Up, Up and Away

Acts 1:9-11 is easy to skim over. After all the verses before deal with Jesus' commission to His disciples and the verses after deal with selecting Judas' replacement. But, the ascension of Jesus is not something we should just fly by. The Ascension is important. Without it we would miss out on a number of benefits and blessings in the Christian life.

If Jesus did not ascend we would not have an advocate before the Father (1 John 2:1). Our lives, which are hidden with Him, would be earthly not heavenly (Colossians 3:1-4). Most importantly, because Jesus went to be with the Father, we get the Holy Spirit, indwelling and empowering us (John 16:7). We can also have the confidence that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus (Matthew 28:18) On top of that, we have the assurance from Acts 1:11 that Jesus will return bodily for us! Those are some incredible benefits and are well worth praising God for.

Here is how the Heidelberg Catechism puts it:

Question: How does Christ's ascension to Heaven benefit us?

Answer: First, He pleads our cause in heaven in the presence of His Father. Second, we have our own flesh in heaven - a guarantee that Christ our head will take us, His members, to Himself in heaven. Third, He sends His Spirit to us on earth as a further guarantee. By the Spirit's power we make the goal of our lives, not earthly things, but the things above where Christ is, sitting at God's right hand.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Mike

For Further Study: Kevin DeYoung, The Good News We Almost Forgot (Chapter 18)

Heritage Valley Bible Church Weekly Reading and Memorization

This weeks suggested Bible reading and memorization passages are:

• Bible Reading: Joshua 10-17
• Bible Memory: Deuteronomy 10:12-13
• Colossians Memorization Project: Colossians 1:9-14

Enjoy!

Keeping Your Word -- Joshua 9

There is no question that God hates liars (Proverbs 12:22). God cannot lie, and He doesn't want us to either (Titus 1:2; Psalm 51:6). But, what do you do when someone deceives you?

This was the problem the Israelites had in Joshua 9. The Gibeonites deceived them into making a covenant of peace with them. Unfortunately, the Israelites had standing orders from God to destroy all those who lived in the Land, not to make peace agreements with them (Exodus 23:31-33; Deuteronomy 7:1-2).

Eventually, the Israelites discovered they had been had. The question now is what should they do. God had told them to destroy all who lived in the land . But, they had made a covenant of peace; they had given their word.

The Israelites determined that keeping their word was critical (Joshua 9:19). As God's people they could not break their word, they could not break the covenant they had made. They knew that God's people had to be honest and faithful to the agreements they make, even if it hurts (Psalm 15:4).

Is there some promise you have made that is difficult to keep? Do you feel you were deceived when you made it? Honor God and keep your word.

The Cost of Disobedience - Joshua 6-7

Most of the time it is not difficult to determine what God wants us to do. His commands are written in the Bible; they are generally quite clear. The problem is we want to do something different.

Israel had that problem in Joshua 7. God have given them clear instructions that they were not to keep anything for themselves after conquering Jericho (Joshua 6:18-19). But, a man named Achan disobeyed and took some things (Joshua 7:1).

Achan's sin resulted in Israel's defeat at Ai (the next battle). 3,000 men of Israel fled; 36 were killed (Joshua 7:4-5). Achan probably thought his sin was private. No one would know; no one would get hurt. Sin is never private. It always impacts others - our family, our friends, our church, even God's reputation. Achan's sin cost 36 people their lives!

Disobedience carries a high cost, but God is extremely merciful. After revealing Achan's sin, God instructed Joshua how to defeat Ai. Joshua followed the instructions carefully and easily defeated the city. The Bible seems to indicate that not a single Israelite died in the battle (Joshua 8:25).

What a difference obedience makes. So, as you consider God's commands remember Ai -- choose obedience, choose life.

Faith Means Obeying God Even When it Seems Foolish - Joshua 5-6

Often God asks us to do things that seem foolish at the time. But, He is God and we are not. His wisdom is higher than ours and the essence of faith is trusting Him and obeying what He says. In Joshua 5 and 6, the Israelites get a lesson in obeying God, even His seemingly foolish commands.

First, God commands them to circumcise all the men (Joshua 5:2). This is not surprising; it was a standing command for all Israelite males (Genesis 17:10-14); a command the Israelites had not obeyed as they wandered in the wilderness (Joshua 5:5). It is not surprising that God would remind His people of His law. What is surprising is the timing. The Israelites had just crossed the Jordan into the Promised land. They were in hostile territory. Yet, here was God asking the Israelites to do something that would make them unable to fight for a number of days. The Israelites knew the danger. They remembered what Levi and Simeon had done to the city of Shechem (Genesis 34:24-29). But, God had spoken. He required circumcision and obedience is more important than military strategy!

