{"id":24,"date":"2012-01-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-01-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/2012\/01\/09\/sunday-2nd-september-2012-receive-the-gift\/"},"modified":"2012-01-09T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2012-01-09T00:00:00","slug":"sunday-2nd-september-2012-receive-the-gift","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/2012\/01\/09\/sunday-2nd-september-2012-receive-the-gift\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunday 2nd September 2012 &#8211; Receive the Gift!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"imgPusher\" style=\"float:left;height:0px\"><\/span><span style=\"z-index:10;position:relative;float:left;;clear:left;margin-top:0px;*margin-top:0px\"><a><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/theword-this-week.weebly.com\/\/uploads\/4\/1\/5\/2\/4152650\/884226.jpg?248\" style=\"margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; border-width:1px;padding:3px;\" alt=\"Picture\" class=\"galleryImageBorder\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div style=\"display: block; font-size: 90%; margin-top: -10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;\">Daniel and Chhaya Horsburgh<\/div>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<div class=\"paragraph\" style=\"text-align:left;display:block;\"><font size=\"4\"><strong>The Word This Week:<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n<ul style=\"\">\n<li style=\"\"><a style=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu\/texts.php?id=217#hebrew_reading\">Song of Solomon 2:8-13<\/a> and <a style=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu\/texts.php?id=217#psalm_reading\">Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9<\/a> <em>OR<\/em><\/li>\n<li style=\"\"><a style=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu\/texts.php?id=217#hebrew_oth_reading\">Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9<\/a> and <a style=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu\/texts.php?id=217#psalm_oth_reading\">Psalm 15<\/a> <em>AND<\/em><\/li>\n<li style=\"\"><a style=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu\/texts.php?id=217#epistle_reading\">James 1:17-27<\/a> <\/li>\n<li style=\"\"><a style=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu\/texts.php?id=217#gospel_reading\">Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><font size=\"4\"><strong><span><\/span>Thoughts on the Word:<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n<p><span>This week we have a special guest writer &#8211; Daniel Horsburgh, who with his wife and five children has followed the call of God to India.\u00a0 You can read more about Daniel and his family, and support them in their work in response to God&#8217;s call <a href=\"\/mission.html\">HERE <\/a>and also at the bottom of this week&#8217;s sermon. <\/span><br \/>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"\"><\/span>\u00a0Receiving vs Having been given<\/strong><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:17 ESV)<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (James 1:20-22 ESV)<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    Two hungry people can be given a piece of fruit each, yet one grasps it in their hand and eats, nourishing their bodies in that moment, yet the other let&#8217;s it fall to the ground, rendering the gift useless to them as they leave it to rot in the dirt.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    Much the same is the wonderful word of God! \u00a0As James exhorts we can receive with meekness the &#8216;implanted word&#8217; that has the power to save our souls, or let the words we read and hear fall to the ground, going to waste during the season of our lives for which they were given.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    For the latter of the examples we observe someone who is either very rude and ungrateful for what was given or on the other hand totally ignorant to the fact that the gift of food was indeed a gift and was meant for them. \u00a0The giver of the gift is rejected regardless of their motive or ignorance.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    For the fruit that falls on the ground, we can imagine it is mistreated, kicked, distorted or squashed, eventually rotting so that in any case the fruit is seen and understood as bad, distasteful, rotten and smelly. \u00a0It is out of place, treated accordingly with the rest of its environment, it is totally out of its intended context.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    Yet the fruit in the case of the first person was used, appreciated and accepted within the context of food, for that is what fruit is. \u00a0It is purposed to nourish and bring life to the eater and which it does. \u00a0<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    As we see both people were given fruit but only one received it. \u00a0As we turn to the scriptures we ask the Lord Jesus for grace to open the hands of our spirit and receive what he is giving us through His Word that the Holy Spirit may open our eyes to receive with thanksgiving this life giving gift.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    Jesus speaks to the Pharisees and religious leaders in Mark 7 discussing the Law Moses handed down to God&#8217;s people Israel. \u00a0The Pharisees like our second person receiving fruit have been given the life giving word of God. \u00a0they know full well the scriptures from the Torah, the law and it&#8217;s requirement, yet familiarity has led to contempt and they are unable to receive the law as a gift unto the salvation of their souls, but have treated it as a list of religious acts by which to measure their self righteousness.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    The gift, having been given but used out of context of its original purpose becomes distorted, miscommunicated &#8211; taken out of the context of being a &#8216;good and perfect gift&#8217; being able to save their souls. Instead the rotting process happens and what has been stored in their hearts as word of God becomes corrupted, diseased and poisonous. \u00a0<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    The laws regarding cleanliness in Mark 7 were given as a gift to the Jewish people to protect them from disease and bring life, also being a worship to God in their everyday lives. \u00a0Yet perverted by context and the purpose for its use the word spoken had become rotten, desiring death, as a worship of man&#8217;s self righteousness not God&#8217;s righteousness.