2 Pentecost

2 Pentecost - Sunday B

First Posted June 14, 2009

Psalm 81:1-10 -- Call to Worship

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 -- Keeping the Sabbath

2 Corinthians 4:5-12 -- The Light of the Gospel

Mark 2:23-28 -- Lord of the Sabbath

Psalm 81 is a call to worship. We are invited to praise the Lord with singing and shouts of joy in his presence. Our feast day is Sunday, a Sabbath to the Lord, and the Day of Jesus’ Resurrection. The Sabbath rest and worship is the third of the Ten Commandments.

Christians are the New Israel, the New People of God. Church is the New Jerusalem, the City of God on earth. God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery and death in Egypt, his leading through the wilderness and Israel’s entry into the Promised Land is also a parable and metaphor for life in this world. Jesus is our “Moses,” through whom we have the spiritual deliverance, guidance and inheritance of eternal life in the heavenly City of God, and Jesus’ Resurrection is the demonstration of that spiritual reality.

Are we willing to be admonished by God’s Word? Are we willing to be obedient to God’s Word? Are we careful not to allow any “idol” to compete with or replace our love and obedient trust in the Lord? If we truly realize what God has done for us in Jesus Christ, we will be glad to praise and thank our Lord in Church on the “Lord’s Day.”

Keeping the Sabbath is more than just spending an hour in Church on Sunday morning. God, our Creator, designed a Sabbath rest into Creation. Obedience to his commandment is for our own benefit. When we trust and obey God’s command, we keep worldly things in proper perspective. Otherwise worldly things will become our “idols.”

Keeping the Sabbath rest is more than just resting ourselves. In obeying that command, we will live in ways that will allow others to rest on the Sabbath as well. Do we have to go shopping on Sunday? Do we have to pursue material possessions seven days a week?

If we have experienced the light of the Gospel within our hearts, if we have recognized God’s glory in the face of Jesus, we are to live in a way that glorifies the Lord and reflects the light of the Gospel to others. We are to be servants of God for the spiritual wellbeing of others so that God’s power can flow through us to them. We must be willing to “die” to our own desires, so that others can experience rebirth and new life in Jesus, following the example of Jesus and carrying on his mission of forgiveness and salvation from eternal condemnation and eternal death.

Jesus is Lord of everything, including the Sabbath, whether or not we acknowledge him as our Lord. We are to keep the Sabbath for the benefit of ourselves and others. Keeping the Sabbath doesn’t save us or make us “Christians.” We’re not to use God’s Word to oppress others. We’re to respond to the love God showed for us, in Jesus Christ, by loving concern for one another. Real worship and offering of thanksgiving to God is in obedient trust in his Word, and responding in love to one another.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

2 Pentecost - Monday B

First Posted June 15, 2009

Psalm 61:1-5, 8 -- Prayer for protection

The Psalmist prays in faith that the Lord will listen to his prayer, even though he may feel that he is at the farthest end of the earth, and when faint with fear. He places his trust in the Lord to be his fortress and refuge from his enemies, Satan, evil and death. He asks in faith that the Lord will lead him to the rock that is higher than the Psalmist

The Psalmist asks to dwell in the presence of God forever; to be safe in the shelter of God’s presence. The Psalmist has vowed to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving daily, because God has heard him and given him the inheritance of those who fear God (have awe and respect for God’s power and authority; God’s name is the sum of God’s character and person). The Psalmist has vowed to sing praises to God’s name daily forever, beginning now, one day at a time.

God is visualized as a mighty eagle in the shadow of whose wings we find safety and protection (see also Psalm 91:1-4). The Psalmist longs to dwell in God’s presence and share in the eternal heritage, eternal life in God’s presence in Heaven, which God gives to his people who trust and obey him. God’s Word will lead us to Jesus, if we will hear, trust and obey.

Jesus is the Rock which is higher than we are. Jesus is the place of refuge from the enemy of our souls; he provides a solid foundation on which to stand, which puts us above and out of the reach of our enemy. Jesus is the name of God (Colossians 2:8-9, John 20:28; Matthew 1:23). Jesus is God’s authority, character, and person in human flesh. Jesus is God’s Word, fulfilled, embodied and demonstrated in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14).

