Author: Chris Luzio

We began Wednesday night’s Bible study with a look at a song in Isaiah that pictured God’s people as a vineyard God had planted, cared for, and protected. He expected it to produce good grapes, but it only produced worthless ones, so He removed its hedge and allowed it to be trampled. The hedge was a wall of thorn bushes or trees, like the hedge rows that were planted on farms to contain and protect livestock before barbed wire was invented.

The mention of a hedge led us to a couple of other passages where hedges can be found. In Job 1:10 Satan insisted that Job only served God because He had made a hedge about him to protect him. And in Hosea 2:6 we’re told that God hedged up Hosea’s unfaithful wife with thorns so she would no longer sin against him. These verses have led some to believe we should pray a “hedge of protection” to keep us safe from all harm, or a “hedge of thorns” to keep those we love from being tempted by sin.

In Psalm 91 David does say that God will keep plagues from the tents of His people, protect them in battle, and that no evil will befall them. His confidence in God’s protection is held up as a promise of what God will do for us if we’ll just trust Him, and pray a “hedge of protection.”

Is it wrong ask God to protect us from COVID, war, and evil? Of course not. Is it wrong to ask God to help someone resist temptation? Of course not. But did He promise to do so if we’d just pray a special prayer? I don’t think so.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He did teach them to pray “lead us not into temptation” and “deliver us from evil.” But He did not give them a prayer that would guarantee they would be given whatever they asked for.

As I said in Sunday’s sermon on playing God, I think we should all regularly remind ourselves that “He is God, and I am not.”

God Bless, Rick

We took a break from our study of Living Spiritually in the Material World last Sunday night to look at an article from Touchstone that addressed the need to make certain our thoughts and songs about God include an adequate picture of His glory and majesty. We had spent a couple of weeks being reminded how important it is to keep God in the forefront of our mind, and the chapter we’ll be going to this Sunday is on how God speaks to us, but it’s very important that our picture of God is accurate.

In a culture that focuses on individual needs, and views the purpose of life as having our felt needs met and feeling good, it’s tempting for churches to begin focusing more on what God can do for us than on who He is.

Religious freedom allows us the freedom to worship, but it also means we have the freedom of religious choice. And when religious choice is available, there’s a tendency for churches to become little more than spiritual boutiques that present themselves as the answer to needs and desires. And there is a tendency to sing songs that focus more on what God does for us than who He is.

The author was especially critical of a popular religious song that makes it possible to view God as nothing more than a therapist, a reassuring friend, or even a boyfriend who is always there and who never says no. While that may be true, it’s obviously not wrong to think of God as our friend.

In fact, we sang What a Friend We Have in Jesus on our hymn singing Sunday. That wasn’t, however, the only hymn we sang. Carol informed me that we actually sang 22 hymns, and Duane made sure we sang the hymn he always asks for, Holy, Holy, Holy!

Abraham was known as a friend of God, and by His grace we can all be. But we must never forget that our friend is more than a friend. He is the Lord God Almighty!

God Bless, Rick

It has long been the goal of our elders to send around 25% of the offerings we receive to missions and other benevolent or ministry related organizations. When we make our annual projection of financial needs and planned giving to others, we try to plan accordingly.

This past year, however, the amount we had planned to send to Andrew Sexton for his work with Casas Por Cristo was not utilized because he resigned his position. When we asked Dave to let us know the current percent of giving that was going to others, he informed us that it is just over 17%, and that even after adding the James Project we would probably end the year at 20%. To bring our percentage closer to where we want to be, the decision was made last week to send special offerings to a couple of our missions for relief work.

As you know, Haiti was recently struck by a devastating earthquake that killed thousands and left more than a million homeless. Fortunately, Haitian Christian Ministries, which we have supported for several years and is in the northern part of Haiti, was not directly impacted by the earthquake. They are, however, sending resources and teams to help those in the south. To assist them in ministering to those who are in even more need than they are, we have sent HCM $5,000.

We also recently learned that Ati Yangmi is distributing much needed food and supplies to villages that have been shut down due to covid restrictions. She has also been working with Jesse’s daughter and husband to set up water filtration systems in villages that must boil or buy the water they need. For $300 they can provide clean drinking water for 200-300 people. Fifteen villages that are ministered to by graduates of LBI have requested such systems, and we are sending $5,000 to meet needs and to help make that possible.

God is obviously blessing us so we can bless others.

God Bless, Rick

When I read something that I think is significant I want to share it, but don’t always know how. I realize the internet is loaded with options for posting things, but I guess I’m old-school. I just make copies of articles, and make books available. The problem is they most often just sit on the shelf in my office. With that in mind, I want to let you know what’s waiting in my office for those who might be interested.

I found several articles in Touchstone that I thought might be of interest to those concerned about reparations, the history of slavery, and “Race, Religion & Reconciliation.” I also found a book by Voddie Baucham, Fault Lines, the social justice movement and evangelicalism’s looming catastrophe, that I found very insightful and frightening. I only have one copy of Voddie’s book, but I’ll be glad to loan it out.

The next book is one that Duane loaned to me, and I bought several copies to make available. Alive: How the Resurrection of Christ Changes Everything is the best defense of belief in the resurrection and how it changes our life that I’ve ever read. Just ask, and a copy will be yours to read…and to share.

The final book is the one we will be studying together on Sunday nights beginning September 19th. When I first read about Living Spiritually in the Material World I have to admit I was skeptical about it. The book cover refers to it as a “Christian self-help book” and it was written by a psychologist. But when I read it, I was blown away.

The author goes beyond psychological approaches to self-help, and focuses on the spiritual guidance that was given by the founders of America’s early colleges to their students. With forty chaplains of Yale recently electing an atheist to be their president, you’ll be amazed to hear, and benefit from, the biblical advice and exhortations that were given by college presidents of the past.

God Bless, Rick

I’ve recently read two significant articles about the challenges facing the church today. One was published in a quarterly, and the other online. The first is entitled America Follows Israel’s Departure from God, and the second, America’s New Religion: Fake Christianity.

I referred to the online article in a sermon a couple of weeks ago when I pointed out how many Christians have embraced the belief that the purpose of life is to be happy, and we have no right to pass judgement on anyone if they’re just trying to be happy. The article gave a name to this fake Christianity, calling it Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.

The moralistic perspective is that we’re here to be good people and do good. The therapeutic aspect is everything is supposed to be geared to making me feel good about myself. And deism is the idea that God created the world but has no direct involvement in it. The bottom line is that God just wants everyone to be nice, and the purpose of life is to be happy.

The article in Does God Exist? suggests that the problems we face today are the result of doing five things Jeremiah said God’s people were doing in his day. I’m simply going to note them. You can get the details by reading Jeremiah 6:10-19.

—They refuse to listen to the word of God.

—They are obsessed with material things.

—They delude themselves with falsehoods.

—They were not ashamed and could not blush.

—They rejected the only possible solution.

The author concludes: “The politicians and philosophers will not fix what is wrong with our world. The only possible solution is the teaching and example of Jesus Christ taught in our homes and congregations and lived out in the lives of his disciples.” I’m sure we all agree.

God Bless, Rick