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“Male and Female”: where have you heard that phrase before? Well, in Genesis 1 when God creates man and woman, male and female, Adam and Eve. Also, in Matthew 19 when Jesus responds to the hard-hearts of the Pharisees regarding divorce, reminding them that the Creator “from the beginning made them male and female.” The Apostle Paul notes in Galatians 3 that in our baptisms we have “put on Christ” and are all Sons of God such that there is “neither slave nor free, nor male nor female, for you are all one in Christ.” Definitely a biblical phrase!

But this phrase, “Male and Female;” where have you heard that lately? From none other than President Trump when he ended federal support for transgender sports and all the other nonsense uses of transgender ideology. This past week, Health and Human Services revised their definitions: two sexes, male and female.

President Trump said his decision was based on “common sense” and “science.” Which is true because we live in God’s world. Look around, and you only see two sexes: male and female.

But when we as Christians discuss this issue with fellow believers and unbelievers (and our kids), let’s be honest and truthful and witness for Jesus Christ — it’s his Created standard! It’s God’s design for the world, and always has been.

Adam and Eve are just the type; “male and female” picture also Jesus and his bride, the church. Jesus and his love for his bride sets the standard for husbands, males, loving their wives, females (Ephesians 5:25ff). If we equivocate on this, we lose our very salvation: Jesus dying for his bride to save her. Let’s not abandon the Greatest Love Story ever told!

Finishing out our short look at Psalm 16, we find that David is not only making requests of the Lord while trusting in him, he is also celebrating his security of being in the Lord’s care: “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.” David is glad; he is merry of heart. From his bowels to his hairline, he is in a joyful mood and acknowledging to himself what a favored position he enjoys. He is, as we say, a happy camper!

And why shouldn’t he be? For he knows that, “my flesh also dwells secure.” God’s presence with him means he is secure in his person, in his status before God and man, in his pursuits, and even in the eternal future.

We know this because he pens the phrase spoken of Jesus in Acts 2 and 13: “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” God won’t let Satan or the Serpent have him; no, the Lord will keep his embodied soul forever as one! Paul makes that point in Acts 13:34: “corruption” was being dead; but God raised Jesus from the dead, ending that “corruption.” In faith, David “sees” not death eternally, but life with Yahweh, Jesus being Yahweh in the flesh.

We know David is thinking this because of the last phrases, which all interpret each other: “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” The path of life is in the Lord’s presence. At the Lord’s Kingly right hand are pleasures forevermore.

This is true of you today, as you dine with Jesus, uniting yourself to him in faith as you eat the bread and drink the wine. Like David, you say repeatedly to Jesus, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you” (vs 2). In fact, every time you eat at Jesus’ table, you embody David’s faith: “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup” (vs. 5). How wonderful is that? So be glad in Jesus, and let your whole being rejoice, because in him you dwell secure (vs 9).

Continuing in Psalm 16, we find that David is not shy about where he places his trust: “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.” David is, out loud, saying he has consciously chosen to follow Yahweh. In fact, Yahweh is his food and drink, his portion and his cup. His chosen fellowship is with Yahweh himself, tasting that He is good; he is not out running after other gods. But while affirming his choice, he is also submissive and respectful: Yahweh holds me in his hands. My fate is in his hands.

Is David upset or dismissive of the Lord holding his lot? Not at all; he is quite grateful and thankful. “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” Would that we would all follow David’s lead! When he surveys his life and his planting, he is happy where God has led him and placed him. It is beautiful. When was the last time you praised the Lord for where he has led you and planted you? Do you agree that your inheritance is beautiful? How can it not be, having been orchestrated by He who brings you all good (vs. 2)?

This Psalm is suffused with God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility (“I chose the Lord, and he holds my lot”), and we see that again in the next two phrases or verses, in an ABAB pattern. “I bless Yahweh who gives me counsel…I have set Yahweh always before me.” David is actively living by faith in Yahweh; he blesses him and keeps him front and center in his thoughts and actions. At the same time, he is reliant upon Yahweh for counsel and for confidence: “in the night also my heart instructs me…because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” Using Hebrew poetic parallelism, we understand that the night instruction comes from Yahweh who is at his right hand. David is faithful, and Yahweh gives comfort of presence (“right hand”) and confidence in the task or battle (“I shall not be shaken”).

May you follow David’s example this week! (to be continued).

