Scripture Reflections for April 2024
4/30/2024 Good morning,
Blessed be the Lord our God! Today we consider 1 John 3.1-3, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”
There are plenty of things we cannot know about the future, about questions we often raise about God, and about many unknowns in life. John speaks in this passage about one thing we do not yet know, “what we will be has not yet appeared”. This might be an unknown simply about what God will transform in our lives as we live and breathe, or what things will be like when we get to heaven or as John writes, “when He appears”. On the other side, there is plenty that we know, even in these few verses. We know the love the Father has given us. We know that we are the children of God. We know the world will not know us because they do not know Jesus. We know we will be like Jesus when we see Him as He is! We know that our hope in Him purifies us as Christ is pure.
What good news this is, that what we know far outweighs what we do not know. What we know extends far beyond what we cannot see. Oswald Chambers, in reflection on verse 2, uses the phrase, “certain in our uncertainty”. We are certain of God even if we are uncertain as to our next step or next day or next decision. What we know throughout all of Scripture may calm our fears over all we may not know, for we shall be like Him. In the meantime we look to Jesus who purifies our life, “looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Heb 12.2).
Pastor Ed
4/29/2024 Good morning,
The apostle Paul was one of the most complex writers of the New Testament. But Paul also has a richness to the complex sentence structure that we can appreciate. Let’s take a look at the opening of the book of Titus.
“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began 3 and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior” (Titus 1.1-3).
Paul identifies himself as a servant and an apostle. The term servant can also be translated as slave, but we tend to shy away from that term in our modern versions of Scripture. I have also seen the term bondservant used in this context because Paul understood his position in the service of Christ as one that He gladly accepted and desired. We speak of Jesus as Master and we His bondservants, and in that relationship is the gratitude of knowing God’s mercy and grace in our deliverance from the bondage of sin and death. We are now bound by the love of God in Christ and that is a very different and positive, life giving view of bondage. No longer slaves to sin, we are now slaves of God (in the best sense of the word!).
Paul is also an apostle, one sent to proclaim the gospel. This became his mission after he was transformed from persecutor of the church to a major advocate for Christ and His church. Such a powerful change drove Paul to encounter, with joy, all the sufferings of imprisonment, beatings, and any persecution that he experienced.
Both of these self defining terms Paul uses are in the service of God’s people, God’s elect, as Paul calls them. He is sent to increase knowledge in godliness, in hope of eternal life which is promised by God. Paul has been entrusted with preaching the Word of God and that Word has been revealed “at the proper time.” We might sometimes wonder why God sent Jesus at the time in history He did, but the Scripture teaches us that it was the right time. God’s timing is always right!
Those who believe in their heart and confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord are also servants and apostles. We have also been given the charge to spread the gospel and to hold fast to the Word of God. We are entrusted with the Word, to rightly interpret, to meditate upon it, and to love God’s Word (Ps 119.97).
May the Lord, who has entrusted us with His Holy Word, grant us strength and energy to follow and keep His Word, and telling all who will listen that Jesus is Lord and Savior.
Pastor Ed
4/27/2024 Good morning,
Paul’s take on the Old Testament is quite different from that of some preachers today who think we should avoid or ignore the Old Testament. Paul writes in Romans 3.21, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—” The righteousness of God that has been made manifest is Jesus Christ. This is what God has done through Christ on the cross and in the resurrection. It is the gift of faith by God’s grace that justifies us in believing. Jesus did what the Law could not do (Rom 8.3) bringing salvation through the cross. What Paul then states is that, while the Law could not save, it does bear witness to the One who does! The Old Testament points us to Jesus. Jesus teaches the same message in Luke 24 when He goes through the Old Testament with the disciples showing how Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms all tell of the Christ (Luke 24.27, 44-45). One of the joys of studying Scripture is seeing Jesus in them, not just in the gospels or the New Testament alone, but in the pages of books like Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah, or Micah. We will spend our entire believing life exploring the Bible for the knowledge, wisdom, and power of the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation. It is a joy, a love, and a discipline that will enable us to know God more deeply and follow Jesus more closely. Pray that God would foster a love in our hearts for His Word, “Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble” (Psalm 119.165).
