The Guide for the Week
February 11-17th 2024 AD.
The Sixth Week of Epiphany
Bible Passage for the Week
Proverbs 16:21-30
1 Corinthians 5
1 Samuel 13:15- 14:23
Psalm 111
Verse to Memorize
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Catechism Questions
Q. 5. Are there more Gods than one?
A. There is but one only, the living and true God.
People to Pray for:
Church: Christ Church (Columbus)
Pastor Andy Halsey
Ministry: Michael Foster Romania
Civil Magistrate: Jeffersonville City Council
Bill Burns
Notes for Parents:
Proverbs 16:21-30
Verse 26 A worker’s appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on.
My cousin, Luke, a teacher in West Virginia, once asked a student what he wanted to do when he grew up. The 4th grader said that he wanted to draw. Luke said, “So you want to be an artist.” “No,” the boy said, “I want to draw a check.” His parents receive a check from the government and don’t work, and that’s what he wants to do too.
The Bible is opposed to communism and socialism. Scripture staunchly defends private property, a principle embedded in the commandments against stealing and coveting. While the Bible advocates for aiding the poor and caring for orphans and widows, it does not endorse a lifestyle sustained by welfare without work. "If you don’t work, you don’t eat" was one of the famous commands given by John Smith (not to be confused with Joseph Smith, the false teacher of Mormonism), the founder of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. He was merely quoting Scripture.
God expects us to work and to work hard. God made Adam in the Garden to work prior to the fall. God designed us to be workers and to give ourselves to purposeful living. The Proverbs are full of verses condemning the sluggard and lazy man.
Hunger, the Proverb says, will drive a man on to work. God created in us an incentive to work. Socialism and welfare can erode this natural incentive, fostering a harmful entitlement mentality. The Scriptures warn that a lifestyle of inaction devastate an individual's character and ultimately their life. Prolonged welfare dependency fosters not just laziness but a sense of entitlement to unearned benefits. This mindset not only corrupts an individual's character but also has the potential to destabilize entire economies and societies. When such entitlements are reduced or withdrawn, those accustomed to receiving without giving back may resort to unrest and rioting, revealing a deep-seated expectation of something for nothing.
The whole idea of incentive and hunger is necessary for a society to have a good work ethic. The incentive causes the worker to become more dependable and productive. He works harder and better and in the process not only blesses himself - but his company and even his entire nation. The hunger for food is one way that this is seen - and the hunger for even better things can be a continued way this is beneficial. First, we work so that we can feed ourselves and our families. Over time, our families are fed, but we want even better things for them. This comes not out of greed, but out of a true desire to bless our families - even beyond the scope of our lives. The incentive to see our children have a better life is a good thing. Our society is falling apart because it has ignored these things. We have begun to adopt a mindset toward socialism - where the government takes care of all the people.
That is not what government was created for. It was created to punish evil and protect what is good. It is the family that is designed by God to provide. And it is in the family where children are taught to value hard work and grow in faithfulness.
That leads us to some application from this verse. Fathers, don’t let mothers spoil a child by being too doting. It is good for you to provide for your children and not be withholding, but when a child is given everything they want without having to work at all for it, they don’t learn a good work ethic. They also don’t appreciate the things that they have. They become entitled and will even grow to resent work.
The child never learns a solid work ethic - which damages them for life. They don't work hard - get fired from multiple jobs - which they always equate to a problem with the employer. The problems they have even enter into their marriage and family - because they are unwilling to work and do what is necessary to bless a family. Everything is about them and what they want. Thus, they destroy not just their own lives - but in time multiple generations which follow in their footsteps.
Remember the Proverb. It’s okay in wisdom to say no to your children’s demands and wants. It’s okay to have them work to accomplish things. It’s okay that if they throw a fit at the dinner table, for them to go to bed hungry. One night without supper won’t kill them, but it may just teach them exactly what they need to know. Now, don’t take this teaching and use it to starve your children, but be careful that you are not raising up little communists and future statists in your own home.
1 Corinthians 5
What do you tolerate? Some people boast of their ability to tolerate anything. In our day, we all want to be thought of as loving and kind. And what can be more loving and kind than to not only tolerate but to celebrate all the choices of other people. "Don’t mess with me, and I won’t mess with you" is our mantra. This is the attitude that most people have, and, sadly, many churches have adopted.
Now, there is such a thing as Christian tolerance. We are not to incessantly seek out faults in others or engage in petty criticisms. Christians will differ in applying certain biblical principles, and it is vital not to place our standards above Scripture. There are areas of wisdom in which each father will have to make decisions about in his home. We need to be tolerant and charitable to each other when we are making these decisions in good faith.
However, Christian tolerance does not extend to tolerating or, even worse, celebrating actions that God hates and that blatantly defy His commands. The Church in Corinth was proud of its ability to tolerate a man committing adultery with his father’s wife. For those who went to public school—that’s either his own mother or step-mother. Gross, right? Yet, they were putting up with such evil.
