Category Archives: Uncategorized

Slippery Slope

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Pragmatism is the slipperiest of slopes.  Machiavelli’s maxim, “the end justifies the means” is perhaps the quintessential expression of pragmatism.   When it comes to decision making, Christians often wrestle with call of faith to act from principle rather than pragmatism.  Pragmatism subtly mocks faith in God’s promises and precepts as either naïveté or presumption.  Or Pragmatism dismisses the promptings of the Holy Spirit as a lack of common sense or sheer imprudence.

When Abraham left Ur of the Chaldeans, he conspired with his wife to follow a course of pragmatism.  Because of her great beauty and the immorality of the people they would encounter, they agreed to hazard their marriage covenant for the sake of physical safety.   But the Lord unmasked their plan and humbled Abraham before Pharaoh and the court of Egypt.  From this Abraham began to learn how to walk by faith and not by sight.  Lot, Abraham’s nephew, did not learn from observing his uncles mistake however.  By choosing the way of pragmatism, Lot led his family deeper and deeper into compromise and catastrophe and placed them firmly on a spiritually slippery slope.

Join us this Lord’s Day, August 6, for worship at Pottsville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church as we examine the account of Abraham and Lot from Genesis 13 and consider how we are to “walk by faith and not by sight.”.  For directions click here. We look forward to seeing you.

In the Trenches

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The year 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of the United States’ entry into World War I.  For most of us, WWI is a war shrouded in obscurity.  While even the most casual student of World War II can name a few pivotal battles or events only the most savvy historian can discuss WWI with any confidence.  Unlike previous wars, its battlefields were not formed around strategic landmarks so much as vast nameless labyrinths of trenches separated only by scorched earth and barbed wire.

Conflict in the trenches is close combat with a mortal enemy.  And it is warfare waged in obscurity.   So it is with spiritual warfare in our lives.   The glorious calling to Christ is so often immediately followed by times of testing.   This was true of the Lord, himself.  In the gospel of Mark we read that moments following His baptism,

“The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.  And he was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan.”  Mark 1:12-13

As his followers we are instructed that “as you have received Christ Jesus, the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith.”  Our faith is not an event or mere declaration, it is a gift that grows through following Christ in testing and in trials.  Much of the life of faith is lived in the trenches.  It includes failure and forgiveness, vigilance and victory, perseverance and peace.

The Bible is not a sanitized book of mythologized heroes.  It’s most faithful men are sinners who are reconciled to God and with their loved ones only through the gospel.  We see their failures and their brokenness in living color, but we also see the kindness of God which leads them to repentance.  We see their faith grow large, but only in the trenches.

Abraham is a good example of this.   In Genesis 12, God graciously calls Abraham and promises to bless him and be with him.   Abraham obeys God’s call and establishes faith and worship as a pattern in his family’s life, yet before the chapter is exhausted, he cowers before a petty tyrant and swaps his beloved wife with a pagan to save his own skin.    Though God graciously thwarts Abraham’s faithless act, can you imagine how this might plague his relationship with Sarah and seem to jeopardize God’s means of blessing the families of the earth?   Yet this is not what we find.   Sin is not the last word.  God’s promises have not failed.  Though Abraham behaves faithlessly in this situation, God remains faithful to hold him in grace and grows him in his faith.  The scripture paints a vivid picture of Abraham’s walk with God, yes sometimes on the high places, but often in the trenches.

Join us this Lord’s Day, July 30, for worship at Pottsville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church as we examine this troubling account of Abraham and Sarah from Genesis 12:10-20 and consider God grows our faith in the trenches.  For directions click here. We look forward to seeing you.

Ad Fontes

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Ad Fontes, “to the fountains,” was the motto of the Christian Humanists, whose discovery of the preaching of the early church fathers sparked the Reformation with its emphasis on “sola fide” or salvation “by faith alone.”  The gospel was unshackled from legalistic tradition and extrabiblical rites as men went back to the fountains of God’s Word and gospel preaching to proclaim a salvation that was utterly gracious and a faith that was the free gift of God.

But as soon as we say salvation is by faith alone, some will ask,  where does this faith come from?   In the Bible, the Old Testament patriarch Abraham is held up as the paradigmatic man of faith.   From where did his faith spring?   Was it a moral code?  An inherent goodness?  Some intrinsic spark in his heart fanned into flame by piety?

We meet Abraham in Genesis 11, the youngest son in a family of moon worshipers.  God had not spoken to men for hundreds of years.  But suddenly God breaks his silence and speaks to Abraham, renewing His covenant with him.   God called upon Abraham, before Abraham called upon God.  God chose Abraham, not the other way around.  The Bible calls this “election”  — a precious doctrine which frightens many, but is inescapably pervasive in the Scriptures.

Join us this Lord’s Day, July 23, for worship at Pottsville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church as we examine God’s call to Abraham from Genesis 11:26-12:9 and the doctrine of election that forms the spring from which faith flows.  For directions click here. We look forward to seeing you.

Sidetracked

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What does it take to get you sidetracked from your calling?  Roadblocks, distractions, sloth, competing desires, discouragement or even perhaps a rebellious attitude?  It can be difficult to avoid being sidetracked, especially in our spiritual lives.  In Christianity, the word discipleship is rooted in discipline, which is what is indispensable in following Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:7-8,

…train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

No one has a more vested interested in seeing you sidetracked in your spiritual life than the enemy of your soul, the Devil.  He comes often with distraction after distraction, often presenting them in a way that makes them seem to be noble or praiseworthy activities.  You get so busy with these respectable activities that you forget the discipline of following Christ.   Such is the picture painted in the story of the Tower of Babel.   Portrayed as a symbol of unity, the Tower was really a monument to rebellion against God’s prescribed will.

