Praying for Boldness

September 6, 2015 Background Scripture: Acts 4:1 – 31 Lesson Passage: Acts 4:23 – 31 The small group huddled together had just heard the testimony of their leaders who were recently released from being imprisoned overnight. Their leaders had made it through the ordeal physically safe but under threats from the Jewish civil authority. The group began to pray in unison. In such an atmosphere, there was so much to pray for. In thanksgiving, they could certainly give thanks unto God for delivering their leaders safe and sound back to the group. They could also give thanks that others of their group were not included in this latest of persecutions. On the other hand, there were many petitions to be presented to Heaven for that day and the immediate future. At the top of the list one would expect petitions to God for individual safety, food, shelter, clothing, and just general peace of mind during those troubling days. After all, they had made decisions to be Christ followers so it doesn’t seem to be too much of an imposition to ask that God keep them safe from personal injury or loss of life’s necessities or niceties. Undoubtedly, prayers prayed today under similar circumstances would reflect this point of view. However, their prayers did not reflect any of this. This group, under the constant threat of persecution—both injury and loss of life, prayed for something that would be almost foreign today. They asked God for boldness to proclaim His word in the face of persecution. This is one of the most God-centric and unselfish prayers to be found in the book of Acts. Lord, give me the courage to speak for you even if I suffer as a result of it. There was no need to check the mailbox for an unexpected windfall as a “surprise” answer to their prayers. In their hour of despair, if they found the courage and strength to declare God’s word and proclaim His gift of Jesus as a Savior for the world, then they would be assured that their prayers had been heard and their petition granted. This was more than “Let your will be done on earth.” They were requesting God to do His will through them knowing that it would likely bring additional persecution to them. They were asking God to allow them to be conformed to the image of His son, Jesus, so their lives would be a reflection of Jesus. They requested that this reflection of Jesus be manifested for the world to see in the form of signs and miracles granted in the name of Jesus. The sick would be healed in the name of Jesus. They were not requesting the opportunity to build their reputation but the continuation of Jesus’ reputation on earth through them. Is there any wonder why God chose to answer their prayers the way He did? The place where they were assembled shook when they had prayed and the Holy Ghost overshadowed and filled them and they spoke the word of God with boldness. God answered their prayers immediately! There was no “delayed but not denied” aspect to it. Their prayers were sincerely for God’s will to be done and He did it. They prayed for boldness to be God’s witnesses and God granted their petition. Robert C. Hudson August 26, 2015

A Plea to Return to God

August 30, 2015 Background Scripture: Malachi 3:1 – 12; Matthew 7:12 Lesson Passage: Malachi 3:1 – 10 Today’s lesson is part of the spiritual preparation that was prescribed for Israel prior to the arrival of the Messiah. Today, Malachi’s prophecy is often quoted only in reference to financial rewards or curses based on obedience in matters pertaining to tithes and offerings. Although we have often heard a focus on verses 8 through 10 in the lesson passage, this lesson is an opportunity to see that there is much more to this part of Malachi’s message than a brief exposition on tithes and offerings. God’s desire was that the hearts of the people would be turned towards Him so that He would open their eyes and show them what He was doing in their midst. Malachi’s message revealed that the Lord’s return would be preceded by His messenger going before Him to prepare the hearts of the people to receive Him. This preparation involved repentance as evidenced by contrition and change of thoughts and actions. The message of God’s messenger, or the Messiah’s forerunner, would not be easy on the ears of God’s people. The message would be like a purifying fire. The results would be great but the process would be painful to endure. The religious leaders of Israel would not be exempt. They were subject to the same spiritual scrutiny. They would come under conviction and be challenged to make offerings unto God that would be pleasing to Him. If not for the mercy of God to temper His wrath, the people of God would be destroyed because of their lack of holiness. This was especially true concerning their actions and inactions towards the least in their society. God would judge quickly the unrighteous acts towards the poor and helpless. God reminded them of their wayward actions towards Him that extended back for generations. God had delivered the Law to their forefathers by the hand of Moses. The Law was clear that Israel had the choice of receiving blessings or curses based on their acceptance of and adherence to the Law. If they followed the statutes and listened to the voice of God, then they would be blessed. If the people refused to heed the law of God, then they would be cursed. There was no in-between or compromise in the Law. The Law offered blessings or curses and the people were allowed to choose for themselves. Their long history of disobedience to the Law had caused the people to live under a curse. Some may not have even known it. Malachi’s message cleared it up for the confused. The people of Israel were not having a string of bad luck as some might have supposed, but they were living under the curse of the Law. Their hope was to get back in line with God and have the blessings of the Law bestowed on them again. First, their hearts had to be prepared to receive God’s greatest promise to them—a Messiah in their midst. They could not live contrary to God’s way and receive the Messiah. Neither could they live estranged from the commonwealth and governance of God over their lives. Malachi’s plea to Israel was for them to return to God. Robert C. Hudson August 5, 2015

