From the Pastor’s Desk...November 2024
My father used to tell me that the older we get the faster time seems to go by. He was right. It’s November already. It’s nearly time to consider Christmas planning. It will soon be a new year, 2025. Each November our thoughts center around giving thanks on that traditional day of Thanksgiving, but it is also a reminder to Christians to live out the gratitude we have for God and His works each and every day. The Bible is constantly reminding us to be thankful.
“I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever” (Psalm 86.12).
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4.6).
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5.18).
The Thessalonians text should give us pause, for when we wonder about God’s will for us, this is a part of that will – to give thanks in all circumstances. I think we want more than we can really know when it comes to God’s will for our lives. The Scripture gives clear direction on God’s will, not in day to day choices, but in whatever we might choose to do in any given situation, His will is to give thanks in the choices we make, to love one another in the choices we make, and to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul in those choices. On the other side, if we are giving thanks, loving God and one another, we will be more in line to make choices that are pleasing to God.
Consider making a list this month for all the things for which you are thankful. Let me begin!
1. Grateful for God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. Grateful for Princeton Presbyterian Church and the faithfulness shown throughout the years to God and His Word. (And grateful for your generosity to Barbara and me last month for pastor appreciation!)
3. Thankful for family, our home, and friends.
4. Thankful for freedom in Christ and the freedoms still afforded us in our nation.
5. Appreciation for the EPC and the voice that our church and Presbytery have had in the effort to reform the direction of the denomination.
6. Appreciation for personal history and the experiences I have had in all kinds of activities and interests.
7. Grateful for the leading of the Holy Spirit and the wonder, blessing, and inexhaustible treasures of God’s Word.
What will your list include? Give thanks, not only on November 28, but every day of the year, in all circumstances, and let your requests be known to God.
Pastor Ed
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Some folks have inquired about donating to help with disaster relief for recent hurricane damages throughout the South. Our denomination has a fund which I have used. You can go to https://epc.org website and there is a button on the first page for contributions. Or go directly to this link https://epc.org/donate/emergencyrelief/
~Pastor Ed
From the Pastor’s Desk, October 2024
One of my favorite definitions of worship is “meeting with God”. Worship is central to the Christian life. This may seem quite obvious to us, and yet, many who claim to follow Christ will often forsake the gathering of God’s people for reasons that do not seem to hold worship at the core of their faith. John Calvin placed worship first in the life of Christians and salvation as second. To quote Robert Godfrey, this is so because of “one very important fact, namely that salvation is a means to an end, with worship being the end itself: We are saved...to worship God, now and eternally, with our public worship being a foretaste of the heavenly worship that awaits us.”*
According to the article footnoted below, central tenets for worship according to Calvin include: 1) God’s Word as central to worship in both the structure of worship, worshiping according to God’s Word, and in the preaching of the Word. 2) Keep worship simple. Calvin understood that worship should be a simple focus on God, no distractions or “showiness”. 3) Worship is a spiritual ascension, a heavenly moment. 4) Worship should be reverent. To this point Godfrey lifts Psalm 2.11, “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”
There are many different forms of worship in the church, especially in our nation. Everything from no instruments, to seeker services, to all out concert mode! The Bible expresses the need to gather (Hebrews 10.24-25) as well as the importance of teaching, fellowship, sacraments, and prayers (Acts 2.42). The book of Psalms has shaped worship throughout the history of Israel as well as Christianity. Liturgical forms of worship, which we hope to reflect on Sundays, are a part of the Reformed understanding of how worship enables “meeting with God”. We seek to meet God in things like our prayers, in song, in confession, in affirmation of faith, and especially in the preaching of the Word and the Sacraments. Worship is not about our personal preferences, not about “getting something” out of worship, but about that reverent time of meeting God through those elements of the service. It is a time of anticipation to meet the Creator, Savior, Lord, the Almighty One with whom we have been reconciled through Christ. Think about what it means to meet God in worship, to pour out our praise and adoration to the One who formed us and saved us. Think about what it means to meet God in confession and in hearing the Word preached and participating in the Lord’s Supper. Think about how we might come in reverence, preparing for worship beforehand through prayer so that we might encounter God together in worship.
“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand” (Psalm 95.1-7).
