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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.
Through the Word in 2020 – May 1 – Things that cannot Profit or Deliver

May 1st, 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.

Samuel’s farewell address in 1 Samuel 12 is an eye-opener. And it’s packed with valuable and timely insight. It’s take on human government is something that in our own politically charged climate is not to be missed. And it’s lessons, need to be recalled in every generation.

The 4 passages we are scheduled to read today are: Mark 8:14–21; Psalm 85; 1 Corinthians 16:12–18; 1 Samuel 11–13

It is Samuel’s farewell address at the installation of Saul as the 1st king of Israel that captures my attention today.

If we learn nothing else from this farewell address, the first thing to note is that human government is a gracious gift of God – but! – it is in response to our sinful desire to be led by men rather than by God directly. It’s not God’s best for us, but it is His mercy on us rather than leaving us completely abandoned.

It is government’s dual nature here we must grasp. Yes, it is a gift of God to keep society ordered and punish evil. And, the need for it is also a perpetual reminder that we need it, only because we are unwilling to serve God directly and individually.

It is a graciously given bit and bridle.

Note secondly it is not enough that a people has a godly leader. There must be parity for a nation to stand. If either one or the other, the leader or the people or both forsake the Lord, destruction will come. Count on it. And, it is just as true with Church leadership too. Just look at the 7 letters to the Churches in Revelation.

So we get:

1 Samuel 12:14–15 ESV

If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.

This is why human government cannot save us from the judgment of God in our disobedience. And why human government – even the best human government still requires us to love and serve God. We cannot serve the government in place of God.

Isn’t it interesting then that Samuel can call this new government – instituted by God – and the kingship of Saul: “an empty thing that can’t profit or deliver” in vs. 21.

Isn’t that a powerful rebuke regarding how much emphasis the Church in America right now places on political power and societal position?

All of it is worthless and cannot possibly profit us, nor can it rescue us from the true dangers we face – the spiritual ones. Only a people bound together to seek and serve the Lord is of any real good.

Our greatest dangers right now are far more severe than Covid 19, government overreach, secret cabals, deep state shadow governments or globalist conspiracies – it is standing in the judgment of God for our rebellion against His Lordship. Personally, and as a society.

Heavenly Father, prevent us, prevent me from slipping into that all too commonly visited abyss of imagining that the hope for the Church or the nation in any fashion rests in government or leadership. We need Christ! And to look to Him as our King. To love and serve Him. Then and only then will it be well with us. As Jesus taught us to pray – Father – “Thy Kingdom Come!”

Let that sink into your soul today listener.

God bless. And God willing, we’ll be back Monday.
Through the Word in 2020 – 4/30 – The Blinding Light of the Commonplace

April 30th, 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.

Bread. It is the single most common symbol of sustenance in life.

When we get together with friends, we break bread. Our livelihood is sometimes referred to as our “bread and butter.” It is so tied to basic human needs that money has at times itself been called bread. So it is no wonder when Jesus refers to Himself, He can say the He is God’s very bread of life. The most basic need of human soul. Apart from which, true life, life connected to the Living God cannot be sustained.

It’s not incidental that Jesus’ breaks bread to the multitudes more than once. That’s our focus today on Through the Word in 2020. I’m Reid Ferguson.

We have 3 sections to consider today, 1 Corinthians 16:1–11; Mark 8:1–13; 1 Samuel 8–10. And I’d like to take us back to the passage in Mark 8, where Jesus feeds the 4,000.

You’ll remember that just 2 chapters earlier, Jesus performed this very same miracle – but feeding 5,000 there.

Repetition was a common way in ancient texts of emphasizing things. The writers of the New Testament knew nothing of conventions we see every day like bold text, underlining, exclamation points or italics. They most often used repetition. So it is Jesus’ miraculously feeding the crowds must hold some unique importance the Holy Spirit is drawing our eye to.

What is it? Well, while there may be other reasons, but there is one we dare not overlook – even though those who were present at the time – even the Disciples, seemed to miss.

I’ve become convinced over time that this miracle of multiplying the bread just may be Jesus’ greatest miracle during His incarnation – and the one which makes His deity the most evident.

The simple reality is that here, right in front of their eyes, Jesus acted as Creator.

You see, to multiply those few loaves and fishes required that He bring material into existence, that wasn’t already there. He had only so much material to work with. Only so many atoms and molecules. In order to do what He did, at that moment, with no fanfare, no great pronouncements, no grand flourishes, in the simple act of breaking the bread into pieces, He created new bread molecules on the spot. He brought into existence that which did not exist a moment before. What He did when He spoke the physical universe into existence in Genesis 1.

And nobody got It. No one. Not even His closest friends. The very ones who put the loaves and fish into His hands and then carried them to the crowds. He sat before them in that moment as THEIR Creator, but in the blinding light of the commonplace, they missed Him.

