“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.  But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods!  It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.  And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God.”

Joshua 24:14-18

It was Moses at the direction of God who served to lead the Hebrews out of Egyptian slavery. At his death Joshua, who was his lieutenant, assumed the command. He led the Hebrews into the land of Canaan and directed the conquering of the people native to the land. Now at the age of 110, prior to his death, he delivers a farewell address to his people. His declaration is that they must make a choice between following the God of their rescue as opposed to the many idols worshipped by those remaining in the Promised Land. Joshua is clear in his choice to follow God. His example served the people well for a period of time but then they drifted into idol worship once his memory and devotedness departed from their recall. Just how extensive did this drift become away from the word of God?

Solomon’s Wives

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.  He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.  He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.

On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites.  He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

 1 Kings 11:1-8

 

God lavished both success and wealth on Solomon the son of King David. This was in addition to the knowledge that he requested when God offered him a gift. Initially Solomon was attentive to the wishes of God but time, age, and pleasure lured him to the bosom of false worship. In a short span of time following his death, Solomon’s once glorious nation was split into two parts never to rise again to the pinnacle reached by King David.

What seems clear is that material and personal gifts were no protection from the rule of idol worship. The focus of Solomon’s life and the nurturing of his own soul solely by the leadership of God were clearly corrupted. He became content to deny the commandments of God and to pursue polluted worship. God is not a respecter of persons. He loves us all as His creation but God’s character prevents Him from tolerating sin.

What is clear is that His God-given Law both underlies and defines His character. His purity is demanding and His call for holiness is absolute.

The Parable of the Rich Fool

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”  Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.  He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.  And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Luke 12:13-21

 

This parable is titled “The Parable of the Rich Fool.” The 10^th Commandment warns us to guard against envy for it gives birth to covetousness. Covetousness, desiring that which belongs to another, is the impetus behind many sins. It is this sin that draws us to focus on the temporal and temporary rather than that which is lasting and eternal. Jesus warns us to focus on that which is lasting and of value. Nothing exposes our lack of understanding quicker than to realize that our focus is on the material rather than the eternal soul and its welfare.

Steve Jobs died several days ago at the age of 56. Despite his vast fortune and the best of medical care, he died from the entity of carcinoma of the pancreas. He agreed to undergo the massive surgery necessary to cure this but his maverick personality refused chemotherapy. He chose only to take nonspecific follow up care. At a young age and still full of unique ideas, he died. His estimated worth was 8.3 billion dollars, making him the 42^nd wealthiest person in the world. Not bad for a college drop-out.

He was given up for adoption by his single mother and initially his natural father wanted nothing to do with his child. At the age of 4, he was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs and was raised within the Lutheran faith. Once on his own, he apparently abandoned Christianity and favored Zen Buddhism. He fathered a daughter out of wedlock that he initially denied. Later he married Lauren Powell with whom he had fathered 3 children. His rise within the world of information gathering, dispersion and such was meteoric. If you have a Mac, iPad or iPhone or if you have watched a Pixar movie, you have been exposed to some of his genius. He certainly will be remembered in the field of electrons but time may make some of his work tarnish and fade as others with inventive minds dazzle us with the unimaginable.

His vast wealth will pass to his heirs with or without major lawsuits. The only thing that clearly remains is his soul that cannot fail to exist. The critical question is not whether he will be remembered in the annals of time but whether his name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Before God he is no different that you or I. Perhaps he has secretly given millions to aid the poor and the disadvantaged. If so, many might declare him “a good person” but that is not the issue. The issue is whether he has a Savior or whether we have a Savior as well. All other questions pale in consideration.

Abraham Tested

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”   “Here I am,” he replied.  Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.  On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.    “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”  Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.  When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.  But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”    “Here I am,” he replied.

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Genesis 22:1-12

At first glance the willingness of Abraham to comply with God’s request to slay Isaac seems incomprehensible. Isaac is the child of Promise given to the barren Sarah as she approached the age of 90 and Abraham was almost 100. It was through this child that the covenant with God was to be fulfilled providing both a land and numerous descendants. Now God commands Father Abraham to sacrifice his son; therefore making the fulfillment of this covenant impossible. To the surprise of most, Abraham obeys and only the interruption of such by the Angel of the Presence prevents his compliance. Why would Abraham be willing to do so?

