5 Pentecost

5 Pentecost - Sunday B

First Posted July 5, 2009

Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32 -- Lord of Creation

Job 38:1-11 -- The Lord answers Job

2 Corinthians 5:14-21 -- New Creation

Mark 4:35-41 -- Calming the Storm

The people of God, whom God has redeemed from tribulation and has brought to himself from the farthest corners of the world, are invited to give praise and thanksgiving to God for his steadfast love and faithfulness. Those who have experienced God’s redemption are the ones who are called on and able to testify to that redemption. We will all experience troubles in this world. The difficulties of life are intended by God to cause us to recognize our need for God, and to cause us to seek and trust his help.

Mariners are one example of how Creation and life reveal our need for, and dependence upon God. Humans attempt to subdue and reap the bounty of the seas by the works of their own strength, but ultimately face their own limitation and may seek deliverance which only God provides.

When we come to the limit of our own self-reliance, and turn to God for help, we learn that God is able, willing, and faithful to deliver us. Only the Lord can truly save us from the storms of life and bring us safely to eternal refuge in him. When we experience his deliverance and the security which is only in the Lord, we will rejoice and praise him and testify to his faithfulness and deliverance to others.

Job had known “about” God but hadn’t “known” God personally. Job’s view of God was from a distorted human, “worldly” perspective. Job considered himself as deserving of God’s favor, and as a near equal with God. When trouble arose, Job sought God’s presence so that he could “prove” to God that he didn’t deserve the trouble he was experiencing.

God did not “owe it to Job” to manifest himself, to respond to Job’s petition, or to explain himself to Job. God chose to reveal himself to Job out of his love and concern for Job.

God revealed himself to Job as the Creator of the Universe. God is far greater than we can imagine or understand. The result was that Job came to a personal knowledge of God, his Creator, and to an understanding of Job’s correct relationship to God (see Job 42:1-6).

God is all-powerful and all-knowing, far above human knowledge and ability. We get to thinking that we are equal to God because of what we have accomplished. We begin to think that we deserve God’s favor. This is the “worldly” point of view.

When we begin to understand our proper relationship to God as his creatures and servants, with him as our Lord, then we will have a personal knowledge of our Lord. When we come to know and understand our relationship to God, we will repent of our human arrogance, and will worship and serve him, seeking to please him.

Human sin (disobedience of God’s Word) and arrogance (imagining ourselves as equal to or greater than God) alienates us from God’s presence. Jesus’ ministry was to bring reconciliation and restoration of personal fellowship with God through the forgiveness of our sin. When we experience that reconciliation we are ready and able to be ambassadors of the message of reconciliation with God, which is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right), to the alienated of this world.

God has created this temporal world, but his purpose has always been to use this Creation as the basis for a New Creation which will be an eternal kingdom of God’s people who willingly trust and obey God. When we begin to trust and obey Jesus we are spiritually “re-born” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life, through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34) only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). We become the New Creation. Someday we will pass away physically and this temporal, physical world will also pass away. But those who have been reborn to spiritual, eternal life will go on living eternally in paradise with our Lord. Those who have not been reborn spiritually will spend eternity in condemnation and eternal death and destruction, with all evil, separated forever from everything good.

Jesus calls us to be his disciples; to live in daily fellowship with him, doing what he teaches. Jesus told his disciples to cross the sea, and as they went, he went with them. When the storm arose, Jesus subdued it by the creative power of God’s Word. As Jesus’ disciples experience the creative power God’s Word in Jesus Christ in their daily lives, and learn to trust and obey Jesus, they come to realize that Jesus is the Lord of Creation and his word is the Word of God.

Who do you believe 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)?

5 Pentecost - Monday B

First Posted July 6, 2009

Psalm 30 -- Song of Thanksgiving

The Lord had heard the Psalmist’s prayer for healing, had delivered the Psalmist from sickness and death, and had restored him to life.

The Lord’s anger (his corrective discipline) is momentary, designed to restore us to God’s favor which is reliable and eternal. We may suffer grief for a short while, but we will be restored to joy again. Our grief will be replaced by joy with the dawn of the new day (now in this temporal world, and in the New Creation in eternity).

