ResponsiveReiding

Through the Word in 2020 – May 14 / All of Grace

May 14th, 2020

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.

Orphaned. Abandoned. Disabled. And grandson to David’s fiercest enemy – Saul. And yet greatly loved for the sake of another – his father Jonathan. Few Old Testament figures so perfectly typify the reality of the Believer as does the case of Mephibosheth. We’ll look at that a bit more today on Through the Word in 2020. I’m your host Reid Ferguson. Thanks for joining us today.

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; Mark 10:35-45 and 2 Samuel 7-9 make up our reading block for today. Each could be an episode or more on its own – but our focus today will be on chapter 9 of 2 Samuel and the interesting picture of grace in the life of this man, Mephibosheth.

Chapter 4 tells us this man was only 5 years old the day his father and grandfather both died in battle. Fearing the defeat might spill over and their lives be in danger too – his nurse grabbed him to flee to safety. In her haste, she fell and both of his feet were damaged. He was disabled the rest of his life.

Our narrative picks up no less than 7 years after that event – and possibly a good many more. Regardless, a number of the details powerfully portray the nature of God’s saving grace.

Sin brought about Saul’s and Israel’s defeat – just as sin brought about Adam’s and the defeat of all of those in him – you and me.

Saul’s defeat resulted in his grandson’s being permanently disabled and unable to walk rightly from his tenderest years through the rest of his life. In Adam’s fall, came ours too. And we, from our earliest years cannot walk uprightly before our God.

King David remembers well his love for his dear friend Jonathan – Mephibosheth’s father – and seeks to bless his offspring in his name. He blesses him because of his love for Jonathan. And so it is we are greatly beloved of God and He seeks to bless us on behalf of another – even Jesus Christ who died in our place and for our sin.

Mephibosheth appears trembling before the king with nothing to commend him but his relationship to Jonathan. Permanently and completely disabled – he can offer nothing to the King. And we appear before our king with nothing to commend us but our union with Jesus Christ through faith. We must depend upon His grace completely.

Mephibosheth is not only received by King David, but is greatly loved by him, and given a place at his royal table throughout all his days. And we, who come in Christ, are so greatly loved, and seated with Christ Jesus in the heavenly places. We are to dine with Him and eat at His table eternally.

Mephibosheth will fail David later – probably through the deceit of a man named Ziba. But David spares him being unwilling to ever break his oath – his promises and his love for Jonathan (21:7) And we too, at times fail our gracious King through the deceit of the Devil, the World, and even our own flesh. But because He is faithful to all His promises – and because of His great love for us – we are spared and restored.

How the Gospel comes alive in this Old Testament narrative. And how we modern Mephibosheths of today – need to remember that our salvation is all of grace, all of grace, all of grace.

All praise to our glorious Christ and King.

If our salvation depended upon our lame selves – we would be lost forever. But it is the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ that delivers us from death – and brings us into the Royal family – secure in Him.

Let that soak into your soul today Christian.

God bless, and God willing, we’ll be back tomorrow.
Through the Word in 2020 – May 13 – A Faithful God

May 13th, 2020

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.

Here is a thought to engage everyone of us – what of God’s steadfast love do we make known in such a way that the generations after us will hear of it?

The thought makes me want to pray: Lord, allow my legacy to be that those who come after me, for as long as Christ tarries, will hear of your goodness in the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ until His appearing. Let me leave that to them that they might be saved, and your glory made known.

That and more as we consider Psalm 89 today.

Mark 10:17–34; 2 Corinthians 5:1–6:13; 2 Samuel 5–6 and Psalm 89 round out our readings for today.

As Psalm 89 progresses, watch how it begins contemplating God’s promises to David (and thus to His Kingdom) and how David in person does not see all those promises fulfilled – how One must yet come who will be THE David of whom David is but a type.

