April 29

Grace! We celebrate grace! We should, we must! I had a Sunday school teacher in my adolescence who taught me the wonderful definition of grace that I will never forget, "God's willingness to use His power on our behalf even though we do not deserve it." Thank you Mr. Mays! Another popular definition for grace is from each letter, God's riches at Christ's expense.

Regardless of how you remember grace, the essence the same. God's power at work in our lives was not free, Jesus gave His life, purchased what we desperately need and yet are powerless to attain apart from His sacrifice. In our modern economic world, the concept of free easily slips into a synonymous realm with cheap. However, economics and eternity are vastly different. That which is fully free in the realm of eternity is also the most sacred and the most costly, God's grace.

Which brings me to a verse in today's reading. Luke 20:47 tells us of an account where Jesus is teaching on the Old Testament's teachings about the Messiah (Himself) and that religious leaders who relish more in their own personal glory than championing their sacred trust for the spiritual health and well being of others by pointing them to the Messiah (again, Himself)... in Jesus' own words, "will be severely punished."

How do we reconcile Luke 20:47 with the precious doctrine of grace? Ephesian 2:8-9, "For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift, not from works, so that no one can boast." Every gift culminates in a moment of acceptance. His grace is most certainly a gift, freely offered to us all, purchased by Christ's pure life sacrificed, but a gift that must be accepted.

May we all accept His grace, for our sake. The doctrine of grace lives in among an innumerable body of Christian doctrine, one of which is the doctrine of consequence, which we find again here in Luke 20:47. They do not contradict, they are interwoven together as only could be done at the hands of a Sovereign God.

Grace is not the permission to live as we please. Grace is God's willingness to use His power on our behalf even though we do not deserve it. Embrace grace, His love, His power, His plan, His rule in our lives! May we never know the consequence of rejecting anything that our loving Father gifts to us, His children.

Pastor Fred

April 26

To say that 2 Samuel 24 is perplexing would be an understatement! How do we reconcile this with our unrelenting belief that God is only and always good? The text clearly states that God caused David to do something that was wrong, after which a punishment ensued, inflicted on people who had no part in the transgression.

We must remember that the Bible is always the best means of interpreting itself. James 1:13-15, with equal clarity, states that God never tempts. Temptation is an act to seduce someone to transgress with the hope that they will in fact fail. Testing is creating an environment where a transgression is possible, but with the hope the person will pass the test by resisting evil. We also have 1 Corinthians 10:13, with equal clarity, states that we never face any sort of temptation that is beyond what we are able to resist. These two texts help us to see that God's anger with David is because He sees the pride in David's heart and out of love, will not allow that pride to remain hidden and unchallenged. Thus, God tests David with a idea. In the end, David will either deal with this pride by either overcoming it by resisting what he knows to be wrong or he will deal with his pride through repentance and forgiveness after the transgression is committed. What at first appears to be a sadistic act of an uncaring Deity is now revealed as the loving, caring act of a perfect Father.

But what of the innocent who are killed in consequence to David's transgression? Ezekiel 18:20, with equal clarity, states that God only punishes the guilty for their sin and does not visit judgment on one for the sin of another. There are only two alternatives for the population of 70,000 people who died in the plague, people who were guilty of their own unrepentant transgressions whose sin finally culminated in judgment and those who were in right standing with God. For the guilty, their death is not then the result of David's sin. God is using one plague to deal with scores of people for their own individual transgressions. Why isn't that clarification given to us...because God knows He has given us all of Scripture and expects us to be well versed in the breadth of revelation that is present in the entirety of our Sacred Texts. So what of the people who died in right standing with God? Since when is being promoted to heaven ever a punishment?

May we be careful to not let an over-identification with this temporal world be a filter of bias that causes us to hold a God who is only and always good in a negative light!

Pastor Fred

April 25

May it be that for us all, 2 Samuel 22 would be our anthem, our song, our psalm, our story!

