Redeemer Bible Church Blog

RELATIONSHIPS
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:30-31

These central words of Jesus point clearly to the ordering of human relationships. We should love God first and with the greater passion, then love other people as a result of loving God. Our love for God shapes and orders our human relationships. To the extent that we love and honor the Lord our God, our human relationships will have harmony and order. The opposite is also true. To the extent that people rebel against God and rebel against His purposes in ordering human relationships their lives will be thrown into a chaos of struggle and sadness. God’s design in human society is a fixed truth and cannot be altered by the rebellion of people – even the rebellion of whole nations.
             
The first and highest order of relationship is a human being to God. We have each been created in God’s image and given a soul. By this we have an awareness of God and a heart’s desire to be in relationship with Him. When we humble ourselves, turn away from our sins, and believe in Jesus as Savior, by grace through faith we pass from death to life. We pass from being estranged from God by guilt, to being in relationship with God by grace. This new relationship must become the defining relationship of our life, and one that we pursue first and with the greatest heart passion. The good authority of God will direct all other aspects of our relationships.
             
The second order of relationship is a biological man and biological woman to each other in marriage. God created marriage before sin entered the world. God created men and women, equal in worth, dignity, and standing before God, but different in their persons and roles. They were created different to complement each other in the divinely designed relationship of marriage. Two halves creating one whole. After God, any married person must next be devoted to the love of their spouse. The love of God will direct and rightly form the way we love our spouse. Finding our primary identity in God will allow each married person to love their spouse for who they are as a sinner – and not put their spouse in the place of God. When husbands or wives look to each other for what only God can provide the relationship will begin to crumble.
             
The third order of relationship is a husband and wife together as parents, relating to their children. When dad and mom love the Lord God first and each other second, they are set up for success to love the children next. It should be said that a basic love for children within the context of marriage is right. Marriage was not designed by God just for two people to join finances and enjoy recreational fun. One of the primary purposes of the marriage relationship is to establish a God-honoring, loving, stable, nurturing, and safe home. This home then becomes a healthy place to raise children. These may be biological children or adopted children, or both. These children will thrive best when they are not the center of the family. They must actively see dad and mom loving God first in their lives, then loving each other. In this context they will find their place as a loved and protected child. When a parent looks to a child for the love and affection that a spouse ought to provide the parent-child relationship will begin to fracture.

The fourth order of relationship is the family in relation to other families in the context of the local church. The local church is not a creation of American culture, but the design of God under the New Covenant of grace. God has designed our relating together as Christian families to primarily happen within the setting of the local church. Families are right to seek out community within the local church. When husband and wife love the Lord, then love each other, then love their children, the family is in a healthy place to then develop healthy life-giving friendships with other Christians. These relationships are most natural because we share the common bond of salvation in Jesus Christ. What we value and what we understand as morally right and wrong are aligned through Scripture. We share a common salvation and life direction.

The fifth order of relationship is members of the family in relationship to non-Christians in general local society and local government. This is the next step because it relates to people that we do not share a common salvation with and that we are so often at odds with over moral decisions. With this group you shift from being near friends and co-laborers in Christ, to those you are seeking to believe in Jesus Christ. We have meaningful relationships with the lost in our workplace and community, but it is with a missionary mindset. We are taking the joy, hope, and peace that we receive from the Lord, our family, and church, and ministering that gospel to the lost world.

The sixth order of relationship is members of the family in relationship to non-Christians and the federal (or highest level) government. The reason this is included relates to aid in times of need. Much could be said here, but when considering the ordering of our relationships we are also considering who we go to in times of need. It ought to be that we seek the Lord first, our spouse next, (if they are adults) our children, and then the local church or local charity. The distant and impersonal federal government should be the last place we go for our needs to be met. However, today the default response of an unbelieving world is to look to the federal government to solve problems that should be taken to the Lord, the family, or the local church. In this the federal government is put in the place of God. The unbelieving world (literally) puts its faith in government to fix problems and heal struggles that God designed to be meet by His own hand, by marriage, by the family, or in the local church.

