Overpowered and Enslaved

Posted on by Betsy

One of the most fun songs to come out of the Broadway show and movie “Wicked” was a tune called “Popular.” Written to be a light, bubbly piece that signals a turn in the story arc between Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, and Galinda, the Good Witch, this song highlights what it means to be admired and sought after. In the story, Galinda was overpowered and enslaved by her need to be popular, which informed her decisions. After setting up Elphaba for humiliation by convincing her to wear a very unfortunate hat to the school dance, Galinda takes pity on her green-skinned roommate and decides to give her a complete make-over. Empty and self-important, Galinda boastfully sings her song from her privileged position. The message is “conform or be excluded.”

One verse foreshadows the political conflict that is about to happen in Oz and alludes to the character of those who pursue influence over the people. Galinda states she is reminded of “celebrated heads of state or especially great communicators” and asks the question, “Do they have brains or knowledge?” She then snorts out her response: “Don’t make me laugh! They were popular!” In the land of Oz, power and status do not go to morally qualified leaders. No indeed, leadership is given to those whose popularity lures people in with their false messaging about so-called freedom … much like the false teachers that Peter warned about in our reading today. 

2 Peter 2 (Common English Bible)

But false prophets also arose among the people. In the same way, false teachers will come among you. They will introduce destructive opinions and deny the master who bought them, bringing quick destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow them in their unrestrained immorality, and because of these false teachers the way of truth will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will take advantage of you with lies. 

In our continuation of 2 Peter this week, we remember that this letter is a charge and an encouragement to become strong, godly, and virtuous followers of Christ. It was written to the undesignated churches addressed in 1 Peter, including churches in Asia Minor, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia (1 Peter 1:1). Paul’s letters were also known to many of those churches.

Today’s reading opens up with a stern warning to these churches about the “false teachers among you,” indicating that the problem was not just coming from outside pagan influences. False teachers work in secrecy as they bring in destructive heresies and lies. We see echoes of Peter’s warning in other New Testament writings found in Mark 13:22, 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 1 Timothy 4:1-3 and 2 Timothy 3:1-5. 

Their motive was greed. Their method was exploitation through false propaganda. The effect was that many people were lured away from the truth. The result was followers who walked away from their faith and embraced this new popular immorality. 

The presumptive delay of Jesus’ Second Coming created quite a challenge for the early church. When it became obvious that Jesus wasn’t coming back anytime soon, wicked operatives saw a small gap of eschatological skepticism start to grow in the confused people’s expectations, and they squeezed through it like a big rat in a city apartment building.

The death of the first Christian generation created a crisis of faith. Living in this diminishing hope, it was easy for false teachers to emerge on the scene with their enticing promises of freedom and moral laxity. Their claim that the Judgment that had been associated with Jesus’ return was now suspended was received with acceptance. Freed from the apostolic demand of living a holy life, this false teaching encouraged new and weak believers to pursue pleasure and self-gratification without penalty or restraint.

Peter’s words were harsh. He pulled no punches in confronting the dangers of this way of thinking. He is not so much being judgmental as he was expressing deep concern for the spiritual wellbeing of the people. Following the false teaching would leave them spiritually bereft and indeed would not protect them from the Judgment to come. He was attempting to persuade his readers to uphold their righteousness in spite of the challenge posed by the wicked false teachers. Peter was literally fighting for their souls.

We also live in an era of false teaching, freedom that enslaves, self aggrandizement, and false propaganda filled with lies. We would be wise to heed Peter’s words and focus on the Truth of Jesus Christ. In order to do that, we must be students of God’s Word every day.

16These false teachers promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of immorality; whatever overpowers you, enslaves you.

What enslaves you? Have you been overpowered? Are your addictions, cravings, and desires distracting you from your call to holy living?

Be honest. Are you enslaved to your phone and electronic devices?

God can use his power to help you get out from underneath the things that have overpowered you. You don’t have to be a slave anymore.