Then note how the author of this Psalm – Ethan – wrestles with how God will yet bring those promises to fruition which due to sin seem to be ruined. And how Ethan ends simply trusting that somehow, because God is faithful, all WILL yet come to pass. Whether we experience seasons which seem to contradict God’s promises or not, He will be faithful, and in time, they will come to pass. None will fail.

Now what is the device Ethan uses to encourage his own heart in this regard? As is stated elsewhere, “the heavens declare the glory of God, and day unto day utters speech”.

Here, the Psalmist reminds us that one way the created order “speaks” to us is in its amazing regularity. The sun rises and sets on its perfect schedule. The tides rise and fall. The orbit of the earth around the sun, the moon’s orbit around the earth and the earth’s rotation on its axis are all demonstrations of God’s faithfulness. How He can be counted upon to be always the same in His person and in His plans. The regular operations of the “the heavens” are undeniable testimonies of His faithfulness. Don’t let their reality just slip by you unnoticed.

When life seems random and skewed, remember that the sun will rise and set today right on time. The seasons will still come and go. A year will still be a year. Because God is running His universe. And you and I are in it.

Ethan then makes a powerful connection in reasoning this all out. He records God’s words: Even if the King’s children “forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I WILL punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, but I will NOT remove from Him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah.” Vss. 30-37

Why will you endure Christian? Not because of your great faithfulness, but because of His. And Because Christ Jesus is your King to whom all these promises are sworn. If He is your King – all of this is divinely and eternally secure, and cannot be broken.

Let that soak into your soul today weary Christian. Christ is on His throne, and you are His.

God bless. And God willing, we’ll be back tomorrow.
Through the Word in 2020 – May 12 / Suffering and Meaning

May 12th, 2020

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.

Suffering without meaning is what brings about despair. The human psyche seems to need to attach meaning to our suffering in order for us to endure it. And for the Christian – God supplies us with reasons to never despair, but to know that all of our suffering – no matter the source or cause, is NEVER meaningless.

We’ll look at that a bit more today on Through the Word in 2020. I’m Reid Ferguson – welcome.

Today we’re reading Mark 10:13–16; 2 Corinthians 4:7–18 and 2 Samuel 2:12–4:12

But it is the passage in 2 Corinthians that speaks directly to the issue of suffering in the Christian life.

Quite frankly, the portrait of the Christian life given in vss. 7-12 is so foreign to our Americanized Western Christianity as to be as unrecognizable as it is most often rejected out of hand. The picture painted is of a people constantly or at least repeatedly brought to the end of themselves by circumstances of every kind. But the text doesn’t stop there. There is a wonderful little word in the Greek that shows up more than 600 times in the New Testament. It’s often the very point of a passage. It’s usually rendered “SO THAT”, or “TO”. In other words, it helps us understand the author’s conclusion.

How does that work in regard to suffering?

Like this: Christians have a “treasure” within us. Vs. 6 says this treasure is “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

God has so designed the Believer and life, that in order for that glory to be made known to the World through us – He has made us very brittle creatures. SO THAT – “the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” Power for what? To live in joy and peace, even in the midst of unexplained and continued suffering. So that His supernatural sustaining power might be demonstrated through us – IN us.

While we live in these bodies, we are always being given over to circumstances which would seem to destroy us – and by means of it – He brings others to life. It is beyond our comprehension. But Dear Saint, you who have been tested and tried and who have thought that it must mean God has abandoned you or is hanging you out to dry for some unknown reason – listen to this passage. Ease, success, plenty and no adversity are not the presupposed norms of the Christian life. It’s just the opposite. And those who would tell you different, are not reliable. They don’t get it.

You in Christ who are standing today in the midst of severe trial, and know full well that you are not doing it by means of even the smallest ability of your own – He is manifesting Himself to the rest of us – in your mortal flesh.

And we experience these things not only in terms of deliberate persecution, but also in the simple trials of life: The breakdown of our bodies; sinful and hurtful human interaction; our battles with indwelling sin; natural disasters – like Covid-19, tsunamis, earthquakes, floods and the like.

