Cornerstone

Rev 5:5-10

Since I was a child I have heard the expression, “If March comes in like a Lion it will leave like a Lamb. ” Well, March 2004 came to Kansas City like a Lion. I suppose we can expect it to leave like a Lamb.

It is quite a paradox that our Lord came to this world as a Lamb. He came peacefully and to bring peace to the hearts of mankind. As the Lamb of God He gave His life freely as a sacrificial offering so that we might have a relationship with God. We are told in His Word, however, that He will come again and this time as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. His roar will be heard throughout the world. He will come as King and Conqueror to vanquish all of His enemies once and for all.

To this we raise the cry, “All hail King Jesus! All hail Emmanuel! ” May the one who came as a Lamb return as a Lion for those who love Him and serve Him. Then around the throne we will be able to join with “… every creature that is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, ” [saying] “…Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. ”

Dr. Gayle Woods

Psalm 116:12-19 (17)

We had just been given a fairly late model car. Actually I bought it. I was told that if I wanted the car I should add a dollar a month to my missionary giving that year.

I was overwhelmed. After driving a junker the thought of driving something respectable was delectable. After driving a moving repair bill the thought of having a reliable vehicle was enough to make me delirious. I was grateful but as I listened to the man’s story I began to understand what real gratitude meant.

He was grateful for God’s mercy and protection. He had been shot down over Germany during World War II. He survived the plan crash and walked out of the country under the cover of night. He sobbed as he relived the terror, suspense and anxiety. He was a Lutheran by up-bringing. Years later he found our church and during an invitation came and knelt on top of the altar. Our evangelical ways were foreign to him and yet he knew that God had spoken and he owed God all. Now God had spoken again. God told him to give his pastor a car. In gratitude for what God had done for him he knew that giving many cars would never repay his debt of love.

The Psalmist said the he would live for God, pay his vows and even die for God. Giving all as a sacrifice of thanksgiving seems as nothing in comparison to His great gift.

Dr. Gayle Woods

Acts 4:23-30 (24)

In our affluent society it is difficult to find a person who has been truly persecuted for Christ’s sake. We are pampered and spoiled. Our view of the Tribulation Period is probably skewed because we have not run in terror from the Secret Police. We have a filtered mental image of trial because we have not been deprived of the necessities of life by heartless and cruel rulers. And yet I have met a few people who have gone through times of hardship and persecution even though it may have been brief. One of those men whom I highly admire is Rev. Leland Trussell. As missionary to Bolivia he sought to spread the gospel message to an unreached area in Cochabamba. There he was threatened with bodily harm and finally had to leave because of the severity of the persecution. He remained in Bolivia and continued to work faithful in another location, however, and saw a very fruitful ministry. The happy ending to this story is that the work he attempted to begin was not lost. Years later his son and daughter both served as missionaries to Bolivia. Through their faithful efforts a work that their father strived to open was finally blessed of God. Thank God for pace setters who have a backbone so strong that it won’t allow them to waver in their commitment and service for God.

Dr. Gayle Woods

Proverbs 8:11-23; 9:10-12

Verse 13 says that if we are going to properly show our reverence to the Lord we must hate evil. In order that there is no mistake concerning what evil is, God tells us what He hates. Four designations are listed: pride, arrogancy the evil way, and the froward mouth. To understand more clearly how we may best reverence the Lord we need to look at the meaning of these words.

Pride (gay-aw) and arrogancy (gaown) both come from the same root word. The root word means “to rise.” It occurs seven times in the Old Testament. It is translated as “triumphed gloriously,” “column”, and “raging.”

Pride (gay-aw) is used only in this verse. It and its synonyms, however, can have either in a positive or a negative sense. Positively it is used to speak of the land of Israel in terms of excellency. This is always the case when the relationship with God is satisfactory. At times it takes on the meaning of majesty or majestic. Pride often describes Gods character. In a negative sense, it is used by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, David, Solomon and Job. Fifty-three times these six writers use it to describe the Moabites, Egyptians, Philistines, Assyrians, and backslidden Israel. The harshest words are directed toward Israel when it is charged for being arrogant, cynical, presumptious, and insensitive to the needs of others. It is both a disposition and a conduct. Used negatively, pride is always striking out in rebellion against God.

Arrogancy (gaown) is always used in a negative sense and means pomp, pride, proud and swelling. The arrogant person is the self-sufficient one who does not need God and in manner if not in speech makes that fact evident.

The Evil (rah) Way (deh-rek) is the third thing that God hates. Evil (rah) is translated adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displeasure, distress, harm, hurtful, mischievous, misery, naughty, noisome, sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked, wretchedness, and wrong. The Way (deh-rek) that it modifies means a way, road, journey, manner, or work. It is related to the verb (dorak) which means “to tread or trample.” Therefore it refers to a way or manner of life that is used constantly. Sometimes it refers to a major highway. At other times it speaks of duration. More often, however, it centers on the actions and behavior of people who either follow the way of God or the way of wickedness. From these we can see that he is speaking of a life that is continually given over to sinfulness.

Lastly, God hates the Froward (tah-poo-kaw) Mouth (peh). Froward (tah-poo-kaw) means that which is perverse or a fraud. Mouth (peh) on the other hand means “speech.” The meaning then is rather obvious. This is not surprising since we know that God has underscored the fact that all liars will go to hell. He is the essence of Truth and the Froward Mouth is His anti-thesis. (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament)

Dr. Gayle Woods

Luke 24:36-53

I could not get it. My head had begun to hurt proving that my brain was stretched beyond its normal boundary. I had carefully followed the procedure. I had worked the problem over and over. I had even tried some creative ways to come to a suitable solution. Finally my pride had to be stuffed into the hole of submission and I went to the teacher’s desk. Esther Ruth Collins was probably the smartest high school teacher I had ever known. She would be able to help me. And she did. The algebra problem was worked before my eyes with such ease and speed that I felt small, insignificant, dumb and grateful all at the same time. It was one of those, “Oh yeah, I knew that” times.

The disciples must have felt somewhat the same way. Luke says, 24:37 “But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.” KJV At that time they were not bragging about their overwhelming grasp of theological concepts. Jesus began to carefully go through it all one more time. How many times had He explained to them before? He does that for us. He confirms His love over and over. He lets us know that it is okay when we don’t understand or even remember, All we need to do is come to Him. He never gets tired of hearing, “Would you please help me with this problem?”

Dr. Gayle Woods