The LORD God is the Creator of the ends of the earth. He has established laws in nature which govern all the processes of life–planting, growth, cultivation and harvest. These principles give us insight on how to conduct our lives, families, churches, and societies (to continue reading this essay, click on image above).
Transfiguration Sunday, Luke 9.28-36
The Transfiguration of Jesus reveals him to be the supremacy and fulfillment of the Law and Prophets, with his superior authority confirmed directly by God’s voice declaring him as the chosen Son. In this unique moment of his incarnation, Jesus’ divine nature shines through his humanity, providing us with a glimpse of his glory while the presence of Moses and Elijah connects his mission to God’s redemptive plan throughout Israel’s history. The Father’s command to “listen to him” establishes Jesus’ teachings as supreme over all other religious authorities, challenging us to prioritize Christ’s words above all other voices and influences in our lives.
Our Focus Today
The Primacy of Apostolic Testimony.
Peter and the disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration beheld the glory of Christ personally, and bore witness to the certainty of God’s final revelation in Jesus of Nazareth, 2 Pet. 1.16-21.
Invocation
Almighty God, who revealed the glory of your Son on the holy mountain and inspired the apostles and prophets to faithfully record your truth, open our hearts to receive your Word with reverence and faith. Illuminate our minds with the light of your Holy Spirit, that we might see beyond human words to the divine reality they convey. Grant us the same certainty that Peter possessed when he declared that he was an eyewitness of Christ’s majesty, and help us to stand firm on the foundation of apostolic testimony in a world of doubt and falsehood. Amen.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.
Chronological Scripture Readings for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the entire Bible in one year in chronological order.
Tuesday: Judges 13-15
Psalms and Proverb for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the Psalms and Proverbs each month.
Tuesday: Psalm 4, 34, 64, 94, 124 and Proverbs 4
The Primacy of Apostolic Testimony.
Peter and the disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration beheld the glory of Christ personally, and bore witness to the certainty of God’s final revelation in Jesus of Nazareth, 2 Pet. 1.16-21.
Reflection
The apostolic witness to Christ’s transfiguration provides us with certainty that our faith is grounded in historical reality rather than human imagination or mythological constructs. Peter’s eyewitness account of hearing God’s voice and seeing Christ’s glory establishes an unbroken chain of testimony from the divine revelation to the written Word, assuring us that Scripture is not merely human opinion but divine communication. The prophetic Word serves as a light to illumine our path through this dark world until Christ’s return. We should then pay careful attention to Scripture rather than dismissing it as outdated or irrelevant. By anchoring our faith in the apostolic witness and divinely inspired Scriptures, we can effectively resist contemporary skepticism and confidently proclaim the gospel message of Christ’s glory and majesty.
Engaging God’s Word Today
In what areas of your spiritual life have you been treating Scripture as merely human wisdom rather than as the divinely inspired “light shining in a dark place?” How might Peter’s eyewitness testimony of Christ’s glory strengthen your confidence in God’s Word during times of doubt?
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, The Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God,
Begotten of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God,
Begotten not created, of the same essence as the Father,
through Whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and became human.
Who for us too, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried.
The third day He rose again according to the Scriptures, ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and life-giver,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
Who together with the Father and Son is worshiped and glorified.
Who spoke by the prophets.
We believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sin,
and we look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the age to come. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Benediction
Now may the God who confirmed your Son’s glory through the majestic voice on the mountain strengthen our confidence in the reliability of your Word as we navigate the darkness of this present age. May your Holy Spirit, who moved the prophets to speak divine truth, illuminate Scripture’s pages as we read, making Christ’s glory increasingly visible in our daily lives. And may we be empowered to stand as witnesses to what your apostles saw and heard, holding fast to the prophetic message of the Word as we navigate our lives through this world. Amen.
Scripture Memory for this season
Colossians 2.6-7 (ESV):
6 “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”
Scripture Engagement
As disciples of Jesus, the Churches of Christ the King strongly seek to engage the Scriptures to discover the centrality of Christ and his Kingdom in the prophetic and apostolic writings. You will find a rich treasure of resources on engaging Scripture at the Center for Scripture Engagement of Taylor University.
Book Reading and Reflection
Compassion and Solidarity.
“Let us not underestimate how hard it is to be compassionate. Compassion is hard because it requires the inner disposition to go with others to the place where they are weak, vulnerable, lonely, and broken. But this is not our spontaneous response to suffering. What we desire most is to do away with suffering by fleeing from it or finding a quick cure for it. As busy, active, relevant ministers, we want to earn our bread by making a real contribution. This means first and foremost doing something to show that our presence makes a difference. And so we ignore our greatest gift, which is our ability to enter into solidarity with those who suffer.
It is in solitude that this compassionate solidarity grows. In solitude we realize that nothing human is alien to us, that the roots of all conflict, war, injustice, cruelty, hatred, jealousy, and envy are deeply anchored in our own heart. In solitude our heart of stone can be turned into a heart of flesh, a rebellious heart into a contrite heart, and a closed heart into a heart that can open itself to all suffering people in a gesture of solidarity.”
~ Nouwen, Henri J. M., The Way of the Heart: Connecting with God through Prayer, Wisdom and Silence. Ballantine Books (A Penguin Random House Company), New York City, NY: 2003. Electronic Edition, Location 251.
Seedling Focus for the Season: Rooted and Built Up in Christ
Description: Spiritual growth is about upward development and deepening our roots in Christ, Col. 2.6-7.
On Eagles Wings Prayer Focus: A Long Time Comin‘
Watering the Seed: The Word of God, Isa. 55.10-11.
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