Greetings, once again! I'm sorry to all those warm-weather lovers out there. But I'm GREATLY enjoying the cooler weather today--slippers instead of sandals on my feet as I sit down to blog today. But enough about the weather. . . let's get to the good stuff:
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
What are the pieces of the “armor of God?” (Eph 6)
Ephesians 6:14-17 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And here's the question of the day:
Who is Luke writing to? (Luke 1)
And here's the reflection of the day:
A little bit of doubt goes a long way, don't you think? Take Zechariah for example (Luke 1:1-38). Had he just been able to keep his mouth shut, he could have saved himself a lot of trouble. . . like months of not being able to talk! Instead of soaking in the holiness of the moment, Zechariah's doubt overflows. What could have been stopped had he kept it inside, comes flowing out of his mouth like a babbling brook.
It makes me wonder: how often are we struck speechless by God these days? Not very often, is my guess. Is that because God isn't doing tremendous things around us or is it because we're just not paying enough to see what's going on?
Maybe we need a little bit more practice at being speechless. . . a little more practice at treasuring things in our hearts, as Mary did.
Here's a secret: preachers often preach to themselves, and in this case, I am guilty as charged. What a blabbermouth I am! But I don't think I'm the only one who needs to take some time to practice being speechless--a time to ponder and think over something; a time to turn over and over in my mind what God is doing in my life.
When was the last time you were struck speechless by God?
Allison
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Clothes Do Make the Man (or Woman)
Hello, once again. We're 49.9999999% of the way done with the "Year of the Bible." Hang in there! Keep on reading!
Here's the question of the day:
What are the pieces of the “armor of God?” (Eph 6)
And here's the reflection of the day:
They (whoever "they" are) say "clothes make the man" (or woman, as the case may be). I must say, I tend to agree.
I know that when I had a test to take, while others would slouch in the room with their sweatpants on, I always tried to dress up a little. When I take the time to dress carefully, I feel more confident in myself. I think part of dressing carefully has to do with the intentionality behind it. When I get up and just throw on whatever is closest at hand, it's like starting the day three steps behind. But when I am careful and thoughtful about what I put on, I'm two steps ahead.
I think that's the idea behind the admonition to "Put on the full armor of God" (Eph 6:11). It is intentional, purposeful. We must always be armed with the belt of truth and the shield of faith because we never know when we might need them. Each and every morning, as a part of getting dressed, we need to be well-dressed, from top to bottom--from the helmet of salvation on our heads to readiness on our feet.
What things can you incorporate into your "getting ready" routine that will help you put on the full armor of God each and every day?
Allison
Here's the question of the day:
What are the pieces of the “armor of God?” (Eph 6)
And here's the reflection of the day:
They (whoever "they" are) say "clothes make the man" (or woman, as the case may be). I must say, I tend to agree.
I know that when I had a test to take, while others would slouch in the room with their sweatpants on, I always tried to dress up a little. When I take the time to dress carefully, I feel more confident in myself. I think part of dressing carefully has to do with the intentionality behind it. When I get up and just throw on whatever is closest at hand, it's like starting the day three steps behind. But when I am careful and thoughtful about what I put on, I'm two steps ahead.
I think that's the idea behind the admonition to "Put on the full armor of God" (Eph 6:11). It is intentional, purposeful. We must always be armed with the belt of truth and the shield of faith because we never know when we might need them. Each and every morning, as a part of getting dressed, we need to be well-dressed, from top to bottom--from the helmet of salvation on our heads to readiness on our feet.
What things can you incorporate into your "getting ready" routine that will help you put on the full armor of God each and every day?
Allison
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sunday Sermon: "What Does Frankfort Church Want to Be Known For?"
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Let us pray: Gracious God, as we turn to your Word, may the Spirit of God rest upon us. Help us to be steadfast in our hearing, in our speaking, in our believing, and in our living. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING: Ephesians 1:15-23
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be opened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
The grass withers and the flower fades but the Word of the Lord endures forever. Amen.
SERMON: INTRODUCTION
The Apostle Paul planted a lot of churches. I mean, he planted A LOT of churches. He took three missionary journeys which we read about in Acts. On these journeys, he either visited churches that already existed or stopped to plant new churches along the way. He started them from scratch. He built a church where none had existed before. It seems like practically every letter in the New Testament is from Paul to some church he planted.
But not Ephesians. Believe it or not, but Paul did not plant the church in Ephesus. Verse 15 says, “. . . ever since I heard about your faith.” Paul has never met the believers in Ephesus. He doesn’t know them. He’s never been there. God must have given someone else the gift of being a church planter because Paul was not involved with the church at Ephesus. He only heard about them through the grapevine, as the song goes. He heard about them through the grapevine and wrote them a letter.
#1
Maybe, at some point in your life, you wrote a letter to your favorite band or your favorite actor or actress. That’s a letter that would technically be written to someone you’ve never met, which kind of sounds like the situation we have with this letter to the church at Ephesus. But it’s a little bit different.
Ephesians, which is one big, long letter, is actually more like your favorite actor writing YOU a letter. Paul was like a rock star in biblical times; so imagine what it would be like for a church to get a letter from him! He had never met them; he’d only heard about them.
Technically, it was probably one of Paul’s disciples who actually wrote the letter, but he used Paul’s words and Paul’s ideas. He was so impressed by the church at Ephesus that “Paul” sent them a letter.
The church at Ephesus had a reputation for being a pretty outstanding church. They were known for their faithfulness and how they expressed their love of God in their actions. It’s like the old hymn says, “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”
So, the Apostle Paul sends the Ephesians a long-distance piece of fan mail. He tells them that he never stops giving thanks for them and that he remembers them in his prayers—these people he’s never met. He prays that God would give them, according to verse 17, “wisdom and revelation” so that they might know God better. He prays that the eyes of their hearts—that’s one of my favorite phrases in the Bible—so that the eyes of their hearts might be opened so that they would understand the hope they have in Jesus Christ.
This must have been a stellar group of Christians. We don’t actually know too much specifically about the church. We just know that they had the reputation for being exceptional enough as a church that it caught the attention of Paul the Apostle/Rock Star.
#2
But you know, reputations are funny things. You probably grew up with your mom or dad telling you not to worry about what other people think of you, particularly when it comes to doing what is right. I know in some classroom of mine hung a poster that said, “What is right is not always popular. What is popular is not always right.”
So we know that we shouldn’t worry about what others think or say about us. Here’s the problem, or the rub, as Shakespeare would say: when you’re looking for a new doctor or a new plumber or a new car dealer, or if you’re looking for a college or a new job, what’s the first thing you want to know about? Someone’s reputation. You want to know what other people of the doctor or plumber or car dealer. You want to know what graduates think of a particular school. You want to know what people think about your potential employer. You want to know about their reputation.
Despite all our parents’ teaching, it would seem, usually, we DO care about what others say.
If you’re a doctor, you want to be known, I would guess, as being patient, wise, and caring. That’s what you hope your reputation says about you. If you own a car dealership, you want to be known as friendly, helpful, and fair. That’s the reputation you want.
With a good reputation, the sky is the limit, for businesses, individuals, and even for churches. And this brings me to the “audience participation” portion of today’s sermon. . . .
#3
The church at Ephesus had such a stellar reputation that word spread over miles and miles and miles about their love and their faithfulness. Personally, I think the best PR a church can do isn’t big billboards or fancy commercials on TV. The best PR a church can do is to spread, by word of mouth, their reputation of who they are and what they are about.
So, I’ve got some work for you guys to do. In your bulletins, on the insert, you’ll see I’ve divided the paper up into two sections. On the top is the question “What does Frankfort Church want to be known for?” On the bottom it says, “What is Frankfort Church known for?”
So, what I want you to do is, for five minutes, I want you to get in groups of 4 or 5—just move a little closer to the other people sitting near you—and talk about the question “What does Frankfort Church want to be known for?” Pick one person to write your ideas down. Try to come up with at least three things that your group hopes Frankfort Church would be known for in the community around us. What kind of reputation do we want our church to have in the community and with our neighbors?
OK, five minutes. Ready? Go . . . .
Who would like to share their ideas with everyone? . . . .
Now, there’s still another question on your page, isn’t there? "What is Frankfort Church known for?" Well, that’s your homework for next week. As you go through your week, if you run into someone who knows about the church but doesn’t come, tell them that your minister gave you homework. Ask them what they know about the church. Try not to prompt them or guide them at all. Just write down what they saw, for better or for worse.
Bring your answers back with you next week. And we’ll see how what we hope to be matches up with what our reputation actually is. I don’t know exactly how this will turn out. We might be pleasantly surprised at how well what we hope we are known for matches what we are actually known for. Or we might be a little shocked by the results. It will be an interesting little experiment.
CONCLUSION
There are a million things that churches SHOULD be known for. Paul gives a lot of ideas for the kinds of things churches should be known for. But, you know we cannot be all things to all people.
What do you think God wants this church to be known for? Jesus died and rose again so that this church might have life and have it abundantly. How can we live up to God’s expectations for us? Like I asked the children, what does God want us to be known for?
Thanks be to the God who is known for faithfulness, steadfast love, and everlasting glory.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Let us pray: Gracious God, as we turn to your Word, may the Spirit of God rest upon us. Help us to be steadfast in our hearing, in our speaking, in our believing, and in our living. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING: Ephesians 1:15-23
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be opened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
The grass withers and the flower fades but the Word of the Lord endures forever. Amen.
