Scripture Reflections – September 2024
9/30/2024 Good morning,
Proverbs 8.1-11, Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? 2 On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; 3 beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: 4 “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. 5 O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense. 6 Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right, 7 for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. 9 They are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. 10 Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, 11 for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
What is wisdom? According to Proverbs 8.5 wisdom includes at least two characteristics. First, wisdom learns prudence. Prudence means living with discretion, patience, and discernment. It is quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger (James 1.19). News media and social media are both slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to anger or judgment. News media wants to be first to report, so they may jump to conclusions too soon. Social media is probably worse with every knee jerk reaction possible within seconds of any event. Wisdom waits to see what truth will come in time. Wisdom, in my opinion, does not do much with social media. Show me an example of verse 6 in any modern media setting, that is, speaking noble things? That is only found in wisdom and wisdom is prudent in speech. The wisdom of Proverbs is also not very “nice”. The term “simple ones” is genuinely a term that is not seeking to convey kindness. Verse 5 couples two terms together in “simple ones” and “fools”. These are not attempts to be nice. If it were a cheap book title today…perhaps Prudence for Dummies.
Second, learn sense, O fools! I think this refers to our understanding of common sense that seems to have disappeared from so many aspects of modernity. We yearn to see common sense in the public square again. We yearn to see school boards who do not lead with woke ideology but with the wisdom of common sense. We yearn to see sensible people who can govern according to the U.S. Constitution rather than some warped agenda only seeking power. We yearn to see some simple common sense in the world.
Wisdom is found in noble things, in what is right. It utters truth and righteousness. The Proverb says that wickedness is an abomination to wisdom. Is it too far a stretch to say that lack of sense and lack of prudence is an abomination? Wisdom will never be twisted and crooked. Philippians 2:15 uses this same word pair, “…that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” Children of God are only without blemish if we are living in the wisdom of God and shining that wisdom as a light to the world.
How do we gain wisdom? Wisdom calls us to prayer, to God’s Word, to follow Christ. Wisdom calls us to value prudence and common sense over all the riches of the earth. In a world that values material things more than anything, wisdom is hard to find. But we are called to wisdom and to the Holy Word of God so that wisdom will have voice in the midst of all the abominations of wickedness. Pray for God’s people to shine with wisdom and for those walking in darkness to repent and heed the call of wisdom.
Pastor Ed
9/28/2024 Good morning,
James 3.13-18, Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
There is throughout the Scriptures a huge contrast between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. James reveals the contrast by clarifying the wisdom of the world as earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. It is the wisdom of the age, of the world, without the power of the Holy Spirit. You may recall Paul’s description in 1 Corithians 3, “the wisdom of this world is folly with God.” We see the wisdom of the world all around us. What was once the politically correct movement has now transformed into a “woke” movement, all part of worldly “wisdom”. James uses a very powerful word about the deception of human based wisdom – demonic. We might not rush to claim someone’s wisdom is demonic, but, on the other hand, it might help us understand its source. Verse 14 describes false wisdom exposed in jealousy, selfish ambition, boasting, and being false to the truth.
Godly wisdom is that which is from above – pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, merciful, full of fruits, impartial, and sincere. This is not the picture of wisdom we are seeing in America these days. But this is precisely what is needed in America. It’s what people are yearning for in politics and science and education and all spheres of life that have been overpowered by that which is false to the truth. This is nothing new as the Bible shows us that the contrast between God’s wisdom and our fallible human wisdom has been with us since the garden of Eden. God sees and has seen how we seek to use our own wisdom at the expense of God’s wisdom.
Sometimes we romanticize the past a little bit when we think that there had to be a time when common sense and godly wisdom ruled the day. It didn’t when James wrote to the church nor has it throughout the history of America. There may have been “better times”, but every generation has had to deal with the lack of godly wisdom in the world. We must seek to walk in “good conduct…and the meekness of [God’s] wisdom”. Let the world see godly wisdom in us as we follow Jesus Christ, that they might also come to know godly wisdom and repent of all that is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.