Pastor Ed
4/26/2024 Good morning,
I’ve been on the phone with a couple of our leaders from New River Presbytery. In one of those conversations I heard an alarming statistic about a denomination that is further right, on the scale of liberal v conservative, than we are in the EPC. The stat made me think of how the world has crept into so many denominations and churches to the extent that they are no longer led by Scripture, but following the course of this world (Eph 2.2). I will not get into details, but it reminded me of Jesus’ prayer in John 17.15-16, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” What does it mean to be of the world? First I think it means being non-biblical. When anyone or any group is of the world they are led by the world and the things of the world that are not of God. John makes clear what the world is about, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2.15-17). Herein lies another reason why the Word of God is so deeply crucial to the life of the believer and the church. We must be able to discern what is of the world and what is of God. Things that are of the world that are seeping into some churches (DEI, critical race theory, sexual immorality, climate hysteria, systematic racism, etc), these all are from the world. I am not saying that we should not address these things biblically, but what is happening, in my estimation, is that those topics are being addressed in the church by worldly thoughts and not in biblical thoughts. It is that very thing that led our church into a more biblically based denomination. My thoughts this morning are disturbed by what I see going on in the world and in the churches and denominations that have been seduced by the world. My other thought this morning is to pray what Jesus prayed in John 17. “Lord, keep us from the evil one. Lord Jesus, help us to be in the world but not of the world. Amen.”
May the peace of Christ guard our hearts and minds,
Pastor Ed
4/25/2024 Good morning,
Today’s reflection comes from Hebrews 5.11-14, “About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
I am reminded of how a football team might have forgotten the basics of their sport and the coaches have to spend time repeating what should already be known and ingrained. When proper footwork is not practiced, games are lost. What was going on with the readers of Hebrews that the author would have to address them so harshly? They are dull of hearing, on a milk diet because they are like children, and apparently unable to teach or distinguish good from evil.
I trust that walking daily through the Bible helps us grow deeper into a diet of solid food. We become more prepared to discern good and evil, to teach others what we have learned, and to grow to maturity in Christ. We become skilled in the word of righteousness when we are engaged deeply in the word of righteousness. Notice the phrase in verse 14 “powers of discernment trained by constant practice“. We get our training in God’s Word, like a football team training for the game, we train ourselves in constant practice – eating the solid food of God’s Word so that we might be able to distinguish good from evil. I think we can see how important making those determinations is in the world today as people seek to twist the truth into a lie and offer lies as truth. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5.20)
Training is mentioned in the Bible more than we might think: Proverbs 22.6, train up a child in the way he should go; Luke 6.40, disciples are trained to be like their teacher; 2 Timothy 3.16, the Word is for training us in righteousness.
Let’s get our training in that we might be equipped to discern good from evil, light from darkness, and help others to do the same.
Pastor Ed
4/24/2024 Good morning,
When someone asks me if I have a favorite Bible verse or passage, I think about a lot more than one favorite. As Bible stories go, I lean toward Luke 24 and the road to Emmaus story. Romans 12.1-2 has been a favorite when reflecting on renewing the mind. I gravitate to Psalm 119 quite a bit. While in college and the “cool kids” had to have a favorite verse, I went with 2 Corinthians 5.17. So no, I don’t have a favorite verse! But I have a bunch of favorite places to go in the Bible depending on the day and the circumstance. Colossians 3.1-2 is another “go to” passage for me, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” It is another “mind” passage, a passage that can lead to the Word of God, Kingdom of God, all the things we might consider as the things that are above. We are commanded to seek these things. Seek what is above, heavenly, or things of excellence as we read in Philippians 4.8. In essence all of these passages are about setting our mind to something other than the things of the earth. This, I believe, is our first and primary focus: filling the mind with the things of God. And one reason we fill our minds with the things of God is so that we might have the right mind in relation to the things of the earth. I heard a preacher ask, “what do we think about when we have nothing to think about?” I’m not sure what to make of the question, but I think the point was to think about the things of God when we do not have something earthly drawing our concentration. When we follow Colossians 3.1-2, we are more interested in heavenly things than earthly things and when our minds are not occupied with earthly things we immediately turn to think about things above. We have to take care of the earthly things, but we also, even more so, have to take care of the heavenly things. It is about shaping or reforming the mind in order that we become constantly aware of God and His Word and His Kingdom. Are we filling our minds with God’s Word so that we have something to think about that is worthwhile, that can drive away our anxiety, to calm our inner thoughts by resting in Jesus’ Words of comfort with the Holy Spirit? The things of the earth alone will only lead to anxiety, but the things of God will lead us peace and joy and rest and love and all that God gives out of His grace and steadfast love.
Lord, help us to set our minds on the things that are above. Amen.
Pastor Ed
4/23/2024 Good morning,
Jesus tells us in John’s gospel to “love one another just as I have loved you” (John 13.34). One of the greatest expressions of that kind of love comes from Paul in Galatians 4.19 – “my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!” Paul went from persecuting Christians to expressing the pain of childbirth until Christ was formed in those he once persecuted. His love moved dramatically in the direction of encouraging and strengthening Christians in their faith and love of God. He Himself became the persecuted because Jesus had changed His life completely. Imagine a desire so strong to see Christ formed in those around us that we liken it to “the anguish of childbirth”! I sometimes hear the phrase “it pains me to see you this way”. I suppose it is something like that. It pains us to see Christ not fully formed in one another. It pains us to see immaturity, slothfulness, or any other lack in the life of a Christian. But it should also cause us pain to see anything less than Christ crucified in ourselves as well! You know, get the log out of our own eye first. Do all things necessary to get Christ and to get Christ formed in us! Paul had his own issues, but he also had a heart for exhorting believers to pursue Christ and the things of the kingdom of God. May we do likewise in ourselves and for those in our company.
