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From the Dawning Half-light to the Noonday Bright

March 31, 2019

Matthew 11:7-11

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’

11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

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Necklaces Don’t Produce Righteousness

March 24, 2019

Haggai 2:10-19

10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, 11 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: 12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’” The priests answered and said, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” 14 Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean. 15 Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord, 16 how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. 17 I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord. 18 Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, consider: 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.”

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The Fabric of Our Lives

Woven fabric is made of many pieces of yarn laid out lengthwise and a single, long piece of yarn running back and forth crosswise; being drawn over and under. Weavers call the lengthwise pieces the warp and the crosswise piece the weft. The warp will never be a fabric without the weft to hold it all together. 

    We often hear the phrase: “the fabric of society” in public discourse and private conversation. Every society, whether it be a city, town, neighborhood, or community is a complex system comprised of many individuals working and living together to create a civil, safe, and prosperous world in which to live. Politicians, preachers, and pundits will often identify threats to this “fabric”, warning that this, that, or the other thing threatens to tear it all up. Now, in the weaver’s work, the warp isn’t nearly as important as the weft. Any number of single threads can fail or tear or be pulled out and it won’t compromise the whole. But if the long, crosswise weft thread is removed, there is no fabric left to speak of. All that remains is a pile of yarn. As we examine the fabric of our society today, we need not worry so much about Hollywood, Washington D.C., or any other of the many individual entities that lay alongside each other across our land. What we need to worry about is whether or not the weft thread of the truth of Scripture, the fear of God, and the Biblical worldview is holding strong; binding us all together. It’s overwhelming to bear the burden of the whole world and the fabric of its construction. But we need not be Atlas. God has called us to make sure that the weft of His Word runs first through our own hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits; making secure the society of our souls. Second, we ensure that reverence for God runs crosswise through every room and relationship in the family home. And finally we work to make sure that God’s will and way holds our church family together by God’s Word being drawn over and under every committee, program, ministry, budget, and member at Emmanuel. What God weaves together this way across an entire land is part of the miracle of the Holy Spirit’s work of revival. The warp and weft of the world has everything to do with the warp and weft of the self.

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Nothing Plastic, Elastic, or Bats-in-the-Attic About It

March 17, 2019

Mark 9:38-41

38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.

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The Most Eminent of Domains

March 10, 2019

Isaiah 66:1-2

Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? 2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” !

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