BOLD Outreach Reflections from Psalm 5

The Promise of Mercy – How Sweet is That?

How often have you prayed to God and asked Him to hear you, to really hear? In the opening verses of Psalm 5, David asked God to consider his innermost thoughts. That’s a dangerous thought! Would I really want God to examine every last thought I have had today? Including those thoughts of frustration and contempt when I didn’t get my way? Hmmm, my innermost thoughts aren’t always so good. I would prefer to keep them hidden.

To invite God to consider my innermost thoughts is to place myself at His mercy. This is risky considering how much God detests disobedience and wickedness. He certainly knows that I have not been obedient or free from lustful and selfish thoughts. I am certainly not worthy to stand in His presence. He is holy and I am not!

David recognized this paradox, but he trusted in the mercy of God. He states, “I will enter your house because of your great mercy” (Psalm 5:7, God’s Word). David was able to stand in the presence of God without fear because he knew that the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness were poured out on all those who looked to the Lord for help. David recognized that God hates sin and those who despise the Lord’s name and commandments. He also recognized that God’s desire is for His people to place their trust in His provision and mercy.

David provides us with this outreach promise in Psalm 5,

"All who take refuge in [the Lord will] rejoice. [They will] sing with joy forever. Protect them, and
let those who love your name triumph in you. You bless righteous people, O LORD. Like a large shield, you surround them with your favor" (Psalm 5:11-12, God’s Word, Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, http://www.godsword.org/).

How do unrighteous, sinful people become righteous in the eyes of God? By trusting in the forgiveness purchased for them through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the promised Messiah, the Son of God, took the punishment for our sins upon Himself.

David trusted in the promise that his sins would be forgiven. We can trust in the promise that they have been forgiven. In Christ, God has accomplished this for David and for us. With David, we can confess our sins and throw ourselves on the mercy of God knowing that the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed us from all of our sins.

We can share Jesus with confidence and certainty, knowing that those who call out to God for mercy will receive forgiveness of sins, and will be placed under the protection of God forever.

So what is so good about Good Friday?

For those who are outside of the Christian faith observing Christians and the worship services held on this day, (which is passionately referred to as "Good Friday"), it must seem strange that we would celebrate the suffering and death of our beloved leader, teacher, and Lord Jesus Christ. Other spiritual leaders have died for their causes, and while they are remembered, their death is not the focus of celebration, but is more often seen as a tragedy and a setback for their movement. However, for the followers of Jesus Christ, his death is the critical point at which he accomplishes his ministry on earth. Therefore, he confidently said, “It is finished!” as he bowed his head in death. He knew that death could not hold him and that he would come to life again on the morning of the third day.

So just what brought Jesus to this point? Jesus was motivated by an overwhelming response of obedience to his Father, the almighty God, and by His love for us, all the people of the world whom He had created. Jesus was no ordinary man. He was God incarnate – that is God himself. He had willingly surrendered his position of authority in the heavens and took on the form and being of a man for the sole purpose of restoring the perfect relationship between God and His created world. Jesus knew that this relationship could only be restored by one sinless human being who would have to take upon himself the punishment of God, which should have been poured out on God’s rebellious, corrupt and disobedient creation. Jesus knew that no other human being could withstand God’s wrath and punishment, because they all had become corrupted. The only hope for restoring the relationship was for God himself to come into our world as a man and live a sin free life. But there is more, this sin-free man would have to take all of the wrath and punishment of God upon himself – even though he did not deserve it – and die for sins which he did not commit, so that the curse of death would be destroyed and eternal life with God would once again be restored.