Pastor Ed
9/27/2024 Good morning,
Our last reflection focused on self-deception. Today we look at another way of deception.
Genesis 3.1-7, Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she tookof its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
A second way we see the world has lost all sense of wisdom is in the deception from the devil. The deception in Genesis is in the devil’s brief question, “Did God actually say?” Did God really say you shall not eat? Did God really say that marriage is designed for male and female? Did God really say that life is precious even in the womb? Did God actually say he created us male and female, only two genders? This is the temptation that has led to many of our social problems when the question of doubt is put forth, “Did God actually say?”
This is the devil’s work and strategy, to place doubt in the minds of people as to what God has said. He even tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness by quoting (twisting) Scripture (Matthew 4. 1-11). The devil is still working to deceive. The lies that are taking hold in our society and culture tell us that anything goes in sexuality, gender, abortion, and corruption as long as you don’t get caught. It is a tough world and context unlike the past years when there was a sense in our country of so Judea-Christian ethic. The assumption was that of a “Christian nation” even among those who did not believe in God. At least in those days the question of what God said or did not say was viable. Now to debate what God has said is irrelevant to more people than not, at least in the public square. My point is that we not only have to raise the question of what God has said, but raise the fact that it matters what God has said. Of course, we must always keep in mind that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of those who will listen. Our call is to simply give witness to the gospel and what God has said. This is one of our hopes to reclaim the truth and wisdom for a dying world.
The self-deception we considered in our last reflection might be categorized as human sin, total depravity, and a consequence of the Genesis 3 narrative. The devil’s deception is just pure evil. The good news and the hope of all who believe is that Christ has destroyed the power of both deceptions. When we are focused on God’s Word and leaning on the discernment we receive by the Holy Spirit, eyes are opened to the truth and we are less susceptible to fall for any deception. Psalm 119.9, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” The truth revealed in Psalm 1119 is not limited to young men, but we all can guard our way according to the Word of God.
You see, this is another reason why I encourage our engagement in God’s Word day after day!
Pastor Ed
9/26/2024 Good morning,
1 Corinthians 3.18-23, Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.
Paul warns us not to become self-deceived. The context suggests self-deception is found in following the wisdom of the world. More precisely, self-deception is in thinking that the wisdom of the world is correct. Self-deception is thinking you are doing right when you are actually doing wrong. Self-deception is thinking yourself to be wise by the standards of the world but denying the standards of God. The real problem is that self-deception prevents us from seeing what is right and what is wrong. Bitter becomes sweet and sweet bitter (Isaiah 5.20). We see the lack of wisdom daily in the media, politics, education (or lack thereof), at times in the judicial system, and in many other contexts. Self-deception is a type of blindness, unable to see what is inside our hearts and minds. It may also be a refusal to examine the self to see what lies within.
Self-deception is especially hideous because the one deceiving himself is the last to know of the deception. Everyone else may see it, but not the deceived. Narcissism is a classic example of self deception – thinking the world revolves around you. Enabling is another example when we think we are doing right for someone when all we are doing is enabling an addiction or some other bad behavior. Paul writes in verse 19, “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” Those who are wise by the standards of this age will one day be caught! Justice will one day prevail. Wrongs will be made right and this inane chaos we see most days will end. Until then we will see the deception rise and we should also heed Paul’s encouraging word, “Let no one deceive himself.” We need to take care that we stay in the Word of God and not deceive ourselves. Studying God’s Word helps us to examine ourselves. Look to the holiness of God, the righteousness of God, and the faithfulness of God so that we might expose our own unholy thinking, unrighteous ways, and lack of belief.
Galatians 6.7-8, Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Self-deception is of the flesh. May we instead live by the Spirit and thus free from any deception. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5.25).