In the perhaps 40 years that Abraham had known God, he reasoned that if God required the death of Isaac, God would surely resurrect him from the grave. Abraham had scaled the mountain of understanding as the result of his years of obedience to God. This original thought (resurrection of the dead) by Abraham confirmed his faith in the powers of God. Since neither he nor his descendants could fulfill the requirement of the original covenant in perfection, blood shedding to annul their sin would be necessary.

Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”

John 8:56

Based on his experiences with God, Abraham saw the day of a Savior from his people that would provide a completion of their requirements to fulfill the covenant. Admittedly he did not know Jesus by name or His qualifications, but he expressed joy that the covenant would be completed as God required.

What would the character of God be that would demand the death of one of Abraham’s descendants to keep such a covenant in effect?  At first you might consider him harsh and unloving but His character comes to light when you understand that Abraham’s descendant is God’s Son Himself. He is the incarnate Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, and sinless as judged by the requirements of the first covenant. He is the perfect substitute to shoulder the confessed sins of man. What is also understandable is that it is He and He alone who is capable of meeting the demands for the payment of mankind’s sins.

The first of Bible verses learned by most everyone is John 3:16. It speaks of the overwhelming love of God that would sacrifice His own Son for the sake of others. Jesus spoke a parable to declare the nature of God and to portray the true nature of His loving Father and our True God.

The Parable of the Lost Son

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons.  The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.  After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.  So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.  He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!  I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’  So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.  For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Luke 15:11-24

One does not inherit that which is material until the owner has died. The younger son says in essence, “Father, I wish you were gone, but since you are not, give me that which is due me when you are gone.” His father complies and his thoughtless son then squanders all that he has. Destitute and starving, the Prodigal returns to beg for mercy and acceptance not as a son but as a servant. As he returns, his father is looking for him and consumed by compassion he runs to his son and both embraces him and kisses him. In telling this story, Jesus has shocked his audience since adult males do not run in Middle Eastern society. However, he cannot contain his joy at his son’s return. The son’s confession is cut short and a celebration ensues. The fatted calf, reserved for just such a happening, is prepared and a feast is enjoyed.

This is Jesus’ longest parable and perhaps His most beloved and familiar. The temptation is to transform this short story into the theme of an allegory. With an allegory each introduced subject has more than a superficial meaning.

Reviewed in such a light, the prodigal (expensive) son is illustrative of us all as wayward sinners who are disobedient to God’s wishes and commands. We tend to seek our own way, anticipating satisfaction but are soon judged bankrupt, pursuing the allures of this world. However, Jesus states that this son (us – all sin and fall short of the glory of God) “comes to his senses.” All joy, contentment and peace come from being in the presence of His Father. We clearly recognize this as salvation for our souls resulting from confession and a plea for mercy.

The father of the prodigal is clearly God and rather than seeking vengeance for being wronged, he brings his child back into his family. A banquet is immediately planned and a state of joy immediately emerges. (There is joy in Heaven when a sinner is brought into the fold of God.) Jesus makes it very clear that God wishes for none of us to suffer despite the fact that we have wounded Him with our disobedience and attitudes.

In the last 50 years, our society has depreciated the role of fatherhood and reduced it to one of procreation. Sadly, the result of this is rampant crime, overflowing prisons, and widespread poverty. Everyone who has or has had a good father knows his worth. There is no higher calling than to lead your own children to the throne of God by openly showing them your faith in Jesus as the Christ of God.

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.  He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’  The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

John 3:1-8

Should you read this scripture to pre-adults, don’t be surprised if they refer to this as “Nick at Night.” This is a reference to a night time television program directed to teens and preteens. The Nick of this scripture is Nicodemus who is a very prominent man of his day. What can we know about Nicodemus in these very few lines? First, he is a Pharisee, one who is devoted to the law. His obligation comes not by being of a priestly family or professional association but by choice. He has become one of 6000 at the time of Jesus to follow the dictates of the Hebraic law. It was their understanding that their nationality (Jews) and the diligent pursuing of rules, regulations and ceremonies caused one to be qualified to be in the resurrection of the Godly at time’s end. Jesus cuts through all pretense and defines rebirth to be the issue for Kingdom participation. Being a literalist, as all Pharisees were, this concept of rebirth was totally foreign to Nicodemus. Jesus clearly defined his need to have a transformation of his soul by the very Spirit of God. To be born of water and the Spirit is a reference to the need for spiritual cleansing as a supernatural act. His position as a respected member of the Jewish Supreme Court (Sanhedrin) has no bearing on his ability to enter this Kingdom. His qualification is secondary to the acts of God and not his own efforts.

