January 29, 2024 — “The Most Hated of All Books”

January 30, 2024 — “It Tells Me of Myself”

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:10-16

“Not only is it the best-loved book, but it is also the most-hated book. No other book has had so many nor such bitter enemies. I suppose more books have been written against the Bible than against all other books combined. Men do not hate Shakespeare nor Milton nor Longfellow; they do not hate works on science nor philosophy; they do not hate books of travel or adventure or fiction; they do not hate the other sacred books of the world; they hate only the Bible. Why this hatred? It can be only because they find in the Bible something that they find nowhere else. What they find there is a true picture of themselves, and the picture is not pleasant to look upon, so they turn away their faces and will have nothing to do with it except to vilify and condemn it.” (C.W. Naylor, “Heart Talks”, p. 28-29)

 Many people who call themselves “Humanists” reject the claim that the Bible is the word of G-d. They are convinced the book was written solely by humans in a superstitious and “unenlightened” time. They believe that because the writers of the Bible lived in an unenlightened era, the book contains many errors and harmful teachings. And there are parts of the bible many might find to be offensive, outdated, if not prejudiced and misogynistic. But, as a person who spends a lot of his life writing about and reading the scriptures, we also see the bible not as a static piece of writing that can only be interpreted in one manner, form, or design. In other words, we see the bible as the “living, active Word of G-d”. And by living and active, I mean as a book that speaks to us throughout time, not just within one span of time.

Yes, you can find enough reasons to hate the Bible, but you cannot say that the Bible is outdated, or unenlightened, or static. No matter what is happening in the world, I can turn to the scriptures and find many passages that will give wisdom, guidance, and hope to face the multifaceted happenings and concerns of this world, this community, and my life. And that makes it the greatest of all time.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, remind me every day that your words of life are found in the greatest book every written. Amen.

Pastor Dave

January 30, 2024 — “It Tells Me of Myself”

“Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” He answered, “Here I am.” So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock; and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron. He came to Shechem, and a man found him wandering in the fields; the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” “I am seeking my brothers,” he said; “tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” The man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them at Dothan. They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they conspired to kill him. They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore; and they took him and threw him into a pit.” Genesis 37:12-24

“My desires are pictured in the Bible just as I find them working in my heart. Whatever picture it draws of the human soul I find within myself, and whatever I find within myself I find within its pages, and thus I know that it is true. No man can know me as the Bible knows me nor picture out my inner self as the Bible pictures me; and since no work of man could correspond with my inner self as the Bible corresponds with me, I know that it did not come from man.” (C.W. Naylor, “Heart Talks”, p. 30)

Many people believe that the Bible has nothing to do with them – that it is an outdated book about old superstitions and prejudices. However, as I have had the time to read and study this book for some twenty years now, what I have found is that the Bible does have a lot to say about humanity, and particularly how I feel emotions in my life. The life of Joseph is one of those stories–in fact it is one of the best stories ever written. He was favored by his father–and hated by his brothers, who sold him into slavery. The rest of his life is one of betrayal, commitment, and future success.

Let me share with you just three lessons of many from the story of Joseph.

1. Jealousy can ruin family relationships

Children fighting with one another, parents who seem to favor one child over another, and sibling rivalry. These can lead to dysfunction within a family.

• Joseph’s coat had been stripped, but not his character

The gift of a singular coat did not endear Joseph to his brothers – which led to their betrayal and eventually the brothers giving this coat back to their father exclaiming Joseph was dead. Interestingly, although his coat had been taken off from him, he was able to keep up his character and integrity.

• G-d protected him in the midst of troubles

Joseph was cast into a pit and then sold into slavery — he was accused of indiscretion with Potiphar’s wife – he was eventually lifted out of prison to be second in command second only to Pharaoh. In the midst of dangers and adversities, G-d protected him because of his faithfulness.

We may not see the overall picture of G-d’s plan and even G-d’s activities in our lives every day, yet remaining faithful to G-d instead of complaining is an overarching lesson from the story of Joseph. The Bible is a good source for teaching us about humanity, about forgiveness, about love and about perseverance.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, I often read the words in scripture and see myself in the stories I encounter. It frightens me – but also enlightens me. This is what makes your words so powerful – They tell me of myself. Amen.

Pastor Dave