Pastor Ed
9/25/2024 Good morning,
Ephesians 2.1-10, And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
This is one among many passages that play a huge role in defining Reformed Theology. The opening verses (1-3) speak to the doctrine of total depravity. Human beings, since the Fall, have walked the course of the world, in our fallen passions, and were dead in sin. But, the key inversion is verse 4, “But God…has made us alive together with Christ.” This speaks to the doctrines of irresistible grace and unconditional election. Such a blessing to know that even while we were dead in our sins, God showered upon us His mercy and love to save us by His grace. Such a blessing to know the gift of faith. Our boasting is in glorifying God alone, not ourselves, for nothing we have done leads us to salvation. Salvation is God’s glorious work. And yet, once saved by grace, we have work to do, good works that are a result of our gratitude for what God has done.
This selection in Ephesians gives us cause to rejoice and give thanks to God. There is much that remains a mystery to us, but we can be assured that God has chosen us to bear witness to His mercy, grace, and love. That witness is a part of our work in Christ that others might come to know the God rich in mercy, with great love for us, who makes us alive with Christ. Rejoice and give thanks.
Pastor Ed
9/24/2024 Good morning,
This coming Sunday we will be in the book of Zechariah. We hear from Zechariah every Palm Sunday as the Scripture was fulfilled when Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey.
Zechariah 9.9-17, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. 13 For I have bent Judah as my bow; I have made Ephraim its arrow. I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and wield you like a warrior’s sword. 14 Then the Lord will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord God will sound the trumpet and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south. 15 The Lord of hosts will protect them, and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones, and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine, and be full like a bowl, drenched like the corners of the altar. 16 On that day the Lord their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. 17 For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty! Grain shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the young women.
The book of Zechariah is filled with dreams and visions and what some call a rollercoaster ride that culminates in the hope of God’s coming Kingdom. Zechariah prophesied alongside Haggai about rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem and setting their hope on the coming kingdom of God. These two prophets are mentioned in Ezra 5.1-2 which offers us a connection between all three of these books. As with other prophets, Zechariah calls the people to repent and set their hope in the coming kingdom. That hope is set in three ways.* The first is the promise of the coming Messiah. This is the hope set forth throughout the Old Testament that we know as the hope in Jesus Christ. A second hope is that which hopes beyond what we see before us. For Israel that may have been the hope beyond their own kings or judges or conquering nations. For us it is a hope beyond our political system, a hope that recognizes that we are not just citizens on this earth, but citizens of heaven (Phil 3.20) awaiting the second coming of the Messiah. The third hope is that with the Messianic Kingdom, all will be set right…no more tears, no more death, no more pain (Rev 21.4). We hope beyond what lies before us on this earth. All that we see today is nothing compared to what is to come. This is our hope and it is a secure hope (Romans 8.24-25; 15.4).
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope (Romans 15.13).
Pastor Ed
*(The three hope comments are a simplified summary of Walter Brueggemann in Theology of the Old Testament, p. 446)
9/23/2024 Good morning,
Ephesians 1.15-19, For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might…
Paul includes two specific passages about his prayers for the Ephesians. Both selections include wonderful topics to use in praying for others and for ourselves (ref 3.14-19). In 1.15-19, Paul has heard of the faith they have in Christ and their love for fellow believers. He tells them of his prayers of thanksgiving for them as he remembers them in prayer. As we examine the passage, it appears that Paul’s thanksgiving is manifest in two ways: 1) In his remembrance of them. In my experience in prayer, when someone comes to mind, it is time to give thanks for that person and to pray that they may receive all that Paul speaks of here: the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, etc. 2) In giving thanks we are connected to the prayer for wisdom, revelation, enlightenment, and so forth. That is to say, that when we pray for others, we are in the same breath giving thanks, seeking that God will fulfill in them all that we ask in the Spirit of wisdom. I might be stretching this a bit, but consider when we give thanks for others. It is certainly because we value them and hope that they might be given knowledge of Christ, enlightenment in the eyes of their hearts, and to know the hope to which we are called.
Even if I am stretching, pray for one another using this language of faith. Praying the Bible back to God is a wonderful way of prayer. We can either use the same words as Paul or paraphrase them in our own terms. The Lord is teaching us to pray through Paul’s letters: “Lord, give Peter a Spirit of wisdom and revelation.” “Lord, open the eyes of Paul’s heart.” “Lord, give us at PPC awareness of the hope to which You have called.”