Pastor Ed
*https://banneroftruth.org/us/resources/articles/2003/john-calvins-views-on-worship/
From the Pastor’s Desk, September 2024
Much has been written on spiritual disciplines to nurture the life of Christians. We read about prayer, worship, meditation, study, and others, but we do not often think of stewardship as a “spiritual discipline.” Stewardship is the responsibility we have to manage what God has given to us. In the Old Testament, part of that stewardship was tithing. In my thinking this stems from the very beginning of creation in Genesis. God gave human beings dominion over creation. All that we have been given, all that we have, has been brought into being by God. All that we have is His gift to us and we are merely stewards of His bountiful blessings. As stewards, God expects us to live productive and grateful lives. Tithing is an important aspect of our faithfulness. It is our way of expressing our gratitude and thankfulness for His abundant mercy. We have been asked to give one-tenth of all God provides. That is one-tenth of the traditional markings of our time, talents, and treasure. We do not necessarily measure time or talents in tenths, but we do carefully measure our treasures in such ways. We measure that in the old fashion checkbook register or, as younger folks do today, just leave it up to the bank. And, trust me, the bank will keep a close measure on it!
The tithe is really the core of a measurable biblical concept that helps us “measure” all things spiritual. If our giving to the church is lacking, it may be a sign that our soul or spirit is also lacking the blessings and benefits of God’s abundant provision. Must we give ten percent to enjoy God’s bounty? No, but giving back to God is as great a spiritual blessing to the giver as it is to the receiver. Offering unto the Lord is as great a spiritual blessing as prayer or worship. The apostle Paul reminds us that tithing is not something we do under compulsion, but as we are led by the Holy Spirit, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9.7).
Malachi 3.8-10 offers another consideration to the tithe, “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”
God seeks that His house have no need! It is one thing to think that we might simply hold back giving to the church; it is a far greater concern to think we are robbing God. The tithe was established in the Old Testament in order to fund the ministry of the Levites (priests), temple, and synagogue. This was the equivalent of the church and other ministries. Tithing increases the ministry of Christ, the high priest. The greatest investment we can make is in the kingdom of God. It is not that God will automatically return tenfold, as prosperity gospel folks will tell you, but that God’s blessing may come in a multitude of ways even greater than financial.
Jesus spoke of our treasures in this way, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” Matthew 6.21). Let us ask ourselves, “What do we treasure? The kingdom of the world or the kingdom of God?” Our heart will be in one of those two places. May the Lord bless His people with spiritual and physical prosperity as we seek to glorify Him in all things. Amen.
Pastor Ed
From the Pastor’s Desk...August 2024
As I reflect on our world today and on issues facing the church both from inside and out, I think about three things in particular for the church to remember and practice: self-control, being calm, and faithful discipleship.
We are called to be self-controlled in the midst of a world that is out of control. I am going to pluck that one term (self-control) out of this text from Galatians 5.22-24, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Self-control is not only a discipline we practice in faith, but also a fruit of the Spirit, something produced in us as we walk in the Holy Spirit. Self-control is by definition something done by us, by our self, we control our self, our actions, our behavior, our choices. We choose to control our love, joy, peace...but it is also a measured and practiced because we have been crucified with Christ, crucifying the flesh. We have been crucified, made dead to the passions and desires that would lead us out of control. When passions and desires control us we have no self-control but we are given over to the flesh (Psalm 78.29). Part of our witness to the world is that we are able, by God’s grace, to practice self-control. This may mean we do not go along with the mob mentality. It may mean standing against the lies of the world. It may mean losing some things the world deems valuable but in turn showing the world what is truly valued in the kingdom of God.
Second is being a calming presence in the midst of chaos. John 14.27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” One of my favorite phrases from Edwin Friedman is that of being a “non-anxious presence” in the midst of anxiety. In Jesus’ terms, to be at peace in the midst of turmoil and strife. Christians should be the most calm presence in the midst of the chaos of the world. We know the truth. We know the Savior and Lord. We know the end of the story. We have been given the peace that surpasses understanding so that our hearts need not be troubled. The world seeks only to trouble our hearts with “the sky is falling” pressures. Every day the world presents us with a new (yet old) narrative of fear. But, we have the news – the good news – that sets us free from that fear, “let not your hearts be troubled.”
Third, be a disciple of Jesus in the midst of those who hate Jesus. John 15.18-19, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” It is inevitable that the world is not going to like followers of Jesus. Too many in the church are seeking to be a friend to the world, but that is really not possible. When we proclaim the truth in love, people will hate us. When we point out what is sinful, people will seek to silence us. When we proclaim Jesus as the only way to salvation, people will call us bigots and intolerant. The Truth is not popular in the world. We must stand firm in the Truth, in Jesus Christ and His Word, so that the world may hear and repent and have that “come to Jesus” moment.