The Apostle Paul rebuked the church. Their tolerance, in some ways, was worse than the man’s sins. How so? They were not caring for the glory of God and the honor of Christ’s name in their church by tolerating this evil. Even the Gentiles did not practice this evil. What a shameful thing it would be for the church to tolerate it. Secondly, they were not caring for the souls of the rest of the congregation who would be tempted by such sin. They were leaving the rest of God’s flock in danger of giving in to sin. They were also leaving the rest of the church in danger of the judgment of God. God’s discipline could fall on the whole of the people for having this sin in their church. Remember in the book of Joshua how one man’s sin of taking treasure from Jericho when God had told them not to resulted in the whole army of Israel facing defeat. Thirdly, by tolerating this evil, they showed no love and compassion to those caught in the immediate sin and impacted by it. The father of this man was having great sin committed against him. The church showed no compassion to him for being the victim of such evil. Furthermore, the man and woman committing such debauchery were both headed on a path to the judgment of God. They needed the warning from God’s Word. They needed the merciful impact of discipline that might move them to repentance.
The toleration and celebration of evil were anything but loving. Rather, it was like a little leaven that would work itself out in the whole lump of dough. Tolerated sin was going to impact everything. Unrepentant sin is an acid that corrodes all it touches.
The Apostle is loving and, therefore, he will not tolerate it. He commands the church in the name of its Lord, Jesus, to discipline the man and cast him out of the church. In doing so, he may face the destruction of his flesh by the devil, but God may use that to save his soul.
So, what do we learn here? Discipline is loving. And we, as a church, practice this discipline because we love Jesus, His church, and those caught in and impacted by sin.
Be mindful, then, of what you tolerate in your home. Isn’t it better to discipline the children when they are young and the sins they commit have less immediate consequence than to let these sins fester and build up and have lasting consequences?
What do you tolerate from yourself? We often are harder on other people’s perceived flaws than we are on our own sins. Things that irritate us about other people, we go to war about. But sins that besmirch the glory of God in us, we make peace with. Let our discipline start with self-discipline. Repent of your sins.
1 Samuel 13:15- 14:23
Saul's lack of wisdom and consequent sin in offering up a sacrifice without Samuel has left him in a difficult position. He did not wait on the Lord and went ahead without God's representative. Therefore, since he thought he didn't need Samuel, Samuel didn't stick around. Verse 15 says that Samuel left Saul, and Saul was left with 600 men against a vast army of Philistines. The Hebrews were surrounded, and the Philistines shut down all the blacksmiths in the area. God's people had to go to the enemy to get their tools repaired for farm work. The army then was left without weapons or supplies.
If we decide that we don't need God, don't be surprised if He allows us to go on without Him. Don't be surprised that if we want to stand against the enemy in our own power, God lets us stand against the enemy in our own power. And our own power isn't much.
But thankfully, God is a merciful God. He hasn't abandoned the people altogether. Jonathan, the son of Saul, is a man of faith. He trusts God. And he and his armor-bearer go off to fight the Philistines.
Now, on the surface of it, it may seem that Jonathan is doing the same thing Saul did by acting by himself. They both saw the enemy and wanted to take action. Why is Jonathan not condemned for this?
There is a difference, though. Jonathan is acting in faith, not fear. And Jonathan, though taking a very risky move, is doing it with the Lord's leading. Jonathan has a plan of attack but in his plan, he looks for a sign that God is working and moving. It is only if God had given the Philistines into his hand that he would attack. And so, on the surface of it, Jonathan's actions seem riskier and less wise than Saul's gathering with an army in the previous chapter. The fact that Jonathan acted in faith while following the Lord's leading makes all the difference.
The difference between the foolishness of Saul vs. the faithful risk-taking wisdom of Jonathan was that one man acted in fear and the other acted in faith. One man took it upon himself to act and used religion as a cover. The other man acted in accordance with the will of God.
And when the one man acts with the will of God in faith, then that man can take on a whole army of enemies and not be defeated. True strength lies not with numbers but in the power of God.
Psalm 111
Psalm 111:2 Great are the works of the Lord; They are studied by all who delight in them.
During family worship today, we were reading through Exodus 1 and talking about how the midwives feared God and therefore they obeyed God rather than the command of Pharaoh to murder the children. One of my children asked, "How did they know what the command of God was since Moses had not been given the 10 Commandments?" This was a good question that led us to detour to Romans 1. The Apostle Paul explains that all people know about God's divine power and eternal attributes. God has made it clear to all people by writing the law in their hearts and by displaying His glory in creation. The problem is that people don't give thanks to God but rather trade God's glory for a lie. The wicked can see the works of God in nature and yet they don't delight in God. They then become futile in their speculations. That is, they look at the works of God and then make foolish speculations that end up rejecting God as Creator. Think of how many discovery television programs give you a front-row look at creation and then insert wild speculations about evolution and millions of years. Without love for God, there are a lot of brilliant fools—people with high intellect but who waste it.