Each of these individually and collectively trouble us but do not utterly destroy us. Because it is our great God’s intent to make Himself known through the impossible way we endure – trusting and rejoicing in Him.

Yes, we are afflicted in “every way” the text says, but not crushed. Yes, it is confusing and we are often perplexed, but NOT driven to despair. We may be persecuted, but He never forsakes us. We might even be smashed to the ground by circumstances – but we cannot be destroyed – because the very life of Christ remains in us. We are outwardly given over to death every day. But it is that the miracle of our survival will make Christ known.

Let that soak into your soul today suffering saint.

God bless, and God willing, we’ll be back tomorrow.
Through the Word in 2020 – May 11 / Sins That Find us Out

May 11th, 2020

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.

I was in my early 20’s and singing with a Gospel Quartet. We had been engaged to sing at a 3-day a cross-denominational gathering at a local college. The guest speaker was Bruce W. Thielman – at the time from Grove City College. I had never heard of him before. And he preached on our passage today from 2 Samuel 1. I’ve never forgotten it, and never will.

We’ll look at that a bit closer today. I’m Reid Ferguson and we’re glad you’ve joined us today as we are going Through the Word in 2020.

Our 4 reading selections today are 2 Corinthians 4:1–6; Mark 10:1–12; 1 Samuel 31–2 Samuel 2:11 and Psalm 88

As I mentioned, I want to look at the death of King Saul as recorded in 1 Samuel 1.

This is a great example of learning where we need to be careful readers, connecting up passages that shed light on each other, and seeing how the Scripture also makes its own application in places.

In the first case, as Dr. Thielman preached, he made the connection with vs. 14 where the man who claimed to have finally ended Saul’s life and brought David Saul’s crown, identified himself as an Amalekite. Why was that significant? Because back in 1 Samuel 15, God had pronounced judgment on the Amalekites for their previous sins – and commissioned Saul to wipe them out completely. Something he failed to do.

In fact, it was Saul’s sin of rebelling against God’s commands regarding the Amalekites that precipitates his losing the Kingdom. So it is 1 Samuel 15:23 reads:

1 Samuel 15:23 ESV

For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”

And what of the application then? That goes back to God’s warnings to His people in Numbers 32:23

Numbers 32:23 ESV

But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.

Unrepentant sin does not go unaddressed. Eventually, it will not just be found out – as the text says it will find US out. It will reveal who we really are regardless of what we profess.

In Saul’s case, what he refused to do years earlier, finds him destroyed at the hands of the very ones he had been sent to destroy.

And it gives us great pause to think about our own sins.

There is the reality that we cannot treat our sin lightly. Often, by our sins, we set into motion things which will later find us out. And let no one be deceived that somehow they can claim to follow Christ – as Saul claimed to obey God, and not reckon with their sin, but justify it and keep it under cover. Your sin, my sin, will find us out if it is not dealt with.

Saul might have repented of his rebellion and gone back to deal with the Amalekites properly. The affair wasn’t over yet. There was time. He could still end well even if his successor had already been chosen. But the appearance of this young man who ended up beheading Saul demonstrates he didn’t. He let it go. And in the end, it was his undoing.

How desperately our need for a Savior appears in the light of such passages. How amazing His forgiveness is. How merciful He is. How patient and longsuffering with us. How glorious the blood of Christ that cleanses us from all sin. The working of His Spirit to bring us to repentance. The promise of His receiving us when we come and confess and forsake our sin – though we still struggle with it at times.

Don’t justify your sin beloved – bring it to Him.

Let that soak into your soul today.

God bless. And God willing, we’ll be back tomorrow.
Mother’s Day 2020 and Covid-19 / A Poem

May 10th, 2020

It’s Mother’s Day again this year
An odd one – all agree
For most will have to rest content
To visit “technically”

It doesn’t mean we love you less
Tho this year – from afar
We’ll see you on our screens and such
Or drive by in a car

We’ll have to wait a little while
To hug you on the neck
To feel your warm embrace again
And give your cheek a peck

But then again you’ll finally get
To see your dream come true
At last we have all washed our hands
Like you always told us to

We’ve never been so soil free
Each face securely masked
By law we cover all our coughs
Just like you always asked

We stay about six feet apart
So we no longer hear
“Stop bothering your sister”
Or, “Don’t put that in his ear!”