Jesus knew this was his calling. He also knew that he had to bear this burden for the sake of all people. As a man he suffered pain in every way that we do. He felt emotions – love, joy, peace, as well as the pain of rejection. He was misunderstood. He was followed for many of the wrong reasons. But he knew his calling – and that calling was to take upon himself the punishment that we deserved. That’s right, we deserved to die because of our inability to live with out breaking God’s commandments. Death was and still is the punishment God required of all people who break His commandments. Jesus willingly took our place (yours and mine) by allowing himself to be put to death for our sin. He did this because He loves us, you and me. He died for you and me to spare us from the punishment of God. His death in our place is His gift to us. Specifically, His death paid in full the punishment you deserved for your sin and rebellion against God. Because He paid this price in full with His death – you are now free from God’s punishment – you are free to receive from Jesus the forgiveness of your sins – you are free to live a new life with Him.

This is the way God chose to destroy death and restore his relationship with his creation. Jesus, God’s son, the only one who had never sinned, died the death of a criminal; after he was brutally beaten by His own creation, and rejected by those who claimed to be the spiritual leaders of the day. It was a horrible end to his life! It was a gut wrenching tragedy in the eyes of his closest followers! It was a sad day in the life of the world, but it was necessary! It was planned; it was not the end, but only the beginning. The very moment Jesus died the power of death was destroyed.
Death is still our enemy, but it is a defeated enemy. What had been started in the Garden of Eden by the deception of Adam and Eve was now brought full circle. Satan with all of his cunning and lies, played into the hand of God; as he was instrumental in turning the people into a mob that called for Jesus to be crucified. Satan’s rejoicing over Jesus’ death was short lived, for Jesus Christ’s death was the very event that defeated Satan. In that defining moment, Satan who had tempted Adam and Eve to rebel against God was stripped of his power.

This was the day we now celebrate as Good Friday. Like our celebrations of historical battles, this day was the day Satan was defeated by the death of Jesus Christ. It was also the day in which God, through Jesus Christ, paid the price for the sins of the world and made it possible for all to come into his presence through faith in Jesus Christ. This is a day that I cherish, because God through Jesus Christ revealed His love for me. Jesus died in my place. He took the punishment I deserved and paid the price for my sin. Jesus not only died for me, but He died for you also. He died so you would have your sins forgiven. He died so you would be able to have the freedom to live in His love and forgiveness. He died to give you a new life. This was a day that God had planned and it was delivered and fulfilled by the obedience of Jesus Christ, God’s very own Son, the Savior of the world.

On Sunday we will once again celebrate Easter. Christians celebrate Easter, because death could not hold our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Through faith in Him and the forgiveness of sins, which we have received through Jesus death on the cross, we all have that promise of eternal life – death will not be able to hold us. We celebrate our resurrection on Easter, because we know that a day is coming when we too will rise from the grave to spend eternity with God in His heavenly home. We look forward to that day with great anticipation and for this reason, we sing praises and rejoice with the sounds of trumpets and clashing symbols in many of our worship services on Easter Sunday morning.

So today is Good Friday, a day to celebrate Jesus Christ’s passionate death upon the cross in payment for our sins and on Sunday will we celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the grave. However, these celebrations pale in comparison to the celebration we will have on that final Easter Sunday, when we will be with Christ in all of His glory. That hope gives us the courage and strength to face each new day, while still here on this side of eternity.

Outreach Reflections from Psalm 4

Subtitle: The light of God’s presence brings Hope, Peace, and Joy.

“Many are saying, “Who can show us anything good?” Let the light of Your presence shine on us, O LORD. You put more joy in my heart than when their grain and new wine increase. I fall asleep in peace the moment I lie down because you alone, O LORD, enable me to live securely” (Psalm 4:6-8, God’s Word, Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, http://www.godsword.org/).

As I read Psalm 4 looking for words of encouragement and motivation for Christian outreach, verses 6 through 8 reminded me of a praise and worship song that is commonly sung in many churches. The refrain from this song always rings in my ears long after the music stops.

“Shine, Jesus, Shine, fill this land with the Father’s glory; Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire. Flow, river, flow; flood the nations with grace and mercy. Send forth Your Word, Lord, and let there be light” (Graham Kendrick, 1987).

