Truth

 Today we start worship with:

James 1:16-18

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Creation began, not with any of the Classic Elements of Greece, Tibet, or India (water, earth, fire, or air), but rather with light (Genesis 1:3)!  God is the “Father of Lights”.  We are told in this passage that He does not change, nor does he block that effect in any way to produce a shadow where it does not land.

What light brings forth is truth.  Truth does not change upon further examination.

The Word of Truth is our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 1:1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Uttermost

 Today we begin worship with:

Hebrews 7:23-25

The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Under the Old Covenant, a priest was required. They bridged the gulf between man and God.

Hebrews 7:19

(for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

The New Covenant changed all that. Jesus, our better hope, became our means to draw near (engizō) to God.  He became responsible for the promise as its guarantor (engyos).  Yes, the author ties this beautiful truth together by a play on words!

Hebrews 7:22

This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

This office is no longer temporary and bound by death.  It is unending and unbounded by any circumstance. So we can be saved to the uttermost (pantelēs).  Translators struggle to convey the breadth of this word. An attempt can be made by seeing the opposite, where a poor woman was unable to, by any means, to free herself from her convulsed position:

Luke 13:10-12 

Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent over double, and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.”

Our Jesus, can in all ways, in any circumstance, for all time, save us!

The Flock

Today we begin worship with:

Ezekiel 34:11, 15
For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.
I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD.

As a family we are experiencing new grand babies.  Young couples and grandparents alike are challenged by these dear souls.  They are slippery in the bath.  They are wiggly on the changing table.  They are often difficult to get to sleep!  A certain honor is given to the parent or grandparent whose calm presence is able to get a fussy baby to sleep.

Those hearing this verse knew sheep (For those of us who don't know sheep, the site Sheep101 gives a great description of their behavior).  A sheep that is alone will be stressed.  Even the smell of a predator will make a sheep stressed.  A sheep that is stressed will not lie down.  

We hear in this verse the voice of the Master Shepherd.  He will gather the sheep, because only in a flock does a sheep feel protected.  Only then will they lie down.

This chapter is not Ezekiel's version of Psalm 23.  Instead, Ezekiel 34 is a strong prophecy against the leaders of Israel who have failed to care for its citizens.  God is taking up the task personally, because those appointed to do so have not.

Discern

 Today we begin worship with:

Romans 12:1-2

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. Do 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.

Having laid the foundations of the Gospel for 11 chapters, the Book of Romans reaches this pinnacle verse, where Paul asks them to become a living sacrifice.  Our redemption complete and the price paid, this is a bloodless sacrifice that is "spiritual" (logikos) worship.  You should hear in that word "logic" for it is a worship that starts first with our mind.

One must use that mind to discern (dokimazō) the will of God.  This is a great translation!  We are not searching around discovering it, we are looking at our next action and putting it through three tests:

1. Is what we are about to do something that is for another's good (agathos)?
2. Would they find it acceptable (euarestos)?
3. Are we doing it with complete integrity (teleios)?

Easy

This week we begin worship with:

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

My brother-in-law is a plumber.  While a plumber must study to pass the licensure, they apprentice under a master plumber to learn the tricks of the trade.  When he sees my feeble attempts, I often hear the phrase "Work smarter not harder" and then he shows me how it is done.

But what burden is light?  What yoke is it that is easy?  Doesn't Jesus know how hard my life is, my relationships are, my work is?  

That is the point.  He does and He wants to show us how to do it the easy way.

While most of us "strive" at work, and in our relationships, and at life in general.  Jesus wants to show us the easy way, which is to be "gentle"/"meek" (praos) and "lowly" (tapeinos).

These are not complicated words, but how to apply them must be learned from the Master.