Hayden Bible Church: Recent Episodes
God has attached His name, honor, and reputation to His people; and that reality cannot help but shape our prayers—and our expectations of God. "O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, give heed and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay...," Daniel 9:19 (LSB). As Daniel realized Israel's exile was nearing its promised end, he also recognized that God's people were not ready to receive the renewal God had promised. Unrepentance and complacency characterized many in exile when humble, penitent loyalty was in order. So Daniel prayed. In the opening verses of Daniel 9, we saw how Daniel's private character led him to pray. This week, we'll see specifically how he prays—and what his prayer teaches us. His prayer, recorded in Daniel 9, is a model prayer for God's people, especially those experiencing His discipline, longing for His deliverance, and seeking renewal from His hand. This Lord's Day, we'll return to our study of Daniel 9, focusing on what to pray when God's people have drifted from Him, are slow to acknowledge their sin, and seem unprepared to receive the renewal He has promised. Join us as we consider, "Back to the Future: How to Pray in the Dark." Prepare for Sunday: Read and meditate on Daniel 9:4-19. How, specifically, should the church pray as Daniel prayed? What does this prayer proclaim about God? What does this prayer acknowledge about His covenant people? Why do you think Daniel included himself in this prayer of corporate confession? What anchors Daniel's confidence in God's response? Note: This Sunday we'll also come to the Lord's Table and rejoice in the very promises Daniel's prayer highlights. Let's prepare
Do you need to be encouraged? Do you find yourself on social media or watching the news and easily becoming discouraged? Take heart, our God has provided a way of encouragement, and He is our ultimate source of love for one another. What does Jesus expect from His bride, the Church? Jesus has left His Spirit to move and act for God's glory. The Spirit is utilizing His people to accomplish the task of discipleship, encouragement and loving one another. Sharing the truth of the Gospel and making Christ known by making disciples is our primary mission here at HBC. But how is this accomplished? What does it look like to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ? We only need to look to Christ Himself for the answers. Jesus left His Holy Spirit to not only be in our presence, but to actually abide in our soul. The Spirit of God through His Word will encourage us this coming Sunday as we look at Philippians 2:1-11. Jesus is our ultimate source of joy, hope and love. What does it really mean, to "be humble of mind, regarding one another as more important than yourselves"? (Phil 2:3b). Anticipate this coming Sunday, when you come into the building, to take part in and observe the hands and feet of Jesus working through His church the Bride of Christ. How are your hands and feet moving in the direction of love towards one another? The song by Sovereign Grace, "Jesus Thank You," has a lyric that states: "Once your enemy, now seated at your table, Jesus, thank you." No greater love has ever been demonstrated than Jesus' death on the cross at Calvary for you and for me. One day we will gather around the banquet table of our King. Are you not encouraged by that future hope? H
How God's people respond to prophecy—especially prophecy portending hardship—reveals where ultimate priorities lie. Some respond in fear to warnings of coming tribulation, while others respond with speculative diagnoses that match today's headlines with Bible prophecy. Daniel responded with faith in God's character and confidence in His promises; he prayed in the direction of both. "So I gave my face to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes," Daniel 9:3 (LSB). God gave Daniel prophetic visions of Israel's scary future not to satisfy his curiosity, but to realign His people to His priorities, and strengthen their faithfulness to Him. That's why Daniel's prayer in Chapter 9 shows the same pattern we find in the apostles praying Psalm 2, in John's vision of heaven, and in Christ's instruction to His disciples concerning prayer. When God promises His people something, we're meant to think and pray in the direction of those promises, letting His word direct our petitions, and then our lives. This Lord's Day, we'll begin our look at Daniel 9, starting with a prayer that precedes one of the Old Testament's clear prophecies of our Lord's first advent, Calvary, and the inauguration of His covenant of grace. Join us as we turn to Daniel 9:1-3 and consider "Back to the Future: When Prophecy Prompts Prayer." Prepare for Sunday: Read Daniel 9:1-19, meditating on verses 1-3. What historic setting is described in verses 1-3? What specifically was Daniel reading? What was Daniel's immediate response after understanding God's promise? What does Daniel's attention to Jeremiah's prophecy reveal about his view of Scri
When it comes to Bible prophecy, we mostly want to know: "Are we almost there? Is the end of the age near?" And plenty of voices are quick to insist, "Almost... the end is just around the corner. See how you can match today's headlines with your Bible? Surely the Lord will return in our lifetime." Daniel 8 will not let us settle for that kind of reasoning. Daniel's troubling vision of a ram, a goat, and a little horn reminds God's people that a long journey—often marked by opposition and persecution—lies ahead before Christ's return. "But as for you," Daniel was told in verse 26 of Daniel 8, "conceal the vision." What Daniel concealed, history has since revealed: a pattern of rulers who oppose God and persecute His people, a pattern that points beyond itself to the final enemy of Christ yet to come. Whether Christ returns today or generations from now, His people are called to faithful endurance. Until that day, God's people are to be busy with their King's mission, confident in His sovereign control over even the scariest circumstances. Daniel himself modeled that response: "Then I rose up again and did the king's work," verse 27. We are called to the same response: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful," Hebrews 10:23. On Sunday, we'll turn to Daniel 8 and discover why God gives prophecy—not to fuel speculation, but to strengthen His people for faithful endurance. Join us as we consider, "Back to the Future: God's People Under Pressure." Get ready: Read Daniel 8:1-27. What animals appear in Daniel's vision in verses 3 through 5? What, specifically, does the "little horn" do? Why
A hero is defined as someone whose actions are courageous in the face of danger and whose character is noble (even when no one is watching), making personal sacrifices and performing selfless acts of kindness to help others in need. A hero puts the needs of others before their own, even risking their life to save the lives of others. Oftentimes, although heroes deserve honor and respect, their service goes unnoticed or their sacrifice is forgotten because the world moves on and people are easily distracted from remembering what is important. This coming Monday is Memorial Day, a day to remember those brave men and women, heroes, in the American armed forces who gave their lives in service to their country. This Sunday is the Lord's Day, a day to remember and honor the Lord Jesus Christ, the ultimate hero, who bravely endured human injustice (although He lived a perfect and righteous life without breaking God's Law), suffered shame, torture and crucifixion and laid down His life in order to save the helpless and the undeserving, even those who were His enemies. And by His sacrifice, all who trust in His death and resurrection have been set free from the power of sin and death. Those who hope in Christ are free to live life now, without the fear of condemnation or of being rejected by God. Only, remember Jesus Christ and the ultimate cost He paid and let the life you now live show that you understand what a precious gift you have been given. Join us this Sunday as we study Romans 5:6-11 and "Remember the Life Given to Save Others" and worship the God, "who so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (
