Thursday Reflection February 17, 2022

Experience not Deduction

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31‭-‬32‭ https://bible.com/bible/2016/jhn.8.31-34.NRSV

Greetings friends,

Matt Skinner, a professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary in Minnesotsa, in commenting on these verses stated, “Experience, not Deduction”. We only truly become disciples of Christ if we remain in the words of Jesus. It is the amount of time we spend in the words of Jesus that will make us know the truth. It’s not how smart we are or our ability to deduce.

Jesus was speaking to the Jews earlier in the chapter. Jesus told them that he is the light of the world. Whoever follows him will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. This statement by Jesus triggered a debate between Jesus and the Jews about being his own testimony. Jesus responded to say that the Father also testifies on his part. After much explaining, we’re told many believed in him. It is then he made the statement mentioned in verses 31 and 32.

As we analyse the verses we realized some important points made by Jesus. After the Jews believed, Jesus told them that they had to continue in his word to truly be His disciples. WOW!!! Simply saying you believe in Jesus is not enough. When we accept Jesus we believe in his words, but after accepting him, we have to CONTINUE in his word to TRULY become His disciple. This is what Jesus pointed out to the Jews who believed and this is what he points out to us even now.

The other point Jesus made is that if you continue in his word you will know the truth. Truth is not relative or dependent on one’s culture. Truth is the full knowledge of God through Jesus. Skinner puts it this way, “in this Gospel, “truth” does not refer to the opposite of falsehood; it is knowledge of God as revealed in Jesus’ own self. Knowing this “truth” is knowing God, God made present in Jesus, who is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (14:6). Jesus makes this clear in 8:36, when he substitutes “the Son” for “the truth,” saying that the Son makes people free.”

All this knowledge of God doesn’t come at once, that is why Jesus says, “IF” you CONTINUE in His word. The reality is many say they believe, but not many continue in His word, hence they do not truly know Jesus. That is why Experience outweighs Deduction. We become experience the more we do something. The more time that we spend doing a particular job, is the more experience and knowledge you’ll get. So the more time you spend in the Word of God, it is the more experience you become. But let me be clear, going to church for years DO NOT make you experience in Jesus. What it does is make you an experienced church goer, but not experienced with Jesus. Therefore, the time must be spent with Jesus.

There is one last point I want to make from this text. The truth will make you free. What are we being freed from? The answer is sin. The more time we spend in the Word of God and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, is the less we’ll sin. Sin is a bondage and holds us captive. The only way to truly be free from it is if we continue to abide in Jesus. It is by spending time with Jesus that we become experience in Jesus and Jesus will teach us the truth that will free us from sin. Book knowledge is not what makes us free. It is continuing, living, abiding, being convicted by the teachings of Jesus and growing in the knowledge of Jesus that cause us to be free from living in sin.

So until next week let us choose to continue in the words and teachings of Jesus.

Shalom
Christopher Euphfa

Don’t Be A Fool

To be is fool is to be considered unwise, senseless or to lack judgment. Biblically, the fool is someone who disrespects, disobeys and disregards God’s words. One who is comfortable in their folly, that is, a fool, has no interest in the truth. In fact a fool will scorn, laugh at and turn away from truth. Such persons will not take kindly to the advice of others because in their own eyes, very often their eyes alone, they are all wise, have all the answers and can solve any problem that may arise. Fools are often so caught up in their own sense of knowledge and self-worth that they cannot believe in a wiser higher power than their own understanding. Thus the Watchword for today cautions us to not be fools and deny the existence of God. Fools say in their heart “There is no God”. Psalm 14: 1

Fools speak folly to themselves first, then to others. The text says that a ‘fool says in his heart’. In other words, this is how the foolish person thinks to himself or herself. He determines in his heart, that is, he convinces himself, regardless of the weakness of his rationale, begins to act the part (or to act the fool), then he sets out to convince others. Such behavior is not surprising. In Gen 6: 12 God looked upon the earth and saw that it was corrupt; for all living creatures on the earth had corrupted their ways. It is from corrupt hearts and minds that corrupt theories come. It is the corruption of the heart that leads to the follies of humanity. It is for this reason that we are implored: Don’t be a fool.

If we are not to be considered fools, then our words and actions must show wisdom. Wisdom is God’s gift to us. James 1: 5 encourages us: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. We do not need wisdom as in head knowledge, but wisdom as in heart knowledge. Wisdom of the mind can be attained through the study of the many human disciplines, but wisdom of the heart, godly wisdom, is what God gives to us when we ask. Many travel a path of their own choosing, thinking it is the wisest choice available to them. They do this because they are living life on their own terms. Proverbs 16: 25 warns us: There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. What we truly need is not our own way, but God’s way. Humanity’s way is the way of irrationality, the way of pride, the way of selfishness, but God’s way is the way of wisdom, the way of insight, the way of knowledge and understanding. In every step of our life journey, may we choose God’s way above ours, for ‘man’s way lead to a hopeless end while God’s way lead to an endless hope’. Don’t be a fool my friend. Amen.

Monday Reflection – February 14, 2022

Steadfast Heart of Praise

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make melody. Awake, my soul! Psalm 108:1

It is widely believed that Psalm 108 is a compilation of sections from two other Psalms. Psalm 108:1-5 is very similar to Psalm 57:7-11, and verses 6-13 is almost identical to Psalm 60:6-12. This suggests that the inspired words of David are taken and applied to a present challenge. Verses 9-13 speak of enemies – Moab, Edom, and Philistia (with the emphasis on Edom). It may be that the old foe, subdued earlier in David’s day, rose again and Israel must defeat her again. In this Psalm, David shows how we can and should use the words of Scripture as our present prayers and praises, suitable to our present situation.

