“God’s Promise: I Am With You” Lesson 8: John 14:1-31 “I am one in whom Christ dwells and delights and I live in the unshakeable kingdom of God.” James Bryant Smith said the above quote at a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) conference on making disciples. I found it challenging to wrap my head around the phrase. What happens when you say to yourself, “I am one in whom Christ dwells and delights”? Are you startled, doubting, incredulous or pleased when you think about Christ delighting in you? For 60 seconds of silence, imagine Christ looking at you with pleasure. What happens when you reflect on Christ dwelling in you? Do you readily identify with the Holy Spirit having a home within you, or do you think that the Holy Spirit will only come once you have spiritually cleaned house? Do you feel like the Holy Spirit has packed up and left, or is the Spirit as close to you as breath or wind? Chapter 14 of the Gospel of John focuses on the Holy Spirit coming to lodge within the … [Read more...]

“God’s Promise: I Am With You” Lesson 7: Isaiah 7:10-16; Matthew 1:18-25 Who needs a savior? As armies come towards Jerusalem, the people of Judah do. The prophet Isaiah assures King Ahaz that the armies pose no threat, but Ahaz chooses fear over trust and makes an alliance with Assyria, the kingdom that will ultimately devastate the land. The people of Israel, who are under Roman captivity, want a savior who will free them from Roman tyranny. For millions of refugees and migrants, a savior would bring protection, a new home and work to provide for their families. But we have warm homes, comfort, freedom of worship and speech, and the rule of law. Do we still need a savior and, if so, from what threat do we need saving? I can imagine that you, dear readers, will say that Jesus comes to save us from our sins, and of course that is correct. But day to day, from what specifically do we need to be saved? The answer for me comes from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. … [Read more...]

“God’s Promise: I Am With You” Lesson 6: God with us through our trials Isaiah 41:8-13; 43:1-7 Grim and brutal is the history that informs First Isaiah, chapters one through 39. The people of God go their own way without regard for the Lord. Wealth is in the hands of a few while the poor are grounded down. In the courts, the innocent are deprived of their rights while the guilty are acquitted for a bribe. Their leaders lead them astray and the spoil of the poor are in the houses of elders and princes. (Isaiah 3:13-15; 5:18-23) God’s judgment comes crashing down on Judah by the Babylonian army. The Jerusalem temple is destroyed, and all its sacred vessels are carted away to Babylon. All the people of rank, skill, military prowess and education are chained and marched away. The last king of Judah, Zedekiah, watches as his sons are slaughtered and then his own eyes are taken out. Zedekiah is bound in fetters and taken off to Babylon. (See 2 Kings 25) None of us, except for … [Read more...]

“God’s Promise: I Am With You” 2 Chronicles 20:1-30; Deuteronomy 20:1-4 An imminent attack during King Jehoshaphat’s reign and a portion of Deuteronomy titled “Rules for warfare” frame our reflection. Author Amy Poling Sutherlun reflects on the battles we face against disease, sin, depression, injustice and the fights of words and wills. The conflicts of words and will may be our most common daily struggle. Disagreement and conflict are a normal part of life. The children squabble. The parents get miffed at one another. Employees work to deal with an abrasive boss. A church member annoys us and our buttons get pushed. Who among us deals openly and maturely with the inevitable clashes between people? Generally speaking, we freeze, fight, flee, ignore, placate, panic, duck, cave into the angriest voice or find allies to our cause. In times when controversy escalates, we can be unsure what to do or feel powerless to stop it. While many of us might consider conflict negative, … [Read more...]

“God’s Promise: I Am With You” Lesson 4: 1 Chronicles 28:1-21; 1 Kings 11:1-13, 29-30 “Sinners in the hands of an angry God” was a sermon preached by Jonathan Edwards in 1741. Edwards’ most famous sermon describes the torments of hell for those who do not repent and accept Jesus Christ. This theme has not been the tone of the churches of which I have been a part. Instead, God’s love and forgiveness was emphasized. In doing so, I wonder if we portrayed God as someone who dispenses grace like candy without our having to pay any price. In every meaningful relationship, there are sacrifices to be made and standards to be kept. When Solomon is named as King David’s successor, David says to Solomon: “And you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve him with single mind and a willing heart; for the Lord searches every mind, and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will abandon you forever” (1 Chronicles … [Read more...]

“God’s Promise: I Am With You” Lesson 3: Deuteronomy 31:1-8; Joshua 1:1-9; Haggai 1:1-15, 2:1-9 We all face times of discouragement. Discouragement comes from many different sources. We are flattened when we have worked long and hard on a project, and a boulder-sized obstacle arises. Then we wonder if it is worth carrying on. We are dismayed when, despite committed and loving church members, worship attendance continues to decline in our increasingly secular culture. In a new exciting job, we become cautious after experiencing that our new colleagues have far less than a team spirit. We worry and seek help when our child changes from a carefree, affectionate, 12-year-old boy into a sullen, angry person. As older people, we grieve over the loss of friends, health and mobility. We are depressed when there is conflict in our beloved church and we do not see how the breach can be fixed. Certainly, losing heart is a condition that all human beings face at some point. God has to keep … [Read more...]