Introducing Israel to their Redeemer (Matthew 3:1-12)

In chapter 3, Matthew jumps ahead in his narrative concerning Jesus Christ from His childhood home in Nazareth to the beginning of His adult ministry at about age 30.  He first comes to public attention at His baptism by John the Baptist.  Matthew begins by pointing to some rather striking highlights of John’s ministry.

 First, his message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is within reach!”  Matthew links John and his ministry with another prophecy of Isaiah (Isa. 40:3).  He says John was the one spoken of when the prophet wrote: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD, Make His paths straight.”  The way of Almighty God needed to be prepared not because God needed help but because the people needed to be ready for Him.  They need to pay attention to God’s messenger.

 

Matthew notes that John was indeed preaching in the wilderness of Judea—the desert area to the west of the Dead Sea.  And his mission was to prepare the way for the Messiah.  His food, appearance, and message of repentance in light of an imminent appearance of the kingdom of heaven echoed that of the Old Testament prophets.  And Matthew notes that John’s ministry sparked a revival on a national level.  Crowds came from all around the region to be baptized as a sign of repentance from their sins to prepare for the coming of the kingdom of heaven.

 But some came as opportunists—to take advantage of the spiritual climate, including the larger religious sects called Pharisees and Sadducees.  The former were quite conservative in their message and the latter quite liberal but both of them equated righteousness with externals alone.  And John gave them a public tongue lashing as they also lined up to be baptized.

 He called them “offspring of serpents” and asked them derisively, “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”  The Sadducees didn’t believe in any such thing and the Pharisees thought they were immune from it.

John called them to “bear fruits worthy of repentance.”  Not that they could save themselves by good works—quite the opposite.  Nor could they trust in their Abrahamic blood to save them.  Yes, God promised to bless the heirs of Abraham but many of his descendants perished in their sins.  And even if every single descendant failed to trust in God and perished, still God was able to raise up descendants from “these stones.”

  Many of these same themes, Jesus would later amplify in his own debates with these same leaders.  John’s message would become Jesus’ message.  Matthew only introduces these themes here.  He does not amplify them beyond pointing out the root of dissension that would grow to eventually kill both John and Jesus.

 These leaders disbelieved or ignored the two possible futures looming before all mankind:  the kingdom of heaven and the wrath of God.  They spoke of the “kingdom of heaven” but only saw it in terms of their own leadership in it. 

 What then is this “fruit” that is connected to fleeing the wrath of God?  John called it fruit “worthy of repentance.”  Somehow repentance was seen as fleeing the wrath of God to enter the kingdom.  Those who enter the kingdom are somehow “worthy.”  So, a change from unworthy to worthy was necessary.  Matthew does not settle this enigma yet.  He is tantalizing his readers.  All we know at this point is that they were to prepare for the kingdom by recognizing that they are not worthy and thus need a Redeemer.  So here repentance was a recognition of this need because of their sin that made them unworthy of the kingdom of heaven.  The religious leaders denied their need of a redeemer.

 Their lives showed that they still trusted in their own righteousness assumed to be inherited from Abraham.  They didn’t really believe they were sinners in need of salvation.  God knows those who are trusting in Him alone and those who are trusting in their own efforts.  Your trust must be in God who is calling for obedience in the heart as well as the body. 

 Repentance would also be a prominent part of Jesus’ own proclamation of the gospel to Israel.  We will examine it further at that point.  For now, notice that repentance does not make them worthy of the kingdom but rather their actions demonstrate that they acknowledge their need for change and for forgiveness.  These will be two major obstacles to entering the kingdom that must be removed before they can enter.  In this way, John prepares the way of the Lord.

 John’s baptism, then, had no meaning apart from an inner heart change.  It was a sign of identification with a message that the kingdom of heaven was within reach and only those whose trust was in God to rescue them from the wrath to come could expect to enter the kingdom.

 John, in all humility, also preached about the Messiah who would come after him to bring this kingdom.  John emphasized the deity of this One when he stated he wasn’t even worthy of being the Messiah’s house servant in charge of taking off His shoes.  This Messiah, would do much more than John who preached and baptized with water. 

