We Want . . .

"But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, . . ." 

(1 Sam. 8: 19-20, NIV)

These are the words of the people of Israel to Samuel. He was aging and the children were not following in God's ways. The people were worried about the future and did not want the children of Samuel to lead them. The people wanted a king like all the other nations. They wanted to be just like every other nation. Someone to lead them into battle. Someone to fight battles on their behalf. But they were forgetting something important.

It was not Samuel who was accomplishing this for them already. It was not any of the other leaders in the history of Israel. Moses was not leading them into battle or fighting on their behalf as they travel in the wilderness. It was not Joshua who battled at Jericho or helped them through the concurring of the Promised Land. All of these events and the time of the Judges was not accomplished because of the powers of the people in charge. No. It was all accomplished by the power of God. God lead the people out of Egypt. God gave directions to Moses through the wilderness. God lead the people through the Promised Land. 

The people were not rejecting Samuel at this time. No, God reported to Samuel it was not his leadership the people were rejecting. The people were rejecting God. They were turning their backs on the leadership of God. God had declared to the people when they were at Sinai that God was to be the king. 

This was the prescription through out the history of Israel. As we read through the prophets, the people kept turning their backs on God. And it is the the case of people today. We as followers do not want to follow. We want to make our own ways. We think we know more than God. Our ways are better than God's 

We can act like the Israelis  and reject God. Or we can learn to follow and accept God as our king. Jesus asked the same thing of His followers in the New Testament. Jesus did not want us to just give a portion. No, He asked for us to give and trust completely. Are you willing to fall into place? 

Father's Day

Father's Day was yesterday and it was a great day to celebrate the gifts of all the men in our lives. For my part, I preached on the passage from Ephesians 6:1-4.  This passage has Paul telling the reader about the relationship between father's and children.  Each party in the relationship is respect the other.  Yet, I want to focus on the instruction to the children.

Paul recalls the instructions of the Old Testament Ten Commandments to the people of Israel.  These are the initial instructions given to the people as they leave slavery in Egypt.  The first few are instructions about obeying God and keeping focus on God alone.  The sixth commandment is the first of all the commandments to hold a promise.  Now this seems strange to me as the first five are a focus on God and keeping the worship of God alone central.  So, why would the respect of our parents hold a promise to keep the land being offered by God?

To answer this, we need to look at ancient training and teaching.  IN the time of the Ten Commandments, there was no public education.  The only thing children learned was from their parents.  The parents passed on all the information of work and keeping a house.  If your father was a farmer, most boys would become a farmer.  All the women learned from their mothers how to care for children and take care of a house.  The children had to learn from the parents for a continued fruitful life.

The parents were not just in charge of the economic training, parents were also the primary educators of the faith.  IF the laws given by God through Moses were going to be passed down through each generation, the parents were going o have to teach the children all the instructions.  The faith of the people is dependent of the training of the parents.  I believe now we see why the only commandment to offer a promise is the obey your parents.

But I do not think this the only reason for the commandment.  Paul points that fathers are not to exasperate their children.  This is an instruction for the fact that we all need someone to rain us in the faith.  If we want to keep the faith of Christ moving into the next generations, the men of faith must pass on the faith and the practices to the next generation.  We are called to raise all in the faith no matter who a persons parents are in reality.

Second Saturday in Lent: Lent 2014

Lenten Devotional
Matthew 25-26

The gospel continues through on teaching of what followers of Jesus should do to prepare for the end times and what it means to be ready for the end time.  Now we enter into a few parables focusing on these the ways to live in the end and how to be ready.

The first is the parable of Ten Virgins.  Again the story focuses on a wedding situation.  This time the maidens of the wedding group have to wait and wait for the party to begin.    Half the group gets everything ready and keeps a full supply of oil for what ever might come.  The other half does not make any preparations.  When the time came, it was midnight and dark.  The oil and wicks of the second group runs out while the first group has enough to be ready.  There was not enough to share and keep all the lamps running.  The half not ready are sent to find more on their own and they are left out of the feast and the celebration.  A teaching that we must always be ready.

This parable is followed by two more showing that the work of Christ must continue.  The parable of talents where a servant is given different amounts and the one given the least and did nothing was removed.  The last of the parable in chapter 25 is similar.  to the parable of the talents.  This one looks at separating the sheep from the goats.  The ones who come into the kingdom are those that have continue the work and given onto the least.  These teachings all lead to the final times in the gospels.  The next section is the betrayal and anointing of Jesus. 

All of this reminds me of yesterday.   We must remain vigilant in the work of our Lord not matter the length or conditions.  Both of the parables remind us that we are given something from God.  What have you been given that is available to be used?  Some are as simple as a listening ear or a comforting voice to the people hurting.  All of these do not seem important in the scheme of the world.  These are some of the greatest gifts we can have and use with others.  What are you hiding from the world?  Or, what are you afraid to use for the risk?  

Second Friday in Lent: Lent 2014

Lenten Devotional

Matthew 23-24

As we come through the last chapters of Matthew' Gospel and as we enter into the retelling of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, we are given some teaching about the end times and the end of the temple.  Chapter 24 is full of information from Jesus on this event in the future.  People have used this and other parts of the Bible to determine when these last days will come.  Jesus does not want even the disciples to worry about guessing when it will happen.  They are only to look for signs and be ready.

This is the consistent message through the Bible and here especially in Jesus' teaching. He teaches that everyone should not worry about the days.  No one knows the hour.  The time will come to matter, and people will be provided by God in the times of hardship.  I believe this will be important even in times that are not the "end".  Jesus proclaimed there will be many false prophets and people claiming to be Him.

“Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. (Matt. 24:4-8)

 At the end of the chapter, Jesus tells his followers to keep on the path.  They are told to keep following in the ways of God and the work set before them.  This is our best advice for today in a time when everything seems to be against the Christian faith.  Keeping faith in Christ will continue His work and keep the faith alive and moving in the world.  The words to His followers thousands of years ago seems to be the best advice for today.

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Bible Study

So, I am not real active on this whole blogging system. I guess it really boils down to the fact I don't like to write in a journal any way. So, I was not sure what this adventure would unfold. I also was hopping for some feedback from people. But that would also require people to have read the blog. All in all, I will keep trying.

As for now, There is a lot of activity in the church. Of special interest to me is the two new Bible Studies (probably because I am the pastor). Of special interest is the Sunday night study using the Connecting with God curriculum. This was written by folks at Renovare. The process in this study is to help people grow closer to God through prayer, worship, and Bible Study. The final result would be that we follow God with each moment of our day. Heavy stuff, but I beleive this is what God desires out of His people.

The first lesson focused on God's desire and intention to leave with all of creation. This was ruined by the failure of people looking mostly for wisdom and power. We studies Genesis 3:1-13. No matter what we feel about this verse and its pointing fingers, the end result remains, God is not walking with us personally and we cannot spend our time speaking face to face. I believe this is what God wants, this is what heaven will be about.

The responsibility of the followers of Jesus s to be His disciples, learning from Him. The best way to learn something is to practice. The assignment for next week study is just that, practice talking with God. I have been doing this much more. One suggestion was to use the Bible as our prayers. I have followed this pattern. God has been up to something in my life. I have not fully come to realize what just yet. I started with Psalm 23. It has haunted me for two days. I have used different verses on different days. But Psalm 23 keeps coming back. I cannot wait to find out what God will teach me with this experiment.

So please, send comments. You might just be the one to help God point me in the right direction.