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Benjamin Murphy
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Get Prepared for the March Sermon Series: The Cross in the Old Testament.

Our “Easter Series” * this year is The Cross in the Old Testament.

Sometimes we may look at the crucifixion of our Lord as if terrible circumstances spiraled out of control. As if (as one woman said to me once) “Jesus was going along doing so much good, and they got Him.” As if Jesus was merely a victim who was helplessly murdered.

That's not true.

The death of the Messiah was clearly promised throughout the Old Testament – how it would happen and what it would mean.

Reading the Old Testament, we see how the death of God's Christ would defeat the enemy, save His people from death, take away guilt, and so much more.

With all of the glorious promises, we have to ask “DID Jesus fulfill all of these?”

And the answer is a resounding YES.

Don't miss a Sunday in March (OR Good Friday!), as we examine some beautiful theology together.


* Personally, I don't care for the term “Easter”. It's just not a Biblical term. So where did the term come from? According to the internet (FWIW): The naming of the celebration as “Easter” seems to go back to the name of a pre-Christian goddess in England, Eostre, who was celebrated at beginning of spring. The only reference to this goddess comes from the writings of the Venerable Bede, a British monk who lived in the late seventh and early eighth century.

I prefer to call it “Resurrection Sunday”.

Get Prepared for Ruth

Feeling unprepared is the worst. We all have experienced this feeling in many ways and in many different circumstances. Maybe you have experienced this sensation on a daily basis lately! You walk into an important meeting, presentation, or conversation with a stomach that is sinking, a heart that is pounding, and a forehead that is sweating because you know that you are not ready for what is coming. You didn’t adequately work ahead. You didn’t put enough thought into what you will say or how you will respond to what others might say. In these moments of frustration, our present selves get angry at our past selves for their lack of forethought and planning. You have no idea how many times I’ve thought to myself, “Ugh, I hate past Taylor! He is such a procrastinating jerk! Why did he do this to me!” Obviously, past Taylor and present Taylor are the same exact person but I think you get my point. We long to be more prepared but for some reason, we often don’t take the necessary steps to actually be more prepared.

I think that many Christians have this feeling in regard to church. They go to bed late on Saturday night, roll out of bed late on Sunday morning, hurry to get the kids fed and looking somewhat presentable, lose their temper on the way to church, and walk into service several minutes late. They feel rushed, annoyed, and exhausted. Then they walk out of the service thinking, “Well, I didn’t get anything out of that,” and go about the rest of their day. Maybe you didn’t get anything out of the service because you didn’t put much into it. Maybe you didn’t reap a harvest of blessing because you didn’t sow seeds of preparation throughout the week. You didn’t truly prepare your heart and mind to pray to the Lord, to sing His praises, to receive His Word, and to engage with brothers and sisters in Christ. You came unprepared so you leave unfed and ill-equipped.

You may be reading this and thinking, “That’s me! How can I address this problem? How can I come prepared on Sunday morning?” That is a great question and I am so glad that you asked it! Let me answer that question by pointing you forward to what is coming up very soon. This Sunday, we are beginning a four-week series through the book of Ruth. This is an often-overlooked book because it just seems like a straightforward love story. But it is so much more than that! Ruth may seem a bit slight and unimportant compared to theological mountain peaks such as Genesis, the Gospel of John, Paul’s letter to the Romans, or Revelation. But it is actually a small book that is packed with BIG truths. Big truths about this life, ourselves, and God Himself. One pastor describes the book of Ruth as “much in little – a little book containing far more about God than its size would suggest.”[1] I hope and pray that every single one of you reading this blog post will come to church throughout February with hearts and minds that are ready to receive and apply these big truths from Ruth. Let me give you three quick ways to get the most out of this sermon series:

Pray:

  • Pray for the Preacher – This may sound a bit self-serving but I ask that you pray for me! I don’t feel bad asking for this because the apostle Paul often did as well (Romans 15:30-32; Ephesians 6:19-20; Colossians 4:2-4). If Paul, the greatest Christian to ever walk the face of this planet, needed prayer, then I most certainly do! I want to diligently prepare. I want to accurately represent the text. I want to preach with clarity, passion, and urgency.

