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Compare and Contrast

11/29/2020

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​God writes the final chapter.  At the end, it will be God who brings it to a close.  The indication that this is true is found in Romans 11:25, “For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.”  Paul gave us what he knew.  Jesus, when he was speaking of heaven and earth passing away said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (Matthew 24:34-36)
The parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 is an example of how a person has died and gone to hell and begs Abraham to send Lazarus the beggar to warn his brothers about hell.  Abraham had to tell him that even though he, the rich man, wanted to warn his brothers it would do no good.  The rich man’s final chapter had been written.  The book was closed.
This brings us to Psalm 1.  It was the subject of Pastor Josh’s sermon.  There are only six verses but each one is a lesson in what to be and what not to be.  The language is simple.  If you want to be blessed (by God) you will not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand around with sinners, or sit around with the scornful.  Scornful, there are 39 synonyms for it in the thesaurus but malicious is a good one.
“Today the world can take things and make them sound real good.  If we’re not careful we can fall for their counsel.  Be very careful.  Why?  Because the devil is good at his job.  ‘…except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved…’ (Matthew 24:22).  First John 2:15-17 tells us the sins of the world are the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life.” expounded Pastor Josh.
Psalm 1 is a lesson in compare and contrast.  A man is blessed who doesn’t consort with the seamier side of life, verse one; because, his heart takes delight in learning about the Lord and studying and thinking about it.  That’s verse two.  Verse three describes this blessed man as one who grows in the ways of God and becomes fruitful when the time is right.  He prospers in the knowledge of God.  He becomes more like Jesus.
The contrast begins in verse four.  The ungodly do not have blessings.  They are blown about from one thing to another.  They have no roots like the tree in the previous verse.  Like the rich man in the parable they will not be counted among the righteous.  Instead, they will perish. 
Pastor Josh’s final words, “Every funeral I preach, I say something like this: if you could talk to the deceased person now, if we could have a conversation with them, they would tell us ‘Prepare to meet God’ whether you are saved or lost.  Why?  Because God knows the ways of the righteous and the unrighteous.  When the folks in paradise and the ones in the flames of hell are telling you the same thing, you ought to slow down and pay attention to that.”
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Sheep That Went Astray

11/22/2020

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         Once upon a time there was a man, a rich man.  He was a good man, too.  In fact, he was a Godly man.  Or so everyone thought.  He reasoned that because he was a good man that his goodness far outweighed his, let’s say, shortcomings.  He had done so much good and served God that it just wasn’t possible that he should come to no good end.
          Then the day came.  He died and passed from this earth.  Upon arriving in heaven, which was where he expected to be, he was shown into the great accounting room.  It was an immense room with files that reached up as far as the eye could see.  And they were standing in rows and columns all around the room.
          In the center of the room was a great table and someone sitting in a chair with such a tall back that he couldn’t see who it was.  “Welcome.” said the voice from the other side of the chair.  “Everyone comes here before their admittance.  You see, I must check my files and see if you have any unforgiven sins on your records before you are admitted.”  Just then beads of perspiration formed on the man’s forehead.  His heart began to race…Suddenly, he jerked awake.  “Thank God,” he said.  “I’m not dead.”
          This could have been David.  King David of ancient times.  Up until Nathan paid him a visit, David was certain that his “secret sins” were secret.  The story is in 2 Samuel Chapter 12.  The prophet Nathan went to King David and told him a story about a rich man taking a prized ewe lamb from a poor man.  Reading the text is pretty dramatic.  Enough so that it infuriated David.  He wanted to go out and hang this rich arrogant man from the nearest tree.  The shocker was that Nathan pointed at David and told him that he was that man.  That’s when it dawned on David that the Lord sent Nathan to set before him his sin.
          “For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.” (Luke 12:2)  There is a day of reckoning that is coming for each and everyone on the face of the earth.  David, once his sin was set before him, was contrite.  The Lord had chosen him to lead Israel.  He had blessed him many times over,  David had much to be thankful for.  And, yet, he had backslidden.  Is there repentance for the lamb who has strayed from the fold and, now, wants to return?  Isaiah 1:18 says to that  “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow”.  David was like the prodigal son in Luke 15.  He had strayed but when he came to his senses, he returned to his God.  The proof of it is in Psalm 51.  It is a passionate plea for God’s mercy and grace.  Everyone should read it. 

