Lord of light - shine upon us. God of love fill our hearts with your wisdom. Holy Spirit, bring yourself closer to us in my words and how we hear them, in our thoughts and how we think them. Use this time - and use us - to accomplish your good and gracious will. Amen
There is an old story - perhaps it is a joke - perhaps something like this really happened at one time, we don't really know - an old story about two brothers who lived in particular town where they were involved in corruption, deceit and every manner of vice. It was rumoured that they were affiliated with some very famous organized crime families as well. Whatever the case, both brothers had accumulated much wealth through their dishonest means.
There was little grief in the town when the older brother died. But his younger brother, wanting to honour his elder sibling, went all out in planning the funeral. The problem was finding a minister willing to do the service, given that neither of them had ever graced the steps of a church. Knowing that the one of the local churches was in the midst of a capital campaign for some much needed repairs, the younger brother called upon the minister.
"Reverend," he said, "I know my brother and I never attended your church, as a matter of fact we never attended any church. I also know that you've probably heard a lot of things about my brother and I, this being a small town and all, but I'd like you to do my brother's funeral. And if you'll say he was a saint, I'll write you a check for 50,000 dollars. That'll go a long way to fixing up the church."
After some thought, the pastor agreed to have the service. The pastor, however, also had a condition. The $50,000 had to be paid in advance. And so it was.
On the day of the funeral, the church was crowded. Curiosity brought dozens of people in, who were certainly not there to honour the rich man, but to see what the minister would actually say. The remainder of the crowd was made up of gangsters and women the brothers associated with.
The service began with the usual scriptures, hymns and prayers - and then the homily began. The minister began slowly, but then step by step launched into a litany of the horrible things the rich man had done, how he had been selfish, greedy, corrupt, caring about no one but himself, carousing with women, drinking excessively, and on and on.
The younger brother, sitting up in the front pew, was getting hot under the collar about how the minister was not fulfilling his promise, but during the service there was not much he could do about it. He could only wait and hope that the minister would keep his end of the bargain. Finally, after about ten minutes of outlining the rich man's flaws, the minister concluded his sermon in a booming crescendo proclaiming:
"Yes my friends, this man was a no-good, dirty, rotten scoundrel! But, compared to his brother, he was a saint!"
When people think of the saints, they most often think of people like Paul, or John or James, and the other apostles; or they think of people like St. Francis, St. Teresa, St. Catherine, St. Bernadette, or St. Ignatius of Loyala.
In short they think of those people that the church has long declared to be saints - those people whose faith and vision and moral integrity has been thoroughly examined and widely known; those normally long dead folk who have been judged to have advanced the cause of Jesus Christ notably in this world; those folk who have been deemed to be worthy of imitation and of praise by both church bureaucrats and popular opinion.
Today is All Saint's Day - a feast day that has been celebrated for hundreds of years within the church, particularly within the Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican churches, but in many others as well. But in our tradition - and in many of the traditions arising out of the Protestant Reformation - often not much is said about the Saints and All Saints Day: except to explain that the night before, the night of witches and devils and other things that we should not pay attention to, received it's name because it is on the Eve of All Hallows Day, of All Saints Day.
That neglect of the Saints in our tradition is a pity in a way because it can make the whole idea of sainthood and of the communion of the saints, inaccessible to us, - especially when you couple that neglect with the popular idea of what a saint is -namely someone who is only a little less than perfect, someone who has been a spiritual overachiever as it were.
It is true that those that the universal church has declared - after much examination and debate, to be saints are saints. But - when we get down to it - these wonderful folk are only bright examples of something that is very common - namely bright examples of a deep and abiding faith in Christ Jesus, a faith that has issued forth in action.
They are people upon whom the fickle finger of public attention has descended, and while normally deserving of the attention they have and are receiving, so are many, many, more people, people both dead - and people still alive.
The word Saint derives from the word Sanctus - which we translate as the word "holy".
And in the bible - in this morning's reading from the Letter to the Ephesians, and in all of Paul's letters, the word - sanctus - the word saint - is applied without further distinction to the company of those who believe in Christ Jesus and who strive to live faithfully according to his teachings and his example.
Listen to verse one and two of the Letter to the Ephesians - where Paul tells them who is writing and to whom it is that he is writing.
"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus – grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Listen as well to how Paul addresses both the Roman church.
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle... to all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints. Grace to you and peace...."
And the church in Corinth:
Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, to the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...
Saints are all around us
- people who are holy
- people who are set apart from the rest of the world who are different because they believe in Christ Jesus and seek to live faithfully as he has shown them.
In the bible, in our faith, saints are normal people, normal people who differ from most others in this world, not because of the degree of their moral perfection, but because of the degree of their faith and how, because of their faith and how they live it, draw others to give praise to God and inspire them to want to believe in and follow the Christ whom they believe in all follow.