The President and other minds
Blame China for this mess
But my suspicions cast an eye
On Mothers – I confess

I think this was plot by Moms
To finally get their way
To us make do by law, the things
We’ve scorned until today

A virus! Hah! There’s no such thing
An evil scheme it is
To wash our hands incessantly
And avoid those “certain” kids

I get it now, it’s all so clear
The ultimate control
The pow’r to ruin all our fun
I’m sure now, that’s the goal!

To rob us of our right to germs
To sickness and disease
To make us read, play games at home
Enslave us by degrees!

I’m sure we’ll never know the truth
Behind this global plot
If Mom’s are really all to blame
If they wanted what they got

We’ll chalk it up a win for you
You figured out a way
To keep the good kids close at hand
And bad ones kept at bay

That’s pretty clever I’ll concede
You’re smarter than we thought
“Just blame it on the virus”
That’s the bill of goods we’ve bought

But then again, it might be true
You had no hand in this
Some other powers were at work
My suspicions are amiss

And if that’s so, I’m left to this –
There’s but one thing to say
Thank you Moms – for loving us
And have a happy Mother’s Day
Through the Word in 2020 / May 8 – Turn up the Volume

May 8th, 2020

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.

The curious case of King Saul seeking out a medium to try and get direction for his life at a critical moment – may not seem very practical or relevant to you and me – but there is an underlying principle in it that is well worth our examination today.

Today we’re considering Mark 9:38–50; 2 Corinthians 2:12–3:18; 1 Samuel 26–30

Israel’s first King – Saul, is a complex character. Chosen by God he was tall, handsome and gifted. He was also weak, impetuous, volatile, and as time goes on, increasingly paranoid.

The truth is, he had some reason to be paranoid, especially when it came to David – but put himself in the position to feed his paranoia by his own repeated sin. My Dad used to say that no one said “I’m sorry” more than Saul did, but he never really repented either. While “I’m sorry” rolled easily off his lips, changing his behavior seldom – if ever – followed.

That’s a powerful lesson in and of itself. If we will not own our sin in such a way that we move beyond simple apologies to actually dealing with it in repentance – then in truth – “I’m sorry” means nothing. It’s worthless.

But the bigger lesson here is found when Saul – after rightly cleansing Israel of mediums, fortunetellers and other occult practitioners – finds himself seeking out a medium for supernatural guidance.

The problem was – Saul’s fellowship with God had been broken by his repeated unrepentance. The answer to his dilemma wasn’t information – it was restoration.

When our fellowship with God is broken due to sin, even His Word grows silent. Disobedience to what we KNOW is God’s will, is the single greatest barrier to getting to know anything of God’s will. It’s like the volume control on your radio. If you turn down the sound on one channel, you turn it down on every channel at the same time. When we refuse to listen to God in one area, we in effect turn down the volume to hearing him in every area. We are not permitted selective obedience. It is an all or nothing proposition. Christian obedience is not a buffet where we can pick and choose only what pleases us. For our obedience isn’t a matter of individual acts, but of loyalty to the King.

It isn’t His law we obey – it is Him.

Saul’s fellowship with God had been broken because of his unrepentant lifestyle. So what did he do? Rather than be reconciled to God in repentance, he sought out a medium and plunged into even more sin.

Years ago someone told me they were not going to take communion at our next service because they were angry with another brother in the Church and their heart wasn’t right before the Lord. They thought they were being quite righteous. The truth was, that choice betrayed they would rather disobey the command to take the Lord’s supper, than repent of their unforgiveness and be reconciled to their brother in Christ. They were choosing their anger over their God. Like Saul choosing a medium over being reconciled to God.