Pastor Fred

April 22

Good Friday. The ember Christ created, may we hold it sacred forevermore.

In 2 Samuel 14:7 we find these words as the Tekoa woman conspires with Joab to convince King David to pardon Absolom, "They want to extinguish the only coal I have left..." The technological conveniences of our modern world eclipse our efforts at understanding the precariousness of life in ancient times. Fire. We push a button, strike a match, flip, pull, point... effortless and on demand. In the ancient world, an ember was saved from the previous fire, especially when traveling, wrapped in husks and green leaves from a plant to protect, to preserve, to perpetuate the very thing that was essential for survival, fire. For sustenance, for heat, for light, for comfort, even for battle...the ember was sacred.

So as the woman from Tekoa draws on this imagery as a metaphor for her only remaining son, King David is deeply moved. He understands. He lives in an era when the concept of scarcity is an ever present reality, unlike the excess of our today.

"Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips...Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar, and he laid it upon my mouth and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged." Isaiah 6:5-7

Jesus is our ember, the fire of forgiveness in the world. On this Good Friday, the day of His atoning death, the day the ember was passed from Heaven to earth, may we not just remember, but ask ourselves if we hold an ember from that fire...and if we do, to whom have we shared such a burning coal, that they too might partake, that they too might join the scores of us who having been "undone" as Isaiah, live purged because of Him, our cherished ember.

Good Friday. The ember Christ created, may we hold it sacred forevermore.

Pastor Fred

April 19

Luke 15 gives us some of the most direct counsel in how to love people back toward life in relationship with God and His family. There is a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. In the first two parables, the sheep and the coin are sought after, while the son is left to himself with the hopes he will return on his own.

The sheep represents people who wander. They aren't rebellious. They aren't angry at God or disillusioned. They simply have a curiosity for life beyond the boundaries of Kingdom living that they have yet to conquer. They are still waiting for their revelation that all things outside the pursuits of eternal life are ultimately settling for less. We follow Jesus' example and gently follow after them and encourage them to reconsider their place and life in devotion to Jesus and in relationship with His family. Their transformative measure is when they stop being the wanderer and become the retriever.

The coin is the only focus of the three parables that is lost at the neglect of another. This person deserves the most patience. Their being displaced is because of another person's sin. This is the one who was betrayed by a spiritual leader, a parent who terribly mis-portrayed faith in Christ, suffered a terrible tragedy as a victim...we never stop seeking them out. They desperately want to be found and need us to be relentless in our search for their lost hope. Their transformative measure is when their story becomes a tool for helping others to heal.

The son is left to suffer the consequences of his rebellion. We must not prematurely rescue the rebellious. Their pain is their teacher and we must not take them from school before the course of their God ordained lessons are learned. Their transformative measure becomes intervening in the lives of the people predisposed to rebellion and helping them avoid that defining moment of arrogance that fractures essential relationships.

He is risen!!

Pastor Fred

April 16

1 Samuel 30...

-verses 6-8, we find our comfort and strength in His presence, before we find His answer...

-verses 11-12, we must never be too busy for mercy...

-verses 21-31, generosity, generosity, generosity...

1 Samuel 31...

-verses 8-10, Saul's end and Goliath's end were ultimately the same, being in the right camp means little unless we have the right heart...(Luke 13:23-29)

Pastor Fred

April 15

1 Samuel 27, it is remarkable how quickly we can make peace with our enemies when we are motivated.

We also see here in this chapter the beginning of David's unabated violence that lead to his disqualification from being God's instrument in building the temple later in his life. God never punishes us for what we do in obedience to Him. David conquered much at the behest of God but here among the Philistines, we see him slaughtering innocent people to cover up his own deceptive practices, a tragic flaw that haunts him again in the Bathsheba narrative.

Finally, for this chapter, in verse 11 we are given a poignant lesson in leadership: being desperate for the deference of others always leaves us vulnerable to deception.