The church in America enjoys an unusual kindness of God's providence. Our liberty to worship and serve God as He leads, though not without opposition, is rare compared to the experience of Christians throughout the world in any age. Daniel's prophecy prepares us for the reality that God's people face persecution throughout history; our future is not one of ease, but perseverance. For now we live in the age of monstrous beasts—worldly kingdoms that, for a season, are permitted to wage war against the saints. But the beasts are not ultimate. One day, the saints will be vindicated forever. "... The saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come," Daniel 7:18 (LSB). Heaven's interpretation of Daniel's prophetic vision gives sober encouragement to God's people: we're called to keep our eyes fixed on heaven's throne room and live, not in dread or pessimism, but with courage anchored in Christ's kingdom. The saints of all ages triumph not by escaping persecution, but by enduring faithfully through it. This Lord's Day, we'll return to Daniel 7 and its interpretation of Daniel's beastly dream. Join us as we consider "Back to the Future: From Chaos to Conquest." Prepare for Sunday: Read Daniel 7 once more, focusing this time on verses 9-28. Why is Daniel troubled by the vision? According to verses 17-18, what is the vision's basic meaning? How is the fourth beast different from the others? What does the word "until" convey to you in verse 22? How does Daniel 7 help you fix your eyes on Christ's present reign, rather than fear of current events? How, specifically, can you live with hope and coura
It's always tempting to immediately connect Bible prophecy to our moment. We scan today's headlines, trying to match current events with Scripture. But that instinct, if left unchecked, leads more often to confusion than clarity. "... Four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another," Daniel 7:3 (LSB). So begins Daniel's prophetic vision of global chaos and cruelty—not in our future, but in his. "I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and came near before Him," Daniel 7:13. What Daniel saw was not the end of the world, but the turning point of human history: the moment when the Son of Man—Jesus Christ—ascended to heaven after His life, death, and resurrection and was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. Daniel's vision shows us that before we can understand the chaos of history, we must first see the reign of Christ. Only then can we respond rightly to God's work in our chaotic present, and face our future with confidence. This Lord's Day, we'll return to our study of Daniel and its apocalyptic vision of world history and Christ's sovereign reign. Join us as we turn to Daniel 7:1-14 and consider, "Back to the Future: The King's Ascension." Prepare your heart: Read and meditate on Daniel 7 (especially verses 1-14), and revisit Daniel 2. How are the four beasts in Daniel's vision similar? How are they different? What changes the scene in verses 9-10? Who is "like a Son of Man"? Where, specifically, is He going? What is given to Him? How does Daniel 7 compare with Daniel 2? What do these verses teach us about human h
Union with Christ means union with His people. This blood-bought unity is precious and worthy of protection and care. "... Walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called...," Ephesians 4:1 (LSB). Last Sunday, we saw what Christ has made His church to be: one body with many diverse members, committed to one another. This Lord's Day, we'll turn to Ephesians to see how the body is called to live together. Unity is not created by the church—it's a gift from the Spirit of God, powerful in its source yet fragile in our hands. This oneness runs deeper than shared preferences and affection. We live worthy of our calling as we relate to one another "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," Ephesians 4:2-3. These unity-preserving virtues are vital to the church functioning as one body. They ensure that each member's diverse gifts contribute to our maturity in Christ and our witness to the world. By God's design, our unity is not anchored to feelings alone, but to truth, so that Scripture shapes not only what we believe, but how we relate to one another. I hope you'll join us this Sunday as we continue our short series on "God's Glorious Church," and consider "The Life of Christ's People." Get ready: Read and meditate on Ephesians 4:1-16. What is the calling Paul refers to in verse 1? Which commands in verses 2 and 3 are internal? Which are relational? According to verses 13-16, what is the ultimate goal of the church's growth? Where might Christ be calling you to step more fully into your role in the body? Ask yourself: Am I living
The Bride of Christ. God's household. Heaven's embassy on earth. Scripture describes the church these ways and more, declaring that God's people—redeemed and gathered—relate to Him and one another in a unique and vital union. "Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it," 1 Corinthians 12:27 (LSB). The church is not merely the unseen collection of saints throughout history, but also visibly expressed in local churches. By God's design, "church" is not an event to attend, nor a provider of religious services, but a dynamic body of Spirit-led members, each dependent upon and committed to the others. This Lord's Day we'll begin a short series on God's Glorious Church and introduce a new HBC Membership Covenant that spells out and celebrates what God calls us to as members of Christ's body, His church. Please join us this Sunday as we turn to 1 Corinthians 12 and consider "God's Glorious Church: One Body, Many Members." Get ready: Read and meditate on 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. What words or ideas are repeated? How is the relationship between "the body" and its "members" described? What does Paul mean when he says "so also is Christ" (verse 12)? Why is both unity and diversity essential in the church? How does this passage shape your understanding of your responsibility to other church members? Why might it be helpful for a church to clearly express these commitments to one another? [Note: We will return our study of Daniel 7-12 after this short series on the church.]
Do you remember an illustration often used in gospel presentations of a picture of a heart-shape with a throne shown in the center? It was used to illustrate how, by default, all people are born with a self-centered focus; a sin nature. The chair in the illustration represents the "throne" in each person's heart from which the ruler of that heart reigns. Each sees themself on that throne directing their ways according to their own desires. "All of us like sheep have gone astray," Isaiah 53:6 says, "each of us has turned to his own way…" And Romans 3:23 states "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." A Christian recognizes Jesus as the rightful ruler of the heart and seated on that throne. Romans 10:9 says "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;" However, though as believers we acknowledge Jesus as Lord of our life, many struggle with yielding to His ultimate authority over all areas of their life. Professing with their mouths, "Jesus is Lord," but still not totally yielding to Christ in their thinking, speech, and actions, their heart remains divided. Perhaps for this reason, many wonder why they do not seem to be growing in spiritual maturity. Thankfully, God addresses this issue in His Word through Paul's writing to the Colossians. Join us this Sunday as we learn together what it means to "Let Christ Govern Your Heart" as we study Colossians 3:15-17 together. Prepare for Sunday: Read Colossians 3:15-17 and Ephesians 3:14-21. What does the "peace of Christ" mean to you? What promise does it hold for your present and future? How does the Word of Christ "dwell"
Christian, how can you know your sins are forgiven? How can you be certain you're fully and gladly accepted by God, though your life is still imperfect and marked by sin? What anchors your hope to a future of perfect humanity, enjoying a perfect creation, forever in God's presence? "Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away," John 20:1. Mary and the other disciples struggled to make sense of what they saw: Jesus' empty tomb affirmed that He had done exactly what He promised—He has defeated sin and death for all who belong to Him. "... Go to My brothers and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God," John 20:17. What a wonder this is! Christ's Father is yours, believer. Through Christ, and Christ alone, you are brought into a restored relationship with God, inseparably united to Him—now and forever. How is this possible? Only because "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him," 2 Corinthians 5:21. On Friday, we'll remember the cross: Christ, our Substitute, the One who was made "to be sin on our behalf." Then, this coming Lord's Day, we'll finish our three-part look at 2 Corinthians 5:21 and its powerful gospel summary. I hope you'll join us Friday at 6:30 pm and again on Resurrection Sunday as we rejoice in "The Risen King: Christ Our Righteousness." Prepare for Sunday: Read and meditate on John 20:1-17, as well as 2 Corinthians 5:21. How is the empty tomb described? Why does John include these details? What helped Mary recognize Jesus? What, spec