We tend to think, when things are going well for us, that we have earned our success and prosperity ourselves, and we don’t need security in anyone outside of ourselves. It is God who has given us that success and prosperity. When he withholds his favor, our success and prosperity disappears.

When we realize that God is the giver of all our blessings and we call upon him in faith in times of trouble, he will hear and be gracious to us and help and restore us. God wants us to realize that our help is only in him. God is good and our praise and thanksgiving is due him (so that others may come to realize his blessings and receive his favor).Those who have experienced his healing and restoration will want to rejoice in, praise and thank him forever.

It is the fallen (sinful; disobedient) human nature which allows us to take credit for our success, allows us to think that our blessings are due to our own effort and ability, and to blame God when things go wrong.

God’s Word reveals that the meaning and purpose of life in this Creation is to seek and come to knowledge of and fellowship with God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27). God has intended, from the very beginning of Creation, to create an eternal kingdom of his people who will trust and obey God.

This temporal Creation is designed by God to allow us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God or not. This Creation allows us the freedom to learn “by trial and error” that God’s will is good and in our very best interest.

This Creation is limited by time, and our opportunity to find God and eternal life is limited to this lifetime. God gave us freedom in this lifetime to choose whether to obey him or not. God knew that we would all sin (disobey God’s Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10) in the process. God’s Word warns that the penalty for sin is (eternal) death (Romans 6:23) in Hell, separated from God, who is the giver of all good things. God is not going to tolerate disobedience forever.

God’s only provision for the forgiveness of our sin, restoration to fellowship with God, and eternal life, is through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 14:6), by the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). Jesus Christ, our Savior, has been built into the very structure of this Creation (John 1:1-5-14; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).

In one sense we are all God’s people, because he is our Creator, whether we acknowledge and obey him or not. God disciplines his people so that they can learn to trust and obey him. Our trials in life are designed to teach us that we need God. People can still stubbornly refuse to turn to God for help, and insist on doing their own way, but they miss the joy and security which only God can provide, and they will miss eternal life in fellowship with God in his kingdom in heavenly paradise.

I personally testify, along with the Psalmist, and all authentic “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) Christians, that God hears our cry when we sincerely turn to him, in faith, in time of trouble, and that he does heal, strengthen, restore and bless us. We have personally experienced the joy of his presence and salvation, and we gladly praise and glorify Jesus, so that others may experience God’s blessings and favor which are only in Jesus Christ by grace (a free gift; unmerited favor) from God, to be received through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9).

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)?

5 Pentecost - Tuesday B

First Posted July 7, 2009

Lamentations 3:22-22 -- Godly discipline

God has never-ending love and mercy for us. His mercy and love are renewed and fresh every morning. His faithfulness is great beyond measure. I have chosen the Lord as my portion and lot in life, and therefore I will hope in him.

The Lord blesses and rewards those who seek and wait for the Lord. It is best for one to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is well for a person to learn the discipline of the Lord in his youth. Let him endure in silence alone when he is disciplined; let him humble himself before the Lord, for there is yet hope. Let him willingly endure abuse and insults by humans in this world.

The Lord won’t abandon him forever. Although the Lord may cause him grief, he will also have compassion in proportion to his abundant, steadfast love. The Lord doesn’t willingly grieve and afflict us (he disciplines us, like a loving parent, for our own good).

The meaning and purpose of life in this temporal Creation is to seek and come to a personal knowledge of and relationship with God (Acts 17:26-27; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right). God has been progressively revealing himself to us, first through the goodness of Creation. Then God began a personal relationship with Abraham, when he called Abraham (Abram) to be the father of God’s People (Genesis 12:1-9). Then God revealed himself and his plan for Creation in the Bible, the record of God’s dealing with Abraham and Abraham’s descendants, Israel, the People of God.

God further revealed himself in Jesus Christ, the Savior and Messiah promised in the Bible, who came to die as a sacrifice for our sins to give us eternal life. The ultimate revelation of God to us, personally and individually, is in 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). Jesus is the only way to forgiveness of our sins (disobedience of God’s word), restoration of fellowship with God, and eternal life in God’s eternal kingdom in heaven (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; 1 John 5:11-13). 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).