SERMON: INTRODUCTION
The Apostle Paul planted a lot of churches. I mean, he planted A LOT of churches. He took three missionary journeys which we read about in Acts. On these journeys, he either visited churches that already existed or stopped to plant new churches along the way. He started them from scratch. He built a church where none had existed before. It seems like practically every letter in the New Testament is from Paul to some church he planted.
But not Ephesians. Believe it or not, but Paul did not plant the church in Ephesus. Verse 15 says, “. . . ever since I heard about your faith.” Paul has never met the believers in Ephesus. He doesn’t know them. He’s never been there. God must have given someone else the gift of being a church planter because Paul was not involved with the church at Ephesus. He only heard about them through the grapevine, as the song goes. He heard about them through the grapevine and wrote them a letter.
#1
Maybe, at some point in your life, you wrote a letter to your favorite band or your favorite actor or actress. That’s a letter that would technically be written to someone you’ve never met, which kind of sounds like the situation we have with this letter to the church at Ephesus. But it’s a little bit different.
Ephesians, which is one big, long letter, is actually more like your favorite actor writing YOU a letter. Paul was like a rock star in biblical times; so imagine what it would be like for a church to get a letter from him! He had never met them; he’d only heard about them.
Technically, it was probably one of Paul’s disciples who actually wrote the letter, but he used Paul’s words and Paul’s ideas. He was so impressed by the church at Ephesus that “Paul” sent them a letter.
The church at Ephesus had a reputation for being a pretty outstanding church. They were known for their faithfulness and how they expressed their love of God in their actions. It’s like the old hymn says, “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”
So, the Apostle Paul sends the Ephesians a long-distance piece of fan mail. He tells them that he never stops giving thanks for them and that he remembers them in his prayers—these people he’s never met. He prays that God would give them, according to verse 17, “wisdom and revelation” so that they might know God better. He prays that the eyes of their hearts—that’s one of my favorite phrases in the Bible—so that the eyes of their hearts might be opened so that they would understand the hope they have in Jesus Christ.
This must have been a stellar group of Christians. We don’t actually know too much specifically about the church. We just know that they had the reputation for being exceptional enough as a church that it caught the attention of Paul the Apostle/Rock Star.
#2
But you know, reputations are funny things. You probably grew up with your mom or dad telling you not to worry about what other people think of you, particularly when it comes to doing what is right. I know in some classroom of mine hung a poster that said, “What is right is not always popular. What is popular is not always right.”
So we know that we shouldn’t worry about what others think or say about us. Here’s the problem, or the rub, as Shakespeare would say: when you’re looking for a new doctor or a new plumber or a new car dealer, or if you’re looking for a college or a new job, what’s the first thing you want to know about? Someone’s reputation. You want to know what other people of the doctor or plumber or car dealer. You want to know what graduates think of a particular school. You want to know what people think about your potential employer. You want to know about their reputation.
Despite all our parents’ teaching, it would seem, usually, we DO care about what others say.
If you’re a doctor, you want to be known, I would guess, as being patient, wise, and caring. That’s what you hope your reputation says about you. If you own a car dealership, you want to be known as friendly, helpful, and fair. That’s the reputation you want.
With a good reputation, the sky is the limit, for businesses, individuals, and even for churches. And this brings me to the “audience participation” portion of today’s sermon. . . .
#3
The church at Ephesus had such a stellar reputation that word spread over miles and miles and miles about their love and their faithfulness. Personally, I think the best PR a church can do isn’t big billboards or fancy commercials on TV. The best PR a church can do is to spread, by word of mouth, their reputation of who they are and what they are about.
So, I’ve got some work for you guys to do. In your bulletins, on the insert, you’ll see I’ve divided the paper up into two sections. On the top is the question “What does Frankfort Church want to be known for?” On the bottom it says, “What is Frankfort Church known for?”
So, what I want you to do is, for five minutes, I want you to get in groups of 4 or 5—just move a little closer to the other people sitting near you—and talk about the question “What does Frankfort Church want to be known for?” Pick one person to write your ideas down. Try to come up with at least three things that your group hopes Frankfort Church would be known for in the community around us. What kind of reputation do we want our church to have in the community and with our neighbors?
OK, five minutes. Ready? Go . . . .
Who would like to share their ideas with everyone? . . . .
Now, there’s still another question on your page, isn’t there? "What is Frankfort Church known for?" Well, that’s your homework for next week. As you go through your week, if you run into someone who knows about the church but doesn’t come, tell them that your minister gave you homework. Ask them what they know about the church. Try not to prompt them or guide them at all. Just write down what they saw, for better or for worse.
Bring your answers back with you next week. And we’ll see how what we hope to be matches up with what our reputation actually is. I don’t know exactly how this will turn out. We might be pleasantly surprised at how well what we hope we are known for matches what we are actually known for. Or we might be a little shocked by the results. It will be an interesting little experiment.
CONCLUSION
There are a million things that churches SHOULD be known for. Paul gives a lot of ideas for the kinds of things churches should be known for. But, you know we cannot be all things to all people.
What do you think God wants this church to be known for? Jesus died and rose again so that this church might have life and have it abundantly. How can we live up to God’s expectations for us? Like I asked the children, what does God want us to be known for?
Thanks be to the God who is known for faithfulness, steadfast love, and everlasting glory.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Don't Believe Your Own Hype!
Good morning! (Or afternoon or evening, depending on when you're reading this.) I hope you're enjoying the read through 2 Chronicles a little more than 1 Chronicles--many more little narratives and a lot fewer lists.
I also hope you're keeping up with "My Book of Chronicles" too! I was so glad to hear how many people were willing to share where they see God at work in their lives during worship on Sunday. (For those of you who missed it: two Sundays ago, I preached on 1 Chronicles 5. I talked about how 1 Chronicles was the story of a family's faith and witness of seeing God at work in the everyday, mundane details of their lives, which is why the Chronicles were so precious to their descendants. So I handed out little notebooks to those who were there and encouraged them to write down where they saw God at work in their lives; hence, their own "book of Chronicles" which could be handed down through the generations of THEIR family.)
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
What does Paul ask the Christians at Ephesus to do? (Eph 3)
Ephesians 3:13 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. I belatedly realized this is a reading from Wednesday's schedule, not Thursday. Sorry!
And here's the question of the day:
What did Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, do when she learned her son had died? (2 Chron 22)
And here's the reflection of the day:
2 Chronicles 24 has an interesting little story for us today. "Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years."
Sheesh, seven years old. How many of you parents barely allow your seven-year-old to pick out his or her own clothes, let alone rule over Israel?! But that's the way it goes with passing down the kingship through lineage. It is just one of the tragic results of a life, for better or worse, cut short.
Fortunately, Joash had Jehoiada. We have read much about Jehoiada in the last couple chapters of 2 Chronicles, so we know he was a no-nonsense kind of guy, clearly anointed by the Lord for leadership over his people. For forty long years, Joash did "what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest" (v2). Isn't that a little different than what we're used to reading about these kings--usually it says they did "what was right in the eyes of the Lord" period. There's not usually an end limit on their obedience; generally they are obedient all of their lives.
The text doesn't tell us exactly what went wrong, but my guess is that Joash believed his own hype. It does tells us, "After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them" (v17). Maybe Joash started to believe his own hype.
And it all went downhill from there. Joash seems to have forgotten all that Jehoiada had done for him and taught him. He was one who guided Joash, acting as a direct connection between the king and God. Jehoiada was probably also the one who kept Joash's ego under control. Once that presence was gone, things fell apart.
The moral of the story? Be careful of the company you keep. Surround yourself with people who will give you sage advice, who will keep you accountable, and will help you not believe your own hype!
Have a splendid day!
Allison
I also hope you're keeping up with "My Book of Chronicles" too! I was so glad to hear how many people were willing to share where they see God at work in their lives during worship on Sunday. (For those of you who missed it: two Sundays ago, I preached on 1 Chronicles 5. I talked about how 1 Chronicles was the story of a family's faith and witness of seeing God at work in the everyday, mundane details of their lives, which is why the Chronicles were so precious to their descendants. So I handed out little notebooks to those who were there and encouraged them to write down where they saw God at work in their lives; hence, their own "book of Chronicles" which could be handed down through the generations of THEIR family.)
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
What does Paul ask the Christians at Ephesus to do? (Eph 3)
Ephesians 3:13 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. I belatedly realized this is a reading from Wednesday's schedule, not Thursday. Sorry!
And here's the question of the day:
What did Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, do when she learned her son had died? (2 Chron 22)
And here's the reflection of the day:
2 Chronicles 24 has an interesting little story for us today. "Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years."
Sheesh, seven years old. How many of you parents barely allow your seven-year-old to pick out his or her own clothes, let alone rule over Israel?! But that's the way it goes with passing down the kingship through lineage. It is just one of the tragic results of a life, for better or worse, cut short.
Fortunately, Joash had Jehoiada. We have read much about Jehoiada in the last couple chapters of 2 Chronicles, so we know he was a no-nonsense kind of guy, clearly anointed by the Lord for leadership over his people. For forty long years, Joash did "what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest" (v2). Isn't that a little different than what we're used to reading about these kings--usually it says they did "what was right in the eyes of the Lord" period. There's not usually an end limit on their obedience; generally they are obedient all of their lives.
The text doesn't tell us exactly what went wrong, but my guess is that Joash believed his own hype. It does tells us, "After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them" (v17). Maybe Joash started to believe his own hype.
And it all went downhill from there. Joash seems to have forgotten all that Jehoiada had done for him and taught him. He was one who guided Joash, acting as a direct connection between the king and God. Jehoiada was probably also the one who kept Joash's ego under control. Once that presence was gone, things fell apart.