The final order of relationship relates to people and their relationship to animals. I mention this because it is essential to understand that animals are not people. Animals do not have a soul and are not created in the image of God. We often have meaningful relationships with animals and a certain appropriate love for them, but an animal does not have moral equivalency with a person. An animal is not your child and can never be your child. The greatest tragedy of failed relationships seems to be multiplying in America. This is the situation where you find a person in rebellion against God, has a failed marriage(s) behind them, their children won’t speak to them, they choose not to be a part of a local church, they have no meaningful interpersonal relationships, but have a dog or cat that is the most important relationship in their life. This situation is the nadir of relational dysfunction.

In closing, these are biblical norms. This means that these are the normal, or regular, ways in which God intended for us to live in relationship to others. This does not mean that people are in sin if some of these things are absent, such as they are single or do not have children. Sin enters in when we transgress, or cross over these boundaries, not when we are unable to fully live them out. We live in a culture of lies today. In such a culture it’s very important that we cling to the Bible for truth and think deeply about the truth we find there.

Second, because of our sinful nature all our lives tend toward disorder. The process of sanctification, becoming more like Jesus in the affections of our soul, relates so much to striving daily to keep our relationships in order. It’s the struggle to love what God would have us to love, and value first what God says is valuable. May God help us to live Christ-honoring and holy lives in the midst of a chaotic and crumbling society. In this we must hold out the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ, extending the hope of salvation to a lost and dying world.
 
May our relationships and families be strong in Christ,
Pastor Vic

EFFECTIVE COMPASSION

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
James 1:27

               
Today we’re celebrating with Pastor Justin as he reaches a milestone in his life of completing two Masters of Arts degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary – Christian Leadership and Christian Studies. Congratulations Pastor Justin! These studies were taken up during the midst of a busy adult life, but for the sake of making a major effort to be better prepared for his calling to Christian leadership. The Redeemer family is so thankful for your gracious nature and rejoice in your diligence. We pray for your endurance in ministry, knowing that you and Molly will continue to greatly bless those you minister to.
             
Years ago, Justin had an assignment in one of his classes to create a ministry initiative. He came to me with the idea of creating a foster care and adoption ministry. Based on James 1:27 and the consistent Bible theme of adoption as a comparison of God’s love for us, Justin wanted to start an intentional ministry at Redeemer. The elder group approved of the idea and Justin got a B on his write up! However, Justin and Molly’s true and undying love for orphaned, neglected, and unloved children is of the Lord. In the spirit of missionary William Carey – Justin expects great things of God and by faith attempts great things for God.
             
Years later the passion and organization of the Redeemer foster care and adoption ministry has grown to be one of the defining aspects of our church. Proving out the true work of the Holy Spirit, beyond another church ‘program.’ Once Justin went out from Redeemer to take up the pastoral call to plant Redeemer Stafford, the ministry was taken up by another couple. Under the leadership of Nick and Alissa Bultinck, the passion to foster and adopt needy children continues to grow. Today, the call of Jesus to sacrificial discipleship – to die to yourself and take up your cross to follow Jesus – is displayed all over Redeemer by involvement in caring for orphans (Matthew 16:24-25). We are substantially contributing to make sure no child in Spotsylvania County is without a loving home.
             
This is a work of faith. Few people look at foster care and quickly say, “That looks like something I want to do!” Because the closer you get to the reality of it, the more it becomes clearly sacrificial. Your life will not be the same when you commit to taking a needy child into your home in Jesus’ name.

It’s a work of love. The work of love begins with an earnest love for Jesus. We love the weak and needy, because Jesus first loved us – who were ourselves weak and needy. We take the initiative to adopt orphaned children, because Jesus first took the initiative to adopt us into His family (Romans 8:15-23, Ephesians 1:5, Galatians 4:5). These children bring nothing to us but their brokenness. We bring them into our homes and love them for Jesus’ sake

It’s a progressive work. Everyone who has raised children knows that it’s a long journey. It’s a journey of discipleship. A journey of progressive love, training, discipline, and support. It’s a walk of faith, trusting in the Holy Spirit to bring spiritual change to the hearts of our children. And so it is with fostering and adopting. It’s a run of unknown distance. We pray each day for daily bread – what is needed for today. By His own hand and through the fellowship of the church all that is needed will be provided. In this way, many people in the church play vital support roles of providing respite care, meals, organizing a support closet, and praying for those amid the struggle.