Pastor Ed
4/22/2024 Good morning,
God’s Word. I know, I harp on it all the time. Get into God’s Word. Here is another reason why I stress this point! Jesus expands on the Shema of Deuteronomy 6.4 about loving God with all your heart, soul, and might by including the term mind. ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12.29-30) I don’t think Jesus is “adding” to Scripture here, but expanding our understanding of what it means to love God with all our being. In fact, He does not add mind at the end of the list, but folds it in between soul and strength. The scribe who posed the question to Jesus then comments that we are to love God with “all the understanding”. No one, in this encounter with Jesus, makes any remark about the term mind. No one says, “Hey, mind is not in Deuteronomy 6!” The scribe actually affirms it in his comment. We love God with the mind to gain understanding, to know God, and in Christian theology we sometimes use the phrase, “faith seeking understanding”. We desire to know more about the God in whom we trust and believe. In faith, in the Word, and by the Holy Spirit we are pursuing a deeper knowledge of God. Now, here’s the kicker! In John’s gospel Jesus defines, or at least opens, one aspect of our understanding of eternal life. John 17.3, And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ whom God sent. We know God through the Word of God. We have knowledge of everything through the mind and, in this case, loving God with the mind. As I see it, that means getting to know God through His Word that reveals who God is and what God has done. Certainly we can know God through other means like prayer or our experiences of God’s presence in life, but the primary way is in what God has revealed in His Word. This is eternal life, that we know God. Get to know God by getting to know His Word, His words, His revelation of Himself from Genesis to Revelation.
Pastor Ed
4/20/2024 Good afternoon,
We’ve been reflecting the last few days on how the Word of God is at work in those who believe. Let’s do that some more! Philippians 1.6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” God has begun a work in us. My contention is that this work is the sanctification that comes through the Word working in our being by the power of the Holy Spirit. That work is God’s work. That work is a good work. That work will be brought to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. That also means that the work is ongoing until Christ returns. We have not arrived at completion prior to that day. We all have more to learn, more wisdom to gain, more Truth to reform us. And therefore, we have more to teach, more wisdom to share, more of Jesus to give. The more Bible texts we have within our hearts, the more the Spirit has with which to work.
Think about what this text in Philippians means for our behavior when we come to realize that God is working in us to renew our minds and lead us to holiness and nurture love in our lives. God is at work in us and God is not yet finished with that work. Go through the rest of this day thinking on the fact that God is working in your heart and mind to sanctify your being, making you, and all who believe, more like Christ every day.
Pastor Ed
4/19/2024 Good morning,
As I have spent this time writing and reflecting on the Scriptures, I have also contemplated why the Lord has led me to this discipline at this time. These writings are as much for myself as for anyone who might gain some insight from them. I have been scanning lots of Scripture that speaks of the power of the Word to lead us into maturity. Jesus prays in John 17.17 that God would sanctify the disciples (& all Jesus’ followers) by the Word. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” Sanctification comes through the Word of God. Once again, as we read yesterday in 1 Thess 2.13, we see the work of the Word in us. The Word itself sanctifies the believer. Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word to bring us into maturity of faith and love and all that Christ has given us through His death and resurrection. It is the ongoing process of increased holiness and fear of the Lord. It is the work that is done in us when we get the Word into our hearts and minds. It seems to me that we have that responsibility to get into the Word as it gets into us. Give the Spirit more to work with!!
Consider today that Jesus is praying for us to be sanctified in the truth that is God’s Sacred Word! Thank You, Lord.
Pastor Ed
4/18/2024 Good morning,
This is a follow up to yesterday’s reflection and there will probably be a few more to add on this topic. I trust that study of God’s Word does more than just increase our knowledge. To simply have more information is helpful, but study of God’s Word is more than gaining information, for the Word in/on our hearts is directed toward transformation. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 2.13, “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” What might Paul mean that the Word is at work in us? Hebrews 4.12 tells us that the Word of God is working in us because it is living and active, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” The Word is not just sitting idle in our memory, not just piling up texts for the sake of completing a Bible quiz on YouTube, but working in us by the power of the Holy Spirit to change our minds toward transforming our actions, point of view, comprehension, and nurturing us toward maturity in Christ. Perhaps that work can be seen in the “aha” moments of realizing what a Bible verse means or the realization that our behavior has changed in something unrighteous we do not do anymore or something righteous we have picked up in practice. Perhaps it is seen in how we pray differently or we have gained a greater zeal for the Word or we have a deeper desire to worship every Sunday. May we be like those to whom Paul wrote at the Thessalonian church, accepting the Word of God and trusting that God’s Word is at work in all who believe.