Christian, how can you know your sins are forgiven? How can you be certain you're fully and gladly accepted by God, though your life is still imperfect and marked by sin? What anchors your hope to a future of perfect humanity, enjoying a perfect creation, forever in God's presence? "Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away," John 20:1. Mary and the other disciples struggled to make sense of what they saw: Jesus' empty tomb affirmed that He had done exactly what He promised—He has defeated sin and death for all who belong to Him. "... Go to My brothers and say to them, 'I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God," John 20:17. What a wonder this is! Christ's Father is yours, believer. Through Christ, and Christ alone, you are brought into a restored relationship with God, inseparably united to Him—now and forever. How is this possible? Only because "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him," 2 Corinthians 5:21. On Friday, we'll remember the cross: Christ, our Substitute, the One who was made "to be sin on our behalf." Then, this coming Lord's Day, we'll finish our three-part look at 2 Corinthians 5:21 and its powerful gospel summary. I hope you'll join us Friday at 6:30 pm and again on Resurrection Sunday as we rejoice in "The Risen King: Christ Our Righteousness." Prepare for Sunday: Read and meditate on John 20:1-17, as well as 2 Corinthians 5:21. How is the empty tomb described? Why does John include these details? What helped Mary recognize Jesus? What, spe
A right relationship with God has a way of turning things upside down. Consider the evidence: Daniel remained at ease the night he spent in a den of hungry lions, while the king whose law put Daniel there lay tossing on his bed in torment of soul. What a difference a clean conscience makes! "My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him," exclaimed Daniel the next morning. "... and also toward you, O king, I have done no harm." Last week, we saw the character God formed in Daniel before the crisis. This week, we'll see what that relationship with God produces during the crisis. To believe we're kept by God's sovereign hand gives us boldness as His exiles. And to know He favors His covenant people, that our sins have been blotted out, gives us confidence even when we face our own death. Observable boldness and quiet confidence are the fruit of a right relationship with God—and a display case for His power to deliver. Even the wicked, like Babylon's King Darius, see God's power at work among His people. "... men are to fear and be in dread before the God of Daniel," Daniel 6:26 (LSB). "... for He is the living God and enduring forever, and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, and His dominion will be unto the end." This Lord's Day, we'll finish our look at Daniel 6, concluding the first half of the book of Daniel. I hope you'll join us as we consider, "God's People in Exile: Conscience Before Confidence." Prepare for Sunday: Read and meditate on Daniel 6, focusing on verses 18-28. What contrasts do you see between Daniel and Darius? Why was Daniel delivered
Daniel and the lion's den is one of the Bible's best-known stories. We rightly marvel at Daniel's devotion and God's deliverance; the former challenges us, while the latter assures God's people in exile still today. Yet it's what happened long before the lion's den that Scripture highlights for us in Daniel 6. "Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because an extraordinary spirit was in him, and the king planned to set him over the entire kingdom," Daniel 6:3 (LSB). What set Daniel apart from all other leaders was not merely administrative talent, but an inner quality that consistently rose above the often-stormy environment encircling him. Years of private devotion had formed in Daniel an inner life that bore the fruit of excellence. This Lord's Day, we'll consider how God graciously built in Daniel the kind of character that kept him from flinching when loyalty to the Lord was not merely costly, but deadly. Join us as we turn to Daniel 6 and consider "God's People in Exile: Character Before Crisis." Prepare for Sunday: Read Daniel 6, meditating on verses 1-18. How was Daniel distinguished among the other royal court officials? What does the term "extraordinary" or "excellent" reveal about Daniel's character? Use Scripture elsewhere to support your answer. Why would Daniel's integrity provoke hostility rather than admiration? How is Daniel a foreshadowing of Christ?
God calls the proud to humble themselves. What happens, though, when the proud refuse to be humbled? "... The God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not honored... you have been weighed on the scales and found lacking," Daniel 5:23,27 (LSB). Babylon's acting king, Belshazzar, ignored history, shut his eyes to God's revelation, and disregarded prophetic warnings. He partied and pretended importance while enemy armies camped around his capitol city. The handwriting on the wall of his extravagant banquet hall turned Belshazzar's proud revelry to reality: "That same night the Chaldean king was killed," Daniel 5:30. Belshazzar's end still warns us today: God's sovereign justice is at times swift and final. For God's people living in exile, the proud king's fall is an encouragement that no arrogant empire or ruler stands forever. God will bring down all the proud; some He humbles and restores. Others He humbles and judges with finality. God's people find their hope in the One whose life was weighed and found perfect, lacking in nothing. The perfect righteousness of Christ is our only safe harbor from the wrath that awaits all who are judged by their own merit. I hope you'll join us this Sunday as we turn to Daniel 5 and consider, "God's People in Exile: Weighed and Found Lacking." Prepare for Sunday: Read all of Daniel 5 and meditate on verses 22-30. Based on the text, how would you describe Belshazzar's feast? What is his tone in speaking to Daniel? Why does Daniel emphasize "even though you knew all this" in verse 22? What does the writing on the wall reveal about God's justice? On what scale are we tempted to "weigh" our
This winter's cold and flu bug seems catchier than most. Has it caught you yet? Many of you would answer "yes" – despite your best efforts to stay away from sick people. No matter what you do to avoid it, at some point you find you've got it. Pride, man's besetting sickness, is also this way. No matter what steps we take, we find we have it. We don't catch it; we're born with it. At our worst, we mistake God's patience and forbearance toward us for His indifference, or tacit approval of our sin. And He'll take extraordinary means to remind us that we are made to worship Him, not ourselves. "... a voice came from heaven saying, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is said: the kingdom has been removed from you," Daniel 4:31 (LSB). While Babylon seemed untouchable, God was already at work vindicating His sovereign rule for the sake of His exiled people. This Lord's Day, we'll finish our look at Daniel 4 and its startling account of a powerful king's journey from pride to praise. God's compassion for Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar expressed itself in a severe mercy: a prolonged season of insanity and isolation from all that he once boasted in—until the king was finally humbled. "... For all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride," Daniel 4:37. Join us this Sunday as we turn to the Scriptures to see pride exposed, judged, and — by mercy — overruled. I hope to see you here as we consider, "God's People in Exile: The King's Speech."
In The Gospel of Matthew in our bibles, Jesus is speaking a parable to the leaders of Israel. He tells of a great wedding feast- a king, his son, slaves, guests and a man grossly under dressed for the occasion. The man is speechless.---But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes,- -Matthew 22-11 NASB-
Eric and Danica Abisror are missionaries in Cordoba, Argentina, along with their boys Josiah, Jackson, Isaac, Benjamin, and Logan.
David suffered many sorrows, though a king, because he foreshadowed our King of Kings, the Man of sorrows, who has conquered even death for His people. David's hope in the middle of life's worst trials, is also ours-
Despite the immeasurable chasm that separates us and God, He remains mindful of each one of us, and cares for us intimately as individuals. He delights to be known by us.- We often feel small and insignificant, but God has honored us as His image bearers and given us a staggering responsibility - to extend His dominion and protective care over creation.- Of course, sin has terribly distorted the image of God in us- and it's derailed our ability to live as stewards for His glory.- But God has graciously given us a fresh start-- Jesus has come to this world and done everything the first Adam failed to do. He is the Second Adam, the Righteous Man ruling over creation by God's own design. And He promises all who are His redeemed image bearers a share in His rule and reign.