 The Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.  He would bring about the spiritual reality of Spirit baptism that corresponded to the symbol of water baptism.  The fire Matthew mentions could refer to the tongues of fire that accompanied the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2) but since that seems to be a one-time experience, it more likely ought to be seen in contrast to the baptism of the Spirit and here refers to the dual role of the Messiah: to judge the world and to restore the remnant.  He is Isaiah’s sanctuary and also the stone of stumbling (Isa. 8).  So, John visualizes the Messiah as a farmer in his dual role of threshing the harvest with a winnowing implement which separates the kernels of grain from the remaining husks.  The illustration comes to a shocking finale as the grain is placed in the barn but the chaff is burned up “with unquenchable fire.”

 It is at this point that Matthew has Jesus re-enter the narrative.  He had been in Galilee where His hometown was located but had now come to be baptized by John in the Jordan River.  Matthew lets us know that it is not because Jesus was a sinner and needed to repent that He came.  John was very pointed in his initial refusal.  “I need to be baptized by you.  Why are you coming to me?” 

 Apparently, John already knew that Jesus was the Messiah.  According to Luke, their mothers were related to one another so they may have already met at family gatherings.  The miraculous nature of both of their births had likely been rehearsed for them over and over again.  But here Matthew focuses on the pronouncement of this nationally prominent prophet who declares that Jesus is the promised Messiah.

 Jesus, in turn, acknowledged that John was right on that score but it needed to be done to “fulfill all righteousness.”  As we have seen, Matthew uses the word “fulfill” as a way of linking the message of the Old Testament prophets with the events of Jesus life.  Jesus’ actions reflected and gave full expression to Old Testament themes and expectations and here the theme that must be fulfilled was that none were righteous but the Messiah like an innocent lamb had all of our iniquity placed on Him that He might suffer in our place and heal us of all our unrighteousness (Isa. 53).  Jesus, too, was trusting God as He faced the task of redeeming the unrighteous.  All those being baptized here clung to this confident expectation that God Himself would provide righteousness and worthiness.

 As Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and the Spirit of God descended on Him in the form of a dove and a voice from heaven was heard declaring, “This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.”  This is a reflection from Isaiah 42:1 where the Lord describes the Messiah: “Behold My Servant, Whom I uphold, My Chosen, in Whom My soul delights: I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.”

 So, Jesus is announced to Israel as the Messiah by the testimony of the Scripture, of John the Baptist, and finally by the Father’s voice from heaven accompanied by the appearance of the Spirit.  The kingdom of heaven is within reach.

 © Eric Thimell 2018

The Newborn Messiah: Unexpected Obstacles and Adoration (Matthew 2:1-25)

We come now to Matthew 2 and once again we take especial notice of some unexpected details.  Chapter 1 concluded with Joseph and Mary ending their betrothal period and beginning life together to prevent gossip as Mary’s pregnancy became apparent.  But there is no record of the birth itself, or the travel to Bethlehem and the adoration of the shepherds as Luke so vividly recounts in his gospel.  Instead, the narrative picks up after the birth of Jesus to further opposition to the Child.  Matthew notes in verse 11 that they now are living in a house.  They are not still in the stable behind the inn that Luke talks about.  In verse 16 we also note that it has been as much as two years but probably somewhat less since Jesus’ birth.

Wise Foreigners Seek the Redeemer

Matthew introduces us to “wise men from the east” who have come to worship the king of the Jews as they had seen declared in the heavens.  Matthew does not tell us who these wise men are, how many of them there are, how they knew about the Messiah’s birth (other than a star sign in the sky), or precisely where they are from.  But the word Matthew uses to describe them (magoi) is the same word the Greek translation of the scriptures used to describe the clan of wise men in Persia that the prophet Daniel once headed up.  Persia was indeed located to the east and the magoi were renowned for their knowledge and observations of the heavenly bodies.  These foreigners traveled 600 miles to worship another king and they naturally sought him in the capital city, Jerusalem.