Go to God in prayer today, giving thanks and remembering the faithful.
Pastor Ed
9/20/2024 Good morning,
Today we consider a longer passage…Mark 5.1-20, I’ll break it up a bit with reflections…
1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him.
When he saw Jesus…
What was it that drew this man of the tombs to Jesus? Did he hear about Jesus from others? Did God work something in his heart so that he would know Jesus could drive out the unclean spirits? We do not really know from the text, but one of the main points of the story is the powerful contrast between who he is at this point and what he will become. This wild uncontrollable man, strong enough to break chains, perhaps given demonic strength, will meet the Healer.
7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
The unclean spirit is many spirits, Legion. I cannot imagine what pronouns they used! Jesus was disturbing this legion of spirits who knew the identity of Jesus. The spiritual realm knows before anyone else. They identify Jesus, Son of the Most High God. They seek to dwell somewhere, but not into the country, not into the air. So the unclean spirits are sent into unclean animals and even the pigs cannot bear the possession of demonic spirits. They did what the man of the tombs could not and drowned themselves in the sea.
14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.
Jesus heals the demon-possessed man and then the people see him in his right mind. The contrast is too much — the pigs floating in the water, too much, so they begged Jesus to leave.
People do not like Jesus bringing us to our right mind. It is not good for pig herding! That is, it is not good for the economy if people are not crazy spending money for what they do not need. The world cannot handle simple, minimal, and righteous living. We must consume and thus be consumed with the “spirit” of materialism and consumerism. The darkened world tells us to invest in worldly things that pass away, while Jesus tells us to invest in the kingdom of God (Matthew 6.33). This is what right-minded believers do.
Isaiah had the same thought in chapter 55.1-3,
“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.
Jesus brings us to our right mind. Romans 12.2,“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”
Pastor Ed
9/18/2024 Good morning,
Our Psalm for today speaks to the restoration of God’s people when they were allowed to return to Jerusalem from exile. While we can read it simply from that historic perspective, it is also a wonderful Word for any time we are restored, redeemed, or come to realize how much God has done for us.
Psalm 126.1-6, When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. 4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb! 5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! 6 He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
Upon reading the first verse, I have tended to see the “dream” as coming out of exile, fortunes restored already, and it seemed almost too good to be true. But I have also read Jewish interpretations that look at the dream as the time in exile prior to restoration. In this understanding, the exile was like a dream, so that it is looking back on the exile as a state of non-reality, so to speak, and the reality is waking up to the restoration that only God can give. In that sense we could speak of times in life when things were chaotic and it felt like we were dreaming, or hoped we were dreaming, until God brought us back to the reality of His kingdom and awakened us to the precious state of belonging to Christ. We sometimes wake up from a bad dream and we are so glad that it was not the reality that the dream vividly portrayed. The dream state of Psalm 126 could be seen either way, as the almost too good to be true time of redemption from exile, or coming out of a dream and awakening to the real world of God’s kingdom at hand. Either way, our mouths are filled with laughter, tongues with shouts of joy all because of what God has done for us. And what a joy it would be today if nations could see God’s kingdom and God’s blessings and say, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has indeed done great things for us. Great things in Christ: salvation, love, grace, hope, faith…
The Lord can do the impossible: rivers in the desert, restoration of fortunes, turning weeping into laughter, reaping the harvest.
This Psalm encourages us in times of exile. Exile can come in the form of loneliness, sickness, financial hardship, or other difficult periods in life. God is the One who can and will restore us for He has already restored us and reconciled us in and through Jesus Christ. In this we rejoice for we have been made a new creation (2 Cor 5.17) and redeemed from the exile of sin and death.
Pastor Ed
9/17/2024 Good morning,
This Sunday, 9/22, we welcome the prophet Haggai!
