29 Jul Rain rain go away…!
…Rats!…Not soon enough!
As I sit to write this, Tuesday morning…the rain has blessed the growing crops, but drenched the turf & track at the Murrumbidgee Turf Club & caused the cancellation of today’s races. So…no praying for the observance of Jockey Celebration Day for me this afternoon. Disappointed? Sure, but delighted that a small corner of our city remains open to the ministry of God’s Word & prayer and soon enough, I’ll be able to share out there. Keep praying for that opportunity to arise again sooner rather than later.
What else? Let’s check our week & then talk some about something else…
- Zoom Bible Study Catch-up (we’ll revisit our conversation on the Power of Generosity)
Friday 1st August 2025 @ 1:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting — https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89674789066 — Meeting ID: 896 7478 9066 - Sunday, 3rd August we kick-off a great new worship & teaching series centred on Joseph & the way God worked “Behind the Seen” in his life to make God’s promise to Abraham move closer to fulfilment. There is great encouragement for each of us there…God working for our good & the good of his kingdom through us…even when we don’t see it outright.
- Giving Beyond Ourselves is for the Australian Racing Christian Chaplaincy (the group I was going to be supporting at the MTC today). We’ll “meet” via video two of their chaplains this week & I’m hoping to have the head of their organization visit here later in the year.
- Morning Tea this week! What a great opportunity to invite someone you know to worship…both for the experience of God’s Word among his people, but also for the fellowship of the church gathered. Go on…you & they will be glad you did.
- Ladies Fellowship is on Thursday 7th August – 1 John 4:1-21 – This is always one of my favourite days of the month…gathered around God’s Word with Christ’s disciples learning together.
AND…Another great opportunity has come to us as a family of Christ followers…
2025 marks the 100th year of Lutheran worship in Wagga & the Riverina and Living Water has been invited to play a role in that celebration!
Living Water will feature in the magazine being produced to honour our faith ancestors and the changing shape of Lutheran worship, service, and community here. I’ll put together a small pastoral reflection on our 12 years together and Philippa will offer some thoughts about our worship & community life. So far, that’s what we know. And…We will also be invited to the worship celebration at Bethlehem on the 26th of October at 2:00 p.m. The afternoon time slot gives Lutherans from around the region a chance to gather & rekindle old friendships. It should be a fine event & I encourage you to mark your calendar NOW!
I may have mentioned before that my daily devotional reading through the Bible has me in the Psalms at the moment…There’s lots of ‘em so I’ll be there awhile! Anyway…Psalm 50 caught me the other day & I shared it via text with my usual text list…but want to revisit that here.
Psalm 50 reads like a conversation with God & God’s not too pleased with his people. Here’s just a small sample: Ps 50:16-19
But God says to the wicked:
“Why bother reciting my decrees and pretending to obey my covenant?
For you refuse my discipline and treat my words like trash.
When you see thieves, you approve of them, and you spend your time with adulterers.
Your mouth is filled with wickedness, and your tongue is full of lies…”
God uses the word “wicked” to describe those who make a pretence of faithfulness, those who fake faith. The “wicked” according to God are those who know all the right words, but live opposed to what God says. They are akin to the “whitewashed tombs” that Jesus called the Pharisees…look great but are dead inside. They praise God in one breath but in the next lie to their neighbour or slander their brother. God simply will not allow that to go unchallenged:
“While you did all this, I remained silent, and you thought I didn’t care.
But now I will rebuke you, listing all my charges against you.
Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you.”
Note that God’s challenge is a call to repentance. God leaves the door open for his children to be transformed by his word. God’s rebuke is also a promise to reclaim, restore & rescue. Those who continue in their own way are beyond help & hope. The gospels twice record Jesus quoting Isaiah 29:13: “And so the Lord says, ‘These people say they are mine. They honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.’” Again…where our words & lives don’t match up…God is neither fooled nor pleased.
While I’m not surprised by the grace that is always evident even in God’s strongest rebuke, it did surprise me to see the use of the word “wicked” used in this way…for those of fake feigned faith. It’s wicked to know what God says, & choose your own way. It’s wicked to pretend God’s “silence” is an endorsement or tolerance for bad behaviour. But…God always offers his hand in hope…
“But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honours me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.” – Ps 50:23
Let thanksgiving lead your way this week as you allow the Father to guide you along his path through life to life everlasting.
See you along that way & then again Sunday!
John
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.