Free Roaming Iguana

Tempus Fugit

Posted on by Betsy

Today’s Scripture lesson offers us a glimpse into what Peter was thinking when he knew that his death was imminent. Like John Wesley, Peter intended to praise his maker for as long as he was alive. There is a notation in Wesley’s journal recorded on March 2nd, 1791, written by “one who was present” that records his last words. In his final hours, Wesley sang a hymn:

I’ll praise my Maker while I’ve breath, 

And when my voice is lost in death, 

Praise shall employ my nobler pow’rs; 

My days of praise shall ne’er be past, 

While life, and thought, and being last, 

Or immortality endures.

And at the end, Wesley proclaimed these hopeful words: “The best of all, God is with us.” Amen, Brother John! Amen. 

Here is what was on Peter’s mind in his last days on earth:

2 Peter 1:12-21

12 So I’ll keep reminding you about these things, although you already know them and stand secure in the truth you have. 13 I think it’s right that I keep stirring up your memory, as long as I’m alive. 14 After all, our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I am about to depart from this life. 15 I’m eager for you always to remember these things after my death.

16 We didn’t repeat crafty myths when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Quite the contrary, we witnessed his majesty with our own eyes. 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when a voice came to him from the magnificent glory, saying, “This is my dearly loved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.” 

It was going to be up to the people to carry the mission of the church forward. Peter’s message focused on reminding his followers about the words of his testimony. He was an eye-witness to many of the things that Jesus said and did, and he sought to stir their memory of all of the truths he had passed along to them so that they could pass it along to others.

It was important that the Apostolic teachings continued as the apostles died out. Their firsthand, eye-witness accounts were central to the traditions of the church and needed to be passed from generation to generation. We base our faith on these truths and our hope for the future that these traditions promise informs the choices we make today. Peter understood that congregations need to be systematically informed of their heritage. 

 18 We ourselves heard this voice from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 In addition, we have a most reliable prophetic word, and you would do well to pay attention to it, just as you would to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.20 Most important, you must know that no prophecy of scripture represents the prophet’s own understanding of things, 21 because no prophecy ever came by human will. Instead, men and women led by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

We hear an echo of Wesley’s thinking in what Peter was saying. Scripture is the foundation of everything we say and do, so the Old Testament prophecies give us that direction. Tradition guides our faith and preserves our understanding of God’s activity through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, so passing that along is vital. Peter used his own Experience of the transfiguration to give his listeners a vision of the nature of Christ. Thus it stands to Reason that the church would logically accept the charge to bring the Apostolic teachings forward and make them primary to the mission of the church.

All of this is especially important to us today in this post-Christian world where the assumptions and social values are increasingly non-Christian in popular culture and mass media. Our struggle today is against the pervasive secularism that teaches our children that God, Jesus, and the church are irrelevant and ineffective. It is important that Scripture, tradition, experience, and reason continue to be a conscious part of our lives.

This is a serious challenge for today’s church and today’s parents. Are you raising your children and your grandchildren in the faith? Do they know their Bible stories? Can they pray? Do they understand what your denomination teaches about God?

It’s never too late to start until it is. Best get at it.

Time is Running Out

Clean and Unclean

Posted on by Betsy

In Acts 10, we read a remarkable account of a vision Peter had regarding clean and unclean foods. In that vision, God told him to kill and eat of any of the animals that were presented on a sheet, which included those considered unclean by Levitical Law. A pious Jew like Peter could not do this, but God commanded him to obey.

Immediately a delegation from Joppa was at his door, inviting him to come to with them to speak with their leader Cornelius, a well-respected centurion and righteous Gentile. When Peter arrived at the house, he told the large gathering that had assembled, “You all realize that it is forbidden for a Jew to associate or visit with outsiders. However, God has shown me that I should never call a person impure or unclean” (Acts 10:28). 

Acts 10 (Common English Bible)

 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in order to honor him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Get up! Like you, I’m just a human.” 27 As they continued to talk, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them, “You all realize that it is forbidden for a Jew to associate or visit with outsiders. However, God has shown me that I should never call a person impure or unclean. 29 For this reason, when you sent for me, I came without objection. I want to know, then, why you sent for me.”