The Psalm teaches us that those who delight in God study His works. It has been Christians throughout history who have studied creation and developed science. Johannes Kepler, a famous astronomer who in the 1600s calculated the orbits of the planets, famously said that in doing this work, he was "merely thinking God’s thoughts after him." He was observing the "stupendous miracles of God." He was a Protestant who found great joy in studying the works of God in nature.
We should also take joy in studying the works of God both in nature and in Holy Scripture. When we read Scripture, it shouldn't be merely for what we should do or how we can better our lives. We should look into it to see the great works of our God and to give Him praise. Scripture is first about what God has done and then about what we do in response.
This week as you prepare to worship, study the works of God. Spend time in the word and see how God has worked to deliver sinners like us from our sins. See how He has created and sustained us. Delight yourself in the Lord, and then our worship of Him together on Sunday will be delightful.
Catechism Questions:
As part of our goal this year to work on grounding ourselves in our confession of faith, the children will be working through the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Each week during the worship gathering, they will be asked to stand in their pew and recite the catechism question. They will also learn three verses that are connected with that question. On the fourth Sunday of the month, they will be invited to come to the front of the sanctuary during the service to review the previous three weeks' questions. It is our hope that this will be a help not only to the children but also to the whole congregation in reviewing the foundations of our Christian faith.
1 Kings 8:27 27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!
In the age of the internet, we are used to having seemingly boundless information at the tips of our fingers. You can google just about anything. With all this information so at hand, we ought to be aware of how little we actually know. You might be able to do a web search for some piece of information but there are limits to what you can learn and hold on to. Furthermore, the internet isn’t limitless. It’s just a lot and not all of it is actual knowledge. Humans for all our technological advances are bound in our knowing. Even if our brains were to work like a google search, we would be bound in our being able to sort it all and to apply it. We are finite. We have limits to our capacity to know things. We are bound physically to the space that we currently take up. We are frozen in time, that is we don’t know the future and we cannot go back to the past. Neither can we stop the progress of time. What was just the present is the past and what was the future is now the present- oops is now the past.
God is infinite. He isn’t bound by the restraints of space and time. He knows the beginning from the end perfectly. God is omniscient which means that He has unlimited knowledge. Not only does God know everything that has happened perfectly and everything that will happen, but He also knows all things that could have possibly happened. Nothing takes God by surprise.
God is also omnipotent. This means that He has infinite power. There are no limits to his strength. He can do all His holy will, nothing can stop His decreed will from happening, and nothing can thwart or stop His divine purposes from being fulfilled.
God is all-wise. His wisdom is not bound. He knows not only everything there is to know, He knows what to do with all of his knowledge. He knows the perfect and best way to accomplish His holy will.
God is infinitely holy. God is infinitely good. There are no limits to the good that God will do for his people.
Now someone might ask, well if God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-good, then how come evil exists. If God is all-good and all-powerful, they say, then he would not have allowed evil to exist. But since evil exists God is either not all-good or He is not all-powerful. What is this answer to this supposed problem? Might I humbly suggest there is no problem. The problem is that we as humans are limited in our knowledge and wisdom, God is not. God in his infinite wisdom, being all-good, all-holy, all-powerful, and all-just knows what will bring about the perfect good, holy, and just outcome.
What right do those with finite knowledge, fini
te power, finite wisdom, and corrupt hearts have to say to God that He is not doing what is good or just? It is only ignorant pride that would cause the creature to think he could question the creator.
Finally, as we think about God, we must be careful to think that our minds can grasp all there is to know about God. We do not even know all there is to know about ourselves. Therefore, we ought to always be humbly submitting ourselves to His revelation of himself found in His word. We will be studying God for eternity and because of his infinite nature we will never find ourselves at the end of that study. Give yourself to that study. And trust Him because He is Infinite and you are finite.
PRAYERS:
Christ Church (Columbus)
Lord God, We come to You today on behalf of Christ Church Columbus and their pastor, Andy Halsey. This young church plant of Evangel Presbytery is in its early stages, and we are grateful to see Your hand at work as people are drawn to this fellowship.
We pray for growth in their congregation, not only in numbers but also in unity through the gospel. May this church be a place where Your Word is faithfully taught and lived out, drawing many to the truth of Jesus Christ.
We also ask that You would raise up committed Christians to join in the vital work of planting and nurturing this church. Provide them with individuals who are eager to serve, contribute, and uphold the mission of the church.
Specifically, we pray for the development of strong, godly leadership within Christ Church Columbus. May You call forth men of character and wisdom, qualified to serve as elders. Equip these leaders to shepherd Your people with love, integrity, and a steadfast commitment to Your truth.
In Jesus' name, we pray,
Amen.
Michael Foster
Heavenly Father,
We lift up Your servant Michael Foster, a missionary and pastor serving diligently in Romania. Thank You for his steadfast commitment and service, especially during the challenging times brought by the Covid pandemic. We praise You for Your faithfulness in bringing his church through these trials.