Jesus is only one who can restore us to God’s presence (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right), now, through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives, (John 1:31-34) only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17) and eternally (1 John 5:11-13), by spiritual rebirth (John 3:3, 5-8). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

How about us? Do we long for God’s presence? Do we entrust our security to him? Do we sing praise daily to God’s name, for all the material and spiritual blessings he has given us?

2 Pentecost - Tuesday B

First Posted June 16, 2009

Genesis 3:9-15 -- The fall of Man

Adam and Eve tried to hide from God because they had violated his commandment and knew they had done evil (Genesis 3:4). Their close personal fellowship with God was broken. But God sought them out and held them accountable for their actions, although they tried to shift the blame. Adam, Eve, and the serpent each lost God’s favor and unlimited blessing.

We have all sinned (disobeyed God’s Word) and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8-10). Our sin separates us from fellowship with God now and eternally. We will all be accountable to God for what we have done in this lifetime, and it will be impossible to hide from his judgment or shift the blame from ourselves (John 5:28-29; Matthew 25:31-46). The penalty for sin is eternal death separated eternally from God’s presence (Romans 6:23).

Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for the forgiveness of our sins and restoration to eternal life in fellowship with God in eternal paradise in Heaven (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). Jesus has been God’s plan from the beginning of this Creation, built into the very structure of Creation (John 1:1-5, 14; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right). God has always intended to create an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey God. God designed the possibility of sin into Creation so that mankind would have free choice whether to obey God or not, and made it possible for us to learn by trial and error to trust and obey him. This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and find God and learn to trust and obey him (Acts 17:26-27).

God has revealed himself to us through his Word (the Bible), through Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, God’s Word fulfilled, embodied and demonstrated in human flesh (John 1:14). Jesus came to die on the Cross as the only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of our sins. By faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ we are spiritually reborn by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34) only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

The Holy Spirit is God’s fullest revelation of himself to us personally and individually; the restoration of personal fellowship with God lost by the fall of mankind through sin, now in this lifetime, and the seal and guarantee that we are in Christ and have eternal life in God’s presence in paradise restored in Heaven (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

2 Pentecost - Wednesday B

First Posted June 17, 2009

2 Corinthians 4:13-18 -- Faith and Perseverance

Paul was the prototype and example of a “modern,” “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, having come to know Jesus only after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven. Paul (formerly known as Saul of Tarsus) was willing to accept rebuke and chastisement from the Lord and acknowledge that he had been wrong in persecuting Christians through lack of knowledge and through spiritual blindness (Acts 9:1-19, 21-22).

Paul’s conversion, while on the road to Damascus to persecute Christians, was sudden and radical, but Paul already knew and had been formally trained in the Old Testament scriptures. (Also remember that the original Twelve disciples were with Jesus twenty-four hours a day for about three years, being “discipled,” but were not ready for Gospel ministry until after they had witnessed Jesus’ resurrection, and had been filled with the indwelling Holy Spirit; Acts 2:1-13). Once he was confronted by the Spirit of Christ, Paul could see that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah), and as soon as he had been baptized into the Christian Church and had received the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17-19a) he began proclaiming the Gospel in the synagogues (Acts 19b-20). We can’t expect such a rapid conversion, but it is important to be “discipled” by a “born-again” disciple of Jesus Christ, until we have received the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, before going out into the world to proclaim the Gospel (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8).

Paul believed (trusted and obeyed) Jesus’ words (Acts 9:4-9), and was “discipled” by a “born-again” disciple, Ananias, (Acts 9:10-19) until Paul had received the Holy Spirit. Guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit, Paul believed, and he spoke, even though persecution for the Gospel began immediately (Acts 9:23-25).

Paul suffered a lot of persecution for the Gospel, as Jesus had prophesied to Ananias (Acts 9:16). Because Paul had personally experienced and come to know the risen Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-10), he knew that life beyond physical death was true, and he believed that God would raise the disciples who followed Jesus in faith (obedient trust) to eternal life with Jesus in the Kingdom of God in Heaven, as he had raised Jesus.