  • Pray for Yourself – Go to the Lord throughout this week (as well as every week in February) and ask that you would have open ears, a receptive mind, and a willing heart as you sit under the preaching of the Word.

  • Pray for Others – Ask that the Lord would bless your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ with the gift of His Word. Pray that the Holy Spirit would encourage, comfort, guide, challenge, convict, and equip His people. Pray that the Spirit would use every aspect of the services (singing, praying, preaching, fellowship) to draw the lost in the room to a saving knowledge of Christ.

Read/Meditate:

  • Read Ruth in Its Entirety - As I wrote earlier, Ruth is a very short book which means that you can easily read it in one sitting. I know we all vary in our reading speeds but even the slowest of readers can knock Ruth out in about twenty or so minutes. That is the length of a sitcom episode! Instead of watching yet another episode of Seinfeld or The Office, read Ruth instead! I would encourage you to read Ruth at least once before Sunday. If you are able, try to read it two or three times so that you can familiarize yourself with the flow of the narrative and soak your mind in the richness of its themes. You could even read the entire book aloud with your spouse and/or your kids during your devotional time as a family.  

  • Take Notes – Your Bible shouldn’t be pristine and unmarked. Highlight key passages that stand out to you, write notes in the margins, put question marks next to verses that confuse you and require further study. Ask yourself questions and see if I answer them during one of the sermons!

  • Pay Attention to the Big Picture and the Small Details - When you read any book of the Bible, it’s important to pay attention to the context and background. Here are some important details to keep in mind as you read Ruth:

    1. Author - Scholars are not exactly sure who wrote the book of Ruth. Some believe it was Samuel but there is no internal or external evidence of his authorship.

    2. Setting - The author provides the background of Ruth in the very first verse: “In the days when the judges ruled,” (1:1). So, we know this historical account took place around 3,000 years ago during the time of judges such as Ehud, Jephthah, and Sampson. At this point in Israel’s history, there is no king and wickedness reigns supreme. This background is vitally important for understanding the message and ultimately the ending of Ruth.

    3. Characters -

    A. God - As with all of Scripture, the central figure of Ruth is God Himself. We mainly catch glimpses of God in conversation and through the actions of the other major characters.

    B. Naomi - An Israelite woman who has lost her husband and two sons while living in Moab as Israel endures a harsh famine. She returns to Israel once the famine comes to an end with her daughter-in-law Ruth.

    C. Ruth - A widowed Moabite who is miraculously converted to saving faith in Yahweh. She demonstrates this saving faith by turning away from the false gods of Moab and sticking by Naomi in the town of Bethlehem. She is a woman of loyalty and perseverance.

    D. Boaz - A wealthy field owner in Bethlehem who displays integrity throughout the entire narrative. He is a relative of Naomi’s deceased husband.

  • Focus on the Major Themes – As you read and study, make sure to be on the lookout for these major themes:

  1. The Providence of God – This is the overwhelming emphasis of the book of Ruth. All throughout the four chapters, we come face to face with a God who is in complete control of everything. He is at work behind the scenes directing human history and our own lives in a very specific direction. A direction that leads to His glory and our ultimate good.

  2. The Kindness of God – We do not serve a passionless and indifferent deity who couldn’t care less about us. We serve a loving God who constantly showers us with gifts of kindness every single second of every single day. In Ruth, the loving-kindness of God is seen most clearly in the loving-kindness of His people. Make sure to note where you see the kindness of God displayed through the kindness of others (spoiler alert: you will be taking a lot of notes on this).