A Living Sacrifice

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Romans 12:1-2

refers to the critical issue of renewing the mind. Mind in this respect is not limited to the functioning of the brain alone in the realm of reason but involves the entirety of the soul. It is with this dramatic mind renewal that a previously observed importance is changed. The word ego refers to self and is our natural focus as individuals. Infants know the meaning of “mine” without being told. As descendants of Adam this concept comes very naturally to us all. Mind renewal has as its goal to transform a focus on self to God and others. The beginning of this is miraculous (rebirth from above) but the continued process of mind renewal is one of co-operation of the will of humankind with the direction and instruction of the Holy Spirit. How does this come about?

In the past and hopefully still, a major portion of training in the art and science of medicine is in bedside teaching. If you are hospitalized in an academic hospital (one possessing a teaching service) rounds on individual patients are led by a senior physician. Those in training observe and participate in examining and learning of various diseases and ailments at the bedside. Diagnostic pieces of history or physical features are reviewed first hand so that many physicians may benefit in such instruction.

Stories abound as you might imagine from the interaction of so many people in this locale. One such story follows. Dr. Loeb, as a distinguished professor, was presented a patient with renal (kidney) failure. When appropriate he wheeled around and asked a lowly medical student for the causes of such. This was the student’s trial by fire. All eyes were on him he would be graded for his response; was he knowledgeable? Without pause the student said, “Amyloidosis” but before he could say more the Professor responded and cut him off. “Do you mean that of all the causes of renal failure you begin with one so rare that the majority of doctors will never sees as case in their lifetime?” With this the student replied, “I thought you wanted them alphabetically.” The group burst out in laughter and the Professor left with a migraine headache. Score: Student 1, Professor, 0.

The question is as to why he was so well prepared. He obviously was smart, clever, could think on his feet and had prepared as all students should. How does this relate to our necessity for assisting the Spirit of God in our mind renewal?

As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.  Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.  As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

Acts 17:10-12

The key is in the 11^th verse where it is said that they ‘examined the Scriptures every day.’ Recognize that “the Scriptures” refers to the Old Testament. The New was years away from being recorded. What was in these ancient texts was the basis for their understanding the correctness of what Paul was preaching.

What does this mean for us today? To understand more fully, we need to read God’s word to us daily. By so doing it helps us nudge ourselves off of the throne of our own hearts and allows the Holy Spirit to place God there.  The purpose of all of this is to make us more acceptable for fellowship with God, now and in His Eternal Kingdom. We take on the characteristics of Jesus in a minor form. This brings us to another topic, Sanctification. Another word for a future time. Amen.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

Matthew 4:23-25    Jesus Heals the Sick

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

5:1-12 The Beatitudes

The Bible is_____________. (Fill in the blank) For us it constitutes the Word of God, written by inspired men guided by the Hoy Spirit of God. There are 66 books written by 40 individual authors in their own style but the words are inspired by an author who can never die. It was written over a period of 1600 years and after a brief creation story as introduction, it deals primarily with the created, us, and our separation from the Creator through disobedience.  From the third chapter of Genesis forward, the theme is one of redemption to overcome this separation.

We are urged and encouraged to read this book carefully and often.

When you purchase a new car, one of the contents of the glove box or compartment is an Owner’s Manual. It shows you where things are, tells of necessary service, and informs you as to how to interpret all of the little symbols that appear on the lighted dash of the vehicle. You are alerted if you have forgotten to fasten your seat belt, failed to completely close the door, or if you need an oil change. Should the air pressure for a tire be low, a little symbol reveals this. The tire does not have to be affixed to the car but may be flat in the trunk and you will be informed. Neat but also embarrassing if you fail to think of it.

