiving, all our strength, soul and mind. Let us resolve this day to begin our day with praise to the Lord who has created all things, sustains all things, our strength and redeemer. Remember, Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
The woman who was healed glorified God but the ruler of the synagogue was indignant at the healing because it occurred on the Sabbath. Can you imagine what Jesus’ inner reaction was to the indignation? The spiritual blindness of the leader is amazing yet we often do similar things when we judge the worship of others when it differs from ours. God’s way of working is frequently not our preferred way and we should join in the chorus of heaven that the Lord is working among us even when it doesn’t fit our model. Fortunately, the people joined in the woman’s praise and glorified the Lord for Jesus’ works.
The bowls of God’s wrath are poured out on the earth and what is the reaction of man? They did not repent and give Him glory. How could this be? Look around us today and you will see the answer. Because we believe the universe to be a closed system, closed to God, we see the problems as other than God’s judgment, other than His call to us to repent. We believe that since the system is closed we can more or less work on things and come up with solutions to problems and if we can’t at the moment we believe that in the future we will certainly know enough to fix them, thus the belief in cryogenics, the freezing of bodies rather than burying them so that later we can be fixed and running again. Natural disasters are indeed often natural in the sense that because of sin the whole creation participates in the fall and bad things happen but they should call us to consider God’s original creation when all things worked together to produce beauty and fruitfulness.
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!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
2 November 2010
Psalm 61, 62; Ecclus 43.1-22; Rev 14.14-15.8; Luke 13.1-9
It is important for us to be thankful and give praise in all things. The created order is a wonderful place to start each and every day. As we drive to and from work, play or errands we have the opportunity to behold the handiwork of God and ascribe the glory and honor due to He who called it into being and it has marvelously performed its appointed task for who knows how long. All these things work together for the glory of God and we were created with the sensory abilities to appreciate them, the intellectual capacity to understand them, and the abilities to praise Him for all things that allow us to enjoy this life. Is that the way we utilize all these capacities? Today is the day to begin praising Him for His creation and all our abilities to enjoy them.
Is the example of the blood of the Galileeans whose blood Pilate mixed with the sacrifice an attempt to understand the times or just a not so subtle shot at Jesus’ homeland? It seems likely that the second option is the best and Jesus will have none of it, reminding them of another incident that was not in Galilee that impugns them if the same standard is applied. The parable is intended to say that this is the nation’s last chance at producing fruit and Jesus has come in love in order to attempt to coax fruit from this barren tree. It has ceased to give praise to God and has devolved into not nationalism but regionalism and self-righteousness and has forgotten how they became a nation at all.
This is a horrifying scene of God’s judgment beginning with the sickle of the one like a son of man wearing the crown, then the angel with the sickle gathering up the harvest of the unrighteous to the winepress of God’s wrath, followed by the pouring out of the seven bowls of God’s wrath (the number of completion). In all this devastation and death heaven responds with the proclamation that this is all “just.” The world today has, as CS Lewis said, put God in the dock at court and is accusing Him of being less than loving and just for His judgments but heaven disagrees. He has brought on the ruin of all He has created and all for love’s sake that some may see and believe and turn to Him. It is His, He created it and that is an important tenet of our faith for this reason, He loves us more than His creation and if we cannot see Him as creator then we cannot accept any of this judgment, we cannot see Him as loving enough to have created for us and we cannot see Him as truly God of all.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I,
for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
Let me dwell in your tent forever!
Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!
Psalm 61, 62; Ecclus 43.1-22; Rev 14.14-15.8; Luke 13.1-9
It is important for us to be thankful and give praise in all things. The created order is a wonderful place to start each and every day. As we drive to and from work, play or errands we have the opportunity to behold the handiwork of God and ascribe the glory and honor due to He who called it into being and it has marvelously performed its appointed task for who knows how long. All these things work together for the glory of God and we were created with the sensory abilities to appreciate them, the intellectual capacity to understand them, and the abilities to praise Him for all things that allow us to enjoy this life. Is that the way we utilize all these capacities? Today is the day to begin praising Him for His creation and all our abilities to enjoy them.
Is the example of the blood of the Galileeans whose blood Pilate mixed with the sacrifice an attempt to understand the times or just a not so subtle shot at Jesus’ homeland? It seems likely that the second option is the best and Jesus will have none of it, reminding them of another incident that was not in Galilee that impugns them if the same standard is applied. The parable is intended to say that this is the nation’s last chance at producing fruit and Jesus has come in love in order to attempt to coax fruit from this barren tree. It has ceased to give praise to God and has devolved into not nationalism but regionalism and self-righteousness and has forgotten how they became a nation at all.
