Dec 23

Judgement—Not Judgementalism

John 1:19-34

Each of the Gospels has John the Baptist as the introducer of Jesus as the Christ.  As we begin our adventure into the Gospel of John, it is significant how John the Baptist identifies Jesus.  He is “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the whole world!”  This is the universal action of Christ, to remove the sin of the whole world.

The New Testament helps us understand that the world lies under the sway of the wicked one.  We are taught that all have sinned, and that each sinful act will be judged by God.  The judgement of God on the sinful world was on the cross of Christ when he became sin for us.

But too often, we take knowledge of the judgement of God for sin, and turn that into judgmentalism of others.  Yes, often what we point out in them is sinful.  Yes, it is a violation of God’s Holy Law.  But we do not put their sin in the context of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the whole world.  Instead of trusting God that judges all in truth, we make our voices and views the judge of the other.  We make the remedy of their sin conformity to our view and not conformity to the love of God.

Here is a meditation I found on a web site that lets me think about this:

The Sin of the World

Not just your sin. Not just individual failings. But the tangled, systemic, generational mess of humanity. The violence we inherit, the injustice we perpetuate, the wounds we pass along.

The Lamb steps into that whole web and begins to unweave it.

This is not a private salvation. It is cosmic healing.

Where do you see the world aching? How might you join the Lamb’s work of mending?

In our time in John’s Gospel notice the way Jesus deals with people, even sinners, and the remedy that he prescribes for their sins.

Pastor Greg

Dec 18

Prayer for Advent

Here is a prayer that lifted me up for the hope of Christmas from the Daly Prayer App:

There is a world out there that is oversupplied with theories and technology, but drastically undersupplied with hope.  You however, like Christ, are tomorrow’s people, those who know the future is pregnant with promise and hope.

This same Jesus Comes again with glory to judge the living and the dead. So go and live out your hope graciously and courageously.

The grace of Christ Jesus who the same today, yesterday and forever will lead you to the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and then take you on those tasks and joys which will prepare you for the greater glory which is to come.

Amen!

This Advent, we’ve seen how God provides for his people.  The greatest provision is the Word of God.  The Word gives life in Ezekiel, and gives confidence in Isaiah.  This Sunday we are in John 1, and the Word gives life, light, and hope to all people.

Pastor Greg

Dec 10

“Joy Without Price”

Isaiah 55
An Invitation to Abundant Life

Slavery is a word that causes a strong response in the emotions of most people today.  Yet, there is a type of slavery that we do not consider, that is “wage slave.”  These are individuals that are bound to a system of surviving only paycheck to paycheck; facing extended debt, and owning no property or means of building wealth.  Unfortunately, this is the condition of too many people, especially young people in our society.  This type of life, bound by an economic system designed to keep them in debt and no hope for the future.  This is why that many are postponing marriage, family, or just giving in and putting their next Uber Eats order on a payment plan. 

In one of his last interviews, the free speech advocate, Charlie Kirk was talking about how the economic system, where the super-rich are getting richer and the bottom half of the population are stagnated or even falling behind.  In his conversations with multiple college students, he realized that hopeless is what most of them feel about the future.  They are disillusioned with the American Dream that their lives will be better than their parents.  Too bad this voice for the future of young adults has been silenced.

Isaiah 55 is speaking to former slaves, to those that did not have a hope for their future.  He calls them to the abundant life found in the gifts of God.  This is not a call for “government giveaways,” but a presentation of the full life that comes to those that call upon the Lord while he is near (v. 6), and seek out his way for living V 7-10).  To stop wasting your money on that which does not satisfy.  Just a Jesus warned the disciples, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”  The junk food of this world, the junk food of those that want you to remain subservient to them, the junk food that keeps us in a delusion is countered by the freely given abundant life of God.  

The answer to wage-slavery is dignity in work.  Yes, there are unpleasant jobs, but those in them need to have the satisfaction that what they are doing is providing a home and hope for their children.  A dignified life that allows you to enjoy the fruit of your labor is the life envisioned for all in Scripture:

But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree,
    and no one shall make them afraid,
    for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. (Micah 4:4).

We are not calling for the end of private property because some abuse it.  We are proclaiming the biblical vision of each person enjoying the fruits of their labor and them being an active participate in the economic system.

Pastor Greg

Dec 04

“Hope in the Valley:Advent Begins in the Bones”

Ezekiel 37:1-14

The second candle of Advent is the Candle of Peace. 

“Therefore, since we are justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
(Romans 5:1.)”

Our peace flows from our relationship, or our standing with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Yet sometimes we are so caught up in the controversies of this world, that there just seem to be any peace.  That is when we need to do a spiritual inventory and ask ourselves, “What is between me and God that is disrupting that relationship?” 

I think we can begin with a concept that is often closely associated with peace in the Bible, that concept is “reconciliation.”  Think of our prayer, “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”  Is forgiveness an active force in your life, or are we just rambling through life leaving a string of hurt feelings, misunderstandings, and heartaches?

Ephesians 2:14 “For he is our peace; in his flesh
he has made both into one and has broken down the dividing wall,
that is, the hostility between us.”

Peace is not having our way, or convincing others our opinion is right, or we see so much more than they do.  No, peace is the word of Christ in his body, in his work on the Cross, that breaks down any wall that is between us.  In our world, blood guilt is a concept used to justify our mistreatment of others.  Terms like:  all Palestinians; all Muslims; all Jews; all white people; all conservatives, or all Christians are used to bring guilt upon a group for the deeds in the past, or the deeds of a minority of the group.  These are formable walls in our world that keep us from experiencing peace.

The last idea of peace is in Philippians 4:7–

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Peace of God is ours to bring us through the confusion of this world and these trials.  It doesn’t matter what others are like, the way others have slandered you, the way others falsely accuse you; we have the peace of that keeps our hearts and minds from going off the deep end.

What is your relationship to peace in this Advent season?  God offers peace, Jesus brought peace through his cross, and we can appropriate that peace for our own sanity in this often-insane world.

Peace be with you all,

Pastor Greg