A huge witness to the world is our ability and grace filled self-control, non-anxious presence, and holding fast to the Truth that is Jesus Christ. Pray that God may work His grace through that witness of the disciples of Jesus. Amen.
Pastor Ed
From the Pastor’s Desk...July 2024
The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15, writes about the resurrection of Christ and the mortal putting on immortality because, in Christ, death has absolutely no power. He concludes chapter 15 with this verse, 58“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” Paul loves to build a case for something and then give an exhortation built off that foundation. Christ is risen, death has no sting, the mortal body will put on immortality, therefore…
The exhortation here is to be steadfast, immovable, and abounding in the work of the Lord. First, be steadfast. Be consistent with what we are told in Scripture. Have a steady theology and doctrine of belief that leads us not to be tossed to and fro by cultural whims and downright foolishness. Hold the biblical line against the rising tide of worldly stupidity. Second, be immovable. I don’t think Paul intends that we be hard headed in the sense of being mean or unwilling to converse with those opposed to the gospel, but in the sense of 2 Timothy 2.25, “correcting his opponents with gentleness.” Be immovable on the truth, but gentle in its presentation. Be filled with truth and grace (John 1.14, 17). Still, there are times when we might take another track, as Jesus sometimes did, and pronounce a few “woes” (Luke 11.42ff). Third, abound in the Lord’s work. Serve, edify, witness to the Gospel, love one another...this is an exhortation to do the Word.
All these things fall under the knowledge and confidence that none of our labor is in vain. The Lord will use everything for His glory. We might not see the effects of doing good works. Those may come long after we are gone. Yet, sometimes we see and rejoice. My hope and trust is that none of the work we are doing as a church, as a session, or as New River Presbytery will be in vain. We will stand firm in our biblical convictions that will keep the EPC on a solid biblical foundation. It may take a bit longer than we had hoped, but it will come. Our labor is not in vain. God is faithful. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10.23). Because God is faithful, we will be steadfast, immovable, and abounding in the work of the Lord.
Pastor Ed
From the Pastor’s Desk...June 2024
The spiritual life is a journey filled with mountain top experiences and valleys and everything in between. Sometimes we feel the fullness of God’s presence and other times we might wonder, where is God? “Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10.1). None of us escape the highs and lows of spirituality. The mountain top is easy. Joy is prevalent, love is felt, and faith seems strong. But the valley is a different story. We are sometimes “cloudy”, sensing a darkness, and weighted with a sense of melancholy. We might begin to question our faith, even our salvation, or our devotion to God. But, I want to challenge those questions and turn the valley experience into an opportunity.
St. John of the Cross called these times of barrenness the Dark Night of the Soul. There is a verse in Isaiah that is sometimes quoted to suggest this condition, “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God” (Isa 50.10). The context of that verse is more along the lines of facing adversaries and with the Lord’s help overcoming those adversaries. But, like Paul reinterpreting Scripture for a new context, we might imagine a way forward in our times of spiritual darkness or depression. That way is to “trust in the name of the Lord and rely on God”, for He will bring us through. And, in the way of the spiritual life, God will bring us through to a deeper faith and understanding of the things of God.
When someone comes to me with concerns over their own crisis of faith (that darkness), I will often suggest that they consider it a fruitful time of growth. While it may feel like a terrible time of sadness and question, it may also be a time when God is cleansing us of something unrighteous or a hindrance to our next phase in maturing faith. It is God’s soul work in us to eliminate those things that prevent us from going deeper in our relationship with Him. It is the language of denying ourselves and taking up our cross. Death is not a pleasant experience in our spiritual life any more than when we experience physical death of those we love. We grow to love ourselves and the comforts we rely on and yet those things need to die within us so that we might love God and rely solely and soulfully on Him alone.
James 1.2-4 may help us here: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” When we go through the dark night of the soul or the valley of the shadow of death, it may lead us that much closer to what James calls a place of perfection and completeness, lacking in nothing. We will come to the confession of faith known in Psalm 23, The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall lack nothing!
