What a scene… rays of light visible from heaven to a world, weary under the weight of sin and desperately anticipating the birth of the Messiah. Light takes on a new meaning during that night long ago, breaking through a desperate world with a new and glorious promise of what we are worth.
1st week of Advent | O Come, O Come Emmanuel Waiting for God is a constant and ever-present biblical theme. The Israelites waited for 500 years for the promised Messiah - when will the waiting end?
A lot of life happened in the time of Abraham and Sarah. Battles and blessings, tragedy and triumph. All things must come to an end, so what does Abraham ‘end’ up with? A place … a sacred space realized at the end of a journey that never had a destination.
We know that both good and evil exist... they exist at the same time, in the same place, among the same people and places. It seems with one hand, God is pouring out blessing on those who are faithful and with His other hand, exacting judgement on those who engage in sin and perversion. Consider Lot and his family.... what a mess. Abraham goes to bat for folks that, in all reality, God wanted to destroy. How did Abraham's pleas to the LORD change the outcome? Did it really? Maybe God knew someth...
Abraham has been patient... he also has become a bit impatient. "What good is all this if I do not have a son?" he asks. And there it is... Abraham is laser focused on what is missing instead of God's promise of what will be or what already is. Several times God assures Abraham of his promised blessing, even laying out a timeline of future events up until his death. The one thing that was still missing from the timeline? God's promise to them of a son.
As our Psalms in 2024 exploration comes to a close, these two represent the extremes - despair and abject praise. Whether we cry out to the LORD day and night about our suffering and affliction (Ps. 88) or whether we praise Him for his greatness with trumpets, tambourines and dancing (Ps. 150) , He hears us… and knows us and loves us. Praise the LORD!
Abraham and Sarah’s son, Isaac, is the fulfillment of God’s promise to them that He would bring forth from them many nations. They were faithful and patient and followed the call of God to leave all they knew and go. A lot happened before Isaac appeared on the scene, but what about after? What might Isaac have to say about this adventure to nowhere in particular?
Fear causes people to do things that seem to defy their very character and invites into our lives a whole host of problems. Make a big mistake? Tell a big lie to alleviate the consequences. When fear is a stronghold, it causes us to act and react in ways that are detrimental to our relationship with God and with others. Fear has no rightful place in the hearts and minds of believers in Jesus.
"Why do nations rage? Why do the people waste their time with futile plans?" Good questions as we observe the world today. "But the One who rules in heaven laughs. The LORD scoffs at them." Good answers because we are confident of who is in charge.
The LORD told Abram to leave everything and everyone he knew and go. Go where? Nowhere in particular, but he was told his obedience would be blessed. Not only would he be blessed by following the LORD’s command, but all the people who came after him… and all those who came after them… would also be blessed. “All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” vs. 3b His life was sure going to be an adventure!
In this fragile and broken world, suffering is inevitable. We all will go through suffering. We all will have opportunities to walk alongside those who are suffering. So how are we to handle this reality? How can we give comfort? The answer is found in Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church. He asserts that because we have a loving heavenly father who gives us comfort, we are empowered to share this comfort to others in their time of need.
We have come to the end of our series in the book of Daniel - boy, there was a lot. What did we learn? What did we not learn? During this series, “Christians, Culture and the Beast” , the parallels between that time and our modern culture and socio-political environment are clear; it’s about power - who wants it and who ultimately grants it. In the end, like Daniel and his friends, we can gratefully say that “we do not need to defend ourselves before [you]” to those who deny the sovereignty, pow...
Nothing makes any sense…but yet it does. God continues to give Daniel all sort of visions - strange and glorious all at once. The visions portray the great peril that will be visited upon those who are wicked, but those who possess wisdom and continue in faithfulness… well, that’s a different ending altogether.
"But watch out! Be very careful never to forget what you have seen the LORD do for you. Do not let these things escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them onto your children and grandchildren.” Deuteronomy 4:9 We want to celebrate and encourage the grandparents in our church family who serve as important and often stabilizing forces inside the family unit, providing a consistent example of a godly life.
