http://www.frankfortyotb.blogspot.com/
Check out the church site too!
http://www.frankfortpresbychurch.com/
"Year of the Bible" Q&As & Pastor's Reflection
Here's the question and answer from Sunday:
Fill in the blanks: “Those who trust in the Lord are like _______________________________.” (Psalm 125)
Psalm 125:1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
And from Monday:
The son of man has been made a “___________ for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me?” (Ezek 33)
Ezekiel 33:7 7 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.
And here's the question of the day:
What will the false prophets and false teachers “secretly introduce?” (2 Pet 2)
And the reflection of the day:
2 Peter 2 provides us with a timely caution: watch out for false prophets and teachers.
We seem to have given up on the idea of truth--that in every situation there is a right thing to do and a wrong thing to do. Maybe this is a result of misguided humility. Maybe it is a result of not wanting to upset our friends and neighbors. Whatever its cause, the result is the same: we get lost.
We get lost when trying to make a decision because we've forgotten--or intentionally put aside--the traditional moral and/or religious guidance handed down throughout the generations of our families. We get lost in difficult, ethical situations because we've lost track of (or given up) on the idea of truth.
So that leaves us vulnerable to slick-talking, charming false prophets who promise us anything from physical healing to mastery of one's own destiny. And many will succumb to exploitation: "Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute" (verse 2). Not only are they themselves harmed, but "the truth" (God's truth) will be brought into "disrepute."
But there is a way to fight back. 1 John 4:1 says, "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out in the world."
Ask questions. PLEASE, ask questions--of your pastors and your teachers, of anyone trying to teach you "the truth." Examine what they say--use the brain the good Lord gave you!
If you have fallen prey to a false prophet (and haven't we all at one time or another!), there is hope: "if this is so (see vv 4-8), then the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from trials and hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment" (verse 9).
Nahum 1:2 says, "The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath." So don't you worry about getting vengeance for yourself; leave that up to God!
Your job, once you have been fooled, is to return to the truth. Find the true prophets and teachers of the truth to help you get back on the right path. And remember Romans 8:38-39: 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ, not even false prophets!!
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sunday Sermon: "God is Not an Easy Button"
http://www.frankfortyotb.blogspot.com/
Check out the church site too!
http://www.frankfortpresbychurch.com/
"Year of the Bible" Q&As and Sunday Sermon
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
What country is God going to give to Nebuchadnezzar? What country is he king of?
Ezekiel 29:19 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth.
And here's the question of the day:
Fill in the blanks: “Those who trust in the Lord are like _______________________________.” (Psalm 125)
And here's the Sunday Sermon:
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION: Please pray with me: Holy Spirit, as the Scripture is read, open our hearts and minds to hear the truth; shine your light into our dark places; convict us where our hearts have been hardened; and call us to respond with joy to your Word to us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-- kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
7 These have come so that your faith-- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.
SERMON-INTRO
I don’t know about you, but there are some days when I could really use an “easy button.” You’ve seen the easy button, right, on the Staples commercials? . . . those wonderful, magical commercials where just the touch of a button un-jams the copier and files the papers and makes the coffee and straightens up the office and makes the boss happy.
Especially as the holidays begin their approach in our daily lives and all the things that need to be done start to pile up, it would be so nice to have a little red button to push that would magically accomplish everything on our to-do lists.
I’m sure you can think back over your life and come up with a few places you wished you’d had an easy button—algebra in high school, learning, how to drive, asking the person you like out on a date for the first time, your first job interview. Even today, I’m sure you’d like to have an easy button to get the house clean and the laundry done and the kids to bed and pay bills, and to figure out what to do when the doctor gives you bad news and how to deal with a sick child or an aging parent.
I would LOVE to have an easy button around here at the church: preparing for sermons and Bible Studies and session meetings, finding volunteers, keeping volunteers, moving those dividers around downstairs, finding new elders, meeting the budget, finding new members, and helping our faith in and knowledge of God increase.
‘Staples has an Easy Button. But life does not.
Staples says, “That was easy.” But Jesus says, “This might hurt a little bit.”’
#1
Actually, what he said in John 16:33 was “In this world you will have trouble.” It’s a part of the human condition, this having “trouble.” Jesus also said, in Matthew 6:34, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I probably don’t need to tell you these things. You’ve probably discovered them on your own. There will be broken relationships and lost jobs and tragic deaths and chronic pain and suffering all the days of our lives.