The moral of the story? Be careful of the company you keep. Surround yourself with people who will give you sage advice, who will keep you accountable, and will help you not believe your own hype!
Have a splendid day!
Allison
Thursday, June 25, 2009
"Christ-in-his-church"
Hello, again! Glad you stopped by today. I hope you're keeping up (or maybe catching up!) on your Year of the Bible readings. Can you believe we're almost halfway done?! Good for us!
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Finish this verse: “My flesh and my heart may fail; but ___________________________________” (Psalm 73)
Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
And here's the question of the day:
What does Paul ask the Christians at Ephesus to do? (Eph 3)
And here's the reflection of the day:
In his commentary on Ephesians, Ralph Winter describes its theme as "Christ-in-his-church" (Winter, Interpretation: Ephesians, p 4). "Christ-in-his-church." In other words, building up the Body of Christ, of which Christ is the head.
To build up the Body of Christ is to build up one another. The virtues that are listed (Eph 4:2-3) sound remarkably like the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). All of these are intended to be outward focused characteristics--putting others before ourselves, "bearing with one another in love" (v2). And Ephesians speaks of "the bond of peace" (v3) which is the glue that binds everything together. The peace of Christ is what holds the church together, what builds the body up. What an interesting thought from a BOUND apostle in prison, a prisoner for the Lord.
Putting a discussion of Ephesians authorship aside, Ephesians is a book which tells part of Paul's story, particularly when he was in jail. Paul is bound and shackled, deprived and mistreated. And yet he is able to urge others "to live a life worthy of the calling" they have received (v1). He must have envisioned the ties that bind his hands as the bonds of peace. How else could he have exhorted others while he himself was in such dire straits?
I think I'm going to try to remember that. The next time I feel "bound" by something, I'm going try to think of it as "the bonds of peace." I'm going to try to figure out how I can continue to live so as to be worthy of God's calling on my life, exhorting others and building others up rather than thinking only of my own discomfort.
Which reminds me of a song. . . (of course!)
Have a splendid day!
Allison
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Finish this verse: “My flesh and my heart may fail; but ___________________________________” (Psalm 73)
Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
And here's the question of the day:
What does Paul ask the Christians at Ephesus to do? (Eph 3)
And here's the reflection of the day:
In his commentary on Ephesians, Ralph Winter describes its theme as "Christ-in-his-church" (Winter, Interpretation: Ephesians, p 4). "Christ-in-his-church." In other words, building up the Body of Christ, of which Christ is the head.
To build up the Body of Christ is to build up one another. The virtues that are listed (Eph 4:2-3) sound remarkably like the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). All of these are intended to be outward focused characteristics--putting others before ourselves, "bearing with one another in love" (v2). And Ephesians speaks of "the bond of peace" (v3) which is the glue that binds everything together. The peace of Christ is what holds the church together, what builds the body up. What an interesting thought from a BOUND apostle in prison, a prisoner for the Lord.
Putting a discussion of Ephesians authorship aside, Ephesians is a book which tells part of Paul's story, particularly when he was in jail. Paul is bound and shackled, deprived and mistreated. And yet he is able to urge others "to live a life worthy of the calling" they have received (v1). He must have envisioned the ties that bind his hands as the bonds of peace. How else could he have exhorted others while he himself was in such dire straits?
I think I'm going to try to remember that. The next time I feel "bound" by something, I'm going try to think of it as "the bonds of peace." I'm going to try to figure out how I can continue to live so as to be worthy of God's calling on my life, exhorting others and building others up rather than thinking only of my own discomfort.
Which reminds me of a song. . . (of course!)
Have a splendid day!
Allison
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Is God a Manipulator?
Hello, again! This is the song that was running through my head right now. Since it was stuck in my head, thought I'd get it stuck in yours too!
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
In the days of 2 Chronicles 15, was it safe to travel about in the lands?
2 Chronicles 15:4-6 5 In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. 6 One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress.
And here's the question of the day:
Finish this verse: “My flesh and my heart may fail; but _______________________” (Psalm 73)
And here's the reflection of the day:
In 2 Chronicles 17, we read that "The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not make war with Jehoshaphat" (v 10). The beginning of 2 Chronicles 18 tells us that "Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor" (v 1). He had it all--God's blessing and therefore the respect of the people.
So WHY did he align himself with Ahab through marriage???
What do we know about Ahab? WELL . . . 1 Kings 16:30 tells us that "Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. Ahab son of Omri, did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him." (And that was A LOT.)
Apparently it was smooth sailing for the first couple of years. The Chronicler doesn't give us many details of the time early on in Jehoshaphat's marriage. Verse 2 tells us that "some years later he went down" to visit Ahab. And THAT'S when the trouble started!
Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat to go to war with him against Ramoth Gilead. And at first, he agrees. Then he adds, "First seek the counsel of the Lord."
This presents an interesting dilemma for Ahab. You see, 1 Kings 16 ALSO tells us that Ahab made an Asherah pole (an idol) and "did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him" (verse 33).
So, what's a king to do? Should Ahab assent to Jehoshaphat's request for a prophet of the Lord rather than the legions of other prophets? Should he blow off his son-in-law's request? Eventually he decides to assent to the request. Enter the prophet Micaiah son of Imlah.
Though the legions of other prophets advised going to war, Micaiah says no. It's a hard-knock life for a prophet. Because he said no, Micaiah was thrown in jail, given only bread and water. He was so certain that God was speaking to him and through him that he was willing to risk his life on it. And in the end, the legions were wrong and the lone dissenter was right: Ahab is killed but Jehoshaphat is spared, despite all the poor decisions he made along the way.
There's a lot of manipulation going on in this story, both human and divine. God schemes to bring about Ahab's demise using his own scheme to go to war with Jehoshaphat. Ahab's plotting against Jehoshaphat is ruined also.
Here we see God also manipulating the situation--saving Jehoshaphat from certain death and punishing the evil king Ahab.
So, what do you think about that? Is God a manipulator? Does it matter one way or another? Can human justice be achieved by manipulation? divine justice?
Leave me a comment and tell me what you think!
Allison
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
In the days of 2 Chronicles 15, was it safe to travel about in the lands?
2 Chronicles 15:4-6 5 In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. 6 One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress.
And here's the question of the day:
Finish this verse: “My flesh and my heart may fail; but _______________________” (Psalm 73)
And here's the reflection of the day:
In 2 Chronicles 17, we read that "The fear of the Lord fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not make war with Jehoshaphat" (v 10). The beginning of 2 Chronicles 18 tells us that "Now Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor" (v 1). He had it all--God's blessing and therefore the respect of the people.
So WHY did he align himself with Ahab through marriage???
What do we know about Ahab? WELL . . . 1 Kings 16:30 tells us that "Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. Ahab son of Omri, did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him." (And that was A LOT.)
Apparently it was smooth sailing for the first couple of years. The Chronicler doesn't give us many details of the time early on in Jehoshaphat's marriage. Verse 2 tells us that "some years later he went down" to visit Ahab. And THAT'S when the trouble started!
Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat to go to war with him against Ramoth Gilead. And at first, he agrees. Then he adds, "First seek the counsel of the Lord."
This presents an interesting dilemma for Ahab. You see, 1 Kings 16 ALSO tells us that Ahab made an Asherah pole (an idol) and "did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him" (verse 33).
So, what's a king to do? Should Ahab assent to Jehoshaphat's request for a prophet of the Lord rather than the legions of other prophets? Should he blow off his son-in-law's request? Eventually he decides to assent to the request. Enter the prophet Micaiah son of Imlah.
Though the legions of other prophets advised going to war, Micaiah says no. It's a hard-knock life for a prophet. Because he said no, Micaiah was thrown in jail, given only bread and water. He was so certain that God was speaking to him and through him that he was willing to risk his life on it. And in the end, the legions were wrong and the lone dissenter was right: Ahab is killed but Jehoshaphat is spared, despite all the poor decisions he made along the way.
There's a lot of manipulation going on in this story, both human and divine. God schemes to bring about Ahab's demise using his own scheme to go to war with Jehoshaphat. Ahab's plotting against Jehoshaphat is ruined also.
Here we see God also manipulating the situation--saving Jehoshaphat from certain death and punishing the evil king Ahab.
So, what do you think about that? Is God a manipulator? Does it matter one way or another? Can human justice be achieved by manipulation? divine justice?
Leave me a comment and tell me what you think!
Allison
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
I'm ba-ack!
Good morning again! I had a great week at VBS--I think it's the best one we've had since I've been here. (Can you believe it's been four years?!)
At any rate, I took a sick day yesterday but I'm back at work, if not completely healed. *cough, cough, cough.* Let's get to it!
Here's the question of the day:
In the days of 2 Chronicles 15, was it safe to travel about in the lands?
And here's the reflection of the day:
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
The writer of Ephesians "sees every Christian life as preordained by God. Each life has a purpose, "good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Pheme Perkins, NIB Commentary, Ephesians).
Perkins goes on to point out that when we think of God having a divinely ordained plan for someone's life, we tend to think of the lives of Martin Luther, Martin Luther King Jr, Billy Graham, and one of dozen popes. They had world-changing lives.
But Ephesians was not written to Martin Luther or Billy Graham. It was written to ALL of us.
Perkins writes, "Every Christian has some 'good works' that are his or her divine calling."
And Ephesians recommends organizing one's life around God first. If Christ is at the center, all things will hold together. If one can organize life around God, then all of the details--"the passions and concerns of daily life"--become a part of God's divinely ordered plan worked out in our everyday lives. The mundane, tedious details of our lives suddenly belong to God. What may seem as a random sequence of events to a non-believer gels into a divine plan for each one of our lives, as we seek to live out God's purpose.
