Road to Emmaus

March 20, 2020

2020-03-20T02:54:00.000-04:00

Here we are in the very beginning of the coronavirus shutdown, no one saw this coming (other than the people who tell us every day that the sky is falling - remember that even a broken clock is accurate twice a day). Not only did we not see this coming, no one knows how long it will last. This event that we are living through was not orchestrated by humans, for no human or group of humans could manipulate the nations across the globe into taking the catastrophic action that governments are taking all over the world.

If we take our eyes off the nations for a moment and look internally into our church family, we recognize that there is a wide variance in the effect on individuals. For some - what is happening is extremely difficult, for others to a lesser extent and yet everyone of us is being affected by events beyond our control moving at a breath-taking pace.

Would the words of the LORD spoken through Haggai accurately describe the times we are experiencing right now? “I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty.” Truly the nations are being shaken, and our world as we know it is being turned upside down, and because the nations are made up of individual people, this verse is referring to an earth-shaking event that affects everyone. Now if we have the faith to believe this truth from God’s Word, to believe that this type of shaking comes from Him, we will only experience comfort by believing the truth that this God is the God of love who gave His Son for us, the God who loves us with unfailing love, who chose us in Christ to be His children, who asks us to call Him Father.

May we as children of the King be filled with confidence that the LORD, the Lover of our soul is the One doing the shaking. Notice that the shaking described in Haggai 2:7 has a wonderful purpose, for our God does not shake for the sake of causing turmoil in our lives, rather He shakes for the purpose of drawing us to his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. May we draw near to our God wherever we are, and experience the wonderful benefits of fellowship with Him, for His grace will bring us strength and His peace will guard our minds and hearts.

Pastor John

March 11, 2020 Looking forward to Zechariah chapter 1 on March 15, 2020

2020-03-11T11:33:00.003-04:00

Ezra 6:14

So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

God’s Word makes it clear that how we end is more important than how we start.

New beginnings, second chances, third chances - mercy upon mercy and grace upon grace is the story of how God interacts with His people through the duration of their lives. Yet how we finish is the most important part of our journey with our God, as an example of this truth just for a moment allow your mind to travel through the story of Samson.

The value for us in 2020 as we seek to meet our God in the writings of Zechariah, is the stated purpose of the prophecies of Zechariah, Zechariah was given Words from God to stimulate the people to finish the work they started. Haggai and Zechariah began their ministry in the same time period, the 2^nd year of King Darius. They spoke to the same people- the Jewish people who had returned from the Babylonian captivity. They spoke Words from the same God, a holy God who wants to restore His people and establish them centered on his presence with them.

Yet Haggai and Zechariah are 2 very different prophets for Haggai seems very practical, focused on the here and now, feet on the ground, the rubber meets the road, get working. He ends His prophecy with a heavenly vision of God honouring their leader, but the gist of Haggai is focused on the here and now – he is the practical voice- talking about timber, wallets, grain, work, strength. He hits them hard about procrastinating and then deals with objections or obstacles that arise. We can relate.

On the other hand Zechariah can see God and see the spiritual world in an extraordinary way- he sees angels and talks with angels and angels talk with him, he sees angelic beings – the horses and horns and craftsman in this chapter – it is an amazing book full of mystery and spiritual sight. If you wanted to read Revelation and be blessed by it, one of the things you could do is read Zechariah first and the Revelation- you will recognize the parallels quickly.

Now we can lose ourselves in the visions- seeking to peer into the spiritual with Zechariah and I love to do that, I find people who have spiritual vision amazing – I am so limited in that area- But as we enter into this spiritual world that was revealed to Zechariah and journey along with him, let us agree together on something- let us agree together to not lose sight of the purpose of these visions- let us agree to not be so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good – God’s purpose in giving Zechariah these insights is to encourage and to motivate us to be strong in our work on God’s house, to get us to finish the work! The bible is all about new beginnings- and yet it stresses the importance of how we end. It is how we end that counts – we must finish well.

Paul writing to the Philippians says in the first chapter that he is confident that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul’s confidence is not in himself, nor in the Christians in Philippi- His confidence is in the Lord Jesus Christ who is the builder of each of us. We are called to build as our Lord builds, we are to follow Him, we are to be His hands and feet- we are confident in His ability to complete that work- God can do it for sure – but will we do our part - will we work to the end, or will we stop before the end?

March 10, 2020 - Reflections on Haggai

2020-03-10T16:04:00.002-04:00

Haggai 2:23 (NIV) “‘On that day,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”

The last Word of God through His prophet Haggai for the purpose of encouraging God’s people to continue in their work on the temple is a Word of honour for their leader Zerubbabel.

God lifts their leader up, He honours this man for the purpose of encouraging the people to work.

Is the last Word the most important Word?

We know from our experiences at work how having the right leader is so important to people continuing in their work. How we work, and whether we stay at work is directly connected to who our leader is. Now we know next to nothing about this man Zerubbabel, about his history, or his family, or his age, or his education, or his personality, or his weaknesses, or his strengths. We aren’t given any examples of his leadership, like the specific examples given of Nehemiah, that we can emulate in order to become a godly leader. All that is given to them is the truth that while the world around them is being shaken apart, God calls Zerubbabel His signet ring. A signet ring is a ring that represents the person, it bears His seal or initials, and is the most important piece of jewelry a leader could wear. God is honouring this man by elevating him in status with amazing language. It is God’s choice of Zerubbabel that is stressed in this verse, making Zerubbabel’s character and leadership traits secondary.

How would a person who was working on the temple in that age react to the language of God about their leader? Well how would we react?

I think we would be convinced of the importance of this project to God Himself, for God has decided that the man in charge of the work represents God.

We would also be convinced of the security and safety of following this leader, for while the world is being shaken apart, he is attached to God’s hand.

