WEEKly Thoughts

Pastor’s Weekly Meditation

August 28, 2022

“Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it.” Hebrews 4:1.

In Hebrews the author is warning the hearers against unbelief. They are reminded that it was the unbelief of their ancestors that caused them to wander in the desert for 40 years. Even as they wandered because of their rejection of God, they continued to turn away from God and let their thoughts and minds seek other gods for solace. God did not allow these children to enter the land of promise, and the entire generation died. As the Hebrews faced the renewed persecutions that were being brought upon them, they are again warned that unlike their ancestors, they must not turn from God. They have become partners with Christ through his sacrifice if they remain firm to the end. If they falter, if they fall away and allow their unbelief to overcome them, they will face the same fate and be refused entrance into the Promised Land offered by Jesus.

While the Hebrews in their wanderings had been promised a place to call their own, the promised land of Jesus was a place of rest and freedom from toil. Hebrews says you need to take care to make sure you do not fail to enter this place of rest. This is the Good News. Those who heard the message and had faith will be reunited, but those who listened and did not believe will not. Genesis speaks of God resting on the seventh day from all the work he had done. This will be the same for you when you come to rest after your work is complete. This is the same rest spoken of by David when he told his people not to harden their hearts against the Lord. This is the rest offered by Joshua when he offered the Israelites a time of rest even as they prepared for battle. The rest offered by the Sabbath is a forerunner of the rest you will find in heaven.

In our fast paced world, it is often hard to think about finding a time of rest. We work long hours neglecting our families to take a time of rest with a vacation. Then we cram as much into the short time allowed as we can to make sure we get to see everything. We end up more exhausted at the end of our rest than we were before we started. Taking time to rest is important to our well-being. Even more important is spending the time we have doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. When we do not waiver in our belief, when we spend our time in love and service, we find at the end of the day we are not as exhausted. And we know the ultimate time of rest still awaits.

Pastor’s Weekly Meditation

November 01, 2021

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Romans 12: 17-18.

The Lectionary text presents two different concepts for the day. The first comes at the end of a passage defining the marks of a true Christian in romans 12. As it says above, a true Christian does not repay evil for evil, but instead strives to live peaceably with everyone. You are not called to seek your own vengeance, but to let God repay whatever evil you receive. If your enemy is hungry feed them and if they are thirsty give them drink. You will never be able to overcome evil with evil but can only overcome evil with good. This biblical concept of heaping love on others to win them to Christ was just as hard to grasp for the Romans as it is for us today. It is also just as relevant.

The second point jumps down to Romans 13 and tells us we need to have love for one another. Paul says we should not owe another for anything. The reason is that if we are in debt to another then they are in control of your destiny. While this may not be quite as absolute now as it was, the point is still relevant. The only thing you should owe to another is love. When you have love for another you are fulfilling the Law. The commandments governing our relationships with others are clear, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, (v.9a). Yet all five of these commands can be summed up in one word, “love.” It was Jesus himself who set the standard of loving others as yourself. In other words, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.” (v.10).

While Paul presents the Law of Love as an absolute, he also understands reality. The last half of our verse states, “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” It is your responsibility to try and live peaceably with others, but there are some who will refuse to live peaceable with you. When that happens, you need to do everything in your power to maintain the peace. If peace cannot be found, you need to drop the conflict and peaceably walk away. Love is a two-way bond and needs to be embraced by both parties. When it is not, you need to move on and not beat yourself up because you could not get the relationship to work.

Pastor’s Weekly Meditation

October 24, 2021

“When God made a promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,” Hebrews 6:13.

Hebrews is one of the Bible books where we do not have a clear determination, or even a consensus, of the author. There have been several plausible authors throughout church history. Many attribute the authorship to Paul and that held until the last few centuries and the rise of textual criticism. The differences between Hebrews and Paul’s other writings have led others to say it was a close companion of Paul, and who accompanied him on his journeys, like Luke. Other scholars suggest Priscilla wrote Hebrews. If this is the case, she would be the only female author to contribute to Scripture. The Hall of Faith featured in Hebrews 11 features three women, something a male writer may overlook. Priscilla also spent a great deal of time with Paul and his companions on their missionary journeys. Then there are other companions of Paul like Barnabas or Apollos or even others, who might have written the letter.

Hebrews is written to the Hebrews, and particularly to Jewish people who had converted to Christianity during the first century, prior to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Because the Jewish audience would have had a rich understanding of Old Testament history, the main purpose of Hebrews is to show how Christ fulfilled prophecies set forth in the Old Testament and to prove the sufficiency of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Hebrews 6 surely provides this focus as it begins declaring the primacy of obedience to God through Jesus Christ and then compares Christ with Melchizedek. Unlike this Old Testament priest who made sacrifices to God for Moses, Jesus Christ was himself the sacrifice to reconcile all humanity to God.