Haggai 2.1-9, 1In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: 2“Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, 5according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. 9The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’”
A common theme among the minor prophets (and other prophets) is the proclamation of indictments against Israel and Judah for their idolatry and injustices over the generations. The brokenness of sin revealed itself time and time again in the history of God’s people. A central story for Israel is the exile of 587 BC when Babylon would drive God’s people into exile and destroy the temple in Jerusalem, all because of Israel’s punishment for sin. Yet, even when all seemed lost and the people were driven from their homes and land, the prophets still spoke of hope.
Haggai prophesied about 70 years after the exile. Babylon had collapsed, Persia was the next great empire and they allowed the exiles to return to Jerusalem. God’s people began to rebuild their homes but did nothing to restore the temple of God. Haggai points out the neglect of the people who are more obsessed with their homes than with rebuilding the temple. He points out to the people the importance of the temple in the future kingdom of God. In this passage for Sunday we will consider the command for the people to get to work on the temple for the sake of God’s glory and the gathering of nations to be a part of God’s kingdom. “Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts…”
Pastor Ed
9/13/2024 Good morning,
Life can have many disappointments. When such things happen, we need the support given through prayer and encouragement in fellowship. Scripture is also a critical source for strength and encouragement.
Isaiah 40.28-31, Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
There are times in life when someone we know might do or say something completely out of their normal character. Disappointment and sadness can overwhelm us in such times. Disappointment might come when people do not reflect the character of God in their decisions. We might also be disappointed in ourselves for one reason or another. We recognize our need to apologize and repent. In all disappointments, we turn to God and His Word for help. We pray, seeking to offer our pain and sorrows to the Lord that we might be lifted up in His power. We read His Word reaffirming the Lord everlasting, Creator, who does not grow weary as we do. Today, let us thank God for the power of His Word to bless and raise us up, pulling us out of the grief we sometimes experience in disappointments.
Jesus bids us to come, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11.28).
May the Lord grant us peace and rest.
Pastor Ed
9/12/2024 Good morning,
Our last reflection in Psalm 139 centered on the things that have been revealed to us about God as well as those things we cannot know. God is BIG! The fullness of God is beyond our comprehension. The Psalm begins with these words, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me!” The Psalm ends with a request/prayer for God to search again.
Psalm 139.23-24, Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
If God has already searched and already known, why this conclusion to the Psalm? My thought is that the Psalmist is not just seeking for God to find something new, but that whatever is hidden in his heart might be revealed to him. What the Psalmist seeks is what we all seek in our times of reflection and self-examination. See if I have anything grievous in my heart and lead me in Your way, O God, the way that is everlasting. Know my heart and open that knowledge to my own understanding. The Lord knows our hearts better than we do! We can easily rationalize our behaviors or even deceive ourselves into thinking that we have no grievous way in our hearts. The prayer of 139.23-24 is one we might want to memorize for the sake of confession and also the hope of being led in God’s way everlasting.
Lord, search my heart. Help me to search my heart and to take an honest look at myself. Try me — put my heart to the test. How does my heart measure up to Your holiness? Open my eyes to see my own sin and forgive me. Lead me in Your Word in the way of righteousness. Amen.
Pastor Ed
9/11/2024 Good morning,
Psalm 139.1-6, O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
There are certain things about God that have been revealed to us through Scripture. God is love. God is merciful, gracious, faithful, and patient. But there are also things about God that remain a mystery. The Psalmist knows that God knows. The Psalmist knows that God has searched and known us, but how this is understood by us is too high to attain. We simply cannot know all there is to know about God. His being is only partly attainable by the human mind. I believe this is partly why the Bible teaches that we cannot “see” God and live. That is, we cannot behold His glory to its full extent because it would overwhelm us, even to death. And yet, Jesus lived among us to reveal even more! Those who walked with Jesus could not fully see until the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost. The disciples struggled to understand God’s ways through Jesus as they marveled at His teachings and miracles and statements about suffering and death and rising again.