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    Taking the word of God for a purpose other than God&#8217;s desire is exactly the same thing the devil did as he tempted Jesus in the desert. The words spoken by the devil were for a purpose to see that he was worshiped not God. \u00a0This sounds extreme, but what do we do with the word of the Lord for our lives? Do we engineer it&#8217;s context for our own ends or do we let the Holy spirit lead us into all truth understanding it for the purpose for which it was sent.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    I am not talking here of using the word of God in sermons, no much deeper than that. \u00a0When we as stewards of His beautiful words, read the bible and hear The Holy Spirit speak to our hearts, what do we do with those words, do we interpret it the way that suits our conscience, comfort or circumstance, or do we seek the Holy Spirit to lead us into the revelation for which the words were given to us.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    Here as people being given the word of God we can receive it or reject it. \u00a0Receiving the word of God is always an active event, it requires relationship with the &#8216;Father of lights&#8217;, it requires thoughts submitted in meekness to the Holy Spirit who will always align us with Jesus Christ the cornerstone of our faith. \u00a0Constantly we must stay in remembrance that we are subject to the word of God, not the word of God being subject to us. It requires acknowledgement of the gift and &#8216;eating&#8217;, if you will, the words of life that they would bring nourishment to our souls.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    Alternatively, rejection of the word of God is incredibly passive as much as it is active. \u00a0We can ignore the scriptures or overtly, out and out reject the opportunity to receive life and nourishment. \u00a0Either way the gift of the word of God is rejected.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    It is an invitation at each hearing to delve further into relationship with our Heavenly Father. For it is in relationship that obedience compliments love. I don&#8217;t believe that Jesus merely just obeyed His Father, rather I believe He loved Him, and from this love He desired to obey what was shown Him.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    As we return to the Pharisees we can see that Jesus criticism of them was not merely because they observed the Law but rather that they observed the law in the absence of personal relationship. Within relationship is the expression of love. All obedience springing from love will bring life.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    In this context lets then re-read James 1:27 &#8220;Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>  <em style=\"\">\u00a0<\/em><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>  <em style=\"\">&#8220;Holy Spirit guide us into all truth. We humble ourselves before the mighty word of God may you empower it in our lives as we worship our Lord Jesus. Lead us into greater love and joyful obedience!&#8221;<\/em><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>  <br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>  About Danial and Chhaya<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    Daniel and Chhaya Horsburgh are a family living in Rajpur, North India.\u00a0 They have 5 children, Deklin, Monika, Mohini, Natarnia and Amiya.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    As a family they are called to love India, bringing family to those without.\u00a0 Daniel works with a company building custom made guitars, training and discipling rehabilitated drug addicts to build guitars, worship God and start life anew. <br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    Chhaya runs a business, making and exporting clothing for western markets providing well paid jobs for individuals and families in need.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    Apart from these roles Daniel and Chhaya are social leaders providing pastoral love and care to those within their community.\u00a0 Also Daniel as a worship leader is studying with Sounds of the Nations to write worship songs in some of the local languages.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    As a family they have self funded their venture to live in India and always welcome much needed financial aide.\u00a0 Please pray for this family and also for how you might support their work here in India.<br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span> Email address:\u00a0 <a style=\"\" href=\"mailto:danchiahorsburgh@gmail.com\">danchiahorsburgh@gmail.com<\/a><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>links: <a style=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/dehradunguitars.com\/\">http:\/\/dehradunguitars.com<\/a> <br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span><br \/><strong>Donate <\/strong>&#8211; If you can help the Horsburgh family financially in their work  to serve the people of India and God then please consider doing so by  clicking <a style=\"\" href=\"\/mission.html\">HERE<\/a><br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>    <br \/><span style=\"\"><\/span>  <br \/><span><\/span><br \/><span><\/span><br \/><span><\/span><a title=\"\" style=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu\/texts.php?id=217#hebrew_reading\"><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<hr style=\"width:100%;clear:both;visibility:hidden;\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Daniel and Chhaya Horsburgh The Word This Week: Song of Solomon 2:8-13 and Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9 OR Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9 and Psalm 15 AND James 1:17-27 Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Thoughts on the Word: This week we have a special guest writer &#8211; Daniel Horsburgh, who with his wife and five children has followed the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/2012\/01\/09\/sunday-2nd-september-2012-receive-the-gift\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Sunday 2nd September 2012 &#8211; Receive the Gift!&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewordthisweek.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}