We continue our look at Psalm 2, an anthem declaring the sure hope of the Kingdom of God. Join us as we consider, -Allegiance to the King- Be Wise, Be Warned, Be Blessed.-
More than a thousand years before Jesus was born, Israel's King David looked down the corridors of world history and declared the wonders of His reign-- This world has a king, God's anointed Sovereign, David sings in Psalm 2. And God has decreed the defeat of all rebellion against Him. This King is God's Christ, His own Son.- It is wise to submit to this King's authority because God has decreed His strong, benevolent rule over all the nations.- It's no wonder David sings incredulously of the folly of man's ongoing, calculated rebellion against God. - -Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing-- Psalm 2-1 -NKJV-.
This world has just two kinds of people in it- those who delight in God's Word and live by it, and those who do not- those who live in glad allegiance to God's anointed King, Jesus Christ, and those who do not.- Despite all this world's delightful diversity, God insists there are just these two kinds of people, living in two directions, toward two very different eternities.- Our true allegiances -- not our circumstances -- determine our happiness, whether we prosper, even our eternal security.
The Kingdom of God is like a garden and Matthew's gospel is a panorama of the Kingdom with a glorious King, exercising all authority, sovereignly producing Kingdom fruit. As Christians, each of us has the blessing of being attached to the True Vine of the vineyard as He works to produce His desired harvest. The landowner of the garden takes great measures to ensure a fruitful harvest -
Psalms 1 and 2 are the entryway to the entire book of psalms, and the theme to our entire Bible. True happiness is not an end, but a byproduct of daily allegiance to Christ as King.- -Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him,- Psalm 2-12
This is Christmas- eternity born into time- omnipotence clothed in weakness. For love's sake, the unapproachable Creator chooses to be approached on friendly terms by His rebellious creatures. And He makes this possible only through the Child placed in a manger, the Savior who is Christ the Lord.- How extraordinary-
Every day, people walk past us on their way to hell. We're not certain of their numbers, nor their names- we're not certain of their life stories. But this much is certain- every day, people walk past us on their way to hell. Do we see them- Do we care-- The book of Jonah shows us how easy it is for God's people to be out of tune with the God of the Bible, unlike Him in compassion for the hell-bound around us. Jonah shows us the symptoms- when pride, prejudice, and personal comfort become primary in our thinking and living, we know we're in the same boat with Jonah.- -- the LORD said -to Jonah-, -You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left-and much livestock-- Jonah 4-10-11 -NKJV-.- But the same Divine Mercy that is wide toward sinners is just as wide toward God's own people- He'll send His winds and His whales and His worms purposefully to bring us from half-hearted to whole-hearted ambassadors. Is this happening in your life- Is it changing your affections and priorities-- This Sunday, Lord willing, we'll finish our study of Jonah as we, again, consider, our -God of Mercy-. We hope to see you here-
Our God is a patient Teacher.- Yet His people so often are slow, stubborn pupils.- So God's school of providence runs throughout our lives, teaching us with our senses what our souls could not otherwise absorb.- -And the LORD God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah,- Jonah 4-6 -NKJV-.-When Jonah got angry at God for sparing Nineveh, his temper ran so hot that he ignored God's questioning- -Is it right for you to be angry--- Like a sulking child, Jonah simply sat outside the great city, hoping against hope that the enemies of his countrymen would yet be destroyed, and his reputation as their prophet reinforced.- It's silliness to give God the silent treatment, don't you think- God's omniscience means our feelings cannot be hid from Him- the reality of who we really are and what we're really thinking is laid bare before Him -- always.- So, as Jonah sulked, God sent a plant, and then a worm, and then a wind more fierce than Jonah's anger. The great fish was long gone, but God's school of providence was back in session.- Would Jonah finally learn his lesson-- We hope to see you here this Sunday as we continue our study of Jonah with -God of Mercy- The School of Providence.-
June 29th, next Tuesday, is known as the 'Day of the Christian Martyr.' According to church history, it's the date of the martyrdom of the Apostle Paul. It serves as a reminder for us to pray for persecuted believers world-wide. Tertullian noted that -The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.- Their example of faith in the face of death has not quenched, but sparked the spread of the gospel throughout church history, holding true even today.- -Many are unaware that the 20th Century had by far the highest level of persecution of Christians and the highest number of Christian martyrs in all of history - and the 21st Century is proving to be even worse. This should not surprise us, since Jesus said in John 15, -If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you- If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you-- But it should awaken in us an urgency to prayerfully prepare for spiritual battle by putting on the whole armor of God, and to intercede in prayer for others -Ephesians 6-10-18-.
Are you constantly reminded of your sin- Does it haunt you- Are you frustrated in your conscience because you know you're not clean before God- Others seem like they've become perfect but you know you're not. Maybe any talk of God's wrath scares you to the core. Maybe any talk of God's mercy and grace seems like a foreign concept. The jovial people and the deep people you see each Sunday seem so unlike you. Your Christianity seems tenuous at best.- --For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.- Hebrews 10-14 -NASB-- -The Hebrews were in jeopardy of abandoning simple faith in the once for all offering of the Son of God. Are you- Do you have a strong and perfect plea before the throne of God above- Have you finally entered the rest of God- Please join us this Sunday as we glory in the great name of Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our Christian faith. Read and meditate on Hebrews 10-1-18 and come ready with your bible as we explore the pure milk of the word.
The LORD commands His creation- and His creation obeys.- This is true of every star and planet in the universe- -The heavens declare the glory of God-- Psalm 19-1 -NKJV-.- And this is true of every animal- all creatures carry out God's purposes for them- -- the ox knows its owner and the donkey its master's crib-,- Isaiah 1-3.- Creation's fulfillment of God's design is made clear in Jonah 1-2. The wind and the waves respond to God sovereign purposes. So, too, the great fish prepared for Israel's runaway prophet-- -So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out onto dry land,- Jonah 2-10.- What a sad state- A fish uniquely prepared by God to carry out His purposes obeyed- a man uniquely made in God's image to carry out His purposes disobeyed.- But the gospel is an even greater outrage, don't you think-- God so often is pleased to give His disobedient people another opportunity to step into His purposes for them, another chance at obedience-- -Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time...- Jonah 3-1.- We hope to see you here this Sunday as we consider, -God of Mercy- Second Chance Obedience.-
God's sea sank him, and God's fish swallowed him, yet God's great mercy toward Jonah remained.- Somehow Jonah knew this, though he did not feel this.- -Then I said, 'I have been cast out of Your sight-,- Jonah 2-4a -NKJV-.- The Christian life is often lived contrary to feeling. What we feel and figure and fear - especially in times of great duress - must be brought to the immutable God who hears us, cares about us, and is always for us.- -Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple,- Jonah 2-4b.- It is the look of faith, not reaction to feelings, that we most need when we're afflicted- even when God Himself does the afflicting.- He will never forsake His own. Forgiveness and acceptance are God's unchangeable disposition toward His wayward children - no matter how far they've strayed. Because of God's great mercy, the way back into His relational presence is always shorter than the distance they've strayed.- -Salvation is of the LORD,- Jonah 2-9.- We hope you'll join us this Sunday as we continue our study of Jonah with -God of Mercy- The Way Back.-
Jonah went AWOL.- He willfully went absent without leave from God's call to preach the gospel to Nineveh.- Yet Jonah was no Judas. He was neither an apostate, nor a deserter from faith in God's redemption.- Yes, he departed from his duty to obey God's Word, so the LORD prepared the ship and the sea, the wind and the waves, to discipline a disciple gone AWOL.- But all the while, the unseen hand of God kept His wayward prophet secure for a second chance at obedience- and saved for all eternity.- -- Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish's belly,- Jonah 2-1 -NKJV-.- The great fish prepared by God was an agent of preservation, not punishment.- So it is with God's prodigal people today- He secures His wayward disciples in the shelter of His mercy- and uses His great power to keep His own.- This Sunday, we'll continue our study of Jonah, and the great fish used to display God's mercy in preserving His chosen ones.