So what is up with a witch being able to conjure up Samuel from eternity to communicate directly with Saul? Was this actually a deceptive demon, did this necromancer really have power to control a prophet who was now dead, was it all just a delusion given Saul's poor health and famished state? We really don't know ultimately...but I will share my humble opinion. I believe this really was Saul. We know that through divine intervention, there can be communication with saints of old. Take the account of Jesus, James, and John in Mark 9 communicating with Moses and Elijah. However, the key is DIVINE INTERVENTION and not witchcraft. The critical part of the 1 Samuel text that leads to my belief is in verse 13. In the NASB translation, the medium describes what she sees as a "divine being coming up out of the earth." I believe this description is essential because it tells us that Samuel is not being controlled by a dark art but rather he is being sent by God. Does witchcraft exist? Does demonic activity occur? I believe yes. But nothing of Satan's realm has any power over the people of God, ever.

A quick note about today's reading in the NT, Luke 13. At the start, Jesus challenges the mentality that says bad things only happen to people who are being judged by God for doing bad things. As Jesus clearly points out, the great flaw in this line of thinking is not just in mis-judging those who are suffering, but also, in so doing, we mis-judge ourselves. This line of thinking leaves us vulnerable to mistaking God's grace for our own sinfulness as divine approval.

Go to church this weekend!!

Pastor Fred

April 13

⁷ “Listen here, you men of Benjamin!” Saul shouted to his officers when he heard the news. “Has that son of Jesse promised every one of you fields and vineyards? Has he promised to make you all generals and captains in his army? ⁸ Is that why you have conspired against me?...

1 Samuel 22:7-8a teaches us something profound...our own personal indiscretions will always become our own haunting suspicions.

Pastor Fred

April 12

In 1 Samuel 19, we find the most remarkable account of the power of God's presence. On three different occasions, Saul sent troops to arrest David and each time as they encounter Samuel the prophet, God's presence was so irresistible that instead of searching for David, they began to sing and worship and declare the wonders of God. Finally, even Saul himself journeyed to Ramah and found himself in the irresistible presence of the majesty of God.

So often in my life during my youth and college years I would find myself in church services and experience the undeniable presence of God and be drawn into moments of worship and prayer. But I would always inevitably revert back to a self-directed existence almost immediately after leaving the service. The only way that His abiding presence can take root in our lives is when we choose to embrace a God-directed existence; otherwise, our God encounters will always be as Saul's, on the road of "on occasion."

Are we Saul or are we Samuel? Is our God life intermittent or life defining? May we too be overwhelmed by His presence and may we be a people whose belief in God is life defining, passion filled, and moment by moment governing!

Pastor Fred

April 11

Truths we find in the narrative of David and Goliath...

1.) God often hides the glory of our future in the humility of serving others in our present. Remember, Samuel had already anointed David as the future king of Israel yet he is still expected to obey his father and serve his brothers.

2.) Every crisis must be viewed as an opportunity to awaken people to the abiding presence of God. Goliath calls the army of Israel the servants of Saul but David saw them as the armies of the living God. Who we see ourselves ultimately serving, in our life roles, our vocations, our volunteerism, dictates how we respond in crisis and how well we leverage those moments for God's glory.

3.) We all have Eliabs, people who are critical of our capacity to dream big dreams and our faith that God is at work leading us towards the fulfillment of His promises spoken over our lives even when our present circumstances appear to deny His intent.

4.) God is always at work preparing us for our future. David had to conquer bears and lions before he could conquer giants. He had to conquer giants before he could conquer armies. He also had to learn how to handle the praise of people and to not love their songs more than God's approval.

5.) As a leader, we must not expect others to operate in our giftings but their own. As leaders, we must help others identify their unique giftings and see them developed. God has a different kind of "armor" for everyone. In that same vein, we must not be threatened by people who are more gifted than we are. If God brings us our successor, it is an honor to help them grow and ultimately take our place.