This song is a prayer, calling for God to ignite a fire within us, that would lead us to have a burning passion to bring glory to God by telling others of Jesus Christ. In Psalm 4, David states that many are questioning and doubting that anything in life is good. David’s reply indicates that he will find his joy, peace, and security in the LORD. He states that these come from the presence of the LORD in his life. In the beginning of verse 6, David calls on God to shine the light of His presence on His people.

When we are asked similar questions about anything in life being good, we can follow David’s lead and point people to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We know that through His death and resurrection, Jesus has freed us from sin, death, and the Devil. In two different accounts in the Gospel of John, Jesus stated that He was the Light of the world. In John 8:12 – “Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have a life filled with light and will never live in the dark” (God’s Word, 1995, http://www.godsword.org/). In John 12:46, Jesus said, “I am the light that has come into the world so that everyone who believes in me will not live in the dark” (God’s Word, 1995, http://www.godsword.org/).

Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of what most Christian’s call Holy Week. Throughout the week we will be reflecting on the suffering and death of Jesus Christ for our sins, and eagerly waiting for the celebration of the risen Christ on Easter Sunday morning. This celebration is just too good to keep to ourselves! Christ burst from the tomb in radiant glory on that first Easter morning. He has conquered death. We no longer need to be afraid of dying, because we will live forever in Jesus Christ. That is certainly good news to share with those who only see doom and gloom in their lives. May the light of the presence of Christ shine on you today and may you reflect that light onto your doubting neighbors and friends.

Outreach Reflections from Psalm 3

Subtitle: March madness the countdown to victory.

It’s that time of the year again when the NCAA basketball tournament playoffs are the focus of the American sport’s world. Last week Thursday the playoffs began. Unfortunately my favorite team (the Minnesota Gophers) lost in the first round of play. The surprise upset in the tournament so far has to be Northern Iowa, who knocked off Kansas (a number one seated team) in the second round of play. So what does this have to do with Christian outreach and God’s promises? Just this – we may be just hopefully guessing when we pick our playoff brackets, but when it comes to picking the real winning team in life, we don’t have to guess! We know who it is and who is leading the team.

King David wrote that his enemies would say he was on a losing team. “Many are saying about me, “Even with God on his side he won’t be victorious” (Psalm 3:2, God’s Word, Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, http://www.godsword.org/).

But he had faith that God would prevail against his enemies even if everyone else considered him to be out numbered and destined to lose. Listen to David’s words written as he was fleeing for his life from his rebellious son, who had won over the hearts of almost all of David’s people; the nation of Israel.

“But you, O LORD, are a shield that surrounds me. You are my glory. You hold my head high. I call aloud to the LORD, and He answers me from His holy mountain. I lie down and sleep. I wake up again because the LORD continues to support me. I am not afraid of the tens of thousands who have taken positions against me on all sides” (Psalm 3:3-6, God’s Word, http://www.godsword.org/).

Are you afraid to share your faith with others? Do feel at times as if you have been placed on a losing team? You see the need and the number of those who are opposed to Jesus Christ, and then just feel overwhelmed? It happens to the best of God’s servants. But the good news is that we have the inside scoop. We know the outcome of this battle. We can fill out our bracket card with certainty. God is with us. Jesus Christ has won the victory for us by His death and resurrection. Therefore we can go out and boldly proclaim with King David, “Victory belongs to the LORD!” (Psalm 3:8, God’s Word, http://www.godsword.org/).

Outreach Reflections from Psalm 2

Sub title: Christ the Messiah is the king of Zion.

Are you afraid to speak about Jesus Christ or give witness to Him as our Lord and Savior? It is natural to have such fear. The message of Jesus Christ is not politically correct. There are many people who believe that God is a loving God, and yet reject the message of Jesus Christ as being far too radical. They see Jesus as a great teacher and prophet, yet they believe that he went too far when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me. If you have known me, you will also know my Father. From now on you know him through me and have seen him in me” (John 14:6,7, God’s Word, 1995). * (Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society, www.godsword.org).