Pastor Ed
From the Pastor’s Desk...May 2024
Sabbath. Rest. Quiet. Reflection. Peace. The world is filled with the opposite of those words. Crisis in the middle east. Crisis in Federal Government. Crisis in the climate. Crisis in the economy. Crisis in (insert your favorite crisis here). Spend one day without television. Spend one day without the computer or cell phone or tablet. If not a day, one hour? Two? We have become so dependent on our technology. There is nothing inherently wrong with all our gadgets, but we allow them to run free in our minds causing anxiety and doubt about everything! Take a sabbath break. I think the 24/7 news cycle is just like the daytime soap operas, you could miss months if not years of a soap opera and when you return nothing has changed, characters all there, same story lines, same crises. So too with the news. Tell me a news story that is not just like a month ago or a year ago. Nothing new, someone complaining about congress, another about the President. Some talking head telling us that the sky is falling….again.
We need a rest from it all. We need sabbath rest and refreshment. God commands it! #4 on the commandment list! Below are a few of my favorite authors on the Sabbath:
“The solution to mankind’s most vexing problem will not be found in renouncing technical civilization, but in attaining some degree of independence of it...On the sabbath we live, as it were, independent of technical civilization” (Abraham Heschel, The Sabbath).
Lynne Baab writes: “Our culture is obsessed with production, possession and accomplishment. The Sabbath invites us to spend a day apart from the media’s incessant cry of ‘More!’ The sabbath invites us into a rhythm, a structure, that frees us from outside pressure. And that freedom communicates God’s grace to us” (Sabbath Keeping).
“In an age that has lost its soul, Sabbath keeping offers the possibility of gaining it back. In an age desperately searching for meaning, Sabbath keeping offers a new hope. In contrast to the technological society, in which the sole criteria of value is the measurement of efficiency, those who keep the Sabbath find their criteria in the character of God, in whose image they celebrate life” (Marva Dawn, Keeping the Sabbath Wholly).
“Sabbath is an incubator for wisdom. When we allow the rush and pressure of our days to fall away, even for a short period of time, we are more able to discern the essential truth of what lies before us” (Wayne Muller, Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in our Busy Lives).
“Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you” (Deuteronomy 5.12).
May we find the rhythm of Sabbath weekly, even daily at various points of rest. Let that rhythm quiet our rush, silence our anxiety, confound our daily dose of bad news. May the Sabbath remind us of God’s presence, provision, and love. May the Sabbath offer refreshment as deep as the marrow our bones.
Keep the Sabbath that the Sabbath might keep you.
Pastor Ed
From the Pastor’s Desk...April 2024
This will be an update from the last newsletter article on the status of our overture to the General Assembly of the EPC (Evangelical Presbyterian Church). If you missed the last article, our church Session sent an overture to the New River Presbytery to basically make our denominational position paper on sexuality a part of our polity. This means that we are seeking to strengthen our EPC constitution with regard to our understanding on Scripture when is comes to the sexual confusion of the world. (If you would like to read the position paper, go here and scroll down. https://epc.org/about/beliefs/ )
We have one victory with the overture thus far as the Presbytery that was considering the church and pastor for reception into the EPC has backed down on that process. It is my understanding that they have sent the matter to the Theology Committee of the EPC for study. We believe that will settle the matter at hand. But the overture is still to be considered at the General Assembly meeting in June (@ Memphis, Tenn). I will be attending that meeting and speaking on behalf of the overture. The leadership of our Presbytery is also preparing for various contingencies that may occur at that GA meeting. We are also working on an amendment to our overture to strengthen it even further!
The church in American is in a spiritual battle against those principalities and powers spoken of in Ephesians 6. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (6.12). In my opinion, this entire matter above is a spiritual force of evil seeking to get a stronghold into the EPC. From my experience in our previous denomination, once evil gets a stronghold, the slippery slope becomes a landslide. Once we compromise the truth of Jesus Christ and the authority of Scripture, we have given all over to the present darkness. My hope is that this GA meeting in June will enable the EPC to make a statement, clear and authoritative, against the LGBTQ+ darkness, transgender darkness, and the evils attacking our children, the church, and all who believe in Christ Jesus. While the EPC is not a major voice in America, we can be a still small voice proclaiming truth and light to the darkness. That is what I signed up for in the EPC in 2012 and what I hope will be the way forward. May God be glorified.
Pastor Ed
From the Pastor’s Desk...March 2024
The main reason our church has been a part of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church denomination since 2012, breaking away from our former home, is our understanding and firm footing on the authority of Scripture. Every other issue, from sexuality to the Lordship of Christ, rests on the authority of Scripture. One of the reasons I took on the task of chairing the leadership team that developed our new Presbytery, was to stand guard against any teaching that would compromise that authority. I have been incredibly blessed to be a part of the EPC and now in our newly formed New River Presbytery where I served as Moderator in the first year.