Paul was willing to endure persecution for the Gospel for the sake of the “lost,” the “spiritually blind,” as he had once been. Paul had experienced the great grace (unmerited favor; free gift) of God’s forgiveness in Jesus Christ, and was willing to suffer to carry on Christ’s ministry of forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God’s word), reconciliation with God, and salvation from eternal condemnation and eternal death. Through the suffering that Paul experienced, he learned to trust the power and faithfulness of the Lord to bring him through it

When we experience the love and goodness of the Lord we will want to share that with others, so that they can also experience and know the Lord, and so that the Lord will be glorified more and more. We will want to build and strengthen the kingdom of God now and eternally. This temporal lifetime is our only opportunity to seek and find God (Acts 17:26-27) which is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).

This Creation is temporal; it is not going to last forever, and neither will our physical bodies. God has created this world with the possibility of disobedience of God’s word, so that we will truly have the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey the Lord or not, and so that we will have the opportunity to learn by trial and error that God’s will is good and our very best interest. But God won’t tolerate disobedience forever; he’s set a time limit. We will all face the Day of Judgment, whether still physically living when Christ returns, when we’ve died (John 5:28-29; Matthew 25:31-46).

This world and every material, physical thing in it, which seems so “real” to us now, is passing away. We tend to think that “spiritual” things are unsubstantial, more like “feelings” and “emotions,” because they are invisible. But spiritual things are a greater and eternal reality, than the “things” which seem so real to us now. We can begin to experience spiritual reality now; we can and must experience spiritual “rebirth” now, in this lifetime, or we won’t have it in eternity. This brief lifetime is nothing compared to eternity. The eternal kingdom of God is the perfect paradise God intended this world to be; all the bad things in this creation are because of mankind’s sin.

To enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must follow the example and teaching of Jesus. Jesus was the perfect, sinless Son of God, and worldly people refused to welcome him and instead persecuted him to death. Worldly people aren’t going to treat the followers of Jesus any better. We can expect persecution, but we, like Paul, believe (“and have come to know,” from experience; John 6:67-69), and so we speak.

2 Pentecost - Thursday B

First Posted June 18, 2009

Mark 3:20-35 -- Jesus’ Authority

Jesus was at home with his disciples, and a great crowd came to him, so that Jesus and his disciples didn’t have time even to eat. Jesus’ friends thought he was going crazy and tried to restrain him. Teachers of the Law (Jewish Scripture; the Law of Moses) declared that Jesus was possessed by Beelzebul, the prince of demons (Satan), and that Jesus got his authority and power over demons from Beelzebul.

Jesus used parables (common examples from everyday earthly experience) to teach spiritual truth. An earthly kingdom divided against itself collapses and is replaced by something else. The same thing is true of a family dynasty, or even a building. In order to rob a strong man, the strong man must first be restrained and subdued.

Jesus declared that every sin of mankind is forgivable (even blasphemy against Jesus Christ, according to Matthew 12:32), but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an eternal, unforgivable sin.

Jesus was doing great miracles, “signs” which were intended to reveal his power and authority as the Son of God, the “anointed,” eternal king of Israel, the heir to the Throne of David, and the long-awaited Messiah and Savior. Jesus’ physical healings were intended to reveal that Jesus is the only one who can heal spiritual illness. His feeding miracles (for example: Mark 6:30-44) were designed to show that he alone can feed and nurture us spiritually. His raising the physically dead to physical life (for example: Mark 5:22-23, 35-42, and his own Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10; John 21:1-14; 1-29; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8), demonstrated that Jesus can raise the physically dead to spiritual, eternal life. Spiritual rebirth (John 3:3, 5-8) is possible only through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, by the gift of his Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:33), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

A few people recognized the signs and became his disciples, but most of the people who came to him sought him only for the physical healing and physical bread he could provide. Even his friends did not understand the miracles, and thought that Jesus was loosing his sanity; that he was “out of his mind” (Mark 3:21). His own family was concerned about his wellbeing (Mark 3:31-32). The “religious” “authorities” declared that Jesus’ authority and power over demons came from Satan. If they thought Jesus’ authority was from Satan, where did they think their own authority was from?