All who come to personally know and experience fellowship with God testify to his goodness, faithfulness, love and mercy for us. The Lord blesses those who seek him, who make the Lord their portion and goal in life, and wait for his guidance and deliverance. The Lord is our good parent, who disciplines and tests us, so that we can grow to become what he intends for us to be.

Learning to be God’s People takes discipline and practice. We must be willing to sacrifice our self-indulgence and self-will, and endure discipline and training, but the goal of eternal life with the Lord in heavenly paradise is more than worth the sacrifice and self-denial. All discipline is unpleasant at the moment, but later it brings rewards to those who are trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).

How much better it would be to come to know God and find his purpose for our lives early in life, so that we can use our time and resources pursuing what is eternally worthwhile, and enjoying fellowship with our Lord, than to waste our time, energy and resources on what does not satisfy or endure! How much better to come to the end of physical life knowing with certainty that we have eternal life and that we have accomplished something eternally important, than to discover that we have spent our lives on what is worthless, and that our destiny is eternal condemnation and suffering, separated from God and his heavenly paradise!

We don’t have to wait until we die to know whether there is life beyond physical death. Jesus’ resurrection demonstrated that, and every “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) Christian knows and testifies that Jesus is alive within them by his indwelling Holy Spirit. We can begin to live eternal life in fellowship with God now, through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Hope in Jesus Christ is the one and only hope which will never be unfulfilled or disappoint.

5 Pentecost - Wednesday

First Posted July 8, 2009

2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 13-14 -- “Benevolence”

Christians who had remained in Jerusalem were being persecuted by the Jews, so that it was difficult for them to earn their own living. Christians who had moved out into the world beyond Israel, were also persecuted, but not to the extent of the Christians living in Judea.

Paul had been recognized by the Church Council (headquarters) in Jerusalem as the evangelist to the Gentiles. He had received an Apostolic Decree (a ruling by the Council) that Gentiles did not have to follow the religious laws of Judaism (like “circumcision,” etc; Acts 1-29). The Apostolic Council asked Paul to collect an offering for the Christians in Jerusalem and Judea (Galatians 2:1-10), and Paul had been, and was now doing so in Corinth.

Paul used the churches in Macedonia (including the Philippians, the Church at Philippi) as an example of a “benevolent” (kind; generous) gift. The Macedonian Christians were very poor, materially, but were rich in the grace (free gift; unmerited favor) of God and the joy of God’s blessings. The Macedonians were eager to share what they had for the relief of the poor. The Macedonians were able to be so generous, because they had first given themselves unreservedly to the Lord, and then to Paul’s mission for the poor by guidance (by the Holy Spirit) according to God’s will.

Titus, Paul’s co-worker, had begun to collect the offering from the Corinthians earler, but had been interrupted by a rift in the Congregation toward Paul. Now the rift had been resolved (2 Corinthians 2:1-3), and Paul urged them to continue and complete the offering. The Corinthians considered their Congregation excellent in prophetic utterance, knowledge, faith, earnestness and love (consider 1 Corinthians 3:18-21a; 4:6-8), so Paul suggested that they also excel in benevolence.

It was not Paul’s intention that anyone or group be burdened so that another could be at ease, but that God’s providence, which was intended for all, could be equitably distributed. Natural variations in the distribution of God’s blessings occur, so those who have abundance should share with others who are in need. Perhaps later their circumstances and roles may be reversed.

The Church is to give to relieve the needs of others out of love and thanksgiving for the grace (unmerited favor; free gift) they have received in Christ. Jesus taught his disciples by word and example to love and care for the needs of the poor. Jesus left the glory and riches as the Son of God in heaven, to come to earth as a baby, with nothing, to give everything, including physical life, on the Cross, so that we could receive the grace of God, the free gift of forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God’s Word) and salvation from eternal condemnation and death, and live eternally in the richness of paradise in heaven with the Lord.

This world is God’s Creation. God has provided everything we need for good life, and his blessings are intended for everyone (Matthew 5:45b). The reason that some lack the necessities of life is because others grab more than their fair share, and don’t share with those who have need.

People who don’t trust God to provide for their needs fall into the trap of trying to provide security for themselves. But security is always a little more, a little beyond, where we are now. People who have come to know and trust God’s providence can share what they have today with those who need it today, confident that God will provide for tomorrow (Matthew 6:31-33).

