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John 14:15-21 - Lectionary for Pentecost Eve

5/20/2021

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5/20/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

Does your family have patterns it follows? Mine does. I think most do. There's the family that always goes to the park on Friday evenings in the summer. There are the people who eat the same thing together for breakfast, day after day. There are the people who only eat a meal together on very special occasions. There are the barefoot inside families and the shoes inside families. The TV on and the TV off families. 

We often think of these patterns as if they are insignificant, and on one level they are. But in John 14:15-21 Jesus describes his family pattern. It has nothing to do with the park, eating, shoes, or entertainment. Those who love Jesus and are cared for by the Father and the Holy Spirit, value Jesus' commandments. Many translations speak of "keeping" or "obeying" the commandments. But the normal way the New Testament speaks of it is by use of a word which also indicates what a guard on duty would do. The security guard at a bank, a store, or a factory, will not normally be engaged in what we would think of as active work. There's watching, moving around to different places, checking some doors and windows, and generally keeping an eye out, but there isn't much banking, manufacturing, or retailing going on in the guard's life. It's more a matter of presence and awareness.

The Christian is present within and aware of what God's priorities as revealed in Christ are. We end up doing the things that Jesus says, but it's because we are living in his word. We don't manage to live in God's word by forcing ourselves to do what he commanded. It's the other way around. We receive God's word and we find ourself following it, because it becomes part of our culture.

What's the family culture? Resting in God's Word. Praying. Nurturing. Caring. Loving and serving your neighbors. Why? Because we value what Christ has told us.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Romans 8:12-17 - Lectionary for Pentecost Eve

5/19/2021

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5/19/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

There's a pretty big branch of modern American Christianity that seems obsessed with the Holy Spirit. They want to have the victory of God in the Spirit, to walk by the Spirit, and to do great things in the power of the Holy Spirit. Often they look for powerful and, frankly, noisy demonstrations of the spiritual ife.

In Romans 8:12-17 Paul pictures life by the Spirit as something which isn't as showy. It's more like life in a family, where you call out to your father with your needs. You trust that your troubles can be cared for. 

When I had small children, they would show their parents things that they wouldn't reveal to anyone else. They would tell about their cares, their fears, their little victories, their hurts. They would take their parents into their confidence.

This is the spirit of adoption Paul is talking about. We can turn to the loving care of the Holy Spirit when we are afraid, when we are disappointed, when we are in doubt. We can bring our joys and our trials before God. And we can know that by the Holy Spirit everything will be all right. We know that the Holy Spirit is always going to be watching over us. He will always be guarding us. He will care for our treasure. He will pick us up when we fall, and it's a good thing, since we fall all the time. He will provide for our needs, since we aren't able to do for ourselves. 

Rather than depending on ourselves, walking by the flesh, which leads to death, we depend on the Holy Spirit, walking by the Spirit, on the path that leads not only to eternal life, but to being heirs of God's promises.

Would you like the riches of God? They are yours. You don't have to be shouting about it. Just ask. The Lord will give you all you need, as you live in his household as his child.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Psalm 85 - Lectionary for Pentecost Eve

5/18/2021

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5/18/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

Psalm 85 has an interesting view of time. God was favorable to his land. He restored his people. He forgave. He withdrew wrath.

In short, God already did all sorts of good for his people Israel. It's over. It's done.

This should be the end of the story. What more is there to expect? We really can't anticipate much more. God has shown his favor.

Did it last? From God's perspective it should have lasted. The work of God was completed.

Sadly, God's people are like sheep. We go astray easily. Sometimes it is by mistake, because like sheep we aren't all that smart. Sometimes it is on purpose, because like sheep we are easily frightened into not trusting our shepherd. We run away and try to escape.

What's the cry of the Psalm? Lord, restore us. We need to see your favor. We need your forgiveness. We need you to withdraw your wrath. We need you to speak peace to us. 

At the end of verse eight we find confirmation of our tendency. The Psalm asks that God's people should be prevented from returning to their folly.

We can call out to God the same way today. Have we turned to folly? You bet. Do we endure times of trouble? Indeed. Do we need God to show favor? No doubt about it.

When God's faithfulness is springing up from under us and his righteousness is falling from the sky, we want to be right in the middle, between the two, like a sandwich. There, God will catch us with his favor. There, we can dwell in him.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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Joel 3:1-5 - Lectionary for Pentecost Eve

5/17/2021

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5/17/21
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.

The people of this world don't seem to mind plundering God's people or God's resources, when it fits their desires. In Joel 3:1-5 God condemns several particular practices. The people of Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia have displaced God's people Israel and have confiscated and divided up the land which God had apportioned for the different tribes of Israel. Some of the people have been taken into slavery and have been considered as stakes to be wagered for. Human trafficking, particularly for the sex trade, has been practiced, and the perpetrators have gone to such an extent in their folly that they would sell a girl, take the proceeds in wine, and drink it up, leaving themselves with nothing of value.

Are these the acts of a people God should respect? Not at all! In verses 4-5 God has no respect for this kind of crime. It is unwarranted folly. God will return payment in kind. The people of Tyre, Sidon, and Philistia will be plundered, scattered, and sold into slavery if they should survive.

Our world remains in a terrible state. Human trafficking is rampant. People rejoice in successful fraud. There are power-brokers engaged in profiteering. 

Those who think God won't notice need to think again. None of it has escaped God's notice. He understands our human injustice. And one day, it will be repaid.

This should strike fear in the hearts of those who wish to use their power and authority, or their resources, including their intelligence, to plunder, dominate, and oppress. Your desires are known to God, and your actions are known to others. He will settle accounts in his time.

What comfort does this bring to those who are downtrodden, who have been scattered, whose resources have been confiscated, who have been treated as objects to be bought, sold, used, and discarded? God also sees you. He is not going to be silent forever.

Christians believe that in Christ, even death and hell have been conquered. Those who are looking to him in hope will find life and assurance in this world as well. There is nothing that can harm us eternally. No matter how we may have suffered, Jesus has overcome all who would try to destroy us. This is the Christian hope. God will put everything to rights in his time.

If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.

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