God sent a storm at sea to reroute His wayward prophet, Jonah.- But He also used that same storm in the lives of Jonah's tempest-tossed shipmates to bring them salvation.- -Arise, call on your God-- Jonah 1-6 -NKJV-.- The sailors' cry to Jonah is one he should already have heard in his own conscience. As God's ambassador, he should have known he was in the middle of a divine opportunity to point pagans to the living God.- Instead, he slept, his conscience dulled by disobedience.- And as Jonah slept, the sailors cried out to their myriad false gods, dug deep into the sea with their oars, and jettisoned cargo once precious to them. - All their efforts failed, just as all efforts of sinful people to save themselves fail. Religion, self-effort, moralism- all seem to be typified by the sailors' vain labors.- But even human futility has its fruit when God's mercy is at work.- As soon as the sailors yielded their trust fully to the sacrifice of another on their behalf, they were saved, and their lives bore the fruit of repentance.- -- the sea ceased its raging- the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows,- Jonah 1-15-16 -NKJV-.- Please join us this Sunday as we continue our study of Jonah's prophecy with, -God of Mercy- The Cry of the Lost.-
God's people are meant to be a people of the Book.- That does not merely mean we all have Bibles or always carry Bibles with us.- It means that our entire person - mind, heart and will - is intended to be contentedly captive to God's Word.- -- and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law,- Nehemiah 8-3 -ESV-.- The Old Testament book of Nehemiah shows us the power of God's Word to shape lives of true worship- music, giving, prayer, and service all are influenced by the proper reading, teaching, and preaching of the Scriptures.- As Nehemiah led God's people in rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, he knew that a far greater reconstruction involved the people reengaging God's Word with contrite, teachable, and responsive hearts. Only when the authority of God's Word was respected and obeyed could His people live rightly before Him.- --The Levites- read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading,- Nehemiah 8-8 -ESV-.- This Sunday, Dave Kolde will preach from Nehemiah 8, -Bring Out the Book.- We'll also remember the love of our Savior Jesus, the incarnate Word, as we observe the Lord's Supper together.
God desires an intimate relationship with His people.- He is not content that we have a mere academic understanding of Him, nor that we name Him without loving Him.- So unique is this relationship desired by God that He likens it to a marriage. What a wonder this is- God intends to be known and loved by His people the way a wife knows and loves her husband.- -Who is wise- Let him understand these things.-- Though God desires to be loved exclusively, His people so often are spiritually adulterous - giving themselves to lesser loves. Judgment awaits the wayward, but God graciously offers to receive even a serially sinful bride. He invites us to acknowledge and confess our disloyalty to Him and embrace by faith His promises freely given in Jesus Christ. Such are God's merciful ways.- -Who is prudent- Let him know them.-- To be restored to God in Christ is to be enabled to live for Him, willingly and gladly, enlivened by the Spirit to journey in godliness through a world dark in its rebellion.- -For the ways of the LORD are right- the righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them,- Hosea 14-9 -NKJV-.- This Sunday, we'll finish our study of Hosea's prophecy with a look at the last verse of the last chapter and consider, -God's Loyal Love- Who is Wise--
When God created the heavens and the earth- He declared them to be good.- When God made trees that grow and flowers that bloom, he declared them good.- When God made fish that swim and animals that walk and birds that fly, he declared them all good.- God's work in creation is a good work, and it is a work that only God can do.- In Scripture, God poetically points to His good work in creation to illustrate the good work He does in and among His people-- - -I will be like the dew to Israel- he shall grow like the lily, and lengthen his roots like Lebanon. His branches shall spread- his beauty shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon,- Hosea 14-5-6 -NKJV-.- - To be reconciled, restored and rightly related to God is to be someone in whom God is doing a good work -- a work only God can do.- As dew satisfies the desert ground, sustains what would otherwise perish and supplies all that is needed to prosper- so God satisfies and sustains and supplies His people.- This Sunday, we'll return to our study of Hosea and enjoy God's great promises to His repentant, dependent people. We hope to see you here as we consider, -God's Loyal Love- -Your Fruit is Found in Me.-
The Christian life is a steady journey toward a glorious future- joyful life in a resurrected body, with Christ and His people, all of us mirroring His perfections- forever.- Certainty of this future is proven by Christ's resurrection from the dead.- And confidence in this future - what the Bible calls hope - is the atmosphere God's people are created to live in.- As fish are born to live in water, so Christians are born again to live in hope.- Do you live in hope-- -Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead-,- -1 Peter 1-3 NKJV-.- As a baby is born to grow toward maturity, so living hope is born to grow toward maturity in God's children. We know we're maturing when we live with a confident expectation of our future - no matter how difficult or scary our present circumstances.- Please join us Friday at 6 pm, and Sunday at 9 and 11 am, as we remember our Lord's death and resurrection for us. See you here-
When God formally presented Israel with her long-awaited King, He did so in the most unlikely ways.- Israel's Messiah entered Jerusalem in profound humility, not the pomp and circumstance expected of arriving majesty. - The scenery of Palm Sunday is familiar to us- Jesus arrived on a lowly donkey, not a war stallion- his entourage was no army, but a roiling, ragtag mass of commoners saying all the right things for all the wrong reasons.- What Jesus did, and did not do, left people scratching their heads.- - -And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, -Who is this-- Matthew 21-10 -NKJV-.- - As Palm Sunday's scenery is familiar, so its message is needful- Jesus is different from people's expectations. He often leaves people scratching their heads. He accomplishes what His people most need, not always what they most want or expect.- Just as its scenery is familiar and its message is needful, so Palm Sunday's warning is sobering- to measure Jesus wrongly, however enthusiastically, is to reject Him.- We hope you'll join us this Sunday as we turn to Matthew's gospel and consider, -The Presentation of the King.- See you here-
To rightly understand and delight in the gospel, we must rightly understand and delight in God's wrath. Does that seem strange to you- God's perfect displeasure at sin -- any sin -- is revealed in His wrath. We create a god of our own making when we imagine our infinitely holy Creator to be without just wrath for sin. Ancient Israel was full of such idolatry- God's people mistook His patience with their sin for His indifference. So, prophets like Hosea were sent with blunt, often startling warnings of God's wrath toward sinful people, and His merciful remedy.- --... They were filled and their heart was exalted- therefore they forgot Me. So I will be to them like a lion- Like a leopard by the road I will lurk- I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs...- -Hosea 13-6-8 - NKJV--- This Sunday, we'll return to our study of Hosea's prophecy and see how God's holiness demands that He oppose everything that is polluted. God is determined to be the enemy of sin in His world and in His people until all sin is fully vanquished. This determination is gloriously displayed at the cross of Jesus, where God's just wrath and covenant love for His people meet. I hope to see you here this Sunday as we continue our study, -God's Loyal Love.-
