Day's 111-120

Day 111


Pray (ACts)


Read - Psalm 89v1-4 & Matthew 1v1-17


Message - Scott Woodburn
I'm told by those who explore their family tree that there comes a point in history that finding out anything about your ancestors becomes incredibly difficult. If memory serves you can get to the mid 1800s and then everything starts to slow. The records start to become more and more limited, obviously no one is around who remembers your great-great-great-granny and you are left wondering where you actually came from. As a family we're pretty sure that we have a bit of Scotland and a bit of Holland, but don't ask us for proof.


Scriptually you will no doubt be aware of how Matthew begins his Gospel. He outlines Christ's family tree with Luke doing the same in Luke 3v23-38. These are passages that are often skipped. We don't have time to read a list of names and we much prefer to get to something a little less dry. Yet Matthew's list of names is utterly extraordinary. We could take all day to work our way through each generation. The outcasts are there, the foreigners are there, the wicked are there. Nothing is hidden from view.


Today though we consider the first verse. Matthew reminds us that the Christ was the son of David and the son of Abraham. In simple terms, Jesus was the child of promise. The Lord had told Abraham to expect a multitude of descendants and that in Abraham all the nations of the world would be blessed. Christ is the fulfilment of these Abrahamic promises. Long after Abraham was called to glory David was promised that one of his descendants would sit on his throne forever. Once more, Christ the son of David is the fulfilment of the promises made to His ancestor David.


This may seem like a trivial point but we are reminded that nothing with the Lord is left to chance. There are no accidents when it comes to the provision of the Lord. Jesus was the promised Christ spoken of to David and Abraham. Indeed Luke traces the Lord's family all the way back to Adam. The sin of the first Adam would be paid for by Christ the second Adam. 


Paul puts it wonderfully when he writes "when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." (Galatians 4v4-5) By faith, we have received this adoption, only possible because the sovereign God always keeps His promises and in Christ "all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory." (2 Corinthians 1v20)


Pray (acTS)


Sing


Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q6 How many persons are there in the Godhead? 
There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory. 


The Lord's Day 
Shorter Catechism question is Question 7
What are the decrees of God?
The decrees of God are his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. (Eph. 1:4,11, Rom. 9:22–23)




Day 113


Pray (AC-ts)


Read — Psalm 65:1-4


Message Alan Burke 


For all who are citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland they are subject’s of Queen Elizabeth II. It doesn’t matter how we feel about the monarchy or her reign the fact of the matter is that she is our Queen, our Monarch. If we are ever we invited to a reception with the queen one would have to follow the established protocols, dress appropriately (so pyjamas are defiantly out) and there would be no chance of getting close enough to bend her ear about the state of things here. The likelihood is that it will be a while before anyone gets invited to come see the Queen with the current Pandemic. I suppose if any of us wanted a word with her we could always just give her a wee call the Buckingham Palace number is 03031237300 although I think that’s just the ticket office, I suppose one could send her a wee letter; Her Majesty The Queen, Buckingham Palace, London, SW1A 1AA. But I checked the on the ‘http://royal.uk' website that make it clear that ‘Correspondence which will not receive a response’. 


Today we look at the opening four verses of Psalm 65, the people are gathered before the temple, ready to praise the Lord (1) and we are reminded of a marvellous truth, even though Queen Elizabeth II and all world leaders are beyond our reach our efforts to communicate with them will be in vein, we come before the God who made the universe and all that is in it and he hears our prayer (2). Our God, the God whom we come before is the ‘Prayer-Hearing’ God. What a description, what a marvellous truth that we can come before the creator God, the God of the universe, who is far beyond what our finite minds can grasp and we can knowing that he is the hearer of prayer, the hearer of every whim, complaint, lament, confession, praise, supplication that we direct towards him through faith. His ear is ever open to the cries of the guilty, the suffering, the sad, the troubled, the dying, we have the assurance that God is a prayer-hearing God. What a wonderful assurance that in the midst of it all we have a prayer hearing God, who cares about me a nobody, he hears my prayers, he cares about you and he hears your prayers. 


