A Vision of the Future

September 7, 2014 Background Scripture: Jeremiah 30 Lesson Passage: Jeremiah 30:1 – 3, 19 – 22 Jeremiah had foretold the seventy years of captivity of Israel in a foreign land. The false prophets capitalized on Jeremiah’s prophecy of doom and they predicted a very different outcome than Jeremiah’s prophecy. The false prophets claimed that disaster would be averted and Israel would come through the threat unscathed. The authorities had a choice and many chose to believe the false prophets and they in turn had Jeremiah imprisoned and made a public laughingstock. In today’s lesson, God had a message for His people and it was too important just to speak it. The Lord told the Prophet Jeremiah to write the message in a book (or on a scroll). This written message would be available so future generations would know that God had spoken about future conditions and it came to pass as God had said it would. It was a message of hope. This message of hope must have felt like a breath of fresh air to Jeremiah. In the former days, Jeremiah wept for the people of God because of what would befall them for their sinful ways. He was at that time the prophet of doom. His prophecy was not popular or well received but it was the word of God. But the text of today’s lesson takes a radical turn and Jeremiah becomes the prophet of consolation to Israel. In fact, today’s lesson text reminds me of the slogan “The future looks so bright that I have to wear shades.” There was good news following Jeremiah’s previous prophecies. All would be restored in the land of Zion. Israel would be punished for her sins but God’s punishment of Israel would not last forever. Israel would be restored to the land of Canaan. Although they would spend seventy years in captivity in a foreign land, freedom was on the way. Their freedom was as sure as their captivity. The “weeping prophet” now had a reason to rejoice. Israel would indeed suffer for her sins against God but afterwards her enemy would suffer greater at God’s hand. Israel’s enemy would receive what they had dealt. The one who had devoured would be devoured. The enemy that took Israel into captivity would in turn be captured. The enemy had spoiled Israel by plundering and taking all of her wealth. In the end, the spoilers would be spoiled. Their wealth would be taken from them and Israel would again be prosperous. The enemy had preyed on Israel but the predators would become prey. They would suffer greater than the suffering they had caused God’s people. God’s divine law of reciprocity is unrelenting. Israel’s enemy would reap exactly what they had sown. After Israel’s return to Zion, thanksgiving would again be heard from the lips of God’s people in their own land. The singers would lift up their voices and sing with joy and cause the people to make merry in exhortation to God. The joy of the Lord would be their strength. They would again establish their local government and resume being self-governed within the laws of God. They would no longer answer to foreign governors for they will no longer be oppressed by foreigners. The days of Israel’s captivity would be filled with grief and pain but the vision of her future was glorious and uplifting. Jeremiah prophesied a vision of Israel’s future. Robert C. Hudson August 26, 2014

Generosity in the Midst of Poverty

August 31, 2014 Background Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8, 9 Lesson Passage: 2 Corinthians 8:1 – 14 Extreme stewardship is how I define the actions of the Christians in Macedonia. Since the Apostle Paul referred to the “churches” of Macedonia, the group likely included the Philippians, Thessalonians, and Bereans. Paul declared that the level of giving they displayed was evidence of the grace of God upon them. In other words, some giving is so extreme that it speaks more of God than the giver. Paul would certainly have known that this was the case because of his knowledge of the Macedonian churches. It was there on his second missionary journey that the Holy Ghost used him mightily after summoning him there in a vision. Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned in Philippi, threatened and run out of Thessalonica, and finally run out of Berea. Although there were some of financial means such as Lydia of Philippi, Paul knew that many of the other Macedonians were poor. Paul boasted of the Macedonians’ willing attitude and determination to do their part although they could not afford it financially. They insisted that Paul receive their benevolent offering to help aid the poor Christians in Jerusalem. Even more, Paul stated that the Macedonians felt obligated to be a part of the fellow saints who were helping. Theirs is an attitude that the apostle James would have boast about had he known the fullness of their commitment. In other words, the Macedonians’ actions were a demonstration of their faith. God worked through them to liberate the minds of others in regard to stewardship. They were not materialistic but they were willing to share the material goods that they possessed. What led to such an attitude of generosity? According to Paul, before they gave what they had, they gave themselves to God first. Their relationship with God prevented them from becoming materialistic and selfish. It freed them to be liberal in their giving beyond what others would have found reasonable. So much so that Paul called their giving a gracious gift that God had given them. He described their poverty as deep. Perhaps this is what Paul had in mind in his letter to the church at Rome when he referred to giving as a spiritual gift that is graciously bestowed upon some Christians. Their giving was worth emulating so Paul instructed Titus to instruct the Corinthians in this manner of stewardship. Today, we call this level of stewardship sacrificial. To give out of one’s abundance is par for the course for Christians as well as those in the world who are not saved. To give beyond reasonable with joy and simplicity is motivated by the grace of God. Paul likened this to Jesus’ own actions in humbling himself for our sake. No one emulates Jesus without the grace of God upon them. Paul did not emphasize equal amounts but rather equal sacrifice. Paul was clear that the charity of the Corinthians would not lead to their poverty but to further blessings from God. They would be blessed according to their giving in faith and not out of compulsion. Since the Corinthians had already pledged to give and it had inspired others to follow suit, now they were being encouraged to fulfill their pledge so that the apostle’s testimony of their charity would not lead to embarrassment. If the Macedonians could give generously out of their poverty, surely the Corinthians could give out of their means. Robert C. Hudson August 19, 2014