6.) Note to self, if I am always the one at odds with everyone, including my own family, I am the one with the problem...remember Saul!

Pastor Fred

April 9

1 Samuel 13, our perception of a spiritual leader's poor timing is never permission giving to violate our integrity.

Pastor Fred

April 8

1 Samuel 10:6b, "...you will be changed into a different person." Verse 9, "...God gave him a new hear..." And verse 11b, "...How did the son of Kish become a prophet?"

Is my belief in God changing me? Is my devotion to Jesus transforming my life? Regardless of where I was born, the family to which I belong, my occupation, my denomination, my socioeconomic standing, my education, my city of residence, my past...when we live in His presence, we are divinely wrought works of His power.

How are you different from a year ago? We have a saying at City Life, changed beyond recognition...may that be each of our stories!

Pastor Fred

April 6

3 Axioms to live by in 1 Samuel 4-6...

1.) Religious icons have no power unto themselves and are no substitute for a heart obedient to God and His sovereignty. (4:1-10)

2.) When we are decrepit, indulgent, permissive in our parenting, and characterized by being lackadaisical in our leadership, God's grace acts in judgment, rescuing the innocent from our continued harm. (4:12-18)

3.) God does not judge us because we break a rule on a list but because we resist His rule in our hearts. (6:19-21)

Pastor Fred

April 5

In Luke 8 we read the account of Jesus raising Jairus' daughter to life. I find an interesting parallel with the account of Lazarus' coming back from the grave moment, John 11. In both narratives, we are told Jesus was especially loud when He prayed. How loud does one have to be in order to break the temporal barrier? How loud does one have to be in order to be heard in eternity? Oh God, teach me to be noisy like that!

Pastor Fred

April 2

Samson and Micah, two lives that give us great lessons.

If we do not realize our utter dependency on God, the total depravity of our humanity, the veritable spiritual lack of us all, we will pray little. Jesus in Matthew chapter 5 in giving us the famous beatitudes spoke to this very revelation when He declared, "... blessed are the poor in spirit because the kingdom of heaven is theirs." What is the correlation between being poor in spirit and possessing the kingdom of heaven? Prayer. When we see how poor we are within, we put the full weight of our lives on Jesus, living in a place of constant petition.

We read the account of Samson and wonder how he could have been so naive. Delilah had demonstrated her deceitfulness on three prior occasions, was Samson naive? No, he was arrogant, he had lost is proper self-perception, he had lost his sense of utter dependence on God, he had come to believe that his strength was his own. He told his secret because he was convinced he himself possessed his own strength. A hard lesson to learn. We see his strength returning because we see him returning to a place of prayer, a place of total dependence upon God in the last moments of his life. Judges 16:28, "Sovereign Lord, remember me again. O God, please strengthen me just one more time." If ever we loose our sense of spiritual poverty, God loves us enough to bring us to our knees, for the sake of our eternity.

Micah is the same story. There he is at the end of Judges 18, running down a road, chasing after a band of warriors who have stolen his idols, stolen his priest, stolen the sacred objects of his temple, exclaiming, "I have nothing left." God loves us enough to take from us everything that we have embraced that displaces Him. Here, Micah eschews his depravity, but what he has yet to see is that in that moment, he was rich beyond measure. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven."

It is intriguing to find in Revelation when the tribes of Israel are listed in chapter 7 that Dan is no where to be found. Why? We find our answer in Judges 18. What had formerly been the sin of one family became the sin of an entire Israelite tribe for generations upon generation upon generation, never again to regain their revelation of God dependence, never again to re-discover their spiritual poverty, never again to live in a place of constant petition, never again to put the full weight of their lives on Him... losing the kingdom of heaven.

If you feel like God has taken much from you, don't frown, smile, even in your darkest hour. He only takes that He might give what lasts forever, eternal life.

Pastor Fred