Providence Community Church

Gene and Marissa Engisch Share Mexico Missionary Trip

The 6th stanza of the great acrostic psalm presents 8 verses beginning with the Hebrew letter 'Waw' in the original language. The great theme of the psalm namely: 'the sufficiency of the Word of God' is illustrated in this section with a 5th example. Our author adds to the list of trials, proclaiming not only that the scriptures are sufficient for the tests of youth, sojourning, sorrows, and world...

If the present remnant of God's covenant people are not deceived by their imminent enemies, they are nevertheless often discouraged at their apparent power. Peter writes to a small number called to stand against an anti-Christ horde. To encourage and equip his hearers, the apostle appeals to the testimony of God's accountability program for the wicked through the ages. Citing examples from pre-cre...

“Ebenezer” means 'stone of help'. Aspects of this covenant arrangement between Jacob and Laban including its memorial monument and location will prove significant in ways these two could never have imagined. Nevertheless, the redemptive purposes of God are revealed in the course of scripture foreshadowed by events in this chapter of Jacob's exodus from Paddan-Aram unto Canaan. Though Laban and Jac...

As events of Jacob's departure from Paddan-Aram unto Canaan unfold, sinful and flawed patterns of behavior continue to mark the journey. Clearly Jacob's spiritual maturity is still a work in progress, while the actions of his wife and father in law remain quite reprehensible. Once again the only noble hero in our story is Yahweh, the unchanging Lord of the covenant – the long suffering One True Go...

As our Psalm has opened with dual themes of the sufficiency of the Word of God and the trying journey of life, it seems fitting that the author would add to the record the presenting trial of worldly temptations. Combining the challenges of verses 26, 37 and 39 we might summarize the enemies of his soul addressed in this section as the selfish gain of worthless things yielding dreadful reproach. T...

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As we have observed, one of the intriguing paradoxes of the life of Jacob is the prominence his legacy represents in spite of the troubled life he led. As such, the testimony of Jacob is one of remarkable grace. This is recognized not just by observers reading his biography, but by Jacob himself as he later testified to Pharaoh (47:7-9) He says: “...the days of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and...

Jacob has been long suffering in service to his conniving father in law. Jacob's hesitancy to confront or leave the confines of his relationship to Laban proves less than noble however. Jacob appears to be a personality much more likely to appease others rather than to take a stand for what is right. Far more impressive in this account, is the long-suffering of the Lord with His servant and signif...

Today, pastors in North America and beyond, have joined in unity of purpose to proclaim to courts, parliaments, legislatures, and magistrates, their obligation and accountability to Jesus Christ, on matters pertaining to marriage and human sexuality. We echo the summons of Holy Scripture which declares (Ps 2:10-12a) “Now therefore O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord...

The sufficiency of God's Word is featured in section four of this great acrostic psalm in light of the heavy burden of sorrow that often attends our way. The authors of scripture were blessed with a gift none of us today can boast – namely the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to record the very Word of God – they nevertheless were no less dependent on that same Word to provide necessary means to nav...

In the first chapter of Peter's epistle, he instructs his readers on how to strengthen their faith. It is clear that this is an urgent matter and a priority for the apostle, so much so, that he vows to dedicate his remaining years to stirring up the church by way of reminder to this end. He outlines 7 qualities in verses 5-7 which will serve to supplement the faith of the church under trial. If ch...

Concluding this series with the record of descending angels unto Joseph, we have thus documented that the advent of incarnation was punctuated by the presence of divine revelation and by angelic activity heightened by the occasion (Jn 1:51). We have witnessed these agents of God's sovereign decree ascending and descending, not just to shepherds, but to the priest Zechariah, the virgin May, and now...

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As Jesus Himself proclaimed to Nathaniel, heaven's staircase touching ground would be signaled by divine revelation and angelic activity. We were introduced to one of the these emissaries of glory with the prophecy delivered to Zechariah of a son to be born in his old age. The angel heralding the conception of John the Baptist was Gabriel and 6 months later he appears again to the virgin Mary. Thi...

Genesis 28:12 “...behold there was a ladder set up on the earth, & the top of it reached to heaven, and behold angels of God were ascending and descending on it!” Throughout Old Covenant history there are events from time to time which correspond with Jacob's prophetic dream – glimpses of Heaven's ladder escorting angels to further the purposes of God as redemptive history unfolds. However, no...

This chapter signals a change in Jacob's life. He begins to trust the Lord, returning to the God of his fathers. Life circumstances are instruments in the hands of Yahweh, guiding His covenant son back to his calling and communion with the Almighty. As his story continues, Jacob is older than we might imagine. Commentators estimate from 77 – 90 plus years at this juncture. If this account were mer...

Identity and self worth are issues that have plagued the human race since the fall. Women of scripture have wrestled with the cultural pressures of their day which discouraged them by the expectations of society’s sinful and arbitrary standards. In many cases, the social norms reflected a perversion of God's law and order in a vain attempt to achieve deliverance from the curses of the fall. In Rac...

We have noted how rich the context of the first stanza (Aleph) in this singular acrostic song becomes as we consider it in the context of the giving of the law at Sinai (Deut 4,5). Following this pattern, the next stanza (Beth) comes alive in light of the obligation and privilege of teaching the revelation of God to the next generation (Deut 6:4-9 and 11:18-19). Today we behold in the third moveme...

Recently we have studied and expounded upon the faith supplements Peter prescribes to fortify the church from verses 5-7 of I Peter 1. Among these, there is one quality for which Peter himself is a direct source alongside other apostles and authors of scripture. While we don't look to Peter to supply us with virtue, self-control, or godliness, we do rely on him and other witnesses for knowledge. A...

The origin story of the family history and national identity of the future nation of Israel continues to unfold in our text. The children born of Jacob’s wives will be identified with the tribal divisions of this people for thousands of years to come. If the Bible was like any other nationalistic historical record of a proud people's history – it would no doubt take the occasion to highlight the n...

Jacob continues his own journey of faith, retracing the steps of his grandfather back to Haran in search of a bride. What little he had to his name, he has poured out as an offering and first tithe at Bethel, moved by an encounter with the God of his fathers. He travels north boasting nothing he could give as a bride price save his own future labor. According to scholarly efforts to narrow down hi...

A partial purpose statement for expository preaching might read: The purpose of sound preaching is to discover and disclose the glories of redemption woven in thematic harmony throughout the scriptures testifying to the genius of, what can only be rightly understood as, the very Word of God. Our passage today is one of those examples in scripture which yields abundant fruit in this regard. It ough...

Johannes Palanterius wrote of Ps 119 in the year 1600.... “The psalm is called the alphabet of divine love, the paradise of all the doctrines, the storehouse of the Holy Spirit, the school of truth, also, the deep mystery of the scriptures, where the whole moral discipline of all the virtues shines brightly. And as all moral instruction is delightsome, therefore this psalm, because (as a result of...

Peter's introductory words to the early church in his 2nd epistle include a prescription of supplements to fortify the believer's faith, a description of the benefits of these qualities, and a commitment to remind the church of these things so long as God sustains him. His words anticipate times of trial and hardship that would attend the way of early believers just as we experience challenges to...