All of this is why Paul speaks of walking by faith and not by sight. We simply cannot see or know everything there is to know about God. It takes more than we have. It takes the Holy Spirit with us to guide our journey of discernment and understanding. The Spirit helps us in our weakness. The Spirit teaches us and opens our hearts and minds to know more and more each day as we seek God’s face in prayer, worship, study, and fellowship. Paul knew that the natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit for they are folly to him (1 Corinthians 2.14). The world insists on full knowledge, empirical data, scientific proof, before accepting God’s existence. That is the true folly of man.
Give thanks today for the Holy Spirit who reveals the existence of God and so much much more. Give thanks to God for spiritual discernment, for the gift of faith, and let us walk by that faith.
Pastor Ed
9/10/2024 Good afternoon,
This coming Sunday we explore Zephaniah 3.14-20.
14Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. 16On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. 17The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. 18I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach. 19Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. 20At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,” says the Lord.
Zephaniah came during the last few decades of the Southern Kingdom. The book begins with declaring the future judgment to come upon Judah and Jerusalem for their idolatry even though King Josiah had tried to eliminate their evil practices. There is a promise in 2.3 for those who seek the Lord, that they will be spared from the judgment to come. What follows is the declaration of the judgment to come to the nations around Israel. But there is hope. The prophets bring messages of judgment, but also messages of hope. In Zephaniah 3.8-10 we see that God intends, through His judgment, to purify through fire a people to restoration and also to restore Jerusalem. This leads into our text for Sunday (3.14-20). The restoration leads to rejoicing, the promise of God’s presence, and even God’s own rejoicing over His people (3.17).
What a joy to see that God exercises justice and love that is ultimately expressed to bring people back to restoration in relationship with Him. This is the blessing of Christ as well, as we see in 2 Corinthians 5.17-21, 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Pastor Ed
9/9/2024 Good morning,
John 7.37-39, On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
The feast in verse 37 is the feast of Sukkot (booths) which commemorates the exodus of God’s people out of Egypt. The Jews would construct a temporary structure to remember the wilderness journey. Thirst was an issue for Israel as they wandered the desert. In this passage Jesus speaks of thirst and drink and living water. This is the same language we see in John 4 with the woman at the well. Jesus begins with “If anyone thirsts…” We all thirst. We know the physical thirst that is only quenched by some type of liquid, most commonly with water. We also have a spiritual thirst that is only quenched by the Holy Spirit. Everyone knows physical thirst and, while everyone has a spiritual thirst, not as many recognize it in that way. They might know that they desire something, but what we often see is people seeking to fulfill their thirst with material things, with work and success, with physical pleasures, or some other “filling” that is unable to truly fulfill the thirst. The only way to find relief for our spiritual thirst is Christ. “Come to me and drink.” To come to Jesus is to believe in Jesus as the Son of God, Savior and Lord. To drink is to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. There is nothing of this world that can satisfy this spiritual thirst. There is no physical drink that can satisfy. Only Jesus. Only the Holy Spirit. It is in the Spirit that we receive rivers of living water. Imagine rivers of water quenching our physical thirst – bottled up in a plastic bottle with a fancy label telling us that this water is straight from the source, Evian or Icelandic! Imagine even more the living water that is the spiritual spring of life, living water that forever quenches our spiritual thirst. The emptiness that so many people experience, even after “reaching the top”, is that thirst for Jesus. The void that people experience after “hitting rock bottom” is that thirst for the Spirit. Everyone has this thirst for God even if they do not recognize it. Seeking to fill it with anything other than trust in Jesus Christ is futile. Every day we come to Jesus to be filled, to quench our thirst. It is why we have come to this place, to John 7, to a reflection on God’s living Word, to be filled with God’s Spirit through His Word…and experience rivers of living water. Drink up!
Pastor Ed
9/7/2024 Good morning,
Luke 8.22-25, 22 One day [Jesus] got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, 23 and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. 24 And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”
We can only imagine the depth of exhaustion for Jesus as He fell asleep in the boat, granted it was probably calm as He fell asleep. But then the storm arose to the point of water entering the boat. Sound sleeper! The storm was so severe that the disciples feared for their lives, or perhaps the fear did not match the severity of the storm. Sometimes that happens to us, we fear more than warranted. On the other hand, with Jesus we really have no reason to fear anything at any time. But fear does come upon us – death, illness, loss, darkness, (politics), all kinds of situations foster our fears.