A Demand for Justice

August 23, 2015 Background Scripture: Zechariah 7; Isaiah 30:18 – 26 Lesson Passage: Zechariah 7:8 – 14 After Israel began to repopulate Judah after the Babylonian exile, God continued to speak to the nation through His prophets. Israel was not returning to Canaan because she had become the people God separated her to become. Israel was returning because God had purposed in His heart how long the exile would last long before Judah came under siege by the Babylonians. The amount of time prophesied had passed and the post-exile returns had commenced just as God had spoken it would be. The returning group had many of the same spiritual issues as the ones who were sent into exile. Thus, they were reminded of the reason for the exile. During the time of their captivity, the people of Israel had fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months to commemorate the siege and destruction of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple. Since they were now returning to Judah, some asked the prophet if it was still necessary to fast and mourn as they did in captivity. God sent a reply by way of the prophet Zechariah. God rebuked the people for the insincerity of their fasting during the captivity. They made themselves cry and fast as a religious ritual during the seventy years of captivity but it did not change their hearts to be in accord with God’s law. God did not require them to follow a long list of “Thou shalt” and “Thou shalt not” statements. God expected the people to be just with one another, to show mercy and compassion to one another, and to not oppress the poor and needy among them. These actions are evidence of a contrite heart. Further, God did not want the people of Israel to think evil against each other. These are social, ethical, and moral concerns and not empty religious rituals. The fact that someone would ask if they needed to continue to fast and mourn was indicative of just how insincere their efforts were although those rituals had been practiced for almost seventy years. Their hearts were still hard. The ones repopulating Judah were not necessarily the ones who were sent into exile. Many of the returnees were children and grandchildren of the people who were enslaved by the Babylonians. As difficult as it is to pass worthwhile values from one generation to another, some values appear to pass along with ease. This is a reminder of how sin runs through human lineage. Too often, we inherit from our forebears dispositions that God condemned in them. Again, these people were not returning into Judah because they had come into right relationship with God. God’s word spoken by His prophets declared that they would return at the appointed time and they were returning according to God’s word not because they were better than their parents and grandparents. God’s love and mercy did not allow them to return without instructions and warnings from Him. God’s righteous requirements had not changed. He demanded of them what He demanded of their parents and grandparents. The order of the day still demanded justice from the people of God. Robert C. Hudson August 5, 2015