What do the details of your life look like? How do you think these pieces fit together as part of God's plan for your life?
Have a splendid day!
Allison
At any rate, I took a sick day yesterday but I'm back at work, if not completely healed. *cough, cough, cough.* Let's get to it!
Here's the question of the day:
In the days of 2 Chronicles 15, was it safe to travel about in the lands?
And here's the reflection of the day:
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
The writer of Ephesians "sees every Christian life as preordained by God. Each life has a purpose, "good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Pheme Perkins, NIB Commentary, Ephesians).
Perkins goes on to point out that when we think of God having a divinely ordained plan for someone's life, we tend to think of the lives of Martin Luther, Martin Luther King Jr, Billy Graham, and one of dozen popes. They had world-changing lives.
But Ephesians was not written to Martin Luther or Billy Graham. It was written to ALL of us.
Perkins writes, "Every Christian has some 'good works' that are his or her divine calling."
And Ephesians recommends organizing one's life around God first. If Christ is at the center, all things will hold together. If one can organize life around God, then all of the details--"the passions and concerns of daily life"--become a part of God's divinely ordered plan worked out in our everyday lives. The mundane, tedious details of our lives suddenly belong to God. What may seem as a random sequence of events to a non-believer gels into a divine plan for each one of our lives, as we seek to live out God's purpose.
What do the details of your life look like? How do you think these pieces fit together as part of God's plan for your life?
Have a splendid day!
Allison
Thursday, June 18, 2009
VBS Snapshots
Just a few snapshots from VBS so far this week. Working on putting a highlight reel together for church on Sunday!
Just a few snapshots from VBS so far this week. Working on putting a highlight reel together for church on Sunday!Monday, June 15, 2009
AHHHHHH!
It's Bible School week so I'm taking a sabbath from reflecting! I hope you continue to keep up with your Year of the Bible readings.
I'm working on coming up with a YOTB activity for us to do later this month--something to encourage us to keep reading. EVERYONE I've talked to is behind. Let me know if you have any suggestions of something that might perk us back up!
Have a splendid day!
Allison
I'm working on coming up with a YOTB activity for us to do later this month--something to encourage us to keep reading. EVERYONE I've talked to is behind. Let me know if you have any suggestions of something that might perk us back up!
Have a splendid day!
Allison
Sunday Sermon: Write Your Own Book of Chronicles
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Let us pray: Gracious God, as we turn to your Word, may the Spirit of God rest upon us. Help us to be steadfast in our hearing, in our speaking, in our believing, and in our living. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
SERMON: INTRODUCTION
If you’re following along with the “Year of the Bible,” you know that today is the day for a sermon on 1 Chronicles. Most of us don’t know too much about 1 Chronicles, so I thought I’d read to you some quotes from a commentary on the Chronicles. . . Leslie Allen starts out a commentary on 1-2 Chronicles—yes there’s a sequel!—by saying, “The books of Chronicles are the Bible's best-kept secret.” What do ya think about that?
Another scholar has testified: “I regard Chronicles as one of the richest mines of spirituality in all Scripture.”2 Allen writes that “the assessment of an earlier commentator may be added: ‘Chronicles is one of the most stimulating books in the Bible, courageous and practical—a splendid achievement’”3 (Allen, NIB, 1-2 Chronicles).
That’s pretty high praise, wouldn’t you say? Sounds like we’ve got a real treat in store for us this morning in God’s Word! So, without any further ado, I give you today’s Scripture reading from 1 Chronicles chapter five:
SCRIPTURE READING 1 Chronicles 5:7-26
7 Their relatives by clans, listed according to their genealogical records: Jeiel the chief, Zechariah, 8 and Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. They settled in the area from Aroer to Nebo and Baal Meon. 9 To the east they occupied the land up to the edge of the desert that extends to the Euphrates River, because their livestock had increased in Gilead.
Have we gotten to the part that’s the best kept secret in the Bible? Not yet, I guess. Let’s keep reading.
10 During Saul's reign they waged war against the Hagrites, who were defeated at their hands; they occupied the dwellings of the Hagrites throughout the entire region east of Gilead. 11 The Gadites lived next to them in Bashan, as far as Salecah: 12 Joel was the chief, Shapham the second, then Janai and Shaphat, in Bashan. 13 Their relatives, by families, were: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia and Eber-- seven in all. 14 These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz. 15 Ahi son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their family. 16 The Gadites lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its outlying villages, and on all the pasturelands of Sharon as far as they extended. 17 All these were entered in the genealogical records during the reigns of Jotham king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel.
So, how many riches of spirituality have you mined so far? What, none? Maybe they’re saving the best for last. We should keep reading.
18 The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men ready for military service-- able-bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could use a bow, and who were trained for battle. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. 20 They were helped in fighting them, and God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him. 21 They seized the livestock of the Hagrites-- fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep and two thousand donkeys. They also took one hundred thousand people captive, 22 and many others fell slain, because the battle was God's. And they occupied the land until the exile.
Well, NOW things are getting a little interesting. . .
25 But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. 26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan, where they are to this day.
Well, the grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord endures forever, even the book of Chronicles.
#1
Now, no offense to Leslie Allen, the commentator I mentioned first this morning, but I found myself nodding a bit more enthusiastically as I read the introduction of a DIFFERENT commentary on Chronicles. THIS guy starts his book by saying, “Chronicles is not a popular book . . . . [Though our bibles divide it into 1 & 2 Chronicles, it’s really just one book, filled with 64 chapters.] To many readers, Chronicles seems little more than a dull rewrite of [the stories about] Samuel and [in 1 and 2] Kings.”
AND, he points out that the Greek name for Chronicles actually means “leftovers” (Tuell, 1-2 Chron, Interpretation, p 1) as if the author of Chronicles just gathered together all the leftover details that didn’t make it into 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings and slapped them together into a book.
So where is the wisdom in these leftovers? I believe it is there somewhere—otherwise, why include it in the Bible? But I still keep asking myself as I wrote this sermon, where are the best-kept secrets and the rich mines of spirituality? Where’s the courage and the practical wisdom?
So I poked and I prodded, and I dug around in these verses for a while, and I think I came up with some nuggets of wisdom hidden inside these “leftover.”
1. Lesson #1: Family is important. Look at all those lists of fathers and sons and grandsons. I know it doesn’t seem terribly interesting to us, BUT, if it was MY family tree written down in the Chronicles, I’d be trying to memorize every word of it. This is history. This is someone’s life story. It is important to know where you came from and who your family is. Sometimes you have to know where you came from in order to figure out where you’re going. The author of Chronicles wants us to remember that family is important.
2. Lesson 2 is related to Lesson 1: You can’t ride your parents’ coattails forever. We all do it for a while, especially if our parents’ have a good reputation. It comes in handy during our teenage years. But we can’t ride their coattails forever. In our passage this morning, it tells us that the first generation of Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh cried out to God for help in the midst of battle and won the battle. But the next generation was “unfaithful to the God of their fathers and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land.” Though their fathers’ generation chose to be faithful, the sons did not. And they were punished for that. You can’t ride your parents’ coattails forever.
3. Lesson 3 is related to Lessons 1 and 2: “God has no grandchildren.” “Each generation had the responsibility of [learning and accepting] the faith handed down by its [mothers and fathers].” Again, you can’t ride your parents’ coattails when it comes to faith. Though they may have taught you about God, you must come to know God for yourself. (Allen, 1-2 Chronicles, NIB) Nobody gets “grandfathered” in to heaven. We are all directly sons and daughters of God.
#2
But I saved what I THINK the best lesson for last: we see God’s presence most clearly in the every day events and details in our lives. To chronicle something is to narrate or report something. So, Chronicles is a report of God’s presence as it is seen in the daily lives of God’s people.
Sure these lists of names and little stories seem to be mundane and tedious, but really the writer of Chronicles is telling the story of how God worked in the details of ordinary life. There are sixty some other books in the Bible that tell us all about the BIG things God has done in history. But Chronicles tells us about the little tiny everyday ways God is at work in our lives.
I think we ought to pay more attention to the details in life. I think we ought to keep track of where and when we see God at work in the details of our lives. I think we need to chronicle or to report those things for ourselves. SO . . . I have a little present for you. I am giving you your own “Book of Chronicles.” The pages are blank because YOU are going to the author of your book of Chronicles—look, it even says “My Book of Chronicles” on the front! You are going to create your own record of what God is doing in your life.
This is all you have to do: when you see God at work in your life, write it down—write down where you were, what time it was, and what happened. Remember to think about the ordinary, mundane details of life where God is at work.
CONCLUSION
As the priests would get ready to celebrate Yom Kippur, they would read from an assigned list of Scriptures (Tuell). Reading these Scriptures were meant to help keep them awake as they read ALL night long. And Chronicles was on that list of books to read to keep from falling asleep. It was exciting for them to read because it is a story of their families and their lives, and it is a story of their faith, passed on from generation to generation.
Think about how precious the book of Chronicles was to them. And now think about how precious your book of Chronicles could become to your family. It will be a well you can drink from when your faith gets a little parched. It will be a testimony of God’s faithfulness, something that can be shared with your children and grandchildren. It will be a way for you to continue to pass on the faith to future generations in your family even after you are partying with Jesus in heaven. Think of all the ways God could use your words and experiences years from now.
THAT’S why the book of Chronicles is in the Bible. THAT’S why it’s a mine full of spiritual riches and wisdom. Because it’s the story of what God was doing in people’s lives. And now you can write the story of what God is doing in your life.