  3. The Redemption of God – As does every other book of the Bible, Ruth reveals our sinfulness and points us to our need for redemption. Ruth needed to be redeemed from her unfortunate position as a widowed Moabite living in Israel. We need to be redeemed (bought back) from our horrible position as slaves to Satan, sin, and death so that we can be brought into God’s kingdom and family (Colossians 1:12-14).

  4. The Fulfilled Promises of God – Yahweh is a covenant making and promise keeping God. When He says that He is going to do something, it is as good as done. You can count on Him and His Word. We see this truth on display in Ruth as God providentially secures the family line that His Son, Jesus Christ, would eventually come out of at the perfectly planned time in history.

Discuss:

  • Have Meaningful Conversation with Family and Friends – As you read and study, do not keep these truths to yourselves! Share what you learn with your loved ones. Call a friend to share your notes and thoughts. On your drive to church each Sunday, recount the story of Ruth in your own words to your spouse or have your kids try to provide a recap themselves! Find creative ways to work the Word of God deep into your bones so that it becomes a part of who you are and shapes how you think, speak, and act.

  • Come Ready to Engage at Small Group – Your small group discussion will only be as good as your preparation and participation. Ready yourself to engage in meaningful conversation at small group by re-reading the chapter that was studied the Sunday before or by even listening to the sermon again online. I guarantee that your small group discussion will blossom if the members choose to properly prepare themselves to meditate upon how the Word applies to their everyday lives.

During this past month of study, I have grown in my love for the book of Ruth and it has become one of my favorites in the entire Old Testament. It is a beautiful snapshot of our wonderful God. I cannot wait to dig into the Word together over the next four Sundays. Please pray that I will be prepared and I will pray that you will be prepared!

[1]Sinclair Ferguson, Faithful God: An Exposition of the Book of Ruth, pg. 14.

The Sanctity of Life

DO NO HARM

I have been a physician assistant for 14 years now.  I started my education/training at Gannon University and then spent a year training/working at Johns Hopkins solely in surgery, the specialty I had chosen for my career.  I remember being in awe learning the history of the great doctors and the legacy they left for us at Hopkins.  Many wings in the hospital were named after them like Alfred Blalock, a Hopkins surgeon who with pediatric cardiologist Helen B. Taussig, devised a surgical treatment for infants born with the condition known as the tetralogy of Fallot or “blue baby” syndrome.  Even some of our surgical instruments were named after them, like DeBakey forceps, named after Michael DeBakey a cardiovascular surgeon, educator, international medical statesman, and pioneer in surgical procedures for treatment of defects and diseases of the cardiovascular system.  I was so proud to be a medical professional; to be part of this legacy in learning, researching, diagnosing and treating patients.  It was also terrifying to realize people’s lives were in our hands, I took that very seriously.  And thus began my experiencing first hand life and death.

What is life?  This seems like a simple question, right?  But is it?  In our current culture right now, there are ALL kinds of opinions on how to answer this.  Webster’s dictionary defines life as “the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body; an organismic state characterized by capacity for metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction.”  (All things a growing baby starts in the womb and throughout life by the way). 

The Bible defines life many ways, “God created it” (Genesis 1-2, John 1:3, Hebrews 11:3) and specifically “created man” (Genesis 2:7, Jeremiah 1:5, Psalm 139:14-16), “Jesus is life” (John 11:25,14:6), a “gift from God” (Romans 6:23).

God’s words to Jeremiah apply to all mankind: He knew us, formed us, and consecrates us as His own.  We have value because God created us in His image.  Doctors used to understand this.  It is very disturbing, and deeply grieves me, that medical institutions like the AMA (American Medical Association) and ACOG (American College of OB/Gyn), to name a few, are siding with the murdering of children.  We took an Oath to protect our patients.  You can read what the Hippocratic Oath USED to say before its revision, and what it says now. (1)

The classical Hippocratic Oath involves the triad of the physician, the patient, and God, while the revised version involves only the physician and the patient.  Is it a surprise then, that the phrase “I will give no sort of medicine to any pregnant woman, with a view to destroy the child” has been removed?  When God is removed, there is no reason to value life.  And sadly this atheist, nihilistic worldview has not only taken over our culture, but taken over the medical field as well.  The institutions that I once held in high regard now train medical students that abortion is health care and euthanasia is now becoming a “merciful” way to “assist” one in dying.  When we devalue life at any stage, we devalue it all together.