Second, God gave Joshua a very strange battle plan as they approached Jericho (Joshua 6:2-6). Most armies don't conquer cities by marching around the walls (you might get shot) and blowing horns. Yet, that is what God asked the Israelites to do. So they did, and God gave them victory.

Both of these incidents are strange when we stop and think about them. God's instructions seem foolish. Yet, they were God's instructions. They needed to be obeyed regardless of what Joshua and the Israelites thought. That is what faith is; that is what faith does.

God rewarded their faith. During the days of healing after the circumcisions, He protected the army. He made sure that the Canaanites did not attack (Joshua 5:1). He also allowed the Israelites to conquer Jericho, not by arms but by believing God's Word.

How about you? Is there some command of God that you are avoiding because it seems foolish? Today is the day to obey. Commit yourself to God and step out in faith.

Big Shoes to Fill -- Joshua 1

Joshua had one of the most difficult tasks imaginable - he had to replace Moses as Israel's leader and lead them into God's promised land. Talk about filling big shoes!

God knew this would be difficult. Joshua might have doubts. So he issues a repeated command "Be strong and courageous." Easy to say, hard to do. But God also gave Joshua some great encouragements.

• God would be with Joshua (Joshua 1:5, 9).
• Joshua would succeed (Joshua 1:6)
• If Joshua carefully obeyed the law and meditated on it regularly, he would be prosperous and successful (Joshua 1:9)
• Even the people encouraged Joshua and pledged to follow his leadership (Joshua 1:16-19)

You are not Joshua, but you have similar promises (Matthew 28:18, Psalm 1). When you have big shoes to fill, a big job to do, or you just aren't sure you can do what God asks; remember, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened or dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

God's Case Against America

I do not desire God's judgment on America, but I can't help but think we deserve it -- especially when I read Ezekiel 22. I recognize that America is not Israel. We are not God's covenant nation. We are not even a Christian nation (biblically, there is no such thing).

However, all nations are accountable to God. If you read through the prophets you will notice that God does judge all the nations, even those that don't recognize Him as God.

Now, consider some of the crimes Israel committed that led to God's judgment.

• They shed blood. The government even encouraged it (Eze 22:6). Can anyone say abortion?
• They had no respect for parental authority (Eze 22:7)
• They oppressed and extorted the powerless (Eze 22:7)
• They were sexually immoral (Eze 22:10-11)
• They collected unfair profits (Eze 22:12)
• Most importantly, they forgot God (Eze 22:12)

Can you honestly look through this list and say that as a nation America is not guilty of the exact same things?

If we want to avoid God's judgment, we need to repent and pray for both reformation in the church and revival outside the church.

In Christ
Pastor Mike

P.S. I do believe that God is already judging America. Read through Romans 1:18-32 if you disagree. I pray that we will come to our senses before His judgment increases.

For the Sake of God's Name

Ezekiel leaves little doubt that the Israelites are a rebellious people.

In Ezekiel 20 he outlines a number of ways Israel rebelled against the Lord:

• The Exodus generation refused to get rid of their idols in Egypt (Eze 20:7-8)
• They rejected God's laws and desecrated His Sabbaths (Eze 20:13, 16)
• The next generation (in the Wilderness) also rejected God's laws, desecrated His Sabbaths, committed idolatry and practiced child sacrifice (Eze 20:21, 24, 26)
• Once they entered the Land, they continued to practice idolatry, child sacrifice and wanted to be like the nations around them (Eze 20:27-32)

They did this despite God's incredible generosity to them. He chose them, revealed Himself to them, redeemed them, gave them His Laws, the sign of the Sabbath and the Land. Despite all this, they continually rebelled against Him. They preferred their sin to God.

Before you read further, ask yourself, "Am I so different?" If you are a Christian God has chosen you, redeemed you, put His Law on your heart, given you His Holy Spirit and promised you a place in Heaven. Have you responded with whole-hearted devotion, or are you imitating the Israelites in their sin?

Now, what is God's response to this rebellion? Over and over again, He showed mercy.

He did bring judgment in the form of not allowing the initial generation into the Land (Eze 20:15). He judged the subsequent generations by removing them from the Land (Eze 20:23, 34). This judgment was severe, devestating and total. (Eze 20:45-21:32)

But, the dominant note is not judgment but mercy. He still brought rebellious Israel out of Egypt. He still gave them His Law. He still brought the rebellious wilderness generation into the Land. He will restore His rebellious people to the Land.