The Philippians were able to be loving and generous with their resources because they had recognized, received and appreciated God’s spiritual gifts. They had committed themselves, without reservation, to trust and obey the Lord. As they had done so they were filled with the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and were guided by the Spirit to know and do God’s will. They experienced the joy of the presence of the Lord within them, and the joy of being obedient to God’s will. Their obedience to God’s Word, and their loving concern for the poor demonstrated that they were disciples of Jesus Christ and God’s obedient, trusting people.

The Corinthian Congregation considered themselves more intellectual and sophisticated, and they needed to be convicted and disciplined so that they could grow into trusting, obedient disciples of Jesus Christ they were called to be.

5 Pentecost - Thursday B

First Posted July 9, 2009

Mark 5:21-24a, 35-43 -- Jairus’ Daughter

When Jesus returned from a trip across the Sea of Galilee, a crowd quickly gathered around him, and a leader of the synagogue, whose daughter was gravely ill, came to Jesus, asking Jesus to come and heal his daughter.

Jesus came, accompanied by the crowd. As they went, members of Jairus’ household came to tell him that the daughter had died and that Jesus was no longer needed, but Jesus told Jarius not to fear but only believe.

Jesus would not let the crowd accompany him further; only Peter, James and John were allowed to continue with Jesus and Jairus. At the house there was a great commotion from people mourning the death of the girl. Jesus told them that she was not dead, but only sleeping. The mourners laughed at him.

Jesus took only the father and mother into the room where the girl was, and taking her by the hand, told her to arise. Immediately she opened her eyes, got up and walked. She was about twelve years old. Everyone was amazed, but Jesus told them to tell no one; and he told them to give her something to eat.

Jesus is the Son of God who came to give true, eternal, spiritual life to us. His miracles of physical healing and feeding were intended to reveal that Jesus can heal and feed us spiritually. Jesus’ resurrection miracles (Lazarus: John 11:1-57; Widow of Nain’s son: Luke 7:11-17) and Jesus’ own resurrection from the dead reveal that there is life beyond physical death. Jesus demonstrated that Jairus' daughter was truly physically alive again and not a ghost, by having her parents feed her (compare Luke 24:36-43).

Many of the people who gathered in crowds around Jesus were only interested in what Jesus could do for them physically. Jesus told the people who experienced his physical miracles not to spread the news, because large crowds gathering around Jesus seeking physical healing were making Jesus’ mission of bringing spiritual healing and reconciliation to the world difficult.

Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied, and illustrated in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus speaks the Word of God; Jesus’ word has the creative force of God’s Word (Genesis 1:3). Jesus commanded, and the girl rose from physical death. Jesus was careful not to command people to believe in him, but to allow them to reach their own belief of who he is.

In the Day of Judgment, when Jesus returns in glory and power to judge the living and dead in both the physical and spiritual senses, he will command the dead to arise (John 5:28-29) and they will have no choice but to obey. Those who have trusted and obeyed Jesus and have been “born-again” by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit will receive eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom; those who have rejected Jesus, and have refused to obey him, will be condemned to eternal destruction in Hell with all evil, separated eternally from God and all goodness.

5 Pentecost - Friday B

First Posted July 10, 2009

1 Peter 3:8-15a -- Unity of the Spirit

Authentic Christians follow the teaching and example of Jesus. They are united with each other and with the Lord by the Holy Spirit. They are sympathetic, loving, tender-hearted, and humble. Christians are not to return evil for evil and reviling for reviling, but instead are to bless those who revile and do evil to them, because that is what Jesus did, and that is what he has called us to do (Matthew 5:10-12, 21-26, 38-48).

Peter quoted Psalm 34:12-16, to show that God blesses those who do what is right according to God’s Word (the Bible) and punish those who do evil according to God’s Word. God’s Word is the standard by which God will judge the world, and Jesus is God’s Word, fulfilled, embodied and illustrated in human flesh (John 1:1-3, 14).