An Appeal for Reconciliation

August 24, 2014 Background Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:1 – 7:4 Lesson Passage: 2 Corinthians 6:1 – 13; 7:1 – 4 In words and deeds Christians are called upon to be holy as God is holy. We are often challenged in various relationships to maintain our character because we have been called to walk in a newness of life. God’s grace has been abundantly shed in our hearts and it should show in our daily living. In fact, the grace of God in our lives should be beneficial to others. But this must take place within a pure exchange. The purity has to be on the part of those who have received God’s grace. Grace came to us pure from the absolute holiness of God into whatever situation we found ourselves in. Likewise, grace should extend out of purity in us into whatever situation others find themselves in. This is only possible through the power of God working to maintain purity of character in us. We should be careful that nothing in us offends others. We received the supernatural power of God in our lives and if it is allowed to flow through us, it will be supernatural when it arrives in the lives of others. We partner with Jesus to be all that God would have us to be. This partnership necessitates purity of heart, mind and character in us. Righteousness will not partner with unrighteousness. Light will not partner with darkness. Jesus will not partner with demonic spirits or workers of iniquity. Christian workers must take care to avoid fellowship with those who are not saved and don’t desire to be. This is not to suggest that there will be no contact between the saved and the unsaved. We know that we live in this world but we are not to be worldly. Contact and fellowship are two different things. How do we stay true to who we are? We trust God to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We must have a sincere desire within us to honor God in all things. We know we cannot honor God and live unclean lives. There are some places and some people who must be off-limits to us now that we are in Christ. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost who lives in us and we are admonished to keep our temples fit for his presence. It is our new walk in Christ that causes us to desire to be at peace with all men—especially the household of faith. We strive hard to be reconciled with other believers. When there is disconnect, we should make sure that it is not on our end. We must always be quick to forgive and to seek forgiveness. Charity demands that we give into the needs of others. We should work hard to maintain the unity of fellowship within the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians about the need for spiritual separation while at the same time he pleaded with them to be as open and loving towards him as he was towards them. He claimed that he had no faults in regards to them. Who among them could claim that he had wronged them? Paul declared that his love for them was sincere. Paul did this while encouraging them to abandon their worldly alliances. Paul made an appeal for reconciliation. Robert C. Hudson August 14, 2014

