Seventeen82

I may not have a historical ARP name. I may not have grown up going to the more recognizable ARP churches (though Doraville ARP does garner a fair number of smiles when I mention  where I was raised ). I may not be in the “thick of things,” pastoring a  flock . But God has blessed me in a different way. Since I began my  role at Erskine College recruiting for the new ministry program, and doing intentional church relations work, I have been able to see my denomination from numerous angles. While not every single aspect was good (we  are  sinful after all), I have found great encouragement – and wanted to share that with my fathers and brothers in the church.    The Spirit  Is Working If this past 2021 General Synod is not evidence enough, God is not done with the ARP church!  Since late 2019,  I have had the pleasure of going to (nearly) every presbytery of our beloved denomination  (some of them twice!) , and I want to encourage many of you with these words.  God is working in the ARP

  ​ As I was working on my devotional reading recently, I ca me  across  a poignant, disturbing yet beautiful  passage from Ezekiel 16. This is a passage chalked full of vivid images, portraying the terrible sin of Jerusalem. Using strong metaphorical language, Ezekiel paints the picture of the city’s sin, which involved both idolatrous worship as well as exchanging trust in God for trust in man. Ezekiel utilizes in particular the images of prostitution and adultery to expose the horrific betrayal committed by the covenant people of God. By their abandoning of God for idols and trusting in man rather than God, Jerusalem had become as a prostitute, whoring after her lustful desires for worthless gods (v. 36). Rather than a faithful wife, remembering the good things her husband had done for her in her youth, Jerusalem had become an adulterous wife, who would thus suffer the penalty of an adulterer (v. 38).  In vv.  44-62, the prophet alters his metaphor, now employing a n  image of famil

  “ God is in control. ”  We ’ ve heard it, we ’ ve said it, and we ’ ve probably even sung it. T here are  lots of  ways to talk about how God is in control .  He speaks all creation into existence in Genesis 1 .  H e hold s  “ all things together ”  through Jesus in Colossians 1:17 .  He has a  “ plan and hand ”  in Acts 2:23 .  He enacts his  “ purpose and predestination ”  in Romans 8:29 . Naturally,  God  rules Heaven as well. He has control over it. He  rule s over what the Psalms describe as  “ heavenly  b eings ”  (29:1) .  Isaiah  sees  him as  “ The Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up …”  (Isaiah 6:1).   In a recent study of Job, I was struck with how God ’ s sovereignty and control are evident even in the introductory verses. I n Job 1:6 , Scripture tells us that  “ the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord …”  We might wish to skip over this detail so we can get on with the story of Job, yet this small detail of a heavenly council is key to under