And it is in these terrible, painful, awful moments when we’re not sure how in the world we’re going to get through another day that we will REALLY want an “easy button.” In these moments, nothing seems better than a magical “easy button” that with one touch can erase all of the trouble and suffering.
It is also in these moments that we are tempted to wish God was like a genie in a bottle. We would love to be able to rub a magic cross to make God appear and grant us our three wishes.
But, as you may have already found out, it doesn’t work that way. At some point in your life, you may have been tempted to think that life would be a little less painful as a Christian. I’m going to guess that by now you’ve given up on that particular fantasy.
God is not an easy button; nor is he a genie in a bottle. Jesus says, “This might hurt a little bit.”
#2
So, recognizing that in this life we will have trouble of all shapes and sizes, Peter tells us, in his letter, that the sooner we learn to deal with the troubles we will all face, the better off we’ll be.
Trials and troubles, Peter says, come so that our “faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result” in God’s praise and glory. Trouble comes so that our faith will grow stronger.
Sometimes the trouble we face is our own fault because we’ve made dumb decisions; sometimes it’s not our fault at all, sometimes there’s just no reason. But we can always find a purpose in our pain—there is always the chance to strengthen our faith and bring glory to God.
We can always find meaning in our suffering because nothing happens apart from the will of God. So when suffering happens, there must be some meaning in it. Trouble and suffering can always be used for good because we know that, in all things, God works for the good of those who believe in him.
Peter says that, for a little while, we may have “to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” But in the long run, when our faith is purified and refined through troubles and trials, we will be “filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” because we are working out our salvation, which is the “goal” of our faith.
Jesus says, “This might hurt a little bit, but it will all be worth it in the end.”
#3
I have come to believe that God does not just want us to get through our suffering and get over it. I believe that God wants to transform us through the process of dealing with our suffering.
Though God might not want us to go through the suffering, I think he definitely would want us to use our time of struggling to take a step closer to him. It is when we struggle that we can fully appreciate, as Peter writes, what it feels to be “shielded by God’s power,” like a hiding place in the midst of a storm.
I also have come to believe that from our deepest pain can come our greatest source for ministry. Though we may feel terribly alone while we are suffering, we really are surrounded by other people who have gone through the same exact thing. What a gift we have to be able to share with those in their suffering—to say to someone, “I have walked a mile in your shoes. Let me show you where there is hope.”
And the hope that we have is in Jesus Christ, who conquered death. If Jesus can conquer death, surely the suffering we are enduring is like child’s play to him! We have hope because of his resurrection and the fact that, through him, we have been adopted into God’s family. We are now God’s children! We now have a share in what Peter calls “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for” us. Just as Jesus conquered death, so we too are conquerors, more than conquerors, in fact.
Jesus says, “This might hurt a little, but it will be worth it in the end. I will be right next to you the whole time.”
CONCLUSION
Mother Teresa, who surely knew her fair share of suffering and trouble in this world, is quoted as saying this: “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish he didn’t trust me so much.”
I think we can all relate to that, especially when the troubles and trials start to pile up. If we can only remember that God has claimed us as his own, given us new birth into his family, and a living hope in Jesus Christ, I think we can begin to see even our most painful suffering as seeds that can bring tremendous growth in our faith.
Jesus says, “Life might hurt a little bit, but it will all be worth it in the end. I will be right next to you the whole time. Believe . . . believe in the the hope I have set before you.”
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Check out the church site too!
http://www.frankfortpresbychurch.com/
"Year of the Bible" Q&As and Sunday Sermon
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
What country is God going to give to Nebuchadnezzar? What country is he king of?
Ezekiel 29:19 19 Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to give Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will carry off its wealth.
And here's the question of the day:
Fill in the blanks: “Those who trust in the Lord are like _______________________________.” (Psalm 125)
And here's the Sunday Sermon:
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION: Please pray with me: Holy Spirit, as the Scripture is read, open our hearts and minds to hear the truth; shine your light into our dark places; convict us where our hearts have been hardened; and call us to respond with joy to your Word to us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-- kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
7 These have come so that your faith-- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.
SERMON-INTRO
I don’t know about you, but there are some days when I could really use an “easy button.” You’ve seen the easy button, right, on the Staples commercials? . . . those wonderful, magical commercials where just the touch of a button un-jams the copier and files the papers and makes the coffee and straightens up the office and makes the boss happy.