Notice that not only the current king of the Jews, Herod the Great, was upset but all Jerusalem with him.  Herod had killed many supposed usurpers – even his wife and some of his sons.   The city worried that someone else would die and Herod worried for his throne. 

Matthew points out that Herod had his own wise men – the religious experts –  brought in for help?  He either believed the Bible might be correct or, more likely, he surmised that the people would believe and rally around a usurper as they had done before.  The experts pointed to the prophet Micah and his prediction that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem.  Micah wrote about the same time as Isaiah whose sign to King Ahaz serves as the background for the virgin birth of the Messiah.  Micah addressed the same coming judgment upon Israel and Judah but also a coming deliverance by a divine Ruler who had always been around but would be born in Bethlehem.  He would set up a worldwide kingdom.

Why didn’t Herod and his wise men go to Bethlehem six miles down the road right then and there?  He probably didn’t want to advertise the message of the wise men nor did he want to worship this child as would be expected of him should they find Him. His scribes and chief priests were not seeking the true Messiah, either, for they did not offer to go to Bethlehem, either.

But Herod did want to know how to find this child—should he exist. So, he secretly solicited from the wise men the time the star first appeared and directed them to return and give him the exact location.

The star had initially led the wise men to Israel where they sought more specific help in Jerusalem, the capital city.  But after getting further directions from the Bible scholars in Jerusalem and setting out for Bethlehem (six miles away), the star reappeared and this time led them to a specific place and house.   This was obviously no ordinary star.  No object beyond our atmosphere could serve.  This was supernatural. 

Their reaction upon seeing Jesus filled them with great joy and they worshipped Him.   They gave him gifts befitting a king. In the ancient world, emissaries from subservient kingdoms sent rich gifts to a new king to demonstrate their fealty.   

Wise, indeed, were these magoi who knew how to discern wisdom not only from a sign in the sky, then from the words of the prophet Micah, and now from a God-given dream warning them to go home a different way.

 

A Foreign Land Shelters the Redeemer from the Massacre in Bethlehem

Joseph now has his second dream from the Angel of the Lord.  To protect Jesus from the wrath of Herod he is told to flee to Egypt. We can also see that those expensive gifts would be needed for the trip to and from Egypt.  At this point, Matthew quotes from the prophet Hosea who also wrote at the same time as Isaiah and Micah and spoke of Israel returning to Egypt in a reverse exodus to protect themselves.  But God would bring them back and Matthew sees the Messiah also seeking temporary protection in Egypt and then returning.

While Jesus was gone, and since the wise men had not reported back, Herod ordered the murder of all the baby boys near Bethlehem who were two and under.  Herod calculated this age from the date the wise men had first seen the star.  So, he reasoned that Jesus was likely less than two years of age.  This murder would likely have removed most if not all infant male descendants of David whose families were required to move to their own ancestral towns to assess the tax value of their lands (as Luke reports).

Moses, also, had escaped such a massacre at his birth.  Matthew does not mention this but instead recalls Jeremiah’s lament over the metaphorical wailing of Rachel (Jacob’s long-dead wife who was buried near Bethlehem) over her children as they were killed or marched off to slavery in Babylon.  Nearly six hundred years before, Ramah was the collection point for the exiled Jewish slaves as they set off in the long sorrowful caravans of tears for Babylon.

The Redeemer is Called a Nazarene

Matthew now recalls Joseph’s third dream from the Angel of the Lord telling him to return to Israel because Herod is dead. Herod died in 4 BC so Jesus was probably born between 6 and 7 BC!  As they made their way back, Joseph has a fourth dream telling him not to return to Bethlehem (which was in Judea ruled by Herod’s son Archelaus).  So, he went to the town where Mary and he had lived before they got married (according to Luke) which was Nazareth.  This was in Galilee which was ruled over by another son of Herod called Antipas.

Matthew now alludes to other Old Testament prophets saying, “He would be called a Nazarene.”  What is he talking about?  Many Old Testament prophets allude to the fact that the Messiah will not be highly esteemed.  Even Nathaniel quotes a saying based on this idea: “Can any good come out of Nazareth?”  Galilee was considered the spiritual opposite of the holy city of Jerusalem.  Even today the Arabs call Christians ‘Nazarenes’ as a pejorative term.   How will the Messiah bring in His kingdom by starting in the spiritual backwater of the nation?