30 Cornelius answered, “Four days ago at this same time, three o’clock in the afternoon, I was praying at home. Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me. 31 He said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayers, and your compassionate acts are like a memorial offering to him. 32 Therefore, send someone to Joppa and summon Simon, who is known as Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, located near the seacoast.’ 33 I sent for you right away, and you were kind enough to come. Now, here we are, gathered in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has directed you to say.”

34 Peter said, “I really am learning that God doesn’t show partiality to one group of people over another. 35 Rather, in every nation, whoever worships him and does what is right is acceptable to him.36 This is the message of peace he sent to the Israelites by proclaiming the good news through Jesus Christ: He is Lord of all!

Peter demonstrated incredible growth in his understanding and knowledge of the truth of God’s inclusive call to righteousness. It was a huge departure from his previous way of thinking and helps us understand his passion for instructing people of faith on righteous behaviors and attributes in 2 Peter, as we read in our last devotional.

When he acknowledged that God accepts anyone who “does what is right,” the centuries-old wall between Jews and Gentiles was shattered and replaced with a bridge built of grace, love, and acceptance. Peter followed his own outline from faith to knowledge to affection for others to love. By the way, it always ends with love.

How deep and wide is your love? Do you still consider some groups of people to be “unclean”? This Scripture clearly states that God doesn’t show partiality to one group of people over another.

If God doesn’t, how dare we?

This is my neighbor’s cat, Lola. She loves everybody.

An Outline for Living

Posted on by Betsy

Do you use outlines to help you organize your thoughts when you write? I always tape an outline of my sermons inside my bible so that I have something to refer to if I get lost. I dislike preaching from a manuscript, so this is the perfect compromise. Outlines give direction!

See if you can spot the outline in our Scripture passage today. It gives direction for a righteous and holy life:

2 Peter 1:1-11 (Common English Bible)

1From Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. To those who received a faith equal to ours through the justice of our God and savior Jesus Christ.2 May you have more and more grace and peace through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

3 By his divine power the Lord has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of the one who called us by his own honor and glory. 4 Through his honor and glory he has given us his precious and wonderful promises, that you may share the divine nature and escape from the world’s immorality that sinful craving produces.

5 This is why you must make every effort to add moral excellence to your faith; and to moral excellence, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, endurance; and to endurance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, affection for others; and to affection for others, love. 8 If all these are yours and they are growing in you, they’ll keep you from becoming inactive and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 Whoever lacks these things is shortsighted and blind, forgetting that they were cleansed from their past sins.

10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, be eager to confirm your call and election. Do this and you will never ever be lost. 11 In this way you will receive a rich welcome into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

Let’s unpack that.

Faith. Peter begins with faith, just as someone who was called “The Rock” would do. Faith is the strong foundation for the rest of our learning. We understand faith to be the “reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see “ (Hebrews 11:1).

Moral Excellence. Added to faith is virtue, an attribute of following moral practices and behaviors that are above reproach. As we grow in our knowledge of Christ, we can only be a witness to his power in our lives if those lives are morally sound and Christ-like.

Knowledge. Not to be confused with intellectual understanding or instinct, knowledge is the product of our conversion. It increases through study of the Word, prayer, and community interaction. Knowledge of the truth of Jesus Christ was and is essential to the future of the church as it wrestles with false teachings.

Self-control. Both Peter and Paul include self-control as a necessary ingredient of a godly life (Galatians 5:23, 2 Timothy 1:7). It makes sense. How could we attain righteousness with a disordered and out-of-control life? We couldn’t. Neither could those who followed false teaching.

Endurance. Perseverance in all of these things on Peter’s outline will win the day. Being steadfast, intentional, and consistent in practicing these habits will increase our knowledge of God and keep us strong in the face of temptation, suffering, and evil.

Godliness. Godliness is both the goal and a necessary step. Godliness is a state of piety where we walk in God’s precepts and strive to be obedient to God’s will. Godliness includes looking and interacting with the world in the way that God would. Asking ourselves if a thought, word, or deed is what Jesus would think, say, or do gives us a daily insight into godly living. 

Affection for others. Did you notice that the early parts of the outline are inward-focused while these later parts focus our faith outwardly? Displaying acts of neighborly love is the result of knowing God at a deeper level and feeling the impulse to share God’s love with others around us.