All of this should give us reason to praise him, to Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendour of holiness (Ps 29:2). Even though his people had sinned grievously against him (3), the Lord forgave them. They didn’t deserve the forgiveness they received, but here David is expresses his confidence, in spite of their sin, as they come to worship, has been dealt with, it has been atoned for, covered, forgiven. They knew that the Lord had chosen them (4), and it is because of this that they can draw near, for he hears the prayers of whom he has chosen (Dt 7:6-7, 14:2, Jn 6:44, 15:16). And all of these things should cause them to delight in him.


Likewise for us this day, wherever we are, we know that we come before the prayer hearing God, that even though we are altogether sinful, that we are sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God (Gen 6:5, Rom 3:23), that we can come this day, drawing near to the Living God in Praise, in Prayer, in Worship even though we are scattered. For he chooses us so that we can come not only as guest but that we can come as his children, heirs with Christ Jesus (Jn 1:12-13). He has shown us his abundant grace even though we don’t deserve it, in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, our sin has been atoned for (1 Jn 2:2), he has graciously removed the guilt of sin, and lift off the burden, cleansing the soul, given us peace, and joy, and hope for he remembers our sin no more (Heb 8:12). So when we come before him, when we pray to him, he sees not our sin but the perfection of Jesus Christ, and as a result we can come boldly as his children to the Prayer-Hearing God. 




Pray (ac-TS)


Sing 


Westminster Shorter Catechism 
Question 8
How doth God execute his decrees?
God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence.






Day 114


Pray (ACts)


Read - Hebrews 2v5-9


Message - Scott Woodburn
Baptisms, weddings and funerals - I do them all. But perhaps there is no moment as tense as when the invites for the wedding go out. I'm the minister, I usually always get invited and sometimes I even get a seat at the top table, but how many cousins should come to the dinner? Where should aunt Vera get to sit? Should mums, aunties, next door neighbours, doctors, sisters friend get an invite? I've lost count of how many noses have been put out of joint by a "wrong decision" in the organisation of a wedding. None of us like to be put out, we're all very special we think, each one of us deserves the best.


Today consider Christ. This week we will speak of the condescension of Christ. At first glance you may think that condescension is entirely negative. No one likes a condescending person, always acting and talking like they are far superior. We don't use it in that manner with Jesus. When we speak of His condescension we mean that He willingly lowered Himself to a humble estate.


Jesus wasn't filled with arrogance because He didn't get the right seat at the wedding feast. He came not to be served but to serve. He came and took on flesh and submitted Himself to our weakness, yet without sin. I love to speak of the hypostatic union, or in other words Jesus was fully God, fully man and without sin. He nursed at Mary's breast. He was embraced by Jospeh. He played with His brothers and sisters. He knew hunger and thirst. He took a first step. He said a first word.


Can you imagine? The One by whom all things were created, stepping into that creation? This was no small event but one of the grandest moments in human history. God Himself becomes like us. Jesus is the condescending Christ.


In today's passage Psalm 8 is quoted as pointing to Jesus (v5-8) and we will return to that Psalm later in the week, but this morning consider verse nine. There we are told about Christ's condescension. For a little while He was made lower than the angels. These majestic beings are different from us in many ways but like us they are created. Here their creator is willingly made lower than them for a time. Indeed the purpose of this condescension is spelt out. Jesus came to experience the "suffering of death". This is simply remarkable. That the God man, Jesus, would be brutalised and murdered at Calvary "tasting death for everyone" so that we might know everlasting life.


We do not fill a gap in God. He needs nothing. He lacks nothing. He isn't the God of a popular Christian song who "doesn't want heaven without us". He is Almighty God who somehow, someway is mindful of humanity. He stoops in loving condescension and with nail pierced hands offers forgiveness to all who will believe. The next time we're far from the top table with pouting lips and hearts filled with self-righteousness...consider the condescending Christ.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q9 What is the work of creation? The work of creation is God's making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good.