Everybody has a favorite Psalm, and for most Christians, that is Psalm 23. It does a lot of heavy lifting, for sure. Others prefer the Messianic Psalms, (2, 72, or 110). But Psalm 16 is like the 18-wheeler of Psalms: highly encouraging.

It opens with a request and a statement of faith: “Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.” That should get your faith juiced right from the beginning: I’m in God’s hand, and I am trusting Him!

The second phrase again elicits a statement of faith, as well as focusing the believer’s trust in God’s good care and love: “I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.’” Expressing your faith in Jesus is good to do, of course, but so also is recognizing that in Him rests all the goodness you’re going to find in life. That’s an encouraging and truthful reaffirmation of faith.

The third phrase opens the corporate vista to your eyes of faith: “As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” The Christian faith and life is more inclusive and broader than just you and Jesus; it includes the church; your brothers and sisters as well. And they are the ones you look to for examples of faithfulness and delight! Have you been doing that lately? Are you delighting in the wonderful, Jesus-bearing, light-bearing, loving saints around you?

In contrast to the faithful and excellent family that surrounds you in the corporate body of Christ, you have the foolishness and wickedness of those who pursue idolatry: “The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offering of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.” This is a clear statement of differentiation, of judgment: I will not be hanging out with those people, nor considering them the excellent ones. In fact, I won’t even be mentioning them! The hymn “Who is On the Lord’s Side” comes to mind! (to be continued).

Dear St. Mark Saints,

Thank you for your prayers and support over the last two months. The Lord is hearing and answering in the hoped for direction so far. I thought I would share a small snippet as to how they are affecting me, as a means to encourage you in your walk with the Lord Jesus.

This week, just minutes before beginning a procedure that has a long list of side effects from seizures to strokes to kidney dialysis to death, and the whole kitchen sink in between (you know how those medical consent forms list EVERYTHING!), I was looking in the mirror and said, “Lord, into your hands I commit my future and life. If you want me in heaven today, I’m ready. Or later.” But then I stopped and thought, “Wait a minute; that’s a silly statement! I’ve always already been in the Lord’s hand, from my conception till now. I’m a son of the covenant; I’m a covenantal son! Jesus has lovingly shepherded and guided me to this point, and will do so forever.” So then I stopped and started thanking the Lord for always having been with me my whole life, grateful that He’s always been my Lord and Protector and Shepherd.

I share all this to encourage you this week to not only ask the Lord’s blessing for your week, but also to remember to thank Him that He’s been with you all along, holding your hand and guiding you through life’s difficulties and trials, which is why we can consider even our trials as joy inexpressible. Jesus is shaping them for our growth and maturity and dependence upon Him. What an amazing Lord we serve and are surrounded by!

As this new year begins, we’ve witnessed a lot of hope for the renewal of American culture from the incoming political class. But America can’t be renewed from within because we are a sinful, bankrupt nation that does not worship Jesus as Lord. As a culture, we refuse to mention the name of the true Lord of the world, Jesus Christ. Have you seen a bumper sticker that says “Jesus Bless America”? And we banished the Ten Commandments from the schools and halls of government institutions, and sue those who try to bring them back (Judge Moore).

America, in order to be renewed, must go through a death and resurrection. We are in the death throes, culturally, and yet resurrection is already on the scene. But the City of Man is not yet looking to the City of God in its midst, because the City of Man still believes it is alive and able to self-renew.

Where is this resurrection? Right in your midst this morning! Centered in the worship of the real and true king, Jesus. It’s in the liturgy that expresses God’s grace and salvation, not the state’s. It’s in us, the church, that believes it has died and been resurrected in union with Jesus at our baptism (Romans 6.1-4). It’s in marriage informed by God’s word where it is the happiest state for men and women. It’s in each spouse who has died to their own desires and lives for the other. It’s in parents dying to the world’s selfish ideas of happiness and believing Jesus that children are a blessing and a reward and that maturity is a blessing, not immaturity. It’s in husbands dying to themselves and instead providing for and protecting their families. It’s in Christians one-anothering each other and that spilling over and out to the unbelieving neighbors. It’s in men choosing careers where they can obey Jesus in their work rather than choosing careers for money where they have to sell their souls to the Christ-cancelling culture. It’s in Christians who understand the gospel is “Jesus is Lord” and that what motivates and binds a culture is fidelity to worshipping Jesus and trusting His word in all walks of life.