As our verse states, God could not swear to any greater power because God was the ultimate power. So too with his sacrifice Jesus gave us the assurance that we may take refuge in himself as the hope for our salvation. Jesus came as a forerunner on our behalf and became our intervening High Priest before God. Hebrews the book, shows this was fore ordained and spoken of by the prophets. The signs and wonders said to be coming with the Messiah were fulfilled with and by Jesus. Like the earlier Hebrews, we are also called to hold onto the hope and promise of Jesus as the Christ, and as our eternal access to God.

Pastor’s Weekly Meditation

October 17, 2021

“Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.” Luke 16:25.

Jesus has just told his disciples the parable of the dishonest steward and how you cannot serve two masters (God and money). Luke then says, “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all this, and they ridiculed him” (v.14). Jesus then responds with the parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus. The parable tells of a rich man who dines in luxury but ignores the beggar Lazarus who sits at his door. Both die and the rich man goes to Hades where he is tormented mercilessly. He looks up and sees Lazarus seated beside Abraham and calls out for help. Abraham responds with today’s verse, “now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.”

To the rich man’s credit, he then thinks of his five brothers and asks that Lazarus be sent to warn them, so they do not suffer his same fate. Abraham refuses, saying they already have Moses and the Prophets, and they should listen. While he agrees they should, the rich man also says they will listen if someone from the dead comes to tell them to care for others. Moses disagrees and tells him if they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not listen to someone who has risen from the dead.

Every time I read this story it reminds me of one of my favorite movies, A Christmas Carol. Marley comes back from the dead to warn Scrooge of his impending fate due to his lack of care for the poor. As Marley leaves, he opens the window to show a homeless mother and baby crouched in the street in front of Scrooge’s house. Although Scrooge finally repents, his immediate response is, “Bah! Humbug!” We have not only been given the Law and the Prophets, but we have also been given the example of Jesus. Care for “the poor, orphans, and widows” is what we have been asked to do. Now we just need to be obedient to God.

Pastor’s Weekly Meditation

October 10, 2021

“And Sarah died at Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.” Genesis 23:2.

The death of Abraham’s wife Sarah provides several insights into the fulfillment of the promises God gave to Abraham. Chronologically, this occurs just after God’s command to sacrifice Isaac on the altar. God used this act as a test of Abraham’s faith. Isaac was Abraham and Sarah’s only son and now he was to be sacrificed. Sarah was too old to have children even prior to the birth of Isaac, and yet miraculously Isaac was born. The couple would have never been able to have another child, yet Abraham’s faith in God allowed him to go forward with the sacrifice. Ultimately, God spared Isaac and provided a ram caught in a thicket for the sacrifice.

Now that Sarah has died, her burial provides another insight on how God provided for Abraham. The land where Abraham lived was the territory of the Hittites. That meant when Sarah died Abraham had no family burial cave for her body. Abraham went to the Hittites and offered to buy a plot of land with a new cave that he could use. The Hittites recognized Abraham as a “mighty prince,” and agreed to allow him to bury Sarah. This effectively gave Abraham claim to a portion of land within the Hittite Kingdom. Ephron initially refused to take payment for the plot but finally agreed on a price and sold Abraham the burial cave. This purchase served as a treaty between Abraham and the Hittites. The burial cave became the place where the “bones of the ancestors” were buried throughout the period of the Patriarchs.

I found it interesting that Ephron’s response on the cave was, ““My lord, listen to me; a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver—what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.” It reminded me of being in Egypt and being offered free faïence replicas of scarab beetles. I was wary and as my female companions walked away the merchant said, “As you will.” That’s when I understood this gift was not free. Neither was the cave given to Abraham by Ephron. The purchase of the cave did establish Abraham as a resident in Canaan and legitimized his presence among the Hittites. While it may be true that nothing is really free, Abraham’s faith in God fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham by providing an heir and permanent place to live.

Pastor’s Weekly Meditation

October 3, 2021

“Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed.” I Peter 1:13.

I Peter is identified as written by “an apostle of Jesus Christ” (v. 1:1) to Christians scattered throughout the northern areas of Asia Minor. These Christians probably included both Jews and Gentiles. As Peter addressed them as “aliens,” they were living their lives in such a way that they would have stood out as aliens among the surrounding culture. As we pick up the text in verse 13, Peter is calling for his hearers to live a holy life. You need to abandon the old ways of worldly living and conform to the holy life offered by the one who called you, Jesus the Christ. “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (v.16).