The last Word of God through His prophet Haggai for the purpose of encouraging God’s people to continue in their work on the temple is a Word of honour for their leader Zerubbabel.

The last Word the most important Word!

Zerubbabel is the man in charge of building God’s house in this Old Testament age, and our Lord Jesus is the Man in charge of building God’s house in our New Testament age. Our Lord Himself told Peter that He would build His church, and Hebrews 3 tells us that Jesus has more honour than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honour than the house itself.

Dwelling on, thinking about, singing about or in whatever other way we can focus our attention on the honour and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ is the key to us being strong in the work God has created us for, prepared us for and led us into.

Christ Jesus was raised to the highest place, seated at the right hand of God, given all authority in heaven and in earth, King of kings and Lord of lords. As we meditate on the honour and glory given to our leader, we will continue in our work on God’s house- His church at Parkdale and our own lives.

March 9, 2020 - Reflections on Haggai

2020-03-09T16:40:00.001-04:00

Haggai 2:4 (NIV) “But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD.

‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest.

Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work.

For I am with you,’ declares the LORD Almighty.”

If we believe God is with us - we will be strong in the work of the Lord!

God with us - is the gospel in three Words.

Matthew applies Isaiah’s prophecy of Immanuel (God with us) to Jesus of Nazareth, as part of his amazing gospel that uses the Old Testament prophecies to prove that this Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah. Matthew declares that God came to earth as Jesus, the Son of God yet born of Mary, who walked among the Jews, who rejected Him and killed Him, but the grave could not hold Him, and He rose and appeared to many people. Luke records in Acts 1 that He returned to heaven with a promise that He would return one day to earth, and after a command to wait in Jerusalem for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost and since that day all who call on the Name of the Lord are saved through the sanctifying Presence of the Holy Spirit within each one of us. Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 6:19 “that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you received from God”

God with us - is the gospel in three Words.

The LORD speaking through Haggai for the purpose of stirring up God’s people to build the physical structure called the 2^nd temple, uses His Presence with them as the reason for them to BE STRONG.

Be strong and work - for God is with you.

But what does being strong look like in Haggai’s day and in our day?

If we take the time to look back into the records of Joshua the son of Nun whom God used to bring His people into the Promised Land we will discover the account of Caleb coming to Joshua with a request to allot the hill country that belonged to the giants (Anakites) to him and his family. Caleb was not asking for Joshua to give him this land on a silver platter with no effort on Caleb’s part, rather he was asking Joshua for ‘permission’ to fight and destroy the most powerful people in the promised land. At 85 years old Caleb was as strong as he was when he was a spy with Joshua some 40 years earlier.

Most of us understand this similarity in strength as a miraculous work of the LORD in preserving Caleb’s physical strength, just as He preserved their clothes and sandals, and just as the LORD provided water and food in the desert. I wonder though if that is what is truly meant by this statement in Joshua 14:6-12, for even if Caleb is as physically strong as he was when he was forty five, he is no match physically for the giants, the people group called the Anakites (the descendants of Anak). Caleb reminds Joshua of their spy trip together and their belief that no matter the size of the enemy, the LORD would give them the victory. Numbers 13 tells us that Caleb and Joshua were 2 out of 12 men, the other men didn’t believe that God would give them the victory and they stirred the people up, but Caleb silenced the people with a statement of confidence “we can certainly do it.” in their ability to possess the land.

It takes a lot of strength to stand against the crowd- not physical strength necessarily, but strength of character, and strength of faith in God’s promises despite the naysayers all around us. God's strength.

I believe it is this strength Caleb is referring to when He asks Joshua for permission to fight and destroy the most powerful foe in the land, for he ends his request with these Words; “You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

Caleb believed God was with him, so he was strong in his work for the Lord and for the Lord’s people.

Do we believe God is with us?

Do we share in Christ?

Do we experience the fellowship of the Spirit in our lives?

Are we strong in the work the Lord has laid out before us?

When discouragement comes (and it will come) and you think to yourself “I don’t want to do this anymore” , may our next thought be “Hey God is with me - I am doing this for Him and through His strength, I should ask Him if He wants me to stop before I quit.”

God is with us!

So lets be strong and work on His house!

December 30, 2019 - Reflections on the God revealed in Nahum

2019-12-31T12:32:00.003-05:00

“He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Luke 4:16-21(NIV)

This well-known account of our Lord Jesus identifying Himself as the One whom Isaiah prophesied about, is very specific in its description of our Lord’s use of the Old Testament. He doesn’t identify chapter and verse before He read the passage He was looking for, but our bibles have a text note that links back to Isaiah 61:1,2.
There are two questions that come to mind as we lay our English translations of Isaiah 61:1,2 and Luke 4:18,19 beside each other;
Our first question is - why would the scroll our Lord read have “recovery of sight for the blind” when it doesn’t appear in our English translations of the Hebrew text? The answer is simple, for the scroll our Lord read from is the Greek translation of the Hebrew called the Septuagint or the LXX (the 70). If you Google “Septuagint Isaiah 61:1,2” you will find an English translation, and this question is answered.
Our second question is - why would our Lord stop His recitation of Isaiah 61:2 mid sentence? Our Lord was proclaiming “the year of the Lord’s favor” and yet the Isaiah text has 3 parallel statements of the proclamation;
the year of the Lord’s favour
the day of vengeance of our God (day of recompence in the LXX)
the comfort of all who mourn.
Why would our Lord not quote the entire verse?
This second question is a little harder to answer, for it requires us to think theologically and consider the wider teaching of Scripture about our God.
I believe Nahum 1 sheds some light for us, for we see two descriptions of God in Nahum 1 that many people think are contradictory, for how can God be both avenging and good at the same time? God is good to those who take refuge in Him, who trust in Him, and yet He pursues His foes into the realm of darkness. He is both because people take two different positions with God - some draw near to Him through Christ Jesus and yet more refuse to bow their knee and are His foe.
According to Nahum 1 God is also slow to anger and mighty in power. This age or year that we are in right now - the year of the Lord’s favour - will end with a day of vengeance, but only when God comes to the end of His patience. On that day only those who have taken refuge in Christ will be spared, all others will be utterly and completely destroyed. Christ came to usher in this age of grace in which we live, when all who call on the Lord will saved, for the Spirit is poured on all who believe.
Our Lord will come back in power and when He comes back He will finish the sentence of Isaiah 61:2.