But Jesus…but Jesus awoke and rebuked the storm. “Where is your faith?” Oh my, what a cutting question! Still afraid, they marveled. Still afraid, but amazed. It would take even more time before the disciples fully comprehended the faith that diminishes fear. It takes time for us as well. I imagine that fear is one of the most grievous combatants of faith. Many times in Scripture we read the summons to not be afraid or fear not. When we sense fear in our hearts and minds, we need to ask ourselves, “where is your faith?” More to the point, we need to pray for faith. We pray to the One who commands the winds and the water. Pray to the One who calms the storms of life. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.
Pastor Ed
9/6/2024 Good morning,
Amos 7.7-9, This is what he showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass by them; 9 the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
Amos, what do you see? A plumb line. A plumb line can be used to determine the vertical level of something. In this particular vision – a wall. But the vision is not about a wall, it is about a people. Israel is not “standing vertical” in the truth, in God’s Word. God is setting a plumb line to measure obedience and faithfulness and righteousness. The line has been crossed into idolatry and disobedience and therefore places will be made desolate, sanctuaries laid waste, and the sword will have its way.
A colleague recently pointed out what comes next in Amos, “Amos is rebuked by Amaziah, priest of Bethel, and ordered to stop prophesying against Israel, leave the land and go to Judah. Crooked people don’t want a plumb line. It is the last thing they want.” But that order does not pan out well for Amaziah and Israel (7.10-17).
Crooked people do not want a plumb line. They do not want Truth. They do not want that to which they are unwilling to submit. Jesus knew this well and one of the reasons He told the disciples to depart if not received in a town or house was that the crooked folks do not want the truth (Matthew 10.14). Paul tells us that we live in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation (Philippians 2.15).
The plumb line has been set in the culture (and the church). Those who reject God’s truth will find themselves in a heap of trouble! Therefore, we must “stand vertically” in the truth. Stand firm on the Rock. The plumb line has been set. May we stand always on the side of Truth and in the grace of Christ Jesus.
Pastor Ed
9/5/2024 Good morning,
Psalm 117 is the shortest Psalm in the Psalter.
Psalm 117.1-2, Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! 2 For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!
This Psalm is a doxology – literally, “saying glory”. It is to praise God, to express His glory, to give thanks and, in this particular Psalm, a summons for all nations and peoples to join in on the praise. The two main verbs are praise and extol, ending with praise the Lord. Enveloped between the praise is the reason, for great is God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. God’s love and faithfulness endure forever. Never ending love and faith calls for never ending praise! Not only that, but invites others to join in on the praise. This may inform our approach to the people with whom we might interact. The Psalm is calling on all peoples to join in the praise along with Israel. It is not necessarily that the people know why they should or what it even means to praise the Lord, but the summons/invitation is given. We can approach people with the same invitation, “Come, worship with us this Sunday.” They might not have a clue what that entails, but the invitation could be one way God is reaching out to that someone who has had others along their path also invite them to worship or to read the Bible or to a relationship with Christ. We might extend an invitation that comes at the beginning of their journey to God, the middle, or at the end when we might get to experience the time they come to know Christ as Lord and Savior. What is important to the point of our reflection today, is to ask, to summon, to invite. Praise the Lord! Come and praise the Lord with us, for God is great. God loves you. God is faithful and because of these things and more, come, let us praise the Lord!
Pastor Ed
9/4/2024 Good morning,
Today we conclude our journey through Psalm 115. But, the journey never ends as we continue to revisit Scripture all the time!
Psalm 115.12-18, The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; 13 he will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great. 14 May the Lord give you increase, you and your children! 15 May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth! 16 The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. 17 The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence. 18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!