Especially as the holidays begin their approach in our daily lives and all the things that need to be done start to pile up, it would be so nice to have a little red button to push that would magically accomplish everything on our to-do lists.
I’m sure you can think back over your life and come up with a few places you wished you’d had an easy button—algebra in high school, learning, how to drive, asking the person you like out on a date for the first time, your first job interview. Even today, I’m sure you’d like to have an easy button to get the house clean and the laundry done and the kids to bed and pay bills, and to figure out what to do when the doctor gives you bad news and how to deal with a sick child or an aging parent.
I would LOVE to have an easy button around here at the church: preparing for sermons and Bible Studies and session meetings, finding volunteers, keeping volunteers, moving those dividers around downstairs, finding new elders, meeting the budget, finding new members, and helping our faith in and knowledge of God increase.
‘Staples has an Easy Button. But life does not.
Staples says, “That was easy.” But Jesus says, “This might hurt a little bit.”’
#1
Actually, what he said in John 16:33 was “In this world you will have trouble.” It’s a part of the human condition, this having “trouble.” Jesus also said, in Matthew 6:34, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I probably don’t need to tell you these things. You’ve probably discovered them on your own. There will be broken relationships and lost jobs and tragic deaths and chronic pain and suffering all the days of our lives.
And it is in these terrible, painful, awful moments when we’re not sure how in the world we’re going to get through another day that we will REALLY want an “easy button.” In these moments, nothing seems better than a magical “easy button” that with one touch can erase all of the trouble and suffering.
It is also in these moments that we are tempted to wish God was like a genie in a bottle. We would love to be able to rub a magic cross to make God appear and grant us our three wishes.
But, as you may have already found out, it doesn’t work that way. At some point in your life, you may have been tempted to think that life would be a little less painful as a Christian. I’m going to guess that by now you’ve given up on that particular fantasy.
God is not an easy button; nor is he a genie in a bottle. Jesus says, “This might hurt a little bit.”
#2
So, recognizing that in this life we will have trouble of all shapes and sizes, Peter tells us, in his letter, that the sooner we learn to deal with the troubles we will all face, the better off we’ll be.
Trials and troubles, Peter says, come so that our “faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result” in God’s praise and glory. Trouble comes so that our faith will grow stronger.
Sometimes the trouble we face is our own fault because we’ve made dumb decisions; sometimes it’s not our fault at all, sometimes there’s just no reason. But we can always find a purpose in our pain—there is always the chance to strengthen our faith and bring glory to God.
We can always find meaning in our suffering because nothing happens apart from the will of God. So when suffering happens, there must be some meaning in it. Trouble and suffering can always be used for good because we know that, in all things, God works for the good of those who believe in him.
Peter says that, for a little while, we may have “to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” But in the long run, when our faith is purified and refined through troubles and trials, we will be “filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” because we are working out our salvation, which is the “goal” of our faith.
Jesus says, “This might hurt a little bit, but it will all be worth it in the end.”
#3
I have come to believe that God does not just want us to get through our suffering and get over it. I believe that God wants to transform us through the process of dealing with our suffering.
Though God might not want us to go through the suffering, I think he definitely would want us to use our time of struggling to take a step closer to him. It is when we struggle that we can fully appreciate, as Peter writes, what it feels to be “shielded by God’s power,” like a hiding place in the midst of a storm.
I also have come to believe that from our deepest pain can come our greatest source for ministry. Though we may feel terribly alone while we are suffering, we really are surrounded by other people who have gone through the same exact thing. What a gift we have to be able to share with those in their suffering—to say to someone, “I have walked a mile in your shoes. Let me show you where there is hope.”
And the hope that we have is in Jesus Christ, who conquered death. If Jesus can conquer death, surely the suffering we are enduring is like child’s play to him! We have hope because of his resurrection and the fact that, through him, we have been adopted into God’s family. We are now God’s children! We now have a share in what Peter calls “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for” us. Just as Jesus conquered death, so we too are conquerors, more than conquerors, in fact.
Jesus says, “This might hurt a little, but it will be worth it in the end. I will be right next to you the whole time.”
CONCLUSION
Mother Teresa, who surely knew her fair share of suffering and trouble in this world, is quoted as saying this: “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish he didn’t trust me so much.”
I think we can all relate to that, especially when the troubles and trials start to pile up. If we can only remember that God has claimed us as his own, given us new birth into his family, and a living hope in Jesus Christ, I think we can begin to see even our most painful suffering as seeds that can bring tremendous growth in our faith.