December 20, 2019 - Suggested Reading Colossians 1 for the December 22nd message on Isaiah 9:1-7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-12-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

Colossians 1:19-20 (NIV)

As we read the first chapter of Colossians, I am struck by how Paul weaves the power of the Mighty God through the opening of his letter to this Gentile church, and yet what caused me to pick this chapter as part of the Scripture that brings understanding to Isaiah’s prophecy in 9:6, is Paul’s description of Christ’s work on the cross in verses 19 and 20. Surely Paul understood our Lord Jesus Christ as being the Prince of Peace that Isaiah saw!

Notice that just as a prince is subordinate to the king in our world, in this chapter our Lord is subordinate to His Father God.

Notice also that the mission of this One who had all the fullness of God, was reconciliation of all things on earth and heaven to God, by making peace through His blood on the cross.

The greatest dispute in history - the dispute between the Creator and His rebellious creatures was settled by Christ Jesus on the cross. He made peace through His blood - not just an ending of conflict but true peace where Creator and creature live together in harmony.

We were enemies in our minds because of our evil behaviour - oh that I would live as a child of God and not an enemy of God!

But now we are holy in His sight without blemish - oh that I would live my life as how my Heavenly Father sees me!

IF – a small Word with a large meaning that millions who celebrate Christmas miss.

IF we continue in our faith, established and firm, not moving from the hope held out in the gospel. It is faith that connected us to the grace in which we now live - a full understanding of the message of the gospel brought to us by the apostles, a belief in that understanding, and a life that reflects that belief. Faith comes from hearing the gospel, we hear, we believe, and we worship, and out of that worship our life flows as Creator and creature live together in harmony.

Oh, Friend this Prince of Peace we worship is alive in us, which is our hope of glory.

I wonder does this peace we have with God bring us peace with those around us?

December 19, 2019 - Suggested Reading Hebrews 2 for the December 22nd message on Isaiah 9:1-7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-12-19T09:20:00.000-05:00

“Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.”

Hebrews 2:11-13 (NIV)

(Ps22:22) And again, “I will put my trust in him.” (Isa 8:17) And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.” (Isa 8:18)

Of the four titles given to our Lord Jesus by Isaiah 9:6, Everlasting Father seems confusing because we wonder how our Lord could be known as Father. Some answer this question by referring to the Trinity, and attempting to show that Isaiah was revealing Jesus as God through this title, but it seems like the title Mighty God covers that task quite well, and that the title Everlasting Father might have a different revelation in mind.

It seems to me that another aspect our Lord’s reign as King is in view here, for although it is hard for us to relate in a family way to the Lord Jesus. He is family! This King of kings, Lord of lords, who brings counsel and power and peace into our lives is family.

Not family of our doing- but what love God has lavished on us that we would be called the children of God, born again not of a human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

Not family as we understand family, for we all recognize that there is nothing everlasting about our family- we mourn the loss of our loved ones, but we will never mourn the loss of our Everlasting Father. Rather we will enjoy sweet, sweet fellowship with this Everlasting Father - our Lord Jesus Christ.

Not father as we understand father, for we all recognize that human fathers are at best a shadow of the image of our Heavenly Father, and at worst a grotesque distortion of all that a father is supposed to be. But Father in the sense of Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God forever! Dad’s are to be wise and mighty, and this Dad is both – forever.

Friend I long to walk with my Everlasting Father and to bask in the privilege of being in the family of God, seeing Him in His glory and sharing in His glory.

The wonderful truth is that I can experience this familial kinship now, this side of glory, as I seek His face, listening to Him, worshipping Him and experiencing the wonder of the wisdom and protection of my Everlasting Father.

December 18, 2019 - Suggested Reading Luke 9 for the December 22nd message on Isaiah 9:1-7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-12-18T16:33:00.002-05:00

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

Isaiah saw that our Lord Jesus was more than a Wonderful Counselor like other wise men in the world, for Isaiah saw Christ Jesus in His glory and declares Him to be Mighty God in Isaiah 9:6.

Surely more Christians have found encouragement in the 8th chapter of Romans than in any other Scripture text. After confronting the demoralizing truth of chapter 7 that there is a battle being waged in my inner person, Paul turns to the truth that we are no longer under condemnation and are not alone in our battle, but are united with Christ and indwelt by the Spirit, and bound for glory once the struggles of this life are over.

Paul then turns His attention to the question that comes to all true Christians (false believers don’t ask this question), “Am I still in the love of God through Christ Jesus?”. The answer according to Paul is a resounding YES!

Paul declares what Isaiah could see - simply that our God is Mightier than any other power in creation. Paul does it in a dramatic, poetic fashion ensuring that all the powers are covered and yet I wonder if we truly believe it.

Do we see Christ Jesus as greater than our sin?

My assurance of the hope I have in Christ does not rest on me and my efforts, but rests solely on the Mighty God, who saved me from my sin, anointed me with His Holy Spirit and who will bring me to His side in glory because of His unfailing love for me.

It is true that when I am in a period where I wander from Him, clutching unconfessed sin to my heart- it is true in those times that I don’t hear the assurance of the Spirit (vs16), rather what I hear is repent John repent for that is what I need to hear. Yet it is also true that the presence of that convicting voice is a reminder to me that I am His and that nothing can separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

Surely He is a Mighty God.

December 17, 2019 - Suggested Reading Luke 9 for the December 22nd message on Isaiah 9:1-7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-12-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

“A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.””

