Why Have You Forsaken Me?

The opening of Psalm 22 should sound familiar to you as Jesus uttered these words from the cross. Yet, David wrote these words 1000 years before the Word became flesh and could bear our sins on the tree. Not only are the details in this psalm so vivid that they place us there at Calvary, but Jesus quoting its opening question and God telling us directly in John 19:24 shows us that David indeed wrote about his descendant dying on the cross for us. Continue reading “Why Have You Forsaken Me?”

Time to rethink

Thank you, Father, for upsets in life,
both great and small, as they provide
time to rethink, to see anew
processes and objectives, goals
and means, and even deeper things:
the whys and wherefores, the basis
of reason, faith and abiding hope.

Guide me, Lord, to the other side,
to purer joy and eternal love.

You are the God

You are the God who reveals your plan and will and love and future. I will read my Bible.

You are the God who hears your people and answers prayer. I will pray without ceasing.

You are the God who does not tire in doing good. I will devote myself to good works.

You are the God who saves forevermore by the blood of Christ. I will confess his name.

You are the God who scans the horizon for your prodigal children. I will seek them out.

You are the God who sends a message of reconciliation to the world. I will go and speak.

You are the God who fulfills every promise and does not change. I will rest in your faithfulness.

Praise is yours, O Lord, and honor and glory! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

You Shall Not Fear

In the 1939 classic, “The Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tinman enter the Haunted Forest while famously chanting, “Lions, and tigers, and bears–oh my!” to push through their fear. Like God’s people in the time of Judges who had disobeyed God because they feared the world (Judges 6:7-10), God’s people today must not keep the gospel within the walls of our church buildings because we fear the hostile culture around us. Continue reading “You Shall Not Fear”

There Is No God

I’ve called April 1 Atheists’ Day because Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 begin, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.'” But, not only atheists but backsliding Christians (2 Peter 2:20-21) and those who don’t seek God fall into the category of fool, according to the rest of this short psalm.

I. Romans 3:9-24. The application of Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 is made here. After describing how we are all alike under sin, this New Testament passage explains how God’s righteousness is made available through Jesus’ work on the cross for those who do seek Him.

II. Hebrews 10:26-31. As the wicked eat up the generation of the righteous, we understand that God gives salvation to all who call upon His name (Romans 10:9-13). Those who sin after the knowledge of the gospel will face judgment as they should know better.

III. Matthew 13:36-43. The last verse of these psalms proclaims that those who do seek God will find restoration, rejoicing, and gladness. Salvation came into Zion (John 12:13-15) and would indeed go forth from there (Acts 1:8). The righteous will shine like the sun.

By your living, do you say in your heart, ‘There is no God’?

Not Remain Your Own?

Detractors have often described the Lord’s church as governed by socialist … or even communist principles.  They’ll point to verses like Acts 4:32 as proof, “… no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.”  In heaven, we are ruled by a benevolent monarchy with the King of Kings on the throne, but on earth do our possession really belong to the church and its leaders, forcing us to give, decide how to distribute them all?

I. Acts 5:1-14.  Wanting to look good to their brothers and sisters in Christ, Ananias and Sapphira “lied” to God and pretended to give the full amount for property they sold while keeping back part for themselves. Peter expresses that when it was unsold, it was their own, and when it was sold, it was at their disposal. This tells us that the church was not forcing Christians to give, but that it was an internal decision each made to be a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9).

II. 2 Peter 1:3-8.  Restored to His image because of Christ’s work in the gospel, Christians should desire to be like Jesus and to walk like Him in every way.  God gives us the opportunity to participate in His divine nature and escape the corruption of the world by continually adding virtues to ourselves.  Being generous and honest (2 Corinthians 8) in our giving, like the Macedonians in character, will help us not to be ineffective and unfruitful in His kingdom.

III. Matthew 5:13-16.  Because God made an example of Ananias and Sapphira, fear of God gripped the church and the a harvest of souls occurred.  It’s so easy today to live as a version of the world (1 John 2:15) while deceiving your fellow Christians, but we can not become salt without flavor! Instead, we must be light on a hill for all to see, so glory and thanksgiving will go to our God.

Is your thanks-living resulting in thanksgiving?

Life today

Lord God, we thank you for life today.
Among us, edify your church.
May praise be true, and hearts sincere.
We bow before you in trembling fear.
May ours be no superficial search.
Amen, amen! In Christ we pray.

She Gave Him Milk

Because Barak was reluctant to obey God’s commands though God had promised to be with him, Deborah told him that the glory that Barak could have gained from defeating Sisera would go to a woman.  While shrinking back, Barak still tried to regain that glory on his own … but you can’t thwart God.

I. Judges 4:8-23.  Deborah is remembered as the leader of God’s people in the battle with Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army.  While Sisera marched against Israel with 900 chariots, it is Deborah who tells Barak to fight in the battle that the Lord would win for him.  Jesus dying on the cross was part of God’s plan (Acts 2:23), and Gamaliel rightly warned the Sanhedrin that they could find themselves opposing God (Acts 5:39).  You can’t thwart God.

II. Judges 5:7-31.  Though Jael’s husband was a Levite, he was friendly with the Canaanites that had oppressed Israel for twenty years, so Sisera believed he had found rest and safety in his flight after the battle.  Using her wiles to conquer her enemy, Jael gave him milk when he asked for water and curds in a nobleman’s bowl while she waited for him to sleep.  Barak arrived to late to gain the glory as Jael had already “staked” out her victory.

III. Acts 4:23-31.  The account closes with the idea that God’s enemies perish but His friends rise in His might.  It’s not just important to be on God’s side but to be courageously and wholeheartedly serving Him.  Though Peter and John had suffered at the hands of the Sanhedrin, they prayed for boldness and spoke about how futile it was to try to fight against God.  His will will always be done.  If you are cowardly like Barak, you won’t gain glory.

God always finds a way for His will to be done.  You’re either with Him or against Him by your courage or cowardice.