David expresses his earnest nature of praise to God in this Psalm. So he begins with the words of today’s Watchword, declaring the steadfastness of his heart and his fervent commitment to sing and make melody, and awake his soul. David’s steadfast confidence in God gave him a fixed point from which he could and would sing and give praise. In this verse David voices his heart’s deep passion to praise God with the best of his being. Whatever glory belonged to David, he directed it toward God in praise. Not surprising in verse 2, he speaks of awaking the lute and harp. His earnest praise offered to God was musical. David was a skilled musician, and it could be said that this skill was part of his glory – so he offered it to God in praise. Today’s text prompts the questions, are we steadfast in our praise to God? Does God receive the best of our being in praise? Do we take any glory for ourselves, or is all of the glory directed to God? Is all of our skill, accomplishments, talents and gifts offered to God for God’s glory and use?

David also says in verse 2 that he will awaken the dawn. David was determined to give God the best in praise, so he gave to God the choicest part of the day. David let the sound of his praise greet the dawn as it rose in the wee hours of the morning. Charles Spurgeon asserts that, “Some singers had need to awake, for they sing in drawling tones, as if they were half asleep; the tune drags wearily along, there is no feeling or sentiment in the singing, but the listener hears only a dull mechanical sound…. Oh, choristers, wake up, for this is not a work for dreamers, but such as requires your best powers in their liveliest condition.” In other words, our praise to God must not be dragging on with lack of enthusiasm and fulsome effort, and with miserable boredom, merely going through the rituals. God must receive the best of ourselves, our singing, our praise, our focus, our attention, our time, at all times.   

Our praise to God ought to be out of a heart of steadfastness or a fixed heart. If we want God to be pleased with our worship, then it demands surrendering our lives to God. It requires us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. It demands loving God completely; anything less can determine acceptance or rejection of our praise. Our praise of God ought to be driven by our passionate and sincere love for God. Without love for God, our praise is empty; without a desire to please God in all we do, our praise is useless. Yet, as we contemplate love for God, we must equally consider our love for each other. So, without love for God and others, our praise is empty. On this day when we celebrate love, let’s consider the nature of our love for God and others. We should ask ourselves, do our lives and decisions reflect a fixed heart; a person fixed on pleasing God? Let’s reflect.

Jermaine Gibson 

Saturday Reflection – 12 February 2022

“My mouth is filled with your praise and with your glory all day long.” Psalm 71:8

It is becoming more and more evident to us, my brothers and sisters, that we cannot ever take a day, a moment, or even small mercies for granted. What we continue to experience around us, must continually lead to the throne of grace, in gratitude and with praise. We are alive and well, if not 100%, there is still life, health, and God’s goodness that we encounter on a daily basis, enough to tune our song that “God is good, All the time and All the time, God is good!”

The watchword for today, comes from a prayer as the Psalmist seeks to commit himself into the Lord’s watchful care, and asks God to be his comfort and strength. We are all too familiar with this prayer, and the stance taken by the Psalmist as he encounters disaster, and in his prayer, celebrates God who has journeyed with him from birth, and that God would rescue Him from danger, that God would show himself to be God in his circumstances, that the Psalmist would never be put to shame.

But the Psalmist in prayer for God’s divine protection, often gives praise to God who has continued to keep him. That through all the stages of life, and all the seasons of life, in his recognition of God’s great keeping, guidance and protection, is led to acknowledge God’s providence and to glorify him all day long. Over the past few months, we have continued to encounter the devastating state our world is in, and though it may leave many of us disheartened and wanting to succumb in this state, even as we reflect on our own role in shining the light of Christ in the darkness, today’s reflection leads us to pause on God’s goodness in our life, God’s grace and mercy that has brought us through, His blessings upon us that transcends even the things of this world. The hymnwriter says “… Riches eternal and blessings supernal from His precious hand I received.” These things that will surely lead us back to that throne of grace with gratitude and thanksgiving to our Guiding and Benevolent God.

You see friends, God has been good to us, and even as the Psalmist seeks God’s divine guidance and protection, he has not forgotten how good God has been to him. He has not forgotten God’s mercies, and He does not approach God as if God has never done anything for him. He acknowledges his Heavenly Father, who is not only God, but a good God whose mercies never fail. And I believe my brothers and sisters, that if we adopt this stance, we will truly encounter God as we reflect on his goodness in our own lives. We may pause to count our blessings, or just recognize the hand of God amidst the disaster around us, and there I am certain that we are in a better position to trust God and to shine the light of Christ in the darkness.

For that light only shines within us, when we have surrendered to God’s will and way, and in recognition and gratitude, allowed ourselves to be immersed in praise and celebration of the goodness of God. And it is this recognition and stance, that invigorates our worship, and gives meaning to our testimony. Our hope in God is strengthened by experiencing God’s goodness which strengthens our resolve, that God, who is the same yesterday, today and forever, will continue to work all things together for good, even in this world, and for eternity. This will assure us of God’s presence that is with us, from whom we are led, and given the courage and strength to lead others. Let us pause, my brothers and sisters, immersing ourselves in the very presence of God, to reflect on God’s goodness, rolling back the curtains as the songwriter says, that we may be lead in worship, and that prayer would come from a place of faith and trust in God, “… for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6b, KJV) Then will our song be sincere, our testimony will have life and meaning, and the light of Christ in us, will shine bright to eradicate the darkness, “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (Matthew 12:34, NIV)

Until next week, may the light of God surround us, may the love of God enfold us, may the power of God protect us, may the presence of God watch over us, for where we are God is, and all is well! So how can we keep from singing? Amen.