Is Our Hope In Vain?

I Corinthians 15:12-20

Today’s Scripture reading is from the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer for this week, and it continues with St. Paul’s discourse in his letter to the Corinthians about the resurrection.  The whole 15th chapter, a lengthy chapter, in that epistle is about the resurrection.   Last week we looked at the opening verses of that chapter, and today we continue on with Paul’s teaching about this vitally important topic.

This section on Paul’s discourse about the resurrection discusses the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and its significance for believers, both in the early Church and today.  There have always been people who have tried to shoot down the belief in a literal resurrection.  Paul encountered them back in his day, and we certainly see many people today who scoff at Christians and the belief in a resurrection.  The Greeks, who prided themselves with their intellectualism, stated that belief in a resurrection from the dead was ridiculous.  The Jews did not want to believe in the resurrection because that was central to the faith of those who followed Jesus, whom they had put to death.  If He truly had risen from the dead, then they had put to death their Messiah.

Now there were infiltrating the local church gatherings some who were saying that there was no resurrection, and some who said that perhaps Jesus rose from the dead, but that believers wouldn’t be resurrected.  Paul knew he had to counter this attack on the faith, as the resurrection of Jesus is central to the Christian faith, and denying it undermines the entire foundation of the Gospel (vs. 12-13).  If there is no resurrection of believers, then neither could Jesus have risen from the dead.

Paul then gave arguments about how pointless, how absurd it is for Christians, those who claim faith in the Lord Jesus for salvation, to not believe in the resurrection.  He stated that if there is no resurrection from the dead as some were claiming, then everything the apostles and others have been preaching has been false, a lie, and all of their faith is in vain, useless, and worthless (vs. 14-15).  The truth of the resurrection is vitally important, as it is the cornerstone of Christian doctrine and gives authenticity to the Apostles teaching.

If there was no resurrection then Jesus would still be dead.  If that was the case, then our faith in Him would be worthless.  Everything that we preach and teach in our churches and Christian schools would be a lie.  If there is no resurrection, then Jesus would be proved to be a liar, as He claimed that He would rise from the dead.

There are some rather serious consequences to consider if there is no resurrection.  For one thing, there would be no forgiveness of our sins (vs. 16-18).  Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, and by raising Him from the dead, God was saying that He accepted that payment.  So if Jesus was not risen from the dead, then God had not been satisfied with His death on behalf of our sins.  Without the resurrection there is no reconciliation with God, and no hope of heaven.  Believers throughout history who have died would all have perished.  There would be no heaven to look forward to, and everyone’s destiny would be hell.  Paul continued, that if all of that is true, then Christians are to be the most pitied of all people, because all of our hope, everything we have believed, is in vain (vs. 19).  The resurrection is the basis for all of our hope beyond this life.

The key question is, can we believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus has risen from the dead, and that we are forgiven because of His sacrifice?  The world tries to say to us that it is a hoax, a joke, and all foolishness.  The Apostle Paul concluded this portion of Scripture by affirming the reality of Jesus’ resurrection, and that this guarantees the future resurrection of all true believers (vs. 20).

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead assures us of our future resurrection, and our hope for eternal life with Him in heaven.  We can celebrate His triumph over death, and the promise that we, too, will live with Him through eternity.

Compromise Or Not?

Psalm 1

Sometimes compromise can be a good thing, and then there are times when compromise is not good at all.  It is good to make a compromise if there is a disagreement as to what movie to watch.  We’ll watch your movie tonight and next time we’ll watch my movie choice.  If you want to go to the beach for vacation, and I want to visit some historical sites, we can compromise by trying to find a location where both are nearby.  However, when it comes to our spiritual walk with the Lord, we should never compromise.  Our psalm selection for this week speaks of a person and the choices that they must make to live a godly life before the Lord, and the end results of the godly and the ungodly.

The author of Psalm 1 is not known.  It is one of 48 “orphan” psalms, psalms that we do not know the author of.  It is a short psalm of only six verses.  The first three describe the godly man, one who is living his life for the Lord, and who does not compromise with evil.  The last three verses then describe the ungodly man, and what his end will be like.

