O Come, O Come… for a Monday Morning

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Don Merritt

Here’s a great video and a wonderful song to start off the last week before Christmas. I hope it gets your week off to a great start!

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I Am the Way

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Don Merritt

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John 14:5-14

In essence, this is Jesus‟ “final briefing” to His disciples. Judas is gone, they were shaken by his betrayal and Jesus opened this chapter with words of comfort, followed by Him telling them that He was about to die. They didn’t understand the last part of His “going away” and thus we open with Thomas asking about this point.

5-7: Here is Thomas’ fateful question, and Jesus’ classic reply: “I am the way the truth and the life” Jesus follows this by adding that if you “knew me you would know the Father”, and then says something we often overlook: “From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” He tells them this because of the fact that Father and Son are One. Note also that Jesus tells them again that He Himself is the way to the Father. Like last week, this puts everyone on notice that there is no alternate way to salvation: It is Jesus and Jesus only.

8-11: Phillip is the one who goes down in history for this classic in which he says that Jesus should go ahead and show them the Father, and that will be good enough! Jesus, ever patient tells them that if they have seen Jesus, they have also seen the Father. The message is that they are the same. If nothing else, they should believe this because He has performed in front of them the miracles to prove it.

12-14: Here we have the transition: “I tell you the truth” that takes us into a different discussion. Jesus leaves the matter of who He really is and the evidence to support it and goes into the new age that is about to dawn. He tells them that in this new age, He will do anything they ask in His name so that the Father will be glorified. Note that this is to glorify the Father and not to glorify the disciples.

We really can’t leave this section without noting the discussion that follows. Jesus goes on to tell them about the coming of the Holy Spirit, and about how they will be blessed if they obey His commands. Notice that asking for things in His name, the Holy Spirit and obedience are all linked together. Jesus was not telling them that if they say the magic words, “In Jesus’ name” will get them everything they want in life. Instead He is telling them that if they walk with Him, obey His commands and work to glorify God, then He will bless them and aid them in doing His work. One could make a case for an implied covenant here.

Along those lines, consider the things that He has commanded for us to do. In chapter 13 it was to love one another. In chapter 14 He instructed them to obey His commands, and in chapter 15 He commanded them to bear much fruit. In Matthew 28 He gave the Great Commission to the church. What are you doing this week to obey Him?

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Random Ramblings: December 17, 2016

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Don Merritt

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We’re about to begin the final week before Christmas, and I guess this picture pretty much sums up all I have to ramble about today. I hope the coming week will be a joyous and happy one for you and all of those you hold dear.

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Another View of the Christmas Story

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Don Merritt

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We’ve looked at the Christmas Story from an unconventional angle by seeing through the lens of Father Abraham, and now we come in this final week leading up to Christmas, to the more traditional story from the Gospel of Luke. I’m not sure why this is, but I’ve never posted through Luke’s Gospel before now, so not only will this be a ride through the Christmas Story; it is the beginning of a new adventure through the entire book.

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,  so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Luke 1:1-4

Luke opens with a formal introduction in the best ancient Greek style, and certainly along with Acts, Luke is written in the most elegant formal Greek, standing out from all other New Testament writings. As he says in his introduction, it is organized along the formal lines of a Greek historian, and in that sense compares favorably to any of the ancient Greek historical texts.

The most important thing for us to take from the introduction is the reason Luke is writing this book; it was so the reader would be certain about the things they were taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, and in this there is a bit of apologetic in Luke’s writing that differs somewhat from the other Gospel authors.  The idea of being “certain” about the things of God is not really a modern idea for in our times we prefer to say that one cannot ever be entirely certain about anything other than science. Of course science has found certainty in a great many things which were wrong, although we don’t like to talk about that. If we were to be entirely honest with ourselves, we would have to acknowledge that science sometimes continues to be certain about things which aren’t quite right today, especially when politics enters the picture.

In any case, Luke wants his readers to be certain, we will be reading, and I hope that our level of certainty will have increased greatly by the time we are finished.

We’ll get started in earnest on Monday, see you then!

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Visions of Christmas Present

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Don Merritt

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To me, Christmas today seems way too complicated.  Of course, if I could visit another era, it may be just the same…  Who really knows for sure?

Christmas, and here I really mean the Christmas season, seems complicated because it involves an awful lot of activity.  When my three kids were little, there were at least three different programs that had to fit in; sometimes there were more.  Of course there’s also the annual Kids’ Christmas program at Church…

Of course there are also the office events, and events for any other organization that we might be involved with, including church.  There was decorating that needed to be done, house cleaning added in to the normal routine because of various family get-togethers, and quite naturally there were family get-togethers at others’ houses that need to be attended.

