Word of Life Church Podcast

We know God by approximation and encounter. Within the approximation we have been given by the church we see that God is righteous. Righteousness is a Bible word that many fail to understand. God’s righteousness is his covenant faithfulness. This reimagining of the word righteousness fits within the big story the Bible tells: a story of creation, corruption, covenant, and new creation. God has remained faithful to his covenant to bless the world through Israel. As followers of Jesus the Messiah we are invited to participate with God in blessing and restoring the world as we seek after his covenant faithfulness and embody it as we live our lives of worship, work, and play.

Once we understand that Jesus is image of God, the exact imprint of God’s nature, and the only perfect theology, we can answer some important questions about God that in the past we humans have often gotten wrong.Does God send the storm? No. He calms the storm.Does God cause famines? No. He feeds the hungry.Does God inflict sickness? No. He heals the sick.Does God shun sinners? No. He welcomes them.Does God condemn the guilty? No. He saves them.Does God blame the afflicted? No. He shows them mercy.Does God resent human pleasure? No. He turns the water to wine.Does God take our side in our hostilities? No. He humanizes the other side.Does God kill his enemies? No. He forgives them.Does God return with revenge on his mind? No. He comes with words of peace.

Martha was distracted and worried about many things. But Mary had learned the secret of Real Presence. If we don't learn how to be really present to the Real Presence, we will be constantly harassed by pain from the past, distraction in the present, and anxiety about the future. In our age of distraction learning to practice Real Presence will bring much needed peace and healing to our souls.

When Jesus quoted from Isaiah 61 at his hometown synagogue in Nazareth, he says the Spirit of the Lord is upon him to proclaim good news, liberation, restoration, and the year of God's favor. But Jesus omits Isaiah's line about "the vengeance of our God." Was it was a mistake? No. From what Jesus says next we know it was clearly intentional. Jesus came to bring the mercy of God and close the book on vengeance.

Whether it’s a flood, a famine or a Pharaoh…God will deliver you! When you’re facing a Goliath or in a lion’s den…God will deliver you! Even if the wine runs out, the boat is begins to sink or Lazarus begins to stink…God will deliver you! The point of salvation history is that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. But faith doesn’t mean that everything will always turn out just the way you want it to. Shall we say that God failed to deliver these heroic sufferers and faithful martyrs? Of course not! God delivered them through the testing of their faith, not from the testing of faith. Isaiah sawn asunder was not less delivered than Shadrach, Meshach, Abed-nego.

When we follow the example of Stephen we discover a life filled with the Holy Spirit as we remain open to God in prayer, acknowledging his presence with us and his love for us.

In the final hours before his crucifixion Jesus is blamed, accused, condemned. The Sanhedrin accused Jesus of blasphemy; Pilate convicted him of insurrection. But Jesus is neither a blasphemer nor a violent revolutionary—he is blameless. Indeed, he is the only truly blameless one—he is the innocent Lamb of God. But Jesus takes the blame anyway. All of it. He doesn’t try to defend himself. Jesus doesn’t argue, Jesus doesn’t defend himself, Jesus doesn’t even open his mouth. Why? Because Jesus takes all the blame. Jesus doesn’t deserve any of the blame, but… Jesus bears it. He takes it. He carries it. He absorbs it. All of it. Why? Because he’s the Lamb of God—the completely innocent scapegoat who takes all our blame. Jesus is the Lamb of God. And what does the Lamb of God do? The Lamb of God takes away all the sin of the world. Jesus takes away all the blame of the world. Where does he take it way to? To hell, to Sheol, to the grave. Where it belongs! And Jesus leaves it there…in hell…where it belongs…where satan belongs!

O LORD, the hope of Israel!All who forsake you shall be put to shame.Those who turn away from you shall be written in the dust,for they have forsaken the LORD,the fountain of living water.–Jeremiah 17:13If we use the Bible to condemn other people…If we use the Bible as a weapon to trap our enemies…If we use the Bible as a barrier to dam the river of God’s mercy…We are written in the dust.

The journey from Sinai to Tabor…The journey from Exodus to Matthew…The journey from the Old Testament to the New Testament…The journey from God hidden in darkness to God revealed in light…The journey from seeing the back of God to seeing the face of God…Is the journey of the progressive revelation of God found in Scripture.It's the journey from Back of God Theology to Face of God theology.

In Acts 2 we find the believers devoting themselves to “the prayers.” In Acts 4 we find the believers lifting their voices in spontaneous prayer. We need both: The formation of liturgical prayer and the spontaneity of improvisational prayer.