The gods of self are terrible taskmasters.- Self-centeredness never gets enough attention. Self-satisfaction never is content. And self-protection never feels secure.- Only when these false gods are put to death does a soul made for relationship with God find purpose, satisfaction and confidence in Him alone.- But how are these false gods killed-- -So you, by the help of your God, return- observe mercy and justice, and wait on your God continually,- Hosea 12-6 -NKJV-- As the Lord of heaven's armies prepared to judge His people, Israel, He tenderly invited them to follow the same restorative path as their patriarch, Jacob.- God graciously offers this same path to His self-preoccupied people today.- We hope to see you here this Sunday as we continue our study in Hosea with, -God's Loyal Love- Return, Observe, Wait.-
This coming Lord's Day will be a Sunday of firsts. For the first time, we'll be blessed to baptize believers indoors during a worship service. And for the first time, we'll celebrate the Lord's Supper and baptism in the same service.- Both ordinances are precious gifts from our Savior to His church to remember and testify of His sufficiency for us. The righteousness God requires of His people is a righteousness He has provided entirely -- and exclusively -- in the work of Jesus Christ. - Do you believe this-- The glorious gospel of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone is the very power of God to bring any sinful person into His family, remake them as His image-bearer, and gift them with eternal life.- -For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith- as it is written, -THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.- -Romans 1-16-17-- Just as we are saved by faith alone, we're meant to live daily by faith alone.- We hope you can join us here this Sunday as we celebrate our all-sufficient Savior with, -Sola Fide- Faith in Christ Alone.-
The uncultivated heart is destined for difficulty, even despair.-And so, for love's sake, God warns His people to cultivate their relationship with Him- to neglect to do so is to sow seeds of correction.--Sow for yourselves righteousness- reap in mercy- break up your fallow ground---Ancient Israel neglected to cultivate her love for the LORD. Instead, she presumed upon His grace and -spent- His material blessing on her own selfish desires- for centuries.-We don't have to look far back to historic Israel to see what an uncultivated heart looks like.-We can simply gaze into the mirror of Scripture and allow God to examine our hearts. Are there thorns and thistles that need to be plucked from that soil--Here is our hope- -- it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.- -Hosea 10-12 NKJV--I hope to see you here this Sunday as we continue our study of Hosea, -God's Loyal Love.-
The uncultivated heart is destined for difficulty, even despair.-And so, for love's sake, God warns His people to cultivate their relationship with Him- to neglect to do so is to sow seeds of correction.--Sow for yourselves righteousness- reap in mercy- break up your fallow ground---Ancient Israel neglected to cultivate her love for the LORD. Instead, she presumed upon His grace and -spent- His material blessing on her own selfish desires- for centuries.-We don't have to look far back to historic Israel to see what an uncultivated heart looks like.-We can simply gaze into the mirror of Scripture and allow God to examine our hearts. Are there thorns and thistles that need to be plucked from that soil--Here is our hope---- it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.- -Hosea 10-12 NKJV--I hope to see you here this Sunday as we continue our study of Hosea, -God's Loyal Love.-
How do I stay on track- Why am I always the first one to panic- Why don't I have the abundant Christian life- How can I feel the way I feel and yet press on to maturity- Do those questions sound familiar--In his precious letter to the saints in Colossae, the apostle Paul is blessing the church with solid spiritual guidance as they have been influenced by dangerous false teaching. Dangerous influencers have claimed to have superior spiritual understanding and have begun to devalue the person of Christ and the new identity each believer has in Him. Yet, Chapter 3 of Colossians exemplifies the everyday Christian endeavor toward maturity as you and I walk in the Spirit of God living in a world claiming to have superior knowledge of spiritual things.--Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body- and be thankful.- -Col 3-15 NASB--Join us this Sunday as we receive instruction from our Lord in everyday Christian living. The practical day-today life that each of us should expect and endeavor toward as we follow our great God. Please prepare by reading the letter to the Colossians, meditating specifically on Col 3-1-17. What personal direction do you see from your Lord from this passage- How can you implement it in your daily walk before Him-
Is this the end of the age--Disciples have asked that question since the church's birth.-And our Lord's answer to His first followers remains His answer to us today.--It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But- you shall be witnesses to Me-- -Acts 1-7-8 NKJV--It is the privilege of the church to continue -all that Jesus began both to do and teach- -Acts 1-1- by deliberately and actively serving as His witnesses to a perishing world.-It is Christ's Kingdom, not man's, that is to be each believer's abiding preoccupation. Like the early disciples, we struggle to keep the kingdom of man and the kingdom of God straight in our minds. Don't you think- Our perspective either helps or hinders the church's witness to our community.-This Sunday, we'll turn to Acts 1 and reconnect with our Lord's enduring commission to His followers. I hope to see you here as we consider, -When Kingdoms Collide.-
Shallow views of God lead to shallow worship- and shallow worship is idolatry renamed.-That's why God sent His prophet Hosea to bluntly put an end to His people's religious merrymaking.--Do not rejoice, O Israel, with joy like other peoples, for you have played the harlot against your God. You have made love for hire on every threshing floor.- Hosea 9-1 -NKJV--To worship God truly, we must know Him as He truly is, not as we imagine Him to be- nor how we prefer Him to be in our fallen nature.-Israel imagined herself to be a nation of true worshippers, yet God exposed her idolatry.-Hosea 9 is as severe as Hosea 8 is urgent- judgment is certain for those who harbor shallow views of God's holiness, man's sin, and the personal accountability God assigns to each sinner.-But the gospel declares God's strong resolve to pull His people out of the shallows, into the joyful depths of lasting relationship with Him.-And He has done so through the loving work of His Son.-I hope to see you here Sunday as we continue our study of Hosea, -God's Loyal Love.-
Self-reliance is an admired ideal, especially for us Americans.-But Scripture warns us that the self-reliant risk not only failure, but the dire consequences of leaving God out of their lives.--They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind..- Hosea 8-7 -NKJV--For love's sake, God warns His people to rely upon Him in every aspect of life.-Every good thing anyone experiences comes from God, whether they recognize Him or not.-In the days of the prophet Hosea, ancient Israel was blind to her self-reliance- when it came to choosing her leaders, her values, her goals - and even in her worship - self preference, not God's will, was the primary motivation.-Sound familiar--As you know, people haven't changed all that much since Hosea's time. That's why the judgment oracles given to God's people through the prophets speak so directly - and helpfully -- to us today.-I hope to see you here this Sunday as we continue our study of Hosea, -God's Loyal Love.-