And I have to wonder if we do the very same thing every day.

Living in a universe of amazing regularity. On a planet so finely tuned to sustain life that so far, it is the sole example we have in the universe. The seasons as they come and go. Our necessary cycles of rest and activity. Our suitedness to live and thrive in this environment with all of its stunning provision and variety.

The perpetual hum of the human machine with its innumerable processes and functions from the cellular level on up. All these incredible systems working in perfect harmony. Breathing. Eating. Sleeping. Moving. Coordinating. Thinking. Inventing. Selfawareness. Love. Knowledge of right and wrong.

To consider all these most basic realities of human existence, and then to contemplate them apart from a Creator, designer and sustainer, defies the imagination.

But like with the feeding of the thousands, His miraculous work in the midst of it all gets lost in the blinding light of the commonplace.

But He is here. Working. Sustaining. In the ordinariness of everyday life.

Oh Father – open our eyes.

Let that sink into your soul today beloved.
God bless, and God willing, I’ll be back tomorrow.
Through the Word in 2020 – April 29 / Emancipation!

April 29th, 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.

Nothing separates the Redeemed in Christ from the rest of the World more than does the doctrine and hope of the Resurrection.

In Christ – the single most fixed reality of life – death, is utterly and completely transformed.

This is the heritage of all those who by faith have cast their sins upon Jesus as their substitute – and received the cloak of His righteousness to make us fit to stand before the Living God.

So we are reminded in one of our texts today: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58; Psalm 84; Mark 7:24-37 and 1 Samuel 4-7.

Hebrews 2:15 reminds us that all people apart from Christ, are lifelong slaves to the fear of death.

Fear of – Dying alone. Dying painfully. Dying in their regrets. Dying having accomplished nothing. Dying and leaving all they love behind. Dying and going out into nothingness. Dying and facing judgment.

Only the Christian knows true freedom from this slavish fear.

True, some may work hard at convincing themselves that after life there is just – nothing. Which is also terrifying to others. But in truth, deep down, we all know we will have to give an answer for ourselves, for what we’ve thought, done, or perhaps left undone.

In his work “A Free Man’s Worship and Other Essays”: The famous agnostic/atheist philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote of death this way: “Brief and powerless is man’s life; on him and all his race the slow, sure doom falls pitiless and dark. Blind to good and evil, reckless of destructions omnipotent matter rolls on its relentless way; for man, condemned today to lose his dearest, tomorrow himself to pass through the gates of darkness, it remains only to cherish, ere yet the blow fall, the lofty thoughts that enoble his little day; … to worship at the shrine his own hands have built.”

That dear friend, is slavery.

What a contrast then are the words of John Calvin: “how miserable is the life of those who fear death, as they must feel it to be dreadful, because they look on it apart from Christ; for then nothing but a curse appears in it: for whence is death but from God’s wrath against sin? Hence is that bondage throughout life, even perpetual anxiety, by which unhappy souls are tormented; for through a consciousness of sin the judgment of God is ever presented to the view. From this fear Christ has delivered us, who by undergoing our curse has taken away what is dreadful in death. For though we are not now freed from death, yet in life and in death we have peace and safety, when we have Christ going before us.”

And so, from our Corinthians passage today I write:

O death, where is your victory?

O grave, where is your sting?

Do you think the thoughts of fools,

Of pow’r o’er everything?

This man, for one, tho mortal be

Shall not by fear be swayed

To flee your cold, unyielding hand

Which makes the world afraid

For One has gone before me now

He’s plumbed your icy pit

And rose from out with triumph’s shout

Life’s candle spark re-lit

Come now you dupe of Evil’s mind

Stretch forth your numbing hand

Unnumbered hordes of demon ranks

Cannot my Lord withstand

Sing your final ghoulish song

Chant your hellish phrases

And even in those closing hours

I’ll hear nought but His praises

For you, O death, can only serve

To free me from this shell

And grave, to let this body rest

You’ll serve me very well

O death, where is your victory?

O grave, where is your sting?

For when your dual work’s complete

You’ve but brought me, to my King.

Let that sink into your soul today Christian.

God bless. And God willing, I’ll be back tomorrow.
Through the Word in 2020 / April 28 – 3 Simple Lessons

April 28th, 2020

For the audio Podcast, 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 passages we’re considering today are 1 Samuel 2-3; Mark 7:14-23 and 1 Corinthians 15:35-49

Each of the portions before us today are rich with lessons for the Believer. And we can barely scratch the surface of each.

In Mark we learn that it is not exposure to sinful things which makes one sinful – it is the sin which proceeds out of our own hearts which does so.

We are prone to make our purity one of dealing with our environment – rather than looking at our inward resonance with the sin in our environment, and seeking to deal with that inward concord. MY sin, is the problem, not other’s.