© 2018 Eric Thimell

God Intervenes in the Birth of Y’shua the Messiah (Matthew 1:18-25)

The Scandal of Redemption

Following on the mention of Mary in the family tree for Jesus, in Matthew 1:18-25, we have Matthew’s record of Jesus’ birth.  But Matthew is not merely giving us a conventional birth announcement.  There is an astounding transparency of inconvenient details that surely must be true.  What publicity minded church would publish this sort of scandalous information about the purported Redeemer of Israel?

The normal procedure at this time and place was such that following the arrangement of the betrothal (engagement), a couple was considered legally married but the bride normally continued to live with her parents for a year while the husband prepared a home.  They did not have intimacy during that time and the lack of pregnancy at the end of this time demonstrated her chastity.  If a scandal did occur, the match would be called off via a legal divorce although there was the potential for deadly legal penalties.

This is just the scandalous situation that Joseph and Mary are caught up in.  But Matthew tells us that God had intervened.  Mary was pregnant “through the Holy Spirit.”  Joseph apparently believed something very wrong ad taken place but notice that he did not want her to be publicly shamed so he planned to “quietly” divorce her.  Now for a second time in Matthew’s record, the Lord intervened and an “angel of the Lord” explained to Joseph in a dream before he could follow through on divorce.

Apparently, no outsider was privy to the situation so it could be kept in the immediate family at that time, yet it did add to the tension in what could have been a very dangerous and scandalous situation concerning the birth of the redeemer of Israel.

The Prophecy of Redemption

Matthew signifies this scandal as a sign given to Israel once before.  The traditional treatment is that this is the ‘fulfillment’ of Isaiah’s prophecy—meaning that Isaiah predicted the virgin birth.  But it is much deeper than that.

In Isaiah 7 and 8, Uzziah’s grandson Ahaz was on the throne of Judah and Pekah the wicked king of Israel had made an alliance with Syria to attack Judah.  And the Lord promised that Assyria would carry both Israel and Syria away into captivity.  It would also nearly prove the undoing of Judah as well.  Isaiah gave a sign from the Lord in Isaiah 7:14 that speaks of a maiden giving birth to a son who would be called “Emmanuel” and would be eating curds and honey before he was old enough to know right and wrong.  (Curds and honey would mean the land had been abandoned and no longer cultivated but only grazed on by cattle.)  This was to be God’s sign to Ahaz that He would be “with” Israel even though disaster lay ahead and their cousins in Israel would be carried off into exile. 

So now Jesus is the same kind of sign.  Disaster is coming for Israel but God is in it and will be with “us.”  The sign in Isaiah’s day was the birth and life of Emmanuel.  And now in Matthew’s day it is the virgin birth that proves that God is with us even in the coming disaster.

It is interesting that the Greek translation of Isaiah specifies that the maiden was not just a young maiden of marriageable age (almah) as the Hebrew text affirms but was specifically a virgin (parthenos).  This seems to be the translation that Matthew refers to here.  A detail that may have been obscure to Isaiah is clarified by the Greek translation – the Bible that everyone used at that time.

While Emmanuel of Isaiah’s day was apparently only a sign, this Emmanuel would also save His people from their sins.  They cannot save themselves as was also true of the people of Isaiah’s day and now the new Emmanuel Himself would not only be with them as God, He would also be the means of their salvation from sins.  This will not take place without tremendous opposition.

© 2018 Eric Thimell

Introduction to Our Study of Matthew

Note:  This should have been posted at the start of our Matthew Studies Series. 

This study was conducted over the course of two years and these notes are a compilation of the handouts prepared for the Friday Night Bible Study of the En Gedi Hospitality House in Mountain Home, Idaho.  It is an ongoing ministry of Cadence International to the military community at Mountain Home Air Force Base so it is to these young men and women who patiently shared in the fruits of this study week after week that they are gratefully dedicated.