Jesus’ power was by the Holy Spirit of God within him (Colossians 2:8-9; John 1:32; Romans 8:9). Jesus warned that the only unforgivable sin is blasphemy (irreverence; contempt, particularly against something considered sacred) against the Holy Spirit. Anyone who interprets the goodness and holiness of the presence and works of the Holy Spirit as evil and demonic is hopelessly spiritually corrupt, and cannot be redeemed from that corruption because he has cut himself from the One who can cleanse and restore him to spiritual health and life. The Lord doesn’t condemn the blasphemer; the blasphemer has condemned himself.

Who do you say Jesus is? Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

2 Pentecost - Friday B

First Posted June 19, 2009

Proverbs 9:1-10 -- Divine Wisdom

Wisdom is portrayed as a gracious hostess, who has built her house, established on “seven pillars.” She has prepared a great feast and has invited all who are “simple,” who realize that they lack wisdom, to partake of her feast of bread and wine. She calls them to leave “simpleness” and live; and follow the way of insight in their daily lives.

The wicked and the scoffer hate correction and retaliate with abuse and anger against those who attempt to correct them, but a wise man will accept and appreciate correction, and will learn and grow in wisdom and understanding.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Proverbs 9:10)

Wisdom, portrayed here, is not what the world falsely calls “wisdom,” but divine wisdom, by which God created this world, and on which this world is founded (Proverbs 8:22-31; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, 2:6-7). God offers his divine wisdom to all who realize their lack of wisdom, and who are willing to receive and learn from divine correction.

Jesus is not only the Word of God (John 1:1-5, 14), but the wisdom of God, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in human form (Colossians 2:8-9). Jesus is the only one who can remove the veil of “spiritual ignorance” that lies over the minds of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 3:14-16; Luke 23:45). Through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34) only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17) our minds are opened to understand the Holy Scriptures (the Bible; Luke 24:32, 45). The Holy Spirit will teach “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) Christians all things (John 14:26).

The fear (awe and respect for the power and authority) of God is the beginning of true wisdom. Anyone who does not fear the sovereign all-powerful God, who has the authority to give us eternal life in his kingdom in heaven or eternal condemnation and death in hell certainly is unwise (see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right). True wisdom, the awe, and respect for God, makes it possible for us to come to personally know and have fellowship with the Holy One, Jesus Christ, through his indwelling Holy Spirit. The meaning and purpose of life in this temporal world is to come to a personal knowledge of, and fellowship with God (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).

The feast of wisdom, to which all are invited, is to the Lord’s Supper (the Eucharist; “Holy Communion”), the participation in the feast of sacrifice of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, sacrificed once for all who are willing to receive it, for the forgiveness of our sins (disobedience of God’s Word). The Lord’s Supper is the foretaste of the great feast in heaven that we will share eternally in the Lord’s presence.

Are you willing to accept correction and learn from God’s Word? Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

2 Pentecost - Saturday

First Posted June 20, 2009

Luke 14:15-24 -- The Great Banquet

Jesus was a guest at a dinner in the house of a religious leader and Pharisee (Luke 14:1). One of the guests remarked how blessed it would be for those who will be invited to the Great Banquet in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus replied with a parable (a story of a common earthly experience to teach a spiritual truth).

Jesus said that a man had prepared a great banquet and had invited his friends. When the time came he sent his servants to summon the guests, but each one asked to be excused because they had other pressing worldly things they regarded as more important. The servant reported to his master, who decided to invite the poor and handicapped to his banquet in place of his original guests who had declined. The servant did so, but still there was room, so the master sent his servant to compel passers-by, so that the banquet would be full and the original guests would not be able to change their minds and find room for themselves at the banquet.

The parable describes the kingdom of heaven. God is the master, and the banquet represents the joy and fellowship with the Lord in his eternal kingdom. Jesus and his disciples are his servants who have been instructed to summon his guests. His invited guests originally represent the Jews, and now represent the Church, which is the “New Israel.”

The invitation to God’s kingdom is open to everyone, but the poor, blind and crippled, both physically and spiritually, will be receptive and appreciative of the invitation and the banquet, whereas the “invited” may be unwilling to give up their worldly interests in order to accept and act on the invitation.

Are we allowing our pursuit of career, home, family, material possessions, and physical pleasure to keep us from accepting God’s invitation in Jesus Christ and doing God’s will so that we can attend the banquet? Do we think we can wait until the last minute to show up and still find a place for us at the table?