Why? Why does God act in mercy to a rebellious people? The answer occurs over and over again in Ezekiel -- so that Israel and the nations might know that He is God and for the sake of His name (Eze 20:9, 12, 14, 20, 22)

Don't forget to praise God today for His persistent mercy for the sake of His own name.

In Christ
Pastor Mike

What is the Song of Solomon?

Whenever you read something, it is important to know the type of literature you are reading. You don’t read the comics the same way you read an editorial or a classified ad.

If we are going to understand the Song of Solomon, our first task is to determine what type of writing it is. Unfortunately, different people have reached very different conclusions over the years.

We’ll start with what the Song is not.

It is not a sex-manual. God did not intend this book as the Christian’s guide to good sex.

“It is important to remember that the Song is not a dating guide or a sex manual. It is not a ‘how-to’ book, but rather poetry intent on evoking a mood more than making mandates to the reader concerning specific types of behavior.” (Tremper Longman, Song of Songs, p.60)

It is not an allegory. Both Jews and Christians hold this view. The Jews see it as representing the love between God and Israel; the Christians as the love between Jesus and the Church. The problem is that the book does not present itself as an allegory. There is no symbolic key. The places and names are historical, not representative. It is nothing like Pilgrim’s Progress or other allegories we know.

It is not a drama. Many people try to read Song of Solomon as an story of the courtship, marriage, difficulties and triumph of Solomon and the Shulamite woman. Others see it as a story of the Shulamite’s love for her shepherd boyfriend despite Solomon’s attempts to bring her into his harem.

The problem with the dramatic view is that it reads a structure into the book that is not clearly evident. The book also has many indications of sexual activity (Sol 1:2-4, 12-14; 2:4-6, 16) prior to the marriage (Sol 3:11).

The book is a collection of love poems. It is a song of exchanges between a married couple that rejoices in and celebrates their love for each other.

There is a unifying structure to the Song. It is not just a random compilation of poems.

The poems form a huge chiasm that climaxes in at 4:16-5:1[1], which celebrates the couple’s marital consummation (Sol 4:16-5:1).

The structure of the book places the emphasis on the marriage consummation being the highest and most wonderful experience of love in the couple’s relationship. God wants us to enjoy love and sex in the context of marriage. He wants us to be drunk on it. (Sol 5:1)

In Christ
Pastor Mike

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[1] These verses also from the exact middle of the text with 111 lines (60 verses) from 1:1 to 4:15 and 111 lines (55 verses) from 5:2-8:4.

1 and 2 Thessalonians

The Bible passages for May 3-9, are 1 and 2 Thessalonians. There are 8 chapters in these two books so you will need to read more than one chapter on at least one day. I also recommend reading through both books every day if you can.

Paul wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians while he was in Corinth during his 2nd missionary journey, most likely during the summer of AD 51. Paul had planted a church in Thessalonica a few months before, but was run out of town before he could complete his work (Acts 17:1-10).

He wrote 1 Thessalonians to instruct these young believers and encourage them to wait for Jesus' return and live holy lives as they endured persecution.

He wrote 2 Thessalonians when he heard that the church had become idle, having believed some false teaching about Jesus' return.

Here are some things to watch out for as you read these letters.

1. What does the gospel do when we believe it? (1 Thess 1)
2. What type of pastor was Paul (1 Thess 2-3)
3. How should we live as Christians? (1 Thess 4-5)
4. What will happen when Jesus returns? (1 Thess 4-5)
5. What will God do to those who persecute believers? (2 Thess 1)
6. Who is the man of lawlessness and how does he relate to the day of the Lord? (2 Thess 2)
7. How should we deal with lazy Christians? (1 Thess 3)
   

In Christ
Pastor Mike

A New Wardrobe

An important thing to learn in the Christian life is how to get dressed. No one wants to walk around in filthy, ragged clothes. It would be even worse to walk around naked!

In Colossians 3, Paul reminds us that there are certain clothes we must take off and certain ones we must put on. Colossians 3:8-9 lists some of the qualities we are to "strip off". Colossians 3:12-14 tells us how to clothe ourselves.

How can we do this?

First, we must take responsibility. We are the ones who have to take off the old clothes and put the new ones on.