We are saints....
We are called to be saints...
A saint is someone who is set apart because of their faith. A saint is someone whose life is dedicated to the worship of God and the doing of God's will. A saint is someone who inspires in us the desire to know and follow Christ Jesus..
Think about it for a minute: does it not make sense that we - who are called to be saints – should pause once a year in our public worship to think about who the saints of God are and to thank God for them?
Does it not even make sense to perhaps pause once a month - or even once a day - in our private worship, and give thanks to God for all the saints and especially for those saints who have touched our lives and showed to us something of Christ's love, something of God's glory.
What we admire in them after all is part of what we are called to imitate part of what we hope God will work thru us, part of what God calls us to be and to embody and to live out.
A saint is a person who is an example of faithfulness; a person who, because of their faith in Christ, shows forth something of his light in their lives.
Think about it for a minute or two more think of the saints - think not of the famous saints - like Saint Paul or Saint John or Saint Theresa, or Saint Catherine, or Saint Francis, but think of the saints who have touched your lives, of those who have inspired in you a deeper faith in God, of those who have made you want to bless the God they believe in...of those whose love and whose testimony have awakened something in your soul.
I can think of a couple of people immediately who stirred me to faith.
One is a minster- who had a strange attachment to buses, but who loved the Lord deeply and was able to spin parables out of the events that occurred in his daily life. A man who knew the bible and knew that before God he was naught but a sinner - a sinner forgiven and destined for an eternal glory with all others who love and serve God.
Another was another pastor in another church, a man who was not always as patient and as tolerant as he might have been, but who could teach the bible like no other I have met, and whose welcome of my family and myself helped teach me what the communion of saints is: that communion where souls touch upon souls - in prayer, in play, in sacrament and in eating supper together. He still serves the Lord the here in Hong Kong.
Who are you thinking of?
Take the paper angel you have been given and pen or pencil and close your eyes and think about saints who have touched your life.
Think about whose names you would like to write upon the angel as thank offering to God, an offering to be received during the hymn that is coming very soon.
I think of a woman who lived in a little ramshackle house. I think of her humility - such that she did not easily pray for her own needs - and her care that led her to pray for others. I remember how when trials and tribulations came upon her - problems of health, problems of money, problems of family, she plunged more deeply into the heart of God - saying that her Lord had brought her thus far and that she believed that he would see her through. Her name was Ming Chu - and she died of cancer several years ago and is now with the Lord above.
I think of Mother Teresa, whose example from afar, has touched me even here. One who may well end up being named the kind of saint that we normally think of when we hear that word.
I think of some of you. Fellow saints in the body of Christ.
Who do you think of?
Open your eyes and write down the name or names, the name or names of those whom you want to thank God for, of those who faith has inspired you to faith, of those who dedication to God and to showing God's love has warmed your hearts.
Bless God for those who seem to you to be blessed, - those like the ones to that Jesus calls blessed in the beatitudes we heard today, - those whom you believe are indeed set apart by God and made holy because they have encouraged you to live towards your high calling as the children of God........
Blessed be God day by day. Amen.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Psalm 91:3-4
"Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler."
Let's take a look at the results of God's protective power.
"He. . . delivers you from the snare of the trapper. . ." Imagine walking down a path when you get the sudden urge to look down. There you see a small wire stretched across the path. You get down on your knees and examine the wire. You follow it to one end and find that it leads to a trigger mechanism that stretches up a tree. Looking in the tree you see a net. It doesn't take long to realize that you have just found a snare. If you hadn't looked down when you did, you would have tripped the wire causing the net to fall on you and trap you in its web. That is the way the Lord works. If we are in His care, trusting in Him, He will protect us from all those traps we frequently find ourselves falling into.
". . . and from the deadly pestilence." I recall reading about the Black Plague. It is a disease that invaded the home then spread to the neighboring homes and finally engulfing entire neighbor hoods and towns. In it's shadow was pain, suffering, and, mercifully, death. The Lord can protect us from those diseases. He has promised to shelter His children from all the diseases that plague the world - if we will dwell, abide, take refuge, and hide in His fortress.
"He will cover you with His feathers. . ." Imagine being protected by the feathers of God. If you've ever snuggled down in a goose feather mattress, you know how it surrounds you and enfolds you protecting you from the cold. God seeks to do the same with us. He wants us to take shelter within the confines of His feathers.
"And under His wings you shall take refuge; . . ." There is no safer place to be for a little bird than under it's mother's wings. That's where God calls us to when we are in danger.