Pastor Ed
4/17/2024 Good morning,
I became a believer at the age of nineteen. Prior to that I had no church experience of any significance. I was an average student in school in that I did not spend a great deal of time studying or reading. But something happened in that conversion that I did not really comprehend then. I was given a thirst for reading and studying Scripture. If I could have skipped more classes in college to read the Bible, I would have. That thirst, I believe, is a gift from God. I pray for that gift in others because I have been blessed to have many stages and periods of study and learning and trusting. It is certainly why I write these reflections and want to help us get something from what God has revealed. I am blessed to share with Ezra a heart to study the Law of the Lord, Ezra 7.10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.
Notice what follows study — “to do it”! Ezra set his heart to study and do the Word and then, to teach it. If I can do a little bit of what Ezra could do, I’m blessed and humbled by it. We all have this gift at our disposal. We can read and think and pray, with the help of the Holy Spirit, that we might discern what God desires for us through His Word. We can compare notes with one another for discussion to either confirm or refine what we have discovered. We can read what others have interpreted at various times in history. But what is crucial for us is to get into the Word of God on our own. Pray for a heart to study. Pray for a heart to do the Word. Pray for a heart to teach the Word.
Eugene Peterson offers this metaphor for studying the Bible — like a dog gnawing on a bone. My dog would work on a bone with a ferocious energy, grinding, growling, protecting, until that bone is either gone or hidden away somewhere for future gnawing. Imagine digging into the Word with that kind of energy and passion. I imagine Ezra was like that, pouring over the Law and seeking to conform his life to the Law, and telling others what he had learned. Imagine us doing it the same way! Let us work to fill our minds with God’s Word so that we might share with one another and with those who have yet to come to Christ.
Pastor Ed
4/16/2024 Good morning,
I do not remember the exact day I first read Philippians 1.21, but I do remember thinking how “cool” it was to think about living or dying being all about Christ. (I was much younger and “cool” was the current term. I still use “cool” because cool never loses its coolness!)
Philippians 1.21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
To live is to magnify Christ in our lives. To die is to go and be with Christ. Either way is awesome! Another way we might think about death is in the hope that we have lived so deeply into Christ that those who knew us will still be inspired to live in Christ long after we are gone. Paul speaks on this same theme in Romans , that in life or death we belong to the Lord. “For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom 14.8). That pretty much covers everything! In all things we belong to the Lord. What good news that is in the world as we navigate all the twisted and crooked ways before us, as we seek discernment of truth, and as we follow Jesus through the darkest valleys. We have a place of belonging, a God to whom we belong, a community of church where we can love and be loved because we are all living in Christ.
Take a moment of silent reflection on this verse – to live is Christ…to die is gain.
How might that indwelling Word transform us today and forever?
To live is Christ.
To die is gain.
Fear not,
Pastor Ed
4/15/2024 Good morning,
One of the struggles in today’s world (mostly a first world problem) is all the diversity chatter throughout organizations and political realms and in some churches (& denominations). The Bible is fine with diversity, calling all people to Christ. We welcome all people no matter their ethnicity, economic status, etc. But the Bible is not okay with diversity when it comes to theology and the interpretation of Scripture. The Bible speaks to being “on the same page” when it comes to the essentials of faith. So, for instance, the church cannot have diverse understandings of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He is the Lord. He is the only way to salvation. He died on the cross that we might be saved and forgiven. It cannot be true that all faith traditions lead to God. That breaks apart the unity required to be the church.
On the other hand, there can be differences on issues that do not relate directly to salvation. Whether one believes in a literal six days of creation or over a longer period of time is debatable, but either one will not keep us out of heaven. One might be wrong though! 😉
Peter shares this thought – 1 Peter 3.8 “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.”
Unity of mind is vital to the life of the church when it comes to those deepest matters of faith. At the end of the verse, having a humble mind is also crucial when it comes to differences on smaller issues. All issues are important, but not all weigh as heavy on our salvation. Sometimes churches get into arguments over incidentals because we are so headstrong about one way of doing something. When we might not agree we must discern its level of importance to the life and unity of the church. On all issues we should practice tender heartedness and humility over stubbornness and insistence on “my” way as the only way. I’m not attempting to point a finger at anyone! Just noting what we have all seen in some churches and in some organizations that suffer because they force diversity to the point of compromising their core beliefs. It only produces a house divided that will not stand. We can all use a dose of brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. We might be amazed at how well things work out when we are unified with a common mind in Christ and humble with one another on the minor things. Don’t make minor things the major things and thus reduce the major things to chaff that gets blown away.