Lord, we ask for Your continued blessings upon this congregation. Please add to their number faithful and committed members who will contribute to the body of Christ there, growing in love and service to one another and to their community.
We pray specifically for Michael, that he may not grow weary in doing good. Strengthen him as he ministers in a culture different from his own, and grant him wisdom, patience, and deep joy in his work. May he be continually refreshed by Your grace and sustained by Your Spirit.
We also remember his wife and children. Protect them, provide for their needs, and give them a sense of unity and purpose in their life and ministry in Romania. May their home be a place of peace, love, and refuge in You.
In Jesus' name, we pray,
Amen.
Jeffersonville City County Bill Burns:
Sovereign Lord,
We come before You today to pray for Bill Burns, a veteran member of the Jeffersonville City Council. In the wake of recent changes and the shift in majority, we ask that You grant him wisdom and steadfast faith to stand for what is right and just. Guide his decisions and actions, that they may reflect Your principles and bring benefit to the community he serves.
We also earnestly pray for Bill's personal spiritual journey, that he may come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. May he experience the transformation and peace that comes from knowing You, and let this relationship guide his leadership and service.
Furthermore, we pray for the entire council, that they may not be swayed towards policies that are harmful or contrary to Your truths. Protect the city of Jeffersonville from any decisions that could lead them away from righteousness and the welfare of its citizens.
In Jesus' name, we pray,
Amen.
Church History Spotlight
Valentine
(14 February)
Around this time of year, many persons ask: "Who was St. Valentine, and what does he have to do with sending romantic cards and messages?" St. Valentine is a martyr from before 312, commemorated on the 14th of February. Probably he was martyred on that date, but nothing else is known of him. A Valentine, priest of Rome, and a Valentine, bishop of Ternia (Interamna), are both commemorated on 14 February, and now generally assumed to be the same person. In many parts of Europe, it was once said that birds began to pair off for the nesting season in mid-February. Since our forebears often spoke of a given day by naming a saint connected with it rather than by giving the month and the number of the day, we find them saying that birds choose their mates on St. Valentine's day. That is all. If a major earthquake took place on Columbus Day, it would probably be known to future generations as the Columbus Day earthquake, but it would be a mistake to try to connect it with Columbus.
A prayer of thanksgiving for St. Valentine’s day:
Almighty God, Sovereign over all creation, who in Your divine wisdom prepares unseen rewards for those who earnestly love You, we beseech You to instill Your profound love within our hearts. Strengthen us, O Lord, that we may cherish and uphold Your commandments, loving You in all things and above all things, reflecting Your grace in every facet of our lives. Through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ, may our love for You be unwavering and resolute. We implore You to safeguard love, unity, and peace in our homes and church. Let our love be a testament to Your enduring grace, mirroring the sacrificial love Christ demonstrated on the cross. Guide us in Your truth, and unite us in a common purpose to glorify Your name in all we do. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Announcements for the Week
Prayer Concerns:
Schedule Updates and Events:
Proverbs 16:21-30
1 Corinthians 5
1 Samuel 13:15- 14:23
Psalm 111
Verse to Memorize
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Catechism Questions
Q. 5. Are there more Gods than one?
A. There is but one only, the living and true God.
People to Pray for:
Church: Christ Church (Columbus)
Pastor Andy Halsey
Ministry: Michael Foster Romania
Civil Magistrate: Jeffersonville City Council
Bill Burns
Notes for Parents:
Proverbs 16:21-30
Verse 26 A worker’s appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on.
My cousin, Luke, a teacher in West Virginia, once asked a student what he wanted to do when he grew up. The 4th grader said that he wanted to draw. Luke said, “So you want to be an artist.” “No,” the boy said, “I want to draw a check.” His parents receive a check from the government and don’t work, and that’s what he wants to do too.
The Bible is opposed to communism and socialism. Scripture staunchly defends private property, a principle embedded in the commandments against stealing and coveting. While the Bible advocates for aiding the poor and caring for orphans and widows, it does not endorse a lifestyle sustained by welfare without work. "If you don’t work, you don’t eat" was one of the famous commands given by John Smith (not to be confused with Joseph Smith, the false teacher of Mormonism), the founder of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. He was merely quoting Scripture.
God expects us to work and to work hard. God made Adam in the Garden to work prior to the fall. God designed us to be workers and to give ourselves to purposeful living. The Proverbs are full of verses condemning the sluggard and lazy man.
Hunger, the Proverb says, will drive a man on to work. God created in us an incentive to work. Socialism and welfare can erode this natural incentive, fostering a harmful entitlement mentality. The Scriptures warn that a lifestyle of inaction devastate an individual's character and ultimately their life. Prolonged welfare dependency fosters not just laziness but a sense of entitlement to unearned benefits. This mindset not only corrupts an individual's character but also has the potential to destabilize entire economies and societies. When such entitlements are reduced or withdrawn, those accustomed to receiving without giving back may resort to unrest and rioting, revealing a deep-seated expectation of something for nothing.
