ResponsiveReiding

For the audio Podcast of this and every episode, find us on Breaker, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify or HERE

If you’d like to join us in our journey reading all the way through the Bible this year, drop me a line at reid.ferguson@gmail.com, and I’ll be glad to email back a copy of the reading plan we are using.

According to the United Nations, there are 195 sovereign nations on Earth today. 54 are in Africa48 in Asia44 in Europe33 in Latin America and the Caribbean14 in Oceaniaand only 2 in North America.

And the Council on Foreign Relations says that there are at least 26 armed conflicts currently occuring globally this very minute.

Millions of people in all sorts of distress due to these conditions. And is God only God over a few? Our reading today in Isaiah 44:6-45 would tell us no. In an amazing display of God’s global involvement, we see something many simply do not realize.

More on that today on Through the Word in 2020 – as we continue reading Psalm 119:161–168; James 1:19–27; Luke 20:41–47 and Isaiah 44:6–45.

Some chapters in the Bible stand out as containing insight into reality that from day to day escapes us. Such are Isaiah 44-45.

As you might expect, these portions are written primarily concerning Israel and God’s dealing with this singular nation. Singular because He set Israel aside for Himself. It is the only nation He established uniquely as His own. That, despite claims by many others that they are uniquely His. Over the centuries, England, the United States of America and others have claimed similar unique status for themselves. But Biblically Israel stands alone in this regard.

It is all the more surprising then that Isaiah 45 opens with God addressing someone named Cyrus.

Now who was he? Who was this man whom God said He anointed to subdue nations as God’s agent? Well, he was a pagan King – King of the Persian empire. A man God raised up over a foreign throne while the Jews were in captivity under his rule. And the man God used to send His people back to Judea at the end of their 70 years of captivity.

Now the point of all this is simply that no nation, no ruler, King, President, Premier, Prime Minister or despot occupies their role apart from God’s notice, and even His employment.

When Cyrus decreed the Jews could go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, he also sent captives from other nations under his power back to their lands to re-establish the worship of their gods too. It appears he was hoping to build up as much divine favor for himself as he could – no matter what the source. He wanted ALL the gods on his side. Not just the One True God of Israel. And yet, in that action, prophecy for Israel was fulfilled, and God’s people were restored.

God can and will use any and all to accomplish His will. Just because you do not see a leader as the one you would hope for – doesn’t mean God has left off His plan, is sidetracked, stymied or stifled. As Proverbs 21:30 reminds us: “No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord.”

Never forget our Global God Christian. We are His and He is ours. Bought with the precious blood of Jesus. And however God may deal with our own nation, in blessing or in judgment, His people will remain His, and His purposes will yet be accomplished.

Christians in every nation on the planet are called to look to and trust Him in all He is doing. He is absent nowhere. And He has abandoned His own – never. Keep seeking His face.

As Revelation 17:14 and 19:16 remind us – our Jesus is the King of Kings. He is the Lord over all Lords.

Let that settle your soul today Beloved.

I’m Reid Ferguson.

God willing, we’ll be back tomorrow.

For the audio Podcast of this and every episode, find us on Breaker, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify or HERE

If you’d like to join us in our journey reading all the way through the Bible this year, drop me a line at reid.ferguson@gmail.com, and I’ll be glad to email back a copy of the reading plan we are using.

What do you think of when you hear the word – integrity. If you are like me, you think of the first definition given in most dictionaries: A person of integrity is someone with sound, incorruptible principles. Those who keep to a well defined code of moral values.

Webster’s has two more definitions worth considering. Something has integrity if is sound, or complete. Whole.

When you take all three together, you get a pretty good handle on the theme of the book of James. I’m Reid Ferguson, and integrity is our theme today on Through the Word in 2020 as we consider Luke 20:9–26; Psalm 119:153–160; Hebrews 13:20–James 1:1 and Proverbs 29.