You get the point. So Onward, Christian Soldiers!

Yes, Christmas is over, at least in the West; our Eastern brothers are still celebrating! But it’s not really over, at least the import of it, because of the political nature of Christ’s birth: He was born a King, and worshipped as a King, and as we all know, Herod was not too happy with that (as neither was Pharaoh, who killed a lot of baby boys so they wouldn’t rise up and be king, either).

But at the end of his life, the political authorities were still not too happy with Jesus the King. The Jewish leaders were incensed at Pilate for writing “King of the Jews” and placing the placard on his cross. That was after Pilate also had some misgivings about Jesus being a King who could muster all the armies he wanted.

This is because the unbelieving mind always understands political rule in a particular way — as coercion and tyranny and the imposition of right-handed power. This kind of political power and rule breaks the two greatest commandments: it doesn’t love God and it doesn’t love its neighbors. But what was the life of Jesus all about, if it wasn’t loving God his Father and his neighbors as himself?

Which implicates YOU right along with Jesus, because you are in Jesus and you wear his name! As we celebrate the life of Jesus the next six months or so, we are implicating ourselves as Jesus People who follow the Way, which means we shouldn’t be surprised if we gain the attention of the political rulers/cancel crowd/fact-checkers in the same manner as Jesus did: by loving the Father and loving neighbors as ourselves. Unbelieving political rulers don’t really like that; it’s a challenge to their rule. Yes, and so was Jesus! Being a merry wine-bibber really gets under their skin! May Jesus use it and us to bring them to true worship!

(From the newsletter “friends of Theopolis”)

Angels make periodic appearances in the Old Testament, but nowhere is there as thick a cluster as at the beginning of the gospel story. Angels appear to Joseph (repeatedly). Gabriel visits Zacharias and Mary. Angelic hosts sing to shepherds near Bethlehem. It’s fitting. Angels’ natural habitat is heaven. Whenever an angel appears on earth, he brings a bit of heaven with him. He is a bit of heaven.

Christmas angels offer a glimpse of Jesus’ mission.

After Adam’s sin, earth ceases to harmonize with the music of heaven or keep in step with the dance of the angels. Adam untunes creation.

In Jesus, heaven invades earth to restore it to heavenly harmony. Jesus retunes earth to heaven.

There’s resistance. As soon as the angelic choir makes its appearance, Satan and demons mount resistance to preserve the dissonant noise.

The Advent of the Son is the beginning of the last great battle between heaven and hell, with earth as the battlefield. Heaven wins! Jesus will win, yes. But also: He has won, casting Satan from heaven.

Incarnation is invasion. Jesus comes as Captain of the Father’s hosts to conquer earth and annex it to the empire of heaven. Because we live on the other side of His definitive victory, we live Christmas every day.

As we do the will of God on earth as it is in heaven, we extend the harmony of angelic song, looking for the day when heaven and earth merge in perfect polyphony.

Merry Christmas from Theopolis!
Peter Leithart

Yes, it’s still Christmastime! So be sure and keep telling everyone you greet, “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!” Why? To your brothers and sisters, and even to unbelievers, you are broadcasting the biblical worldview, the worldview that will one day be true for everyone! It encourages your fellow believers that, yes, Jesus came and conquered our sinful human natures and now fills us with his Spirit that will disciple the nations in Christ. To unbelievers, you are proclaiming to them the true story of the Gospel: Jesus is Lord, and he is Lord now and always will be! You are offering them salvation in your very greeting.

How so? By greeting them with “Merry Christmas,” you are telling the story of world history, of the story of our successful war for independence from the devil, who enslaved us to death but now has had his head crushed by our Warrior.

By greeting others with “Merry Christmas,” the symbols of your speech, as well as the trees, carols, gifts, Handel’s Messiah, the colors of red and green and white, family get togethers, etc., all proclaim as markers and monuments and memorials that “thus far the Lord has helped us.”

By greeting everyone with “Merry Christmas,” you are living out the practice of the gospel, ordering your life around the life and accomplishments of Jesus. We do this that the holidays will mark and surround our lives, lives that are lived in the light of the conquering gospel.

So by these celebrations and pronouncements, you are not only living out your life in the light of Jesus’ face, but you are declaring to all unbelievers what the worldview of the entire earth will someday be: Merry Christmas, and Peace to all!

