Leftovers – Repetition
One thing that stands out to me in 1 Peter is the manner in which Peter comes back to certain concepts and ideas throughout the book. It is as if he is laying a foundation in the first several verses and then comes back to these same words and says, “This is what I mean by that.”
In 1 Peter 1:22-2:10, he revisits these concepts that were introduced in 1:1-21:
- Obedience (1:2, 14, 22)
- Being born again (1:3, 23)
- Things being perishable/imperishable (1:18, 23)
- The concept of glory (1:7, 21, 24)
- Good news preached (1:12, 25)
- Holiness (1:15-16 and 2:5, 9)
- God’s choosing/election (1:1 and 2:4, 9)
- The idea of calling (1:15,17 and 2:9)
- Mercy (1:3 and 2:10)
There are probably many others I missed, but even from this list, it is clear that these truths Peter is teaching run deep in the book.
Leftovers – analogies and meaning
One thing I noticed early on in 1 Peter 1:22-2:10 is the significant number of analogies that Peter uses to help us calibrate our understanding of what he is saying. He uses things that are often very familiar in daily life to build spiritual truth in our hearts.
It would be well worth the exercise to consider each of these words, their meanings, and what truth Peter is conveying in pulling these images from daily life.
- Birth (born again)
- Seeds and Grass
- Milk (pure spiritual)
- Stone(s) and cornerstone
- Spiritual house
- Priesthood
- Race/Nation
- Darkness and Light
Each of these words is loaded with meaning to the believer in Jesus Christ.
Leftovers – Isaiah and stability
If you want to understand better the title of the blog post, you will have to listen to the beginning of Sunday’s message on 1 Peter 1:22-2:10.
1 Peter 1:23–25 …since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
The verses above are quotes from Isaiah 40. The time of Isaiah did not lean toward stability for God’s people. Really, it was just the opposite. The Babylonian invasion was an inevitable reality. That would mean disastrous, painful, life circumstances for the nation of Israel. Babylon seemed so powerful, strong, and threatening. It would have been easy for the people of God to question whether even God could stop the Babylonians. And yet, Isaiah reminded the people that ALL flesh will eventually fail. All empires will begin to age. All kingdoms will show signs of weakness. But the living and abiding Word of God would last forever.
Peter then goes one step further to remind the people of God that this reliability of God and His Word is what has been preached to them. Isaiah gave good news to Israel. Peter uses the same words to bring good news to God’s people. The original readers of this letter were also experiencing the effects of being exiled (1:1-2), so looking back to this time of Israel’s pain and God’s faithfulness would have been especially encouraging.
We all need to be reminded of the reliability of God’s Word even when life around us seems somewhat chaotic.
God at Work
God is at work in our church. Truly, I believe that God is always at work, but there are times when it is more clear to me than others. So many good things…
- I see people hungry for the Word, whether it be in our gatherings as a church on Sunday mornings, or in Bible studies throughout the week, or in personal devotions. People are hungry for the Word (1 Peter 2:2-3).
- I was blown away Sunday night hearing college students talk about their desire to give their lives to Christ, rather than playing it safe. Immediately following that was a senior adult who humbly confessed to living a life that was not kind and respectful to his family. The seniors in the room were listening intently to the college students. The college students could not take their eyes off the humble, contrite man. What makes that happen? God’s grace and God’s Spirit at work!
- I see people making changes to address sin in their lives.
- I saw a room last night filled with people of all ages, all backgrounds with Bible’s opened ready to engage and learn more about Jesus.
- I see the body of Christ in action, ready to meet each others’ needs.
- I see people lingering after our services talking with each other, encouraging each other, praying for each other, and being there for each other.
- I see a willingness to go public with our faith, rather than keeping it private.
- I see a greater desire to reach out to those in need, rather than playing it safe.
- I hear the voices of God’s people at OBC singing loud, confessing to God and each other, “I need You, Oh I need You!”
- I look forward to Sunday as more people take the step of committing to our church family formally through baptism and membership.
- I sense a growing willingness to pray for each other.
In the midst of this, I do see the enemy attacking…
- We often face temptations to divide over preference, rather than uniting through the Word and Spirit.