This God-honoring, faith-filled, loving, sacrificial, and rewarding work has worked to bring us all closer to Jesus. If you are not involved on any level with this aspect of true religion, then I press you to get close to a family that is. Pray for them and help them as you are able. Talk with Nick or Alissa. Find a way you can personally care for the poor and needy in the name of Jesus.
 
I also want to bring to your attention a podcast and book related to these subjects. The podcast is: EFFECTIVE COMPASSION – Season 4: Orphan Care. It is available on Apple and Spotify. This podcast is produced by World News Group (WNG).

WNG was founded decades ago and managed by Marvin Olasky. Olasky wrote a book entitled The Tragedy of American Compassion that has many important lessons for the church when considering the ministry of foster care and adoption. Let me summarize a few of those points that are important for us to consider:
First, government can never provide personal, compassionate, accountable aid to the poor. The tragedy Olasky is tracing is the shift from personal church-based aid for the poor to government-based aid for the poor. There is much to be said here, but in short, impersonal government agencies staffed by under-paid workers can never have the same personal love, compassion, and accountability as aid provided by people in the Christian church who do the same work for Jesus’ sake from a sense of calling. By entering into foster care in a significant way, we are working to redeem this aspect of aid for poor children by infusing it with vital virtues that government can never provide.

Second, this work takes much time, energy, and effort to provide compassionate and accountable aid for the poor. In the past, the majority of this organized aid came from women’s organizations. Olasky spends much time outlining the various women’s community aid organizations that had a dramatic impact on America at the turn of the 20^th century. This was a time preceding so many women choosing to leave the home and enter the workplace. There was substantially less need for government aid programs because these charitable needs were largely met by Christian women who had the calling, time, and energy to do such things. We can see this principle working its way out in Redeemer right now. It takes significant time to foster a child well. That can only be accomplished when a family makes intentional Christian choices to work and earn less, in order to serve and give more time to a child in Jesus’ name.
             
Third, Olasky explores the idea of “Compassion Fatigue.” This relates to two different aspects of the same struggle. First, in our information age we’re inundated with every terrible need in the world constantly. We feel like there is nothing we can do to affect such need – so we do nothing. Or we feel that we have been taxed by the government to provide aid by the government, so we have no other obligation. Olasky argues that both these ideas are non-Christian. We are called by God to obey Him personally where we are, despite what may be happening in the world at large. Our actions are meaningful! Second, Olasky urges his readers to not grow weary in doing good. Duty and guilt are the motivation of the world for doing good. For the Christian, love and faith in Jesus are the greater, proper, and enduring motivations for Christian charity.
 
May the joyful sacrificial love of orphans and widows continue to grow,
Pastor Vic

OLD TESTAMENT GRACE

“Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am godly;
save your servant who trusts in you – you are my God.
Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.
In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
for you answer me.”
Psalm 86:1-7 

             
I was asked a very good question by a student in our youth group this past week, “How did people in the Old Testament come to salvation?”
             
The answer is that they came to salvation in the same way we do – by the grace of God alone, through faith alone. The major difference relates to the forward-looking nature of their faith. A God-fearing person in the Old Testament was looking forward to the salvation of God yet to be accomplished in a Messiah to come. Each believing person recognized their sin in the same way we must now, and every believing person called out to God for forgiveness. The basis for their hope of forgiveness was not their own good works, or religious rites and rituals, but the grace of God toward them. Old Testament believers did not know the name of Jesus or have an understanding of the cross that we have now. However, they did have a symbolic picture of the cross in the sacrificial system of the Old Testament temple and were reminded of the grace of God to forgive sins by every prophet the Lord sent to them.
             
The Old Testament system of sacrifices was instituted by God from the earliest chapters of the Bible. We see Abel in Genesis 4 bringing before God the acceptable sacrifice of a lamb. This basic sacrifice is expanded into an entire system of sacrificial worship revolving around the Tabernacle (movable) and later the Temple (permanent). These sacrifices for sin all revolved around one life substituted for another, the life of the animal for the life of the sinner. The person was guilty because they knew the rebellion of their heart before God, but the animal is innocent because they have no moral sense before God. But all these sacrifices are symbolic and inadequate. No lamb or ram can truly stand in the place of a sinful person before a holy God. Each sacrifice pointed symbolically in faith to the final and perfectly sufficient substitution of Jesus our Savior.
             
