Our Good Shepherd Church family is again invited to read through the Bible using the Walk-through the Bible reading schedule of reading six days and resting on Sunday.  We will begin in Genesis and read through to Revelation in one year.

This year, I am going to republish some of my past blogs and on Sunday use the Scriptures that I will preach on for that day.  My hope is that those who come to Good Shepherd will be ready to hear the message of Jesus and will have already read the passage that I will preach on.

This year our theme for the year is “Come, follow Me!” taken from the call of Jesus to His disciples.  My heart has been stirred to help the church become true disciples who are following closely in Jesus’ steps as He leads us in these last days.  May the Lord stir you to follow Him as never before and actually make the changes that He directs you make as you hear Him speak through His word!  God bless you and your family!

The resurrection brought fear, doubt, and amazement to the disciples of Jesus.  On resurrection day, two disciples were walking on the road to Emmaus, talking about what had happened in Jerusalem.  As they walked along, Jesus came along side of them and began to walk with them.  They did not recognize Him and He questioned them about their conversation and experiences.  They shared their hopes of redemption through Jesus and how He was crucified.  Then they told Him how some of the women had told them that Jesus was alive and how others had found the tomb empty. They weren’t sure what to believe!

After listening to them, “He said to them, “How foolish you are, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?”  And beginning at the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:25-27)  Jesus was instructing His disciples and correcting their unbelief and they did not recognize Him!  These two disciples asked Jesus to stay with them that evening and as He broke bread with them, they did recognize Him.  He then disappeared from their sight!

They quickly returned to Jerusalem to tell the others!  As they were telling their story, Jesus appeared to them saying “Peace be with you.” (Luke 24:36) They were frightened and thought it might be a ghost!   He showed them His hands and feet and invited them to touch Him.  He even ate some fish with them. He was a real man with flesh and bones.

The real task for these disciples lay ahead. “This is what is written:  The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His Name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things.  I am going to send you what My Father has promised: but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Jesus was still seeking out lost people and calling them to repent.  These disciples would now be the witnesses who would share this truth.  They would begin in Jerusalem and go to the nations!  The gift of the Father would clothe them with power!  This mission is still going forward!

Prayer is an interesting subject.  God encourages us to pray about everything.  We know that God knows everything already and sometimes wonder why He wants us to ask of Him.  Prayer is simply communication with God in the form of talking and listening.  It often requires patience to receive the answer.  Our timing isn’t always God’s timing and our hearts sometimes need preparation to handle the answer.  The Book of First Samuel begins with a story about a barren woman who is bitter in her heart because God had closed her womb.  She finally decided to pray!  Has it come to this?

Hannah is one of two wives of Elkanah,  an Israelite from the tribe of Ephraim.  Don’t get thrown by the fact that this man had two wives.  It was part of the custom of that day but not according to the plan of God!  (Mark 10:6-9)  Notice that these wives had conflict between them and were considered rivals! (1st Samuel 1:2-7)  One wife had sons and daughters and Hannah had none.  Hannah would weep bitterly when the other wife pointed out that she had no children.  Elkanah was frustrated, too, because he loved Hannah and wanted to encourage her.

Hannah stood up and went to the temple herself!  There she wept bitterly before the Lord and poured out her soul to God.  She made a vow that if God would give her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord and give him to Him.  As she continued to commune with God in her heart and silently moved her lips, Eli the priest noticed her.  Thinking her drunk, he rebuked her sharply!  (1st Samuel 1:9-13)  Hannah explained her desperate prayer and Eli told her to go in peace, that the Lord would grant her request!

How hard would it be for you if your preacher accused you of being drunk in God’s house when you were merely desperate for God’s help?  Would you get angry and give up?  Would you take offense and hold a grudge?  This woman patiently and respectfully explained her situation, and Eli confirmed that her prayer had been heard!  It is easy to jump to wrong conclusions!

Hannah had a baby the next year and followed through on her vow!  God does answer fervent prayer!  Take time today and pour your heart out to God!

Dear Friends,

Greetings on this second day of the new year and first celebration of resurrection!  Please join the people of God in worship at the church of your choice!  Your presence is needed and God’s presence will greet you!  By the way, Psalm 2 is tied for the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament with Psalm 110.  Read God’s word and worship!  God bless you!  Pastor John

On this last Sunday of 2009, after reading and writing through the Bible, we can again rest because I can finish on time in four more days!  As I reflect on this journey, I have learned to see Jesus in a fresh way.  I feel that I know Him better and have an understanding of His mercy for us.  He longs to have fellowship with each of us and desires that none perish or suffer the wrath of God against sin.

We are secure in Christ and can rest today in our salvation and our future.  Every promise of Scripture is given that we might escape the corruption in this world and enter the abundance provided by Christ.  His power and wisdom exceed anything that we even remotely understand.  He is working out His plans to bring everything in heaven and earth and under the earth into harmony with God the Father.  He is confident.

