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.  

Knitting

 Today we begin worship with:

Psalm 139:13-14

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Yes, how God made us should make us think and wonder.  

This process of knitting the DNA together from two parents into a new child is glossed over in the teaching of the theory of evolution.  The design is so detailed and complex.  It even protects the information contained within it.  Yes, information.  Something that must be created and designed.

Job knew this as well.

Job 10:11-13

“You clothed me with skin and flesh,

    and knit me together with bones and sinews.

You have granted me life and steadfast love,

    and your care has preserved my spirit.

Yet these things you hid in your heart;

    I know that this was your purpose.” 

He realized that the life that he had been granted, which just chapters before he wished never had happened, was proof both of God’s existence and His love for him.

Possess

This week we begin worship with:

Matthew 25:21
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

A little further down in the passage, the destiny of the unfaithful servant is also described in a confusing verse:

Matthew 25:29

For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

This verse turns on the single word "has" (echō) and more specifically on its case.  It is used three times, twice with its grammatical case.

• "to everyone who has will more be given" - Dative - Indicates Action
• "from the one who has not" - Genitive - Emphasizes Possession

But what do we have that we need to possess?  Reading a little further we find:

Matthew 25:41-43

“Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

We all have the opportunity to serve our risen Savior.  How often do we let the opportunity be taken away, because we failed to possess it?

Clay

 This morning we begin worship with

Isaiah 44:1-3

But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen! Thus says the LORD who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

As we raise our children, we can be overcome with our responsibility and our failures.  In those moments, God's command to us is not to redouble our efforts, but rather to "Fear not".

They are clay in His hands, not ours.  He is the potter and we are not.  The same God who formed (yāṣar) us, will pour His Spirit on them.

Isaiah 45:9

“Woe to him who strives with him who formed him,

a pot among earthen pots!

Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’

or ‘Your work has no handles’?

Exchange

 This week we begin worship with:

Colossians 1:19-20  

In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Peace is not the fallen world’s natural state.  Peace must be made.  Peace is not the lack of war.  It is a state of harmonious exchange.  For example, North and South Korea are not fighting,  but they are also not at peace.

To return to peace one must reconcile (apokatallassō).  The word has as its root the idea of exchange (katallassō). That exchange must be of equivalent value, such as changing currency at the border, or the exchange of goods.  But to that idea is added separation (apo).  To reconcile, what must be mutually exchanged, is what separates.

In our verse today, our peacemaker exchanges his righteousness for our sin, and thus removing what divides us. 

Outside the camp

Today we begin worship with:

Hebrews 13:12

So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.

Sacrifice occurred at the temple.  Then offerings for sin were burned “in clean place” outside the city (Leviticus 4).

Our passage in Hebrews should fill us with joy that we are sanctified by this very blood, but the passage goes on to invite us to participate:

Hebrews 13:13-14

Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 

We must associate ourselves with Him.  Peter failed at this when questioned by a servant girl.

Then it asks us to go one step further.  We are to become what Romans calls a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12).

Hebrews 13:15

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Yes, the fruit of our lips, but also the fruit of our hands. God wants to receive both. It should be our joy, for it brings Him joy.

Witness

We begin worship this week with:

Acts 1:6-9 

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

The Disciples had heard the promises read in the synagogue.   They knew a leader would come and shepherd them back into a strong nation (Micah 4:7).  They were desperate to know when.

Instead of being given times and dates, they were given . . . power.

Instead of being given times and dates, they were given . . . a task.

Today we "fact check".  In antiquity, they witnessed.  Two people had to deliver the same message for it to be believed.  

In His absence, may we be faithful in our witness.