Half-baked bread, a delirious dove, a bent bow.-We may not know these ancient metaphors at first glance, but we know we don't want them to describe us.-Apart from grace, they do describe us.--Whenever I want to restore the fortunes of My people- the sin of Ephraim is revealed, and the evil deeds of Samaria are exposed.- -Hosea 6-11 - 7-1 NET--God did not judge Israel because He was reluctant to forgive His people's sins. Nor will He judge anyone today for that reason. His judgment came from Israel's unwillingness to turn to Him. Though they cried out from their beds as God's discipline commenced- they still did not cry out to Him.-Israel's commitment to God was like bread burnt on one side, raw on the other. She flitted from this false hope to that one, unable to fly straight to safety in Him.-Today, sinful man's plight is no different. If God's people are to be restored to Him, He must grant such a change Himself.-I hope to see you here this Sunday as we return to our study of Hosea with, -God's Loyal Love- Hope for the Helpless.-
The names of Jesus in Scripture declare not only His identity, but His qualifications to serve us as Savior and rule us as King.-Isaiah's prophecy of Jesus' birth says- -His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.- -Isaiah 9-6 NKJV--Our Savior and King, Jesus, is like a father to His people. His love flows from His very nature, never the merit of His own, and His loyalty is unending.-The Lord's rule is not cold and unfeeling, but warm, welcoming and without condition for those who are the objects of His great affection.-Like a father, Jesus knows us fully, yet forgives us completely, and cherishes us endlessly. Is this your view of King Jesus--Of course, this father-child relationship with God is not ours by birthright- we must be adopted into His family at great cost to Himself.-Only because our Prince of Peace, Jesus, took the wrath of God for our sin can we be at peace with God and rest peacefully in our Lord's fatherly love.-This Sunday, we'll turn once more to Isaiah's prophecy of Christ's advent as we consider, -Unto Us a Child is Born- Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.-
When Christ reigns as King in your heart, you lack nothing necessary to live as light in a world darkened by the ignorance of, and rejection of, God. God makes this clear in the very names of the Child born, the Son given to us. --His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.- Isaiah 9-6 -NKJV- -Jesus is the embodiment of all divine wisdom. In fact, His counsel to His own is so wonderful that it can only be explained by His deity. No one ever instructed the LORD or gave Him counsel- He is all wisdom personified. Our plans need not lack His wonderful counsel, nor will His counsel ever lack power to be fulfilled. Jesus is our Mighty God- -God's people in ancient Judah desperately needed counsel but sought wisdom outside of God. And they looked to human strength rather than divine rescue. Can you imagine such a thing- -Where do you turn in order to make sense of your life- Whose power do you typically rely upon- -This Sunday, we'll return to Isaiah's prophecy of Christ's advent as we consider, -Unto Us a Child is Born- Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God.-
Happy Thanksgiving- This time of year is a special time of remembering the blessings each of us has received from our great God. In fact, God has demonstrated from His word that giving of thanks is a healthy necessity in the lives of His people. The Psalmist, in Psalm 78 remembers that - --He rained down manna upon them to eat and gave them food from heaven- -Psalm 78-24 NASB- -God's faithfulness to unfaithful Israel, by feeding them every single morning in the wilderness for 40 years, was only a dim picture of the life giving, daily substance you and I receive from the Bread of Life Himself - the Son of God, Jesus Christ. --For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.- -John 6-33 NASB- -Jesus Christ calls Himself the -true bread out of heaven-. He makes bold statements about himself that each of us must consider as we search out meaning, purpose, security and contentment in this short life. I hope you'll join us this Sunday as we turn to John 6 and behold this true bread - the living bread which comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world. See you here-
Israel desired healing, but not cleansing. She wanted happiness, but not holiness- changed circumstances without changed character. In other words, Israel faked repentance.---For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew it goes away.- Hosea 6-4 -NKJV---Faked repentance promises much yet delivers nothing, like a rainless cloud or disappearing dew. Yet faked repentance is common among people suffering from the consequences of sin. Most of us know this from personal experience, don't you think- That's why the Scripture warns us against hasty, thoughtless words and worship, imagining such things satiate our holy God.---Walk prudently when you go to the house of God- do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God.- Ecclesiastes 5-1-2 -NKJV---True repentance is a gift from God - because it must be. And God is eager to impart this gift generously to all who desire Him.
Can you imagine a nation decaying slowly from the inside out, its leadership increasingly self-serving and its people increasingly immoral--Me too.-God sent His prophet, Hosea, to warn ancient Israel of the dire consequences of knowing about God, but not actually knowing God. - -There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land.- -Hosea 4-1 NKJV--To know God is not merely an intellectual matter, nor a matter of religious practices.-God desires a heart-devotion to Him that is akin to covenant love within a marriage. -To identify as God's people without this covenant love offends God and invites His judgment. A pandemic of wickedness - and the eventual collapse of the nation - were the consequences of Israel's slow, steady rejection of the true knowledge of God.- -My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge-- -Hosea 4-6--Where can such true knowledge be found- I hope to see you here this Sunday as we continue our study of Hosea with -God's Loyal Love- Do You Know Him--
God's love for you is relentless, rich and redemptive.-And Hosea's prophecy makes plain to us that God's redemptive work of grace is a bit one-sided. God initiates the restoration of His wayward people, then provides everything necessary for sinners like you and me to be rightly related to our holy God.-Of course, such rich generosity from God is costly to Him. He gave His own Son to satisfy His justice and impart to us the righteousness we owe to Him, but do not have to give-
God's love at times comes in the form of discipline. He loves His own far too much to let us stray too far, or too long, from the safety and well-being of intimate relationship with Him.-God likened rebellious Israel to an unfaithful bride who brazenly chased satisfaction outside of her marriage. Israel's ungrateful, idolatrous, hyper-sexualized culture was akin to spiritual adultery. Through the prophet Hosea, God warned His people that He would not allow them to find satisfaction through their love affair with the world. Instead, He would strip away Israel's material prosperity, military security, and hollow religion - leaving her destitute and desperate for her God.
-O love of God, how rich and pure. How measureless and strong. It shall forevermore endure - the saints' and angels' song-- That old hymn could well have served as the soundtrack to Hosea's life. God's prophet to ancient Israel lived out the painful message he was sent to preach to the LORD's people. -- the LORD said to Hosea- -Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the LORD- -Hosea 1-2 - NKJV-. Say what- Why would God ask His faithful prophet to marry an unfaithful pagan woman- What would be gained by marrying piety to promiscuity- God wanted His prophet to understand the scandalously loyal love He has for His chosen people, despite their immorality and idolatry. Though divine discipline would surely come to His enduring. That same relentless love envelopes God's children today - despite our unworthiness- The old hymn, based on a much older Jewish poem, sings this so well- -The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell, it goes beyond the highest.