Love. Love is the pinnacle of all of God’s work in us. Love completes the outline of demonstrable godliness and proves that we have learned how to apply Peter’s teachings to our lives. Love is the beginning, the middle, and the end of the lesson. It is by our love that we are known.

It is important at this juncture to note that this is not a check list of abstract rules of a moral code that must be obeyed. No, indeed, this a statement of what living in Christ and living for Christ looks like. Peter outlined behaviors that are rooted in our relationship with Christ and are an expression of what comes out of that relationship, as opposed to what must be put in to gain that relationship. Grace makes it impossible to work hard enough to gain Christ. Freely given, all we need to do is accept him and then continue to grow in these things. 

How do you measure up to Peter’s list? Are there areas in your life that could use some improvement? Are your inner and outer faith worthy of Christ?

May we strive to grow in our righteous living, especially in love.

Colington Sunset

Pants on Fire

Posted on by Betsy

Do you remember the late 1990’s movie called Liar, Liar? Jim Carrey starred as pathological liar Fletcher Reede, a divorced defense attorney with a young son named Max. Reede is incapable of telling the truth and frequently makes false promises to Max and then lies about why he had to break them. Each lie is followed by his manipulative cries of “I swear it’s the truth!” Reede misses Max’s 5th birthday party and of course lies about the reason. Max then makes a special wish as he blows out his birthday cake candles, wishing that his father would be forced to only tell the truth for 24 hours. Hilarity ensues as Reede goes to court for a high profile case and cannot lie for the first time in his career. The movie ends with Reede and his ex-wife reuniting with a new relationship that is grounded in honesty.

Jesus addressed the law concerning oaths and our tendency to make insincere vows in today’s reading. People had tried to find a loophole around swearing directly on God’s name by swearing instead on the name of heaven, earth, Jerusalem, or even their own heads. Somehow they felt that these oaths would be less binding and could be more easily broken. Jesus assured them that they were wrong.

Matthew 5 (Common English Bible)

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago: Don’t make a false solemn pledge, but you should follow through on what you have pledged to the Lord. 34 But I say to you that you must not pledge at all. You must not pledge by heaven, because it’s God’s throne. 35 You must not pledge by the earth, because it’s God’s footstool. You must not pledge by Jerusalem, because it’s the city of the great king. 36 And you must not pledge by your head, because you can’t turn one hair white or black. 37 Let your yes mean yes, and your no mean no. Anything more than this comes from the evil one.

At the heart of his message was the need for complete honesty. As one without sin who never lied, Jesus was the epitome of everyday honesty, accountability, and integrity in truth-telling. Swearing oaths would not be necessary if our words were trustworthy, true, and unshakable. Indeed, having to swear on something betrays a certain weakness, demonstrating that the veracity of our word won’t hold up under scrutiny. There is a credibility gap between what we say and what we do. Swearing won’t make a difference if our intention is to break the vow anyway.

This isn’t a tirade against oath taking, per se. God swore oaths. Jesus spoke under oath in court. Paul made several oaths. We are invited to make vows that demonstrate our complete commitment and intention. Jesus was warning against making flippant, insincere, manipulative promises that we have no intention of keeping. Better to make no oaths at all than to do that, says our Lord. “Let your yes be yes and your no be no” (verse 37).

We are taught to “say what you mean and mean what you say.” If we can’t be people of our word, there is no hope for spreading the Word. We need to mean everything we say about the goodness of God and the power of the Gospel in our lives. When we lie, that power is diluted in the eyes of the world. Is your “yes” a true “yes?” Say yes to God.

Say Yes by Michelle Robertson

The Unbaptized Arm

Posted on by Betsy

Have you ever heard the strange legend about a group of 15th Century soldiers and their unusual baptism? They served a man named Ivan the Great who was the Grand Prince of Moscow and All Russia. Ivan was pledged to marry a Greek princess, but her father insisted that he and his 500 soldiers become members of the Orthodox Church first. This involved a full immersion baptism. However, the Orthodox Church forbade professional soldiers from being baptized due to their violent way of life, which is not in line with the teachings of Christ. But the clever fellows found a work-around. As they entered the waters, they held up their right arms above the surface. This prevented their “fighting arms” from being baptized. They were willing to give their bodies and souls to God but reserved their sword arms for the state. This story serves as a classic example of when your “yes” really means “no.”