"I will lie down in peace and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe." Psalm 4:8 Because this world is a scary place, we can rest assured knowing we are in the hands of our Heavenly Father who is says, "go to sleep."
Daniel is given even more interesting insight through an unexpected messenger. The information is very specific - eerily specific - but what does it all mean? What does God have in store for the people still in exile in Babylon?
“For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.” Psalm 1:6 Do you know which path you’re on?
Daniel has seen some incredible things - some at the hands of men and some by the hand of God. He knows the people are wretched and lost in their sin and wickedness. Even so, what does Daniel do? He pleads to the LORD on their behalf even though he knows they don’t deserve help because Daniel knows the LORD is merciful. What happens next is God’s emphatic, “I got this.”
The book of Daniel has traveled an interesting and mysterious path, and we have been along for the ride. Beasts and blessings, idols and images and things that prove even stranger than the ones before. What’s it all mean?
The Bible is full of weird and wonderful things… strange visions, miraculous occurrences and all manner of creatures that defy human imagination. Really, the book of Daniel could be AKA ”Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them.” It all makes for a good story, but what do these things have to do with our present, day-to-day faith journey?
“O God, I praise your word. I put my trust in you. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? “ v. 3-4 “For you have rescued me from death; you have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light.” v. 13 What can man do to me? Turns out, man can do quite a lot. Even so, what a comforting set of book ends for us as we live during this time and place in history.
It seems the key characters in the book of Daniel are having groundhog’s day experiences. Over and over, bad stuff leads to faith and surrender that leads to blessing, leading then to a king’s inflated ego and then different bad stuff happens because of pride and sin. This time, it gets a little more personal. “What have I done,” wonders the king. Well, he’s about to find out.
What transpired during the years King Nebuchadnezzar was ‘absent’ had transformed him, but what about the new king? Would this guy be a student of history or would he take the familiar road to idolatry, power seeking and personal glory? Any guesses?
Is the king on the right track now? He certainly heaps praise and honor upon God. But again, the king falls back into the ‘look at the cool stuff I’ve done in my kingdom’ mentality and through another dream, Daniel explains to him what will happen if he does not turn away from his sin. Maybe the king only learns the hard way.
Daniel has risen in the ranks, but things go sideways in a hurry. King Nebuchadnezaar had become a little too enamored with himself and jumps the shark… “bow down to the statue, and serve my gods - everyone - or die in a blazing furnace.” That was definitely a ‘dark valley of death’, but unwaveringly, they declined to worship the idol. Their God, whom they knew intimately and trusted fully, would save them, whether in life or death.
Remember who you are… an important admonition for Daniel as he follows God in the midst of serious opposition. Daniel continues to pursue a life of faithfulness and trusts in God’s promises even though it got hard… really hard. How can we follow Daniel’s example and look forward - truly ‘wait for it’ - as we live life in a culture that is hostile to believers in Jesus?
The book of Daniel contains religious, cultural and political implications that are equally relevant now. How do God’s people remain faithful to Him while living in a culture that is hostile to their faith? Explore with us, from now through the end of July, what it means to be a Christian in the culture today as we determine “how then shall we live?” in the midst of our own cultural chaos.
Moms, how often have you said, “Oh, I’m fine. Things are fiiiiine” when asked how you are? Sometimes? Always? Where do you go when things are. not. fine? When the weight of the world is heavy, and when sin and struggle seem overwhelming, there is comfort in our closeness to Jesus.
Can you think of some things to be thankful for? It’s not November or Thanksgiving Day, but we can practice thankfulness everyday… for the redemption of our sin, for God’s dominion over all of creation and His daily provision in each of our lives. May we all shout and sing for joy because of these things!
To really serve someone is an invitation from Jesus to meet that person in their present & particular need. It could look like a lot of different things - be open to all kinds of opportunities. Additionally, as we build a relationship with someone, there will be a chance to share about yourself. Telling any story well is an art! Jesus has done something amazing in all of our faith stories - can tell yours in an interesting and meaningful way?...