You can start chronicling where you see God at work starting today. You can think back over your life and start from when you were a child. It’s up to you. There are no rules for what goes into your book of Chronicles. You don’t have to write in it every day or you can write in it a couple times of day. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are making a record of seeing God at work in your life.
And I’m going to give you 60 seconds to work on your first chronicle about where you see God at work in your life. You don’t have to write it down now. Just start thinking about it. Ready? Go.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Let us pray: Gracious God, as we turn to your Word, may the Spirit of God rest upon us. Help us to be steadfast in our hearing, in our speaking, in our believing, and in our living. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
SERMON: INTRODUCTION
If you’re following along with the “Year of the Bible,” you know that today is the day for a sermon on 1 Chronicles. Most of us don’t know too much about 1 Chronicles, so I thought I’d read to you some quotes from a commentary on the Chronicles. . . Leslie Allen starts out a commentary on 1-2 Chronicles—yes there’s a sequel!—by saying, “The books of Chronicles are the Bible's best-kept secret.” What do ya think about that?
Another scholar has testified: “I regard Chronicles as one of the richest mines of spirituality in all Scripture.”2 Allen writes that “the assessment of an earlier commentator may be added: ‘Chronicles is one of the most stimulating books in the Bible, courageous and practical—a splendid achievement’”3 (Allen, NIB, 1-2 Chronicles).
That’s pretty high praise, wouldn’t you say? Sounds like we’ve got a real treat in store for us this morning in God’s Word! So, without any further ado, I give you today’s Scripture reading from 1 Chronicles chapter five:
SCRIPTURE READING 1 Chronicles 5:7-26
7 Their relatives by clans, listed according to their genealogical records: Jeiel the chief, Zechariah, 8 and Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. They settled in the area from Aroer to Nebo and Baal Meon. 9 To the east they occupied the land up to the edge of the desert that extends to the Euphrates River, because their livestock had increased in Gilead.
Have we gotten to the part that’s the best kept secret in the Bible? Not yet, I guess. Let’s keep reading.
10 During Saul's reign they waged war against the Hagrites, who were defeated at their hands; they occupied the dwellings of the Hagrites throughout the entire region east of Gilead. 11 The Gadites lived next to them in Bashan, as far as Salecah: 12 Joel was the chief, Shapham the second, then Janai and Shaphat, in Bashan. 13 Their relatives, by families, were: Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia and Eber-- seven in all. 14 These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz. 15 Ahi son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their family. 16 The Gadites lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its outlying villages, and on all the pasturelands of Sharon as far as they extended. 17 All these were entered in the genealogical records during the reigns of Jotham king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel.
So, how many riches of spirituality have you mined so far? What, none? Maybe they’re saving the best for last. We should keep reading.
18 The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men ready for military service-- able-bodied men who could handle shield and sword, who could use a bow, and who were trained for battle. 19 They waged war against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish and Nodab. 20 They were helped in fighting them, and God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him. 21 They seized the livestock of the Hagrites-- fifty thousand camels, two hundred fifty thousand sheep and two thousand donkeys. They also took one hundred thousand people captive, 22 and many others fell slain, because the battle was God's. And they occupied the land until the exile.
Well, NOW things are getting a little interesting. . .
25 But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. 26 So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan, where they are to this day.
Well, the grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord endures forever, even the book of Chronicles.
#1
Now, no offense to Leslie Allen, the commentator I mentioned first this morning, but I found myself nodding a bit more enthusiastically as I read the introduction of a DIFFERENT commentary on Chronicles. THIS guy starts his book by saying, “Chronicles is not a popular book . . . . [Though our bibles divide it into 1 & 2 Chronicles, it’s really just one book, filled with 64 chapters.] To many readers, Chronicles seems little more than a dull rewrite of [the stories about] Samuel and [in 1 and 2] Kings.”
AND, he points out that the Greek name for Chronicles actually means “leftovers” (Tuell, 1-2 Chron, Interpretation, p 1) as if the author of Chronicles just gathered together all the leftover details that didn’t make it into 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings and slapped them together into a book.
So where is the wisdom in these leftovers? I believe it is there somewhere—otherwise, why include it in the Bible? But I still keep asking myself as I wrote this sermon, where are the best-kept secrets and the rich mines of spirituality? Where’s the courage and the practical wisdom?
So I poked and I prodded, and I dug around in these verses for a while, and I think I came up with some nuggets of wisdom hidden inside these “leftover.”
1. Lesson #1: Family is important. Look at all those lists of fathers and sons and grandsons. I know it doesn’t seem terribly interesting to us, BUT, if it was MY family tree written down in the Chronicles, I’d be trying to memorize every word of it. This is history. This is someone’s life story. It is important to know where you came from and who your family is. Sometimes you have to know where you came from in order to figure out where you’re going. The author of Chronicles wants us to remember that family is important.
2. Lesson 2 is related to Lesson 1: You can’t ride your parents’ coattails forever. We all do it for a while, especially if our parents’ have a good reputation. It comes in handy during our teenage years. But we can’t ride their coattails forever. In our passage this morning, it tells us that the first generation of Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh cried out to God for help in the midst of battle and won the battle. But the next generation was “unfaithful to the God of their fathers and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land.” Though their fathers’ generation chose to be faithful, the sons did not. And they were punished for that. You can’t ride your parents’ coattails forever.
3. Lesson 3 is related to Lessons 1 and 2: “God has no grandchildren.” “Each generation had the responsibility of [learning and accepting] the faith handed down by its [mothers and fathers].” Again, you can’t ride your parents’ coattails when it comes to faith. Though they may have taught you about God, you must come to know God for yourself. (Allen, 1-2 Chronicles, NIB) Nobody gets “grandfathered” in to heaven. We are all directly sons and daughters of God.
#2
But I saved what I THINK the best lesson for last: we see God’s presence most clearly in the every day events and details in our lives. To chronicle something is to narrate or report something. So, Chronicles is a report of God’s presence as it is seen in the daily lives of God’s people.
Sure these lists of names and little stories seem to be mundane and tedious, but really the writer of Chronicles is telling the story of how God worked in the details of ordinary life. There are sixty some other books in the Bible that tell us all about the BIG things God has done in history. But Chronicles tells us about the little tiny everyday ways God is at work in our lives.
I think we ought to pay more attention to the details in life. I think we ought to keep track of where and when we see God at work in the details of our lives. I think we need to chronicle or to report those things for ourselves. SO . . . I have a little present for you. I am giving you your own “Book of Chronicles.” The pages are blank because YOU are going to the author of your book of Chronicles—look, it even says “My Book of Chronicles” on the front! You are going to create your own record of what God is doing in your life.
This is all you have to do: when you see God at work in your life, write it down—write down where you were, what time it was, and what happened. Remember to think about the ordinary, mundane details of life where God is at work.
CONCLUSION
As the priests would get ready to celebrate Yom Kippur, they would read from an assigned list of Scriptures (Tuell). Reading these Scriptures were meant to help keep them awake as they read ALL night long. And Chronicles was on that list of books to read to keep from falling asleep. It was exciting for them to read because it is a story of their families and their lives, and it is a story of their faith, passed on from generation to generation.
Think about how precious the book of Chronicles was to them. And now think about how precious your book of Chronicles could become to your family. It will be a well you can drink from when your faith gets a little parched. It will be a testimony of God’s faithfulness, something that can be shared with your children and grandchildren. It will be a way for you to continue to pass on the faith to future generations in your family even after you are partying with Jesus in heaven. Think of all the ways God could use your words and experiences years from now.
THAT’S why the book of Chronicles is in the Bible. THAT’S why it’s a mine full of spiritual riches and wisdom. Because it’s the story of what God was doing in people’s lives. And now you can write the story of what God is doing in your life.
You can start chronicling where you see God at work starting today. You can think back over your life and start from when you were a child. It’s up to you. There are no rules for what goes into your book of Chronicles. You don’t have to write in it every day or you can write in it a couple times of day. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are making a record of seeing God at work in your life.
And I’m going to give you 60 seconds to work on your first chronicle about where you see God at work in your life. You don’t have to write it down now. Just start thinking about it. Ready? Go.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Good mornin'!
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Psalm 66:5 “Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf.” If you were to invite someone to “come and see what God has done,” what would you show him or her? THIS IS AN OPINION QUESTION--NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER. I HOPE YOU TOOK SOME TIME TO THINK OF "WHAT GOD HAS DONE" RECENTLY IN YOUR LIFE.
And here's the question of the day:
Who are the chiefs of Edom? (1 Chronicles 1)
And here's the reflection of the day:
Sampley, in his commentary on 2 Corinthians, makes an interesting observation about Paul's view of the nature of God.
Paul, he says, likes to describe God and God's people in terms of order and peace (see Rom 15:33; 16:20; 1 Cor 14:33; 2 Cor 13:11; Phil 4:9) [Sampley, 2 Cor, NIB Commentary]. And yet, when we get to verses 4-6 of 2 Corinthians, we actually get a pretty violent picture--wars and weapons with the divine power to demolishing strongholds. This is what Paul expects of God's believers! Ironic!
So, how can these two things fit together? Sampley's question is, "Should not the God of peace be the one who repudiates such militaristic power?"
He answers his own question by saying that Paul seems to take his cues about peacekeeping from the Romans. And the Romans had sufficient military power simply to crush opposition. To maintain peace was to annihilate opposition—by utter and overwhelming force.
Sampley says that Paul thinks of God's working the same way: “The God of peace shall soon shatter/smash/crush Satan under your feet” (Rom 16:20).