“Jesus is the Reason.” God gave his Son to take our flesh; not just our “material bodies,” but our fallen human nature — dilapidated, cursed, fractured, etc. He bore our fallen nature on the cross, rising from the dead to overcome the power of sin and judgment. In his resurrected life we have life eternal (Romans 6)!

But around this time of year, and in light of get togethers with family and friends, where the subject of churches and worship styles and denominations unavoidably come up, it will do us well to reflect on what Jesus has given us in our own denomination: the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches.

What are some of Christ’s blessings to us in this regard?

Praise and worship along the lines of biblical covenantal renewal worship, structured by and filled with God’s Word. Every Sunday you worship in the heavenlies and feed upon Christ! (Hebrews 12; 1 Corinthians 10).

Pastoral approach to problems, where we try to work out our problems as brothers and sisters, and not just “sue” one another in church court!

Paedocommunion that sees your children as loved by God as His children, and therefore included as a member of his body from his/her conception, and married to Christ as part of His bride at baptism. They belong to God and are trained and encouraged as such from the very beginning as children of God.

Postmillienial perspective on the future of God’s kingdom — Jesus is reigning as the world’s Emperor, and by his power and authority he intends to see the nations discipled in His Holy Spirit before the final coming (Matthew 28).

Perspective of multiple confessional statements, which means we aren’t sectarian, pushing away other Christians who might differ, but recognizing that Christ’s kingdom embraces more than our little church or denomination. Other Christians are our brothers and sisters, so we love them and work with them.

So give thanks to Jesus for these gifts this Christmas, and keep this list in your back pocket for when you need it at all those gatherings!

“Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” That’s absolutely true. Not just for the reason that the Second Person of the Trinity, the Son, took on human flesh to die in our place and bear God’s wrath on our part, but also because beyond that, Jesus ascended to heaven to rule the world—the whole world! That’s because Christmas leads to his passion, death, resurrection, Ascension, and Pentecost.

So “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” Not only for yourself and family and joy in feasting and shopping and giving gifts to one another as God gave the gift of his Son for us (John 3:16), but also for all your relatives and friends and work acquaintances. They need to hear that Jesus not only saves sinners, but is ruling the world, all of it, every square inch. They need to be called by you to worship the true God, not some idolatrous substitute. They also need to understand that “Jesus is Lord,” not just some great teacher or buddy or wise guy.

This fact wasn’t lost on Herod. When he heard the question the Magi asked, “Where is he who was born king of the Jews,” he immediately saw this as a threat to his own governmental power and rulership over Israel and Rome, since he shared both roles. He probably understood Daniel 2 was being fulfilled in his day.

What was his reaction? To try to kill Jesus! By becoming a new Pharaoh, he sought to kill all the new baby boys in Israel two and under! But Just as Pharaoh failed, so did Herod. (Herod’s story is after the birth, but when Gabriel appeared to Mary, he said that Jesus would “be the son of the Most High,” “rule on the throne of his father David… and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1.30-31).)

Jesus is the Reason for the Seaon,” but also “the Ruler of the World’s Season”!

About this time every year some of your Christian friends will question your keeping of the “holidays,” maybe even referring to them as “Roman holy days,” hoping to make you feel queasy about enjoying the festivities. Or, they may say something negative about the “church calendar” or “church year” as something “man-made” or unbiblical.

So how do you respond, and cheerfully so?

Well, think biblically. Think Genesis! Start with chapter 1, where the Lord established the sun, moon, and stars to regulate seasons and times and to rule the day and night. Also, think Sabbath day, on which God rested, blessing the day and calling it holy. And then think about all the festivals God gave the Israelites, festivals of rejoicing and feasting and singing and making merry. Also think about how all those festivals started on new moons, or certain days of the month, and lasted several days or a week plus one day, all governed by the sun and moon from Genesis chapter 1.

But even better, think about and go to Leviticus 23, where the Lord summarizes all the appointed festivals he’s given Israel, establishing a “church year” or “church calendar” for his people’s worship and enjoyment. After mentioning the weekly Sabbath, we have the whole list: Passover (Easter), Feast of First Fruits, Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and finally, Feast of Booths. All were feasts except the one day of fasting for the Day of Atonement!

But your friend may quip, “those were all for Israel; we’re not Jews!”

At that point, just smile and say, “Meditate a little on 1 Peter 2:9-10, and how the Apostle Peter applies those words to the early Christian church. And then take me to Starbucks and we’ll talk some more!”