Saul felt justified because he NEEDED guidance regarding his next battle. And we might feel justified in pursuing some sin for our own reasons. But in the end, it can only bring disaster.

What a comfort to know then that we have a God who consistently calls us to Himself to confess our sins and remain in right fellowship with Himself.

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Let that sink into your soul today.

God bless. And God willing, we’ll be back Monday.
Through the Word in 2020 – May 7 / Have a Little National Pride

May 7th, 2020

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.

Life as we know it now, has the Christian with a foot in two worlds: Our present existence in whatever nation, state, province, city or other environ; and, our citizenship in the Heavenlies in Christ. Two overlapping circles which sometimes collide and sometimes seem less in tension. But make no mistake, we owe and pledge allegiance to one above the other. We may dwell here right now, but as Philippians 3:20 notes:

Philippians 3:20 ESV

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Psalm 87 is a call to Believers to remember their national pride in being citizens of the New Jerusalem. A reality easily lost when the noise of this present world rises to a deafening pitch.

That’s our focus today on Through the Word in 2020 – I’m Reid Ferguson.

Today’s reading list includes 1 Samuel 23–25; Psalm 87; Mark 9:30–37; 2 Corinthians 2:5–11

And as I’ve already noted, Psalm 87 has caught my eye today.

A curious phenomenon has arisen in our day – a virtual global attempt to make national pride something shameful, something to be discarded. The why’s or wherefore’s behind this present trend really don’t concern me. The World always has its reasons behind its trends and movements, and they are not always easily discernable. But one thing is for certain in Psalm 87 – Those who know God, ought to treasure and take great pride in the Kingdom He has established, and the citizenship which is afforded us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Prizing the wonder of being citizens of the City of God is what this Psalm is all about. And shame on us when we fail to rightly assess and prize this wondrous citizenship and contemplate all that it provides for us.

For the Believer, our current status is that we are “strangers and exiles on the earth.” (Heb. 11:13) Resident aliens. So while here, we seek to be a blessing everywhere Providence finds us – but ought to have a continual longing to be home with Christ. To be like Bunyan’s Pilgrim – always en route to the Celestial City. To be singing with the Saints those marvelous strains of John Newton taken from this very passage – a hymn we sang together just this past Sunday in worship:

“Glorious things of Thee are spoken, Zion, City of our God.

He, whose word cannot be broken, Formed Thee for His own abode.

On the Rock of Ages founded, what can shake Thy sure repose?

With salvation’s walls surrounded, Thou may’st smile at all Thy foes.”

I wonder if our present panic in the midst of the Corona Virus Crises isn’t at least in part fueled by our lack of thoughtful pride and anticipation of our final home? That we fail to remember this earthly Kingdom, every earthly kingdom, is destined by God to crumble under the weight of its sin-corruption and in the last give way to the manifest Kingdom of Christ? And so, we in fact have lost the sense of being “with salvation’s walls surrounded” so that we may truly smile at all our foes?

Our citizenship is in Heaven Beloved. We are indeed strangers in a strange land. One where we ought not to expect the righteous rule of Christ to be evident except in the hearts, minds and lives of those who are indwelt by His Spirit.

While people all around us grouse, gripe, complain and condemn – tell them with pride of your home town – Zion, the city of your God. With pride in its perfections, seek to lure them away to where Christ is King in all of His glory. To where singers and dancers alike say: “All my springs are in you.”

Let that soak into your soul today Christian.

God bless. And God willing, we’ll be back tomorrow.
Through the Word in 2020 – May 6 / King over the Least of Men

May 6th, 2020

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.

The old saying is that a picture is worth a thousand words. But sometimes, a few words can paint a picture that is worth thousands and thousands more. Such are the 2 pictures painted for us in just the first 2 verses of 1 Samuel 22.

We’ll take a brief look at those pictures today on Through the Word in 2020. I’m Reid Ferguson – thank you for joining us today.