Join us this Lord’s Day, July 16, for worship at Pottsville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church as we examine the remarkable story of the Tower of Babel and consider the dangers of being sidetracked from our commission to fill the earth and replenish it with the message of the gospel.  For directions click here. We look forward to seeing you.

Entropy

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Sometimes a second chance just isn’t enough.  As children when a game devolved into chaos someone would cry out “do over!”  Yet it was only a matter of time until the “do over” led to further chaos.   The waters of a world-wide flood were insufficient to wash away the inhumanity that lurks in all humanity due to the consequences of Adam’s first sin.   Second chances are not enough where a Savior is needed.

The world is fresh and new after the flood but the greatness of man is once again measured by his rebellious spirit.   This would seem like a hopeless downward spiral except that God has promised someone who will break the cycle of sin, violence, tyranny and sorrow.

This week as we continue our conversations from the Book of Beginnings in Genesis 10, we see clearly that it takes more than water to wash away the stain and effects of man’s rebellion against his Creator.  Something more will be needed to redeem the world from the entropy of sin. Come and join us this week as we consider this together.

Join us this Lord’s Day, July 9 in worship at Pottsville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church as we look at the unfolding of Noah’s family history. Worship begins at 10:45 am.  For directions click here. We look forward to seeing you.

Memorial Service for Marium Oates

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Marium-OatesA Memorial Service will be held for Marium Frances Oates at 10:00 am on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at the Pottsville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church with a visitation to follow in the Fellowship Hall.  Marium Oates went to be with the Lord, July 6, 2017.  We rejoice in her healing, but weep with one another. Please join us on July 12 at 10:00 am as we gather to remember her life.

Her obituary is available at Humphrey Funeral.

Entropy

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Sometimes a second chance just isn’t enough.  As children when a game devolved into chaos someone would cry out “do over!”  Yet it was only a matter of time until the “do over” led to further chaos.   The waters of a world-wide flood were insufficient to wash away the inhumanity that lurks in all humanity due to the consequences of Adam’s first sin.   Second chances are not enough where a Savior is needed.

The world is fresh and new after the flood but the greatness of man is once again measured by his rebellious spirit.   This would seem like a hopeless downward spiral except that God has promised someone who will break the cycle of sin, violence, tyranny and sorrow.

This week as we continue our conversations from the Book of Beginnings in Genesis 10, we see clearly that it takes more than water to wash away the stain and effects of man’s rebellion against his Creator.  Something more will be needed to redeem the world from the entropy of sin. Come and join us this week as we consider this together.

Join us this week in worship at Pottsville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church as we look at the unfolding of Noah’s family history. Worship begins at 10:45 am.  For directions click here. We look forward to seeing you.

Memory Palace

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A strong memory is more about strategy than capacity.   Information technologists recognize this in regard to data storage and retrieval.  The capacity of a database is not as significant as its indexing strategy.  Unless you can accurately and rapidly retrieve information it is immaterial how much you can store.   When it comes to human memory many experts advocate building a “memory palace” where you can categorize and store memories in a visual structure created within your mind.

This week as we continue our conversations from the Book of Beginnings in Genesis 9, we look at the powerful strategy God has given us to remember.  When fear, anxiety, and trial cause us to lose sight of God’s promises we are tempted to doubt and unbelief.  But God understands this and has given us a way to remember.   Come and join us this week as we consider this together.

Join us this week in worship at Pottsville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church as we conclude the story of Noah and the Ark. Worship begins at 10:45 am.  For directions click here. We look forward to seeing you.

Not Forgotten

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Have you ever been accidentally left behind by your family somewhere far from home?  It is just about the loneliest feeling on earth.  To be forgotten by our family or loved ones is frightening and overwhelming, but it is utterly devastating to feel forgotten by God.

 

We all struggle with this feeling from time to time.  Even David, who showed such faith and courage to take on the giant, Goliath, felt abandoned by God from time to time.   In Psalm 13, he even prayed:

 

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?

    How long will you hide your face from me?

How long must I take counsel in my soul

    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?

 

This week we continue our conversations from the Book of Beginnings by discussing  Genesis 8, which begins “And God remembered Noah…”  What about us?  Does God remember us?  How do we know?  Come and join us as we consider these questions from the ancient story of Noah and the Ark.

 

Join us this week in worship at Pottsville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church as we continue the story of Noah and the Ark. Worship begins at 10:45 am.  For directions click here. We look forward to seeing you.

 

Saying Goodbye

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Saying Goodbye is difficult, especially if we know we will never  return to the places or people we are leaving. Can you imagine all the emotions Noah felt as he boarded the ark and prepared to leave all that was familiar for a journey alone into an unknown world?  An ancient pastor once noted regarding Noah and the ark,

“…the most severe contest of all for Noah was to bid farewell to the world, to renounce society and to bury himself in the ark.  The face of the earth was at that time very lovely.  It was no light trial for Noah to leave the life to which he had been accustomed during 600 years”

This week we continue our conversations from the Book of Beginnings by discussing  Genesis 7. We will consider God’s mercy and grace toward Noah and his family in the midst of a total and complete judgment against the sin and violence which had engulfed the ancient world.

Join us this week in worship at Pottsville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church as we continue the story of Noah and the Ark. Worship begins at 10:45 am.  For directions click here. We look forward to seeing you.