Jesus says, “Life might hurt a little bit, but it will all be worth it in the end. I will be right next to you the whole time. Believe . . . believe in the the hope I have set before you.”
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Looking for the "But"
http://www.frankfortyotb.blogspot.com/
Check out the church site too!
http://www.frankfortpresbychurch.com/
Pastor's Reflection of the Day
Sheesh. I don't know about you, but I was getting a little impatient with the book of Lamentations yesterday and today.
I know that there is a place for lament in the life of a Christian. I have lived those times of lament--times of great loss or disappointment or estrangement from God. Lamentations is a great place to go when life is tough. I get that; I embrace that; I don't shy away from lamenting.
However, when I read through laments, I'm always looking for the "but." You know what I mean? Lamentations 1 and 2 are full of just that--lamentations . . . cries for mercy, pleading for release from sorrow. But I know there's always a "but."
And there it is, in all its magnificence: "But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:21, NRSV).
If there's anything I've learned from my "Ecclesiastes 3 kind of weekend" a month and a half ago(check out my post entitle: "Sunday Sermon: Ecclesiastes 3 sermon do-over" for the story), it's that life is full of seasons, like a time to be born and a time to die. And I've learned that each of those seasons has a beginning AND an end. So a season of lamenting (a time to tear down, a time to scatter, etc) will have an end; it will have a "but" that leads to a sliver of hope to be held on to.
It's appropriate, then, that Lamentations gives us the text for one of the most beloved hymns, "Great is Thy Faithfulness." I haven't included any music in my posts for a while so here's a youtube.com video of a solo jazz guitar performance of this very hymn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcKGXPbeqSQ
Check out the church site too!
http://www.frankfortpresbychurch.com/
Pastor's Reflection of the Day
Sheesh. I don't know about you, but I was getting a little impatient with the book of Lamentations yesterday and today.
I know that there is a place for lament in the life of a Christian. I have lived those times of lament--times of great loss or disappointment or estrangement from God. Lamentations is a great place to go when life is tough. I get that; I embrace that; I don't shy away from lamenting.
However, when I read through laments, I'm always looking for the "but." You know what I mean? Lamentations 1 and 2 are full of just that--lamentations . . . cries for mercy, pleading for release from sorrow. But I know there's always a "but."
And there it is, in all its magnificence: "But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:21, NRSV).
If there's anything I've learned from my "Ecclesiastes 3 kind of weekend" a month and a half ago(check out my post entitle: "Sunday Sermon: Ecclesiastes 3 sermon do-over" for the story), it's that life is full of seasons, like a time to be born and a time to die. And I've learned that each of those seasons has a beginning AND an end. So a season of lamenting (a time to tear down, a time to scatter, etc) will have an end; it will have a "but" that leads to a sliver of hope to be held on to.
It's appropriate, then, that Lamentations gives us the text for one of the most beloved hymns, "Great is Thy Faithfulness." I haven't included any music in my posts for a while so here's a youtube.com video of a solo jazz guitar performance of this very hymn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcKGXPbeqSQ
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Anchor in a Storm
http://www.frankfortyotb.blogspot.com/
Check out the church site too!
http://www.frankfortpresbychurch.com/
Pastor's Reflection
Maybe it's just me (and I don't think it is), but life seems a little stormy right now. Conditions on a global and local scale leave me feeling a little uncertain of my place in the world. And that allows a little bit of anxiety to sneak into the back of my mind.
Life, for me at least, is generally peaceful and smooth sailing. But every once in a while, a sudden squall blows into my part of the harbor. And my little ship starts to rock.
What is it that keeps a ship anchored in the midst of a squall? An anchor. A solid anchor.
Hebrews 6 reminds us of "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (v 19)." What is that anchor? you may ask.
Hope . . . hope that God is unchanging and will keep the promises he made to his heirs (v 18). God offers us this anchor, this hope, in order to that we "may be greatly encouraged" (v 18) in the midst of the storms and squalls of life.
Drop the anchor for your soul down deep into God's hope, that it may hold secure the next the time waves of life threaten to drag you out of the harbor and toss your little ship out to sea.
Check out the church site too!
http://www.frankfortpresbychurch.com/
Pastor's Reflection
Maybe it's just me (and I don't think it is), but life seems a little stormy right now. Conditions on a global and local scale leave me feeling a little uncertain of my place in the world. And that allows a little bit of anxiety to sneak into the back of my mind.