Luke 9:35 (NIV)

Isaiah prophesied that our Lord Jesus would be called Wonderful Counselor, and it seems like this first Name is the bedrock upon which the righteous rule of Christ is established in a person’s life, and it seems that the other 3 Names proceed from this Name.

I wonder if you are like a dear friend of mine that would become passionate about this text and loudly declare that there are 5 Names not - Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace? My dear friend is with His Lord now and no doubt uses all 5 Names to address his Lord, but for those of us here on this earth- the scholars tell us that the Hebrew contains 4 Names, not 5.

This first Name reveals His primary role in our lives, if we would willing seek His face, and listen to what He tells us- we would recognize Him as a Wonderful Counselor, for His counsel is wonderful in every way.

The lords of old told us serfs who to marry, where to live, what job to take up – they managed every aspect of the lives of the serfs. How much more should we the servants/slaves of the Risen Lord follow His instructions in every aspect of our lives?

We can read of the kings of Israel and their counselors, and see that a kingdom is established through a multitude of wise counselors. Now if a king needs wisdom outside of himself than surely, we need wisdom outside of ourselves. Of course, we all know people who only listen when they speak, and perhaps we find ourselves engaged in that prideful, self-centered behaviour but I hope that we all know the importance of listening when our Lord speaks, and have experienced the wonderful results of following His counsel.

It is how we came to faith- by hearing His voice above all other voices- for His sheep recognize His voice. It is how His kingdom came to our lives, and how we entered His kingdom, and it is how we see His kingdom and righteousness expand in our lives. How do we recognize His voice above all the other voices this day? It starts with deliberate action on our part to LISTEN. We find His voice in His Word, and that inner voice that tells us to go right or left (Isa 30:21) will never contradict His written Word, and actually I seem to hear that inner voice clearer in direct proportion to the time I spend in His Word.

We will never see Him revealed as Mighty God in our lives, until we accept Him as Wonderful Counselor, listen to what He tells us, and apply it in our lives.

December 16, 2019 - Suggested Reading Psalm 110 for the December 22nd message on Isaiah 9:1-7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-12-16T13:55:00.003-05:00

“The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying,
“Rule in the midst of your enemies!””

Psalm 110:2 (NIV)

This little psalm is a powerful Messianic psalm that is all about the rule of our Lord Jesus. For not only is Psalm 110:1 quoted by our Lord in Matthew 22:44, by Peter in Acts 2:34, and by the writer to the Hebrews in 1:13, as well as verse 4 in Hebrews 7:17, but the concept of Christ seated at the right hand of God is repeated over and over again in the New Testament. This is a powerful Word from God regarding the present state of our Lord - He is right now at the right hand of God.

I wonder if you can find encouragement in the truth that He rules in the midst of His enemies?

People scoff at our belief that our Lord is ruling now in heaven, and point to everything that is bad and the evil happening around us as proof that He doesn’t reign.

Oh friend He reigns in the presence of His enemies.

Just think about our state as a Christians - we are saved through the sanctifying Presence of the Holy Spirit, brought to life - alive in Christ. Yet that life of Christ within us - that precious reign of His happens inside of sinful me - is a reign surrounded by His enemies. Make no mistake - my flesh is the enemy of Christ. My eyes, my ears, my mind, my hands, my feet, my heart - oh my heart - my deceitful and wicked heart. Yet He reigns within me and He will reign in every part of me, in direct proportion to my willingness to declare Him King and go forth in holy battle.

I wonder if you can find encouragement in the truth that He is a priest forever?

Do the Words of Paul in Romans 8:34 bring encouragement to your heart? As he meditated on the truths in Psalm 110 Paul wrote; Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Interceding for us – FOREVER! Wow!

I wonder if you can find encouragement in the last Words of this Psalm, as it describes the future Day of Wrath where our King and Priest will come in judgment and destroy all those opposed to Him. What a glorious Day that will be, when my King destroys my sinful flesh and cloths me in immortality!

Oh friend be encouraged today in your faith in our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

May we be among the young men coming to the Lord like dew from the morning’s womb.

December 14, 2019 - Suggested Reading Zechariah 7 for the December 15th message on Isaiah 9:1-7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-12-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

“This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.”

Zechariah 7:9 (NIV)

When we think in courtroom terms we tend to think that mercy and justice are opposite to one another. This verse teaches us that mercy and compassion are an integral part of true justice. Zechariah was a prophet to the people whose story is told in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. These Jews who had returned from Babylon, and rebuilt Jerusalem’s walls and temple came to Zechariah with a worship question - should we mourn and fast in the fifth month? God’s answer given to Zechariah reiterates once again that true worship is a matter of life. Our natural tendency is to separate our worship time from how we live - but that is a false separation and will lead us into ruin. The LORD reminds the people that the prophets told their parents not to pretend to worship God while suppressing God’s people and because they wouldn’t stop that foolish practise God ruined their land and cast them out into Babylon. The Law tells us to love your neighbour as yourself, however our Lord Jesus tells us to love each other as Christ has loved us. This is true worship! It honours our Lord and His love for us, and it is a reflection of His heart.

How can we hurt those whom God loves and still expect that we are right with God?

How can we say and do hurtful things to our family while in the car on the way to church, and yet come inside and think that we have pleased God and are right with Him because we participate in a worship service for 70 minutes?

The apostle Paul in his charge to the elders at Ephesus tells them to shepherd (govern) the people in their church who were bought with Christ’s own blood.

I have found it helpful in my dealings with other Christians to tell myself “Watch yourself John, that person who is about to receive your vent – was bought with the blood of Christ - careful what you say and what you do.”

December 13, 2019 - Suggested Reading Zephaniah 3 for the December 15th message on Isaiah 9:1-7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-12-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

“The LORD within her is righteous; he does no wrong. Morning by morning he dispenses his justice, and every new day he does not fail, yet the unrighteous know no shame.”