Day 115


Pray (AC-ts)


Read — Psalm 65:5-8


Message Alan Burke 


When was the last time that you hit the pause button, not on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Sky+, Disney+ or the like I mean in life. Hit the pause button and just stop in the midst of it all. Lockdown to a certain extent did that, we all adjusted to a different way of life, some of us had great hopes for lockdown that we would finally clear out that spare bedroom, practice that piano piece, learn a new skill, etc etc and they largely came to naught. When was the last time that you just stoped in the midst of your day to marvel at the beauty of God’s creation, to wonder at it all, the prominence of the Mournes, the song of the birds, the clouds floating in the sky, the unfolding of the flower.  


Here the Psalmist reflects on majesty and power of God, in how he has revealed his awesome deeds throughout the history of his people, his mighty acts,  how he had brought his people out of slavery, how he had brought salvation to them, how he is their saviour (5). But the psalmist also reminds us how God is also the hope of all the earth, of all people everywhere. There is salvation in no one else; there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). The hope of all people everywhere is in the Creator God (6) that has exhibited his strength, in all of creation. The imagery that is used here conveys His power and His might, how he has ordered all creation as he pleased, setting the mountains so they could not be moved. He has the power to still the chaos of the roaring seas (7). The storm subsides at his command, and the sea is still. No human, no nation has the power of God. This psalm reminds us that there is not one place where the knowledge of God’s wonders will not reach and there people will come to fear him. All over the world God praise will rise filled with joy as people come to know and acknowledge him.


No matter how remote a location, how far off the grid people live, or a wondering people in the amazon, the Lord God, the creator God has revealed himself though his great signs. All people everywhere have seen the evidences of the divine presence and power to fill their minds with awe. The thunder, the storm, the raging sea, the earthquake, the eclipse of the sun or the moon, fill the minds of all. They are signs which really indicate the existence, the presence, and the power of God. For nature itself reveals to all that he is God. There is nowhere over all the earth where he has not revealed himself, as poetically it shouts for joy as it rise and sets. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse (Rom 1:20 also Ps 191-2).


This God is only hope of salvation, all have sinned and are justified freely, without their own works and merits, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood (Rom 3:23–25). One day all boundaries of nation, race, language, ethnic origin, or geographical location are gone and for those who know him they have a hope that goes beyond this life, to a new heaven and a new earth (Rev 7:9, 21:1-4) . And as David speaks that there is a prophetic element to what he says, looking to that hope the time when all people will come, when the turmoil of the nations will need, war, strife, conflict, oppression will be ended (Ps 46:9), when we will be with our God. The God of Creation.




Pray (ac-TS)


Sing 


Westminster Shorter Catechism
Question 10
How did God create man?
God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures. (Gen. 1:26–28, Col. 3:10, Eph. 4:24)




Day 116


Pray (ACts)


Read (Psalm 8v1-9)


Message - Scott Woodburn


H.L. Mencken once wrote that "even the most sincere man...makes a poor showing beside the average dog." I think I know what Mencken was trying to get at. A dog is man's best friend, full of loyalty and a constant friend. Sometimes we don’t match up to the commitment of our favourite pooch. Biblically speaking however, humanity has a privileged position. Admittedly we are not like the angels, they are unseen and have access to the heavenly place. We've been made a little lower than them (v5a) but nevertheless the Lord has crowned us with glory and honour (v5b). We have been made in God's image and He has entrusted us with dominion over His creation. Dogs may be loyal and lions may be mighty but they have not been given authority over the sheep and oxen, beasts of the field, birds of the air, fish of the sea and whatever else passes along the paths of the seas (v7-8).


God has given humanity a greater dignity than the rest of His creation. Therefore we should never doubt the preciousness of life. All life. It is horrific to think of the brutality of the Nazis who treated humans as a commodity. Millions were killed and stripped of their hair, their teeth, their glasses...anything that could be reused for the so called "master race". The Lord provides not for any fictional "master race", but the human race, and all humanity made in His image has value.


It is a humbling thought. Tonight look to the stars and think on this truth. "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" (v3-4)


Yet as we have discovered, in Hebrews this passage is taken and applied directly to Christ. Jesus is the "Son of Man". He is the condescending Christ who became like us in every way, yet without sin. He came as the humble servant who had nowhere to lay His head. He was even handed over to sinful men who put Him to death on a cross.


