Blog: January 2019 — December 2019

There's no better time than the beginning of a new year to affirm (or reaffirm) your commitment to read God's Word on a daily basis. Maybe you already have a good pattern of studying Scripture and paying attntion to what God has to say in the Old Testament and the New Testament.  If so, that's great--carry on. Or maybe you need to make a lifestyle change and begin a new, life-giving discipline of reading and reflecting on what the Maker and Master of All Things has to say.  If so, consider some of the Bible reading plans that are ...

Daniel 7 is considered one of the most important chapters in the Old Testament. This chapter and the chapters that follow describe a series of visions and prophecies about the future of God’s people. This message gave hope to God’s people in captivity. Today’s Bible story takes place in the first year of King Belshazzar’s reign. (Dan. 7:1) Belshazzar was the son of King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel encountered Belshazzar in chapter 5. Daniel was about 82 years old when he was thrown into the lions’ den; chapter 7 rewinds the clock to tell of a ...

Throughout the Old Testament, God reminded His people through the prophets of His promise to one day send a Rescuer. People cannot save themselves; instead, God planned to save sinners by sending His Son. God revealed that He would come from the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and He would bless the nations. (Gen. 12:3; 17:19; 28:14) He would come from David’s family, and His kingdom would last forever. (2 Sam. 7:12-13) He would be born in Bethlehem to a virgin. (Micah 5:2; Isa. 7:14) But after God’s people returned home from exile in ...

Just think what we know about the baby born in Bethlehem some 2,000 years ago—about who he was (and is), and what the Father intended to accomplish through his Son’s entrance into human life: The angel told Joseph that Mary’s baby was “Emmanuel,” i.e., “God with us” (Matt 1:23, quoting Isa 7:14—and in Isa 9:6 the child is called “Mighty God”). This divine child would “save his people from their sins” (Matt 1:21; and see Mark 10:45, he came to give his life as a ransom for many). Wise men from the east sought the newborn king “to worship ...

Our great and loving God speaks words of comfort to our weary souls.  And I have this sneaking hunch that a great many of us are weary.  And busy.  And distracted.  Maybe even frazzled—yes, right now as we step up to the threshold of Christmas.  We’d love these days to be an oasis where we can drink in God’s peace and rest a while in the strong arms of his goodness.  We need to be still. But can we?  Can you?  Your biggest challenge right now might be simply this:  to block out all other sights and sounds and thoughts, and fix your focus ...

The fifth chapter of Daniel ends with the death of King Belshazzar when the Persians took over Babylon and Darius was put on the throne. Babylon was on the decline—no longer the powerful, prosperous empire it once was. By this time Daniel was an old man, probably in his early 80s. He served the new king as one of the three leading supervisors in the kingdom. Daniel was very good at his job—so good, in fact, that King Darius planned to put him in charge of the entire kingdom. The other supervisors and governors were jealous of Daniel. They ...

As we move deeper into Advent, let me ask a question:  What is the “Christmas spirit” for you?  For many it means time with family, and sometimes long-awaited family reunions.  Of course, family time is a gift—and yet we also know that holidays can be hard for those whose families are separated or who’ve lost loved ones.  Is God calling you to enlarge your “family” and share the joy with others this season? It also means festivity:  twinkling lights, special parties, parades, con­certs, parties; dressing up, decorating, sending cards, ...

In 587 B.C., the Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem, and God’s people were exiled to Babylon where they would serve an enemy king for 70 years. (See Jer. 25:11.) Among the early exiles was a young man, Daniel, and three of his friends. About 20 years after arriving in Babylon, the three friends faced a test of their faith. King Nebuchadnezzar’s law gave them a choice: worship a statue (against God’s law) or face death by fiery furnace. (Dan. 3:6) Three men from Judah—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—refused to bow down and worship the ...

The Bible’s call to gratitude is overwhelmingly vertical:  we’re urged and moved to give thanks TO God.  Of course, it’s right to thank to each other; gratitude toward family and friends and our fellow church members is a vital ingred­i­ent in healthy, spiritually maturing relation­ships.  But thanks to God is primary!  From Scripture: I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds (Ps 9:1—note:  wholehearted thanks). I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises ...

Ezekiel had a tough job: ministering to people who had rejected God and suffered the consequences. The exiled people of Judah were eager to blame God for their circumstances. “It’s not fair!” they argued. (See Ezek. 18:25.) Ezekiel told the people that they were at fault for their exile; their faithlessness had provoked God’s wrath. The people were getting what they deserved. “I take no pleasure in anyone’s death,” God said. “So repent and live!” (Ezek. 18:32). God gave Ezekiel a vision. In this vision, God showed Ezekiel a valley of dry ...

The hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” names several blessings Christians enjoy:  Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside. So much to be thankful for! Ponder our “bright hope for tomorrow.”  In our day of petty political bickering, global tensions, widespread poverty, and human trafficking (there are 40+ million slaves today (IJM)), it’s easy to become gloomy about the future.  But I challenge you to ...

Warnings had come from the prophets for decades. God patiently waited for His people to turn from their sin. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had fallen to Assyria, and the prophet Jeremiah spared few details when he warned Judah what would happen if they did not turn from their evil ways. (See Jer. 25:1-14.)   But the people of Judah did not change their ways. The kingdom had been declining for years, despite King Hezekiah’s—and later, Josiah’s—efforts to prompt nationwide repentance. When King Josiah died, the people went back to their ...

We all have questions, and some are for God—questions about how he operates, his plans, his will, and what’s going on in this world. Big questions.  But be assured, God can take it.  Follow the lead of the Prophet Habakkuk, whose dialogue with God involves heartfelt lament over rampant sin and suffering (“How long, O Lord?”), and leads eventually to a place of quiet trust in the Father’s wise ways. Don’t be afraid to bring your questions to God.  But also, don’t insist that God must answer all your objections swiftly and on your terms.  ...

How much time do you spend waiting? Think about it. Waiting for a traffic light to turn green, waiting at the doctor’s office, waiting at the drive-thru, waiting for a phone call, waiting for a birthday, waiting on someone else. The fact is, we spend a lot of our time waiting. Why do we wait? We know something is coming. A major factor in waiting is faith—“the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen” (Heb. 11:1). This is precisely what the prophet Habakkuk addressed. Habakkuk was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah, ...

Many of the greatest challenges Christians face are perennial.  Take the temptation to neglect consistent presence in the weekly worship gathering:  even 2,000 years ago, some folks were just “too busy” to make it on Sundays; other opportunities trumped church involve­ment.  The Lord addresses this problem in Hebrews 10:24-25: And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. And ...

Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah the priest. He lived in Judah, just north of Jerusalem. At the time God called Jeremiah into ministry, Josiah was king of Judah. As evidenced in the callings of Noah, Abraham, Moses, and others, each time God calls someone, He equips that person to do His work. Like Moses, Jeremiah was hesitant: “Oh no, Lord GOD! Look, I don’t know how to speak since I am only a youth” (Jer. 1:6). God assured Jeremiah: “I will be with you” (Jer. 1:8). God called Jeremiah to be a prophet. The people of Judah had broken the ...

Halloween gets a lot of attention, but don’t forget about Reformation Day.  On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his famous “95 Theses” to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, to declare his faith and to plead for reform within a wayward Roman Catholic church that had degenerated even to the point of promising spiritual favors in return for money (i.e., the sale of indulgences). The Reformation was all about returning to Scripture and redis­cover­ing the beautiful gift of justification by faith alone.  All merit-based ...

Our Fall Focus on Missions has us asking, “How big is your world?”  We do this to make sure we’re seeing the immense, diverse, made-in-God’s-image global community of souls the way God sees it.  Always remember John 3:16:  “For God so loved the world…” In our frantic and distracted times, it’s tempting to zoom in on our own personal, private concerns—to look inward and live for our­selves.  But Jesus is always calling us to look upward and outward:  Lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest (John 4:35). Goshen has ...

King Uzziah’s death marked the end of an era. His reign had been long and prosperous. Uzziah became king when he was 16, and he reigned over Judah for 52 years. Then Uzziah died. Under Uzziah’s leadership, God’s people had turned away from the promises of God and trusted in the promises of the world around them. God had promised to bless the entire world through Abraham’s family, but God’s people were rebellious. Instead of blessing, they set themselves up to receive God’s judgment. But God’s plans and promises were not thwarted. God sent ...

On November 24 it will be our privilege to gather for worship and witness followers of Jesus stepping into the waters of baptism. Why practice baptism?  That’s easy:  Jesus told us to do so.  “Go and make disciples among all people groups, baptizing them…” in God’s name (Matthew 28:19).  We’re under orders—as church leaders, to provide baptism opportunities; and as Christ-followers, to give a public demonstration of our faith in Jesus by being baptized.  This commission is in force “until the end of the age” (28:20). Let’s step back:  the ...