So, he concludes that "perhaps we have domesticated “peace” more than Paul has." What do you think of that? Have we domesticated peace? Does violence have a role in establishing peace? How does this theory jive with God's command to go to war in the Old Testament? How do you make sense of these verses from 2 Corinthians?
If you figure something out, let me know! Leave a comment below.
Allison
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Psalm 66:5 “Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf.” If you were to invite someone to “come and see what God has done,” what would you show him or her? THIS IS AN OPINION QUESTION--NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER. I HOPE YOU TOOK SOME TIME TO THINK OF "WHAT GOD HAS DONE" RECENTLY IN YOUR LIFE.
And here's the question of the day:
Who are the chiefs of Edom? (1 Chronicles 1)
And here's the reflection of the day:
Sampley, in his commentary on 2 Corinthians, makes an interesting observation about Paul's view of the nature of God.
Paul, he says, likes to describe God and God's people in terms of order and peace (see Rom 15:33; 16:20; 1 Cor 14:33; 2 Cor 13:11; Phil 4:9) [Sampley, 2 Cor, NIB Commentary]. And yet, when we get to verses 4-6 of 2 Corinthians, we actually get a pretty violent picture--wars and weapons with the divine power to demolishing strongholds. This is what Paul expects of God's believers! Ironic!
So, how can these two things fit together? Sampley's question is, "Should not the God of peace be the one who repudiates such militaristic power?"
He answers his own question by saying that Paul seems to take his cues about peacekeeping from the Romans. And the Romans had sufficient military power simply to crush opposition. To maintain peace was to annihilate opposition—by utter and overwhelming force.
Sampley says that Paul thinks of God's working the same way: “The God of peace shall soon shatter/smash/crush Satan under your feet” (Rom 16:20).
So, he concludes that "perhaps we have domesticated “peace” more than Paul has." What do you think of that? Have we domesticated peace? Does violence have a role in establishing peace? How does this theory jive with God's command to go to war in the Old Testament? How do you make sense of these verses from 2 Corinthians?
If you figure something out, let me know! Leave a comment below.
Allison
Sunday Sermon: The Grace of Giving
Better late than never, right??
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
What is Paul boasting about to the Macedonians? (2 Cor 9)
2 Kings 20:4-6 4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5 "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.'"
And here's the question of the day:
Psalm 66:5 “Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf.” If you were to invite someone to “come and see what God has done,” what would you show him or her?
And here's Sunday's sermon. . .
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Let us pray: Gracious God, shine the light of your Spirit upon us as we hear these words of Scripture read and proclaimed. Reveal your saving presence in these words, and lead us further down the path of faith. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING 2 Corinthians 8:1-15
1 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5 And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.
6 So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But just as you excel in everything-- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 10 And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.
11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. 13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, 15 as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."
The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.
SERMON: INTRODUCTION
In 1987, 7 million children in the United States suddenly disappeared on April 15. 7 million children disappeared on April 15. No, it wasn’t a massive alien abduction and it wasn’t national skip school day. What else could it have been? Any guesses?
Well, before 1987 people were only required to put the names of their dependents on their tax forms. But beginning in 1987, both names AND social security numbers were required for each child listed. SO, overnight seven million kids, who never technically existed, simply vanished.[1]
You see, the risk of getting caught breaking the law outweighed the incentive of the tax break. Incentives can cause us to reach heights we never thought we’d be able to achieve; they can also cause us to stoop to lower levels than we ever thought possible.
People can reach all kinds of goals if the incentive is right. I don’t know about you, but I’ve done some pretty insane things and put in a ridiculous number of hours to reach a certain goal and to earn an incentive. But that’s how economics works, right? We want to acquire enough money and things to live comfortably and securely. And if all we have to do is work a little harder to reach a few more goals in order to be a little more comfortable, then it’s worth it, right?
So like Elmer Fudd teasing Bugs Bunny with a dangling carrot, the companies and bosses we work for dangle incentives in front of our noses, hoping that we will work a little bit harder to reach our goals because of the incentives they are offering.
#1
So, to continue this cartoon analogy, Paul is Elmer Fudd and the Corinthians are Bugs Bunny. Paul is writing to the Corinthians, to encourage them toward a goal, which is to be a part of taking up a collection for the poor and needy in Jerusalem. This is a project he started the year before, and he was blown away that first year by how generous the Corinthians were. In verse 10 he says, “Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.” Last year, the Corinthians actually exceeded their goal of participation—he even used the Corinthians as a positive example to the Macedonian churches, whose contribution to the collection for the poor was a little lacking.
But that was last year. This year is a different story. Suddenly, it’s the Macedonian churches whose overflowing joy has caused them to give “as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability,” as it says in verse 3. It’s the Macedonian churches who are being held up as a bright and shining example. And the Corinthians are lollygagging behind.
I don’t think they’re unwilling to give; they’ve had a little fight with Paul and they’re not in the giving mood. So Paul is trying to do two things here in this chapter of 2 Corinthians: first, he is trying to encourage them to give to the collection for the poor and needy; and second, he is trying to get back into their good graces. Paul knows he just needs to find the right incentive—just the right kind of carrot—to dangle in front of them as an incentive.
#2
Now, that Paul is one sneaky dude. Listen to what verse 7 says, “But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us. . . .” He’s laying it on kinda thick, don’t you think? Compliment after compliment. It sounds like a pastor trying to talk a parishioner into doing something he or she doesn’t really want to do, doesn’t it? It’s like he’s saying, “because you’re so wonderful and smart and faithful and generous, I’m SURE you’re going to contribute to this collection, right? Right?”
But he doesn’t stop there. Paul is going for the hard sell. He has the audacity to say to the Corinthians, “I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others,” meaning those Macedonian churches. He is not commanding them to give to the collection, but he is saying Macedonians have passed their “faith test” because of their zeal and “grace of giving.”
And now the Corinthians are facing a “faith test” of their own. “Paul wants the Corinthians to test their own love by comparison with the zeal of the Macedonians.”[2]
I have to tell you, I wrestled with this passage because Paul’s tactics seem a little shady. Isn’t he really pitting two parts of the church against each other? Isn’t this likely just to breed jealousy and envy between the two churches?
But I decided it comes down to this: sometimes peer pressure isn’t always a bad thing. There’s nothing like a little healthy competition to provide a little incentive and a little motivation in order to reach a goal.
#3
So, so that is the incentive—being the best givers out of all the churches—but what is the goal? At first, I thought it was to collect as much money as possible to give to the poor and needy in Jerusalem. That’s probably part of it, but I think there’s something else Paul has in mind . . . something bigger . . . something more life-changing.
I think Paul’s real goal is that the Corinthians would become more like Jesus, who as he says, “became poor, so that by poverty you might become rich.” “God has poured himself out for them in Jesus Christ—how can they not do the same for others?”[3]
The goal Paul is talking about is to know the “grace of giving,” which means developing an attitude that focuses on what one what has to give, rather than focusing on what one doesn’t have. Those who have the “grace of giving” know, as verse 12 says, “if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.”
Now hear me when I say this: the “grace of giving” is not so much concerned with the amount of money one may give as much as it is about attitude in which it is giving. . . the “grace of giving” happens with open hands and open hearts.
CONCLUSION
It feels a little awkward to be preaching about giving in the middle of the economy being what it is right now. I know that times are tough for a lot of us. But I think the times will become even worse if we do not learn the “grace of giving”—the grace of being a part of God’s work in the world.
Whether we like it or not, there is a connection between our faith and our giving. Paul tells the Corinthians that their giving is a test of their faith. If they wait until they have something extra to give, they may never give anything because they may never think they have enough to be able to give.
The fact is we are all rich simply because God has shared all things with us and has given us dominion over the earth. God has even given us his only begotten Son to be our Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit to be our Guide. God has given us life abundant.
Our test, then, is whether our giving matches our faith. Does what we give—in terms of money and time and resources both to the church as well as our favorite charities and non-profit organizations—does all that match the sincerity of our faith? Do we know the “grace of giving” with open hands and open hearts?
The goal is to become more like Jesus Christ. If our giving doesn’t match our faith, then it’s not a money problem . . . it’s a heart problem. Until you think the goal is worthy enough, no carrot is big enough and no incentive is strong enough to motivate you to be more like Jesus.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
[1] http://www.homileticsonline.com/subscriber/btl_display.asp?installment_id=93000147
[2] NIB, 2 Corinthians, Sampley, 8:8.
[3] http://www.homileticsonline.com/subscriber/btl_display.asp?installment_id=93000147
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
What is Paul boasting about to the Macedonians? (2 Cor 9)
2 Kings 20:4-6 4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5 "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.'"
And here's the question of the day:
Psalm 66:5 “Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf.” If you were to invite someone to “come and see what God has done,” what would you show him or her?
And here's Sunday's sermon. . .
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
Let us pray: Gracious God, shine the light of your Spirit upon us as we hear these words of Scripture read and proclaimed. Reveal your saving presence in these words, and lead us further down the path of faith. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
SCRIPTURE READING 2 Corinthians 8:1-15
1 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5 And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will.
6 So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But just as you excel in everything-- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 10 And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.
11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. 13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, 15 as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."
The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.
SERMON: INTRODUCTION
In 1987, 7 million children in the United States suddenly disappeared on April 15. 7 million children disappeared on April 15. No, it wasn’t a massive alien abduction and it wasn’t national skip school day. What else could it have been? Any guesses?
