“If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him” (1 Samuel 2.25)? These are the words of a man who refused to confront the evil in his sons. They challenge us to realize that even though we fail to do right, God will make things right.
A king of an ancient country had a dream that revealed his presumptuous, ungrateful heart. But maybe the king was grateful; he was just thankful for himself. This devotional challenges our student to not take God’s work through authority for granted.
Spiritual Redemption
Ruth’s redemption in transitory, physical terms is a beautiful picture of our substantive, eternal redemption as believers. This message provides an understanding of this theologically rich concept. It stresses that we all need spiritual redemption and that self-redemption will never work.
I faced a great dichotomy that I was never able to resolve as a Roman Catholic. On one hand, I was taught that without the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church I could never understand or know God. On the other hand, the transcendent features of Romanism left God far off and out of reach in everyday life. I felt as though God was never near unless I was within a stained-glass cathedral filled with mystical relics and old, artfully lit crucifixes.
The crucifix, censers, flowing robs of priests, hand lavers, and mysterious statues of church-selected saints or biblical figures all combined as a potent reality: God was in Heaven, far away and unsullied by the evils of this world. The lesson I learned was that I was part of that evil; therefore, I was left alone, abandoned because of sin. However, when I entered the churches of Catholicism, I could find God on the walls and in the statues.
This concept of God is as subtle and deceptive as all other forms of idolatry. It was also very blatant at the same time. We were able to manipulate God by bringing him down to us and hanging him upon our walls. When I became a true believer, I learned quickly that God is in His Word and not upon the walls. A faithful church proclaims God from the pulpit; it does not frame God in a portrait. A faithful church understands that believers are the image of God; inanimate objects are not. This is the crux of the second commandment:
Exodus 20:4-6 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
The New Testament reinforces this command (see Acts 17.29; Romans 1.22-23; 1 Corinthians 10.7, 14) and countless stories in the Old Testament demonstrate the disaster of breaking it. Even in the future Tribulation period the world will face great and horrific plagues, but people will still not repent of the works of their hands. They will worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk (Revelation 9.20). One man observed that the hearts of men are perpetual idol factories. How does this work itself out in our lives?
Pastor Oesterwind
A seemingly innocuous greeting between Boaz and his workers indicates respect, kindness, and devotion to the Lord. This devotional challenges us to allow our relationship with Jesus to drive our transformed, consecrated lives. Don’t pretend to love people; love them!
People often wonder about the direct application of the Old Testament to the New Testament believer. Paul said, “The law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” (Romans 7:12) The moral laws of the Scripture were given to us by an unchanging God. They are far-reaching and universally timeless in their application to His creation. For example, murder was wrong even before the sixth commandment was written. It continues to be wrong to this very day.
God has given the Ten Commandments to us in order to set a standard of conduct for His family. If we are children of God, we expect the security of rules and parameters from our heavenly Father. Second, the law of God demonstrates that we are sinful and guilty before a holy God. Without this awareness, there would be no need for the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, the God-Man. Christ met all the obligations of the law and died to pay the penalty for our sin and purchase a place in heaven for us. This brings hope. The law condemns and guides us to Christ at the same time.
We delight to obey the Ten Commandments because, as God’s new creation in Christ, we belong to Him body and spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:20) Since God has paid the penalty for our sin and purchased a place in heaven for us, submission to His laws is logical and essential. Of course, with obedience comes an attitude of love. We love God and our fellow man. Our desire is to build people up in Christ. This is why we obey with the right outward actions. Everything begins inside and works its way out.
The first commandment written was written by the finger of God: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3) God is said to be jealous in Scripture. He will not tolerate anything or anyone placed before Him. As Creator, He has the right to require our devotion to Him.
Whatever competes with God for our devotion becomes a potential “god.” What competes with God in our lives is more often the god of materialism. This is why the recent economic turmoil is particularly disheartening to some.
One of the greatest needs that young people have is the need to withstand temptation now because it becomes especially fierce later. The first commandment teaches that our priority in life must be the cultivation of a relationship with God through feeding on His Word and developing the habit of praying to Him. There is no greater need in our lives than these two things. Yet they are often overlooked. They are because of all that competes with God in our lives. We break the first commandment when we allow these things to come before Him.
Jesus taught, “Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles (unbelievers) seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Let me challenge all of us to put God first and instill the need to do so into the lives of our children.
Pastor Oesterwind
Pastor Oesterwind’s chapel messages this week:
When we witness the spiritual or even physical downfall of another human being, we would do well to remember how the Lord expects us to feel. Such change in others should evoke sympathy, contentedness, and devotion. This chapel message expounds on these three emotions from Ruth 1.19.
The Christian either advances or regresses in His relationship with the Lord Jesus. This chapel message identifies two characteristics of a backslider: 1) the habitual failure to practice spiritual disciplines; 2) the habitual indulgence of sin.
Change comes in life. It comes for the better and for worse. Change occurs in the physical and spiritual realms. Naomi’s life was filled with change. So much so that the women of Bethlehem asked, “Is this Naomi?” This challenge to our upper grade students provides a bracing reminder of what sin can and will do if we don’t live for eternal value.
The Heritage Classic Golf Tournament is this Saturday, September 24. It’s just $95 per golfer for 18 holes with a cart plus a full dinner and prizes following the tournament. If you would like to golf and support our school, please call us today @ 925.778.2234.
