Walk in Love

January 6, 2019 Background Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:13 – 3:5; 2 John 4 – 11 Lesson Passage: 2 Thessalonians 3:1 – 5; 2 John 4 – 11 “Walk in Love” is a great topic for the start of a new calendar year. As Christians, we need to be reminded sometimes that we are called to walk in love. Of course, the word walk is used here as a general description of one’s day-to-day activities that comprise a lifestyle. For Christians, love is an action word that finds its motivation in the needs of others. It’s better for us when we are motivated by needs rather than personality, gratitude, interpersonal relationship, or self-gratification. Needs can oftentimes be more clearly defined and, with care, properly distinguished from desires. Our lesson passages were penned by the two greatest writing apostles, Paul and John. Paul admonished the Christians in Thessalonica to stand fast and hold the traditions which they were taught as converts of Christ. This was much needed encouragement for them because they were becoming confused by the uninformed teaching of others. Sadly, whenever God is doing a work among people, there are always those who would seek to overthrow the faith of believers with teachings that are contrary to the word of God delivered by those who have been anointed as God’s messengers. Weeks, months, or perhaps even years of sound doctrine can be put to the test by nonsensical teaching proposing to offer something for nothing or an easy way out. That’s when established traditions that have been approved by God and proven over time can be a stabilizer. I often cringe when people brag about not being a member of a “traditional” church. Much confusion has been brought into today’s local congregation by the teachings of those who desire to be overnight sensations. Whatever has been right, they will declare it to be wrong. Whatever has been wrong, will often be declared right by the same false teachers. The Thessalonians were being confused by those who were mistakenly teaching an incorrect relationship between the gathering of the believers, known as the rapture of the church, and the times of tribulation known as the Day of the Lord. Paul, again, set matters straight by reminding them that the church will not enter into the Tribulation according to the word of prophecy. The persecutions the believers were enduring were not part of the Day of the Lord. Therefore, they were admonished to endure the persecutions even as the apostles were experiencing the same. This was happening because there were still wicked people in the world who were not saved. Paul admonished believers to trust God and pray for deliverance for themselves and the apostles. John echoed Paul’s instructions and sentiments to the Christians he sent a letter to. The problem, as described by John, was the presence of many false teachers attempting to mislead the Christians. John labeled those false teachers as antichrists and deceivers. They spread false teachings and also denied that Christ had come into the world. John’s solution for Christians, as was Paul’s, was for them to walk in love and thereby fulfill the commandments of God. Robert C. Hudson December 13, 2018

Love and Worship God

December 16, 2018 Background Scripture: Psalm 103:1 – 17a, 21, 22 Lesson Passage: Psalm 103:1 – 17a, 21, 22 When it comes to praise and worship of God, there is probably no greater biblical witness to describe it than the sweet psalmist of Israel, David. David wrote half of the psalms in Israel’s hymn book. His psalms cover the gamut of emotions of a God-fearing person who puts their trust in Him. In our lesson today, David gives us at least fifteen reasons to praise God. Then he calls upon all, everywhere, to join him in praising God. In summary of David’s list, he admonishes us to praise God for the many benefits and blessings that He graciously bestows on us. God’s grace extends to us benefits and blessings that we don’t deserve and cannot earn. Likewise, David calls upon us to praise God for His mercy towards us. God’s mercy spares us from the just punishment we deserve or from the dire consequences of our actions. Even when we knowingly are headed in the wrong direction and won’t turn back, God continuously watches over us. God’s mercy is tempered with patience so that He is slow to anger. Our sins and iniquities are enough to justify cutting us off from the blessings of God forever. Instead of executing justice through punishment, God extends mercy. Rather than deal with us according to the transgressions we have made against His righteousness, God removes our transgressions far from us so that He can nurture us as His dear children. God’s actions remind me of a parent changing their baby’s diaper. No matter how gross the situation may be, the parent cleans it up and removes it far from the child. Then, the parent showers the child with love as though the mess never existed. There is never a question as to whether a parent ought to do such a thing. Good parents delight in caring for their children. Parents don’t despise the child who cannot walk, talk, or care for himself. Rather, a good parent will carry the child, talk to and for the child, and take care of everything the child has need of. And many of these parental graces don’t come with an expiration date—if there is a need. Likewise, God does not deal with us according to our errors. He remembers that He formed us out of dust and has pity on us. Patience may be too weak of a word to describe God’s longsuffering. David said God’s mercy is eternal. There is no beginning or end to the mercies of God. When one considers all of the reasons on David’s list for praising God, we should realize that everything on David’s list fits us too. Not that we have experienced what David experienced, but the list covers experiences as well as potential. We cannot boast about what we have not done because too often that results from lack of opportunity and not righteous discretion. No one or nothing within the realm of creation is excluded from the call to praise God. The heavenly host, the servants of God, all of creation, and my soul should bless the Lord! That’s heaven and earth joining the worshiper in praising God simply because He is God. Robert C. Hudson November 9, 2018