In preparation for this study, I used only a Bible – mainly the English Standard Version—but I compared the text to many other translations as well as to the Greek text and when I was finished with a passage, I sometimes consulted a few commentaries or reference books to compare certain points of interpretation.  But the finished product was my own. 

My method of study involved reading and re-reading the text according to the Bible study method I learned from Dr. Howard Hendricks being careful to “bombard the text” with questions as Prof would say and then consider answers that came to mind or I had heard before in my seminary classes and books I had read.  But I also began to utilize a method proposed by Dr. Abraham Kuruvilla as a basis for sound homiletics.  In this method, we try to discern “what the author is doing with what he is saying.”  In other words, seeking clues in the text itself that speak to the lesson that the author considered to be of primary importance in his recording the sacred words imparted to Him by the Holy Spirit.

There have been those scholars over the years who have scorned the idea that we moderns can “psychoanalyze” or in any way truly discern the “intention of the author.”  But eventually this idea of intentionality became an important piece in what became known as the Chicago Statement on Inerrancy.  And more recently, Dr. Kuruvilla has refined this idea as a crucial part of his method of preaching the Word of God.  I have taken his ideas and methods and applied them to teaching as well as preaching.

I recognize that there are truly wonderful intertextual studies that go beyond the purposes of a single biblical author but for teaching through the Bible book by book, this new method has been the most satisfying tool I have found.  I still ask questions that consider the observations made by other Biblical authors that may affect my understanding of a passage but in the end, I seek to understand why Matthew presents his material in the way that he does it albeit somewhat differently from the other gospel authors.  This will not offer a complete picture of everything we wish to know or even everything that is revealed in the Bible.  I have attempted to address some theological (as well as gospel harmonization) issues as they surface in a more intertextual manner but for the most part I have confined myself to Matthew’s pedagogical outline.

This study does not primarily make an appeal to the scholarship of great teachers of the past or even more current notions although at times I interact with these ideas (often without naming the scholar) because it is the teaching and interpretation we wish to apprehend—not personalities and human authorities to which we too often cling to more tenaciously than the Word itself.  For the purposes of this study, it is usually enough to simply discuss an idea that is “out there” and attempt to see if this is a good fit for what Matthew is talking about.  This will limit the use of this book by students who are trying to glean bibliographic information.  Hopefully, it will more than make up for that shortcoming by shining a light on the “message of the book” according to Matthew.

© 2018 Eric Thimell

Matthew: A History of Y’shua the Messiah (Matthew 1:1-17)

Although our ministry is centered around hospitality, much of the spiritual growth has come through teaching the Word on a regular basis.  Since many of our readers have shared in this ministry through  giving and prayer, we have decided to share some of the benefits here.

We have completed a two year journey through Matthew and have decided to publish, on a weekly basis, the teaching handouts that Eric prepared.  (You may freely share them with others but they are not to be used in any form for sale without contacting us first.)

Matthew: A History of Y’shua the Messiah (Matthew 1:1-17)

 One way to look at the Old Testament is to see that, beginning in Genesis, mankind is in a serious predicament because of sin.  We need redemption.  Then beginning in Genesis 12 we follow God’s program of providing a channel of redemption.  Through the means of a specially chosen people, God would interact with them in their long history to be the people out of whom would arise a Redeemer.

In Matthew 1:1-17, the writer recounts the genealogy of this Redeemer through which he goes on to explain His birth, His teaching, His death, and His resurrection.  This Redeemer was Jesus.

Matthew refers to Him as “Jesus Christ” meaning literally “anointed savior.”  To get background on this anointed one (Messiah in Hebrew), we must study the Old Testament—a library of sacred books written in Hebrew and Aramaic over a period of 1500 years by Hebrew prophets.  200 years before Matthew’s day, this collection of writings was translated into everyday Greek—the language used throughout the Roman Empire from England to India and the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.  Thus, these sacred books became accessible to those who could read or could understand the reading of this common language.  (Not long after Jesus’ death, an ex-Jewish general turned historian named Josephus wrote a popularization of the history contained in these books for the enlightenment of the empire.)  While the theme of the Old Testament mostly concerns God’s working and teaching in and through Israel, there is a larger purpose that repeats itself over and over.  God desires Israel to be a light to the entire world.  But Israel fails in this task most miserably.  She even fails to live up to the light in her own national boundaries.  Lest we read with smugness we must understand that the history of the rest of the world—even the so-called “Christian” nations—have not fared much better.  A quick read through of the Cambridge Shorter History of the Western World sounds every bit as sordid as that of Israel and Judah.  Have God’s purposes been thwarted?