"His truth shall be your shield and buckler." Now here is a promise. God's faithfulness will provide protection. Think about it. Assume you are a policeman. You are about to enter a dangerous situation so you put on your bullet proof vest and a helmet with face plate. How do you know you can trust them if you are shot at? It's usually because the supplier has demonstrated the impenetrability of the equipment. They have taken you to the pistol range where they have placed one of their vests on a dummy. You have shot your weapon at the dummy and examined the results. Indeed, the vest has stopped the projectile. You don your vest with confidence because of the faith you have in it. God is even more faithful - and that faithfulness is a full body shield for us. But more than that, it is a wall (bulwark) behind which we can take shelter and turn the attack of the enemy. Isn't our God a great God? He sure has a way of protecting us if we so choose. Amen and Amen.
Let's take a look at the results of God's protective power.
"He. . . delivers you from the snare of the trapper. . ." Imagine walking down a path when you get the sudden urge to look down. There you see a small wire stretched across the path. You get down on your knees and examine the wire. You follow it to one end and find that it leads to a trigger mechanism that stretches up a tree. Looking in the tree you see a net. It doesn't take long to realize that you have just found a snare. If you hadn't looked down when you did, you would have tripped the wire causing the net to fall on you and trap you in its web. That is the way the Lord works. If we are in His care, trusting in Him, He will protect us from all those traps we frequently find ourselves falling into.
". . . and from the deadly pestilence." I recall reading about the Black Plague. It is a disease that invaded the home then spread to the neighboring homes and finally engulfing entire neighbor hoods and towns. In it's shadow was pain, suffering, and, mercifully, death. The Lord can protect us from those diseases. He has promised to shelter His children from all the diseases that plague the world - if we will dwell, abide, take refuge, and hide in His fortress.
"He will cover you with His feathers. . ." Imagine being protected by the feathers of God. If you've ever snuggled down in a goose feather mattress, you know how it surrounds you and enfolds you protecting you from the cold. God seeks to do the same with us. He wants us to take shelter within the confines of His feathers.
"And under His wings you shall take refuge; . . ." There is no safer place to be for a little bird than under it's mother's wings. That's where God calls us to when we are in danger.
"His truth shall be your shield and buckler." Now here is a promise. God's faithfulness will provide protection. Think about it. Assume you are a policeman. You are about to enter a dangerous situation so you put on your bullet proof vest and a helmet with face plate. How do you know you can trust them if you are shot at? It's usually because the supplier has demonstrated the impenetrability of the equipment. They have taken you to the pistol range where they have placed one of their vests on a dummy. You have shot your weapon at the dummy and examined the results. Indeed, the vest has stopped the projectile. You don your vest with confidence because of the faith you have in it. God is even more faithful - and that faithfulness is a full body shield for us. But more than that, it is a wall (bulwark) behind which we can take shelter and turn the attack of the enemy. Isn't our God a great God? He sure has a way of protecting us if we so choose. Amen and Amen.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Timothy 4:7
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7
Satisfaction in life comes from living righteously and seeking to raise the level of quality in the relationships, services and products you are involved with. Matthew 5:6 says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Do you really believe that? if you did, what would you be doing? You would spend more time feeding your spirit than trying to satisfy your fleshly desires. Have you ever tried to satisfy the flesh? It can't be done. The more you feed it, the more it wants.
What causes you to become dissatisfied? It's usually because the quality of the relationship, service or product has diminished. I often ask people when they became dissatisfied. Inevitably they identify the time when the quality of a relationship, the service rendered, or the product produced diminished.
Satisfaction is a quality issue, not a quantity issue. You will achieve greater satisfaction from doing a few things well than from doing many things in a haphazard or hasty manner. The key to personal satisfaction is not in broadening your involvement's, but in deepening them through a commitment to quality.
The same is true in relationships. If you are dissatisfied in your relationships, perhaps you have spread yourself too thin. Solomon wrote: "A man of many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). It may be nice to know a lot of people on the surface, but you need a few good friends who are committed to a quality relationship with each other. We all need the satisfaction which quality relationships bring.
Paul accomplished what he was called to do. He left a lot undone, but he fought the good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith. Jesus also left a lot undone, but He did His Father's will and was able to say, "It is finished." You may not be able to do all you want to do for Christ in your lifetime, but you can live obediently and faithfully day by day. Amen.
Satisfaction in life comes from living righteously and seeking to raise the level of quality in the relationships, services and products you are involved with. Matthew 5:6 says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Do you really believe that? if you did, what would you be doing? You would spend more time feeding your spirit than trying to satisfy your fleshly desires. Have you ever tried to satisfy the flesh? It can't be done. The more you feed it, the more it wants.
What causes you to become dissatisfied? It's usually because the quality of the relationship, service or product has diminished. I often ask people when they became dissatisfied. Inevitably they identify the time when the quality of a relationship, the service rendered, or the product produced diminished.
Satisfaction is a quality issue, not a quantity issue. You will achieve greater satisfaction from doing a few things well than from doing many things in a haphazard or hasty manner. The key to personal satisfaction is not in broadening your involvement's, but in deepening them through a commitment to quality.
