Methodist Church - Star of David? - InSPIREd Sunday

 Old Methodist Church, Hillsdale, WI

Last week, on an extremely bright day, when I took a photo of this old church a few miles from our home, I noticed the Star of David window on the east side.  So how does it make sense to have a Star of David, a commonly-recognized symbol of Judaism, incorporated into the window of a Christian church?

Believing Jews and Christians alike are children of the promise, by faith in the Messiah. The promise was given to Abraham long before the Jewish law, or Torah, was given, that through his family all the earth would be blessed. 

Remember in Genesis 22 where Scripture tells us that God tested Abraham, to see if he was willing to sacrifice even his beloved son Isaac to God, and that at the last minute, as he was just about to do so, he was stopped by an angel of the Lord... 

Scripture goes on to say, beginning at verse 16: “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. 

"And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,  (My note: What a profound truth - that the Messiah Jesus, our risen Savior, has control over even the gate of his enemies - so how can his enemies possibly harm us who trust in Him? How can they hold captive those whom the Liberator has freed?) and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

And then in Romans, Paul writes: (Romans 4:13-17)  "For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;  for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.

 

^"For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist."

Bottom line? The Christian's faith is the same as 'the faith of Abraham' (which is: faith in the Messiah). In Jesus, the Messiah, we have life, forgiveness of sin, freedom, peace with God, and hope.

'So now you know...the rest of the story,' as Paul Harvey would have put it.  

And now I'm wondering: if you could ask someone who once attended that little Methodist Church in Hillsdale about the Star of David window, whether they would give you the answer I did, or if they'd say, 'What?? No....we just got a good deal on that window!'  

Have a blessed Lord's Day, friends.

And Happy Mother's Day to all you moms! 

Jesus - King of Kings
Lord of Lords

Linking to:  InSPIREd Sunday and Roses of Inspiration

Whom Can You Trust?

For all who are going through a tough time right now, some Scripture verses of encouragement:


 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not rely on your own insight. 
 In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.'

- Proverbs 3:5,6 

Many of us memorized these verses when we were children, and have heard them so often that we forget to pay attention to what they actually say. That can happen with anything we repeat often, including the wonderful messages in so many of the old hymns. So today I'm reading these verses again and asking God to give me that faith to trust him and to acknowledge him in everything I do. He loves us even though he knows everything about us, and has promised to be with us, even in our darkest times. He alone is trustworthy. As Peter said, 'Where else would we go, Lord? You alone have the words of eternal life.'

Have a blessed Lord's Day, friends.

St. Peter Catholic Church, Tilden, WI

Especially for those who somehow grew up thinking that God was simply a huge, cosmic bully, waiting for them to do something wrong so that he could lower the boom, these verses from Psalm 103 might be an encouragement to you, as they have always been to me.

"He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

For He Himself knows our frame;

He is mindful that we are but dust."

Nothing we do will disappoint, surprise, shock, or impress God. He knows us. 

I am in awe when I think of the Lord of the universe having compassion and lovingkindness toward us.  As followers of Christ, we are called to extend that compassion and lovingkindness to others.

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2"

Have a blesssed Lord's Day, Friends.

This post is linked to

INSPIRED SUNDAY

Being In Christ. What Difference Does it Make?

Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; 

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Psalm 100:3

 
 WHAT IT MEANS TO BE 'IN CHRIST' -

'Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.' (2 Corinthians 5:17)

'I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.' (Galatians 2:20)

Our small Bible study group has been reading I & II Thessalonians and the commentary by James H. Grant, Jr., edited by R. Kent Hughes, from the 'Preaching the Word' series. P.S. Our small group is not through our church, but a handful of women, friends, who've been doing Bible study together each week for about 15 years.

 From Amazon, of course

I'd like to share the following excerpts from the chapter entitled 'Union With Christ and the Christian Life:' 

Note:  Emphasis in bold is mine. 