Following the summons to trust in the Lord (9-11), we have an affirmation of what God has done and will do. God has remembered us. He does not forget His people nor does he abandon. He will…bless, bless, bless, bless! Four times God will bless. The additional group is “us”, but the other three are the same as in verses 9-11, house of Israel, house of Aaron, and those who fear the Lord. We can draw two elements out of the Psalm at this point that are crucial to the life of faith, trust in the Lord and fear of the Lord. Trust involves our belief and confidence, in essence, under what authority we place our lives. Fear is the awe and reverence we give to God because of who He is and what He has done and promises for our future.
Verses 14-15 offer a blessing/prayer for increase and blessing. It is the Creator God who will bless us with increase. Only God has that capability and will.
The Psalm ends as it began, giving glory to God. That glory is given through blessing and praising the Lord, a doxology of praise. On this final point, what if we considered our lives through the lens of beginning and ending with glory and praise to God? Our life begins with the first breath of praise and ends with the last breath of praise. Our days could begin with praise and end with praise. Our worship, our work, our thoughts, giving glory to God from start to finish. We know this, we will praise God in heaven (Revelation 19.6-8), might as well get a good start on the earth!
Pastor Ed
9/3/2024 Good morning,
Just a quick reminder that each Tuesday I will be previewing the minor prophet coming up for Sunday worship! Today we look at Habakkuk 3.17-19, Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 19 God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.
Habakkuk is an interesting shift from the previous prophets. Habakkuk does not have an indictment to proclaim to the nations as we see in other prophetic books. Habakkuk is a lament prayer against the evils of Israel rather than an indictment. It is a prayerful conversation between Habakkuk and God. Chapters 1-2 show this complaint of Habakkuk and God’s response. Example: 1.2-4 shows the anguish of Habakkuk as he has called out to God to do something about the violence and injustice in Israel. God responds in 1.5-11 with His plan to bring justice upon Israel using Babylon, also a corrupt nation, but nonetheless, used by God for His purposes. This is not what Habakkuk wants to hear so he complains again and God responds again telling Habakkuk to write down a vision for the future.
By the end of the book, Habakkuk comes to the conclusion that even if things are hard and troubling, He will rejoice in God. He will rejoice in God’s ways and God’s justice and God’s salvation. We may have reason to lament the violence and injustice in the world today, but we also know that God will one day put an end to evil and His people will be safe in the presence of God. Therefore, we also take joy in the God of our salvation.
Pastor Ed
9/2/2024 Good morning,
We continue in our reflection on Psalm 115.
115.9-11,
9 O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.
Let’s review!
Psalm 115.1-3 tells us it is not about us but all about God. To God be the glory. God is sovereign over all. The nations are foolish to question these truths.
Psalm 115.4-8 expounds on the idolatry of nations/peoples and exposes their lifeless character in that they trust in lifeless gods. Idolatry leads to death.
115.9-11 — The counter to idolatry is trusting in the Lord God, the Lord of the Bible, the God of Israel, the God who is sovereign and living and able to speak and hear and see, unlike the idols made with human hands. Trust in the Lord who is their help and shield…look at 9-11 again. How many times does the Psalm speak of help and shield? How many times do we see “trust in the Lord”? Trust in the Lord because He is our help and our shield. When the Bible repeats something, especially three times over, pay close attention! This is for our benefit. This is for our life. This is for our help and protection…trust in the Lord. (I went back up to change the typography so we could really see it!)
Three groups are addressed: Israel, house of Aaron, and those who fear. That pretty much covers everyone!
The contrast is so deeply evident between the living God and the idols of man. It refers us back to the first two Commandments (Exodus 20.3-6; Deuteronomy 5.7-10).
Trust God. Believe God. Set our hope in God. Love God. It is all there in the Psalm. Why? Because He is our helper and protector. Because He is faithful and loving and merciful and gracious. Because He is God, living, creating, generative, redeeming, He lives! The idols are mere stone or wood, or in today’s idolatry, — concepts, philosophies, foolish alphabet soups (LGBTQ++++, CRT, DEI, SJW, BLM, etc.)…they are nothing…empty…lifeless idols.
Trust in the Lord. Trust in Christ Jesus. This is our message to the world. Trust in the Lord, for He is our help and our shield.
Pastor Ed
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