As we begin verse 1, we see that we have a decision to make as to who our companions are going to be.  This is very important if one is going to live righteously, and not compromise their godly values and standards.  This person chooses not to walk or be a companion with the ungodly, those who do wickedly, are immoral, and are hostile to God and mock His Word.  At first it might seem like an innocent, casual walk with someone whose ways are sinful, and who opposes God.  You’re just walking along and talking. You think that soon you’ll part ways, you’ll go your way and he will go his.  But then the talk, the conversation, the interest deepens, and you stand talking and associating with him further.  And then soon you are sitting down in full fellowship with the ungodly, scornful, sinner.

God warns us against keeping the wrong type of friends.  Of course we need to witness to sinners, and tell them about the Lord.  However, we are not to walk in step with the wicked, going in their direction or their way, and not God’s way.  We might think that we can compromise just a bit, but it never works out well.  When one is close companions and good friends with ungodly people, it is much easier for them to pull you down to their level than for you to pull them up to your level.

The godly person delights in the law of the Lord (vs. 2).  They desire to read the Bible, pray, and have fellowship with God.  They do not scorn or mock Him as the ungodly do.  Would you want to keep company with someone who hated, mocked, and spoke evil about someone you love dearly, such as your spouse or a dear, close friend?  Most likely not, so why would we want to be a companion or friend to someone who did so to God?

God declares that the godly person who walks in His ways is blessed. He has promised to abundantly bless the one who has uncompromising purity of a righteous walk with Him, free from the slightest flirtation with evil.  This isn’t only just material blessings, but would include the joy that comes from a consistent relationship with God.  The psalmist describes such a godly person as being like a tree that grows beside a river (vs. 3).  Just as a tree which has a good, strong, and continual water source is fruitful, so will a person be who lives a godly life and follows God’s Word.

The psalmist then concludes the psalm with a contrast of the life of the ungodly, wicked person (vs. 4-6).  Instead of being like a lush, green, and fruitful tree as God describes the godly, the ungodly are described as chaff, which are the husks of grain that are separated from the edible part.  In the winnowing process, they are tossed into the wind to be blown away.  God will judge them, and they will not be standing with the righteous.  Instead, Scripture says that they will perish.

Is it worth it to compromise with evil by seeking the counsel and fellowship with ungodly people?  The true believer would not think so.  They  consciously resist compromise, and are wary of anything that might erode commitment to a godly life.  As the psalmist urges, we need to disengage from spiritually destructive relationships and unhealthy habits, and instead delight in God’s instructions.

A Blessing Or A Curse

Jeremiah 17:5-10

We are often warned to be careful who we place our trust in, especially in today’s world.  When some problems arise, we might turn to a few choice friends, putting our trust in them to help us out in one way or another.  If we are facing financial troubles perhaps we turn to our bank for a loan, or even go to one of the lending agencies we see advertised on TV.   When we need advice about an important decision, who is the first one we turn to?  Is it another fellow human, do we think to turn to the Lord God, or might we even check the horoscopes and psychics to get so-called “good” advice?   The prophet Jeremiah brings us today’s Scripture message from the Lord, where he warns us about who we are trusting with both our important issues, and our day-to-day decisions.

Our Scripture today begins with some very strong words.  God, speaking through His prophet, tells us that whoever trusts in his fellow man, trusting him before he would think about trusting God, is cursed (vs. 5).  His heart has departed from God, and he doesn’t think about trusting Him when there is a decision to be made, or things are getting difficult.  Instead they go to the world for its reasoning, relying upon worldly guidance and answers, or they trust in their own selves, rather than God.  Jeremiah proclaimed that God would bring His curse, or His judgment, upon such a person.  They would be like a shrub that is out in the desert, withering away from lack of water and nourishment (vs. 6).  They may still survive, but they will just be hanging on.  That is the fate of those who don’t put their primary trust in Yahweh.  They may still be surviving, but they are not spiritually thriving.  They are spiritually dry and withered in their hearts and souls.

In contrast, those who trust in the Lord, not only for salvation, but also trust in Him for everything throughout their day, will be blessed by Him.  Jeremiah likens them to a tree planted by a source of water, with roots that eagerly bring in nourishment (vs. 7-8).  Such plants do not fear the hot summer, for its leaves remain full and green.  True security and prosperity comes from a deep and abiding trust in God.