Peter goes on to say in chapter 5, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.”
Pastor Ed
4/13/2024 Good morning,
Let’s pick up in the middle of Paul’s thoughts today!
Philippians 3.12-16, 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
What Paul was referring to obtaining is the righteousness of God through faith (3.8-11). He is pressing on and seeking to forget the past for the sake of what lies ahead. Sometimes we struggle to let the past be the past and move on to what wonders God has for us through grace and faith. It can be a struggle to let go of the past, to let go of sins and memories and anything that may hold us back from accepting all that Christ has done for us. But the good news of forgiveness in Christ is that everything is washed clean (1 Cor 6.11). Sins are remembered no more (Jer 31.34). Part of working through sanctification is coming to realize how great it is to have all our past sins, all our past troubles, all our “junk” we tend to hang on to, all of that is washed away. We are new creations (2 Cor 5.17).
Jesus taught about having financial debt forgiven and how that relates to sins forgiven, Luke 7.41-42, “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” We might consider our past and how much Jesus has forgiven. Then we can express our gratitude and love for what Christ has done into Paul’s goal of pressing on toward the goal of gaining Christ, “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Phil 3.9-11). We can offer no greater thanks for what Christ has done than to offer ourselves completely toward the goal of gaining more and more of Christ…”because Christ has made us His own!”
Pastor Ed
4/12/2024 Good morning,
I am becoming more and more convinced that every opposition to truth is a battle against the schemes of the devil. The present darkness is a powerful evil force and can also find its way through the total depravity of people who are enemies of God. The problem of evil in the world has long been debated and I won’t be able to solve the issue today , but there is a response to the darkness given us through the teachings of Scripture. We know that we must walk(live) according to God’s Word. Paul speaks of walking in the Spirit. John tells us to walk in the light. In Ephesians we learn about putting on the armor of God. Ephesians 6.10-12, 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. The description of the armor follows these verses, but what I hope we can see is the “God’s eye view” of the evil we face in the world. It can be seen in the sinful nature of humanity and/or in the spiritual forces of evil. Paul says, before telling us to put on the armor, to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. It is not our strength, not our might, not our armor, but it is God’s strength, God’s might, God’s armor.
We might get discouraged by what we see going on in the world, but we also must keep perspective from above. God is sovereign. God is on the throne. God has promised to give us His strength and His armor to help us make our way through this world. Therefore, we need not fear. We need not panic. We need not overreact to the schemes that might seem to have a hold on many aspects of the world. Corruption, confusion, and the schemes of the devil will one day come to an end. In the meantime, we stand firm in the power of God’s strength, proclaiming truth, THE Truth, to all who will listen.
Pastor Ed
4/11/2024 Good morning,
Someone once said that Leviticus is where Read the Bible in a Year programs go to die. It is certainly a book that bogs down a reader who is seeking to read the whole Bible, and yet, there are gems throughout if we would take the time to read more slowly. Topics such as Sabbath, holiness, atonement, and as Jesus points to — love. Leviticus 19.18, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.” Of course it is the second half of this verse that Jesus uses to speak of the greatest commandment. Jesus puts together two verses in Matthew 22.37-39, love the Lord your God, from Deuteronomy 6.5, and love your neighbor, from Lev 19.18. If nothing else, that should raise the level of appreciation for Leviticus!
Leviticus is written primarily for the sake of the purity of Israel and ways to teach what God values and that teaching was accomplished through many of the rituals and ceremonies presented. But the main themes of sin, sacrifice, and atonement are the ones that lead us to grasp a greater understanding of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
Check out a few passages to give us a greater appreciation for Leviticus:
Leviticus 25 teaches us about giving the land a sabbath rest in the seventh year. This chapter also describes the jubilee year, basically a year of redemption. Some scholars believe that Jesus was reintroducing the jubilee year when He spoke of the year of the Lord’s favor in Luke 4.19.
Lev 6.2 “If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the Lord by deceiving his neighbor in a matter of deposit or security, or through robbery, or if he has oppressed his neighbor.” Sins against a neighbor are also sins against the Lord.
Lev 10.10-11 “You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by Moses.”
God commanded Aaron to teach His Word, a command we take seriously to this day!
Lev 17.11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.”
This is one of the ways we know that the blood of Christ washes away our sins.
Leviticus is a tough book to read straight through but it is a part of the Sacred Text for a reason. Let us not neglect its teachings for the edification of God’s people today!
Pastor Ed
4/10/2024 Good morning,
This passage is one of the most well known of the Proverbs. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 8It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones (Proverbs 3.4-8).