Matthew will show us that this Messiah, Jesus, would be the One who will successfully fulfill God’s mandate to call out and energize a people that share the light of the glorious gospel to the whole world.  This book is the story of what that means and how it came about.  As various technical terms are mentioned in the text we will discuss them with special application to the way Matthew is using the term.  He doesn’t always give us a complete understanding of the term when it is first mentioned but saves the full explanation as the opportunity arises to illustrate the meaning in Jesus’ actions and teaching.  We will attempt to follow Matthew’s cues in this although we recognize that we are now armchair explorers who have some idea how this story goes.

As we open Matthew and read through his genealogy of Jesus, there are several peculiar features that should stand out.  It is as if Matthew deliberately provided little surveyor flags with their brightly colored streamers to point out to the reader, “Hey, what do you think this is about?”  (This method is also used in helping us to understand Jesus’ words and works throughout the book.)  In this case, note that most ancient genealogies contained only the names of men!  Who, then, are the five women named here?  Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, the wife of Uriah (Bathsheba) and even Mary are all surprise interjections of suspicious character.  The first four are not even Israelites – they are Gentiles!  And Mary has gotten pregnant before the wedding—and not by the husband!  All but Ruth and Mary had a history of immorality and Mary was suspected of it!  Jesus is not just born into a family of mortals but of sinners!

Speaking of men, four of the men named here are listed in the great “faith chapter” in Hebrews 11: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David.  Were these four always faithful men?  Eight of the men named here are called “evil” in Scripture: Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Joram (also called Jehoram in Scripture), Ahaz, Manasseh, Amos (also called Amon and not to be confused with a prophet Amos), and Jeconiah.  There are seven men named here who are called “good” in Scripture: David, Asaph (also called Asa), Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, Jotham, Hezekiah, and Josiah.

With all these kings and the royal line, the question that naturally arises is, why isn’t the redeemer born in a palace?  The story of the Babylonian exile and the resulting loss of the control of their own nation is the subject of much of the Old Testament.  The royal line still lives – but as obscure peasants.

So, Matthew begins with a seemingly hopeless situation to present the Author of hope—Jesus Christ—who comes exactly as prophesied through this unlikely channel.

An honest look at the human legacy of our own family will have its own stains amidst the glories of the past.  But the Redeemer is coming into the world in no better circumstances.

-- © 2017 Eric H Thimell

Encouragement on the Way

Recently, I received a terse email from a long time missionary friend in another country. There was shocking news about destruction and death and divine protection and a warning not to re-post on the internet but a request to just pray. Even here in peaceful Mountain Home where we minister to the military community we can't share everything that is happening due to confidentiality and security needs but we still need prayer coverage and we still want our team members to be as informed as possible. We still have our regular meetings and events but we are also spending more one-on-one time than ever before—and the Lord is enabling us.


At the same time we have seen our Friday night attendance really growing. We had 47 this last Friday. This was a record. (How many will your living room hold?) We had (barely) enough schweinebraten, spätzli and rotkohl so we need to make appropriate adjustments in our future meal planning! Kudos to Suzie and her German-Swiss cuisine. Her Swiss or German made Betty Bossi spätzli-machine is on life support so we are trying to find a replacement.

Last year we were astonished at the bumper crop of babies born to families in the fellowship. This year we may have even more than last! I suggested that Ed bottle the house water! At the same time there are some families here desperately praying they could be in on this blessing also. This is quite distressing for some. Please pray!

We are continuing the Andy Stanley "Balanced" video series on personal finances. A lot of our folks were genuinely impacted by Andy's plea to pray "Lord, show me how to honor You with my wealth." There is a life-changing lesson in this for all of us.