Invariably there is some kind of church activity for the less fortunate, and the Christmas Eve service that must be prepared for… oh yes, and gifts that need to be shopped for, cookies and sweets that need to be made, and all of this goes on when the football starts to get really good!

Even the weather seems to conspire… you have to rush off to the Christmas play and you look out the window to discover that since you last noticed several inches of snow came down and you need to rush out and shovel.  One year we got six feet the Saturday before Christmas: what a mess!p00121516001

It’s so easy to get caught up in all of the rush, craziness and things, loosing entirely the simple and basic reasons for the Holiday.

For to us a child is born, a son is given…

I have become a firm believer in jumping off of the Christmas roller coaster! Now that’s not to say that anything I have mentioned is bad… there’s just too much of it!

First and foremost Christmas is a season to celebrate and remember the birth of a Savior; Christ the Lord.  It is a time to be thankful to God for all that He has done for us through Jesus Christ, and to re-dedicate ourselves to His service.

 

Second, it is a time to share God’s love with friends and family, and together to joyfully give Him praise and thanks.

Third it’s a great time to relax and enjoy the company of loved ones in peace and joy.

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It could just be that I’m way too old-fashioned; maybe I’m just an old Scrooge… I just can’t believe that the modern-day Christmas roller coaster is quite what God had in mind for this season of celebrating the birth of His Son.

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This year I’m only going to participate in the things that are really important, the ones that really focus in on what the season is supposed to be about!

As you might imagine, I say that every year.  I am absolutely booked between now and the big day…

Next year I’ll show ’em how it should be done…

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The Suffering Servant

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Don Merritt

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Isaiah 53

In Isaiah 53, the prophet describes for us a servant who would be despised, rejected and die; with the result of saving many. The poem here actually begins with verse 13 of the preceding chapter…

Notice in 52:13-14 an account of one who was disfigured beyond the likeness of a man. Of course this disfigurement was the result of the brutality of men. He was to undergo terrible treatment, but in the end he would receive great honor for what he had done. As the poem moves forward into chapter 53, we see that he would be despised in part for who he was; having no apparent nobility or pedigree. He came from the most humble of roots, and grew up as one who was not beautiful or privileged. (53:1-3) People hid their faces from him; but why? He was a man of sorrow and hardship who grieved at the way he was received, for who would believe his message?

In verses 4-6 we find that he was oppressed on our account; that he was to bear the afflictions and sins of all of us who have gone astray. This was no ordinary man, but rather He was One who had come to save the rest of us! Note the parallels in this poem:

Our Experience His Experience
Grief Bore
Sorrow Carried
Transgression Pierced Through
Iniquity Crushed
Peace Chastening
Healed Scourging

 

In verses 7-9 the servant is silent during his trial; offering no defense against accusation. He bore our guilt upon himself willingly, and was sent away to die. Nobody would take much notice of his fate, even though he was guilty of no crime. He would be tortured beyond human endurance, disfigured, ridiculed… and who would care?

Yet, in the final verses we see His triumph. He would live after death; His “seed” (disciples) would spread over many nations and countless millions would be saved by His suffering. He would share the spoils of His victory over sin and death with His followers; He had changed the course of human history, and accomplished the purpose of God.

Compare this account with that of the Apostle John: John 12:37-41. Who is this servant, and how has He affected your life?

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Father Abraham: The Ultimate Test

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Don Merritt

Genesis 22:1-19

Everyone knows this story, and I’m sure you don’t need me to retell it: God told Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering to God, and Abraham obeyed God’s instructions. At the last moment God stopped him and provided a ram as a substitute for the boy.oxrhjuq-lp

The theological implications of this scene could (and does) fill hundreds of volumes of scholarly discussion. Since we are looking at this through the lens of the Christmas story, I thought we might focus on these verses today:

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (22:15-18)

The entire story of Abraham is centered around the birth of Isaac, for Isaac was the key to God’s covenant relationship with Abraham, the Son of Promise. The Hebrews author tells us that Abraham’s faith was so strong by that time that he was thinking God would simply raise him from the dead if he had been sacrificed, and I’ll take his word on that. Yet Isaac, as critical a player as he was, was not the Son who would die for our sins and be raised again from the grave… but this story sure points us in that direction!

In this case, God provided the sacrifice in Isaac’s place, and in the case of the Son of God, God provided the sacrifice in our place; amazing.

The faith and obedience, yes obedience, that Abraham displayed in this scene resulted in God’s restatement of His promises to Abraham, a sort of confirmation of their covenant. Perhaps this took place because of Abraham’s lapses during the course of their relationship, or perhaps it was to instruct the generations that would follow; I don’t know. What I do know is that Abraham, as a model of faith for all of us, sets the bar very high in this scene, and I doubt strongly that any one of us could meet his standard; I know I wouldn’t.