There is conflict in the medical field; “product of conception” vs baby.  During medical school lectures, in one instance they “ooo” and “ahh” the baby on screen, yet the week before they were talking about termination of “product of conception.”  When the “medical experts” don’t recognize life at conception anymore, even though science overwhelmingly shows that at conception a zygote forms, which has its own unique DNA separate from the parents…new life (2).  They take the humanity away by saying the heartbeat that begins around 4 weeks gestation is just “electrical activity”.  Or they question if a baby can only become “human” once they develop “consciousness.”  It’s no wonder than that lawmakers can get to the point of voting against laws that would protect a baby that survives an abortion, like 210 did in the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act” that just passed the House last week (1-11-23). (3)

 

ABUNDANT LIFE

Now, add on a culture that thinks it has a “right to abortion”, celebrates it even, and has turned its back on God and considers the Bible, and those who follow it, “outdated”, “archaic” or even “foolish.”  “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  1 Corinthians 1:18.  Then some say, “Well, we don't find the life issue in Scripture.  So, we can go with whatever the culture says.”  We want to make sure you DON’T do that.  The Bible has plenty of principles that speak to plenty of issues in our day. 

Let me share some insight from Roland Warren, the CEO of Care Net (nonprofit organization that empowers women and men considering abortion to choose life for their unborn children and find abundant life in Christ.)

“In John 10:10, Christ said that He came not just to give us life but abundant life.  In the Greek, there are two primary words for life.  Bios and Zoe.  Bios refers to our physical life.  This is the root of the word biology.  Zoe on the other hand refers to a unique spiritual life.  In the Greek, it was the divine life uniquely possessed by God.  When Christ says in John 10:10, ‘I have come that they may have life and may have it abundantly,’ He is speaking in terms of both Bios and Zoe.  Indeed, Christ came to give this kind of life to all—both inside and outside the womb.”

“[Approximately] 2,500 unborn babies will lose their lives in abortions today.”

“These children need more than laws to protect them, they need men and women whose hearts have been transformed by the Gospel, ready to disciple any parent considering abortion.  As Christians, we know that lasting transformation comes through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and ongoing discipleship.”

“If we really want to see abortion end or for abortion to be ‘unthinkable in this generation’ then we have to see people transformed so that they don’t just choose life (Bios) for their unborn children, but they also choose abundant life (Zoe) for their families.  This can’t happen if we are only meeting their physical and material needs.  And this can’t happen outside the church’s call to make disciples for Jesus Christ.” (4)

SPIRITUAL BATTLE PLAN

We have to see abortion for what it really is…a sacrifice to Molech.  This is a SPIRITUAL BATTLE!  As wise King Solomon said “nothing is new under the sun.”  Today, our children may not be sacrificed to appease the gods, but they are sacrificed to idols of convenience, career, finances, etc.  Abortion is not just an attack on unborn children, it’s an attack on the sanctity of marriage and the family as God designed.  Church, we need to recognize this first and foremost if we are going to be able to do something about it.  You can’t win the battle if you don’t know your enemy and his tactics.  Paul teaches us this in Ephesians 6 with the spiritual armor.  Satan knows us…our strengths, our weaknesses…and he is an expert at deception.  It’s time for us to put on our spiritual armor and go to battle!

Let me break down practically our battle plan:

1. PRAY

"The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something, and enter God's realm where everything is possible.”  - Corrie ten Boom

James 5:16 talks about how “the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”  And Ephesians 6:18 ends the armor of God by stating “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”  Pray is a huge part of the activation of the spiritual armor. 