The whole idea of incentive and hunger is necessary for a society to have a good work ethic. The incentive causes the worker to become more dependable and productive. He works harder and better and in the process not only blesses himself - but his company and even his entire nation. The hunger for food is one way that this is seen - and the hunger for even better things can be a continued way this is beneficial. First, we work so that we can feed ourselves and our families. Over time, our families are fed, but we want even better things for them. This comes not out of greed, but out of a true desire to bless our families - even beyond the scope of our lives. The incentive to see our children have a better life is a good thing. Our society is falling apart because it has ignored these things. We have begun to adopt a mindset toward socialism - where the government takes care of all the people.
That is not what government was created for. It was created to punish evil and protect what is good. It is the family that is designed by God to provide. And it is in the family where children are taught to value hard work and grow in faithfulness.
That leads us to some application from this verse. Fathers, don’t let mothers spoil a child by being too doting. It is good for you to provide for your children and not be withholding, but when a child is given everything they want without having to work at all for it, they don’t learn a good work ethic. They also don’t appreciate the things that they have. They become entitled and will even grow to resent work.
The child never learns a solid work ethic - which damages them for life. They don't work hard - get fired from multiple jobs - which they always equate to a problem with the employer. The problems they have even enter into their marriage and family - because they are unwilling to work and do what is necessary to bless a family. Everything is about them and what they want. Thus, they destroy not just their own lives - but in time multiple generations which follow in their footsteps.
Remember the Proverb. It’s okay in wisdom to say no to your children’s demands and wants. It’s okay to have them work to accomplish things. It’s okay that if they throw a fit at the dinner table, for them to go to bed hungry. One night without supper won’t kill them, but it may just teach them exactly what they need to know. Now, don’t take this teaching and use it to starve your children, but be careful that you are not raising up little communists and future statists in your own home.
1 Corinthians 5
What do you tolerate? Some people boast of their ability to tolerate anything. In our day, we all want to be thought of as loving and kind. And what can be more loving and kind than to not only tolerate but to celebrate all the choices of other people. "Don’t mess with me, and I won’t mess with you" is our mantra. This is the attitude that most people have, and, sadly, many churches have adopted.
Now, there is such a thing as Christian tolerance. We are not to incessantly seek out faults in others or engage in petty criticisms. Christians will differ in applying certain biblical principles, and it is vital not to place our standards above Scripture. There are areas of wisdom in which each father will have to make decisions about in his home. We need to be tolerant and charitable to each other when we are making these decisions in good faith.
However, Christian tolerance does not extend to tolerating or, even worse, celebrating actions that God hates and that blatantly defy His commands. The Church in Corinth was proud of its ability to tolerate a man committing adultery with his father’s wife. For those who went to public school—that’s either his own mother or step-mother. Gross, right? Yet, they were putting up with such evil.
The Apostle Paul rebuked the church. Their tolerance, in some ways, was worse than the man’s sins. How so? They were not caring for the glory of God and the honor of Christ’s name in their church by tolerating this evil. Even the Gentiles did not practice this evil. What a shameful thing it would be for the church to tolerate it. Secondly, they were not caring for the souls of the rest of the congregation who would be tempted by such sin. They were leaving the rest of God’s flock in danger of giving in to sin. They were also leaving the rest of the church in danger of the judgment of God. God’s discipline could fall on the whole of the people for having this sin in their church. Remember in the book of Joshua how one man’s sin of taking treasure from Jericho when God had told them not to resulted in the whole army of Israel facing defeat. Thirdly, by tolerating this evil, they showed no love and compassion to those caught in the immediate sin and impacted by it. The father of this man was having great sin committed against him. The church showed no compassion to him for being the victim of such evil. Furthermore, the man and woman committing such debauchery were both headed on a path to the judgment of God. They needed the warning from God’s Word. They needed the merciful impact of discipline that might move them to repentance.
The toleration and celebration of evil were anything but loving. Rather, it was like a little leaven that would work itself out in the whole lump of dough. Tolerated sin was going to impact everything. Unrepentant sin is an acid that corrodes all it touches.
The Apostle is loving and, therefore, he will not tolerate it. He commands the church in the name of its Lord, Jesus, to discipline the man and cast him out of the church. In doing so, he may face the destruction of his flesh by the devil, but God may use that to save his soul.
So, what do we learn here? Discipline is loving. And we, as a church, practice this discipline because we love Jesus, His church, and those caught in and impacted by sin.
Be mindful, then, of what you tolerate in your home. Isn’t it better to discipline the children when they are young and the sins they commit have less immediate consequence than to let these sins fester and build up and have lasting consequences?
What do you tolerate from yourself? We often are harder on other people’s perceived flaws than we are on our own sins. Things that irritate us about other people, we go to war about. But sins that besmirch the glory of God in us, we make peace with. Let our discipline start with self-discipline. Repent of your sins.