Generation after generation looked in faith for the Messiah to come. Countless Old Testament believers prayed the prayer of Psalm 86 – “save your servant who trusts in you … be gracious to me, O Lord.” This went on until faith was nearly lost and encrusted over by tradition – 400 years of silence with no word from the Lord between the time of Malachi and John the Baptist. Yet the Lord is faithful and will fulfill His purposes in His own time. In the fullness of time, John the Baptist was sent as the final prophet to proclaim the coming of the Messiah, to make straight the way of the Lord. John finally proclaimed the words awaited for thousands of years, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29) It is for the sake of Jesus that sins are forgiven, whether that faith was forward looking (Old Testament) or is backward looking (New Testament). However, let us be quick to remember that our faith today is still a forward-looking faith. Though we look back to the cross, we still look forward in hopeful expectation to the second coming of Christ. Though the day is dark and much has been lost, know that the purposes of God remain and will be accomplished in His own time. On a day already appointed, Jesus will come again, “with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 / 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12).
             
For other passages in the Old Testament that speak to the grace of God in saving sinners see: Numbers 14:18-19 / Deuteronomy 4:31 / 2 Kings 22 / Nehemiah 9:17 / Joel 2 / Jonah 4:2 / Micah 7:18-20.
 
Praise the Lord for His salvation given to us by grace alone through faith alone,
Pastor Vic
 
              It’s important to ask questions you may have about the Bible and Christianity. I will be hosting a question-and-answer session at 12:30pm, May 21 at the church. If you would like to submit a question beforehand, you can write it down and put it in the offering box near the main entrance or email your question to, info@redeemerVA.org. See you there!

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as it fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”–Ephesians 4:29

Words are a strange thing, but words matter deeply. When you listen to a person speak who speaks a language you don’t understand, the words sound like non-sense. This is especially true with non-phonetic languages. To you these sounds have no meaning, but to those who speak the language, each sound has meaning. The sounds have an agreed upon meaning between those who speak the language. The sounds are formed to express words and those words fit together to express matters of the heart. All human beings want to express themselves. Living together requires that we be able to communicate with each other. However, the Bible tells us that our hearts are corrupt (Jeremiah 17:9) and that we cannot openly communicate all that comes to our heart. Some people pride themselves in, “Just telling it like it is!” Christians cannot do this. We must pray for the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts to have self-control.

The words that we say, which are verbal expressions of what is in our mind and heart, have a moral quality. Our words are seldom neutral. Our words either tear down or build up. Our words either honor the Lord or dishonor Him. Our words affect those around us. Our words clearly tell the people around us how we feel about them. Jesus tells us (Matthew 12:35-37) that a person speaks out of the overflow of the heart. A person with a good and godly heart will speak words of blessing and encouragement. A person with a rebellious ungodly heart will speak evil words that destroy and tear down those around them. Jesus goes further to say that at the day of judgment we will be held accountable for every careless word we speak.

Every word matters. Christians, those who have confessed with their mouth that “Jesus is Lord” (Romans 10:8-10), will go forward by the powerful working of the Holy Spirit with a changed heart. This changed, and changing, heart will overflow with different words. The difference in how a Christian speaks is a big part of what sets them apart from the world. Our different words demonstrate a different heart toward God and others. Authentically different words – same words spoken at work, at home, at church, and with friends – demonstrate an authentic change of heart.

Let’s look first at some examples of bad speech that dishonor God. These words demonstrate a deeper struggle with sin in the heart. First, is using the name of the Lord Jesus as a curse word. All Christians are forbidden to use the name of the Lord in vain (Exodus 20:7). The name of Jesus is a sacred and holy name, chosen for Jesus, and to be used for the sacred purposes of prayer, worship, and thanksgiving. Next, is the common practice of using vulgar, obscene curse words to express your emotions. Every language has different curse words, but every culture agrees that certain words are understood to be obscene and are used for that purpose. Obscene words are used for their force, power, and shock value. But the vulgar nature of these words takes us as Christians away from the sacred, or holy/set apart, place we ought to live in as Christians. When we use these words, we are convicted because they take us into the perversion and anger of the world and away from Jesus as we vent our anger or perversion.

