Faith

PASTOR’S CORNER, David Harris, Fellowship Baptist Church, Liberal

The imprecatory Psalms do not deal with hardship in general, but a particular kind of evil. These Psalms address personal evil intentionally worked by others. Evils like betrayal, false accusation, persecution, personal animosity.

Many Christians are nervous about the imprecatory Psalms and wonder if we should use them at all. Isn’t this a failure to love our enemies? Before we move on, I want to remind you that the command to love our neighbor (including enemies) is the second part of the Great Commandment that begins with loving God with all our hearts, souls and minds (Matthew 22:36-40, ESV). Our love for neighbors and enemies is not Christian if it outranks our love for God and his rightful role as King and Judge of everything. If loving enemies means erasing part of God’s character or justice, then we are not really loving them as Christ has commanded, for he told us to love God first.

PASTOR’S CORNER, David Harris, Fellowship Baptist Church, Liberal

Earlier this week, disaster struck Baltimore, Maryland, and the greater American consciousness when a large cargo ship (that we now know lost power)[1] rammed directly into the iconic Key Bridge. The crews that leapt into action to communicate the danger and clear the bridge are no doubt responsible for saving many lives. Seven were taken in the water who were not able to evacuate. As of this writing four are presumed deceased. While we should be grateful the loss of life is not worse, the additional effects of the collapse will be both logistical (considering the port of Baltimore’s major role in our economy) and in our collective morale. The vision of a powerful icon being torn to shreds by failed technology is a painful check about what we can do and expect, about the limits of our technology.

PASTOR’S CORNER, David Harris, Fellowship Baptist Church, Liberal

“Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!’ And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.” (Mark 11:1-11, ESV)

PASTOR’S CORNER, David Harris, Fellowship Baptist Church, Liberal

The First Book of Samuel tells the story of two kings: the ungodly leader that Israel desired in their quest to be like the other nations (Saul) and the kind of leader upon whom God put his heart (David). The story of 1 Samuel is a series of contrasts between these two leaders. Of course, to read this Christianly, we should be quick to acknowledge that the ultimate purpose of this book is to point to the Greater David to come, the Son of David, Jesus the Christ. If David is a picture of godly authority that looks ahead to the ultimate Personification of godly authority, Saul is something very different – a narcissistic, obsessive, undevoted picture of decidedly ungodly authority.