Zephaniah 3:5 (NIV)

I prefer to see myself in the restoration promise of this chapter found in verses 9 thru 20, I am after all a Gentile, one of the worshippers God has purified through His Spirit and brought to Him from beyond the rivers of Cush. Praise His holy Name!

I don’t want to see myself in the first 8 verses of this chapter - yet how many times have I known no shame as I did what was wrong, refused to be corrected and did violence to the Law of God, in how I treated the people around me. From where I sit it seems to me that most of my brothers and sisters in Christ are on occasion in the same boat that I too readily occupy.

The LORD was within Jerusalem, being righteous and doing justice - never failing them- yet they failed Him – instead of His righteousness and justice being revealed through their lives, they oppressed the people around them.

The LORD is within us through His Spirit, being righteous and doing justice - never failing us - yet we fail Him we fail to love those people around us.

May God show us our true state.

May we feel shame.

May we run to Him confessing our sin - for He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, cleansing us from all unrighteousness - for faithful, just and righteous is He!

December 12, 2019 - Suggested Reading Micah 4 for the December 15th message on Isaiah 9:1-7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-12-12T14:40:00.001-05:00

“He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”

Micah 4:3 (NIV)

Micah and Isaiah ministered to the same people at the same time, though Isaiah’s ministry was longer and seemed to be centered in Jerusalem, whereas Micah ministered in the countryside.

The message of Isaiah 9 and Micah 4 are so similar that people who think the bible is created by human reasoning might wonder which prophet copied the other. Of course, you and I know that God says the same things through His many different apostles and prophets, and that a wise person pays special attention to those things that are repeated by our LORD. He is saying it again for a reason - He wants us to learn something, to see Him more clearly and to worship Him.

In Micah the weapons of war are broken down, whereas in Isaiah the boots and cloaks of warriors are burned, and yet both images convey the message that the rule of the King will eliminate war.

I enjoyed history class in school, especially the parts about our wars, and when you study how they get started you realize it doesn’t take much! Disagreement over a boundary, over an insult, over a woman, over just about anything will get a war going- and those root causes is what Micah is addressing here in Micah 4. The King of kings settles disputes between people, which Christians who follow our Lord and His apostles’ teachings realize quickly for His righteous rule in our lives, makes it possible to live in peace with one another. Yet there is still war to this day, we still train for war and go to war, even Christian fighting Christian, and so we know that while we taste this righteous rule in part now, the full reality of a world with many people from many nations and tribes and languages living in peace without dispute is yet to come.

Until it comes each of God’s children are called to live their lives without dispute. How can we dispute with each other while living in the grace of our Lord Jesus who settled the great dispute between us and God on the cross through His body and blood?

When it does come, through the glorious return of our Lord to this earth, what we call social justice will not be an abstract idea but will be practised by all.

Come Lord Jesus come

December 11, 2019 - Suggested Reading Amos 5 for the December 15th message on Isaiah 9:1-7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-12-11T13:40:00.001-05:00

“There are those who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground.”

Amos 5:7 (NIV)

These two biblical Hebrew Words (sdq and mispat) when they appear together form a hendiadys – which is the expression of a single idea by two words. The single idea expressed is what we call social justice. The English Words are justice and righteousness; justice having the sense of settling disputes and righteousness having the sense of being right in my actions towards God and my
fellow humans.

Amos uses the expression “there are those who” in verses 7, 10 and 12, and a look at those verses paint a picture of a terrible state for anyone to live in. It seems as you read about bribes and lies and courts that don’t deliver justice, that their situation in the Northern Kingdom of Israel is not much different than our modern western society, nor if we can believe reports from around the world, much different from any other society in existence. Humanity shares a common problem when it comes to justice and righteousness, for there seems to be an inexorable move in every society towards turning justice into bitterness and casting righteousness to the ground.

How can we possibly see justice rolling on like a river and righteousness like a never failing stream as the LORD calls us to in verse 24?

I love the language of a river when it comes to God and His grace - you can dam a river, but you can’t stop it, it is inexorable. You can divert a river, but you can’t stop it, it is inexorable. There is pressure from on high, and so it flows. God’s grace is being poured out from on high, He pours out into His people as they seek His kingdom and His righteousness in their lives.

How can we possibly see justice rolling on like a river and righteousness like a never failing stream? Only by breaking up the dam of pride and envy and conceit, by seeking His face in humility and repentance will that dam be broken and social justice flow out of my life. As each child of God does this, our lives will be marked by social justice - in our families, our schools and our communities.

December 10, 2019 - Suggested Reading Hosea 2 for the December 15th message on Isaiah 9:1-7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-12-11T13:37:00.000-05:00

“I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion.”

Hosea 2:19 (NIV)

I chose Isaiah 9:1-7 as a passage for Parkdale to meditate on as we approach Christmas because this historical Christmas passage features in its language about Christ Jesus, the emphasis the Minor Prophets place on righteousness and justice. This emphasis by the Minor Prophets is rightly taught in our day and age as the duty of Christians to engage in social justice, in terms of defending the weak and standing up for the rights of the oppressed, and restraining our natural inclination to lie, defraud and kill one another. However, in a country like Canada where our laws and society are heavily influenced by the Gospel and therefore have 200 years of public discourse about these duties- our public sense of what justice and righteousness are seems to differ somewhat from the biblical sense. However slight that difference may appear on the surface it will be good for us to examine the passages in the Minor Prophets that mention righteousness and justice, in order that we might be careful to have God’s understanding and not our culture’s understanding.

