Monday, February 10, 2025

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!


Saturday, February 8, 2025

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.


Friday, February 7, 2025

The Difference Between Nazareth And Capernaum

Luke 4:21-39

Last week, in our Gospel reading from Luke, we read how very early in His ministry, the Lord Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth, the village where He was raised, and where He spent part of His adulthood before He started His ministry. The first Sabbath after Jesus had arrived, He attended Sabbath services in the local synagogue.  While at the synagogue, Jesus asked for the scroll containing the Book of Isaiah, and He proceeded to read aloud some Scripture.  When He was finished, Jesus then stated some astonishing words, saying that this Scripture was being fulfilled right then, in their hearing.  That is where we left off a week ago.  Today’s Scripture contains the rest of the story.  Let’s jump right in.

Many of us might think that we would be welcomed if we came back to the village we grew up in, and at first it seemed that Jesus’ former neighbors and villagers did welcome Him back home.  At first they thought He preached well, and was a good speaker.  However, as He proceeded to bring His message that first Sabbath day, they quickly changed their attitude.  Some of them spoke among themselves, saying “Isn’t this Joseph, the carpenter’s son?” (vs. 22).  This sort of implied the thought of “Who does this guy think He is, telling us these things? He’s just a common carpenter, the son of a carpenter, not some learned scribe in Jerusalem!  Does He think He’s better than us?”

Jesus, being divine, knew their thoughts and attitude towards Him.  With hearts that were cold and hostile against Him, Jesus would not be able to accomplish much there.  He then reminded the people of a proverb, how prophets are not usually welcomed in their hometowns (vs. 24).  Jesus proceeded to remind them of some people in the Bible, namely Elijah and Elisha, and how God sent them to “outsiders” to perform some of their great miracles (vs. 25-27).  That really angered the people of Nazareth.  They felt that they, rather than any “outsider”, certainly deserved miracles, and that Jesus, just the local carpenter’s boy, certainly wasn’t a man of God.  They were so furious, that some of them even wanted to kill Jesus by hurling Him off of a cliff outside of town (vs. 28-30).  However, since it was neither the time nor the way that Jesus should die, He walked away from the angry, murderous mob.

Jesus left the village He had grown up in and had spent so many years in.  As far as is recorded in the Gospels, that was the only time Jesus went to Nazareth during His years of ministry.  Because of the hardness of their hearts and unbelief, He did no mighty works, and only healed a few sick folks (Mark 6:5).  Jesus and His disciples then traveled about 30 miles away to the village of Capernaum, which became something like His unofficial Galilean headquarters.

As our Scripture passage continues, we read of two miracles that Jesus performed while in Capernaum this time.  Let’s take a look at both of these.  When the Sabbath came around, Jesus attended Sabbath services at Capernaum’s synagogue.  Again, He gave a message, and here the people were much more welcoming, and had open hearts and minds (vs. 31-32).  While there, a man possessed with a demon came and started shouting at Jesus.  Immediately He rebuked the demon, which obeyed and came out (vs. 33-37).

This was not a person that most people would want to associate with or be around.  The demoniac was being very disruptive, making an ugly scene.  He might have been dirty and smelly.  His words were offensive.  This was not the type of sick person who tugs at our heartstrings, like a frail, sick child.  But he did tug at Jesus’ heartstrings.  Jesus came to his rescue.  When we are not loveable, Jesus still loves us.  Jesus is Love itself, and loves the unlovable.

Later that day Jesus was at the home of Simon Peter.  In one of the bedrooms, Peter’s mother-in-law was sick with a high fever, which Jesus brought healing to (vs. 38-39).  In both of these healings we read that Jesus rebuked something.  He rebuked the demon to come out, and with Peter’s mother-in-law, He rebuked the fever.  The Greek word used here for “rebuke” is “epitimao”.  That is a very strong verb, meaning to reprove, censure, and admonish severely.  It was as if Jesus was shouting, “Stop it!  That’s enough!”  He was not going to let the demon destroy that man’s life any longer, nor was He going to let the high fever continue to ravage her body.

There was a difference between Nazareth and Capernaum.  Where Jesus was welcomed with open hearts He was able to minister His love, healing, and bring salvation.  That would bring others and then more others to come to Him.  However, where the hearts were hard, cold, and resentful, Jesus could not bring His message and ministry.  Which one are you?  Don’t be like Nazareth, cold and hard against the Savior.  Jesus never returned there.  Instead, be more like Capernaum, which welcomed the Savior.


Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Looking At Our Motives

I Corinthians 14:12-20

Today’s New Testament Scripture comes from a passage in St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthian Church which has caused some disagreements among some different denominations.  This is the practice of speaking in tongues.  There are some denominations where speaking in tongues is an important part of their worship, such as various Pentecostal churches, and it is openly done in the church service.  There are other denominations who take a more restrained approach, where it is not done openly in the church services, but some practice it privately.  Then there are others where it is taught that the gift of tongues stopped during the days of the Apostles and New Testament, and that is no longer, or should no longer, be practiced.  My message today is not to stir up any controversy as to who is right and who is wrong, whether tongues are for today or not.  Paul had an important message for the Corinthians in this passage, which is found in the opening verse.

The Christians in the Church of Corinth were a competitive group.  Many of the believers there seemed to be in some type of competition among themselves as to who had the most important gifts, and who was more important to the church.  They also seemed to greatly desire the more “showy” gifts, and the gift of tongues was certainly one of those, and so many wanted to be known as one who frequently spoke in tongues.

It seems that sometimes the church services were plagued with disorder, as a number of people would be speaking in tongues, and without someone with the gift of interpreting tongues, there was major confusion (I Corinthians 14:26-33).  The Apostle Paul taught in our Scripture passage that if one openly speaks in tongues in the church, to make sure there is someone present to interpret, otherwise what spiritual benefit is it to anyone else? (vs. 13-17).  He taught that our spiritual gifts should be used to help and edify other believers (vs. 12, 17).  This admonition holds not only for the gift of speaking in tongues, but should be applied to any other gifts of the Spirit that we have, and anything we do in our local church.

Many of the folks in Corinth were speaking openly in tongues at the church services because they felt it made them look extra spiritual to others.  They felt that other Christians would look at them as “super-Christians” because they had that spiritual gift.  But what were they doing to help others, which Paul said was most important?  We should examine our hearts, and take a look at our true motives in what we are doing for the church.

Do we have the gift of preaching or teaching?  If so, are we chiefly focused on instructing others in God’s Word or are we overly proud of our intellectual ability?   Maybe our mind is more focused on writing the next spiritual bestseller, or wanting the prestige of being asked to lead a big mega-church and possibly having a TV show.

There are others who have the gift of performing music, perhaps either playing an instrument, or maybe being a good singer.  Again, what is our motive in being part of the worship team or choir in our church?  Is it to be seen up front performing?  Are we looking for the applause and compliments about how great a musician we are?  Are we secretly hoping some music scout might be in attendance who will pick us for some Christian music contract?

The Apostle Paul said that our chief focus above anything else should be to edify and help build up our fellow believers.  This should be the case whether we teach children or adults, preach, work in the music ministry, the prayer ministry, or wherever we serve.  Are we seeking to build up our fellow believers and the Church, or to puff up ourselves?  No matter what we do, our only goal should be to lead others to the Lord Jesus Christ, and then building them up in the faith.


Monday, February 3, 2025

Our Legacy

Psalm 71

Everyone is getting older.  If you’re not getting any older then you are not alive.  For some, getting older is a pleasure, something they are eagerly looking forward to.  They are young, and have so many plans, so many ambitions.  For others, usually older folks, getting older can bring fears.  They face weakening strength and abilities, poorer health, less income, the loss of friends and fear of loneliness. The unknown author of today’s psalm was probably a senior citizen, and faced some of these fears.  However, he had trust and praise for God’s faithfulness and protection, whatever age he was.  Let’s look into this psalm.

Our psalmist had lived many years, and he knew that throughout life there were trials and troubles.  Through these times, he prayed for God’s protection and deliverance (vs. 1-4).  We all know that we face difficulties, no matter what age we are, especially after we leave our parents home.  During these times, like the psalmist, we need to seek refuge in God, and trust in His righteousness and power to save.

As the psalmist continued, we read of his view of life.  He praised the Lord for His constant salvation, and hoped with certainty that even through great and severe troubles, God would revive him once again (vs. 5-8).  He believed that the Lord had been watching over him even from before his birth, and that He provided for his safe birth as He took him from his mother’s womb.  From the psalmist’s youth up, the Lord has been his trust.  It was a lifelong trust, and shows us today the importance of a personal relationship with God that begins early in life and continues throughout one’s days.