A Call for Repentance

August 16, 2015 Background Scripture: Ezekiel 18; Proverbs 21:2 – 15 Lesson Passage: Ezekiel 18:1 – 13, 30 – 32 Repentance is one of the most necessary and recurring acts in the life of a Christian. The need constantly arises out of the Christian’s dual nature of flesh and spirit. We have a heavenly desire because of the regenerated spirit in us but that desire is often intertwined with an earthly or worldly inclination brought on by our flesh. Sometimes we yield to the worldly and we suffer dearly and experience the loss of spiritual fellowship with God. The faith of some may even become shipwrecked because they cannot discern the difference between fellowship with God and spiritual position in Christ. For those who know the difference, we cry out even as David did: Restore unto me the joy of my salvation. Still others become hard-hearted and continue to pursue their worldly inclinations without sensing the impending danger brought on by ignoring the conviction wrought in us by the presence of the Holy Ghost. Whatever the situation or state we find ourselves in, at any given time, many of us are in need of repentance. Much more than a mere desire, there is a deeply imbedded need to “come clean” with God and ask for restoration that only He can provide. True repentance recognizes the wrongness of our thoughts and/or actions towards God, a desire to be right with God, a desire to have fellowship with God, and the need to be restored by God. We cannot embrace the world and earnestly seek God’s face at the same time. We will be true to one and hate the other. Again, repentance is one of the most necessary acts in the life of a Christian. The need for repentance causes an emotional and mental conflict within a person. This emotional and mental conflict did not begin with Christians. Each person who enters into covenant with God struggles with repentance. Israel was often reminded by God’s prophets about her need to repent. When Israel would stray from following after God and suffer the consequences of it, God would send prophets to call her to repentance. In today’s lesson, God sent a message by Ezekiel to call the people to personal repentance. This act of repentance was not going to be a national event but a nationwide event. God demanded that each person take responsibility for their own sin. The children would not bear the responsibility of the parents’ sin but neither would the parents bear the responsibility for the sin of the children. Every soul belongs to God and each must repent of their own sin. There would be no generational curse but rather individual accountability to God. Spiritual revival was going to take place on an individual basis. No one was exempt because all had sin. God was not pleased at the suffering of people because of their transgressions. Judgment would be upon each individual according to their righteousness or wickedness. Repentance is the only hope for renewed fellowship with the Lord. When we are under conviction by the Holy Ghost, let us heed the call for repentance. Robert C. Hudson July 30, 2015

A Choice to be Just

August 9, 2015 Background Scripture: Ezra 7:1, 6, 21 – 28; Jeremiah 7:1 – 15 Lesson Passage: Jeremiah 7:1 – 15 Life is filled with choices. As we mature, many of us tend to narrow our choices down to a few select ones that we believe reflect our personality. On the other hand, there are many choices to be made whereby we may choose to be flexible so that we can react to the situation or live within the moment. These can be dangerous choices because we can become partial to some people to the disadvantage of others and eventually become comfortable with the notion of situational ethics. In other words, we will decide what is right and wrong based on the situation rather than absolute moral standards. That’s where the danger arises. God has established the criteria for holiness and He has demanded that His people be holy because He is holy. Children of God must make choices that reflect God’s standards rather than the situation at hand or our perceived personality type. Israel was often reprimanded for becoming comfortable and forgetting God’s requirement of righteousness. In today’s lesson, Jeremiah is sent by God to warn the inhabitants of Judah that God was watching them and He was not pleased with what was going on. God was still demanding that justice and mercy be practiced among His people. It should be noted that Jeremiah was not sent to the backsliders and heathen that stayed away from Israel’s placed of worship. Instead, the prophet was sent to the temple’s gate where the people of the nation came to worship God. In other words, this message was delivered to the most religious of Judah. The message of the prophet derided them for trusting in the temple more than the one to whom the temple was dedicated. A building dedicated to God does not make unrighteous people holy. It simply will become a building filled with unrighteous people. It was hypocrisy that Jeremiah spoke against. The inhabitants of Judah were reminded of their forefathers who attempted the same thing at Shiloh. God destroyed the worship place that was in Shiloh because of the unrighteousness of His people. They were displaying an outward appearance of piety but their deeds did not reflect God’s righteous desires. The people were admonished to heed their forefathers’ example at Shiloh as a warning. Some evil choices had been made in the past and God had judged them. Jeremiah’s message was more than condemnation because it also contained exhortation that the people would be blessed for right behavior. Jeremiah’s message encouraged the people of Israel to live righteously by making good choices. Right behavior consisted of executing justice and mercy towards people and faithful worship of God alone. Jeremiah clearly declared God’s intent of blessing Israel according to the promises God made to their forefathers. These blessings, however, were predicated on them obeying God’s commandments. Many of their forefathers had failed and now they were faced with similar choices about how to live as God’s people. Jeremiah admonished them to choose to be just. Robert C. Hudson July 28, 2015