Jeremiah concludes this portion of Scripture with the declaration that God has stated that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (vs. 9).  A lot of people like to say and believe that mankind is basically good.  However this verse from the Word of God states just the opposite.  Ever since the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, since the days of Adam, man has carried original sin, and our hearts are not inclined to good, but rather to wickedness.  When we are trusting in our own heart and mind, and those of others, we will be deceived.  Satan uses that to deceive us, just as he did with Eve.

We often try to keep things secret and hidden about ourselves from other people, even from those in our family.  We don’t want others to know a lot about our thoughts, or about some of the not-so-pleasant things we may have said or done in the past.  However, we can’t keep them hidden from the Lord.  He searches our heart, and tests our mind (vs. 10).   There is no one on earth that can keep anything private or hidden from the Lord (John 2:24-25).  He knows us inside and out.  He knows our thoughts, our words even before we say them, and everywhere we may ever go (Psalm 139:1-10).  We can’t hide anything from Him, and He will reward or punish us accordingly.

In closing, Jeremiah reminds us of how important it is to place our trust in Yahweh, rather than in our own or someone else’s human strength or wisdom.  The true blessings and stability of life come from being rooted in trust and dependence on Him.  Knowing that our heart and mind are deceitful we need continual self-examination, and to rely solely on God’s judgment and guidance.  Only He can heal a sick and wicked heart, and plant it by streams of living water, making our lives fruitful.

An Overwhelming Catch

Luke 5:1-11

You’ve worked hard for many hours, but you’ve had no success in what you are doing.  Now you’re tired and want to go home, forget about the day, and get some rest.  However, before you have a chance to leave, a friend comes and suggests you try it a different way.  They’ve never done what you were trying to do, and wouldn’t seem to have any special expertise.  Should you listen to your friend?  It might seem ridiculous!  This is the situation that Peter found himself in in our Scripture today from the Gospel of Luke.

Peter and his brother Andrew, along with his two good friends, James and his brother John, were all commercial fishermen, living in Capernaum, and working on the Sea of Galilee.  As our reading begins, Peter and his companions had spent the night fishing out on the large lake.  Their mode of fishing was with nets which were cast out and then hauled in, hopefully with a catch of fish.  However, that morning they came back to shore, following a night of fishing, with empty nets.  The men sat in their boats along the shore cleaning their nets and checking them for any tears.

Jesus was in town, and a crowd was gathering along the shore of the large lake where He currently was.  So He asked Peter if He could sit in his boat so He could preach and teach them without being pressed upon.  Peter agreed and rowed a few yards out (vs. 1-3).   It was important to the Lord Jesus that His message reached the crowds at every opportunity, and that He taught them the Word of God.  Though we don’t know what His specific message was that day, Jesus often used everyday situations that they would be familiar with, such as fishing, to reveal divine truths.

When Jesus finished His message, He spoke to Peter, and asked him to go back out into the lake and throw out his nets for a catch of fish (vs. 4-5).  Peter was tired.  He had worked hard all night, and had just finished cleaning up his equipment and listening to Jesus’ message.  I’m sure that Peter was only interested in going home.  He had already spent many hours and had caught nothing.  Peter and his partners were professional fishermen, and Jesus was not.  What would He know about fishing?  Should he listen to Jesus?  Peter registered his doubts about this, and the little likelihood of catching anything.  However, he decided to do as Jesus asked.

Though this was early in the days of Jesus’ ministry, Peter and his companions knew Him for being a powerful preacher with an important message.  But what would He know about fishing, and about the best conditions and time for catching fish?  Their obedience was a very important step in their newly growing faith.  By saying yes to Jesus, Peter would experience both material and spiritual blessings.  These blessings would far outweigh any effort and inconvenience he had.

Peter rowed out to deeper water and then let down his net.  Much to his surprise they immediately caught a large amount of fish, so much so that his nets were starting to break and he had to call his friends over to help bring it in (vs. 6-7).   There was so much fish that both boats were beginning to sink!   This demonstrated Jesus’ divine power, and also His provisions for Peter and his companions who earlier had nothing to show for a day’s work.

