February 28, 2023 – “Is Lent About Testing or Teaching?”

“Do not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.” Deuteronomy 6:16

When we encounter a text like this, one of the first questions we must ask is: “What happened at Massah?” In Exodus 17, the Israelites have been traveling in the Desert of Sin, and they are thirsty. They quarrel with Moses saying “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to have us die of thirst?” The Lord tells Moses to take his staff and strike a rock, and water will come forth. Moses names the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord.

The bible is clear that we are not to put the Lord to the test – Jesus will use this argument against Satan while Satan is testing and tempting him in the wilderness. So when we consider a Lenten discipline to follow each season of Lent, there needs to be some thought as to what we choose to do. Will we be testing ourselves, you know testing our faith, or will we be seeking to learn a lesson about our faith?

So, whatever it is that you choose to do for Lent, and even if you choose to do nothing, use these 40 days to, if nothing else think about your relationship with G-d. You do not need to do great, intentional things during Lent. You can simply read one verse of scripture every day during Lent. And if you do, take time to think about what it is you have read. What does scripture mean to you? How does G-d speak to you in the verses you have read?

 You have forty days – why miss this opportunity for real, intentional learning?

Let us pray: Dear G-d, you seek opportunities to teach us about You – about our relationship with You. Give me time today to contemplate my relationship with you and what I can do to respond to that relationship. Amen.

Pastor Dave

February 27, 2023  — “Hated Christians?”

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:43-45

According to Relevant Magazine (Issue 86, March – April 2017, p. 018) A Christian is martyred every 6 minutes around the world. That means that last year alone almost 90,000 Christians died for their faith. This makes Christians the most persecuted religious group in the world.

“…but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”
2 Corinthians 6:4-10

Does what you do matter? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Christians around the world should ask themselves that question, because just naming yourself as a “Christian” in some parts of the world can get you killed. So what do we do about that? As I see it, we should gird our loins and be ready to fight the good fight – killing others with the love (not hate or violence) but the love that Christians are known by. So our acts of love should speak loudly announcing to the world that Christians are people of love, not hate. Chance the Rapper once said on the television show Good Morning America: “…people are afraid to speak about God to a certain extent and I think if you’re not free to speak about God then you’re not free.”

My friends, Lent is about discernment – especially discerning the cross of Jesus and what that means to us. We will have set backs, troubles, bad days, months, and years, as well as joys and accomplishments – and the cross of Jesus will be our shield and protector. No the cross will not keep us from having bad moments, bad days, even bad years. But even if we lose our lives for our faith, Jesus has won the victory over death – and claimed an eternal victory for us, whether or not we are hated for our faith.

Let us pray: Dear G-d, you call us to love our neighbors and to welcome persecution because of our faith. Give me the strength to endure all things in your name. Amen.

Pastor Dave