Two paths are given. First is the way of God — Trust in the Lord, Acknowledge God, fear the Lord, turn away from evil. The other path is on our own — leaning on our own understanding and seeking to be wise in our own eyes. We might also note that each of the ways of God can be turned to the negative for the other path: not trusting in God, not acknowledging God, not fearing the Lord, turning to evil. This is what happens when we take the alternate path of self righteousness by leaning on our own understanding. Three wonderful things occur when we trust in God: He makes our paths straight, He heals, and He refreshes. Let’s consider the latter two described in verse 8, healing and refreshment. The Proverbs addresses this healing and refreshment in physical terms – flesh and bones. As I see it, (not leaning on my own understanding!), this is a complete overhaul of the body. And yet I think it is more than just a physical dynamic because Jewish teaching connects body, soul, and spirit, not as three parts, but one, united, connected and all affected together. Flesh and bones, spirit and soul, all one, all healed and completely refreshed.
There’s more! The Sabbath is a day of refreshment. I note this because keeping Sabbath is one of the ways we trust God, acknowledge God, fear God, and help ourselves turn away from evil. God was refreshed on the Sabbath (Exodus 31.17). The Sabbath was commanded for us to also be refreshed. Without the Sabbath, we run the risk of going down the path of our own understanding and wisdom. With Sabbath we find God’s way as the true path to life and joy. Keep the Sabbath. Trust in the Lord. Rest in God. Fear the Lord. For there is healing – refreshment – Shalom – perfect peace only in God.
Pastor Ed
4/9/2024 Good morning,
The good news of Jesus Christ is revealed over and over all through the Bible. Today we examine one of those places, Romans 8.1-4, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
It is amazing what Christ has done for all who believe in Him and trust Him as Lord and Savior. We are not condemned, not punished, not sentenced in connection to our sin because Jesus has taken all of that upon Himself on the cross. We are free in Christ. We are gifted with forgiveness, justification, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit who is at work in us. We are saved from sin and death, not by anything we have done, but by what Christ has done, fulfilling all the requirements of the law by giving Himself as the final sacrifice for sin. Therefore, we are free to walk in God’s Spirit of holiness, righteousness, love, grace, and mercy. We are no longer bound by our flesh, by our physical passions, by our old nature, not confined by sin, but we walk under a new authority in a new nature. We walk in Christ and in the Spirit and in the Word.
Once in this condition of living in Christ, there are things required of us…to follow Jesus, taking up our cross, praying, worshiping, witnessing, engaging in the Word, and many other things we are drawn to in Christ. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6.33), for example, is something never done by those who are not in Christ. But that is what we desire when we are in Christ, to do what God commands and requires of us. What we find in God’s way of life is peace, joy, love, hope, faith, basically a walk that truly sees life as God intends. Yes, there is still suffering and sin and tribulations, but in Christ there are new mercies every day (Lamentations 3.22-23). While troubles still exist for a time, we are not tied down by them but are free to walk in the Spirit of life.
Take a moment today to give thanks for what Christ has done, where God has led you, and how God has opened your eyes to see all things new.
Pastor Ed
4/8/2024 Good morning,
The good news from Jeremiah 31.31-34, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” There is a lot to unpack from this passage. I want to focus on one aspect – all that God will do. As some of you know I study Scripture through noting the rhetoric – noting the active verbs, pivotal words, weighted words, and so forth. One may see from this method that God is the subject of the active verbs in this passage. Listed below the actions of God by verse:
31 – I will make (new covenant), repeated in verse 33
33 – I will put (law within them)
33 – I will write (on their hearts)
34 – I will forgive (their iniquities)
We could consider one of the “being” verbs in verse 33 as well, “I will be their God” since it tells of the future condition of the relationship!
This is what God promises to do and it is all God’s doing. When we read what God will do, we are able to recognize the messianic promises that have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He is the final sacrifice that allows for no remembrance of sin. He is the final sacrifice that gives us the ability to know the Lord. He is the fulfillment of the Law and in Him God’s Word is written on our hearts. He is the One who makes the new covenant.
This we know from the whole of the New Testament and specifically in Hebrews 10.12-18, “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, 16 ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,’ 17 then he adds, ‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’ 18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.”
Let us give thanks to the Lord for His sacrifice on the cross that has fulfilled the prophetic word given through Jeremiah.
Pastor Ed
4/6/2024 Good morning,
This reflection may require as much Bible searching as you desire. You are free to search as much or as little as you wish into the references below! We start with Exodus 34.6-7, “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
This text includes a stock set of adjectives describing the character of God from merciful to forgiving but also includes consequences for the guilty. One of the fascinating aspects of this list is how it is repeated and used throughout the rest of the Old Testament. One way to think about this passage is noting two “options”: “Option 1” – God is merciful and gracious, abounding in steadfast love and so forth, and “Option 2” – God will not clear the guilty. Basically, all the uses through the Old Testament refer to “Option 1” except for one passage in Jonah 4. Jonah was displeased (4.1) because he knew God would choose “Option 1” (4.2). It is likely that Jonah fled in the first chapter (1.3) because he wanted God to go with “Option 2”. Jonah was actually angry about God showing mercy to Nineveh. You can hear Jonah complaining to God in 4.2 “I knew you would go with ‘Option 1’, so I fled!”