1 Samuel 13:15- 14:23
Saul's lack of wisdom and consequent sin in offering up a sacrifice without Samuel has left him in a difficult position. He did not wait on the Lord and went ahead without God's representative. Therefore, since he thought he didn't need Samuel, Samuel didn't stick around. Verse 15 says that Samuel left Saul, and Saul was left with 600 men against a vast army of Philistines. The Hebrews were surrounded, and the Philistines shut down all the blacksmiths in the area. God's people had to go to the enemy to get their tools repaired for farm work. The army then was left without weapons or supplies.
If we decide that we don't need God, don't be surprised if He allows us to go on without Him. Don't be surprised that if we want to stand against the enemy in our own power, God lets us stand against the enemy in our own power. And our own power isn't much.
But thankfully, God is a merciful God. He hasn't abandoned the people altogether. Jonathan, the son of Saul, is a man of faith. He trusts God. And he and his armor-bearer go off to fight the Philistines.
Now, on the surface of it, it may seem that Jonathan is doing the same thing Saul did by acting by himself. They both saw the enemy and wanted to take action. Why is Jonathan not condemned for this?
There is a difference, though. Jonathan is acting in faith, not fear. And Jonathan, though taking a very risky move, is doing it with the Lord's leading. Jonathan has a plan of attack but in his plan, he looks for a sign that God is working and moving. It is only if God had given the Philistines into his hand that he would attack. And so, on the surface of it, Jonathan's actions seem riskier and less wise than Saul's gathering with an army in the previous chapter. The fact that Jonathan acted in faith while following the Lord's leading makes all the difference.
The difference between the foolishness of Saul vs. the faithful risk-taking wisdom of Jonathan was that one man acted in fear and the other acted in faith. One man took it upon himself to act and used religion as a cover. The other man acted in accordance with the will of God.
And when the one man acts with the will of God in faith, then that man can take on a whole army of enemies and not be defeated. True strength lies not with numbers but in the power of God.
Psalm 111
Psalm 111:2 Great are the works of the Lord; They are studied by all who delight in them.
During family worship today, we were reading through Exodus 1 and talking about how the midwives feared God and therefore they obeyed God rather than the command of Pharaoh to murder the children. One of my children asked, "How did they know what the command of God was since Moses had not been given the 10 Commandments?" This was a good question that led us to detour to Romans 1. The Apostle Paul explains that all people know about God's divine power and eternal attributes. God has made it clear to all people by writing the law in their hearts and by displaying His glory in creation. The problem is that people don't give thanks to God but rather trade God's glory for a lie. The wicked can see the works of God in nature and yet they don't delight in God. They then become futile in their speculations. That is, they look at the works of God and then make foolish speculations that end up rejecting God as Creator. Think of how many discovery television programs give you a front-row look at creation and then insert wild speculations about evolution and millions of years. Without love for God, there are a lot of brilliant fools—people with high intellect but who waste it.
The Psalm teaches us that those who delight in God study His works. It has been Christians throughout history who have studied creation and developed science. Johannes Kepler, a famous astronomer who in the 1600s calculated the orbits of the planets, famously said that in doing this work, he was "merely thinking God’s thoughts after him." He was observing the "stupendous miracles of God." He was a Protestant who found great joy in studying the works of God in nature.
We should also take joy in studying the works of God both in nature and in Holy Scripture. When we read Scripture, it shouldn't be merely for what we should do or how we can better our lives. We should look into it to see the great works of our God and to give Him praise. Scripture is first about what God has done and then about what we do in response.
This week as you prepare to worship, study the works of God. Spend time in the word and see how God has worked to deliver sinners like us from our sins. See how He has created and sustained us. Delight yourself in the Lord, and then our worship of Him together on Sunday will be delightful.
Catechism Questions:
As part of our goal this year to work on grounding ourselves in our confession of faith, the children will be working through the Westminster Shorter Catechism. Each week during the worship gathering, they will be asked to stand in their pew and recite the catechism question. They will also learn three verses that are connected with that question. On the fourth Sunday of the month, they will be invited to come to the front of the sanctuary during the service to review the previous three weeks' questions. It is our hope that this will be a help not only to the children but also to the whole congregation in reviewing the foundations of our Christian faith.
1 Kings 8:27 27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!
In the age of the internet, we are used to having seemingly boundless information at the tips of our fingers. You can google just about anything. With all this information so at hand, we ought to be aware of how little we actually know. You might be able to do a web search for some piece of information but there are limits to what you can learn and hold on to. Furthermore, the internet isn’t limitless. It’s just a lot and not all of it is actual knowledge. Humans for all our technological advances are bound in our knowing. Even if our brains were to work like a google search, we would be bound in our being able to sort it all and to apply it. We are finite. We have limits to our capacity to know things. We are bound physically to the space that we currently take up. We are frozen in time, that is we don’t know the future and we cannot go back to the past. Neither can we stop the progress of time. What was just the present is the past and what was the future is now the present- oops is now the past.