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Victory Over Moab

11/15/2020

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         It’s a short story in Second Kings 3:21-27 about the rebellion of Moab.  For some time they had been paying tribute to Israel.  And, after the death of Ahab, the king of Israel, this was a chance for Moab to rebel.  Things in Israel had been turned on their ear again with the death of King Ahab which was followed by the death of his son, Ahaziah, the new ruler of Israel.  Jehoram, the son of Ahab is the next king of Israel.  And he’s the one who decides he’s going to flex his military might and put down the Moabites.
          What’s the first thing he does?  He gets in touch with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and tells him that the king of Moab has rebelled against him (II Kings 3:7) and wants to know if Jehoshaphat will go into battle with him.  A godly man, Jehoshaphat, has made peace with Israel (I Kings 22:44) and its’ wicked and evil rulers.  It’s safe to say that he had a blind spot when it came to the character of these despicable rulers.
          Nevertheless, King Ahaziah, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom set off to wage a battle against Moab.  Seven days it takes to cross the wilderness of Edom to the battlefield.  No water for those seven days.  Jehoshaphat inquires after a prophet for guidance.  Elisha tells these three to dig ditches, lots of them in the valley.  They do so, the ditches fill up with water, and the problem is solved.
          In the meantime Moab hears that the kings have come to fight.  They gather their forces and assemble for battle.  When the sun rose, the Moabites saw the sun reflecting off the valley floor.  Reflections from the valley floor that appear to be red.  It must be blood,  The kings must have gotten angry with each other and fought among themselves.  Moab mistakenly believes they’re dead already and they rush down to take all that has been left behind. 
          Moab is crushed, their lands, cities, trees and wells.  “The people of Moab saw the water but they saw it as blood.  They imagined the kings had turned on each other.  How easily they were drawn into their own delusion.” spoke Pastor Josh.  “Water was actually the victory against Moab.  They imagined it the victory for them.”
          “When sin is working on one side, God is working on the other.  James 1:14 says that every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed.  The one who believes the lie will be damned.  The ones who lose are the ones who don’t take the blood of Christ.  Those who are destroyed are the ones who have been deceived.  Galatians 6:7 and 8 go like this:  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” quoted Pastor Josh.  His final words to give thought to: “None are more deceived than those who lie to themselves.”
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Blessed are the Peacemakers

11/1/2020

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        Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace.  In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) The keywords here are in me.  Take a quick look at Colossians 1:20 which says “…having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself…”.  Something happened that had to be reconciled, what was it?
          It was sin.  Sin separated us from God.  Actually, separated all things from God.  The world and everything in it has suffered because of sin.  Jesus came to reconcile all things including mankind unto God and to restore peace.  That’s why Matthew 5:9 is so important.  It’s one of eight blessings from the Sermon on the Mount and says, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”  If you are a peacemaker, then you are a child of God as is Jesus Christ.
          “Peace that works, works by love.  We ought to live peaceably with folks.  Both sides have forgotten that when the election is over, we need to live together.  Right?  Don’t be burning each other’s houses down, breaking each other’s stores up and terrorizing folks.  When the election’s over, we need to live together as Americans.” said Pastor Josh.
          “Notice he (Jesus) didn’t say ‘Blessed are the instigators or the agitators or the pot-stirrers.’ In a broad sense God isn’t interested in me instigating something and starting something.  Why would God want that?  Or, better question, Why would I want that?” as Pastor Josh continued. “If what I do is out of hate, or strife, desperation or out of devising something—what a mess!”
          How hard is it to be a peacemaker?  
1.  Love somebody in Christ.  
2.  Pray for them if you can’t love them.  You cannot despise someone that you are genuinely praying for.  
3.  Yield your right.  You don’t have to be right every time.  Only God is right every time.
​

          Whose approval do you want? God’s or the world?  Choose to get God’s approval.  We enter this world divorced from God.  Opportunities abound for us to be born again in Christ.  Jesus is the greatest peacemaker.  He has overcome the world.  Ephesians 2:13,14 tells us he is our peace.  Live peaceably, be a child of God.
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    Linda Johnson

    Linda Johnson moved to Douglas County with her husband Tom 12 years ago after retiring from teaching. Following Tom's death in 2016, Linda began facilitating a grief support group called GriefShare through Sweden Church.​ She serves as the Sunday School teacher for our High School class. Her "Layman's Pen" articles are also published in the local paper, The Douglas County Herald. 

    Andrea Strong

    Andrea is Pastor Joshua Strong's wife. She also serves Sweden Church as Church Secretary, website administrator, and Sunday School teacher to the Intermediate Class.

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