Love God for the Gift of Jesus

December 23, 2018 Background Scripture: Luke 1:26 – 31; 2:21 – 35 Lesson Passage: Luke 1:26 – 31; 2:22, 25 – 35 This is the time of year when the thoughts of Christians all over the world should be upon the birth of the Christ child. However, with the commercialization of the holiday, we can barely squeeze in a little time to recognize that the focus of the holiday used to be the birth of Jesus. The consumer industry has extended the time from one day to a roughly three-month lead-in that has become known as the “Holiday Season”. The “Holiday Season” has almost supplanted autumn as the official fall season of the year. The biblical account of Jesus’ birth gives details that are remainders of God’s love for mankind. God used two poor Jews living in the rather obscure village of Nazareth in the province of Galilee as the backdrop. Galilee was separated from Judea, which contained Israel’s capital city of Jerusalem, by the area known as Samaria. Samaria was considered off-limits by devout Jews. Therefore, the separation between Galilee and Judea seemed much greater. God dispatched the angel, Gabriel, to Nazareth to announce His plans to a virgin under contract to marry a man who was a descendant of King David. The virgin’s name was Mary and the man she was espoused to marry was named Joseph. Before the wedding could take place, Gabriel announced to Mary that she would conceive a child as a virgin and after she delivered the baby, she was to name him Jesus. Gabriel told Mary that she was highly favored by God as evidenced by the fact that He had selected her for such an honor. The financial status of Joseph and Mary becomes evident at the time of the baby’s dedication. Mary brought two turtledoves because they were too poor to bring a lamb and a turtledove for the dedicatory offering as prescribed in the Law. It is commendable that in spite of their poverty, Joseph and Mary were still obedient to the Law in bringing an offering and dedicating the baby to God. It is in the temple setting that Mary learned more about the future of the baby that she was there to dedicate. An aged and devout man named Simeon was led by the Spirit into an encounter with Joseph, Mary, and the baby. Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and gave thanks to God for allowing him to see the baby with his own eyes before his death. Simeon declared that the baby was destined to be both a glory to the Jews and a light of understanding to the Gentiles. Simeon then blessed Joseph and Mary. He went on to prophesy to Mary what the child’s destiny would be and how his destiny would affect her. Gabriel and Simeon both announced what God was going to do through the Christ child after he came of age. Indeed, the Christ child was a precious gift from God to a world that was destined to eternal destruction. There is so much that we may never understand about the ways of God. However, we can always trust that whatever God does, whether we understand it or not, is always intended for our good. Therefore, we can love God for His goodness towards us; but most of all, we can love God for His gift of Jesus. Robert C. Hudson November 12, 2018