Government powers and world rulers are no match for Jesus either.  All the armies, nuclear weapons, and political decrees can’t stop Him.  Neither can religious deception and humanistic idolatry stop Jesus from destroying all sin and rebellion and ruling with absolute truth and justice.  Both the Beast and False Prophet are thrown into the Lake of Fire, where they are tormented for ever and ever!  The wicked are judged and get their just desserts!

The end of Revelation is a new beginning!  A new heaven and new earth come into being and the righteous bask in the presence of the Lord and dwell with Him for ever and ever!  These words are trustworthy and the One who spoke them is Truth Himself!  We are so blessed to know these promises and by faith live in them today and for ever!  Have a great day of rest!

In His Love, Pastor John

Malachi was the final voice of a prophet in the era of the Old Covenant.  After him, God was silent for 400 years until John the Baptist came on the scene.  Malachi was like a street preacher of his day.  He would go out where the people were and ask questions of them.  He loved to pose questions and then answer them.  With this style he sought to provoke God’s people to repent and do what God had commanded and required.

There were several issues that Malachi hit hard in his preaching.  One issue concerned the priests who were sacrificing blind, crippled and diseased animals.  God was and is holy and He demands pure sacrifices; His priests were dishonoring Him. (Malachi 1:6-14)  God is a great king who is worthy of our best!

Another issue was priests who were breaking their covenant vows with their wives and also with God, Himself.  They were sacrificing to God on the Sabbath, but then going up to idol temples, sacrificing to idol gods and having sex with the temple prostitutes.  God was watching and angry!  He warned them through Malachi that this practice would defile them and sow violence and divorce into their homes. (Malachi 2: 11-16)  This also dishonored God and broke their vows to Him as well!  This behavior hinders the development of godly offspring, God’s plan for covenant marriage.

God warned them as well of another evil practice.  The law of God strictly forbids stealing but these people were stealing from God.   They were not giving God their tithes, bringing them under a curse.  The devourer was eating their crops and taking away their sustenance.  (Malachi 3:8-12)  The remedy was simple–return to God by bringing Him His tithe!  God tells them that they can test Him in this, the only place in Scripture where testing God is allowed or encouraged!  God promises to open the windows of heaven for those who honor Him with the tithe!  He will also rebuke the devourer and bless their provisions.

God was going to send His messenger of the covenant to His temple.  He would be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap, purifying the Levites.  This process would bring about righteous obedience in the offerings and personal behavior.  Who could stand when this “messenger” comes?  God was going to be quick to testify against those involved in sins of adultery, perjury, sorcery, and oppression of orphans and widows!  (Malachi 3:1-8)  The people better prepare for this messenger and the refining fire!  This fire would reduce those who opposed the Lord to ashes but the righteous would go free!  (Malachi 4:1-3)

Malachi had a message that still rings true today for us.  Jesus is coming!  He is coming with fire this next time.  Those who believe in Him will have their works tested by fire at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  Those who oppose Him will be defeated by fire and eternally judged by fire!  We need to heed the time and return to the Lord before time runs out!

As we have read through the books of Solomon and now are beginning Isaiah, there are many topics that we could reflect on.  We could reflect on the life of Solomon who began so well.  He was visited by the Lord and was told that he could ask the Lord for anything.  Solomon wisely chose to ask for wisdom to govern the people of God.  God gave him wisdom and riches and honor as well.  (1st Kings 3:5-12)  He had this wisdom and wrote it down for us in the book of Proverbs.  He later violated the Word of God and took many wives from many lands.  These women corrupted him and led him into idolatry.  The book of Ecclesiastes is written later in his life and is a depressing account of his quest to find meaning in life under the sun!  The Song of Songs was probably written early in his life when he was close to God.

Even wise men go astray and God knew that man needed something more than a temple and animal sacrifices.  Just seeing God in a vision or having a Word from Him failed to prevent a man’s downfall.  Isaiah was given the task of telling God’s backslidden people, these descendants of David and Solomon, about God’s plan.  About 700 years before Christ, Isaiah spoke a word from the Lord which was written down for us.  “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:  The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”  (Isaiah 7:14)  (Matthew 1:20-23) Matthew quoted this verse in his recounting of the birth of Jesus Christ, saying that Jesus’ birth was a fulfillment of what the Lord had spoken through the prophet Isaiah!

Mankind experienced “God with us” in the physical person of Jesus Christ for 33 years.  He lived among His people, the Jews.  They saw Him and heard His authoritative teaching and experienced His miraculous works.  His bigger goal was to have each of His followers throughout history to be indwelled with the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit would be “God with us” to each individual as well as to His people when they gathered together in His name.  For nearly 2000 years this special empowerment has been available to believers everywhere who have asked for it.  ‘God with us’ is the mark of the New Testament Christian.  ‘God with us’ keeps us fresh and moving towards the goal of seeing the Lord.  We are so blessed to live in the wonderful dispensation of “Immanuel”!

God knows us better than we realize!  He has searched us out from before the foundation of the world! (Ephesians 1:4)  He knows where we are right now and what we are thinking about.  He knows our hopes, joys, fears, and dreams.  He is familiar with our ways and even knows what we will say before we say it!  (Psalm 139:1-4)  Even when he knows the dirt in our life, he still loves us and is actively drawing us to heal and cleanse us.  He has amazing knowledge and patient love!