We must be very mindful in this perverse day that our words never joke or speak about sexual matters that are inappropriate. We are directly warned in Scripture against “crude joking” (Ephesians 5:4) and are admonished that the sexuality of the marriage bed is to be held in honor, set apart from common talk (Hebrews 13:4). In our words we must have the self-control to not give vent to our anger, to hold back from a complaining spirit, and not gossip about those around us. You must not whisper about the latest rumor you heard that undercuts the character of a co-worker or neighbor (Proverbs 16:28, 18:8, 26:22). If these ungodly words are a consistent and growing part of your life, you need to examine your heart before God. You need to confess these sins and pray for the Holy Spirit to help you speak in a different and Christ-honoring way.

On the other hand, Paul admonishes the Ephesians to only speak in a good way that builds up those around us and honors the Lord our God. If we know Christ as our Savior and have spent time drawing near to Him today, it will change your heart. When your heart is changed from being near Jesus and being filled with the Holy Spirit – your words will be different than this dying world! By the work of Jesus, you will go about today blessing those around you. Your words will honor Jesus and shine like light in darkness. You will be one who offers wise counsel. One who holds your tongue when you should. One who gives thanks instead of complaining. You will be a person of encouraging good humor. You will speak with honesty but also with compassion.

In these things, the Christian will strive by wisdom and self-control to speak well timed words. We must return blessing for cursing, lead with words filled with grace and love to diffuse angry situations. “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). Our words are to give grace to those who hear. Grace is undeserved favor. Even when – especially when – others come at us with angry sinful words, we must come back to them with undeserved words of kindness, encouragement, and love. Our words must bear witness to the salvation of Jesus that has changed our heart. Our words must overflow with the eternal life that is ours in Jesus.

Taming our words will be a life-long struggle of sanctification (James 3). May the Lord give us progress everyday for His glory and for the blessing of those around us.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Vic

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sakes He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” –2 Corinthians 5:17-21

This beautiful passage from Paul, written to the Corinthian church, is about reconciliation. Reconciliation is one of the many ways in which our salvation is described. To be reconciled to another person is have the hostility and offense between the two of you removed, followed by engaging (or re-engaging) in friendship. Reconciliation is taking two warring people separated by offense and bringing them together in earnest friendship. The dividing line of hostility is removed, and peace takes its place.

This passage is clear that we do not reconcile ourselves to God, but that God reconciles Himself to us through Christ. This means that when we were enemies to God, rebellious toward His law, without any love in our heart toward Jesus – God reached out to us first. The offenses of sin that we had built up toward God by our pride, selfishness, and ungodliness were all counted against Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God, who lived in perfect righteousness and fellowship with the Father, but for our sakes was counted as sinful (“made Him sin…”). Our sins and trespasses were counted against Jesus, not counted against us. With the offense between us and God removed, God the Father draws us into fellowship with Himself. This is what it means to have peace with God. Through Christ, sinful people can be reconciled to God.

The passage extends to the glorious reality that after being reconciled to God, we are given this ministry of reconciliation. We go into the world as ambassadors for Christ. As those at peace with God, we tell the world, and work to persuade the world (2 Corinthians 5:11, 6:2), that they also can and should seek peace with God. An ambassador is a chosen and empowered representative of a sovereign (monarch or government). We are sent by the King of Kings to proclaim the good news to all people that by grace alone their sins can be forgiven, and their guilt before God removed. Then from this state of forgiveness they are drawn into near friendship and personal relationship with God.

However, this ministry of proclaiming reconciliation begins with unity and peace in the local church. We cannot go into the lost world proclaiming the glorious grace of Jesus and the complete forgiveness of sin, when we ourselves harbor offenses and refuse to forgive others. To be an ambassador of reconciliation and peace, we ourselves must freely forgive and seek personal reconciliation with those around us – but especially those in Christ. We cannot remain at odds with others in the church. We must take the first move to forgive and seek peaceful reconciliation. When we realize that there is division between us and another Christian, we should do everything in our power – motivated by the love of Christ and the love of neighbor – to reconcile with that person. In the common salvation of Jesus our Lord, we will be able to find common ground with that person if we are willing to approach with humility and love.