In our Scripture today, Paul had been accused of being unreliable and untrustworthy by the church in Corinth because he had said he could come to them on a certain day and then was unable to make the trip. He sent a letter in his place and was met with their questioning of his motives and his word. You can hear the hurt and offense that this caused Paul in verse 17: “So I wasn’t unreliable when I planned to do this, was I?” Having his integrity questioned was painful.

2 Corinthians 1 (Common English Bible)

17 So I wasn’t unreliable when I planned to do this, was I? Or do I make decisions with a substandard human process so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 But as God is faithful, our message to you isn’t both yes and no. 19 God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is the one who was preached among you by us—through me, Silvanus, and Timothy—he wasn’t yes and no. In him it is always yes. 20 All of God’s promises have their yes in him. That is why we say Amen through him to the glory of God.

Paul leans on their understanding of the reliability of God to make his point. As God is faithful, Paul was faithful to his churches, even when they needed to be reprimanded. He preached a Savior who was completely reliable and worthy of their trust. Jesus was not a “yes and no” man, and Paul was not untouched by that fact. His yes was always a yes.

Yet out of this unpleasantness came one of Scripture’s most beautiful verses: “All of God’s promises have their yes in him” (verse 20). Yes, Lord! What a wonderful statement of the reliability of Christ. Every good thing that God gave to humanity came through him.

Think for a moment about the commitments and promises you have made. Consider what you are doing with your time, your talents, and your treasure. Are you one-hundred percent in or are you holding something back? Does your yes mean maybe? Are you willing to serve God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength, or are you keeping something in reserve for yourself?

God’s yeses are always yes, for all of eternity. May we respond like Paul and give everything we have to the building of God’s kingdom, holding nothing back.

Just like Jesus.

Blessing of the Fleet

Good Things In, Good Things Out

Posted on by Betsy

There is a holistic doctor in my community that lives by the mantra “Let thy food be thy medicine.” She preaches and teaches the importance of putting the right and good things into the body to ensure that it functions well on the outside. Too much fat in the diet results in high cholesterol and overstressed joints. Too little protein will end in weak muscles. Alcohol and tobacco use diminish the good health of the patient, while fruits, vegetables and exercise bring positive outcomes. If we want to stay physically healthy on the outside we must carefully consider what is going in our bodies. 

It is a premise that works for our souls as well. What we put into our hearts and minds will affect what comes out in our attitudes, beliefs, and speech. Early computer programmers used to say, “garbage in equals garbage out.” If we fill our days with mindless Netflix binging, 24 hour inflammatory “news” programs, and too much secular thinking, we will become flat and useless for building God’s kingdom. But, as Paul advised, if we fill ourselves with constant prayer and guard our hearts with a focus on gratitude for all of God’s blessings, we will be better able to act wisely toward outsiders and make the most of the opportunities God gives us to share the gospel in meaningful and appropriate ways. He counseled that we must spend time in the prayer closet before we move out into the public street. One is dependent on the other. An inner life of prayer breeds an outer life of witness.

Colossians 4:2-6

2 Keep on praying and guard your prayers with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray for us also. Pray that God would open a door for the word so we can preach the secret plan of Christ—which is why I’m in chains. 4 Pray that I might be able to make it as clear as I ought to when I preach. 5 Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Your speech should always be gracious and sprinkled with insight so that you may know how to respond to every person.

Paul wrote these words to his church in Colossae while he was in prison in Rome. He had been arrested in Judea after being falsely charged with defiling the Temple and starting riots. As a Roman citizen, he used his legal right and requested to appear before Caesar rather than face an unfair trial in Judea. He spent two years in prison awaiting that appearance.

We are reminded to pray that God would “open a door for the word,” a theme that is repeated in Acts 14:24 and 1 Corinthians 16:9. Witnessing is a three-fold activity. First, we pray. Second, we wait for answers and watch for the door to be opened. Last, we offer prayers of thanksgiving for God’s plan and move forward. 