We tend to gauge our spiritual maturity by outward measures -- the same way we gauge the maturity of others. The 10th Commandment won't let us get away with that. -You shall not covet- anything that is your neighbor's- -Exodus 20-17 NKJV-. Not until we meditate on the last of the 10 Commandments do we realize just how deeply sin is settled within us. Known only to God and ourselves is the reality of our desires, and the true state of our contentment with God's good providence in our lives. We're not alone in this. The Apostle Paul said it was the 10th Commandment that confronted him with his sinfulness because it forced him to consider his heart, not just his behavior. It takes the ongoing power of the gospel to conquer disordered desires and compel us to live contentedly within God's will for us. This Sunday, we'll finish our study of the 10 Commandments, -Law of Love and Liberty.- I hope to see you here-
-You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.- Exodus 20-15 -NKJV--Love for God demands that we imitate His truthfulness. And love for our neighbor demands that we guard others' reputations against what is harmfully said, or even harmfully not said. -Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.- We all know that one, right- And we all know it's utterly false- malicious words of gossip and slander can hurt us, or harm others, profoundly. The 9th commandment is the cornerstone for law courts throughout human history. Foundational to any community is reliability in its justice system. Still today, witnesses are asked to -swear to tell the truth, the whole truth,- because justice depends upon truthfulness. However, God's prohibition against bearing false witness has profound implications for the way we reflect Him and what it means to love others. Join us Sunday as we continue our study of the 10 Commandments, -Law of Love and Liberty.-
Rightly loving our neighbors demands that we respect not only their person - but their property. Personal property rights - and the stewardship these rights imply - are an essential building block for community. This is God's design from creation. Fallen man always wants more than what God has provided, and even feels he's entitled to it. But a biblical understanding of possessions calls us to a life of gratitude and contentment, recognizing that we're merely stewards of God's good gifts. As with all the 10 commandments, the negative command - -You shall not steal- - has positive demands. God's people are to respect what belongs to others, treat one another fairly when it comes to money, and even expend ourselves to protect what is valuable to others. I hope to see you here this Sunday as we continue our study of the 10 Commandments, -Law of Love and Liberty.-
Just as murderous thoughts devalue people made in God's image, so adulterous thoughts murder marriages. That's why God places a protective boundary around sexual intimacy- it's reserved for one man, married to one woman, for life. -You shall not commit adultery.- Exodus 20-14 -NKJV- Like all of God's moral law, the seventh commandment reaches deep into the heart, and has far-reaching implications for society. Any distortion of God's design for sex within marriage not only offends His holiness, but unravels the bonds of family and community. Not surprisingly, rampant sexual sin always characterizes both souls, and societies, in decay. Lasting hope is found only in the gospel. In Christ we find both freedom from condemnation, and freedom from bondage to sin.
Doctors fought around the clock to save the life of an unborn child whose mother fell gravely ill with COVID-19. By God's grace, those desperate efforts earlier this summer spared both mom and child. During the 20 days it took to preserve those two lives, Americans voluntarily and legally killed 47,000 unborn babies through abortion. Who determines whose life is worth protecting- How do we explain a culture that fights fiercely for life in some circumstances, yet callously disregards and even discards life in other circumstances- The disconnect in medical ethics today simply shows the staggering disconnect between sinful man and our holy God. God, who made man in His image, makes clear that all human life is holy and worthy of protection. This Sunday, we'll consider the broad reach of the sixth commandment with -Law of Love and Liberty- Mending Murderous Hearts.-
Honoring others does not come naturally to us. Yet honoring others is foundational to society- human community cannot flourish apart from the order and respect that is incubated in families. The fifth commandment is in many ways a template for other relationships with authority we have in our lives. The family structure, by God's design, lays the foundation for all other forms of authority and obedience within society. All around us we see evidence that the violation of this commandment leads to chaos and the disintegration of community. Do you see it- It's no wonder the spirit of the age militates relentlessly against God's design for the family-
God ordained a day of physical and spiritual rest at Creation. The Lord's Sabbath was never intended to be a burdensome -have-to,- but a refreshing respite for both body and soul. -Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.- Exodus 20-8 -NKJV- But is Sabbath -rest- still as essential today as God proclaimed it to be in the days of Adam and Moses- If so, how is Sabbath rightly observed- By God's design, Sabbath is for His people. A life of busyness seven-days-a-week makes us forgetful of God and our souls. One day a week, it's our privilege to slow down, remember Him, trust Him and feed affections for Him.
What a privilege is ours this Sunday as-we celebrate new life in Jesus Christ.-Several of our brothers and sisters will-take an essential step of obedience to the-Lord and proclaim their allegiance to Him-through baptism.-Baptism is not merely a public profession of an-individual's faith in Jesus, it is a proclamation from God-Himself of His great work for His own, His will for His-own, and His future for His own.--... we were buried with Him through baptism into-death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead-by the glory of the Father, even so we also should-walk in newness of life.--I hope to see you here this Sunday as we turn to-Romans 6 and consider -Alive to God in Christ.-
God's name declares Who He is.-And God's name declares what He-does for His people.-He is El Shaddai - LORD God-Almighty.-He is Jehovah Shalom -- the Lord-is Peace.-He is Jehovah Jireh - the LORD Will Provide, and-He is Jehovah-Raah, the LORD My Shepherd.-And of course, He is the great -I AM- - the-eternal, self-existent, self-fulfilled, sovereign God-who depends on no one and needs nothing.--O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your-name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory-above the heavens.- Psalm 8-1 -NKJV--Because God's name reveals His greatness and-the essence of His character, His name stands for-God Himself.--That's why the third commandment is much-more than a prohibition against cursing.--You shall not take the name of the LORD-your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold-him guiltless who takes His name in vain.--Exodus 20-7 -NKJV--Every time we worship with our lips, but not our-hearts, we misuse His name. Every time we think-wrongly of God and misrepresent Him to others-by the way we speak and act, we take His name-in vain.-Yet our gracious God is Jehovah Tsidkenu, the-LORD Our Righteousness- In Christ, the law's-condemnation is silenced, and its instruction-embraced, and followed.-Join us Sunday as we continue our look at the-10 Commandments, -Law of Love and Liberty.-
God reveals Himself to His people, then gives to us the responsibility to worship Him rightly. Any -imaging- of God made by human hands falls far short of representing God as He truly is. -For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God- - Exodus 20-5 -NKJV- The second commandment, however, is not merely a warning against making graven images. When our thoughts of God are incongruent with how He has revealed Himself in His Word, we act idolatrously. We are idolaters at heart- What joy that our jealous God is infinitely merciful, eager to receive those who turn to Him as He reveals Himself in His Son, Jesus.
God did not set Israel free from-bondage in Egypt so they could-invent their own identities and design-their own lifestyles.-He miraculously set them free so-they could live as His chosen people.--Let My people go, that they may serve Me...--Exodus 7-16 -NKJV--True freedom is found in grateful submission to-God's will. And He's revealed His will in His law.-God's moral law is, and always has been, the-atmosphere of life enjoyed by those who love God-from a rescued heart.-I hope to see you here this Sunday as we-continue our look at the 10 Commandments -- -Law-of Love and Liberty.-
All over our country, people have-been stirred to anger.-Rioting, looting, name-calling and-assault highlight the sin nature's-inability to restrain even righteous-indignation over racism.-The church is called to exude-a very different kind of provocation.--...let us consider one another in order to stir-up love and good works... - Hebrews 10-24 -NKJV--We gather on Sundays, in part, to be stirred up--provoked- in love and good works, expressed-tangibly toward one another and our community.-I hope you'll join us this Sunday as we consider,--Essential Church- Provoked to Love.-
Are churches essential--As our country continues to-argue over which public gatherings-are truly essential, the Scripture is-inarguable- a church, by definition,-is a gathering of God's chosen-people.--And our gathering together is vital to our-enjoying, equipping, and expressing the miraculous-union we have with Christ and one another.--I pray... that they all may be one, as You,-Father, are in Me, and I in You... that the world-may believe that You sent Me.- John 17-21 -NKJV--Join us this Sunday - a communion Sunday - as-we consider, -Essential Church- Communion in-Christ's Body.-