Hosea chapter 2 is a difficult chapter to sit and read, because of the graphic comparison between how God’s people treat God and how an adulterous spouse treats their faithful spouse. Adultery is ugly, the ramifications and consequences of adultery are uglier - especially the effect upon the children involved(vs4). How wonderful it is to finally arrive at verse 19 and hear our God speak to us about the wonderful future (for the Jews) which is our present situation in Christ Jesus! Our relationship with God through our union with Christ Jesus, is better in every way than the relationship between the Jewish people and God. It’s a different marriage because God has made it different – He has taken the responsibility for both sides of the marriage – it seems that our part is to acknowledge the LORD. So let us acknowledge Him today, let us meditate on and thank Him for the righteousness, justice, love, compassion and faithfulness that he has brought into us - into our relationship and into us. We have all that we need to be the people that He desires us to be. The first step to being righteous and just and loving and compassionate and faithful in our lives today, is to acknowledge that we are in spiritual union with the One truly righteous and just and loving and compassionate and faithful.

Praise His holy Name for betrothing us.

December 6, 2019 - Suggested Reading Luke 1:39-56 for the December 8th message on Micah 7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-12-06T18:31:00.001-05:00

“He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

Luke 1:54-55 (NIV)

I never tire of reading the account of a young Mary travelling to her older cousin Elisabeth’s house, receiving Elisabeth’s blessing, obviously taking it to heart for she breaks into a wonderful song of praise. What a work of the Holy Spirit!

I want us to notice that the language in Mary’s song echoes the last verse of Micah’s prophecy - “You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago.” – Micah is convinced that God will act in the future to forgive His people and bring about that time of rebuilding prophesied in verse 11. Now Mary saw the arrival of Jesus as God’s mercy arriving to earth as a result of God’s faithfulness to an oath He swore long ago. She sees in the birth of Jesus the fulfillment of Micah’s words of faith.

I wonder friend if you believe that today - right now – this moment - on the part of the earth that you occupy, that the time for rebuilding in your life has come. That’s how Mary saw the arrival of Christ to her and to her people, do we see the arrival of Christ in our life the same Mary did?

If we believe this, and admit that for many of the Jews in Mary’s day, the arrival of the Christ brought destruction, then we must believe that how we respond to Christ determines whether or not we will rebuild or as Micah says “lick dust”.

May the Holy Spirit fill each of us with His Presence, a sense of His holiness that shows us our sin, and drives us to flee to our God for His mercy and forgiveness. For all who respond to Christ in this way, today is the first day of the rebuilding of their lives.

What is my response to the Christ?

December 5, 2019 - Suggested Reading Psalm 113 for the December 8th message on Micah 7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-12-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

“Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high”

Psalm 113:5 (NIV)

Just a little psalm - surely we could memorize this little psalm?

Praise the LORD is how the psalm starts and ends, and we could say that the application of this psalm for a child of God is to open our mouths, let loose our tongues and let the praise that is in our hearts come out into the air. The amazing reality of this age of grace we live in is that every moment somewhere around this globe praise is rising towards our God from the mouths of His children, because daylight is 24/7 as the earth spins, and because there are Christians all over the face of this earth waking up and praising God. The only question is
– will my voice join in with this blessed choir.

This psalm gives us the reasons to join that choir - for our God is sits above the heavens and stoops down to the heavens and the earth - raising the poor from the dust - the needy from the ash heap, taking them from disgrace into palaces AND He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children.

Oh friend - why shouldn’t we praise the LORD?

Praise Him, Praise Him all ye little children - God is love - God is love…

December 4, 2019 - Suggested Reading Psalm 89 for the December 8th message on Micah 7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-12-04T10:54:00.003-05:00

“For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?”

Psalm 89:6 (NIV)

Oh friend can you imagine standing in the throne room of God, with arms raised, a heart burning within, a face that glows and a mouth that sings - beautifully sings - the praises of our Lord?

Can you imagine gazing upon His holiness, looking towards God and seeing Him surrounded by holy wondrous creatures that sing Holy, Holy, Holy? We might on this side of heaven wonder at the descriptions of these creatures that surround Him, but surely there in His Presence, we will see them in their glory, and marvel.

Ethan the Ezrahite envisioned the Lord in His holiness surrounded by great and holy creatures who make us look smaller and weaker than ants, and yet those creatures are nothing compared to our God!

Surely Ethan and the Jewish people needed this vision of God, as they endured the reality of their situation on earth. Thrown out of their land, with their temple in ruins, held captive by foreign nations, they needed to see God high and lifted up, and they needed to say with their mouths that this mighty God is surrounded by faithfulness (vs8) and that not only is His arm powerful, strong and exalted (vs13), but He sits on a throne that rests on a foundation of justice and righteousness from which love and faithfulness flow (vs14).

Oh friend can you see this God today?

Can you see Him high and lifted up?

Can you see His eyes of love turned towards you?

Yes He has allowed this situation you are in, He has the power to fix it, to heal it and yet He doesn’t.

We don’t know why He won’t use His power this way - BUT we do know that it is not His lack of faithfulness nor His lack of love RATHER it is His love, His faithfulness, His justice, and His righteousness that keeps Him from snatching us out of the situation until … until …

Then one day we won’t have to imagine - for we will see Him with our own eyes, we will behold His beauty and we will sing at the top of our voice to the God who delivered us.

December 3, 2019 - Suggested Reading Psalm 74 for the December 8th message on Micah 7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-12-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

“But God is my King from long ago; he brings salvation on the earth.”

Psalm 74:12 (NIV)

The psalm is the prayer of the people of Judah while in the darkness prophesied by Micah in verses 8 thru 10 in chapter 7. The temple is destroyed, their enemy mocks their God, they have no signs from God, nor do they have a Word from God through a prophet. But they do have the words of Micah and Isaiah and Jeremiah and the other prophets of long ago, and so they know and believe that God will save them - as verse 12 of this Psalm states so emphatically. They believe and yet while they are in the midst of the darkness it feels like forever - “O God, why have you rejected us forever?”