James has always been a controversial book, especially since the Reformation. Martin Luther is reported to have called it an “epistle of straw.” He couldn’t quite wrap his head around its call to right actions when contrasted with the Gospel of grace. I’ll just have to forgive him on that one. In truth, there is no dichotomy between the 2 at all. Not if we think in terms of integrity: That what a person professes to believe and be, ought to be borne out by their actions and lifestyle. That a Christian must have more than his or her theology correct. They need to live it.

Why?

Because there is nothing more demonstrative of Christ Himself, than to be a person of no contradictions. Whole. Entire. Complete.

James has in mind as his audience, Jewish believers who have suffered greatly by being chased out of their native land due to persecution. His remarks are not about mere trials of inconvenience or not getting their preferences. This is about when life as a Christian finds you suffering – really suffering. And, that some of that suffering at the very least – is directly connected to your being a Christian in the first place. It is to such people – not enduring trifles of difficulty, but in some cases bankrupted, robbed of home and possessions, driven from family and all that is familiar, prejudice, denial of employment and for some even physical harm. Truly persecuted, not merely inconvenienced. Those who have been stripped of their rights; with no hope of seeing things set right in their lifetime.

When that is the case, will we live according to our profession – in integrity? Or will we talk the talk, but fail to walk the walk? Is our profession of faith fully integrated into every part of how we think, feel and live?

This is what we see in Jesus don’t we? It is exemplified for us in John 13:1 “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”

Beloved, our entire salvation rests in the perfect integrity of Jesus Christ. For Him to say, think and do nothing other than who and what he was – the Son of God. His sinlessness. To live with no hint of self-contradiction. Living in absolute harmony inwardly and outwardly.

And that dear one is the very image He is in the process of bringing us to by the work of His Holy Spirit. To be like the one Peter tells us: When he was reviled, did not revile in return; and when he suffered, did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

May we show our – His integrity to the World in our generation.

Think about it the next time you plan to respond to a Facebook post, a tweet, a news commentator’s remarks or some politician’s or pundit’s unfiltered utterances. Show your heart really does entrust your wellbeing to the one who “judges justly.”

Befuddle the World – the way Jesus did.

Integrity stymies the world.

God willing, we’ll be back tomorrow.

For the audio Podcast of this and every episode, find us on Breaker, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify or HERE

If you’d like to join us in our journey reading all the way through the Bible this year, drop me a line at reid.ferguson@gmail.com, and I’ll be glad to email back a copy of the reading plan we are using.

Acting under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Gospel writers arranged their accounts to emphasize different aspects of Jesus and His ministry.

I want to explore that a bit today on Through the Word in 2020, where our schedule finds us in Hebrews 13:20–21; Isaiah 36–38; Proverbs 28 and Luke 19:45-20:8.

Matthew is bound and determined to prove who Jesus is in the light of the Old Testament. He has been conquered by the love of the King. Once a tax-collector, Matthew wants us to know what a forgiving, gracious, merciful Savior Jesus is to the worst of humanity. No one is too wicked for Jesus Christ to save. Sin has abounded, but in Christ, grace has abounded infinitely more. No less than 12 times he will tell us that Jesus directly fulfilled Scripture prophecies. Jesus’ lineage establishes Him as a rightful heir to David’s throne. His fulfillment of Scripture establishes Him as the promised Messiah. His resurrection, is to His enthronement. And Matthew exposes us to Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom more than any other Gospel. The charge against Him will finally be “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

Mark’s gospel is urgent. His predilection for the word “immediately” jumps off of every page. Jesus is a man, yes, but so much more – he’s the Son of God. He’s not to be taken lightly. He’s not just another religious leader or teacher. He cannot be marginalized. He cannot be ignored. Mankind’s need is urgent. Jesus’ mission is urgent. Jesus’ message is urgent. He acts swiftly, decisively. He has but 3 short years to accomplish all. Eternal matters are at a place of crisis. He calls us to repent and believe with urgency – now!- for “The kingdom of God is at hand” (1:15). The kingdoms of this world are about to meet their end. No one can remain indifferent. He is coming back. “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned (16:16). The time – is now!