As we read and analyze the Bible, we are warned not to take isolated statements out of context. It is imperative to know what was said before and what follows as well. Conclusion jumping is not a recommended feat for Biblical interpretation. We learn information easiest when it is tied to a story. In addition to all He can do, Jesus is the world’s master storyteller. He frequently taught in short stories called parables that were to teach one or two salient points. In contrast, Matthew chooses to relate Jesus’ most important teachings in simple statements. They are the Beatitudes and we are to be blessed for certain attitudes and behaviors.

Importantly, what is the context? Jesus has been tempted by the Satan in the wilderness and has bested him by the quoting of Hebrew Scripture. He then goes about calling some of His disciples who follow Him closely. Why? They think He is the predicted Messiah of God. Great crowds followed Him because He was able to heal diseases and sickness and not particularly because they reasoned that He was the Messiah.

The crowd was large (over 5000) and Jesus chose to teach them from a hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee. We all are aware of how well sound travels over water so this is an ideal spot. Note that His intimate disciples surround Him. His sermon is directed to His disciples and not to the vast crowd. It is not that the people are excluded but the teachings embrace the novel idea of Jesus interpretation of His messianic charge. What He says has application to all but individual application depends upon the listener’s concept of who this man is. (Matthew 16:13-14 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” )

With this background understood, Jesus then begins to teach the disciples (those who reason He is the Messiah) as well as the people of the land (those who reason He is a prophet). The understanding of the two groups as well as their interest is widely divergent. Jesus begins with the statements that we call The Beatitudes. The hearers are to be blessed if they cultivate certain attitudes. The first is “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” To be blessed is to be favored by God. No sooner than Jesus speaks than does He introduce controversy. Every Jew felt himself to be worthy of being in the Kingdom based on his ancestry traced to Father Abraham. As Jesus continued to speak, the crowd was held based on His mastery of speaking and teaching and not by the message that He delivered. Their interest was not in the spiritual but in the physical. They were an oppressed people who had been subjugated to foreign powers for the greater percentage of the last 500 years. They were seeking political liberation.

If they were unmoved by His opening statement, imagine their response when He ultimately followed with “love your enemies” and “pray for those who persecute you.” This not only sounded irrational but impossible as well. But they subsequently demonstrated that they could forgive Him for such spiritual statements, if He would merely feed them. They sought to make Him King after He fed the crowd of 5000 men. John 6:15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Before we rise to prosecute the Jews of Jesus’ day, perhaps we should look carefully at our own responses 2000 years after the fact. And what is the fact? The Bible clearly and factually details the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth from the grave. This is as well documented as any event in history. Does such influence us in the life that we seek to live?

The Mount Sermon was given and directed to those who would acknowledge Jesus not just as God’s Messiah but as His Son as well. We should and must seek God’s favor with our thoughts, actions and behavior. Surrender to God’s Spiritual guidance is essential for Kingdom living, now and in the future.

Jesus loves us enough to sacrifice for us. He leaves heaven to be incarnate as a helpless infant and grows to manhood in the setting of poverty. He is abused by those He has created and is able to pray for forgiveness for those who crucify Him. The pall of the death of the perfect man is over-shadowed by His resurrection from the grave. This is the universe changing occurrence of all time.

Psalm 51:1-17

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

² Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

⁵ Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

⁶ Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

⁹ Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

¹³ Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

¹⁴ Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

In the small town high school that I was fortunate to attend, the Principal knew the mischief makers by their senior year. If either sent or called to the Principal’s office, I was normally in the company of one or two of my peers. Before the close of one week, Larry and I had been to “the office” on two occasions. In retrospect, we should have guessed that our math professor was having a subpar week. When she entered the class door to teach, Larry turned to me and announced in a voice loud enough to hear, “Well, Charles, we may as well go to the office.” Her short fuse was ignited and she said, “Go”. A short 15 feet later we were in the Principal’s office. After a brief interrogation, he announced, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you two. If you think you can run the school better than I, here are the keys.” He then laid them on the desk. Larry reached and got the keys. The Principal had temporarily been outwitted by a guilty student. His problem had suddenly evolved from judgment and punishment to saving face and regaining control. Years later this kind, capable man came under my medical care as a patient. We had both escaped judgment and punishment for our perceived crime. The same man would later grant us permission to use the gym to play basketball in the summer by allowing us to use his keys.