We meet the phrase "Son of Man" in Daniel 7v13 as well. Here we see that the Son of Man is fully God. He is presented before the "Ancient of Days" and given a kingdom that would last forever. The Son of Man is a perfect title for Jesus. In Christ we see "that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man." (Westminster Confession of Faith 8:2)  Today He remains the God Man. Flesh and blood is at the right hand of the Father and there is nothing left outside his control (Hebrews 2v8).


What are we that God is mindful of us? Why would He continue His interest with our constant sin and rebellion? What are we? By faith, we are in Christ. We are in an unbreakable union with Jesus. Nothing compares to this. Just as the humiliated Christ is now glorified so too one day He will return and take us to be where He is. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (v9)       


Pray (acTS)


Sing


Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q11 What are God's works of providence? God's works of providence are his most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.


Day 117
Pray (AC-ts)


Read — Psalm 65:9-13

Message Alan Burke 


Every day after school I got to go to the Thompson’s farm at Tamnakeery, after homework’s were done I got to go out and generally make a nuisance of myself. The only other place that I wanted to be was at my Grandparents farm at Liskinbwee. Most weekends I got to go up, which was great, but I knew that in the summer I’d be there for two whole amazing months, no school, no having to go to the shops, grannies cooking and the only time I had to get cleaned up was for the weekly trip to church when I’d more often than not leave with a cauliflower ear because I couldn’t sit still. All summer I hoped in vein that mum wouldn’t drive into the yard to pick me up when the summer ended and force me to get new shirts, shoes, jumpers and trousers, what was wrong with my boiler suit, ok it could stand by itself at the end of the summer but that didn’t matter to me. Those days are but a distant memory now. I didn’t realise at the time how much I learnt from my grandad, ‘Tick’ as he was affectionally known was a towering man with hands the size of shovels. Come hail or shine when it came to the Lord’s day we were at church, because he knew what many today don’t that all that we have stored in our cupboards, in our fridge, that milk that arrives in the container, wasn’t dependant on farmers like him who worked the ground, shed their blood sweat and tears, it was dependent on God. 


As this psalm closes, it reminds us that despite how farming has revolutionised since the turn of the twentieth century, despite the machines that we have the methods that we have learnt that all of it is reliant on the goodness of God to make the rain fall and the sun shine. It is the Lord who visits the earth, who cares fo the land, who attends to its needs, caring for his creation, the world and all that is in it, supplying the needs of those whom he has created to dwell upon it. All of this is an image of God’s grace, the blessing of God, how the early rains prepare the ground for sowing, while the later rains in mid winter soften it and allow the crops to grow. The rains come, soften and loosen the ground, the furrows are filled with water by the rains, all dependant on the mighty acts of the Lord, causing it to grow and producing abundance (9-10). God is the one who crowns each year with his goodness; with the harvest, the fruits, the flowers year after year. God, in the advancing seasons, passes along through the earth, and rich abundance springs up wherever he goes (11). The waste places, or the waste parts of the land; the uncultivated places he passing along giving fertility and beauty, causing grass and flowers to spring up in abundance, and clothing them. The valleys and the hills alike seem to be made glad (12). The pastures are clothed with flocks, standing so thick together, and are spread so far, that they seem to be a clothing for the pasture; or, the fields are entirely covered with them and valleys covered over with grain. All of creation shouts for joy (13). 


All that is described in these four verses is what is called ‘common grace’. Common grace is all that God does for his creation, that these verse explain are things that he does for all that we do not deserve. He shows this common grace on all people, this is the grace that leaves with all people without an excuse before him, for all of creation testifies that there is a God (Ps 19:2, Rom 1:20). My grandad knew this fine well, he saw it every day, it was inescapable for him to know that there is a God and it means none of us have an excuse when one day we stand before him and say we do not owe him everything. Yet it pleased the Lord to reveal himself to us though the Word incarnate (Heb 1:1-2), he alone is the way of salvation (Jn 14:6), freely offered to all who will believe (Rom 6:23).