Now we know looking back by reading the birth account of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke that God did not reject them forever. We know by reading the crucifixion account of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel that God did not forsake His Son forever, but raised Him from the dead and we know from the Gospels and the Epistles that those of us who believe in Christ Jesus are born again into His life, and we are in Him, never to be rejected again. So we know in our heads that the trouble that come to us, the darkness that overwhelms us at times is not forever and has a perfecting purpose- but our souls need to be told what our heads know.

Don’t miss this in the Psalms - don’t miss the truth that the psalms are songs, meant to be sung, for our souls need to hear in the midst of the trouble that has come upon us that -“God is my King from long ago, He brings salvation on the earth.”

Most of the time we can listen to music as David did and have our souls comforted, but there are times when we need to say the words with our own lips, when our soul desperately needs to hear what our head already knows.

December 2, 2019 - Suggested Reading Psalm 30 for the December 8th message on Micah 7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-12-02T16:13:00.002-05:00

“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

Psalm 30:5 (NIV)

All of us who write (emails, letters, texts, all forms of writing) understand something about structure, or the arrangement of words, in order to convey an intended message. The bible is written in a specific way, by God through His prophets in order to convey a specific message. We can see that Micah 7 contains a simple, easily discernible structure;

a statement of misery over sin and a description of that sin in verses 1 thru 6,

a statement of hope in the midst of darkness and a description of that hope in verses 7 thru 10,

a prophetic utterance that a day (time period) of expansion will come for God’s people, and a description of that day vs 11 thru 17,

and then a statement of God’s character and a description of how He deals with all of us
(vs 18 thru 20).

Micah is conveying the message that Judah’s sin will bring about a time of darkness brought about by foreign nations, and yet there will come a day of expansion for Judah which involves the nations coming to Judah through God’s miraculous intervention in the world according to His character of a God who forgives sin.

Psalm 30 was written for the dedication of the temple - which was called “a house of prayer” that place where God would hear from heaven and bring help to His people. This psalm is a song of a person who was delivered from sickness and death, and it contains praise for God’s actions and a description of the prayers the sinner offered to God while being afflicted. The sinner felt secure until the LORD hid His face, and then the sinner cried for mercy, and God turned his wailing into dancing through God's action in his life.

The truth that links Psalm 30 and Micah 7 together is found in verse 5 - for the anger that burns against Judah for their false worship and lack of love will only last for a moment compared to the favour of God that lasts a lifetime. The misery Micah experiences, the darkness the nation will go into is not comparable to the favour and love and blessing that will be their end state.

This eternal favour of God comes to the Jews and to us the nations in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, and becomes real in this life, when we pray the prayer of Psalm 30.

Oh friend let us end the night that grips us, let us cry out for mercy, confess the sin of pride and self reliance and enter into the rejoicing of the morning, living in the light of His favour.

Let us sing the praises of the Lord, praise His holy Name.

November 30, 2019 - Suggested Reading Philippians 1 for the December 1st message on Micah 7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-11-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”

Philippians 1:9-11 (NIV)

God’s people are called to live lives of love.

Micah knows that his people are not prepared for God to visit them, for their unloving lives will bring about God’s punishment on them, and the words of the prophets (watchmen) will come true. This knowledge causes Micah misery as he realizes the truth of the situation, and all he can do is decide for himself to hope in God and wait for God to move in answer to the prayer of his heart.

Paul wants his people in Philippi to be prepared for the Lord’s return, so he prays that they will love with an abundance of knowledge and insight, so that they can discern what is best and be blameless and pure on the day the Lord comes back.

I think this is a timely prayer for us to consider at Parkdale today.

There is much talk these days about love in our Christian community, with some accusing us of lacking love because of positions we might take on certain types of behaviour carried on by people identifying themselves as Christian. Notice that according to this prayer in Philippians, love is not to be a blind love, but a knowledgeable love, a love that has insight and discernment, and a love that leads to purity and blamelessness. Paul’s goal is for us to be filled with the fruit of righteousness, the very metaphor that Micah can’t find in his people. The metaphor of fruit is used throughout Scripture- simply put- you reap what you sow.

The fruit of righteousness is behaviour that is exhibited by people who are in right standing with God, these behaviours flow from our right relationship with God - right relationship 1st, behaviours 2nd. We know how a Christian sows righteousness by that verse in 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Yes, we are righteous through faith in Christ Jesus - His righteousness becomes our righteousness, at the point of conversion - Praise God!! Yet we allow unrighteousness to crash the party by refusing to confess our sins. To confess sin is to admit that a behaviour is sin. Those who say to us that Christian love means we recognize people as righteous who refuse to admit their behaviour is sin – are rejecting the prayer of Paul for a life of love for the Philippians. It is impossible to be filled with the fruit of righteousness without righteousness in our lives. If there is no fruit of righteousness in our lives, then we are in the same state that people of Micah’s day were in- we are not ready for the Lord to appear in power.

November 29, 2019 - Suggested Reading Luke 12 for the December 1st message on Micah 7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-11-29T12:06:00.001-05:00

“They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Luke 12:53 (NIV)

What do you think?

Do you think our Lord is using the words of Micah 7:6 as he tells His disciples what to expect in this world as they make Him their priority?

Could it be that our Lord is quoting Micah 7:6 as He instructs His disciples on what family life will look like for a true worshipper of God during the “church age” – or the “day of grace” – or the “age of the Spirit” – that is the time between the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost and the triumphal return of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Whether your answer is “yes” or “no”, the similarities between Luke 12:53 and Micah 7:6 must cause us to wonder if the prophet Micah was given a glimpse into the church age by the Holy Spirit.

Could it be that verses 1 thru 7 describe Canada in 2019?

It sure seems like the faithful are disappearing from our land - the latest statistics show that evangelicals are shrinking as a percentage of the general population.

It also seems as if we are in a trend where children of Christians are leaving the faith at a greater rate than previous generations.