Pray for:

  • Truth of what abortion is to come to light

  • For the men and women deceived and harmed by this industry to find healing

  • For the abortionists and abortion workers’ eyes to be opened to the evil they are doing and they stop.

  • Protection of all the pregnancy centers and organization on the front lines fighting this, and also encouragement and boldness, as this is a dark area they work in.

  • Boldness of the church to speak up on this issue and to transform hearts and minds

2. EDUCATE

It’s hard to debate something if you don’t really know much about yourself.  Christians need to educate themselves on abortions…the types, how they are done, the risks.  Yes, it’s hard to look at the horrors of a fallen world sometimes, but sometimes it’s necessary in order for us to see the severity and urgency of the issue.  Many people don’t speak up because they don’t feel they know enough to speak intelligently on the subject.  There are many great resources available to you:

  • Lifechat - Of all the information I am sharing, this is a must see.  As I stated earlier, the argument “we don't find the life issue in Scripture” is dealt with here.

  • Live Action News - Pro-life, non-profit organization with educational videos, news in regards to life issues, resources like Myth vs Fact.

  • Baby Olivia – A medically accurate, animated glimpse of human life from the moment of fertilization. The story details her growth as she progresses from one developmental stage to the next, in preparation for her continued life outside of the womb.

  • APPLOG - (American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists) exists to encourage and equip its members and other concerned medical practitioners to provide an evidence-based rationale for defending the lives of both the pregnant mother and her pre-born child.  This is more for medical professionals but full of evidence-based studies and information.

  • The Procedure - **Viewer discretion advised** A four minute animated video showing the unvarnished truth of what abortion is from the perspective of an ultrasound technician that participated in a 2nd trimester surgical abortion.

  • Life Apologetics - Scott Klusendorf is a well-known speaker on teaching people how discuss/defend the life issue. 

  • History of Abortion - Do a basic web search, and it is not hard to find that this whole movement was based off eugenics and racism by its founder Margaret Sanger.

3. EVANGELIZE

As stated above, the only way to change this culture of death to a culture of life, is to transform the hearts with the Gospel.

  • Bible study - Know your Bible, and know what it teaches on life. Go back under education to LifeChat video series.

  • Boldness - Be bold in speaking truth “with gentleness and respect” 1 Peter 3:15

  • Pregnancy Centers - They are already doing this work, support them in prayer, through donations, with supplies, volunteering, or meeting specific needs they have.

  • Making Life Disciples - Ministry resource that equips churches to create ministries for women and men facing unexpected pregnancies by offering compassion, hope, and help.

4. PROTECT

“Rescue those being led away to death;  hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?” Proverbs 24:11,12.

We cannot sit idly by and do nothing when our children are being murdered daily.  The prophet Micah said that God requires us to, “Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8).  Part of doing justice is ensuring that governments rule justly.  Yes, that means be political…BUT before you tune out, consider the biblical way to address injustice:

  • Laws - “Governments have the power to tax, imprison, and kill.  When a government becomes unjust in its use of those powers, its first victims are the most vulnerable (i.e. Nazi Germany).  We cannot ignore the political realm.  We are called to actively engage our government and elected officials so that they respect the sanctity of life and enact just laws.  HOWEVER, we can’t allow our engagement of the political realm to cause us to think that our primary calling is political.  IT ISN’T.  Our primary calling is to make disciples for Jesus Christ, which requires us to also care about the spiritual, along with the material and political” (4).  PA Family Institute is a great resource in Pennsylvania.  It’s a non-profit organization who’s “goal is for Pennsylvania to be a place where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive, and life is cherished.” https://pafamily.org/

  • Children - The sexualization of our children by this culture has grave consequences, it leads to normalizing risky sexual behavior, which then in turn leads to pregnancies, which then can lead to abortion.  The abortion industry knows this, which is why for years it’s been pushing “comprehensive sex education” starting in kindergarten.  You can see for yourself the CDC guidelines: https://npin.cdc.gov/publication/guidelines-comprehensive-sexuality-education-3rd-edition