***

'Every time Paul tells his story, he has a reason for telling it the way he does, and the central reason why Paul tells his story the way he does is because of his union with Christ...

'We first notice that in spite of Paul's suffering, his ministry was not in vain...Why does Paul think his ministry was not in vain? Because he is united to Christ, and the great example of suffering that was not in vain is the work of Christ on the cross. The death of Jesus upon the cross was not fruitless. That work accomplished God's purpose. 

"What is Paul doing here? He is not interpreting his suffering as if it were some judgment from God. He is interpreting his suffering as if it is part of his life in Christ.  That means his ministry was not in vain. God is working out the cross in Paul's life, and this suffering will not be fruitless. It is part of the ministry of the gospel...

'Since his life was hidden with Christ in God, he was approved by God. Paul had been approved on the basis of Jesus, not on the basis of how well his ministry went or on the basis of how much people liked him.  His approval came from God and from Christ, and if he was approved by God, that was all he needed to move forward in difficult ministry. That was precisely why he did not seek the approval of men. Such approval did not matter to Paul. He had the approval of Heaven. He did not need the approval of Rome or Jerusalem...

'Paul looks at his life through his union with Christ. Did God approve of his Son Jesus? Yes! And if we are in him, he approves of us. God doesn't approve of us because of our life and greatness. He approves of us because he sees us through his Son.'

***

I know there are many Christians who struggle with thoughts of God being angry with them, expecting any minute a harsh judgment from God, and bearing the burden of never living up to 'God's expectations.' Or perhaps they're suffering, and perceive it as God's anger toward them or disappointment in them. Because of this, they are stuck in a joyless life. I thought that the text above was such a good explanation of what it means to be IN CHRIST, and that it was worth sharing so that we can ponder this and ask God to help us recapture the joy that was once ours when we first began following Christ.

Remember: It's not all about us. It's about Jesus. I realize that in the 21st century, this has become a foreign concept for many Americans, especially. Also, I think it's important to remember that God is not in Heaven wringing his hands, wondering how we get ourselves into these messes. He knows our frame and remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:14). Remember Jesus? It's all about him. When we put our trust in Christ, when we're IN CHRIST, God sees us through his son.  What a wonderful thought!

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. " Titus 3:5-6

***

Have a wonderful Lord's Day, friends.
May you find joy IN CHRIST. 

Linking to

Roses of Inspiration

Seeking After God

York Minster, one of my favorites

Excerpted from In The Presence of God by R.C. Sproul:

"How many times have you heard Christians say, or have you heard the words from your own mouth, 'So-and-so is not a Christian, but he's searching'? It is a common statement among Christians. The idea is that there are people all over the place who are searching for God. Their problem is that they just haven't been able to find Him. He is playing hide-and-seek. He is elusive.

"In the Garden of Eden when sin came into the world, who hid? Jesus came into the world to seek and to save the lost. Jesus wasn't the one who was hiding. God is not a fugitive. We are the ones on the run. Scripture declares that the wicked flee when no man pursues. As Luther remarked, 'The pagan trembles at the rustling of a leaf. The uniform teaching of Scripture is that fallen men are fleeing from God.'

"People do not seek God. They seek after the benefits that only God can give them. The sin of fallen man is this: Man seeks the benefits of God while at the same time fleeing from God Himself. We are, by nature, fugitives. "

***

"None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes."  - Romans 3:10-18 ESV

***

"For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You." - Psalm 86:5

***

"The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them." Psalm 145:17-19  (and I would advise reading the whole wonderful chapter.)

***

"The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope." - Timothy Keller

Have a blessed Lord's Day, friends.

Jesus is Lord.

Wait in Silence

My soul, wait in silence for God only,

For my hope is from Him,

He only is my rock and my salvation,

My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

On God my salvation and my glory rest;

The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, O people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:5-8

Have a blessed Lord's Day.

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N.T. Wright on the Psalms

September Afternoon, Just Before Sunset

"There is a prejudice in much of contemporary Western society that imagines that humankind grew up sometime in the 18th century, that everything before then is sort of silly, and that everything after then is sophisticated, intelligent, and informed by science.