As the psalmist wrote, he was in his senior years, and those fears that are so common to those of us in this time of life, started to creep in.  One of his concerns was about being abandoned in old age (vs. 9).  Yet he continued to call on God for ongoing support.  He prayed that the Lord not forsake him, now that he was an old man.  Rather than spending those years relaxing and taking it easy, he continued to have enemies, whether actual people after him, or other problems, such as poor health or financial woes (vs. 10-13).  He trusted in the Lord to help him in old age, as He always had before.

Continuing on, our psalmist committed to praise God and proclaim His deeds to others (vs 14-18).  He knew how very important it is that the younger generations be told all about the Lord.  If we don’t pass on the message of the Lord Jesus to the younger generation, then that message will end with us when we die.  It is so important to share our faith and testimony with others, especially with the next generation.  Rather than just criticizing and complaining about young folks, we should be sharing the message of Jesus with them, and praying for them.

As the psalmist concluded his psalm, he committed to bring praise to the Lord God for His righteousness and salvation (vs. 19-24).  Believers know that God is faithful in delivering His children, and it is important to praise Him for His mighty works.  It is vital to have a personal relationship with God that spans our entire life.  We can trust in His protection, and no matter our age, we should seek refuge in Him, and trust in his power to deliver us from all adversity.  Knowing and experiencing this, we need to remember how important it is to share our faith with the next generation, and they, in turn, pass it on to the next.  That is how we, in the 21st century, still hold the faith of the Apostles, centuries later.

In closing, let me share one of the greatest legacies a Christian can leave on earth - to be known as one who continually trusted in the Lord, both in good days and bad, at the beginning and the end of life.  Let our legacy be that we trusted God until our very last breath.


Saturday, February 1, 2025

God Has A Plan For You

Jeremiah 1:4-10

The Old Testament Scripture from the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer for this Fourth Sunday following the Epiphany is from the opening verses of the Book of Jeremiah.  Here we read that Yahweh knew Jeremiah long before he was ever born, and had a plan for his life set in place.  We might find that somewhat puzzling, as how can anything be known about someone who isn’t born yet, before they are even conceived?  Let’s look into our passage and see what we can learn.

The prophet Jeremiah lived from approximately 650 BC - 570 BC.  His ministry was to the southern Kingdom of Judah, and during the reign of the last five kings of Judah.  He witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and of the Temple at the hand of the Babylonians.  He was not a popular figure at that time, as he preached against the actions and teachings of the political and religious leaders, and warned that God would soon judge the nation, which came to pass in his lifetime.  Jeremiah suffered much persecution and attacks during his lifetime for the message he brought from the Lord.

At the start of the Book of Jeremiah, we read a little bit of biographical data about the prophet.  Here we read how the Lord told Jeremiah of how he had been called and selected by Him from before he was even born.   Jeremiah did not have an easy ministry by any means.  It is not an easy task to tell a nation that God’s judgment will be quickly coming because of their sins.  Jeremiah’s words got himself in a lot of trouble with both the political and religious authorities, and he needed the Lord’s encouragement, which is what He gave the prophet in these Scripture verses.

The Lord told Jeremiah that He knew the prophet long before he was born (vs. 5).  He knew him before he was even being formed in the womb, before he was even conceived.  We might wonder about that.  How can someone be known before they even exist in any form?  Here is an imperfect analogy - when an architect designs a building, the plans first come as a thought in his mind.  This is before any construction is done, and before any drawings and blueprints are made.  The architect plans every detail before he even puts anything down on paper.  Before the building is even created it is already created in the architect’s mind.  In a similar way the Lord God knows each and every one of us before our parents even met.  Yahweh is an omniscient God, knowing everything from the beginning to the end of time.  Since He is outside of time, He can know everything about someone centuries before they are ever born.

Not only did God know Jeremiah long before he was born, He had a plan for Jeremiah’s life before he was born, as well.  God also has a plan for each of our lives, too.  His plan for us is perfect.  Do you know what God’s plan for you is?  As we pray and yield ourselves to Him, He will reveal it.  That plan is not subject to the whims of man, nor the uncertainty of the world today.  Whatever our circumstances are, God wants to use us for His plan and purposes.

God brought Jeremiah continued encouragement, as the opposition he was facing was both discouraging and at times even frightening.  However the Lord encouraged Jeremiah, telling him to not be concerned about his age, as He has given him a command to speak (vs 6-7).  The Lord also spoke words to embolden Jeremiah to not be afraid of those who opposed him and even attacked him (vs. 8).  The message God gave Jeremiah was to tear down and root out the sinfulness of the people, and to build up and plant those who turned to God (vs. 9-10).

