Blog: January 2018 — December 2018

We took a break from the chronological journey through the Bible this past Sunday to focus on Christmas. From the moment sin entered the world, its consequences were obvious. God’s people were separated from Him; they did not enjoy the intimate relationship with their Creator for which He had created them. People were affected by sickness and pain. Corruption spread quickly throughout the earth. The situation seemed hopeless, yet God did not leave His people without hope. It was into this hopelessness that God spoke. Hundreds of messages ...

With 2019 just around the corner, this is a great time for every follower of Jesus to start (or recommit to) a pattern of daily Bible reading.  And don’t just read.  Reflect, meditate, re-read, make notes, journal, use study helps (the ESV Study Bible is excellent), pray the Word, and apply what you learn personally and in community. And that means being intentional:  If you don’t plan to dig into Scripture, it will not happen.  So mark out quality time in your daily rou­tine to get into God’s presence in this way, and ask the Holy Spirit ...

Last week, kids learned that God had a plan for Joseph’s suffering. The land of Egypt enjoyed seven years of plenty before a famine struck, just as Pharaoh had dreamed. During that time, Joseph gathered all the excess food and stored it in the cities. The famine was severe in every land, so Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to everyone who needed it. Jacob and his family lived in Canaan, and Jacob sent his sons to Egypt for grain. Jacob still felt the sting of losing Joseph. He did not allow his youngest son, Benjamin, to go for ...

During last Sunday’s message I asked if you found it odd to be going through the Book of Job during Advent.  After all, the speeches of God in Job 38-41 strongly emphasize divine transcendence—that the Lord, the Creator, is vastly “beyond us,” even shrouded in mystery. God drives home the point that Job’s knowledge and abilities are miniscule compared with the magnificent reach of divine sovereignty.  He does this with a barrage of questions:  Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (38:4).  Can you send forth ...

Jacob grew up in strife with his twin brother, Esau. He spent many years away from his family to avoid Esau’s anger. God spoke to Jacob in a dream and reaffirmed to Jacob the promise He gave to Abraham and Isaac. Finally, God called Jacob home to the land of Canaan. God blessed Jacob and changed his name to Israel.   Jacob had 12 sons. They would become the leaders of the tribes of Israel. But Jacob’s favorite son was Joseph. Joseph was the son of Rachel, Jacob’s favorite wife, and Jacob didn’t hide his favoritism. He gave Joseph a gift ...

Our journey through the Book of Job is raising important, sobering questions—for example, about a link between suffering and sin (do those who suffer “have it coming”?), about the type of safety God does and doesn’t promise us, and about whether our relationship with God boils down to a “contract” under which we claim a right to bounty and blessing (do we love God or just his gifts?). And all such questions prompt us to examine our expectations.  For example, do we imagine that life as we know it will just go on and on and on?  Of course, ...

What would you say are the gains and losses that come with reading a digital Bible—that is, reading Scripture online or with an app on your phone?  “Gains and losses” is good way to put it; it’s a complex issue. Book lovers should remember that God’s Word is not paper and ink, but rather the words in their context as revealed by God through the human authors of the biblical writings.  So there’s nothing inherently sacred about printed pages over against electronic screens.  Plus, the power of digital tools to help us find resources and ...

Jacob found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. After stealing his older brother’s blessing, he fled his home to escape Esau’s anger. He spent time with his uncle Laban, got married, and fathered many children. Overall, Jacob prospered. God blessed him, but Jacob’s time with his uncle Laban did not end well. Laban’s sons accused Jacob of taking their father’s wealth. God was with Jacob and when He told Jacob to leave, Jacob did not hesitate. He gathered his family and all of his possessions and headed home to Canaan with Laban in ...

Friends, here's an overview of December events at our church: December 1, Women’s Christmas Tea, 11:00 a.m., with guest speaker Cara Blondo December 2, 1st Sunday of Advent, Worship, 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. December 2, The Hope of Christmas, all ages combined in FLC during Sunday School for Advent Celebration, 10:00-10:45 a.m. December 8, Salvation Army Bell Ringing, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. December 9, 2nd Sunday of Advent, Worship, 8:30 & 11:00 a.m., Sunday School for all ages at 10:00 December 11, Young Adult Christmas Party, Nichols ...

This Thanksgiving weekend, let me affirm the practice of expressing horizontal gratitude—that is, to each other.  It’s fitting to convey appreciation to one another, whether for large or small kindnesses. Speaking of which:  I am so thankful to you, my Goshen family, for all the ways you encourage and support and challenge me and partner with me in this wonderful venture of being the church! Plus, there are many reasons to be grateful to our families and close friends for their loving presence in our lives.  Also, I’m thankful to ...