Immediately after this, Peter felt the conviction of his prior doubts about believing in what Jesus had said, and reluctance to obey (vs. 8-10).   It was important for Peter then, and for us today, to obey God’s Word, even when it seems contrary to human reasoning.  God blesses obedience and faith in remarkable ways.

One interesting thing to note is that when Peter recognized his own sinfulness and doubts, the Scripture says that he fell down at Jesus’ knees (vs. 8).  We would typically think of someone falling down at another’s feet, not knees.  The feet are the lowest point, so when we drop down in front of someone else, we fall down at their feet.  However, the boat was so filled with fish, it was up to their knees.  These commercial fishing boats that Peter would have owned would have room for about 15 or so people, and now it was filled knee deep with fish, from one end to the other.  At Jesus’ knees was the lowest point that Peter could fall down to.

When they got back, Peter, Andrew, James, and John left everything, and began following Jesus full-time (vs. 11).  Like them, we need to trust and obey God’s commands, even when they may seem illogical or difficult.  When we do, He will provide for our needs, just as He did for Peter.

The Reality Of The Risen Christ

I Corinthians 15:1-11

Is the literal resurrection of Jesus from the dead really that important to the Christian faith?  Is it really important whether one believes it literally, or whether one thinks that it is just figurative?  There are some denominations which call themselves Christian, which do not teach the resurrection of Jesus.  These liberal or progressive denominations teach that the “spirit of Jesus” lives on, but that when He died, He remained dead just like everyone.  So, is belief in the resurrection really important, or not?  As a matter of fact, belief in the literal resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead was so important to the Faith, that the Apostle Paul wrote a rather lengthy discourse about it within his first letter to the Corinthians.  Let’s take a look at what the Lord inspired Paul to say about this.

As the Apostle Paul continued on with his letter to the church in Corinth, he opened the 15th chapter, a chapter dedicated to the resurrection, with reminding the readers of the Gospel message that he had preached to them (vs 1-2).  They had received his message, and having a belief in the Gospel he preached was what saved them from their sins.  He urged them to hold fast to the Gospel he preached, and not forsake their faith by falling victim to the false teachings that some heretics were spreading.  That Gospel message is the same today as it was in the days of the Apostles - Salvation is by grace through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Paul continued on, and declared the core of the Gospel: Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose on the third day according to the Scriptures.  Jesus’ death was the sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins.  His resurrection from the dead showed that God was satisfied with that sacrifice, that He accepted the death as payment.  Because of that, God raised Him from the dead.  This wasn’t just a symbolic resurrection, or a resurrection of the spirit of Jesus, of His philosophies and beliefs.  We sometimes speak of carrying on the spirit of a great leader who has died.  That is not what the Bible says or implies.  That is not what the Apostles or early Church taught.  Jesus Himself said when speaking about His upcoming death, that He would rise again on the third day (Mark 8:31; John 2:19-21).  What Paul says here affirms the literal resurrection as foundational to the faith.

As we continue, Paul declares how there were many who saw the resurrected Jesus (vs. 5-8).  This wasn’t just one or two people who claimed to have seen Jesus after the crucifixion, and then claimed He rose.  If that was the case we could say that they were delusional, or that it was wishful thinking.  Paul lists that the resurrected Jesus was seen by Cephas (Peter), by the rest of the Apostles, then by over 500 people, then by His step-brother James, and then even by Paul himself.  This is the testimony of at least 513+ people.  In any court case, if the defense had over 500 sworn witnesses, there would be no doubt about the truth of this.  These eyewitness accounts provide strong evidence for the historical reality of Jesus’ resurrection, along with the reliability and authority of Scripture being underscored.

Paul then concluded this Scripture segment, this opening portion of chapter 15, with a short, personal statement.   Paul spoke of his unworthiness to be called an apostle, that he felt unworthy to be allowed to literally and actually see the resurrected Savior because of his past persecution of the Church (vs. 9-11).  However, because of the grace of God, Paul was transformed and was commissioned by God to spread the Gospel message, including the fact of the literal, bodily resurrection.