Thankfully, God has already provided the last sacrifice for sins.

It would be easy for me to say here that we need more faith, and I would imagine everyone would agree with that. Yet it would also be a bit absurd, for faith isn’t the kind of thing you just pick up at the store, or force upon yourself. Faith is the natural outgrowth of relationship, in this case that would be relationship with our Lord and with others who follow Him; it is a lifelong pursuit and all of us are works in progress.

I suppose we could call it a journey; it certainly was a journey for Father Abraham.

Where will our journey take us in the weeks that lie ahead? That’s the real question.

 

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Father Abraham: More Adventures

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Don Merritt

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God’s investigation of Sodom found that the outcry He heard was all too true, and He destroyed the city and everyone in it, except for Lot and his family. Sadly, Lot’s wife met her doom when she just had to look back and became a pillar of salt. Afterwards, Lot had some trouble with his daughters… and his troubles and travails continued. Of course it’s hard to forget the choices Lot made a few chapters back.

Abraham and his clan moved on to Gerar and made a mistake or two…

Genesis 20

Abimelek was the king of Gerar, and for whatever reason, Abraham told Sarah they were going to try the old “she’s my sister” trick again.  Once again, she was taken into the household of a pagan king, and this time God intervenes quickly in the form of a dream with Abimelek:

But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.” (20:3).

In the dream God told the king to return Sarah to her husband unmolested, which he did.

Early the next morning Abimelek summoned all his officials, and when he told them all that had happened, they were very much afraid. Then Abimelek called Abraham in and said, “What have you done to us? How have I wronged you that you have brought such great guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should never be done.” And Abimelek asked Abraham, “What was your reason for doing this?”

(20:8-10)

For the second time Abraham has been found out and stands in shame before a pagan king, and this time, he makes the situation worse…

Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’” (20:11-13)

It looks to me like there is more “fear of the Lord” in this pagan court than there is within Abraham at that moment; everything he has just said makes him look worse; what will become of him now?

Abimelek showed Abraham and Sarah a great deal more courtesy and respect than either deserved in 20:11-16 and I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure he did so out of “fear of the Lord”. God healed everyone he had prevented from conception, and the scene ends, leaving me in wonder and amazement; what was Abraham thinking?

Whatever it was, once again God showed His faithfulness to all concerned, after all, Abraham was His covenant partner and Abimelek was an innocent party… and we have another message of hope for Christmas. No matter how we might wander from wisdom and good judgment from time to time, God remembers His promises, and works things out for His covenant partners. While I don’t think I’ve ever known a Christ follower who has erred quite like this, we all mess up, and I find comfort in this story.

How about you?

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Photo of the Week: December 14, 2016

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Don Merritt

For many of us this is a frigid week or record low temps. As we check into flights to Australia, here’s a little inspiration from tropical shores…

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Father Abraham: High Level Negotiation

Posted on December 14, 2016 by Don Merritt

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Genesis 18:16-33

For me, this passage is amazing, one of the most amazing in all of Scripture. I say this for two reasons, first because we see into the mind of God as he considers what to do next and second because we see Abraham actually influencing to some degree, God’s plan through his intercession.

The visit mentioned in the previous post has ended and the Three are leaving Abraham’s place to go into town, for they have received information about the terrific conditions in the city of Sodom; they intend to investigate these allegations. As they are walking, the Lord considers whether or not He should tell Abraham what their mission is (18:16-19).  Then the Lord seems to have decided to brief Abraham and he said:

“The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” (18:20-21)

For most of us, we think of Sodom and Gomorrah as places full of wild sex parties of all sorts, but that wasn’t what the “outcry” was really all about. If you read carefully the passages dealing with Sodom, you will see that these wild carrying-ons included mass rapes involving children and whole families; this place was no pleasure den, it was a house of horrors. Yet there was an outcry so not everyone was willing to indulge, and hence, the Lord wants to investigate before acting.

In 13:22-33 Abraham enters the picture and asks God not to judge the innocent with the guilty, asking that he spare the city for the sake of 50 righteous, then 40 and step by step on down to 10 righteous, and God agrees. God’s purpose in judging remains the same; if this is true, then he will put a stop to it, but He will spare those who were not part of the debauchery.

Abraham was cited multiple times in the New Testament as a model of faithfulness. Abraham had a relationship with God, a covenant relationship, and when he went to God to intercede on behalf of the righteous of Sodom, God granted Abraham’s requests; He answered Abraham’s prayers.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have a relationship with God, a covenant relationship. We also can have access to His presence to bring intercession for the righteous in various situations. What does this story tell us about God’s willingness to hear our prayers for the righteous?

Yes, exactly, there’s some Christmas hope for you!

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