God is infinite. He isn’t bound by the restraints of space and time. He knows the beginning from the end perfectly. God is omniscient which means that He has unlimited knowledge. Not only does God know everything that has happened perfectly and everything that will happen, but He also knows all things that could have possibly happened. Nothing takes God by surprise.
God is also omnipotent. This means that He has infinite power. There are no limits to his strength. He can do all His holy will, nothing can stop His decreed will from happening, and nothing can thwart or stop His divine purposes from being fulfilled.
God is all-wise. His wisdom is not bound. He knows not only everything there is to know, He knows what to do with all of his knowledge. He knows the perfect and best way to accomplish His holy will.
God is infinitely holy. God is infinitely good. There are no limits to the good that God will do for his people.
Now someone might ask, well if God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-good, then how come evil exists. If God is all-good and all-powerful, they say, then he would not have allowed evil to exist. But since evil exists God is either not all-good or He is not all-powerful. What is this answer to this supposed problem? Might I humbly suggest there is no problem. The problem is that we as humans are limited in our knowledge and wisdom, God is not. God in his infinite wisdom, being all-good, all-holy, all-powerful, and all-just knows what will bring about the perfect good, holy, and just outcome.
What right do those with finite knowledge, fini
te power, finite wisdom, and corrupt hearts have to say to God that He is not doing what is good or just? It is only ignorant pride that would cause the creature to think he could question the creator.
Finally, as we think about God, we must be careful to think that our minds can grasp all there is to know about God. We do not even know all there is to know about ourselves. Therefore, we ought to always be humbly submitting ourselves to His revelation of himself found in His word. We will be studying God for eternity and because of his infinite nature we will never find ourselves at the end of that study. Give yourself to that study. And trust Him because He is Infinite and you are finite.
PRAYERS:
Christ Church (Columbus)
Lord God, We come to You today on behalf of Christ Church Columbus and their pastor, Andy Halsey. This young church plant of Evangel Presbytery is in its early stages, and we are grateful to see Your hand at work as people are drawn to this fellowship.
We pray for growth in their congregation, not only in numbers but also in unity through the gospel. May this church be a place where Your Word is faithfully taught and lived out, drawing many to the truth of Jesus Christ.
We also ask that You would raise up committed Christians to join in the vital work of planting and nurturing this church. Provide them with individuals who are eager to serve, contribute, and uphold the mission of the church.
Specifically, we pray for the development of strong, godly leadership within Christ Church Columbus. May You call forth men of character and wisdom, qualified to serve as elders. Equip these leaders to shepherd Your people with love, integrity, and a steadfast commitment to Your truth.
In Jesus' name, we pray,
Amen.
Michael Foster
Heavenly Father,
We lift up Your servant Michael Foster, a missionary and pastor serving diligently in Romania. Thank You for his steadfast commitment and service, especially during the challenging times brought by the Covid pandemic. We praise You for Your faithfulness in bringing his church through these trials.
Lord, we ask for Your continued blessings upon this congregation. Please add to their number faithful and committed members who will contribute to the body of Christ there, growing in love and service to one another and to their community.
We pray specifically for Michael, that he may not grow weary in doing good. Strengthen him as he ministers in a culture different from his own, and grant him wisdom, patience, and deep joy in his work. May he be continually refreshed by Your grace and sustained by Your Spirit.
We also remember his wife and children. Protect them, provide for their needs, and give them a sense of unity and purpose in their life and ministry in Romania. May their home be a place of peace, love, and refuge in You.
In Jesus' name, we pray,
Amen.
Jeffersonville City County Bill Burns:
Sovereign Lord,
We come before You today to pray for Bill Burns, a veteran member of the Jeffersonville City Council. In the wake of recent changes and the shift in majority, we ask that You grant him wisdom and steadfast faith to stand for what is right and just. Guide his decisions and actions, that they may reflect Your principles and bring benefit to the community he serves.
We also earnestly pray for Bill's personal spiritual journey, that he may come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. May he experience the transformation and peace that comes from knowing You, and let this relationship guide his leadership and service.
Furthermore, we pray for the entire council, that they may not be swayed towards policies that are harmful or contrary to Your truths. Protect the city of Jeffersonville from any decisions that could lead them away from righteousness and the welfare of its citizens.
In Jesus' name, we pray,
Amen.
Church History Spotlight
Valentine
(14 February)
Around this time of year, many persons ask: "Who was St. Valentine, and what does he have to do with sending romantic cards and messages?" St. Valentine is a martyr from before 312, commemorated on the 14th of February. Probably he was martyred on that date, but nothing else is known of him. A Valentine, priest of Rome, and a Valentine, bishop of Ternia (Interamna), are both commemorated on 14 February, and now generally assumed to be the same person. In many parts of Europe, it was once said that birds began to pair off for the nesting season in mid-February. Since our forebears often spoke of a given day by naming a saint connected with it rather than by giving the month and the number of the day, we find them saying that birds choose their mates on St. Valentine's day. That is all. If a major earthquake took place on Columbus Day, it would probably be known to future generations as the Columbus Day earthquake, but it would be a mistake to try to connect it with Columbus.
