Monday, September 26, 2022

 

Monday, September 26, 2022


Psalms 65; 70

Joel 2:25-38

Colossians 1:1-8


[The gospel] is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world...


There are a lot of different ideas about where the world is headed. The ancients thought of history as a circle, repeating itself; modernists saw history as a gradual increase of technology and scientific understanding; some pessimists in our time think we are on a precipice, like an unfortunate desert creature out of a cartoon, hanging on by a fingertip.


As Christians, there are certain promises in the word of God we can hang on to. Psalm 65 this morning spoke of a natural world rich and fertile, full rivers, and healthy forests. Joel prophesied that the day is coming when God will dwell with us in the most intimate sense; and Paul is brimming with optimism when he thinks about the future of the mission of the church.


The section in the middle of today's reading from Joel is quoted by the apostle Peter at Pentecost (Acts 2:14-36). He claims that what Joel spoke about has already happened! God is dwelling with His people: you and I, right now. There will be a “Day of the Lord”, where all evil is ended, finally and forever, but in the meantime, the kingdom of God is still growing.


God has blessed us with the role of taking part in this growth of the kingdom. God has given us the free gift of life and salvation, and God has given us the protection and weaponry required to keep us safe. Now we learn that God is well and truly within us, using us for His means. Today's message is confidence: because we know where this story is headed, things can only get better from here. The kingdom is growing, and we are in the thick of it all.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Monday, September 12, 2022

  Monday, September 12, 2022 Psalm 33 Habakkuk 1:1-11 Ephesians 1:1-14 In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. The lectionary has taken us from the beloved disciple to one of the most beloved of Paul's epistles: Ephesians. Paul must have loved this church very much: we get a sense of his fondness for them and their shared sense of purpose and worship just from the introduction. In what is likely just an introduction to a letter in the style of the ancient Roman world, Paul has managed to squeeze in the entire, wondrous story of God's work of redemption. Paul has framed it the way it ought to be framed: in a pastoral, encouraging tone. He has three main points here (remember, Paul proceeds logically to build up an argument, unlike John who circles around his main point). First: God intended to save us before the world was formed. Think back to the first l
Read more

“Short time or long – I pray to God not only you but all who are listening become like I am, except for these chains.”

  Monday, September 11, 2023 Psalms 28; 29 1 Kings 7:51-8:21 Acts 26:19-32 Observance: Deiniol, bishop (d. 384) “ Short time or long – I pray to God not only you but all who are listening become like I am, except for these chains.” The great many blessings of being under the protection of the blood of the Lamb fill our hearts with joy and peace. To have the Almighty Creator of the universe, the One who sits above the flood, filling the temple of our being with the cloud of His presence is what it truly means to be human. Every day is filled with adventure; every night turns to the rest of the victor. Certainly there are chains: sometimes they are physical chains, the suffering of being a Christian among people who do not love the Lord. Sometimes they are spiritual; the attacks of the powers of the air who try to distract us from the One we love. But they always fall away. Our Rock of Ages always frees us; always brings us out of the pit of despair. A won
Read more

Monday, September 19

  Monday, September 19 Psalm 45 Nahum 1:15-2:9 Ephesians 4:17-28 ...be renewed in the spirit of your minds... It is far too easy to read some of these Pauline lists of virtues and vices and feel like we have gone back to the dark days before the Reformation. The idea that if we behave ourselves then we can call ourselves “good people” is pagan, not Christian. Paul feels very strongly about how Christians behave, he “affirms and insists” upon it. But it is because of what has already happened that we should mind our step, not because of where we are going. Christ's resurrection is many things, but one aspect relevant for Paul's teaching this morning is that it demonstrates to us the radical new reality in which we now live. We too have passed (spiritually) from death to life; therefore, we experience a “renewal of our minds”. Instead of treading water until we die, we live lives. Everything now makes sense: God has spoken, so we have logic. God made us in His im
Read more