Several months ago our Presbytery leadership team became aware of a church seeking entrance into our denomination that had been dismissed from the PCA. The PCA is another Presbyterian denomination very close to the EPC in theology and views on biblical authority. This particular church had applied to the Mid-America Presbytery (St. Louise area), and the church’s pastor is a self identifying homosexual who also identifies as celibate. Needless to say this raised a large red flag for me and for our leadership team. We were curious as to why the Mid-America Presbytery was even discussing a possibility of receiving this church and pastor. Long story short, a few of us put our heads together to determine what could be done from our Presbytery leadership. As it turns out, our Session at PPC endorsed an Overture to present to our Presbytery (NRP) which was approved unanimously at our last NRP meeting. The overture’s next journey will be to the General Assembly this summer for consideration.
There has been a lot of discussion as to leadership qualifications in our churches and, for brevity in this article, the concern over identifying oneself by sexuality is of great concern. Even the vow of celibacy is not enough to make the way clear for this pastor and church to enter into fellowship in the EPC. I cannot go into the details at this point, but there is a difference between celibacy and chastity.
I need to highlight that this is particularly an issue for those who are qualified or not to serve as officers in the church, Ruling Elders (Session) and/or Teaching Elders (Pastors). We are all sinners in need of God’s grace, but in today’s world, sexuality has taken center stage in such a way that we must take great care in how we approach those who identify outside of God’s created order of male and female. We are called to tell the truth in love to those who are struggling in the area of identity and sexuality. But, we are also given the responsibility to insure that our leaders are above reproach. I wanted to inform everyone in our fellowship of the situation and our Session’s particular involvement to protect our denomination from any compromise of God’s truth in Scripture. Here is the overture:
OVERTURE from Princeton Presbyterian Church
“Amend G.9-3 to Disqualify from Office Persons Identifying as Homosexual”
Whereas, God created Adam and Eve and ordained the first marriage and family consisting of one man and one woman in sexual union, establishing the context for the biblical sexual ethic (Gen. 1:27-28; 2:24; 4:1); and
Whereas, God has established the one flesh sexual union between a husband and wife, as a great mystery in reference to Christ and his Church (Eph. 5:25; 31-32); and
Whereas, the Holy Scriptures declare that the sexual union and desire between one man and one woman, in the covenant of marriage, is righteous and holy, and all other sexual activity is unrighteous and sinful, including homosexuality, which the Holy Scriptures describe as “degrading passions” (Rom. 5:18-19; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6 9-11; Eph. 5:3-5; Heb. 13:4, WCF 24:1 & 2; WLC 138,139); and
Whereas, the application of the 7th Commandment forbids the sins of homosexuality, unnatural lusts, and unclean affections, affirming that homosexual acts and the desires to commit those acts are both sinful (Matt. 5:27-28; WLC 139); and
Whereas, the Biblical qualifications for a church officer require him to be “above reproach” and the “husband of one wife,” officers and candidates for office must conform their lives to Biblical sexual ethics, which include denying and mortifying all sexual passions and desires toward anyone to whom they are not married (1 Tim. 3:2); and
Whereas, identification as a “homosexual,” is sinful and against nature itself, is something God detests, and is not fitting for an officer of the Church of Christ (Lev. 18:22; 1 Tim. 28 3:2; Titus 1:5-6); and
Whereas, the Christian’s identity is rooted in Christ so that he is a “new creation” in Him, his identity cannot be defined by sexual and/any other desires or lifestyles that are contrary to the Holy Scriptures; for the Christian there is a clear distinction between self conception (“this is who I am”) and their remaining indwelling sin (“this is what I must daily mortify”) (Rom 6:1-14; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 2 Cor. 5:17; Col. 3:1-5); and
Whereas, the sexual revolution and LGBTQ+ movement are infiltrating many quarters of the Church and causing no small amount of confusion; and
Whereas, the Pastoral Letter on Human Sexuality adopted by the 38th General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in order to guide the churches within the EPC affirms that “Those who make their S[ame] S[ex] A[ttractive] tendencies their primary identity are not comprehending and embracing their full identity as image bearers of God.”
Therefore, be it resolved that Princeton Presbyterian Church overtures the 005 Meeting of the New River Presbytery, to overture the 44th General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church to amend the Book of Government Chapter 9 such that a new clause, G.9-3C, be added which reads as follows (new words underlined):
C. Men and women who identify as homosexual, even those who identify as homosexual and claim to practice celibacy in that self-identification, are disqualified from holding office in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
Let us pray for the pastor and church seeking entrance into the EPC and the Presbytery dealing with this issue, and for our denomination as we put on the armor of God.