When Isaac and Rebekah sent Jacob away from his home in the promised land of Canaan to escape the wrath of his brother Esau, Rebekah expected him to be gone for a few days—just until Esau calmed down. (Gen. 27:44) But days and then weeks and then months passed; Jacob was with Laban for twenty years. (Gen. 31:38) Before Jacob left home, Isaac blessed him and instructed him to find a wife among his relatives. And that’s what Jacob did. On his way to Laban’s house, God appeared to Jacob at Bethel in a dream and gave Jacob the same covenant He ...

What does it mean that God is with us?  If we say, “God be with you,” or we pray that the Lord would “be with” a loved one, what are we really getting at? God’s presence with his people is a glorious fact:  he will “never leave you or forsake you” (Heb 13:5); in fact, you can’t escape his presence (Psalm 139).  Although Jesus departed bodily, through the Spirit he remains with us “to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20).  Knowing that the Almighty is with us gives us reason not to fear but be at peace:  “Fear not, I am with you…” (Isa 41:10).  ...

Jacob and Esau were rivals before birth. They struggled in the womb, and Jacob was born grabbing onto Esau’s heel. Even though he was younger, Jacob convinced Esau to sell him his birthright for some stew. When Isaac was old and blind, the time came for Isaac to bless Esau. With the blessing came the privilege afforded to the firstborn—leadership over the family. With Rebekah’s guidance, Jacob deceived his father and stole his brother’s blessing. In his anger, Esau planned to kill Jacob. Rebekah sent Jacob away to her brother Laban until ...

The last couple weeks we’ve been refocusing on God’s mission for his church—for us—here and now.  You see, we’re on assignment; we’ve been commissioned to testify about Jesus Christ, Lord of the nations:  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).  Witnesses take an oath to tell the truth, and testifying of Jesus means speaking the truth in love (Eph 4:15). We testify that eternal hope in Christ is relevant ...

Hebrews 2:1 says, Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. And just what does “therefore” recall from ch. 1?  In short:  Christ supreme!  The Son of God is heir of all things, creator of the world, radiance of God’s glory, exact imprint of God’s nature, sustainer of the universe, infinitely superior to the angels, and the one who achieved cleansing for our sin—our only hope of forgiveness!—and sat down on the throne of God. And since Jesus is so magnificent, it would be insane for us to ...

After God tested Abraham, Abraham named the place “The LORD Will Provide” (Gen. 22:14) God repeated His promise to Abraham: “I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky … And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring” (Gen. 22:17-18). God blessed Abraham’s life, and he was about 140 years old when he asked his most trusted servant to go to his relatives and find a wife for his 40-year-old son Isaac. Abraham believed God would keep His promise; he trusted that God had a wife for ...

Monday was an influential day in our hearts as we relived the events of our Lord and Savior from after the arrest in the garden until His last words on the cross.  Our weather was beautiful and we started the day at the house of Caiaphas where Jesus was believed to have been held overnight by the religious authorities deep in the ground in an old cistern where only the worst offenders would have been imprisoned.  Outside in the courtyard stood a statue with Peter and a rooster symbolizing his denial of Christ three times that same night. We ...

Last Sunday I recommended the book, Remember Death:  The Surprising Path to Living Hope, by Matthew McCullough.  It might sound morbid to remember death—and it would be if the idea was to obsess over it.  But it’s good to face facts, and then to call upon the Father, Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12). A right way of remembering death is freeing.  We don’t have to grit our teeth in constant mental and emotional exertion to sustain an imaginary future in which this life just goes on and on.  ...

We visited the Shepherd’s Field just east of Bethlehem.  A church was built there to remind us that God didn’t send angels to tell the rich and powerful about the birth of His Son, born King of the Jews, but the lowest of the low – the shepherds.  They traveled to Bethlehem to see the Christ child, then they shared the good news with others. Bethlehem was a small town on a limestone hill.  Since it receives much rain, there were many caves, such as where Jesus was born.  We visited the Church of the Nativity, but the line to see the grotto ...

We had a very busy day on Saturday and a very spirit filled day as we moved from northern Israel down to Jerusalem. We began our day with a wonderful experience at the Jordan River where 10 members of our group had their baptisms rededicated.  Jim Flye presided over the ceremony which proved spiritually meaningful to our entire group of 25. After that we drove to Bet-She’an where we saw the remains of a Roman City including a theater and bath house. We then moved on to Jericho for lunch and later a view of the mountain where Jesus was ...