As you know, every day we have 3 readings from the Scripture as we work our way through the entire Bible by the end of the year.

Today our selection from the Gospels is Mark 9:14-29. From the rest of the New Testament we have 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:4 and from the Old Testament – 1 Samuel 20-22. Not today, but every other day we also have a Psalm to read.

Back to 1 Samuel and the account of David fleeing from Saul, and setting up a field headquarters in the cave of Adullam – a rugged outpost in the Judean wilderness.

Note first what a picture this is of the humility of Christ.

David, as the quintessential pre-figuring of Christ as King over God’s people, serves to give us some interesting insight here. As the text says His army, His people, His family were not the cream of the crop. Neither are Christ’s.

Verse 2 says that David’s group was composed of those who were in distress, in debt and bitter in soul. So it is with those Jesus gathers around Himself as well.

Bear in mind, we are all adopted into His family, and not many as very young, but most – full-grown and having exhibited the long-standing habits of our sinfulness and rebellion against God. And still He took us as His own.

I don’t know about you, but I take great comfort in the fact that He knew ahead of time all of my faults, failures and the depths of my sin before making me His own. He is not shocked or surprised – though certainly grieved – but not caught off guard by either your sin or mine. At our failure to love and serve Him.

He knew what He signed on for before we were ever born. And He made us His own anyway. Knowing fully how He would have to die in our place to pay the price for our sin;, and then in grace strive against our sin until He, at last, conforms us to His own image.

And so it is with all of us who are Christ’s by faith.

As Paul would write in

1 Corinthians 1:26 ESV

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

Secondly, what a picture this is of the Church. And what qualifies us to be allied with our King: Distress of soul. Poverty of spirit. Bitterness from the ravages of sin.

A poor army indeed, but brought to serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lord’s. Distress, debt and discontent are no barriers to grace – they are the very admission fee.

As John Newton would write on this passage many years ago –

“But there are a few, like David’s men, distressed in conscience, deeply in debt to the law of God, and discontented with the bondage of sin, who see and believe that He, and He only, is able to save them. To these labouring and heavy laden souls, he still says, “Come unto me, and I will give you rest.”’”

What a Savior and King He is!

Let that sink into your soul today Believer.

God bless. And God willing, we’ll be back tomorrow.
Through the Word in 2020 – May 5 – “Listen to Him”

May 5th, 2020

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.

The Mount of Transfiguration marks the point where religion and Christianity part ways. If we miss this, we miss the most important of all distinctions and truths.

Welcome to today’s episode, where we are considering Mark 8:31-9:13; 2 Corinthians 1:1-11; 1 Samuel 16:14-19:24 and Psalm 86.

Jesus was not, IS not another Moses. Moses, was merely a “type” (picture of someone else ahead of time) of Jesus the Christ.

Jesus was not, IS not another Elijah. Elijah was merely another “type” or picture of Christ.

While Moses represents the giving of the Law upon Sinai, Christ IS the holiness (the very nature of God) the Law is based upon. He is the substance of which the Law and Moses and Elijah are merely the shadows.

While Elijah represents the prophets, Christ IS the Word. He does not come to give a new word from God, He comes to BE that which all of what God had said to date was pointing to and saying.

It is confused thinking on this point that leads to syncretism with other religions.

If we merely see Christ as a new lawgiver, we can syncretize or blend Christianity with the Jewish religion. If we see Christ as merely a new prophet, we can syncretize or blend Christianity with Islam and a host of other false religions and cults as well.

Jesus Christ must be seen as He truly is – GOD. If He is any less, if He is marginalized in any way – we lose the very essence of Christianity. Christians are those who worship Jesus Christ as God. They are not only that, so as to prevent us from oversimplifying – but we are at LEAST that from our foundation.

“This”, is God’s “beloved Son.” Whatever else we’ve heard, whomever else we have heard – we must give precedence to and listen to – Him – above all. In fact, we can only truly understand what any of the others have said when we have Christ in His rightful place.