Pastor Ed
From the Pastor’s Desk...February 2024
The last prayer in the Bible is this: “Come, Lord Jesus!” Check it out in Revelation 22.20. Better yet, read the entire chapter where John sees a river that is described as the water of life. There is a tree of life and the Lord Himself will be all the light that is necessary. In verse 7 Jesus says, “I am coming soon”. In verse 12 Jesus says, “I am coming soon”. In verse 20 Jesus says, “Surely I am coming soon”. I think John really liked that statement, especially since Jesus kept saying it. John’s response in verse 20: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” There is at least a hint of yearning for Christ to return now! “Amen, I know you said you are coming. Come on!” Perhaps you have felt this way when things in our lives or events in the world seem hopeless or so distressing that we just blurt it out, “Come, Lord Jesus”. It is a great prayer, short, easy to remember, useful more and more as we see the political landscape and the insane societal viewpoints that dominate most woke media. Come, Lord Jesus. I hear people express that they do not know what to pray. How about, Come, Lord Jesus. Simple, appropriate, doesn’t take a long time! We could expand it some, “Come, Lord Jesus, come”.
We are invited to come to Jesus all through Scripture:
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David” (Isaiah 55.1-3).
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11.28-30).
We respond to the Lord’s invitation to come and when we have entered His kingdom we are changed and continue to be transformed in sanctification and the deeper we grow in relationship with Jesus the deeper our desire for Jesus to come again. Come, Lord Jesus. But, He has come. He has already come, by sending His Spirit to dwell in and with us. He has come in giving us the Word of God. He has come for we have witnessed the story of His birth, life, death, and resurrection. Yet, there is one more “to come”. Come, Lord Jesus, because we need You to come again to fulfill all things in complete and blessed redemption. Come, Lord Jesus, for this world is as dark as it has ever been. Come, Lord Jesus. And yet, we submit ourselves to Your timing. We recognize Your patience, Your grace and mercy… “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3.8-9). Come, Lord Jesus. While we wait we shall… “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3.18). Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
From the Pastor’s Desk...January 2024
When I contemplate the numbers of a New Year, this year I think back to 1974, my freshman year in high school, and wonder how in the world that was 50 years ago. Those of us who are “of a certain age” each have those years we look back on and wonder how the time has passed so quickly. It has the “feel” of a mystery of passage...time flies by, the “feel” of “how can this be?”
There are similar questions in biblical mysteries. When Mary hears news from the angel Gabriel that she will have a child, she asks “how can this be?” The answer – the Holy Spirit will make this possible. Such a mystery has continued to this day as people wonder how Jesus could be divine and human, God and man, the incarnation – the Word became flesh. Paul leaves it open to the mystery of God in 1 Timothy 3.16 “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” Here is our confession, a mystery in itself, the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh! How can this be? The Holy Spirit made it possible, “vindicated/justified”. The angels serve as witnesses. The proclamation has been made to the world. This confession encompasses birth to ascension – from manifested to taken up!
This is partly what so infuriates the enemies of God. Our confession is a mystery that cannot be proven by imperial data, not by the senses of sight or touch or smell or taste, but...but one sense does come into play, hearing. “My sheep hear my voice...(John 10.27).” Romans 10.14, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” It is not that all the other senses are never a part of the faith journey. Surely we are told to “come and see”, to “taste and see that the Lord is good”. And yet, these are more metaphorical to hearing what Jesus has to say or to hear what the Word of God has for us. Hearing is primary because mysteries can only be understood through hearing. So Paul affirms that “we confess” the mystery of godliness. It is spoken in confession for all to hear.
Take the example of Jesus telling John’s disciples, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard...(Luke 7.22). Sight and hearing are used in the proclamation to John, what they have seen comes to John in his hearing. John does not get to see, only to hear. Once again, seeing is a part of the testimony, but hearing is primary. We can certainly show people the Christ in our actions and in possible miracles like healing, but it is primarily in the proclamation that faith comes, for “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10.17).
When we share the gospel with people, the question may arise, “How can this be?” Our only honest answer is this: the mystery of godliness. 1 Timothy 3.16 “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” Hear this good news: Jesus Christ came among us - the image of the invisible God, the revelation of God in the form of man. Philippians 2. 6-8, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” How can this be? It is, my friends, a mystery, but it is also the power of God. Amen.