This approach will enable us to cultivate the God’s gift of pleasant and wise conversation. Our speech will be more gracious and insightful as all of the things we have internalized will come out in appropriate responses.

What are you filling yourself with? Are you spending time in prayer in order to be ready? God will open the doors when you are.

Goodness on a Plate by Becca Ziegler

On Impulse

Posted on by Betsy

I am sure I’m not alone in regretting making a promise I wish I had never made. From the very beginning I knew what was being asked of me was wrong, but I let someone’s panic sway me into saying yes. A woman in my church was deeply concerned that her frail best friend had a significant eating disorder and begged me, as their pastor, to intervene and address it. I suggested that she, as the friend, should be the one to do this but she nagged and persisted, saying that it was my job as well. This was absolutely wrong, by the way, but I was young and impulsive and truly thought I could help, so I promised to address it when there was an appropriate opening. 

I chose to write a loving note of concern to the woman after she came into church one Sunday with a hairline fracture of her pelvis due to over-exercise and running. I bet you can finish the story. The woman was so offended by my “kind intervention” that she never returned to church again. I never should have promised the friend that I would help, and I regret that rash decision to this day.

I love how the book of Proverbs addresses the foibles and potholes of life in wise, concise sentences. Today’s passage is no exception. As all proverbs do, it hits home the practical lesson of not making rash vows before careful consideration. People do things and make plans, but God guides our steps according to God’s will and wisdom, which should be a humbling reminder to consult God first before making any bold moves. We aren’t in control, so why do we act like we are? Yet we often respond to things out of our emotions rather than our thoughtful reflections, and that doesn’t bode well for us. As it says in Ecclesiastes 5:4-5, “When you make a promise to God, fulfill it without delay because God has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you promise. 5 Better not to make a promise than to make a promise without fulfilling it.” 

Proverbs 20 (Common English Bible)

A person’s steps are from the Lord;
    how then can people understand their path?
25 It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy,”
    and only reflect after making the promise.

This passage teaches us three things. First, don’t be quick to make a vow or promise. Second, be serious about the ones that you make. And third, regard any broken vow or promise as something to be confessed and repented. We are reminded to be wise and consider God’s plans before we jump into something we can’t or shouldn’t fulfill. 

Have you broken a vow? Is there an unfulfilled promise that needs your attention? Are you contemplating something that requires more reflection before you say something? Stop. Slow down. Listen to God’s wise counsel. God will never let you down.

Stop and Smell the Lily

Word Choice

Posted on by Betsy

Word choice is important. I remember seeing those words written in red ink on my essays in school and that lesson is still with me to this day. Selecting proper and effective words to communicate a thought can make a huge difference. For example, has someone ever said to you after an argument, “I’m sorry you were hurt.” Think about what that means. It certainly doesn’t mean “I’m sorry I hurt you.” The arguer is shirking their responsibility for your pain.

When we receive the offering on Sunday mornings, we are careful to invite the congregation to worship with the giving of “God’s tithe” and our offerings. Right away we set up a Biblical expectation of what might go into the plate. Returning a portion of God’s provision every Sunday is not an act of generosity, it is an act of obedience that says two things. First, we understand the directive in Deuteronomy 14:22 to set aside a tithe, defined as one-tenth, of the crops each harvest and return it to God. Second, it acknowledges that apart from God, we have nothing. God gave us our resources in the first place, so a tithe is just returning back to God what belongs to God.

We can clearly see in the psalmist’s word choices in our Scripture today that he fully understood that God was the giver of all things. This song of gratitude reinforces that all good things come from God. The psalmist expresses thanks for the fact that God actively listens every time he calls on God’s name and is grateful that God is a breaker of the chains that had once bound him.

Psalm 116 ( Common English Bible)

What can I give back to the Lord
    for all the good things he has done for me?
13 I’ll lift up the cup of salvation.
    I’ll call on the Lord’s name.
14 I’ll keep the promises I made to the Lord
    in the presence of all God’s people.
15 The death of the Lord’s faithful
    is a costly loss in his eyes.