"But what is true today was true in the first century: There was a clash of worldviews. The early Christians discovered themselves drawn into the Psalter's ancient Jewish way of seeing God as both totally other than the world and radically present—dangerously present—within it. And of course, this very description of God is also the description of Jesus. The Psalms enabled the first generation of Christians to navigate the world of their day, a world not all that different from our own." - N.T. Wright

Read the full interview from Christianity Today.

 

Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble. 

 Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change,
    though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 

 though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble with its tumult.  Selah

 

 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High. 

 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
    God will help her right early. 

 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts. 

 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge.  Selah

 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has wrought desolations in the earth.
 

 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
    he burns the chariots with fire! 

 “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I am exalted among the nations,
    I am exalted in the earth!” 

 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge.  Selah

 ***

Sanctity of Life Sunday

'For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.

 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.'

 -Psalm 139:13-15

'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart;'

-Jeremiah 1:5a

 'But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,

 it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck

 and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.'

-Matthew 18:6

'Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
    in the heavens.
 Through the praise of children and infants
    you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
    to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens,
    the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
    which you have set in place,
 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?

 You have made them a little lower than the angels
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
 You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
    you put everything under their feet:
 all flocks and herds,
    and the animals of the wild,
 the birds in the sky,
    and the fish in the sea,
    all that swim the paths of the seas.

 Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!'

 -Psalm 8

Have a blessed Lord's Day!

Thanksgiving

Corn Stalk Bales

on a Wisconsin farm

It is hard to know where to begin when writing a post about thanksgiving. On second thought, that's really not the problem. The problem is knowing where to end. So just remember as you read on, this is only a partial list of things for which I'm thankful.

Our alfalfa field: It's a beautiful green with lovely purple flowers, from May through October. I love to walk the dogs in the field and sometimes sit at the top of the hill and read. In the winter, the alfalfa field is covered in snow, but still beautiful - just not quite as welcoming. 

I stand in awe at a Creator who loved us enough to give us beauty and language and music and animals and sunshine and mountains and hills and rivers and wooded land and... family - family by physical birth and family by faith - those who belong to the family of God by faith in Jesus our Lord - a family that isn't defined by race or locality but by a common faith in a risen Savior.

There is rarely an hour of the day that I'm not thankful for the grace and mercy of a loving God, who knows the hearts of sinful, rebellious, hopeless humanity and did the only thing that could possibly remedy the situation - send His one and only Son to rescue us from sin and death and hell, for we were totally unable to save ourselves.

I am thankful that I can live before God, clothed in the righteousness of Christ. That knowledge dispels all fear - fear of God, fear of man, or fear of the future -  and brings me peace and JOY.

***

'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' - Jeremiah 29:11

'Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed.' - I Peter 2:24

'When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.'- Colossians 2:13-15

'...as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.' - Psalm 103:12

'Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' - Romans 5:1

'Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.' - John 3:18

***

I am thankful that I don't have to be defeated by sin. Daily, I can live with JOY because of what my Savior did for me. Daily I will cling to Him and His righteousness.

And daily, I will  remember that the only reason for my existence is to bring glory to a holy and almighty and loving God, the maker and ruler of the Universe. And I will thank Him for His mercy.

***

I am thankful that...

Our God Reigns!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Reassuring Thoughts?

Foggy October Day

'Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

If I settle on the far side of the sea,

Even there your hand will guide me,

Your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me

And the light become night around me,"

Even the darkness will not be dark to you;

The night will shine like the day,

For darkness is as light to you.'

- Psalm 139:7-12 NIV

 

The Scripture passage above can be reassuring or terrifying, depending upon whether one is running to God or running away from Him.

Oh may we, as children of God, we whose sins have been forgiven, who live with hope and joy because of what Jesus did for us, be comforted by this passage of Scripture.

 

Have a blessed Lord's Day!