Our Lord told us that His presence as Lord in our lives would bring division into our families.

May we be the ones who watch in hope for the LORD and wait for God our Saviour!

November 27, 2019 - Suggested Reading Isaiah 57 for the December 1st message on Micah 7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-11-27T13:08:00.005-05:00

“The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.”

Isaiah 57:1 (NIV)

Micah is in misery in chapter 7 because the faithful have been swept from the land - it is worth the time reflecting on whether Micah speaks on God's behalf here- could God be in misery? is being grieved the same as being in misery? - or is the prophet speaking of his own heart as he sees the faithful dying off?

It can be a terrible thing when the one who is faithful to God is removed from a family. We have all seen it - the family might all come to church and no one seems more spiritual than the other, but after a death the family drifts away and you realize that the one who died was the faithful one.

It happens in a community as well, there is one who is shining like a light, and who is the salt of the earth, God sweeps them out of a community through death and the community flounders.

What we see in Micah 7 is the regular way God deals with a community, for He removed Lot and his family from Sodom, He removed Noah and his family from the flood, and He removed Joseph and his family from the famine in Canaan, while Jeremiah 24 tells us that the exile to Babylon was God’s way of protecting the “good figs” while destroying the idolatrous community. It sure seems that Matthew 24, I Thessalonians 5 and Revelation 11 speak of God removing the righteous at the end of this age, before dealing with the final judgment of all the wicked and the renewing of the heavens and the earth.

Although we can acknowledge a general sense of how God operates in judgment, we still experience misery over the faithful being swept away. Part of that misery is the scorn we feel from the world around us typified by the popular song by Billy Joel called “The good die young”, as he tempts a young Catholic girl into sin by pointing out that sinners have more fun.

The first verse of Isaiah 57 is so helpful for those of us who find ourselves in this type of misery, for it raises a point which is never raised by those in the world. The righteous are taken away for their good, to spare them from evil. We focus on our loss and on our community’s loss- God asks us to focus on their gain, and on the truth that when the righteous start to disappear you can be sure that the evil days of judgment are coming, for He will spare the righteous the punishment of the wicked.

November 26, 2019 - Suggested Reading Job 19 for the December 1st message on Micah 7 in our worship service at 10:00AM

2019-11-26T14:37:00.001-05:00

“I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”

Job 19:25-27 (NIV)

As we get ready to examine Micah’s great declaration of hope in the LORD in the midst of misery and family division prophesied in Micah 7:7, it will be good for us to consider for a moment- the oldest recorded emphatic declaration of hope in the LORD issued by a true worshipper in
abject misery.

Job’s statement in chapter 19 of what he knows, is an amazing declaration of the hope we have in Christ Jesus. We might wonder how someone could hope in Christ Jesus before our Lord was even born, and that wonder should lead us to worship a God above time, who only had 1 plan to save His people, and revealed that plan to prophets and worshippers in small glimpses thousands of years before our Lord was born in Bethlehem.

Job knows – his redeemer lives - to know that someone has paid the price for your sin and that your redeemer is alive – now that is hope!

Job knows – at the end he will stand on the earth – to know that there is an end to life as all humans to date have experienced it, and that when that end comes our Redeemer will stand on the earth (notice the word earth, not a cloud or heaven, but the earth) – now that is hope!

Job knows - after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God – that his body will be destroyed by death, and yet he knows that he will see God within his body, with his own eyes - the glorious truth of resurrection- now that is hope!

Job knows - I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another – to believe the doctrine of the resurrection is encouraging and brings hope BUT to know personally, that you will be welcomed by God, that you will be able to gaze upon His beauty and holiness is to have a wonderful assurance of your own salvation and standing with God - now that is hope!

Job knows - How my heart yearns within me! –We can fool others about our inner desires- but I hope we work hard at identifying what our heart longs for. Our final destination will be wherever our desires rest.

Do I long for the day I gaze on my Redeemer Christ Jesus?

Do I long for that day when the world as we know it will come to an end?

Do I long for the day when I will have a heavenly body instead of the earthly one I have now?

– now that is hope!

November 25, 2019 – Meditations on Micah 6:8

2019-11-25T16:38:00.000-05:00

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

As we leave our time in Micah 6 in our AM service, I have been reflecting on the importance of the message of Micah 6:8 to everyone who calls themselves Christian.

That the Jewish people knew these requirements should be apparent to any reader of the Bible, especially in light of our Lord’s answer to the question about the greatest commandments - to love God with all that you are, and to love your neighbour as yourself - which is obviously a parallel of Micah 6:8. They knew that sacrifices were secondary and that receiving mercy from God and extending mercy to one another was primary, yet they persisted in their folly of going through the motions of observing corporate worship without any sign of worship in their everyday lives.

This behaviour of engaging in corporate worship without holiness in a person’s life is deadly. It not only destroys us, as we can see clearly in Micah it destroys our families, our churches and
our communities.

The Word our Lord used to describe this type of behaviour is hypocrite – for instance in Matthew 23:23 He says; “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” Clearly our Lord is telling us to observe corporate worship AND live a life of worship, but hypocrite is a nasty word that can throw Christians into a spiral of self destruction- and some feel like they have to stop involving themselves in corporate worship in order to not be a hypocrite.

Now there is a trap of the devil’s making! The only way that I can ever live the life of worship that I have been called to live is through genuine worship, how in the world am I going to worship God genuinely apart from attending corporate assemblies that gather in His Name?

We forget that it is only people who don’t believe in anything who can confidently claim not be a hypocrite – are we willing to drop our belief in God? I would say that being apostate is worse than being a hypocrite. At least a hypocrite can humble themselves and seek God’s grace to enable them to live the life God has planned for them.

As our Lord said - we should practice the latter without neglecting the former, and praise God –
He will give us the grace to do both!

Let us seek His face and His ways today, and before we know it the tag of hypocrite will slide off us into the dustbin of history.