We are now encouraged to remain steadfast in our faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  This is not just an event in history, but it is the cornerstone of our hope and eternal life.  There have been several people in the last several decades who have set out to try and disprove the Bible, especially the resurrection, and have ended up failing to be able to do so, and instead became believers.

Without the resurrection we have nothing on which to build our faith.  Without the resurrection we have no hope for surviving death, and if that is the case, then why bother believing in Jesus?  However, we know that the Bible is the authoritative and inspired Word of God, and it provides us with a reliable account of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.

Revive Us Again

Psalm 85

Sometimes throughout our life we find that our enthusiasm for something wanes, and we don’t care nearly as much about it as we did before.  Perhaps it might be our big support of a certain sports team.  They aren’t doing as well as they were before, so our interest starts to drop.  Maybe it’s our job or life’s work which has lost a lot of its initial fervor.  We still continue with the job, but with much less enthusiasm.  Sometimes this happens with a marriage, where there is little passion or warmth anymore.  Then something happens and things change.  Perhaps us or our spouse starts to change their behavior, perhaps our once-favorite sports team starts to improve their game, and all of our enthusiasm returns.  This also often happens with a believer’s personal faith, and if left unchecked, can leave our spiritual faith withering on the vine.  We need a surge of life poured into us.  We need a revival.   The psalmist of our psalm for this week, Psalm 85, prays that the Lord will send revival to His people, as the psalmist knows that faith has been waning.  Let’s look at this psalm, and see how, if we need to, we can revive our diminishing or dwindling faith.

Psalm 85 was written by the sons of Korah.  These were descendants of Korah, who was a member of the tribe of Levi at the time of Moses.  We read in the Book of Numbers that Korah joined with Dathan and Abiram in a rebellion against Moses and his leadership.  God punished these rebels by opening the earth beneath them, swallowing them up alive (Numbers 16:1-33).  However, not everyone in Korah’s family joined with his rebellion, and they did not perish with their patriarch (Numbers 26:11).  Having seen what could happen to those who strayed from faith in the Lord, the Sons of Korah worked in the Tabernacle and later the Temple, kept their faith strong, and wrote eleven psalms.

It is uncertain exactly when Psalm 85 was written, with some people thinking it was written after the return of some of the people following the Babylonian captivity.  Others believe it was earlier, even as early as the days of King Saul.  Whenever it was written, the author had witnessed the sins of the people, their turning from God, and now composed this prayer for revival and restoration.  The writer recalled how all through the years of wandering in the wilderness, during the days of the Judges, and throughout the reign of various kings, the people had strayed from Yahweh.  When they repented, the author noted how the Lord would forgive their sins (vs. 1-3).  He recalled God’s mercy, forgiveness, and grace.  The story of his own family history was an example of that.

The people needed to repent, and for their relationship with the Lord to be restored (vs. 4-7).  They needed to have a true Holy Spirit revival in their hearts.  They needed to listen to the spiritual leaders that the Lord sent, listen to His prophets, and be sure that their repentance is real (vs. 8-9).  Listening matters, most especially listening to God!  We need attentive obedience to Him.  God warned them not to return to the folly of their wicked ways and sins again.

This is a prayer that can and should be made with believers today.  Many believers at one time or another can let their faith start to wane and wither.  If left unchecked, our faith can be almost as if it was dead.  We can never lose our salvation if truly saved, but from outward appearances and behavior, it can appear as if that believer is not truly a Christian.  They need the Holy Spirit to bring a surge of His life into them.  They need a revival.  Whole churches can fall into this condition, and even whole denominations.  When large numbers of Christians have gotten like this, it affects the society around them.

This is when Christians need to pray for a revival, a revival in themselves, in their local church, and then spread through the community.  Revival begins with the Holy Spirit working in individual hearts, bringing a refreshing return to God, with passion and zeal.  Revival is not a random burst of energy or emotion, but is based on truth found in the Bible.