Well, before 1987 people were only required to put the names of their dependents on their tax forms. But beginning in 1987, both names AND social security numbers were required for each child listed. SO, overnight seven million kids, who never technically existed, simply vanished.[1]
You see, the risk of getting caught breaking the law outweighed the incentive of the tax break. Incentives can cause us to reach heights we never thought we’d be able to achieve; they can also cause us to stoop to lower levels than we ever thought possible.
People can reach all kinds of goals if the incentive is right. I don’t know about you, but I’ve done some pretty insane things and put in a ridiculous number of hours to reach a certain goal and to earn an incentive. But that’s how economics works, right? We want to acquire enough money and things to live comfortably and securely. And if all we have to do is work a little harder to reach a few more goals in order to be a little more comfortable, then it’s worth it, right?
So like Elmer Fudd teasing Bugs Bunny with a dangling carrot, the companies and bosses we work for dangle incentives in front of our noses, hoping that we will work a little bit harder to reach our goals because of the incentives they are offering.
#1
So, to continue this cartoon analogy, Paul is Elmer Fudd and the Corinthians are Bugs Bunny. Paul is writing to the Corinthians, to encourage them toward a goal, which is to be a part of taking up a collection for the poor and needy in Jerusalem. This is a project he started the year before, and he was blown away that first year by how generous the Corinthians were. In verse 10 he says, “Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.” Last year, the Corinthians actually exceeded their goal of participation—he even used the Corinthians as a positive example to the Macedonian churches, whose contribution to the collection for the poor was a little lacking.
But that was last year. This year is a different story. Suddenly, it’s the Macedonian churches whose overflowing joy has caused them to give “as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability,” as it says in verse 3. It’s the Macedonian churches who are being held up as a bright and shining example. And the Corinthians are lollygagging behind.
I don’t think they’re unwilling to give; they’ve had a little fight with Paul and they’re not in the giving mood. So Paul is trying to do two things here in this chapter of 2 Corinthians: first, he is trying to encourage them to give to the collection for the poor and needy; and second, he is trying to get back into their good graces. Paul knows he just needs to find the right incentive—just the right kind of carrot—to dangle in front of them as an incentive.
#2
Now, that Paul is one sneaky dude. Listen to what verse 7 says, “But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us. . . .” He’s laying it on kinda thick, don’t you think? Compliment after compliment. It sounds like a pastor trying to talk a parishioner into doing something he or she doesn’t really want to do, doesn’t it? It’s like he’s saying, “because you’re so wonderful and smart and faithful and generous, I’m SURE you’re going to contribute to this collection, right? Right?”
But he doesn’t stop there. Paul is going for the hard sell. He has the audacity to say to the Corinthians, “I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others,” meaning those Macedonian churches. He is not commanding them to give to the collection, but he is saying Macedonians have passed their “faith test” because of their zeal and “grace of giving.”
And now the Corinthians are facing a “faith test” of their own. “Paul wants the Corinthians to test their own love by comparison with the zeal of the Macedonians.”[2]
I have to tell you, I wrestled with this passage because Paul’s tactics seem a little shady. Isn’t he really pitting two parts of the church against each other? Isn’t this likely just to breed jealousy and envy between the two churches?
But I decided it comes down to this: sometimes peer pressure isn’t always a bad thing. There’s nothing like a little healthy competition to provide a little incentive and a little motivation in order to reach a goal.
#3
So, so that is the incentive—being the best givers out of all the churches—but what is the goal? At first, I thought it was to collect as much money as possible to give to the poor and needy in Jerusalem. That’s probably part of it, but I think there’s something else Paul has in mind . . . something bigger . . . something more life-changing.
I think Paul’s real goal is that the Corinthians would become more like Jesus, who as he says, “became poor, so that by poverty you might become rich.” “God has poured himself out for them in Jesus Christ—how can they not do the same for others?”[3]
The goal Paul is talking about is to know the “grace of giving,” which means developing an attitude that focuses on what one what has to give, rather than focusing on what one doesn’t have. Those who have the “grace of giving” know, as verse 12 says, “if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.”
Now hear me when I say this: the “grace of giving” is not so much concerned with the amount of money one may give as much as it is about attitude in which it is giving. . . the “grace of giving” happens with open hands and open hearts.
CONCLUSION
It feels a little awkward to be preaching about giving in the middle of the economy being what it is right now. I know that times are tough for a lot of us. But I think the times will become even worse if we do not learn the “grace of giving”—the grace of being a part of God’s work in the world.
Whether we like it or not, there is a connection between our faith and our giving. Paul tells the Corinthians that their giving is a test of their faith. If they wait until they have something extra to give, they may never give anything because they may never think they have enough to be able to give.
The fact is we are all rich simply because God has shared all things with us and has given us dominion over the earth. God has even given us his only begotten Son to be our Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit to be our Guide. God has given us life abundant.
Our test, then, is whether our giving matches our faith. Does what we give—in terms of money and time and resources both to the church as well as our favorite charities and non-profit organizations—does all that match the sincerity of our faith? Do we know the “grace of giving” with open hands and open hearts?
The goal is to become more like Jesus Christ. If our giving doesn’t match our faith, then it’s not a money problem . . . it’s a heart problem. Until you think the goal is worthy enough, no carrot is big enough and no incentive is strong enough to motivate you to be more like Jesus.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
[1] http://www.homileticsonline.com/subscriber/btl_display.asp?installment_id=93000147
[2] NIB, 2 Corinthians, Sampley, 8:8.
[3] http://www.homileticsonline.com/subscriber/btl_display.asp?installment_id=93000147
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Partial Post
Hello, friends! I'm afraid I have a ton of stuff to do today, so for now, all I'm posting are the Qs&As. I hope to get back for reflecting this afternoon. Have a good day between now and then!
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Hezekiah is ill and close to death. He prays to God. What does God tell Isaiah to tell Hezekiah? (2 Kings 20)
2 Kings 20:4-6 4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5 "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.'"
And here's the question of the day:
What is Paul boasting about to the Macedonians? (2 Cor 9)
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Hezekiah is ill and close to death. He prays to God. What does God tell Isaiah to tell Hezekiah? (2 Kings 20)
2 Kings 20:4-6 4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5 "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.'"
And here's the question of the day:
What is Paul boasting about to the Macedonians? (2 Cor 9)
Friday, June 5, 2009
The Grace of Giving
Hello, again! I can't seem to stop yawning! Must have expended too much energy yelling and celebrating during the Penguin game last night. Plus, it's a little gloomy outside. That never helps get energy levels up.
At any rate, let's get down to business.
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Who is Paul especially delighted to see happy because his spirit has been refreshed by the Corinthians? (2 Cor 7)
2 Corinthians 7:13 13 By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
And here's the question of the day:
Hezekiah is ill and close to death. He prays to God. What does God tell Isaiah to tell Hezekiah? (2 Kings 20)
And here's the reflection of the day:
I'd like to look at 2 Corinthians 8 today. But first, I'd like to give you a little background from J. Paul Sampley's article in the New Interpreter's Bible Commentary:
" . . . we must gain clarity concerning the collection for the saints at Jerusalem, the subject that dominates 2 Corinthians 8:1–9 and is one of the reasons for Paul's having written 2 Corinthians 1:1–9. Paul and the Corinthians have a history together around this collection. 155 We know that Paul has been busy—with the Corinthians as with others—setting up the collection for the saints in Jerusalem for at least a year (cf. 2 Cor 8:10). . . .
"The subject matter of chaps. 8–9 is the collection that Paul variously describes as “for the saints” and “for the poor” in Jerusalem. This offering had its genesis in the conference in Jerusalem as described in Gal 2:1-10 (cf. Acts 15:1) and requires a rehearsal of that event for its understanding."
During Paul's time, people learned by watching. One learned a particular trade or job by watching someone else do it first. One became an apprentice before becoming independently employed.
That's how babies learn to talk, right? They watch and listen to those around them and they imitate them. That's how babies learn to walk and to behave.
So Paul is hoping that people will learn the "grace of giving" by watching their friends and neighbors giving to the "collection." He holds up the Macedonian churches as a positive example for the Corinthians to learn from because they gave as much as they could and beyond; they did not do what was expected--they did more. (Paul actually held up the Corinthian church as an example to the Macedonian churches to get them fired up about giving!!)
Times are tough. People are losing retirements and jobs left and right. Things are not good. But times will become even worse if we are deprived of the grace of giving--the grace of being a part of God's work in the world. Sampley says it this way: "Paul is onto something: Believers do and give because they have been done unto and been given to. . . . As 1 John puts it so succinctly: We love because God first loved us. . . . Believers cannot fail to love, because love received prompts love in return."
May you be blessed by the grace of giving!
Allison
At any rate, let's get down to business.
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Who is Paul especially delighted to see happy because his spirit has been refreshed by the Corinthians? (2 Cor 7)
2 Corinthians 7:13 13 By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
And here's the question of the day:
Hezekiah is ill and close to death. He prays to God. What does God tell Isaiah to tell Hezekiah? (2 Kings 20)
And here's the reflection of the day:
I'd like to look at 2 Corinthians 8 today. But first, I'd like to give you a little background from J. Paul Sampley's article in the New Interpreter's Bible Commentary:
" . . . we must gain clarity concerning the collection for the saints at Jerusalem, the subject that dominates 2 Corinthians 8:1–9 and is one of the reasons for Paul's having written 2 Corinthians 1:1–9. Paul and the Corinthians have a history together around this collection. 155 We know that Paul has been busy—with the Corinthians as with others—setting up the collection for the saints in Jerusalem for at least a year (cf. 2 Cor 8:10). . . .