Life, for me at least, is generally peaceful and smooth sailing. But every once in a while, a sudden squall blows into my part of the harbor. And my little ship starts to rock.
What is it that keeps a ship anchored in the midst of a squall? An anchor. A solid anchor.
Hebrews 6 reminds us of "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (v 19)." What is that anchor? you may ask.
Hope . . . hope that God is unchanging and will keep the promises he made to his heirs (v 18). God offers us this anchor, this hope, in order to that we "may be greatly encouraged" (v 18) in the midst of the storms and squalls of life.
Drop the anchor for your soul down deep into God's hope, that it may hold secure the next the time waves of life threaten to drag you out of the harbor and toss your little ship out to sea.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Ambiguity
Well, it's Maundy Thursday. I hope you will be able to visit a local congregation this evening!
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Weds, Apr 8 Why was there so much fuss and commotion when the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar when they returned to their side of the Jordan River? (Josh 22)
Joshua 22:16 6 "The whole assembly of the LORD says: 'How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the LORD and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now? Joshua 22:29 29 "Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle." Joshua 22:34 34 And the Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness Between Us that the LORD is God.
And here's the question of the day:
Thurs, Apr 9 Why was all that was written in the past recorded in Scripture? (Rom 15)
And here's the reflection of the day:
If I was going to choose one word to describe Psalm 39, I would choose "ambiguity." There is a blatant tension in this whole psalm--a tension between silence and speech and between hope and despair. The psalmist is worn down and desperate, yet clings to hope.
Taken all together, it might seem that the psalmist resigns himself to the futility of living. However, Psalm 39 should be read as a profession of faith; a statement of persevering in hope in what seems like a hopeless world.
Certainly we are each a finite creature, "a mere phantom" hustling and bustling about, seemingly living in vain. But our lowly status as "phantoms" does not mean that we are without significance in the grand scheme of things. This Psalmist continues to speak to God and for God; he is a partner WITH God in his mission and ministry.
And the psalmist speaks his way into hope. He doesn't just give up and throw in the towel when life becomes difficult. He persists in speaking to and for God and finds himself, amazing, still with hope to hold on to.
Psalm 39 is an excellent model for those who struggle, who may even feel ignored or abandoned by God. It is a model for clinging to the faith, as one walks through the valley of the shadow of death or job loss or divorce or debt or whatever the difficult circumstances might be for you.
It's not a Psalm I have considered in light of Holy Week, but could not the words of this psalm be the words of Jesus' disciples during those long three days?
"My hope is in you. . . . Hear my prayer, O Lord, listen to my cry for help. . . ."
Persevere in the faith!
Allison
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Weds, Apr 8 Why was there so much fuss and commotion when the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an altar when they returned to their side of the Jordan River? (Josh 22)
Joshua 22:16 6 "The whole assembly of the LORD says: 'How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the LORD and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now? Joshua 22:29 29 "Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle." Joshua 22:34 34 And the Reubenites and the Gadites gave the altar this name: A Witness Between Us that the LORD is God.
And here's the question of the day:
Thurs, Apr 9 Why was all that was written in the past recorded in Scripture? (Rom 15)
And here's the reflection of the day:
If I was going to choose one word to describe Psalm 39, I would choose "ambiguity." There is a blatant tension in this whole psalm--a tension between silence and speech and between hope and despair. The psalmist is worn down and desperate, yet clings to hope.
Taken all together, it might seem that the psalmist resigns himself to the futility of living. However, Psalm 39 should be read as a profession of faith; a statement of persevering in hope in what seems like a hopeless world.
Certainly we are each a finite creature, "a mere phantom" hustling and bustling about, seemingly living in vain. But our lowly status as "phantoms" does not mean that we are without significance in the grand scheme of things. This Psalmist continues to speak to God and for God; he is a partner WITH God in his mission and ministry.
And the psalmist speaks his way into hope. He doesn't just give up and throw in the towel when life becomes difficult. He persists in speaking to and for God and finds himself, amazing, still with hope to hold on to.
Psalm 39 is an excellent model for those who struggle, who may even feel ignored or abandoned by God. It is a model for clinging to the faith, as one walks through the valley of the shadow of death or job loss or divorce or debt or whatever the difficult circumstances might be for you.
It's not a Psalm I have considered in light of Holy Week, but could not the words of this psalm be the words of Jesus' disciples during those long three days?