Peter goes on to say they have been ransomed from their old life, not with silver or gold but by the blood of Christ. Since Peter tells them to live reverently “during their time of exile,” these are probably converts from the area around the Jerusalem church who have been scattered by the Jewish persecutions of Christians. You need to continue to trust in the God who raised Jesus from the dead and glorified him in heaven. You can live a changed life holding to the knowledge that your faith and hope are set in the promises God has already begun to fulfill in Christ.

These verses continue to tell us that our blessings from God will sustain us when we endure hardship caused by living a holy life. Knowing our inheritance comes from Christ we can endure the hardship and understanding our salvation should motivate us to faithful living. As God’s chosen people we should be encouraged to practice our faithfulness. All this is evident in the Good News of Jesus that has been announced, and that you now profess. The same blessings of God still sustain believers to this day. They still allow us to endure the hardships that arise as we live outside of the self-centeredness of the world. They still motivate us to faithful living. This was and still is the Good News offered on our behalf by Jesus as the Christ.

Pastor’s Weekly Meditation

September 28, 2021

“Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed.” I Peter 1:13.

I Peter is identified as written by “an apostle of Jesus Christ” (v. 1:1) to Christians scattered throughout the northern areas of Asia Minor. These Christians probably included both Jews and Gentiles. As Peter addressed them as “aliens,” they were living their lives in such a way that they would have stood out as aliens among the surrounding culture. As we pick up the text in verse 13, Peter is calling for his hearers to live a holy life. You need to abandon the old ways of worldly living and conform to the holy life offered by the one who called you, Jesus the Christ. “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (v.16).

Peter goes on to say they have been ransomed from their old life, not with silver or gold but by the blood of Christ. Since Peter tells them to live reverently “during their time of exile,” these are probably converts from the area around the Jerusalem church who have been scattered by the Jewish persecutions of Christians. You need to continue to trust in the God who raised Jesus from the dead and glorified him in heaven. You can live a changed life holding to the knowledge that your faith and hope are set in the promises God has already begun to fulfill in Christ.

These verses continue to tell us that our blessings from God will sustain us when we endure hardship caused by living a holy life. Knowing our inheritance comes from Christ we can endure the hardship and understanding our salvation should motivate us to faithful living. As God’s chosen people we should be encouraged to practice our faithfulness. All this is evident in the Good News of Jesus that has been announced, and that you now profess. The same blessings of God still sustain believers to this day. They still allow us to endure the hardships that arise as we live outside of the self-centeredness of the world. They still motivate us to faithful living. This was and still is the Good News offered on our behalf by Jesus as the Christ.

Pastor’s Weekly Meditation

September 20, 2021

“There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor?” James 4:12.

Our focus verse on judging comes amid warning on actions we need to take to keep ourselves right with God and each other. This begins asking us to “draw near to God.” When we set our focus on God, God will also reach out to us. If you are sinning, you need to wash your hands and purify you hearts. That means we need to stop sinning and be obedient to God’s will. Those who do not believe in God participate in the frivolity of disobedience, but we need to humble ourselves before the Lord. If we do, the Lord will lift us up and we will find joy.

After telling us to get our own lives right before God, James next warns his hearers against judging another person for their actions or words. James commands us not to speak evil of another. This includes the gossip that is so freely given. When we gossip, it is rarely done to lift our neighbor, but instead to tear them down. When we speak against them it is done as a way of judging them for falling short of our expectations. James reminds us that when we judge another, we are setting ourselves as better than they are. In fact, there is only one judge, and that is God. You can neither save nor destroy your neighbor, but only God can. Why do you waste time judging when it does no good for you are for them? Take care of yourself and do not worry about trying to correct others.

A third action addressed is boasting about the great things we will be able to do . . . tomorrow. We do not know the future and have no power over what will happen tomorrow. We can only live today and seek to do God’s will. James’ direction provides a three-part admonition. We need to focus our life on obedience, not judge others for how they live their life, and then live with obedience today. James says this is what it means to live your life right. Now that you know what it is to live right, "Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin” (v. 17). Bottom line, focus on what you say and how you act, and let others do the same.

Pastor’s Weekly Meditation

September 13, 2021

“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.” Romans 3:20.

Our text from Romans 3 comes amid a discussion on how we become righteous before God. The Jews based righteousness on obedience to the Law. The problem with this approach is no one has ever been able to keep all aspects of the law all the time. Circumcision was considered a mark of obedience to the Law, but circumcision was a mark of obedience, not the act of obedience and had no saving grace. Some who had been circumcised did not remain faithful in obedience, but God remained faithful to them despite their transgressions. While the Law was held as a benchmark for righteousness, failure to comply with the Law required a constant stream of sacrifices to once more remove the sins committed since the last sacrifice.