These adjectives appear in many places, not always every one of them in the list, but certainly grouped in some ways or individually.
Check out these references to see more! Numbers 14.11-20; Hosea 2.19-20; Lamentations 3.18-24; Micah 7:18-20; Joel 3.12; Psalm 86.15; Psalm 112.4; Psalm 116.5; Psalm 145.8-9.
God is revealed overwhelmingly in Scripture as the God of mercy, grace, patience, love, faithfulness, and forgiveness. These too are all characteristics we see fully in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Savior. Thanks be to God for “Option 1” to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. But, we also give thanks that God is just and righteous and will by no means clear the guilty. The fullness of God is seen in both “options” and we give thanks for who God is and what God has done in His holy character. All to the glory of God.
Pastor Ed
4/5/2024 Good morning,
Think – about – these – things. Philippians 4.8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” We talk a great deal about the “culture wars”, about the corruption in media and politics and now even in other fields that were once totally trusted. We complain about all the junk on television and the internet and yet we find ourselves caught up in more of it than we perhaps should. Paul exhorts the church to think about things that are worthy of our time and energy.
Think about what is true…God’s Word first comes to mind. At one point in time people used to say “true that” when responding to something obvious. But truth is so difficult to discern in the world anymore. Even in Paul’s day and before, all the way back to Genesis in the garden, people have struggled to discern what is true. The serpent started it with that deceitful question, “Did God actually say…?” So we have this sinful tendency to question what God has said when we are thinking about things we should or should not watch or listen to or read.
Think about what is honorable. God first comes to mind. We honor God when we think about what is true, what is just, and so on. We honor God when we think about things that give honor and glory to God.
Think about what is just. Justice in the Bible is not what the culture calls “social justice”. Justice is what is right by God’s justice, not some woke ideology or, better said, woke idolatry.
Think about what is pure. Purity relates to that which is not tainted by sin and corruption.
Think about what is lovely. When I think of things that are lovely I mostly think about good art and music and people and gestures and all these sorts of things.
Think about what is commendable. Acts of service. Self-denial. Good works for which God created us.
Think about what is excellent. Think about things that are spot on! This speaks to things that are well done.
Think about that which is worthy of praise. All the above!
Why think about these things? Because they are the things of God. It might be a good thing to pose each of these as a question when discerning what we watch or read. Is this true? Is this honorable? Is this pure? It may cut out much of what we want to do! How much depends on how deep we are influenced into the thinking of the world. May the Spirit renew our minds to think about the things of God — “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12.1-2).
Pastor Ed
4/4/2024 Good morning,
Isaiah 8.11-15, “For the Lord spoke thus to me with his strong hand upon me, and warned me not to walk in the way of this people, saying: 12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.”
Fear is a powerful emotion. If you were to trace the terms fear or afraid throughout the Bible, you would find multiple times when God or an angel said, “do not be afraid” or “fear not” or something to that effect. It was the immediate emotion at the empty tomb among the women and among the soldiers as we saw in a previous reflection. It was most likely a feeling for all the disciples as they wandered and wondered from Friday to Sunday. I believe that fear is one of the biggest obstacles to faith and discipleship. Isaiah’s word indicates that one way to overcome fear is to honor the Lord as holy, which is immediately followed by “let Him be your fear.” Now that is a totally different fear than being afraid of the enemies of God or afraid of the dark or some fear like that. Fear of the Lord means having such deep reverence and awe, and trust, so that we have no fear at all of the world and all its nonsense. God tells us to fear, not when it comes to being afraid of something, but with the proper “fear” – the fear of the Lord. Fear of the Lord is showing honor, reverence, trust, love, faithfulness…and all that is due the Lord and Savior. Those who do not fear the Lord “shall stumble…shall fall and be broken…snared and taken (8.15).
The fear of the Lord is one of the ways we are set right in relationship with God. That fear recenters our focus on Jesus and His Word and gives us the proper perspective on all things pertaining to life and faith. It is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge (Prov 9.10). “Let Him be your fear”, for in that fear we give honor where it is due and we are able to not fear what the world fears or what the world would have us fear.
Praise to You, O God! Thanks to You, O Lord! For in You is life and peace and love and grace and mercy, and all honor and glory is due Your Name. In all that and more is our trust and so we shall let You be our fear. Amen.