A prayer of thanksgiving for St. Valentine’s day:
Almighty God, Sovereign over all creation, who in Your divine wisdom prepares unseen rewards for those who earnestly love You, we beseech You to instill Your profound love within our hearts. Strengthen us, O Lord, that we may cherish and uphold Your commandments, loving You in all things and above all things, reflecting Your grace in every facet of our lives. Through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ, may our love for You be unwavering and resolute. We implore You to safeguard love, unity, and peace in our homes and church. Let our love be a testament to Your enduring grace, mirroring the sacrificial love Christ demonstrated on the cross. Guide us in Your truth, and unite us in a common purpose to glorify Your name in all we do. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Announcements for the Week
Prayer Concerns:
- Expectant Mothers: We request special prayers for Shawn Crone, Chelsea Mix, Rowina Spurgeon, and Maddie Sands.
- Sickness: With the prevalence of colds, flus, and viruses, remember the importance of hygiene, rest, and cleanliness. If contagious, please stay home, but return to worship as soon as you are able. Avoid letting 'Sunday Morning Sickness' disrupt your worship. Please read this blog post from elder Aaron Sabie on how to know when or when not to come to church with sicknesses. https://www.sovereignkingchurch.com/blog/2023/12/28/how-to-deal-with-sickness-on-sunday-morning
- Christ Church Columbus: Join in prayer for our brothers and sisters at Christ Church Columbus and their pastor/church planter, Andy Halsey. They are a young church plant of Evangel Presbytery. They are still in the initial stages of planting but God is bring people to the church. Pray that they would grow in number and be united by the gospel. Pray that God would raise up Christians who would join in the work in planting the church. Pray for men who would take responsibility and be qualified to be elders in the church.
- Prayer for Michael Foster: Michael Foster is a missionary and pastor in Romania. He has served there for several years. The church he pastors went through a tough time during Covid but God is bringing them out of that. Pray that God would add faithful and committed members to the church. Pray for Michael that he would not grow weary doing the work especially in a place in a different culture than his own. Pray for his wife and children.
- Jeffersonville City County Bill Burns: Bill Burns is one of the veteran members on the council. This past election, there was a lot of turnover on the board. It flipped from Republican majority to democrat. Pray that God would grant him wisdom and faith to do what is right. Pray that he would come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Pray that the council would not begin to adopt wicked and woke policies that harm Jeffersonville.
Schedule Updates and Events:
- Evangel Presbytery: We will be hosting the annual winter meeting of Evangel Presbytery on February 16. Rowina will be heading up the hospitality committee but we will need volunteers to help make the members of the presbytery feel at home. We will provide food for breakfast and lunch. Please let Rowina know if you are able to help.
- Lent: Just as Advent is the time leading up to Christmas, Lent is a season in the church calendar that leads up to Easter. Originating in the early church, Lent served as a period of instruction for new believers, teaching them the essentials of the faith. It was a time of solemn preparation, marked by fasting and prayer, as these new converts readied themselves for baptism or admittance to the Lord’s table at Easter. Over time, the practice of observing Lent expanded beyond new converts, encompassing the entire church community. This collective embrace of fasting and prayer reflects a deeper, shared commitment to spiritual discipline and reflection. This year, Lent begins on February 14th. While Scripture does not explicitly command the observance of Lent, it is beneficial to periodically engage in fasting and prayer. Such practices, when approached with the right heart and mind, can sharpen our focus on God and deepen our understanding of His sacrificial love and grace demonstrated through Christ's death and resurrection. However, it is crucial to remain vigilant against the trappings of superstition that can often accompany Lent. Instead, we should use this season as an opportunity to refocus our hearts and minds on the Lord, reflecting on His mighty acts and the profound implications of His redemptive work for us.
- Women’s Bible Study: Why did God make women and how can you fulfill this purpose. Come join the ladies of Sovereign King on Feb 14 6:30-8:30 for engaging bible study and fellowship.
- Genevan Pub: Calling all men 16 and older, join us on February 18th for fellowship, food, beer, and a study through the Westminster Confession of Faith. This month we will begin looking at the first article of the confession on the word of God and its supremacy.
- Reformation Warcamp: Pastor Jerry Dorris from Reformation Church sent us an invite to join them at their weekend war camp and gave a discount just for us. They are having Eric and Summer Jaeger from Apologia Church lead the camp and help us set a vision for our homes. FAMILY CODE: SKC50
- Get Your SKC Swag: Grab one of these limited run water bottles for Sovereign King Church. $15 each, 32 available. All proceeds go toward the building fund. https://subspla.sh/p72cy9x/