Do you want to see a return to godliness in society, and within your neighborhood?  We need to pray for a strong Holy Spirit revival.  Revival starts with us.  Just like a fire starts with one little spark, and then loose kindling gets ignited, then small branches, and finally larger branches, for a revival to happen, we need to return to our enthusiasm and zeal for the Lord, then others in our church will follow, then the whole church, other churches, and a true Holy Spirit revival can happen in our neighborhood.  People will be saved and society may begin to turn away from its wickedness.  Lord, send our hearts revival, and send it today!

God Calls Gideon

Judges 6:11-24

Have you ever felt like you were no one special, that you would never amount to much?  You might feel like God would surely never pick you to accomplish anything great for Him, so you just keep a very low profile in church.  It might be the same at work with your boss.  You faithfully punch in on the timeclock, do what work is on your desk, but never volunteer for something special, not because you are lazy, but because you feel you are no one special, and could never accomplish anything important.  This is how the young man, Gideon, in our Scripture today felt.  However the Lord showed him that He had bigger and better things planned for him.  Let’s take a quick look at our Scripture passage which gives the account of the early part of his story.

As our Scripture passage begins in the Book of Judges, we are about a generation or two removed from the days of Joshua and the conquest of the Promised Land.  The neighboring nation of Midian has now overrun part of the territory of the people of Israel, and are cruelly ruling over and oppressing them.   The Midianites were descended from one of the sons of Abraham and Keturah, the wife he married after Sarah died (Genesis 25:1-2).   One thing that they did to oppress the Israelites was to continually confiscate the grain when it was harvested, leaving little for the Israelites to eat for themselves.  This is why we see Gideon threshing his family’s wheat in the winepress, hiding his activity from the Midianites (vs. 11).

This is where we find Gideon, and where an angel sent from God finds him.  The angel called out to Gideon to let him know that God had special plans for him, calling him a “mighty man of valor.” (vs. 12).   I can just see Gideon looking around to see who the angel was talking to, thinking that the angel certainly couldn’t be addressing him.  Gideon did not believe that he was a “mighty man of valor”.  God called Gideon by this description long before he saw himself capable of carrying out the tasks He had for him.

Once the angel had Gideon’s attention, Gideon responded by questioning how he could say that God was with him, or with any of His people, because he felt that the Lord had forsaken them (vs. 13).  However, like so many of us who at times criticize God, Gideon had it wrong.  God had not forsaken His people, instead they had forsaken Him!  All throughout the Book of Judges we read of a perpetual cycle the people were in.  We read how the people of Israel turned away from God, worshiping the false gods of neighboring nations, then how God sent His judgment, usually in the form of a neighboring country overtaking them.  Then the people would repent and cry out to Him, and He would raise up a deliverer.  That was what the angel came to say, that Gideon was the man God would send to deliver the people from the Midianites (vs. 14).

This message from the angel terrified Gideon.  He did not see himself as capable of doing what God wanted, of delivering the people.  He protested that he was from a small, unimportant tribe, that his family was not important in the tribe, and he was the youngest in his family (vs. 15).  Gideon was scared.  All he could see was his own weakness and limitations.  However, Gideon, and us as well, needed to remember that God doesn’t make mistakes.  We don’t need to question Him.  Instead, we should bring our fears to God in prayer, and rely on His strength to carry us through our problems.

God will not lead us to do a task without also giving us the ability to accomplish it.  As the angel told Gideon, we can go forth in the strength of His might.  The Lord wants us to go out as His messengers in His Name and strength.  We don’t have to rely on our own strength and might, but on God’s.  God is shown strong in the midst of our weaknesses (II Corinthians 12:9).  He would proceed to use Gideon to lead an army of 300 men against an army of over 100,000 men! (Judges 7:4-7).  God promised He would be with Gideon, and will be with us in whatever He calls us to do, and that is all that counts.

Gideon came to believe and have faith in the Lord, and followed what He asked Him to do.  The first thing that he did was to give a sacrifice offering to the Lord.  Gideon called Him Jehovah Shalom or the Lord God of Peace (vs 24).  The God of Peace was with Gideon.  He is with us, too!  (John 14:27).  All we need to do, like the great old-time hymn says, is to trust and obey.  Trusting the Lord makes obedience easier, and obedience produces ever-increasing trust.