Pastor Ed
4/3/2024 Good morning,
We look again at a time between the resurrection of Christ and His ascension. Acts 1.1-3, “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”
Luke wrote the gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. He begins here by referencing the gospel and all that Jesus did and taught until He was taken up. So Acts 1 is something of a flashback scene when Jesus appeared alive to many people post-resurrection. He appeared during a period of 40 days. Interesting number considering all the other “40” accounts in Scripture, 40 days in the wilderness in Matthew 4, 40 days of rain in Genesis 7, and so forth. But what strikes me most in these three verses is the topic of Jesus’ speaking/preaching — the kingdom of God. That is certainly not an unusual topic, but in one sense it envelopes His ministry from beginning to end. He starts with the same message in Matthew 4.17, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew’s gospel probably has the most written about the kingdom. But Luke is right behind in places like Luke 4.43, “but [Jesus] said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” Jesus was sent for many reasons, perhaps we could group each one into the good news of the kingdom of God. Sent to seek and save the lost. Sent to die for our sins. Sent to rise again that we might have new life. Sent to fulfill the law. Sent to preach all of this and more, the good news of the kingdom of God.
The kingdom is at hand, near, in the good news of Jesus Christ. It signifies the reign of God over all. The kingdom is here and yet to come! We have a taste of the kingdom in the presence of the Holy Spirit and in the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection. And yet, we pray, “Your kingdom come” because we also see only in part. There will come a day when the kingdom of God will come in its fullness and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil 2.11). Until that day, it is fitting for us to pray daily, “Your kingdom come!” Well, go ahead and pray the other words around that phrase as well, “Our Father…”
Pastor Ed
4/2/2024 Good morning,
Post-resurrection stories are so cool! Today we look at a portion of John 21. “Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead” (John 21.12-14). What a host! Jesus invites the disciples to have breakfast. Fish and bread are on the menu. Some of the disciples had gone fishing but caught nothing through the night. When they got back to shore, Jesus was there but they did not recognize Him at first, much like the disciples on the road to Emmaus story in Luke 24. Jesus asked if they had any fish. No catch. So Jesus tells them to cast on the right side of the boat. Boom! 153 fish and the nets did not break. Immediately they knew this was Jesus. Again, similar to Luke 24 when Jesus broke bread and their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. This time it is a great haul of fish (See also Luke 5.1-11). The catch of fish, the invitation to breakfast, now they know, this is Jesus! Jesus came and took bread, gave it to them. Jesus feeding the disciples as he once fed thousands with bread and fish. Jesus feeding the disciples, taking bread and giving it to them as He did at the Passover meal. Jesus hosting a meal for His followers. It is no wonder why we enjoy getting together around the table, both tables, the Lord’s table at communion and any table at home or church that serves as a reminder of our fellowship with Jesus and with one another.
Imagine Jesus tending to the fire, taking bread and fish and giving it to the disciples one by one. My mind wanders all over the Bible while thinking about bread and fish and eating and drinking.
- “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4.4) Not no bread, just not bread alone. We live by God’s Word as well.
- “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. (Isaiah 55.1-3) Eat what is good! We delight in God’s Word by eating it. Jeremiah 15.16, Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.
- On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. (Isaiah 25.6) God likes to host picnics!
We all know there is something uniquely special about church dinners, family meals, and people gathered around the table. This is especially true for Christians who know the One who graces our tables with abundance. He is the Lord of hosts! (I’m stretching that title way out of context!) We also know there is something uniquely special about gathering around His Word. Give thanks to the Host, to Jesus, who invites us to eat with Him (Rev 3.20), for in Christ there is ample bread, and fish, and wine, and Word.
Pastor Ed
4/1/2024 Good morning,
He is risen!
Mark 16.1-7 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
“He has risen; he is not here.” What would we have thought at that moment? “This is where they laid him, is it not? Where is he? What is going on?” I have no idea what I would have thought. It may have been something along the lines of Mark 16.8, the next verse in the narrative, “8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” I suspect we would experience the same. Trembling? Yes. Astonishment? Yes. Fear? Yes. For a time they were silent, probably telling no one until they reached the disciples. Who else would believe them? Perhaps not even the disciples. And that is true, for according to Luke, they thought the women were telling an “idle tale”. They needed proof and so Peter ran to the tomb (Luke 24.10-12).
He is risen! Do not be alarmed/afraid. Sound words, we could even consider it a command based on the good news of the living Savior. We need not fear the sanctification that carries us from death to new life. Nor shall we fear life to death in the physical realm. We need not fear all the fear mongering from pundits and the talking heads of networks. We need not fear anything. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in Jesus (John 14.1). Do not be anxious about your life (Mathew 6.25). “Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you” (Isaiah 35.4). No fear, no anxiety, but plenty of prayer (Philippians 4.6)!
He is risen! He lives! Do not be alarmed. That, my friends, is good news.
Pastor Ed
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