Treasure in Earthen Vessels

August 17, 2014 Background Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:1 – 15 Lesson Passage: 2 Corinthians 4:1 – 15 One of the struggles endured by those who preach the gospel of Jesus Christ is that we preach out of the frailty of our flesh. We wish that we could display physically the internal blessings of the message of the gospel that has flooded our hearts with wonder. Perhaps this is why “prosperity preaching” is so popular today. There are many prosperity prophets who are promoting that their earthly gain is a sign of God’s favor upon them. It is almost natural for us to desire to put on display physical attributes that would corroborate our testimony of what God has done and is doing on the inside. We dare not be accused of being hypocrites or attempting to sell product that we don’t use. Our faith that God will make a way for others is tested when we are in a situation where we have no plan but to turn to God for deliverance. Then what we have on the inside becomes even more precious to us. This Heavenly treasure that God has shed in our hearts compels us to express to others the unsearchable riches that salvation in Christ continuously hints at in us. We conclude that our bodies are the weak link in our declaration of the gospel. Receiving Christ in our hearts has forever changed us but we look the same on the outside. Even worse, our flesh remains a constant problem that must be fought on a daily basis—we die daily. That which can be seen of us is of the earth. We look the same and although our language has changed, we sound the same. But today, we value what’s on the inside far more than the things of this world that have been entrusted to us as stewards. That which has the most value is on the inside and we fear that our earthly walk, or lifestyle, is far from our spiritual reality. We conclude that receiving Jesus Christ into our lives has devalued the physical person that so many have come to know and many are still trying to get to know. I recall Peter’s statement to the lame man begging for a handout at the temple’s gate. What Peter and John had to offer was far greater than what the man had hoped to receive by begging. The real treasure was on the inside and it could not be seen by the physical eye. It was hidden deep within those earthen bodies. So it is with Christians today who dare to be witnesses of the grace of God within them. The excellency of God’s grace cannot be seen in possessions nor can it be completely demonstrated through actions which can so easily be misunderstood. This Heavenly treasure is kept protected by the spiritual heart of the regenerated person. This spiritual treasure is eternal and it cannot be destroyed. Even death has no power over it nor can the grave hold it. It has no price therefore it cannot be purchased. It is not a reward therefore it cannot be earned. It is a gift of God and therefore it must be received by faith. Those who possess it cannot put it on display for the world to see. The world can see our walk in this life and still not be able to grasp the essence of the God-given treasure within us. We have this Heavenly treasure in our earthen bodies. Robert C. Hudson August 4, 2014

Forgiveness and Restoration

August 10, 2014 Background Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:23 – 2:17 Lesson Passage: 2 Corinthians 1:23 – 2:11 We readily receive forgiveness with heartfelt gratitude. We are in such awe of the grace of forgiveness when received that it triggers deep within us a spontaneous worship of the forgiver. On the contrary, it seems to take an effort of enormous proportion within us to extend forgiveness to others. When we have been hurt and offended by someone, we desire that they be punished beyond that which is due so that they will never cause such an offense to occur again. We want them to feel pain that will generate within them sincere empathy. We want them to feel our pain and do so until we relieve them of it. It is amazing that we can have such opposite desires and emotions depending on which side of the forgiveness we find ourselves on. One of the requests the Apostle Paul made of the church at Corinth was for them to accept back into their fellowship a person who had deeply offended them. Previously, Paul had advised the church to dismiss the person from their congregation. Now, Paul had been informed of the person’s repentance therefore he wrote concerning the need for restoration. In this world of wins and losses, it is sometimes difficult to comprehend situations where everyone loses. An attitude that will not embrace forgivingness is such a situation. No one wins when unforgiving attitudes reign. Forgiveness is the lone condition Jesus placed in the Model Prayer. Mankind was the first offender and God was the first to be offended. God’s act of grace towards humanity is the model that everyone who comes to know Jesus as Savior and Lord should seek to emulate. We love God because God first loved us. Likewise, we should forgive others because God first forgave us. This is the essence of the Model Prayer’s one condition. Paul instructed the Corinthian church that what the person had suffered was sufficient to bring forth repentance from the person and the church’s response to this ought to be forgiveness. This is more than lip service. The Greek word Paul employed is translated in other places in the New Testament as “grace”. Paul was literally asking the church to “grace” the repentant man. No doubt this should have caused the believers to recall their own salvation by the grace of God who forgives sin. Paul described forgiveness as though it is the litmus test of obedience in the faith. Paul said that the church’s act of forgiveness would determine if they would be obedient in all things. If we walk in disobedience in anything, Satan has the opportunity to trip us up. Satan constantly explore for weaknesses in Christians. Once he finds it, he will leverage it against us to exploit us for his own evil purpose. We defeat him when we follow after righteousness by adhering to the instructions of God. Too often we place a different price on forgiveness—or grace—depending on whether we are receiving or giving. But grace, which comes from God, has the same value in both directions. Grace brings forgiveness and restoration. Robert C. Hudson July 31, 2014