"My hope is in you. . . . Hear my prayer, O Lord, listen to my cry for help. . . ."
Persevere in the faith!
Allison
Monday, March 30, 2009
Happy Monday! I hope you had a good weekend and are ready to get on with a new week. Let's get this party started!
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Sun, Mar 29: How does Psalm 36 describe “the sinfulness of the wicked”?
Psalm 36:1-4 There is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. 3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. 4 Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.
And here's the question of the day:
Mon, Mar 30 What must we do if we are to be heirs of God and co-heirs of Christ and share in his glory? (Rom 8)
And here's the reflection of the day:
Today's reflection is going to be short and sweet. (In case you haven't noticed it, pastors sometimes have the bad habit of making that which is blessedly simple terribly difficult. I'll try to avoid that, at least for now.)
Some pieces of Scripture are distracting. But they're distracting in a good way. I began my reading and didn't make it past Deuteronomy 31:6 where Moses commends the Israelites, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
If I could pick a passage of Scripture to have seared into my brain, this would make my top 5 list of possibilities. I'm afraid instead of words of God's assurance being uppermost in my mind, that spot is generally occupied by something else--things I am worried about or afraid of, I'm ashamed to say.
Now, Moses had a specific "them" in mind as he was talking to the Israelites, and you can read about that as the chapter goes on. But we can take a little liberty with this passage. Fill in whatever is your worst fear for "them."
Do not be afraid or terrified of "them"--FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD GOES WITH YOU. HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU. These are the words I wish were tattooed in my brain. These are the words that I hope you will keep hidden deep in your hearts.
I hope now that I've had time to think on it and meditate on it, I hope-hope-hope these words will come to mind in my time of need. (Which actually will be at 9:00am, so if you read this before then, PLEASE pray for me!)
And I hope-hope-hope the next time God calls you to face a fear, these words spring into your mind.
Allison
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Sun, Mar 29: How does Psalm 36 describe “the sinfulness of the wicked”?
Psalm 36:1-4 There is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. 3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. 4 Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.
And here's the question of the day:
Mon, Mar 30 What must we do if we are to be heirs of God and co-heirs of Christ and share in his glory? (Rom 8)
And here's the reflection of the day:
Today's reflection is going to be short and sweet. (In case you haven't noticed it, pastors sometimes have the bad habit of making that which is blessedly simple terribly difficult. I'll try to avoid that, at least for now.)
Some pieces of Scripture are distracting. But they're distracting in a good way. I began my reading and didn't make it past Deuteronomy 31:6 where Moses commends the Israelites, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
If I could pick a passage of Scripture to have seared into my brain, this would make my top 5 list of possibilities. I'm afraid instead of words of God's assurance being uppermost in my mind, that spot is generally occupied by something else--things I am worried about or afraid of, I'm ashamed to say.
Now, Moses had a specific "them" in mind as he was talking to the Israelites, and you can read about that as the chapter goes on. But we can take a little liberty with this passage. Fill in whatever is your worst fear for "them."
Do not be afraid or terrified of "them"--FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD GOES WITH YOU. HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU. These are the words I wish were tattooed in my brain. These are the words that I hope you will keep hidden deep in your hearts.
I hope now that I've had time to think on it and meditate on it, I hope-hope-hope these words will come to mind in my time of need. (Which actually will be at 9:00am, so if you read this before then, PLEASE pray for me!)
And I hope-hope-hope the next time God calls you to face a fear, these words spring into your mind.
Allison
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Finding Truth in the Middle of Extremes
Good morning/afternoon/evening! I know I saw this a lot but I REALLY am glad you stopped by again. Sometimes I wish I could be there next to you as you read the day's chapters from the Bible--just in case you had a question or wanted to talk about something. But alas, this is the closest I'm going to get, so I'll try to make stopping by here as worth your while as I can!
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Fri, Mar 20: What will happen if the Israelites turn away and worship and bow down to other gods? (Dt 11)
Deuteronomy 11:16-17 6 Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. 17 Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you.
And here's the question of the day:
Sat, Mar 21: Romans 2:6 6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done." What do you think this means?
And here's the reflection of the day:
As we've been reading through the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Old Testament), we've seen the theme of God's righteousness over and over again. Leviticus tells us, "Be holy, because I the Lord your God am holy." Hence, all the rules and the regulations given to the Israelites in order to help them be just as holy as they can possibly be.