This past weekend the men and the women separately conducted a half-day of prayer. Okay, it was only 3-1/2 hours but it was life-changing for all of us who participated. God is working!
Sunday, the base chapel highlighted the ministry of En Gedi to the Mountain Home military community. Some of our folks ushered, took up the offering, and read Scripture. We had a very good chapel response as our En Gedi team members were interviewed by Chaplain Schrader and I gave both the children's sermon and preached from 1 John 2:15-17 (Heart Attack).

Our Wednesday night men's study has been ramping up for a new accountability group as well as beginning our new study series with Men's Fraternity soon. Attendance has been temporarily affected by required career training and short-term deployments but we are seeing solid personal growth in spite of these obstacles.

Janet is home and back in the saddle and hard at work even as I write. And I need to get groceries for the fellowship meals this week but you keep praying for us and I will keep you informed as best I can.

One last note of praise. It looks like our work account debit was cut in half due to additional gifts that came in December. Praise the Lord and thank you to our extended ministry team around the world.

Are we there yet? Any time now!

January is nearly half over and we have had quite a bit of snow (and rain) – for Mountain Home. Thank you, Lord! Our high desert valley at the feet of the mountains is usually dry and windy so we are enjoying the moisture. 
 
We are seeing a good response to the ministry of the Word also. Hearts are changing as they take up the challenge to 'go deeper' as Ed Buri has put it. 
 

On January 2^nd we discussed godly contentment in our Friday night study and had an excellent response. Then on January 9^th we picked up the first obstacle to godly contentment: an out of balance financial lifestyle. We began watching the six part Andy Stanley series on Financial Balance.


Meanwhile our men's study continued the study in the attributes of God and they are all committed to our next study called 'The Quest for Authentic Manhood' with Dr. Robert Lewis. This is the original series that began the Men's Fraternity. We are also going to be starting our men's accountability group as an optional add-on after the study time. We had the group up and running until about this same time last year when we lost everyone who was part of the group to transfers and deployments. So we are really encouraged to be able to be re-starting even though there will be some job disruption ahead.



On New Year's Day, Janet left on a two week trip to visit with her ailing step-mom who is in hospice with late-stage Alzheimer's. She stopped in Denver to take Ben with her to Tucson. When she gets home, she will have driven 3400 miles! The Lord helped Ben to get excused from scheduled jury duty so he could go and they have safely returned to Denver so far. Janet will be home this next Thursday night. Irene has trusted the Lord and we pray she will see her Savior soon. She will have her mind again and know as she is known. We are praying for Matt as he sees her slipping away.




The ladies have missed Janet dearly but her Knit-Wits night will kick off again next Tuesday along with her energetic care for these women. She has also been teaching the Bible Study for PWOC on Thursday mornings while I have volunteered to be grandpa in the nursery. Last week we had twice our usual number of kids in what we call 'Wee Joy' due to the 2015 Kick-Off event.

This coming Sunday, our ministry with the Buris at En Gedi Hospitality House will be highlighted at the base chapel and I have been asked to preach. I will be speaking on three things that can attack our heart for the Lord from 1 John 2:15-17.




As we look ahead, we are excited to be able to continue to serve the Lord in this way. We have three scheduled trips ahead that will make it difficult to do very much more out of state travelling. Ben and Megan are planning on a wedding sometime this year in Denver and Elizabeth will be graduating with her PhD from Ohio State. And we have a weeklong mission-wide conference to attend in Wisconsin. (The last one was five years ago. Many of you participated in helping us get there financially.) 
 
By the way, many of you have also helped us pay down our work account debt as well as being regular donors. We're getting there! The Lord will repay your sacrifice but we also wish to thank you on behalf of the men and women in the Mountain Home military community who have benefited by your generosity.


One final note: Cadence International is celebrating over 60 years of service to the military this year. Janet and I have now been serving with Cadence for more than half of that time as well as thirty-seven years of marriage! Wow! Some of you have partnered with us for all these years! Thank you!