Second, we must use God's Word. Paul seems to connect the idea of putting negative qualities to death with putting them off (Col 3:5-8). The only way we can put things to death is to use the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (Eph 6:17). If you want to change your clothes, you need to fill yourself with God's Word, meditate on it and apply it to your specific circumstances and temptations. Be on the lookout for things God says to get rid of (old clothes) and what He tells you to do instead (new clothes). A good place to start is Ephesians 4:17-32.

Third, we must be gospel motivated. Paul does not begin with the commands to change clothes. He begins with the truths of Colossians 3:1-3. We have died with Jesus, we have been raised with Jesus, our life is hidden in Jesus, we will be glorified when Jesus appears. He reminds us, that we change clothes because we are already chosen by God, holy and beloved (Col 3:12). We are not doing this to make God like us, but because we already belong to God. Why should we wear filthy rags in the King's palace?

In Christ
Pastor Mike

Resources: Tim Lane & Paul David Tripp, How People Change

Rejoice in the Lord

Philippians is known as Paul's letter of joy. Despite being in prison, he is joyful. He commands the Philippians to rejoice (Phil 3:1, 4:4). If we want to obey God and be more joyful in Jesus, we need to learn from Paul. What gave him joy?

Paul's joy centered around three things: people, the gospel and Jesus.

First, Paul rejoiced in the Philippians. He loved them (Phil 1:7). He rejoiced that they were fellow participants in the gospel (Phil 1:3-4). He was confident that God was at work in their lives and would complete the work He began (Phil 1:6, 2:12-13).

Second, Paul rejoiced because the gospel was advancing. Paul did not care that he was in prison. Imprisonment gave him an opportunity to witness to Caesar's household (Phil 1:12-13, 4:22). It also gave others greater confidence to share the gospel (Phil 1:14). He knew that some people were trying to share the gospel out of wrong motives. But, he could still rejoice because the gospel was advancing (Phil 1:15-18).

Third, Paul's joy was in Jesus. Remember, our call is to rejoice in the Lord (Phil 4:4). This was the example Paul set. He was confident that whether he lived or died, he would be delivered (Phil 1:19). No matter what happened, Paul had Jesus, and Jesus would be glorified in his life or death (Phil 1:20-21).

This is the attitude we need to have if we are going to be joyful. We need to not be focused on our circumstances, but on people, the gospel and Jesus.

In Christ
Pastor Mike

P.S. I apologize if you are getting multiple updates to this post. I'm trying to get the reftagger function to work and the only way to check it is to edit, look at the post and then re-edit.

Are You a Slacker?

You might be a slacker (or, sluggard) if:

• You make excuses and avoid responsibility (Pr 26:13)
• You have difficulty finishing simple tasks (Pr 19:24; 26:15)
• You don't work at the appropriate time (Pr 20:4; 24:30-34)
• You sleep a lot (Pr 26:14)
• You are a know it all (Pr 26:16)

As you can see, you don't have to be a young man, living at home, listening to music, watching movies and playing video games all day to be a slacker. You simply have to be lazy and avoid your God given responsibilities.

Take a moment today and ask yourself, "What roles and responsibilities has God given me?" Then ask yourself, "Am I doing my best to accomplish the work God has given me or am I avoiding it?"

Don't be a slacker! It is not safe and it is not wise. (Pr 21:25; 24:30-34). Don't forget, God blesses diligent hard workers (Pr10:4; 12:24).

In Christ
Pastor Mike

Resource for further study: Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations

Self-Control

Self-control is not a topic we like to think about. But it is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). It is also a topic that is important throughout the Proverbs.

God wants us to be self-disciplined in what, and how much, we eat; in how often we visit our neighbor and in how we deal with our temper. Personally, I find Proverbs 25:16, 27 particularly challenging. It is no so hard to stay away from honey, but if you put Ice Cream, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, M&M’s or pretty much any form of chocolate in the place of honey – the verse becomes very personal. The Scriptures are clear – carefully moderating our deserts (honey) is a good thing.

Proverbs 28 has more to say about greed, which seems closely related to a lack of self-control. Greed will lead to punishment (Pr 28:20), the sin of partiality (Pr 28:21), poverty (Pr 28:22), conflict (Pr 28:25) and curses (Pr 28:27).

Beloved, our American lifestyle promotes greed, discontent and lack of self-control. We need to pay attention to God’s warnings. It is not bad to find honey (desert) or other forms of wealth. We should receive them with thanksgiving. But we must also use God’s good gifts in moderation.

In Christ
Pastor Mike