The constant seeking of such reconciliation brings powerful unity to the church and a deep sense of earnest Christian love. May you each personally be reconciled to God through Jesus, then go out joyfully seeking the salvation of the lost and peace in the church.

In Christ we are new creations,
Pastor Vic

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”–Psalm 119:105

Looking back at 2022 I encourage you to consider the goodness of the Lord in answered prayers. A significant part of contentment and giving thanks relates to perspective. Perspective often relates to considering the past and what the Lord has brought us through. One of the major problems with hard-hearted unbelieving Israel in the Old Testament related to how quickly they forgot the past work of the Lord. Let us not be this way. A great point of reflection and topic of conversation at the end of a year relates to thinking back over the year, and how the Lord has answered prayer or directed your life in some good, yet unforeseen, way. We quickly forget the Lord’s work in the past. This New Year’s Eve, think back and recount the goodness of the Lord in 2022. Do this with family and friends and give glory to God!

Looking forward to 2023 I encourage you to first set spiritual goals for the new year. Each year the tyranny of the urgent presses in. The agenda of this treadmill is set by the pressing priorities of an unbelieving world. The greatest commandment of the Lord is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. To obey this command, we must make time for the Lord. We will make time for what has the first place in our affections. The urgency of daily pursuits will sap ALL your time if you don’t proactively cultivate a love for Christ in the soul.

Though there are many valuable and important spiritual disciplines in the Christian life, none is more foundational than Bible study. Bible study leads into prayer, actions of obedience, evangelism, life in the local church, and worship, but all of these will quickly become debased without Bible study. The Scriptures are both living and fixed.

They are living in that they are the inspired Word of the Lord ministered to our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The living nature of Scripture meets us where we are and is used by the Holy Spirit to change us. We are first changed by learning the good news of salvation by grace. We stop trying to earn favor with God, and instead receive salvation by faith giving thanks for the mercy of Jesus. We are changed by learning who God is, then seeing ourselves in light of His holiness and glory. We are changed by understanding what the moral will of God is. The Bible reveals to us how we ought to live in the new ways of Jesus.

The Bible is also fixed in that it does not change. In this way it’s like a north star of constant direction in the swirl of pressing cultural change. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The goal of Christianity is not to keep relevant to cultural shift, but to stand firm in unchanging Christ-like character.
Do you read the Bible constantly? Have you ever read all the way through the Bible? Do you have a plan for reading the Bible? The Bible is a book. Books have direction, plot, and cannot be properly understood by opening them at random and reading a few sentences. This is the danger of typical devotional books. They essentially open to a random place in the Bible, read one verse, give you a few thoughts, and close the book. I would strongly argue that you could do this “verse picking” for your whole life and never come to a clear understanding of who God is because you have never really read the Bible.

Many people are intimidated by the Bible, find the Bible boring, or get bogged down in less devotional sections. A few points of direction for 2023.

One, go to RedeemerVA.org and navigate to the resources tab, then to the Bible reading plans page. Choose a plan and print it out. By having a plan you will make systematic progress. The goal here is not to check a box or keep to a strict timetable, but to make systematic and accountable progress in daily and prayerfully reading God’s Word.

Second, always stop and pray before you read the Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate the Scriptures. May the Holy Spirit open your eyes to see wonderful things in the Bible that you have never see before. This will focus and prepare the posture of your heart to receive a word from the Lord.

Third, don’t get bogged down in the tough and less devotional places. When you hit the genealogies, the counting of tribes, and lists of woes read enough to see what is there, but keep turning the pages to get to the next narrative section. Later in your spiritual growth you will begin to see why these sections are present, but often these “dry” parts keep people from reading many very important and powerful Old Testament books

Fourth, read a paper Bible when possible. Mark your Bible. Underline parts that are meaningful to you. When you come across places that you don’t understand or offend you, write a question mark in the margin in pencil. As you grow in your understanding of The Lord Jesus many of those marks will be erased, but many will also remain for the ways of the Lord are higher than our ways. Do not expect to master the mind of God on your first pass through the Bible.

May the Lord open His word to you in 2023,
Pastor Vic