Hello FBC!
And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them, and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
(Deuteronomy 28:13-14)
There is much in Deuteronomy to both inspire us and challenge us. I loved what I read in the
Gospel Transformation Bible
regarding Deut. 28 today: “Perhaps no other text in the Old Testament articulates so clearly the blessings of the covenant held out to God’s people upon their obedience. (In these 14 verses, the verb ‘bless(ed)’ occurs 8x and the noun ‘blessing’ occurs 2x.) Verse 2 promises ‘all these blessings,’ then we read in vs. 3-6 ‘Blessed,’ ‘Blessed,’ ‘Blessed,’ ‘Blessed.’ Finally, vs. 11 says, ‘the LORD will make you abound in prosperity.’ And perhaps no other text in the Old Testament articulates so clearly obedience as the condition for these blessings. The stress on obedience is found in the beginning (v. 1-2), the middle (v. 9), and the end (v. 13-14).
The problem is that we do not abide by all the things written in God’s law. Left to ourselves, the result can only be
curse rather than blessing (Gal. 3:10). But Christ obeyed for us (Rom. 5:19) and bore the curse for us (Gal. 3:13),
so that we might receive these blessings through our faith and not by our obedience (Gal. 3:14). Those who are free from the obligation to keep the law in order to merit the promised blessings (Gal. 5:1) do not use that freedom to sin (Gal. 5:13) but rather to serve in love (Gal. 5:14). As we do, we can expect to receive more of the covenant blessings in this life even as we anticipate experiencing the fullness of those blessings in the life to come.
Blessing, true blessing, real
shalom
, is ours for the asking — as long as we resist the urge to try to help pay for it.”
This Sunday we come to a very difficult part of David’s story. I will speak on “How Not to Handle Temptation” from 2 Samuel 11. Please prayerfully read that passage, and ask the Lord to be speaking to your heart as you prepare for Sunday worship. It’s always a good reminder to “let anyone who thinks he
stands take heed lest he fall
” (1 Cor. 10:12).
Families with youth in 6th to 12th grade – this Sunday is our first FBC Family Olympics, from 6:30 — 9:00pm. Please come and see if your family can take home the trophy!
Remember the Franklin Graham Prayer Rally at the Oregon State Capitol next Tuesday, June 28, at 12:00pm.
And men with sons in grades 1-8 — Sons of Thunder at Camp Tadmor is coming soon! There are 3 weekends to choose from. Micah and I are going the first weekend, July 22-24. I strongly encourage you to consider attending this outstanding event for fathers & sons. And maybe there is a boy in the church you are aware of who doesn’t have a dad to take him to something like this. Consider taking him. Check it out at:
May the grace and peace of Jesus Christ be yours in abundance today!
Love From Your Pastor,
Michael