Coming to the Still Waters

The Story Behind the Story of Christmas

Immanuel: The Real Meaning of Christmas

      We are studying the last book of the Old Testament.  God's last words to His people before 400 years of silence.  The next time we will hear from God will be through the angel Gabriel and his message to Zechariah and Elizabeth.  Last week we looked at chapter 1 and realized that God is upset about the actions of His people.  V.2 they are doubting God's love.  V.6 they are despising God's name.  V.7 they are not giving their best to God with their offerings.  Is there more that God could be upset about?      Chapter 2 keeps right on going with 2 more points that go together.  The first point is corrupt ministry and God says He will bring curses upon what should be blessings.  The second point is corrupt marriages that are practiced and promoted by those in ministry.  The text brings it so we will handle the topic of divorce, especially because God says that He hates it.  I am not sure at this po...

      So much to be thankful for this year.  At one time, this trip to see our daughter and son-in-law and son in college would have seemed almost impossible or at least a painful one but God is healing me and I was able to drive the whole way to Texas and allow Stephanie to sit and crochet.  It was a great day of meeting up with our son-in-laws parents and family again and again to be face-to-face with people who I know were praying for Stephanie and I.  It was another time to sit down and be asked what God had done through me and also the church during this time.  Our beloved Lions lost the football game but our free-range, no hormone turkey was fantastic!!!  We will venture out today, only for the essentials, but it will be fun to have some time with the boys.      I have a little extra time this week to look at Malachi 2.  There seems to be two parts to this chapter.  The first deals with corrupt ministry and the se...

      I am so thankful for my children in Christian colleges that get exposed to great worship music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AXT_YyNJXk You won't relent until You, have it all My heart is Yours You won't relent until You, have it all My heart is Yours I'll set You as a seal upon my heart As a seal upon my arm For there is love that is as strong as death Jealousy demanding as the grave And many waters cannot quench this love Come be the fire inside of me Come be the flame upon my heart Come be the fire inside of me Until You and I are One I don't want to talk about You Like You're not in the room I want to look right at You I want to sing right to You http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoezWBPGRAc Nothing can separate Even if I ran away Your love never fails I know I still make mistakes But You have new mercies for me everyday Your love never fails Chorus: You stay the same through the ages Your love never changes There may be pain in the...

     Malachi 1 is coming together but I realize that this might be the most powerful sermons of the year not because of my ability but because of God's content in this book.  God speaks 3/4 of the book directly.  God uses very strong language to His people.  God doesn't give any "outs" or "loopholes" to jump through to escape the challenge.  This Sunday we will look at His love, His name, and His altar.  His love is so evident but we end up doubted it at times.  The power of His name does so many things but we abuse it and discard it.  His altar representing all forms of worship of Him is polluted with us giving "some" of ourselves to Him rather than the best and the first of us.        The first real snow fall has hit northern Michigan.  It is cold enough for it to stick and it might be around for awhile.  Cars in the ditches this morning as we learn again what to do with the white stuff around.  Oh...

     I am trying to firm up my sermon for Sunday because I need to prepare two this week to cover the Sunday we will be gone in November.  I have a hard time going from one to the other unless I have one completed before starting the next one.  Malachi will be the book of the Bible we will cover over the next 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas and the New Year which both land on Sunday this year.  I also hope this will be a great lead in to covering a gospel book after the first of the year.      Sunday was a great day with finishing up the book of Jude.  Again I am driven back to the basics and how important it is for the Christian life to keep up with them.  I have watched too many people abandon them with excuses of "other" things and seen their spiritual life slide south.  We open up the door to the devil when we fail to keep the door open to God on a regular basis.      I always stress the "last" words ...

     We have the author, Jude.  We have the audience, the church.  We have the agenda, contend for the faith against false teaching and teachers.  The false teaching going around was the giving permission to sin pleasurably and the permission to think differently about Jesus as someone other than the only way. Jude calls their actions ungodly and they will be judged by God.  Jude takes most of this letter to answer the question "why" we need to defend and contend.  Now Jude moves onto the question "how" we need to defend and contend.      Jude also challenges us with a couple passages that he pulls from outside Biblical sources.  Here is where the inspiration of the Holy Spirit comes in to say that these statements and prophesies true.  The archangel Michael in battle with the devil makes sure to keep judgment in God's hands and not his own.  Enoch tells of maybe the first prophesy of the second coming of Christ wi...

      Monday was the first of a series of CT scans over the next year.  The oncologist gave a call to say no cancer detected!!!  My wound is continuing to heal so life is not yet back to normal but more normal than it has been for a year.  We are so thankful for God's provision and power and patience with us.  We are going to attempt a video sermon to share with our congregation lessons learned over the last year.  I am still amazed at what we have covered over the year in the Bible.  On Sunday mornings we will have went from James through Jude and will finish with Malachi.  On Sunday nights we have went from Galatians through 2 Thessalonians.  Are we covering the Scriptures?  I can say that we are trying to with God's help.      This week will probably be the last sermon in the book of Jude.  The half-brother of Jesus who considers himself humbly as a servant of that same Jesus addresses the church which...

      First post of November.  Next month will mark a year of keeping this blog.  I am so thankful that I am turning the corner and writing more about the next sermon and my own thoughts than just about my physical health.  So back to Jude.      I am going to take another run at this on Sunday.  It is the first Sunday of the month so it is also communion Sunday for us.  I am planning on reestablishing the author, audience and agenda of the book.  Author:  Jude, half-brother of Jesus.  Audience:  those invited and dearly loved and guarded by God.  Agenda:  warn the church about false teaching and teachers.      It is interesting that the 2 points that Jude brings up that the false teachers are emphasizing are the same that happen today.  The first is taking advantage of the grace of God especially in areas that deal with making us feel good.  The second is painting the pict...