King David was the author for the 23^rd Psalm. It is clearly known to us all with the ideas of “still water,” “valley of the shadow of death” and “house of the Lord forever.” It is natural to envision David as a young shepherd looking into the night sky and embracing God in worship through this song. It is of this same man that God declares that ‘he is after God’s own heart.’

From this you might reason that David was the perfect man, however, the 51^st Psalm is also from the hand and mind of David guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit. This same David, as King of Israel, had taken another man’s wife and their brief sinning had resulted in a pregnancy. David then plotted the death of her husband to cover their adultery. After a few months, God sent the prophet Nathan to cleverly expose David’s sin. The 51^st Psalm is a plea to God requesting compassion for David and forgiveness of his scarlet sins. David confesses his guilt. He acknowledges that his sin was against God. He professes that he is crushed by this sin. He assures God that his heart is broken and his spirit contrite for his sinful deeds. His pleading is for restoration in fellowship and  this request is granted but the consequences for David’s family remain. Such is the nature of sin.

How are we to understand this? Does this imply that God shows favoritism to David that He would not show to us? No, God is not a respecter of persons. What God does respect is the image of His Son on the soul of the believer. But wait, King David lived 1000 years before the birth of Jesus and knows not the gospel. Key for us is God’s dealing with Abraham the ancestor of David and our spiritual father as well. How so? What does the Bible teach of this? Not the opinion of myself or any other pulpit speaker or teacher, but the Bible.

Key is Genesis 15:6 (Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.)Abram was granted fellowship based on faith in God following God’s witness to him. The Bible clearly informs us that God is wrathful against sin and we know that all sin was punished on Jesus 2000 years ago outside of the walls of Jerusalem on Good Friday. In essence, the sins of Abraham, David and all expressing true faith in God before Christ’s sacrifice were managed by forbearance. God showed forbearance of their sin, knowing that it would be paid for in full by the sacrifice of His Son at a specific point in time. This speaks to the issue of us being spiritual descendants of Abram. Simply we have faith in God just as they.

What other similarity must we share with Abram and David to be righteous (in fellowship with God)? The key is revealed in David’s 51^st Psalm. Heart rending sorrow over sin. Sin must crush your pride in yourself and cause you to realize the enormity of all sin and who we have offended.

To repent is to turn from sin and its domination and seek God’s will. More simply, we recognize who we are in contrast to who God is. We are dust, God is eternal. We are finite, God is infinite. God is Creator we are created. God is all-knowing and we are profoundly limited in knowledge.

God has the upper hand in our relationship with Him. He controls the keys to His Kingdom. We must account for our sin either in judgment on ourselves or upon Christ, the perfect Sinbearer. Once we truly confess who we are, sinners, and are crushed by our sin, God will extend mercy to us to believe that Jesus is Savior and Lord and we are reborn in His image.

Does such make us perfect? The example of King David assures us that it doesn’t. But the blood of Christ is sufficient to cleanse the confessed sinner of his sin and restore fellowship with God.

What is the resulting benefit of this fellowship with God? Faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior results in God accepting the punishment of the believer’s sin on Jesus as adequate and final payment. We no longer bear the responsibility for the judgment of this confessed sin since it was punished on Jesus. God declares us justified, cleansed, and His adopted sons and daughters. Rather than future judgment before the Great White Throne, we are gifted grace and rescued from our sin just as was King David. This is a Hallelujah moment.

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Christmas at Zion UMC
2009

What a wonderful day we had on the 20th of December when the children of Zion presented their annual Christmas Program during our morning worship service.
The children led the service from beginning to end and their program was titled: The Story of our Savior’s Birth.

The children were dressed in nativity attire with angels, shepherds, wise men and Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus.

They sang 7 beautiful Christmas carols and ended with Happy Birthday Jesus. Not only did they sing this song, they accompanied the song with beautiful sign language led by Alex Gregory.

Many thanks to Mary K, Kathy L, and  Dawn G for helping our children prepare this wonderful presentation for all to enjoy. And a big thank you to each child who participated and shared their talent with us. You gave us all a wonderful gift and I know Jesus was pleased for you did it as ‘unto Him.”