Sin isn’t a substance that can rub off on us, but an inward defilement which only the blood of Christ can cleanse, and the Holy Spirit deliver us from the power of.

In 1st Samuel we learn that it is important to recognize the seasonality of the movements of God. When we try to require that every generation at all times has exactly the same experience of God – or that He necessarily works the same way at all times – we rob Him of His sovereignty, and of recognizing that ebbs and flows are part of His sovereign plan.

So it is attempts to re-create the 1st Century Church today are doomed to fail. We’re not the 1st Century Church, but the 21st Century Church. We must live Christ in our context.

Flattening out God’s movements and our experiences is equivalent to saying we should either always be asleep or always awake – and that there is nothing to be had in having both sleeping hours and waking hours appointed by God.

There is spiritual infancy, adolescence, young adulthood, adulthood, middle age, and maturity. We ought never to try and stay at one level and make all of God’s works identical at all times in either type or frequency.

Let God be God.

And then in 1 Corinthians we are reminded of the coming glory of the resurrection.

And the cornerstone of that glory is this:

1 Corinthians 15:49 ESV

Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

If our concept of Heaven is just that it will be life as normal but without the scars of sin and fallenness here – then we are sadly mistaken. Heaven, is being with Christ. Seeing Him in His unveiled glory. And at last fully bearing His image.

And here is a necessary consideration for each of us: If we are not laboring to grow in that image now, then how can bearing that image then, be in the least pleasurable or desirable. For Heaven is, in its very essence, Christ in all His fulness.

And if I don’t want that now, I surely will not want it then either.

So here’s the question – am I seeking Him now? If not, the old adage remains quite true: If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it.

As I’ve said before, and no doubt will repeat again – no one stumbles into Heaven by accident. The only ones who get there, are those intentionally on their way there. Their goal is to be with Him, and to be like Him.

How about you?

Let those things sink into your soul today Christian.

God bless.

And God willing, we’ll be back tomorrow.
Through the Word in 2020 / April 27 – Praying Down God’s Curses

April 27th, 2020

For the audio Podcast, 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.

Mark 6:53-7:13; 1 Corinthians 15:1-34; Ruth 4-1 Samuel 1& Psalm 83 form our reading list for today.

Psalm 83 is what is called an imprecatory Psalm. Imprecation is just a fancy word for cursing. In the dozen or so Psalms which fall into this category, the author is calling upon God to curse his enemies, or those of Israel as God’s people.

Some are confused by this and wonder how it fits into the prayer life of those now in Christ and living under the New Covenant. And there several things to keep in mind which I hope will burn the fog off any concerns you might have.

We need to remember first that Christians have 3 enemies: The World, the Flesh and the Devil. So it is praying against the World, the World system; the invasion of secularism in all of its forms and its attempt to silence and/or obliterate the testimony of Christ in the earth is more than legitimate.

Praying that false belief systems found in cults and false religions come apart at the seams under the judgment of God is valid as well.

Calling upon God to curse every effort of the Devil to tempt and oppose God’s people and mission. To destroy his power to blind people from the truth of the Gospel.

And, praying against our own inward sinfulness must head the list of praying down God’s curses against our enemies.

Secondly, we remember that ancient Israel serves as a type and shadow of the Church. So while the New Testament is clear our struggle is not against flesh and blood – human enemies – it is no less real. And so praying against whatever or whoever attacks the Church as the Church, or the truth we are commissioned to guard and proclaim – is legitimate as well.

But here we have to note something vital if we should pray such prayers rightly: Note how the Psalmist is not asking to take vengeance himself, but is placing that in the Lord’s hands. He is doing his battle in prayer.

How perfectly this aligns then with passages like Romans 12:19:

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Know your enemy, but bring their disposition to the Lord. He’ll never act wrongly. We can safely off-load our grief, consternation, anger and desire to Him in prayer, knowing He’ll only do what is good and just and best. And we LEAVE IT there.

Lastly, while there may still be some mystery regarding exactly how to handle these kinds of Psalms and prayers we get some great light on it in vss. 16-18.

With all of the destruction which the Psalmist seeks God to rain down on Israel’s enemies, the prayer is not simply about destroying their foes. Yes, he desires their enemies fail and be defeated and their faces filled with shame – but to what end? “That they may seek your name, O Lord.” The desire is not mere relief from attack, nor the wanton destruction of others. It is the crushing of their sinfulness, by subduing them to God.

This is how we are to pray against our enemies, the enemies of the Gospel, or our personal enemies. That their words, tactics, and wicked actions would be ruthlessly and utterly overthrown – but not that alone – That they might become our brothers and sisters in Christ. That they too would seek the glory of our Savior’s name. That, is real victory!

Bring your enemies to your God to deal with. Pray for the destruction of their efforts – AND, for the salvation of their souls.

That beloved is part of true spiritual warfare.

Let that sink into your soul today.

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