As “Truth” – He is what interprets all things. Unless Christ Jesus is at the center of everything, nothing truly makes complete sense. It can have order or coherency on some level, but not ultimately. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Ephesians 1:7-10 (ESV)

Here is one of those sweeping statements of cosmic and eternal focus in God – that God has “as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him.” This is Christianity at it’s very core.

As our culture grows increasingly multi-cultural and as the distinctions between religions are blurred in the interest of fusing mankind together in some sort of composite “spiritual” soup – Christians must continually champion the cause of Christ above all, and Christ ALONE above all.

If one had never heard the “law” as given by Moses; if one had never heard any of the Old Testament prophets – yet Christ is to be preached as Paul preached Him at the Areopagus: Christ, and Him crucified for the sins of men. The One who is appointed to come and judge the living and the dead – and who alone can reconcile us to the Father through the blood of His cross.

Colossians 3:11 ESV

Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Let that sink into your soul today.

God bless. And God willing, we’ll be back tomorrow.
Through the Word in 2020 – May 4 / Giving Sight to the Blind

May 4th, 2020

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.

Salvation from our sins is an individual thing.

Though there are common realities which accompany every conversion – our subjective experience of that conversion can differ widely. Such is one of the key lessons we learn in today’s reading of Christ healing the blind man Mark 8:22-26.

Along with Mark 8, we have 2 other readings today; 1 Samuel 14:1-16:13 and 1 Corinthians 16:19-24.

Before we begin today, I wanted to let you know that if there is a particular portion you have a question on as we read together, drop me a line and I’d do my best to address it in a future episode. You can always email me at reid.ferguson@ Gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you.

Now back to Mark 8 and Jesus’ healing of the blind man.

The Gospels contain at least 5 examples of Jesus healing the blind. The interesting thing is, He does not seems to have a singular method in doing it. Each one is unique.

With some, He touched their eyes. One needed a demon cast out. He spit in the eyes of another, simply spoke to one and applied mud to another. Here, the healing was in 2 stages.

It’s true that each one recovered their sight, but at the same time, each had a different subjective experience of it.

Maybe you’ve had someone question your salvation, or questioned it yourself because your experience of coming to Christ didn’t exactly match up with some others – or theirs with yours. And this is the first lesson we learn here: Salvation does not follow such a specific pattern, that we can require the same uniform experience in all.

God deals individually.

Some are brought to full sight all at once. Others come in stages like the fellow in this chapter.

We need to allow for how the Holy Spirit works according to His infinite wisdom and freedom of choice.

Never measure another’s experience in Christ by your own, nor your own by theirs. The question is, has He opened our eyes to see Him?

Secondly we note Jesus’ wonderful diagnostic question: “Do you SEE anything?” What do you see? Has light come in at all? And if so, how much thus far?

This a great question to ask ourselves from time to time: What do we see?

What do we see of Christ? Have our eyes been opened to who He is and what He has done?

What do we see of our sin? Is it truly vile and deserving the eternal death God has pronounced upon it?

What do we see of the Cross? Did God punish sin there for all who trust in Christ as our substitute?

What do we see of the Word? Is it God speaking to us.

Do we see anything of the great truths of the Gospel and see Jesus above all as our sin-bearer and Lord?

What do YOU see today beloved?

Lastly: Note that we come to Christ for salvation, but then do not go off to some other source to complete the work.

When the man here didn’t see all perfectly yet, he wasn’t sent off to some other place or other person to complete the work – Christ Himself finished it.

Sanctification or growth in Christ is not to be had from the Law, or from Psychology, nor in systems, programs, seminars, books, special meetings, experiences or anything else separate from Jesus.

He alone is made to us wisdom, salvation, sanctification and redemption. 1 Cor. 1:30.

We go to Him for all. He is our complete Savior.

Let that sink into your soul today Believer.

God bless. And God willing, we’ll be back tomorrow.