Those who do what is right according to God’s Word (the Bible, and the example and teaching of Jesus Christ) have nothing to fear from anyone. If we are persecuted for doing what is right we will be blessed by the Lord. Nothing, including physical death can harm us or keep us from God’s eternal blessings, which we have in Jesus Christ. So let us reverence Jesus Christ as our Lord in our innermost being.

It isn’t those who claim to be “Christian,” who claim Jesus as their Lord, who are saved from eternal condemnation, but those who trust and obey Jesus’ example and teaching (Luke 6:46; Matthew 7:21-24). Church membership and even “Baptism” don’t save us or make us “Christian.”

A Christian is a disciple of Jesus Christ who trusts and obeys Jesus. If we reverence Jesus Christ as our Lord in our innermost being we will trust and do what Jesus commands. If we would be disciples we must come to where we can hear and learn what Jesus teaches by word and example. We must read the Bible*, we must seek and follow Jesus’ guidance daily through Bible-reading, meditation and prayer. When we begin to follow Jesus’ teaching and example in obedience, we will be “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) 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).

A Christian disciple will seek and attend a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church, where there is unity among the brethren because they are unified by the scriptural apostolic doctrine (the authentic Christian faith as taught by the original Apostles, including Paul, and recorded in the Bible), and by the anointing and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Unless we have read the Bible, we are vulnerable to all sorts of false teachers and false doctrines, and we will have no basis for determining if a church is accurately teaching the Bible.

As an example of the independent, unified leading of the Holy Spirit, I currently attend a large Southern Baptist congregation. I have no direct contact with the pastoral staff, but my internet ministry inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit fits perfectly with what the Holy Spirit is inspiring and leading the pastors to do in my congregation. If we seek and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our own lives, the Lord, by his Holy Spirit will co-ordinate us to accomplish his overall mission.

*The average person can easily read the entire Bible in one year. This is a great way to begin to establish a daily practice of Bible-reading, mediation and prayer. See Free Bible-study Tools, sidebar, top right.

5 Pentecost - Saturday B

First Posted July 11, 2009

Luke 5:1-11 -- The Great Catch

Jesus was on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd had gathered, pressing forward to hear, and Jesus was being pressed into the water. A couple fishing boats were beached nearby and the fishermen were mending their nets. Jesus got into one belonging to Simon (later called Peter) and asked to be taken a short distance offshore so that he could teach the crowd on the shore (Matthew 13:1-2; Mark 4:1-9).

After Jesus finished teaching, he asked Simon to put out into deeper water and lower his net for a catch. Simon addressed Jesus as Master and said that he and his partners had fished all night and had caught nothing, but Simon was willing to trust and obey the Lord.

When Simon had done what the Lord told him, a large shoal of fish was caught in the net. He called to his partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, on shore, and they came out in the other boat to help with the catch. Both boats were filled so full with fish that they were in danger of sinking.

When Simon realized what had happened, he knelt at Jesus’ feet and acknowledged his own sinfulness and unworthiness. Simon and his partners were amazed at the large catch. But Jesus told them not to be afraid, and he said that, from now on, they would be “catching” people. “And when they had brought the boats to shore they left everything and followed him” (i.e. Jesus; Luke 5:11).

Simon, James and John were experienced fishermen. They had fished all night and had caught nothing. Their worldly experience made them skeptical of the prospects of catching anything. And how would Jesus know to advise them about where and when to fish?

But Simon accepted Jesus as his master, and trusted and obeyed Jesus’ word. As he did, he experienced a supernatural result. Simon, James and John realized that Jesus was more than just a man, and that Jesus’ word had supernatural, creative power. Jesus called them to become “fishers of men” and they left everything and followed Jesus.

Jesus (elsewhere) compared the building of the Kingdom of God to fishing with a net (Matthew 13:47-50). The net is cast out and then hauled in with all sorts of fish. The “fishermen” (angels) then sort the good fish from the bad.

Jesus calls us to be his disciples. As we accept him as our Master, our Lord, he tells us where to put down our nets, and as we do he will cause our “fishing,” for the establishment of his kingdom, to be productive. Without his supernatural empowerment and guidance our “fishing” will be unproductive. Jesus calls us to leave everything, home, family, material possessions, and worldly career, in order to follow him, but only by following Jesus in obedient trust can we accomplish what is eternally worthwhile and satisfying.