These people are offended when we proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God. But that should not surprise us, because Jesus has already warned us that we will hated by the world because of Him.

In Psalm 2 we are told that the kings of the nations plot against God and His Son. They gather and conceive of all sorts of plans to do away with the commandments of God. They legalize sinful behavior and impose punishments upon those who get in their way. They persecute people who stand up for Jesus Christ. People are imprisoned for sharing their faith with their neighbors or leading someone to faith in Jesus Christ. The leaders of the nations gather for world peace, global warming, and other summits, but ignore the rights of children used as slaves, pollution, and other inhumanities, that get in the way of their profiteering.

Where is the comfort in this Psalm? What are the promises that we can hang on to that will give us encouragement? They are found in two sections. First, God states:

“I have installed my own king on Zion, my holy mountain.” I will announce the Lord’s decree. He said to me: “You are my Son. Today I have become you Father. Ask me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your own possession. You will break them with an iron scepter. You will smash them to pieces like pottery.” (vs. 6-9).

Jesus has already smashed the power of Satan through His death and resurrection. The power of Satan and his rulers are a folly before God. God laughs at their feeble attempts to alter His commandments or when they ignore His judgments against them (v. 3-4). Jesus has been given the world as His inheritance. He reigns as the king of Zion. But that is not all that is promised.

Psalm 2 ends with this promise. “Blessed is everyone who takes refuge in him” (v. 12). Jesus, God’s Son, is our refuge. In Him we will receive an inheritance with Him in His kingdom. For everyone who believes in Christ as his or her Lord and Savior will also reign with Christ in His glory (John 14). This is good news! Rejoice, and tell this good news to others.

DCO Peter

Outreach Reflections from Psalm 1

I have completed my final assignments for the Masters of Arts in Christian Outreach program that I have been taking online through Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota. It feels so good to be done! In my last course I was introduced to a book written by Dr. Philip Bickel titled Outreach Promises (Roller Coaster Press, 1998) http://www.rollercoasterpress.com/ . The concept and purpose of Outreach Promises is to seek and find Biblical promises from God to enable you to share your faith “whenever you have opportunity to serve and speak in the name of Christ” (p. 5). I have decided to take the challenge to find outreach promises in the Psalms and reflect on the encouragement that they provide for us as we go about sharing Christ’s love with others. It is my prayer that my words and reflections will be an encouragement to you. I hope that they will help you to see the opportunities that God has placed before you to be His witness. I have come to understand that outreach begins with us where we are and the best opportunities to carry out God’s mission is to the people around us. I hope this discussion allows us to have a dialogue with each other and will allow me to be as much a student as I am a teacher. I have chosen to use God’s Word (Copyright 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society) for all of my texts. I like this translation because of its contemporary use of the English language. It is very easy to read and, especially in the Psalms, it has retained the poetic style of the songs.

Psalm 1: 1-3 "Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of wicked people, take the path of sinners, or join the company of mockers. Rather, he delights in the teachings of the Lord and reflects on His teachings day and night. He is like a tree planted beside streams – a tree that produces fruit in season and whose leaves do not wither. He succeeds in everything he does."

God promises that He will flow through us with His Word like life-giving water flows through a tree. This Word of God brings life and provides for the re-creation of life. Healthy trees bear fruit. And what is the fruit of a tree? Another tree. Healthy trees produce seeds that have the potential to grow into new healthy trees. Not all seeds become new trees, but in their season seeds germinate and become new trees. In this outreach promise we are told that God will work through us to produce fruit. Our task is to remain close to the source of the life-giving water. God’s role is to keep us healthy, full of joy and seed producing. God is the one who produces the fruit. So the pressure is off. Live in Christ. Delight in His Word. Grow seeds and let them fall around you or blow in the wind. Then when your seeds fall to the ground, trust that God will allow some of those seeds to grow into the next generation of seed producing trees.