from the pastor's pen
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Dear Friends,
With
presidential politics dominating the news, I was reminded about the
story of the installation of the first political ruler over Israel. The
prophet Samuel had been serving only as the religious leader over the
nation and he was getting old. His sons were rebellious "PKs" (Prophet
Kids). They were corrupt, accepted bribes and perverted justice. They
probably would have made great politicians today. However, the people
of Israel did not want them to continue as judges over the nations.
They feared that when Samuel died they would left leaderless, so they
asked him to appoint a king like the other nations. Samuel was
disappointed. In prayer God reassured Samuel and told him not take the
people's request personally. It was a sign of their rejection of Him.
God told the prophet to do what the people wanted but to warn them
about what their king would do to them. Samuel told the people:
“This
is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your
sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will
run in front of his chariots. 12 Some
he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties,
and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to
make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you in that day.” (1 Sa 8:11-18.)
The
passage is pretty straightforward. God allowed the people to have a
earthly ruler but this ruler would make their young men go to war,
impose taxes, and expect everyone to serve him. We should not be
surprised then when politicians act according to God's predictions. It
is part of their fallenness. We would probably do the same if we had
the power and authority. Power corrupts. That does not mean that we
should allow politicians to do this. One of the founding principles of
our nations is the checks and balances that the judicial, legislative,
and executive branch have over each other. Unfortunately we have an
Executive that never learned that in his high school government class.
(Excuse me I was not suppose to reveal my disdain...er...political
preferences. The temptation was too great.)
What is
my point? To quote the psalm, "Put not your trust in any ruler or child
of the earth, for their is no help in them" (Ps 146:2) The coming
political election will not save America, neither will John McCain,
Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. America will only be saved when his
people trust in Him. We are a long way from that.
Under the Shadow of the Almighty
Pastor John
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from last week
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There Is Even Room for You
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from the scriptures
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Preparation
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Read the
Psalm aloud.
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Read the Scripture
from Psalm
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Take
a moment
to meditate on John 14:15-21.
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Questions for Reflection
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Describe a time in your life when you really felt alone in the
world. How did you get into that predicament? How did you finally get through
it?Did anybody help you through it?
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Who was your favorite teacher in school? What was the subject?
What made that class special? Do you still enjoy studying about that particular
subject?
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Studying the Text
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If you love Jesus what does he expect you to do?
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What will he ask the Father to do?
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Can the world accept him?
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Where does the Counselor live?
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What will the world not see?
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Who is in the Father? Who is in you? What does that mean to
you?
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What are you to do if you have Jesus' commands?
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If you love Jesus, who will love you?
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Who do those words belong to?
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What is another name for the Counselor?
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What will the Counselor do?
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Living the Text
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How does the Holy Spirit teach you in your spiritual life? How
much time during the week do you spend being instructed by the Spirit? What
grade do you think he would give you?
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When do you really feel the presence of the Spirit in your life?
What has that enabled you to do that you would not have been able to
do?
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Closing
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Read
the
Scripture lesson again
and
take a moment to meditate on the passage.
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What
is God
saying to you?
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Thank
God
for
his presence
and ask him
to
apply what you have learned to your life.
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from the news
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After plane crash, missionary teen helps save lives
News reports of the recent tragic plane crash in Goma, Democratic
Republic of Congo, are just beginning to trickle out. One story getting
much attention is focused on the heroic action of 14-year-old April
Mosier.. . . read more
Food Crisis: No Free Lunch
Rising prices for essentials precede riots in some parts of the developing world. Are biofuels partly to blame? With gasoline flowing toward $4 a gallon in the U.S., some Americans
are trying to figure out what they can cut from their budget to remain
behind the wheel. In other parts of the world, high prices for basic
items are causing more trouble. . . . read more
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from the net
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The 'Evidence for Belief': An Interview with Francis Collins
For some, there is an inherent conflict between science and religious belief.
Indeed, some scientists, including famed evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins,
argue that an understanding of the natural world logically leads to atheism. But
for Francis Collins, head of the Human Genome Project and an evangelical
Christian, scientific knowledge complements rather than contradicts belief in
God. In his 2006 bestselling book, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents
Evidence for Belief, Collins argues that advances in science present "an
opportunity for worship," rather than a catalyst for doubt. Recently, the Pew
Forum interviewed Dr. Collins about his views on science and religion.. . . read more
All Systems Go
Speaking on "Sound Doctrine: Essential to Faithful
Pastoral Ministry," Duncan bemoaned our anti-theological age. He quoted
from an article, "The Dangers of Theology,"
that ran in his hometown newspaper in Jackson, Mississippi. In it,
Valerie Cohen, rabbi at a local Reform Judaism congregation, wrote,
Theology.
What a tricky thing. A devious thing, sometimes. A dangerous thing,
often. Perhaps that is why Jews focus so much on deed and not creed, on
doing rather than believing. . . . read more
Is This Man Caspian?
Of all the characters in C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, the title character of Prince Caspian is most like the author, and the book is surprisingly autobiographical. . . . read more
The Absent Present Christ
by Alexander MacLaren
There are in the words I have read, though they be but a fragment
of a closely-linked together context, these three great thoughts
then: the absent Christ the present Christ; the unseen Christ
the seen Christ; the Christ who dies life and life-giving. Let
us look at these as they stand.
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from history
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April 22, 1864: The motto "In God We Trust," conceived during the Civil War, first appears on American coinage.
April 23, 1538: John Calvin and William Farel (whom Calvin was
assisting) are banished from Geneva. The day before, Easter Sunday,
both had refused to administer communion, saying the city was too full
of vice to partake. Three years later, Calvin returned to the city he
would forever be associated with (see issue 12: John Calvin).
April 24, 387: On this day,Augustine of Hippo writes in his autobiographical Confessions,
"We were baptized and all anxiety for our past life vanished away." The
33-year-old had been a teacher of rhetoric and pagan philosophies at
some of the Roman Empire's finest schools, but after great influence by
his mother, Monica, and the famous bishop Ambrose, he turned to
Christianity. His baptism by Ambrose, on Easter Sunday, marked his
entrance into the church (see issue 15:Augustine and issue 67:Augustine).
April 25, 1599: Oliver Cromwell, the Puritan lord protector of
England, is born near Cambridge. As lord protector he sought to allow
more freedom of religion.
April 25, 1887: Radio evangelist Charles E. Fuller, known for
his "Old Fashioned Revival Hour" and for cofounding Fuller Seminary in
Pasadena, California, is born in Los Angeles.
April 25, 1887: Radio evangelist Charles E. Fuller, known for
his "Old Fashioned Revival Hour" and for cofounding Fuller Seminary in
Pasadena, California, is born in Los Angeles.
April 26, 1992: Worshipers celebrate the first Russian Orthodox Easter in Moscow in 74 years.
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from the store
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