- Several people are facing long, protracted illnesses which can have a draining effect on faith. Many are also care-givers which also poses a great strain physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
- Marriages and families are being assaulted on a regular basis.
- Misunderstandings and confusion often can go unchecked and damaged relationships ensue.
- There is grief in watching those who fall away from their first love of Jesus Christ. There are chilling reminders that “but for the grace of God,” any one can stumble and fall away. There is such desire to see them move back toward Jesus Christ and our body!
- We continue to fight our tendency to be satisfied with being a disconnected body with minimal commitment to each other.
But, I am confident that God is faithful. Matthew 16:18 reminds me that Jesus’ church will prevail. Revelation 2-3 gives us marching orders to fall in line with our King, and enjoy His victory as He overcomes sin and the world. 1 John 4 reminds me that the One in us is greater. With all this in my mind, I am so grateful to God for all that He is doing, but so much more aware of our need to depend on Him.
Lord, shape (and re-shape) our church into Your likeness, and be patient with us and kind towards us, as this process is not always easy. Hear these prayers, and answer them in ways that would bring glory to our Savior! Amen
Jesus’ miracles in John’s gospel
Beginning Wednesday night (1/18), I am starting a series going through the miracles in the book of John. Each miracle of Jesus was recorded for a reason.
John 20:30-31 – Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
So, we are going to take several weeks to explore those reasons and what it means for us.
I think the Wednesday night study will be beneficial for several reasons.
- It gives us the opportunity to open God’s Word with other believers.
- Before and after our study, it gives our church family an opportunity to connect midweek.
- It gives those who attend different services (or whose paths rarely cross) an opportunity to meet more of OBC’s body.
- It is a little more relaxed than Sunday morning is able to be.
- It provides a forum to hear what other Christians think and find helpful in a given passage.
- It allows each person to participate regardless of where they are in Bible knowledge.
I hope to see you at Ogletown on Wednesday night.
Angels From the Realms of Glory
There are so many good things about this Christmas hymn. Very few Christmas carols speak of the crossroads between mercy and justice, and the need for repentance. I also appreciate the final verses that paint a scene of glory and worship at the end of time.
Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.Shepherds, in the field abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing;
Yonder shines the infant light:Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of nations;
Ye have seen His natal star.Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear;
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear.Sinners, wrung with true repentance,
Doomed for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now revokes the sentence,
Mercy calls you; break your chains.Though an Infant now we view Him,
He shall fill His Father’s throne,
Gather all the nations to Him;
Every knee shall then bow down:All creation, join in praising
God, the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising
To th’eternal Three in One.Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Joy to the World
One of my favorite parts of this carol is the third verse. As I think about how much has been impacted by the curse in Genesis 3, and then to realize that God will someday reverse these things. He will show blessings where there previously had been effects of the curse. Even so come, Lord Jesus!
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
As you can see below, most of us don’t sing a few of the verses to this Christmas carol. The song is loaded with theology as well, and I have been greatly blessed by singing this song in recent years.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.
Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
My favorite version of the song can be seen/heard here.
O Come, All Ye Faithful
I have run across some different English translations of this Latin Christmas carol, but the one below is pretty standard. I love the doctrinal emphasis of each verse. The verses seem to represent different vantage points for each of the participants in the Nativity.
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;True God of true God, Light from Light Eternal,
Lo, He shuns not the Virgin’s womb;
Son of the Father, begotten, not created;Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;See how the shepherds, summoned to His cradle,
Leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze;
We too will thither bend our joyful footsteps;Lo! star led chieftains, Magi, Christ adoring,
Offer Him incense, gold, and myrrh;
We to the Christ Child bring our hearts’ oblations.Child, for us sinners poor and in the manger,
We would embrace Thee, with love and awe;
Who would not love Thee, loving us so dearly?Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
One of my favorite Christmas carols that we sing, is one of the oldest that the Christian church has. Some even date it to the 12th century. I love the different descriptions of Jesus Christ as well as the use of allusions from the Old Testament. Look for how each stanza powerfully and uniquely shares the gospel message.
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse,
free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.
O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
CHORUS: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
I have enjoyed listening to this version of the song this year (even if it doesn’t have all the stanzas of the song).