  • Purity - One of the trainings, of many, I did when I started working for a pregnancy center was on how to assist parents on talking to their teens about sex.  Yes, parents, this is YOUR JOB!  Not the church, schools, and heaven forbid Hollywood or social media.  How does this connect to abortion?  “By the time you are faced with the unconscionable decision to end a life, you have most likely blown through fifty other bad choices to get there.”  - Keith Guinta.  In his article, he makes the point that “We have debates, rallies, protests, and politicking intent upon either proliferating or eliminating acts of abortion.  Yet I never hear honest, deeply intellectual dialogue on the issues of human sexuality that lead to unwanted pregnancy in the first place.”  (5)  The church needs to be talking about sexual integrity.

5. ENCOURAGE FATHERS

Many of the clients we see tell us that if the father of the baby would support them, they would likely choose life.  Care Net’s research into abortion found that the father of the baby was the most influential voice in a woman’s pregnancy decision.  Men have been demasculinized in our culture by a feminist movement that started as just wanting equality but has now gone far beyond that.  This has left many men feeling lost and confused on how to even be a man, let along the importance of being a father. 

  • Care Net - has great resources for dealing with this.

  • Tony Evans - is another big proponent of raising biblical men and dealing with fatherlessness.

  • Prolife Men’s Summit - is a great way for men to get involved and be discipled and encouraged.

6. BRING HEALING

“Care Net’s large national study of women who had abortions found that two out of five women were attending church at least once a month during their first abortion.  This means that too many women are walking out of our churches Sunday morning and into abortion clinics on Monday.  Our research also found that most women did not feel their church had any resources to help with their unplanned or unexpectedly complicated pregnancy decisions.  Others feared judgment from the congregation should they find out about the pregnancy. Accordingly, there is a critical need for churches to minister to the abortion vulnerable.” (4)

  • Post-abortion counseling - There are various organizations (e.g., Reassemble) that offer abortion recovery support groups and Bible studies helping to heal the pain of those who have chosen abortion.  Local pregnancy centers usually offer this or can refer to one.

7. SPEND WISELY

God calls us to be good stewards of our money. Are you willing to inconvenience yourself in order to stop supporting this evil with your hard earned money? Vote with your dollar!

BE BOLD

While this has become a very complex issue, the answer remains the same, for every issue vexing our culture right now…JESUS.  I hope this information stirs the Holy Spirit inside of you to have compassion for the lost and boldly, in word and deed, share the Gospel.  That is the greatest need we see in each of our clients that walks through our doors.  As Toby Mac once said in their Jesus Freak album “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle.  That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” We can no longer be silent.  When God called me to leave my 12 year surgical career to use my medical skills at a pregnancy center, I learned about Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who boldly stood against the Nazis and was eventually killed.  I started reading Eric Metaxas’s book about him and ordered a poster of Pastor Bonhoeffer with this quote attributed to him, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless, not to speak is to speak, not to act is to act.”  Every time I look at it, it reminds me of what God has called me to do and encourages me to be courageous.  So BE BOLD brothers and sisters, BE BOLD!

CITATIONS

  1. “The Hippocratic Oath: The original and revised version.” posted on March 10, 2015 by Practo. https://doctors.practo.com/the-hippocratic-oath-the-original-and-revised-version/#The_Classic_Hippocratic_Oath

  2. Quotes from “The Developing Human Being” By Keith Moore, and T.V.N. Persaud, 7th edition, 2003.  https://www.princeton.edu/~prolife/articles/embryoquotes.html

  3. “H.R.26 - Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act” 118th Congress, Jan 11, 2023. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/26

  4. “Why we can’t end abortion without discipleship” By Roland Warren.

  5. “Roe vs Wade, and What We All Seem to be Missing” By Keith Guinta, June 25, 2022. https://www.winepatch.org/blog/roe-v-wade-and-what-we-all-seem-to-be-missing