Love and Obey God

December 2, 2018 Background Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:1 – 9 Lesson Passage: Deuteronomy 6:1 – 9 “Hear, O Israel: …”, or the declaration better known as the Shema, is the ultimate Jewish statement of faith. It was absolutely important that if one were to come to know the true and living God, they must know this about His divine nature: He is one. There is no council of “gods” or plurality of deities one should seek to worship. The idea of a “group” of gods is a pagan concept. To offer prayers to the god of the moon, the god of the sun, the god of plants, etc. is to not know the only true and living God. The Grecians, the Romans, the Egyptians and many other ancient cultures developed philosophies about religion and gods that led to man seeking favor from nature as though the ecosystem created by God could have life within itself. To bow down to angels, animals, or objects is to seek to worship the creation rather than the creator. It is possible that some may develop their own religion for the comfort of being in control and so that they would not be held accountable to another for their character or their conduct. To own one’s own religion is to become one’s own god. This was certainly the environment in Egypt at the time when the children of Israel were delivered from there by God. Pharaoh was a god in Egypt—in addition to the many other gods that were worshiped by the Egyptians and other inhabitants of Egypt. For four hundred years, many generations of Israelites had been immersed in the Egyptian culture and as a result, they were spiritually confused—even as the Egyptians were. Now that God had separated them from Egypt, they needed a true spiritual foundation to aid them is their relationship with God. What God was doing for Israel had nothing to do with the generation that was experiencing His grace. God was upholding His covenant that He made with their forefather, Abraham. God promised to bring Abraham’s offspring into the land of Canaan as an inheritance. Furthermore, God made promises about being their God and blessing and protecting them. However, those promises required a relationship between Israel and God that was of such a quality as the relationship that Abraham had with Him. In other words, just as Abraham had come to know God personally, so too must Abraham’s offspring have a similar relationship with God. Israel needed to know that what they had experienced in Egypt was manmade and not real. God is not in nature nor is God part of nature. God is spirit and the creator of all that is. There is only one true and living God. To know this is to have the opportunity to pledge all of one’s devotion and worship to the only One worthy to receive it. To know that God is one means there is no need for divided loyalty or worship. All can be directed at the one true and living God. One is free to express all of one’s devotion towards God with all that is within them. One is also free to seek directions from the one true and living God. The Shema provides the foundation needed for one to express love and obedience to God. Robert C. Hudson November 9, 2018

Love and Serve God

December 9, 2018 Background Scripture: Exodus 20:1 – 11; Joshua 24 Lesson Passage: Joshua 24:1 – 3a, 13 – 15, 21 – 24 God gave Israel the Law which defined holiness and provided the divine guidelines for obedient behavior. The Law was given to Israel by God through Moses. The Law described a form of outward righteousness that was to become the standard for Israel. It was delivered to them shortly after their deliverance out of Egypt. Over forty years after receiving the Law, Joshua reminded the nation of Israel of the righteous requirement they had to serve God. Joshua shared with the leaders of Israel his personal commitment to serve God along with his personal commitment to see to it that all of his household (family and servants) would do so as well. The people responded to Joshua that they would also serve the Lord because He is their God. Joshua challenged them and told them they would not be able to serve God because they would transgress His law and serve foreign gods and God would not forgive them for doing so. Joshua pointed out that they had foreign gods among them even at that time. Joshua spoke of those foreign gods as being connected with the Chaldeans—whose land Abraham and his father had been called out of by God. The people insisted to Joshua that they would indeed serve God. Joshua accepted their statement as a testimony against them to be used if they transgressed the Law of God in the future. Then he admonished them to demonstrate the sincerity of their commitment by putting away the foreign gods from among them and inclining their hearts toward God. As God’s leader, Joshua was not deceived by the empty commitments that were made by the leaders of Israel. Joshua was aware that even at the time their verbal commitments were being made, they had idol gods among them. As long as this was the case, their devotion towards God would be compromised. No matter what declaration they might make publicly, their private actions would still be governed by their hearts. If they kept those idols among them, they would worship them. Joshua sternly warned them that God is a jealous God. God does not accept divided loyalty with people going between Him and idols. Joshua reminded Israel’s leaders of the history of God’s relationship with their ancestors. God had blessed their families for many generations and this was enough to prove His goodness and mercy. God, alone, deserved their complete devotion. Only through complete devotion to God would they be able to serve Him. As long as someone is seeking or clinging to idols, it is enough to show that they do not believe God is sufficient for them. To remove all idol gods from one’s life, is to rely totally on God and Him alone. This is an absolute requirement if one is going to serve God. One cannot serve God and be in love with idols. In order to wholeheartedly love and serve God, one has to completely reject idols. That was Joshua’s charge to Israel and the wisdom of it is still relevant today. Robert C. Hudson November 9, 2018