The Lord wanted Jeremiah, and us today, as well, to know that He knew him, and had a plan for him.  And if He had a plan for Jeremiah, and for us today, He will see that plan through.  God knows us more intimately than any person ever could, and He is able to give our lives purpose and meaning, unlike any other.  He formed us through His wisdom and power, and sustains every moment of our life.  God created us to live purposeful and meaningful lives.

We may encounter threats, hardships, and pain in our life, even when we are following God’s plan for us, just like Jeremiah did, but He assures us of His presence.  God calls us to stand on the solid rock of His Word, and take shelter in His promises.  Whatever struggles we face in our attempt to live for the Lord, we can trust in His presence with us.


Friday, January 31, 2025

Jesus Fulfills His Mission

Luke 4:14-21

Has this ever happened to you?  You know that you have a specific job or task to accomplish on a certain day or over a specified period of time, but you get distracted and sidetracked by other things.  The time passes, and the mission you wanted or needed to fulfill only gets partially accomplished, or perhaps not even at all.  Or perhaps you are not really clear in understanding exactly what your mission is, or should be, you’re confused about where to start and what to do, so little gets done.  This was not the problem with the Lord Jesus, as we see in our Scripture today.  As we read in St. Luke’s Gospel, we see that the Lord Jesus had a clear understanding of His mission, and did not waste time in achieving His goal.

As our Scripture opens, Jesus has returned to Galilee following His baptism in the Jordan River in the territory of Judea (vs. 14).  Galilee is where He had grown up and had spent the early years of His adulthood.  Now Jesus returns here, being guided and led by the Holy Spirit, to begin His ministry.  As He traveled around the territory of Galilee He followed the practice that had developed over many years since the return from the Exile, where the men who attended the Sabbath services in the local synagogues were invited to speak and comment on the Scripture readings (vs. 15).

Making His way through Galilee, Jesus made a visit to His own hometown, Nazareth.  Jesus had lived in Nazareth from the age of a young toddler till around the age of 30 when left to be baptized by John the Baptist and commence His ministry.  He did not change His usual custom of attending worship services each week.  As we read, when the Sabbath day came, He went to the synagogue as was His custom (vs. 16).  Regular attendance in worship service was important to the Lord Jesus, and should be for us, as well.  Not only did Jesus attend, but He participated, and took an active part, being engaged with the Scripture.  He studied and knew His Bible, an example we should follow.

At the synagogue service the Lord Jesus was given the Scripture scroll that contained the Book of Isaiah, and He promptly found the passage of Isaiah 61:1-2, which He read to those assembled in attendance (vs. 17-19).  After reading the Scripture, Jesus handed the scroll back to the attendant.  Everyone was paying attention.  Many there had heard that Jesus was beginning to get a reputation as a good speaker.  Many also knew Jesus from His days of working in the family carpentry shop.  He had not been gone too long, perhaps several months.  The congregation knew Him, His mother, and family.  They wanted to hear what the local young man had to say.  Was the early reputation He was getting true?

As Jesus sat down, He proceeded to make some comments about the passage from Isaiah that He had just read aloud to the congregation.  The first thing that He told them was that this Scripture was now fulfilled, and not just fulfilled in general, but fulfilled in their hearing, in their presence (vs. 20-21).

Jesus knew His mission, the task, the job that He had to do in the next 3 ½ years.  From the passage of Scripture that He read in the synagogue of Nazareth, which He proclaimed to fulfill, His mission was to bring salvation and healing to the people.  He wasn’t confused or in doubt about what He was to be doing, nor did He get sidetracked with other issues, such as local or international politics at the time, or setting about starting a revolution.  Jesus knew His ministry was to proclaim the Gospel of salvation, heal the sick, and bring deliverance to those oppressed by Satan.

As questioned at the start, is there a job, a task, a mission that the Lord has given you to do for Him, to help spread the message of Jesus, but which you have either been sidetracked from doing, or having a difficult time in getting started?  Perhaps you are afraid to get going.  Jesus knew that He would be under attack from the devil, yet He continued.  He knew the Father had called Him, as He heard His commission at His baptism.  Jesus did not get sidetracked when many wanted to make His ministry political and Him a king.  Like Jesus, we need to know our Bibles, and find our inspiration and encouragement from its Words.  Then we can fulfill what the Lord would have us do for Him in our life.