Paul taught that when we profess belief in Christ we are no longer bound by the Law and are instead justified by God’s grace. That led some to declare that the Law no longer had any place in directing how we should live our lives. Others took the next step to say since we sin and are then justified by grace, the more we sin the greater God’s forgiveness. If that is the case, we should sin as much as possible to illustrate the breadth of the grace we have been given. Paul’s response is to say while the Law no longer binds us to ensure righteousness, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit means that we have been made sacred. To continue to sin defiles that which God has made holy. While we may no be made righteous by the Law, the Law is still valuable as it makes us “conscious of our sin.”

I have often seen bumper stickers which read, “Christians are not perfect, just forgiven.” It is critical for us to remember both aspects. We are not perfect, and all continue to fall short of the glory of God. Being a Christian does not exempt you from the Law and the Law shines a light on how we fall short. Neither are we bound by the Law. The law can neither condemn nor save us. When we accept Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we are forgiven. We are forgiven for the sins in the past. We are forgiven for lack of compassion shown now. We are forgiven when we will slip up and sin against others in the future. Even when you fail to read the playbook (Bible), God has written your moves on your heart. If you miss a play, you are still forgiven.

Pastor’s Weekly Meditation

September 06, 2021

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1.

Hebrews 11:1 provides perhaps the best example of the meaning of faith in the Christian walk. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Throughout the remainder of the chapter the author provides examples of those who have acted out of their faith. This begins with Abel, Enoch, and Noah, then speaks of Abraham, touches on Moses, and ends with the faith displayed by other Old Testament heroes. The author literally walks his hearers through the breadth of Hebrew ancestry, from creation through the prophets. This reminder of the faithfulness of their forefathers then sets the stage for the faith we need to have. Being surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, how could we fail to also act in faith?

Now it is our turn to run the race of life and face the trials that are before us as the latest in a long line of God’s faithful servants. If the ancestors are not enough, then we may also turn to the example of faith provided by Jesus. Jesus is both the pioneer and the perfecter of our faith. Jesus was the pioneer having existed before Abel and became the perfecter by his sacrifice on the cross. Jesus endured the cross and disregarded the shame of hanging on a tree. Now Jesus has taken his seat on the right hand of God in the glory of heaven. So too, we must reject the shame of sin that weighs us down and continue to persevere as we run the race of life.

We have not been left on our own to run our race but have been given special gifts that we need to use the further the work of the Body of Christ. These gifts do not even have value to us individually, they need to be shared to give them worth. Our gifts will lift others as they run, just as their gifts will also lift you. Hebrews reminds that we are not the first to have faith to act in the service of God. It reminds us of the example set by Christ in service of God. It tells us we are not alone but stand as a Body supported by the gifts given by God to aide in preforming our service. This great cloud of witnesses surrounds us, giving us the faith to continue to do the work of God, even amid your trials.

𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿’𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵 29, 2021

“When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was greatly pleased and said, “Praise be to the Lord today, for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.” I Kings 5:7.

I Kings tells us that after David “went to be with his ancestors,” his son Solomon became the king of the unified nations of Israel and Judah. Solomon had asked the Lord for wisdom to lead the people. After Solomon had approached Hiram with an offer to buy timber and stone for the Jerusalem, King Hiram recognized Solomon had God’s wisdom. Solomon had sent a message asking that cedars of Lebanon be cut. The Hebrews would work along with the men of Sidon and Solomon would pay them whatever wages Hiram set. After all, “You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians” (v. 6).

It was when Hiram heard Solomon’s message that he praised him as wise. Hiram agreed to provide all the cedar and juniper logs Solomon wanted. In return, Solomon would provide Hiram twenty thousand cors (about 6 bushels) of wheat as food and an additional twenty thousand baths (or a tenth of a cor) of pressed olive oil, which Solomon continued to do for Hiram “year after year.” Solomon also conscripted 30,000 men from the Hebrews as stonecutters and 3,300 foremen to oversee the project to all work alongside Hiram’s craftsmen. The Lord had given Solomon wisdom as promised, and the nations lived in peace because of the treaty between Hiram and Solomon.

Solomon was good at crafting deals and making alliances with the surrounding nations. This was often from the wives and concubines he married to make his house literally related to his neighbors. Solomon also forged treaties to export horses from Muzur (Musri) and Kue (Cilicia) (today in southeastern Turkey), and chariots from Egypt. These supplied Solomon’s own chariot cities for defense but were sold to the Hittite and Syrian kings. Through marriage, arms deals, and agricultural trades, Solomon maintained a free and wealthy empire. Where Solomon was not as adept was dealing with his own people, as the conscripted labors indicate. His son Rehoboam attempted to continue conscription after Solomon died and it led to the split of Israel and Judah. You need to take care of your own people as well as make treaties with others.