After the service, the congregation was invited downstairs to enjoy Jesus’ birthday cake and punch.

If I should mention the name Hank Williams, most would tell about Hank Williams, Jr. But I wish to go deeper into the past and talk about Hank Williams, Sr. He was one of the first and perhaps the originator of honky-tonk ballads. He both wrote and sang many of his own songs. Once you heard him, you would recognize his voice forever. No one ever called it pretty but it was distinctive. He was famous for both his music and his addiction to alcohol. He died in the back seat of his Cadillac as he was being driven to his next scheduled performance. He had hired a young Auburn University student to drive him to this site because of the weather. He had disembarked from Knoxville on December 31, 1952, but was without life when he arrived in Oak Hill, West Virginia on New Years 1953. He was 29 years old. Those that knew him best said that his body was pretty well used up in his brief life span.

At this point the factual material is diluted by what one must consider a combination of hearsay and legend. One version has him receiving an injection of morphine to control his seizures. Everyone seems to agree that he was sick. One version has him receiving his medical help by way of a private physician. Another version has him receiving medical care in the E.R. of the Knox General Hospital. This story relates that he received penicillin and raises the possibility of an allergic reaction as the cause of his death. His young driver did note that his “breathing was heavy” for awhile. This is one mystery that we can’t solve with the facts. Too much time has passed and the opinions are conflicting.

Such is not the case with out topic at hand, the Old Testament mystery of the Suffering Servant. From our vantagepoint in time, we can see with clarity the presentation. In fact He is the source for the salvation so widely acclaimed in the New Testament. It is worth repeating that although the Old and New Testament are separated in time by an interval of over 400 years, the subject matter deals with the same issues of the defeat and eradication of sin. Sin in its simplest terms is disobedient to the wishes and commands of God. Isaiah 52:13 seems clearly to be the voice of God declaring that His servant will act wisely and be ‘raised and lifted up and be highly exalted.”

For us time travelers, this sounds as though He will be exalted simultaneous with His being lifted up. The ordinary reading suggests that He will receive praise and the “lifting up” will be in accordance with this praise. But the following verse seems to contradict this for many were appalled at His appearance. In the event of His being lifted up, He seems to be marred beyond human recognition. The following verse (Isaiah 52:15b  so will he sprinkle many nations,
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.  For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand) adds more confusion by inferring that he will be respected by even kings. Confusing for Isaiah and his contemporaries? Yes.

But just as the Old and New Testaments complement one another, the individual writings of prophets living hundreds of years apart may shed more information on the subject.
King David lived 250 years before Isaiah the prophet. He was a talented poet, musician and writer of worship music. One of these is the 22nd Psalm. The 16th verse (  Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced  my hands and my feet. ) indicates piercing by evil men. The outcome of the victim seems obvious since Verse 18 (They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. ) speaks of his helplessness. Verse 1 of this same Psalm is familiar to anyone who has attended a service in and around the Christian Easter. (Verse 1a My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?  ). We have all heard this cry from the lips of Jesus as He was pierced and nailed to a tree 1000 years later. The prophecy seems startling when you grasp that punishment by crucifixion would not arrive on the world scene for hundreds of years. The words from David and Isaiah seem to focus on the same individual. With our knowledge of the New Testament and the gospel story, we must conclude that this is Jesus of Nazareth. The mysterious fog of uncertainty seems to have been lifted as we apply our knowledge of the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.

It is inescapable that Jesus of Nazareth, the begotten Son of God, did what no one had anticipated. He chose to combine the roles of the Messiah (anointed of God) and the Suffering Servant into one. What emerges is the recognition that Jesus came not merely to live the perfect life but to die at the hands of evil men. This explains the strange behavior of Jesus when He chose to confront the leaders of Judaism rather than to avoid those desiring His death. His willingness to die seems inescapable. Such willingness exceeds the role of a martyr and is clearly much greater than a mere cause. In so doing, Jesus fulfills the desires of God.

Another question arises. What are the desires of God? Isaiah has further words of explanation. In the obvious style of prophecy, Isaiah reveals the very thoughts of God or at the very least God’s intentions. What appears at first as the struggles of the Suffering Servant become intimately involved with us since these struggles are for us.