This knowledge is beyond the psalmist’s ability to understand and know.  It makes him want to think about hiding from God.  Adam and Eve tried that and God found them anyway.  Jonah tried that and boarded a ship to Tarsus.  God located Jonah in the belly of the fish; trying to hide did not work for him either.  There is no place we can go where God is not!  He fills the heavens and earth!  He knows the darkness as well as the light.  (Psalm 139:7-12)  Let’s just face the bare facts–God sees it all! (Hebrews 4:13)

We were knit together in our mother’s womb!  I studied DNA molecules in biology classes in college.  These amazing strands of protein contain a code that spells out exactly who we are.  Each of us is unique.  These strands are twisted together in precise order and sequence like a woman’s knitting!  Over a billion connections must be made from two strands of DNA, half from the mother, half from the father!  We are fearfully and wonderfully made!  God saw us first and even knows the days we will live here on earth.  They are written down in His book! (Psalm 139:16)

God thinks about us all the time!  He has wonderful thoughts about us, His children that He has formed!  These thoughts are precious to the Psalmist and us today!  They are so numerous that if we could number the grains of sand, God’s thoughts would be more!  Wow!  What thoughts to meditate on from these written words of David over 3000 years ago!

The psalm concludes with the psalmist asking God to slay the wicked!  The psalmist hates those that hate God!  He counts them as his enemy!  He concludes by asking God to search him again and test him.  He needs God’s help to know if there is any offensive way in his heart.  The last two verses make up a good prayer.  Take a moment and seek the Lord with the understanding that this psalm gives!  Listen for some of those thoughts that God has towards you!  God bless you today!

“Search me, O god, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24

A major way to stay centered is through prayer.  We are designed with the unique ability to communicate.  We can talk to God and hear Him speak to us.  Many of the psalms are prayers that are written out as poetry or in the form of a song.  Music and rhythm help us express the depths of our soul.  In prayer we can share honestly with God our deepest feelings, hurts, fears, and longings.  We can express our frustrations and ask for help, guidance, or divine intervention.  Some of the psalms flow with troubles and needs.  Often, they conclude with a re-centering on God and His ability to save, heal or deliver.

There have been some who advocate only speaking positive confessions about everything in our life experience.  They say that if we speak about our troubles or fears, we open ourselves up for Satan to bring us further trouble.  These psalms show us that we can be honest with God about our feelings, hurts and pains.  We must come back to a good confession of trust in God’s ability to guide and help us, however.  We should not live in negativity!  Casting cares on the Lord is the right thing to do for it helps us remember God’s great ability to help us and bring us peace and comfort.

Psalm 42 is a great example of a prayer of centering in a time of trouble.  Join the psalmist in this prayer of honest sharing of his heart’s needs.   (Psalm 42:1-2)  Cast every care on Him, He cares for you!  (Psalm 42:5-6)  Pray about everything, worry about nothing!  (Psalm 42:7-8) May the peace that passes human understanding stand guard over your heart and life today and throughout the coming week!  (Psalm 42:11)  God bless you!  In His Love, Pastor John

“If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him.” Proverbs 26:27

“An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one can sing and be glad.” Proverbs 29:6

We must be careful when we plot revenge.  All judgment and vengeance is the Lord’s.  (Romans 12:19)  The Lord has a way of turning the tables on those who seek revenge and plot evil.  He has ways of protecting those who are innocent and especially those who are serving Him.  In today’s reading from Esther, we find God turning the tables on Haman as he plots to destroy the Jews and hang an innocent man.

Haman was thrilled with his position and his influence!  He boasted to his wife and friends of his good fortune and how he was the only one invited to meet with Queen Esther for a banquet.  (Nehemiah 6:1-12)  He was happy, except for one fly in the ointment: Mordecai the Jew would not show him honor by bowing before him!  He complained to his wife and friends who proposed a plan to hang Mordecai on a gallows 75 feet high!  This would have been high enough to display the execution above the walls of the city!  He had the gallows built and was ready for the next day.

God was moving silently behind the scenes.  The king could not sleep, so he had the chronicles of his reign read to him.  He heard the story of the plot to assassinate him–a plot Mordecai had exposed thus saving his life.  He asked what had been done for this man and found out it had been overlooked.  He asked who might be in the court to honor Mordecai, and providentially, Haman had just walked in with his plans in place.  The king asked him what he would do to honor someone special to the king.  Haman thought he himself was to be honored,  so he proposed a grand public honor and was shocked when the king told him to honor Mordecai!  How ironic that God turned the tables so deftly and quickly!

The end of the story finds Haman hanged on the gallows he built for Mordecai after being exposed as the one seeking to kill off all Jews, including the Queen!  God worked His plan out for good and turned the tables!  This is exactly what will happen for all of His people who serve Him faithfully.  It looks like death has the final answer, but not with God!  It looks as if the wicked get by with their schemes, but not at the final judgment!  Check your heart today and come clean of any thoughts or plans for revenge.  Forgive and turn the table back toward God’s mercy before He turns the tables on you!