"The subject matter of chaps. 8–9 is the collection that Paul variously describes as “for the saints” and “for the poor” in Jerusalem. This offering had its genesis in the conference in Jerusalem as described in Gal 2:1-10 (cf. Acts 15:1) and requires a rehearsal of that event for its understanding."
During Paul's time, people learned by watching. One learned a particular trade or job by watching someone else do it first. One became an apprentice before becoming independently employed.
That's how babies learn to talk, right? They watch and listen to those around them and they imitate them. That's how babies learn to walk and to behave.
So Paul is hoping that people will learn the "grace of giving" by watching their friends and neighbors giving to the "collection." He holds up the Macedonian churches as a positive example for the Corinthians to learn from because they gave as much as they could and beyond; they did not do what was expected--they did more. (Paul actually held up the Corinthian church as an example to the Macedonian churches to get them fired up about giving!!)
Times are tough. People are losing retirements and jobs left and right. Things are not good. But times will become even worse if we are deprived of the grace of giving--the grace of being a part of God's work in the world. Sampley says it this way: "Paul is onto something: Believers do and give because they have been done unto and been given to. . . . As 1 John puts it so succinctly: We love because God first loved us. . . . Believers cannot fail to love, because love received prompts love in return."
May you be blessed by the grace of giving!
Allison
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Secret Things
Glad you stopped by today--whether this is your first time or if you are a regular visitor. I hope that the Q&As and reflections are helpful with your journey through the Bible in 2009. Can you believe we're almost halfway done?! Kudos to you for continuing to read--even if you're a little behind, just stick with it!
Here's the question and answer from Tuesday:
There is one LOOOONG sentence in 2 Corinthians 6. How many verses long is it?
7 verses: 2 Corinthians 6:4-10
And here's the question and answer of the day for Wednesday:
Who succeeded Ahaz as king? (2 Kings 16)
2 Kings 16:20 20 Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.
And here's the question of the day:
Who is Paul especially delighted to see happy because his spirit has been refreshed by the Corinthians? (2 Cor 7)
And here's the reflection of the day:
Reading 2 Kings is like watching a tennis match. Back and forth Israel and Judah go, from one king to another. We see Assyria and Samaria going through the same thing. One after another a new king takes the throne, does "what is evil in the sight of the Lord," and is dethroned.
Imagine having such a terrible succession of kings. I know there's probably be one or two presidents in a row that you've probably not cared for, but that's nothing compared to this parade of (evil) kings.
You'd think they would have learned their lesson after the first couple of incidents. It seems that if God is not pleased with you, you shouldn't expect to last long on the throne. So why the kings continue to emulate evil kings--and NOT David--is beyond me.
There is one verse that seems to encapsulate exactly what their problem is: "The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right" (2 Kings 17:9). More than just doing things 'against the Lord their God'--which is terrible in and of itself--but they did them SECRETLY! Or, so they thought.
Nothing is really secret from God, though we would like to think so. We may be able to (and probably do) keep secrets from friends and family, but we are unable to keep secrets from the all-knowing and all-seeing God. And it is utter foolishness to think that we can hide from God.
I know that when I consider the eternal question "to sin or not to sin," more often than not, I consider whether I might get caught in the act of sinning by someone from the church or a friend or a family member. I never consider whether or not I might get caught by God; that is a foregone conclusion for me. OF COURSE God is going to catch me in the act of sinning. What idiot would think you could hide something like sin from God??
Well, the nation of Israel in 2 Kings, for one. Their concept and picture of God is still not yet fully developed. They do not yet understand the immanence of God--the "accompanying us through the every day"-ness of God. Nothing can be kept a secret from God because God is present in our every day lives, seeing our every day actions and hearing our every day words.
Have a splendid day!
Allison
Here's the question and answer from Tuesday:
There is one LOOOONG sentence in 2 Corinthians 6. How many verses long is it?
7 verses: 2 Corinthians 6:4-10
And here's the question and answer of the day for Wednesday:
Who succeeded Ahaz as king? (2 Kings 16)
2 Kings 16:20 20 Ahaz rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.
And here's the question of the day:
Who is Paul especially delighted to see happy because his spirit has been refreshed by the Corinthians? (2 Cor 7)
And here's the reflection of the day:
Reading 2 Kings is like watching a tennis match. Back and forth Israel and Judah go, from one king to another. We see Assyria and Samaria going through the same thing. One after another a new king takes the throne, does "what is evil in the sight of the Lord," and is dethroned.
Imagine having such a terrible succession of kings. I know there's probably be one or two presidents in a row that you've probably not cared for, but that's nothing compared to this parade of (evil) kings.
You'd think they would have learned their lesson after the first couple of incidents. It seems that if God is not pleased with you, you shouldn't expect to last long on the throne. So why the kings continue to emulate evil kings--and NOT David--is beyond me.
There is one verse that seems to encapsulate exactly what their problem is: "The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right" (2 Kings 17:9). More than just doing things 'against the Lord their God'--which is terrible in and of itself--but they did them SECRETLY! Or, so they thought.
Nothing is really secret from God, though we would like to think so. We may be able to (and probably do) keep secrets from friends and family, but we are unable to keep secrets from the all-knowing and all-seeing God. And it is utter foolishness to think that we can hide from God.
I know that when I consider the eternal question "to sin or not to sin," more often than not, I consider whether I might get caught in the act of sinning by someone from the church or a friend or a family member. I never consider whether or not I might get caught by God; that is a foregone conclusion for me. OF COURSE God is going to catch me in the act of sinning. What idiot would think you could hide something like sin from God??
Well, the nation of Israel in 2 Kings, for one. Their concept and picture of God is still not yet fully developed. They do not yet understand the immanence of God--the "accompanying us through the every day"-ness of God. Nothing can be kept a secret from God because God is present in our every day lives, seeing our every day actions and hearing our every day words.
Have a splendid day!
Allison
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Paul the Poet
Hello! Glad you stopped by to check out what's going on with the "Year of the Bible" blog. I didn't post Sunday's sermon because it wasn't really a sermon. It was more of an interactive reading through Acts 2 as part of our Pentecost celebration. Hope you enjoy the slideshow of pictures on the sidebar on the right.
Here's the question and answer from Sunday:
What was the messenger supposed to do after he anointed Jehu as king? (2 Kings 9)
2 Kings 9:2-3 2 When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room. 3 Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, 'This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.' Then open the door and run; don't delay!"
And here's the question and answer for Monday:
What was put into baskets and sent to Jehu in Jezreel? (2 Kings 10)
2 Kings 10:7 7 When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.
(Eww, I know.)
And here's the question for today:
There is one LOOOONG sentence in 2 Corinthians 6. How many verses long is it?
And here's the reflection of the day:
I am a little distracted by one of Paul's many run-on sentences, particularly the one in 2 Corinthians 6. According to www.dictionary.com, to "commend" is "to present or mention" or "to entrust."
Paul is continuing to work himself back into the good graces of the Corinthian Christians. He is working to prove to them that he, and his fellow teachers, are worthy of their trust. He lists all of the cirumstances they have gone through--"troubles, hardships and distresses; beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger" (vv 4-5).
Through all these situations, they have remained faithful to the calling God has put on their lives. "We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us." Paul continues to try to reconcile with the Corinthians, asking for their love and affection once again--something that is generally seen as weak and to be avoided. It's much preferable to be independent, right?
What humility it must have taken to write this letter! Apologizing is never easy, particularly when you know an apology does not guarantee reconciliation, as in Paul's case. I am a little afraid to spend too much time reflecting on this passage--it hits a little close to home when I consider those who I may owe an apology. . . or even a chance to ask for their love and affection once again. . . .
So, to avoid the log in my own eye as I point out the speck in yours, instead, I'll close with some of Paul's most beautiful lines--isn't he great when he gets a little poetic?!
". . . genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. (vv 8-10)"
Have a splendid day!
Allison
Here's the question and answer from Sunday:
What was the messenger supposed to do after he anointed Jehu as king? (2 Kings 9)
2 Kings 9:2-3 2 When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room. 3 Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, 'This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.' Then open the door and run; don't delay!"
And here's the question and answer for Monday:
What was put into baskets and sent to Jehu in Jezreel? (2 Kings 10)
2 Kings 10:7 7 When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel.
(Eww, I know.)
And here's the question for today:
There is one LOOOONG sentence in 2 Corinthians 6. How many verses long is it?
And here's the reflection of the day:
I am a little distracted by one of Paul's many run-on sentences, particularly the one in 2 Corinthians 6. According to www.dictionary.com, to "commend" is "to present or mention" or "to entrust."
Paul is continuing to work himself back into the good graces of the Corinthian Christians. He is working to prove to them that he, and his fellow teachers, are worthy of their trust. He lists all of the cirumstances they have gone through--"troubles, hardships and distresses; beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger" (vv 4-5).
Through all these situations, they have remained faithful to the calling God has put on their lives. "We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us." Paul continues to try to reconcile with the Corinthians, asking for their love and affection once again--something that is generally seen as weak and to be avoided. It's much preferable to be independent, right?
What humility it must have taken to write this letter! Apologizing is never easy, particularly when you know an apology does not guarantee reconciliation, as in Paul's case. I am a little afraid to spend too much time reflecting on this passage--it hits a little close to home when I consider those who I may owe an apology. . . or even a chance to ask for their love and affection once again. . . .
So, to avoid the log in my own eye as I point out the speck in yours, instead, I'll close with some of Paul's most beautiful lines--isn't he great when he gets a little poetic?!
". . . genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. (vv 8-10)"
Have a splendid day!
Allison
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