Luke emphasizes Jesus’ most common way of Jesus referring to Himself: The Son of Man. By it, He is constantly reminding us that He did not take on the nature of angels, but of mankind. He comes in the likeness of sinful flesh though He is sinless. He does not appear like the Adam before the Fall – whatever that glory might have looked like. He comes sharing our weaknesses, our griefs, sorrows, aches and pains. He suffers weariness, hunger, abandonment, misunderstanding, thirst, loneliness and whatever else belongs to the human condition. He is a Priest who can have compassion on us knowing the feeling of our infirmities. He did not insulate Himself from us. What a Savior!

John reminds us that in the beginning, the Word, already “was.” This Word, THE Word, was with God – without need for attachment to the created order about to come. This Word, THE Word – was in fact – both with, and was Himself – God. He is the ultimate and complete revelation and communication of – God. He took to Himself a human nature that He might be among us, without destroying us. His body, was the “veil” the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies in the Temple. Incarnationally, He tabernacled with us. And since Pentecost He tabernacles in us by His Spirit. But when He returns, He will dwell in the New Temple. He will raise us from the dead and we will become the New Jerusalem. His people in glory. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, even with this much information we have not even begun to imagine what He has prepared for those who love Him. Oh what a Christ we serve!

I’m Reid Ferguson.

God willing, I’ll be back tomorrow.

For the audio Podcast of this and every episode, find us on Breaker, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify or HERE

If you’d like to join us in our journey reading all the way through the Bible this year, drop me a line at reid.ferguson@gmail.com, and I’ll be glad to email back a copy of the reading plan we are using.

Do you ever worry about what people might be saying about you? The great preacher C.H. Spurgeon once told his pastoral students: “I have one blind eye and one deaf ear and they are the best ear and eye that I have.” That counsel was based on Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 “Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.”

All those in any way in the public eye get all manner of things said about them. Some positive and some negative. And even as private people we may or may not be privy to something said about us – even as others may or may not be privy to what we may have said about them at any given time. Things we might hope would never be repeated in their hearing as having come from us.

And in this day of social media – an incautious and hasty word about someone might get launched into cyber-space, never to be recovered.

Now we cannot spend all of our time worrying about what other people might say about us. That’s obvious. Nor should we. Learning to use our deaf ear and our blind eye might be the very best way to maintain relationships. Everyone slips once and a while. Best to let it go.

And yet one text before us today out of Isaiah 32–35; Luke 19:41–44; Psalm 119:145–152 and Proverbs 27 asks us to think about it at least in one regard. That is found in Hebrews 13:1–19.

I’m Reid Ferguson, and we’ll talk about that today on Through the Word in 2020.

So the question arises, should we ever be concerned about what others might think or say about me? After all, isn’t it only God’s opinion that counts?

Yes, and no.

Any number of passages throughout the Word speak to doing or refraining from things that are shameful both before God, and the community of Believers. When Paul calls out sexual immorality in Corinth he says he does so “to your shame.” And in Ephesians 5 we are told some things are shameful just to talk about. This, in the context of life with other Christians.

Then on the other hand, we ultimately stand only before God to give an answer for our sins. So in that Day, what anyone else thinks is irrelevant.

Then we read something like –Hebrews 13:17 ESV

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

And it raises a fascinating question for each of us to ponder: When your pastors or leaders in the Church pray about you, speak to God about you – do they do it with joy, or grief? And are we aware that such reports – if they are negative are of no “advantage” to us? In other words, there are actual consequences to us when our leaders groan about us before God. What those are, the text does not say. It should be enough that it says it. What they think about us and report back to the Father counts.

To be honest, for most of my Christian life, I haven’t given this reality too much thought. I fear to my own loss. Those who have shepherded my soul in years past have no doubt shed some tears and expressed anxiety over my growth, lack thereof, sins, attitudes and decisions.

I would simply ask you today to consider this reality for your own life in Christ. How do those who keep watch over your soul give an account to the Great Shepherd?

And, it makes me wonder how the Great Shepherd Himself gives an account to the Father regarding me?

It’s really worth considering.

God willing, we’ll be back Monday.