16 Oh yes, Lord, I am definitely your servant!
    I am your servant and the son of your female servant—
    you’ve freed me from my chains.
17 So I’ll offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to you,
    and I’ll call on the Lord’s name.
18 I’ll keep the promises I made to the Lord
    in the presence of all God’s people,
19     in the courtyards of the Lord’s house,
        which is in the center of Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!

As a servant of the Lord, the psalmist offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving as he received the cup of salvation.  This is a clue about the fact that this song was used at Passover, when Jews celebrated their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Indeed, Psalms 113-118 are referred to as the “Egyptian Hallel Psalms” and are sung before and after the Seder meal.

We remember that Jesus was observing the Seder at the Last Supper on the night that he was betrayed and arrested. Thus was can be assured that Jesus and his disciples sang these prophetic and triumphant verses as Jesus raised the cup of salvation in that ritual moment. Then he became the cup of salvation of the New Covenant for the world with his death on cross and his resurrection three days later.  

Are you bound in chains today? Do you need deliverance? This psalm is a beautiful reminder that the cup of salvation is offered to everyone, every day. When we call out to God, we are never ignored. We can be thankful that everything we have is a gift from God, including our salvation. Thanks be to God!

Cup of Salvation

Testing, Testing

Posted on by Betsy

For 36 years my husband flew commercial airplanes for a living. Prior to that he flew jets in the Navy. The pace of that life had a certain rhythm to it. We never knew his schedule until the 15th of the month prior. That was tricky to say the least! But another part of the schedule involved recurrent training. Every nine months he had to return to Delta’s training center in Atlanta for full flight simulator training and ground school. I always knew it was coming when the big black aircraft manuals come out for study sessions. In addition, every quarter pilots have to complete an online training module and are subject to in-person line checks with trained observers. Very few industries regularly test their employees to this extent. Does it give you comfort to know that your pilot has passed so many tests?

In our passage today, James talks about the positive aspects of being tested. James was the half-brother of Jesus, who led the church in Jerusalem. While not a believer in Jesus’ lifetime, (is that a sibling thing?) James converted after a post resurrection appearance recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:7. His letter was written to the early Jewish Christians who were scattered beyond the borders of Isreal. It focuses on maintaining a living faith during trials and temptations. 

James 1 (Common English Bible)

2 My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. 3 After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing.5 But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask.6 Whoever asks shouldn’t hesitate. They should ask in faith, without doubting. Whoever doubts is like the surf of the sea, tossed and turned by the wind. 7 People like that should never imagine that they will receive anything from the Lord. 8 They are double-minded, unstable in all their ways.

9 Brothers and sisters who are poor should find satisfaction in their high status. 10 Those who are wealthy should find satisfaction in their low status, because they will die off like wildflowers. 11 The sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass so that its flowers fall and its beauty is lost. Just like that, in the midst of their daily lives, the wealthy will waste away. 12 Those who stand firm during testing are blessed. They are tried and true. They will receive the life God has promised to those who love him as their reward.

We notice that James started by affirming that tests happen to all of us and moves quickly into language about finding the joy in those tests. This is an amazing concept for anyone who has ever endured a test of any kind, yet it accurately pinpoints the reality of the Christian walk. Endurance leads to our maturity of faith. Faith is tested by trials, not produced by them. In that way, trials reveal the actual depth of our faith. James encouraged us to seek wisdom when tested, reminding us that God is happy to give wisdom to those wise enough to ask. We don’t seek knowledge in these moments, as knowledge is understood to be simply raw information and dry facts. Wisdom is the ability to use knowledge in appropriate and life-giving ways.

James’ words about doubt may sound harsh, especially to those who appreciate the kind of questioning that Thomas went through to deepen his own faith. But in James’ case, it is a matter of intention. The unbelief of doubters meant that they asked God for things with no foundation, trust, or belief, as though God was a Magic 8 Ball. Such double-mindedness quickly passes away like the flower in the fields. 

Are you being tested right now? Find joy in knowing that God is producing the patience and wisdom of mature faith in you. Stand firm!

Tried and Tested