This is a horrifying scene of God’s judgment beginning with the sickle of the one like a son of man wearing the crown, then the angel with the sickle gathering up the harvest of the unrighteous to the winepress of God’s wrath, followed by the pouring out of the seven bowls of God’s wrath (the number of completion). In all this devastation and death heaven responds with the proclamation that this is all “just.” The world today has, as CS Lewis said, put God in the dock at court and is accusing Him of being less than loving and just for His judgments but heaven disagrees. He has brought on the ruin of all He has created and all for love’s sake that some may see and believe and turn to Him. It is His, He created it and that is an important tenet of our faith for this reason, He loves us more than His creation and if we cannot see Him as creator then we cannot accept any of this judgment, we cannot see Him as loving enough to have created for us and we cannot see Him as truly God of all.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I,
for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
Let me dwell in your tent forever!
Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!
Monday, November 1, 2010
1 November 2010
Psalm 56, 57; Ecclus 38.24-34; Rev 14.1-13; Luke 12.49-59
This passage is an interesting look at the notion of calling. The argument is that only those who are set on one thing, the study of the law, are actually equipped to expound on it and provide wisdom. All others are double-minded at best, occupied as they are with other work. That other work is not condemned in any way, their work makes life worth the while and the conveniences of life possible. The reality is, however, that in Judaism it made no sense to have those people sit in judgment as only those who were devoted to the law were capable of wisely leading the people. In our churches today too often we are more interested in our leaders being successful business people than those who are deeply immersed in the study of the Word. We need people who have been successful but our greater need is for those who are most interested in God’s Word and God’s Way.
It is important that we learn to interpret the times. Jesus says that we can do that in the natural order of things (not sure how much meteorology has advanced in 2 millenia) but what is more important is that we develop our abilities to interpret the time that we live in. As Christians we have the Holy Spirit and we have the Word as our guides and what we need is to interpret the times in order that we might know and understand how to communicate the Gospel to our contemporaries. Where does the Gospel answer the big questions in life? What are the questions the world is asking, whether overtly in words or more discreetly in attitudes? What is the question that consumerism attempts to answer? What is the question that spirituality attempts to answer? If we would see people accept Jesus we need to understand the questions they are asking first.
In the passage from the Revelation we see the angels speaking into a broken world and telling it to turn to God. They point out that the city that had become the center of idolatry, herself an idol to the nations, has been ruined, she is not eternal. Their message is to see reality clearly and then turn to the one who has brought this destruction and who is coming in greater judgment but is now offering what the world cannot offer, salvation from this judgment. The angel speaks truth, what will come if they persist in worshipping the beast, but the blessedness of those who do not, and that blessing is eternal.
When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?
In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
Psalm 56, 57; Ecclus 38.24-34; Rev 14.1-13; Luke 12.49-59
This passage is an interesting look at the notion of calling. The argument is that only those who are set on one thing, the study of the law, are actually equipped to expound on it and provide wisdom. All others are double-minded at best, occupied as they are with other work. That other work is not condemned in any way, their work makes life worth the while and the conveniences of life possible. The reality is, however, that in Judaism it made no sense to have those people sit in judgment as only those who were devoted to the law were capable of wisely leading the people. In our churches today too often we are more interested in our leaders being successful business people than those who are deeply immersed in the study of the Word. We need people who have been successful but our greater need is for those who are most interested in God’s Word and God’s Way.
It is important that we learn to interpret the times. Jesus says that we can do that in the natural order of things (not sure how much meteorology has advanced in 2 millenia) but what is more important is that we develop our abilities to interpret the time that we live in. As Christians we have the Holy Spirit and we have the Word as our guides and what we need is to interpret the times in order that we might know and understand how to communicate the Gospel to our contemporaries. Where does the Gospel answer the big questions in life? What are the questions the world is asking, whether overtly in words or more discreetly in attitudes? What is the question that consumerism attempts to answer? What is the question that spirituality attempts to answer? If we would see people accept Jesus we need to understand the questions they are asking first.
In the passage from the Revelation we see the angels speaking into a broken world and telling it to turn to God. They point out that the city that had become the center of idolatry, herself an idol to the nations, has been ruined, she is not eternal. Their message is to see reality clearly and then turn to the one who has brought this destruction and who is coming in greater judgment but is now offering what the world cannot offer, salvation from this judgment. The angel speaks truth, what will come if they persist in worshipping the beast, but the blessedness of those who do not, and that blessing is eternal.
When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?
In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
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