Joseph in the dungeon deep
The prodigal with just swill to eat
Peter in tears because of denials made
And all of us when lost and afraid
When we are at bottom and can fall no more
He will lift us and on us mercy pour
For He too knows of depths descended
He journeyed there so we can be mended
Padre
Genesis 37-50; Luke 15; John 21
And they gathered round
Their sacred idol
It seemed to me
To be rather idle
Despite rituals and blood that flowed
It seemed that Baal
No interest showed
At last the prophet of the Lord
Doused his offering with water
Till it overflowed
And when he prayed
The Lord responded
And Baalists were smitten
Their ways confounded
I Kings 18: 26f
Padre
Peter saw heaven open and a large sheet lowered to the ground by its corners. The sheet was full of animals, reptiles and birds that the Jews considered unclean and would not eat. A voice commanded him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ ‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’
A vision which caused Simon distress
A command which seemed to contradict the rest
In it a message clear and plain
That what the Lord does clean is free from blame
It is true of us – each and every one
For none were righteous – no not one
But we from the mire of filth and sin
Were lifted up and cleansed within
By the blood most holy we were washed
And all the corruption was from us quashed
Padre
Acts 10
Jesus acknowledged that the greatest commandant of the law was: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10).”
This total commitment to God empowers us. Genesis tells us we are made in God’s image. He is omnibenevolent and we too can love with all our hearts. He is omnipotent and we can find a strength in Him. He is omniscient and we can love in our thoughts and words.
In I Samuel 17 we find young David showing love and respect to God. He is willing to face the giant, Goliath. Not with the armour, spear, and sword of Saul, but with a staff and a sling. He notes that the victory is in the power of God, not in military might. This is shown before all, and the world could clearly see “that there is a God in Israel.” Loving with all his strength came by putting his trust in the strength of the Lord.
Not all battles are with literal giants. Some giants are figurative. Principalities and powers might fall in this category. In Exodus 1, we find a Levite woman facing a unfair and unholy edict from Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He commanded that all baby boy children of the Hebrews be thrown into the Nile. This mother used the benevolent heart of love, and intelligence of mind to defy the Pharaoh’s intent by doing exactly what he ordered. She put her child into the river, but not before placing him in a waterproof basket.
Esther in the book of her name also uses God-given intelligence to overcome Haman. She also shows ultimate faith and heart by risking her life to save her people. “If I perish, I perish” she said, yet the Lord preserved her and her people, in so doing corruption and vanity (giants indeed) were toppled in Haman and his allies.
Moses (the baby in the basket) would throw away a false life of the Egyptian court and “take out (a meaning of Moses)” his people. His commitment his loving with all his soul and being overcame not only the king of Egypt, but witnessed God overcome falsehood (the Egyptian Gods), tyranny, and evil.
Loving with “all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind” can topple giants, whatever those menacing giants might be in your life.”
———
This is an abbreviated form of the sermon I gave earlier today.
Nineveh corrupt and coarse
Set upon evil to obey
Upon the testimony of just one man
Turned to change their way
What brought on this quick remorse?
Made a king – ashes wear?
It was a prophet of the Lord
Who arrived from out the mer
For Jonah reluctant to his duty fulfil
The Lord his heart did convert
And with his mission now complete
Nineveh’s destruction he did avert
Padre
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Pastor Vince gave an enlightening message yesterday in which he expanded on the passage above. This is the season when followers of Jesus focus on the prophecy and the implications of the child born in the City of David two thousand years ago.
One event in the life of this child that is born to us did tells us much of the fulfilment Isaiah’s prophecy. When Jesus was twelve years old (a year short of is Jewish age of majority) He accompanied Joseph and his mother to Jerusalem for the Passover.
Luke gives us some details in Chapter 2:
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
He will be called “wonderful” – filled with wonders – and here we find a child (yes, unto us a child is born) conversing with the teachers of the temple giving answers to their questions that “amazed” them, and “astonished” Mary and Joseph. That is wonder! Not only that, but his understanding showed Him to be a “counsellor.”
The account ends with Jesus pronouncing that He was in His Father’s house – The House of God – making Him “a Son given” and heir to God. Fulfilled is the prophecy that he is “mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” He is more that just a babe in a manger!
Padre
Some placed faith in things made by hand
As Joshua and the Israel’s children entered the land
Behind walls made of stone
They thought, “surely I’m safe at home”
But God, not idols or masonry deep
Would the victory win and keep
And with a mighty stomp and shout
Jericho fell without a doubt
Padre
Herod
By lust driven
On a tray of silver
The martyred John the baptist’s head
Displayed
Mob rule
Shouts and vile threats
Anger overflowing
Led to showers of stones killing
Stephen
By sword
James too perished
Herod’s act cynical
Political favour to win
Through sin
Pilate
Dirty hands washed
He too a crowd to still
Knowing not that Messiah, he
Did kill
Padre
Jerub-Baal, Midian to defeat
Was told his army he must decrease
He sent away all who in heart did faint
But the numbers were still to large
He was to show even more restraint
And so he cut his forces to the core
A mere three hundred – not one more
And with this tiny band
It was God’s victory that was at hand
We too may face opposition strong
But if you feel alone – you are so wrong
For if the Lord is with you
And takes up the fight
You shall prevail through His might
Reflections on Judges 7
Padre
Judge Samson by his lusts was led
Took a Philistine to his bed
Her intent – his power to shed
Hair of his head, Hair of his head
They cut the thick locks from his head
Power gone – he was weak instead
But the temple where he was led
Collapsed on heads, Collapsed on heads
Padre's Ramblings 