Pray (ac-TS)


Sing 


Westminster Shorter Catechism
Question 12
What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the estate wherein he was created?
When God had created man, he entered into a (covenant of life) with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death. (Gal. 3:12, Gen. 2:17)




Day 118


Pray (ACts)


Read - Philippians 2v1-11


Message - Scott Woodburn
None of us I'd imagine are famous enough to utter the famous phrase "Do you know who I am?" It's perhaps only for the rich and powerful, but while we would never say it, many of us live it. We are 2020 people, with rights and privileges that we will absolutely assert. Yet the apostle calls the church to a different road in today's passage.


If you are encouraged in Christ, comforted in love, participate in the Spirit and have any affection or sympathy (v1) then live in full accord and one mind (v2). Everything in verse one was true of the Philippians, just as it is true of us and therefore they were to complete Paul's joy by striving for unity. There was to be no room for selfish ambition or conceit (v3a). Others were to be counted more significant than self (v3b) and the Philippian church was to look after their own interests and the interests of others (v4). Where could such an idea come from?


Consider Jesus. The condescending Christ. We are to respond to His grace in our lives by striving to emulate His mindset. Verse six to eleven is called the Carmen Christi or the Christ Hymn. It tells us that Jesus was God (v6) but He emptied Himself by taking on flesh (v7). This doesn't mean that He stopped being God whilst He was here on earth. Instead here we speak of Jesus emptying Himself by taking on a true human nature, in the form of a servant (v7). Indeed Christ doesn't count equality with God as something to be grasped (v6b). So He doesn't make the nails that pierce Him soft. He doesn't call upon the angels to destroy His enemies.


Instead the condescending Christ become flesh and blood and is obedient to death on a cross (v8). Certainly Christ is now exalted with the name above every name (v9) He deserves all the glory that is due to Him (v10-11) but first came the humiliation, mockery and scorn of this harlot world. As we read the Carmen Christi we are humbled. We are the centre of our own world. We are more selfish than any of us would care to admit but here is a call to go another way. A road marked with humility and condescension. Putting the needs of others before our own. Fighting not for our own way but instead fighting for unity in the local church. Fellowships marked with accord and Christ likeness. All of it in loving, thankful response to the condescending Christ.


So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy...consider Jesus.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q13 Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created? Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.


Day 120


Pray (AC-ts)


Read — Matthew 27:45-50 and Psalm 88


Message Alan Burke 


There are times that I cannot even begin to imagine what the person I pastor is going through, I do not try to give the answers, I do not try to give advice, all I do is listen. When there is opportunity to do so I take them to the one who can sympathise with all our weakness Jesus Christ our Lord (Heb. 4:15). He can sympathise with our weakness because he lived as one of us, experienced the things that we experience. In all the hardships that befall on us, whatever our weakness, we know the compassion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who will accompany us through it all. Not only that, in whatever we face he has concern for us and he can relieve our sufferings, helping us through all that we face. Knowing this should be an encouragement to us all, that God incarnate, Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man can sympathise with our weakness. 


What is more Jesus experienced the wrath of God so that we may escape it. We read from Matthew 27:45-50, a passage that is normally used at Good Friday services and more often than not the focus is on how he was spat on (Mt 26:67), flogged, received a crown of thorns (Jn 19:1-2) and was mocked (Mt 27:31) and nailed to a cross (Mt 27:35). As awful as these things were, they were nothing in comparison to what happened on the cross, for after several hours, when the end was near, Jesus cried out …“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) (Mt 27:46). There he experienced something worse than we can even begin to imagine, he was forsaken, for there he bore upon himself our sin so that we can have his righteousness, he suffered in our place, the wrath of God. He who knew no sin became sin for us ( 2 Cor 5:21), he bore the curse for us (Gal 3:13). We cannot fully grasp this cry, how the trine God suffered separation, yet in it we know that we have a saviour who knew what it was to be forsaken, who can sympathise with our weakness. 


I do not know what you face this day but I know that in what ever we face we have a Saviour who is compassionate towards us, is concerned for us, who is with us through it all. If you feel forsaken at times then know if you have trusted in the saviour your are not forsaken, he will never leave us nor forsake us. Man of sorrows what a name, for the Son of God, who came, ruined sinners to reclaim: Hallelujah, what a Saviour! 


Pray (ac-TS)


Sing 


Westminster Shorter Catechism
Question 15
What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?
The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein thy were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. (Gen. 3:6)