Believers are called to live according to a higher standard--morally, ethically, and in faithful obedience to God's commandments. It is even the duty of believers to share those standards with others and encourage them to live up to said standards. And sometimes, we can get a little carried away with our good intentions. Pretty easily, we can get so wrapped up in the importance of moral standards that we're imposing on others that we lose sight of whether we ourselves are living up to those very same standards.
In Romans 2, Paul has a discussion on moralizing. We might prefer a more relaxed attitude toward moral and ethical behavior and this, as Wright points out, makes us "all too eager to read Romans 2 as a denunciation of moralism and then to feel self-righteous because we are not self-righteous" (Wright, NIB Commentary on Romans).
Paul believed that morals mattered to both corporate society and to the individual. Disregarding these morals is sure to lead to disaster. He does not object to people having high moral standards; only when one failed to practice what one preached did Paul have an objection. Wright points out that Paul's point "was the hypocrisy of denouncing faults while secretly practicing them oneself."
And it all comes down to the final judgment, which Wright calls "excellent news for millions in our world, as it was in Paul's." He says this because judgment is "a promise that wrongs will be put to rights, offering a strong and sure hope that can sustain those who suffer oppression and injustice. But in Jesus the Messiah this hope has come forward into the present."
The final judgment has been warped in many ways over the years of reading and preaching. It has been watered down into "vague hopes for a better life hereafter and vague warnings about possible unpleasant consequences of wrongdoing" (Wright, NIB Commentary on Romans). But it also has been "artificially pumped up into shrill hell-fire denunciations and casual self-satisfied salvation-assurance" (Wright, NIB Commentary on Romans).
The truth of the final judgment lies somewhere in between these two extremes. Wrongs will be righted, and hope will be offered to the hopeless. God's perfection righteousness will be extended to those who sought, all the days of their lives, to be holy, because the Lord God Almighty is holy--doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God (Micah 6:8).
Have a great day!
Allison
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Fri, Mar 20: What will happen if the Israelites turn away and worship and bow down to other gods? (Dt 11)
Deuteronomy 11:16-17 6 Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. 17 Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you.
And here's the question of the day:
Sat, Mar 21: Romans 2:6 6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done." What do you think this means?
And here's the reflection of the day:
As we've been reading through the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Old Testament), we've seen the theme of God's righteousness over and over again. Leviticus tells us, "Be holy, because I the Lord your God am holy." Hence, all the rules and the regulations given to the Israelites in order to help them be just as holy as they can possibly be.
Believers are called to live according to a higher standard--morally, ethically, and in faithful obedience to God's commandments. It is even the duty of believers to share those standards with others and encourage them to live up to said standards. And sometimes, we can get a little carried away with our good intentions. Pretty easily, we can get so wrapped up in the importance of moral standards that we're imposing on others that we lose sight of whether we ourselves are living up to those very same standards.
In Romans 2, Paul has a discussion on moralizing. We might prefer a more relaxed attitude toward moral and ethical behavior and this, as Wright points out, makes us "all too eager to read Romans 2 as a denunciation of moralism and then to feel self-righteous because we are not self-righteous" (Wright, NIB Commentary on Romans).
Paul believed that morals mattered to both corporate society and to the individual. Disregarding these morals is sure to lead to disaster. He does not object to people having high moral standards; only when one failed to practice what one preached did Paul have an objection. Wright points out that Paul's point "was the hypocrisy of denouncing faults while secretly practicing them oneself."
And it all comes down to the final judgment, which Wright calls "excellent news for millions in our world, as it was in Paul's." He says this because judgment is "a promise that wrongs will be put to rights, offering a strong and sure hope that can sustain those who suffer oppression and injustice. But in Jesus the Messiah this hope has come forward into the present."
The final judgment has been warped in many ways over the years of reading and preaching. It has been watered down into "vague hopes for a better life hereafter and vague warnings about possible unpleasant consequences of wrongdoing" (Wright, NIB Commentary on Romans). But it also has been "artificially pumped up into shrill hell-fire denunciations and casual self-satisfied salvation-assurance" (Wright, NIB Commentary on Romans).
The truth of the final judgment lies somewhere in between these two extremes. Wrongs will be righted, and hope will be offered to the hopeless. God's perfection righteousness will be extended to those who sought, all the days of their lives, to be holy, because the Lord God Almighty is holy--doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God (Micah 6:8).
Have a great day!
Allison
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