The same is true in relationships. If you are dissatisfied in your relationships, perhaps you have spread yourself too thin. Solomon wrote: "A man of many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). It may be nice to know a lot of people on the surface, but you need a few good friends who are committed to a quality relationship with each other. We all need the satisfaction which quality relationships bring.
Paul accomplished what he was called to do. He left a lot undone, but he fought the good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith. Jesus also left a lot undone, but He did His Father's will and was able to say, "It is finished." You may not be able to do all you want to do for Christ in your lifetime, but you can live obediently and faithfully day by day. Amen.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Killing our own wounded
I am not trying to scold anyone by this message, but to teach the teachings of our Lord.
After a military battle, the victorious side will collect all the wounded soldiers of not only their side, but all also the enemy wounded. The enemy wounded will be treated same as their own wounded by the medical staff of the victorious side. However, Christians often shot their own wounded, let alone enemy soldiers. This is something that I never could understand.
I believe that Christ told us to help each other. I believe that He told us that should anyone do something as simple as giving a glass of water to a brother or sister, we are giving Him a glass of water. I believe that it is not love when one see a Christian Brother or Sister starving or in dire straits, and tell him to go and not extend any form of help, after all, Jesus told us that all we do is for others is the same as doing it for Him, whether it be visitation in prison, giving a glass of water, giving a person clothes when one is naked. I am sure that all of us remember the parable of the Good Samaritan that Jesus told us.
Recently I sent out private emails to certain brothers and sisters in Christ, some through private emails, and some through Facebook. In the emails I said I am not asking you for your money. I am asking for your prayers. I stated what my situation is. I do not get any money from any of my ministries. I have been out of work since January of this year. I owe rental for the month of October and need to pay the landlord 2 months rental, since November is fast coming up. I need to repay someone a sum of money (when I borrow the money I was given to understand that there will be job for me in September, however, the job never came through). I have to send money to the Philippines for my step-daughter, I have to give allowances for my step-son here in Hong Kong to go to school, buy food for Ruth as well as for ourselves. It is not a small sum of money that I need to survive the next few days, but not that big either. I know that our Heavenly Father will provide for us the sum of HK$27,000 that we are desperate in need of.
Out of all the emails I sent out, there were five replies, one from a sister in the United States giving me encouragement, one from another sister praying for us, three from pastors (one from the United States and one from Hong Kong) telling me that they are praying. I also had one response from a Christian brother here in Hong Kong, who did not respond through Facebook, but sent me a Tag through Tagged, telling me to exercise myself as a Christian. That was the one response that hurts.
I do not mind people not asking me for details, I do not mind that there was no one asking me whether they can help. I do not think that it is right to ignore the email, nor do I think that it is right to judge, as that response using Tagged seems to be, for after all, Christ told us to not judge. We need to take care of the beam in our eyes, before we take care of the spark in our Brother’s eyes. He also told us that whoever judges the same level of judgement will be use against that person
After a military battle, the victorious side will collect all the wounded soldiers of not only their side, but all also the enemy wounded. The enemy wounded will be treated same as their own wounded by the medical staff of the victorious side. However, Christians often shot their own wounded, let alone enemy soldiers. This is something that I never could understand.
I believe that Christ told us to help each other. I believe that He told us that should anyone do something as simple as giving a glass of water to a brother or sister, we are giving Him a glass of water. I believe that it is not love when one see a Christian Brother or Sister starving or in dire straits, and tell him to go and not extend any form of help, after all, Jesus told us that all we do is for others is the same as doing it for Him, whether it be visitation in prison, giving a glass of water, giving a person clothes when one is naked. I am sure that all of us remember the parable of the Good Samaritan that Jesus told us.
Recently I sent out private emails to certain brothers and sisters in Christ, some through private emails, and some through Facebook. In the emails I said I am not asking you for your money. I am asking for your prayers. I stated what my situation is. I do not get any money from any of my ministries. I have been out of work since January of this year. I owe rental for the month of October and need to pay the landlord 2 months rental, since November is fast coming up. I need to repay someone a sum of money (when I borrow the money I was given to understand that there will be job for me in September, however, the job never came through). I have to send money to the Philippines for my step-daughter, I have to give allowances for my step-son here in Hong Kong to go to school, buy food for Ruth as well as for ourselves. It is not a small sum of money that I need to survive the next few days, but not that big either. I know that our Heavenly Father will provide for us the sum of HK$27,000 that we are desperate in need of.
Out of all the emails I sent out, there were five replies, one from a sister in the United States giving me encouragement, one from another sister praying for us, three from pastors (one from the United States and one from Hong Kong) telling me that they are praying. I also had one response from a Christian brother here in Hong Kong, who did not respond through Facebook, but sent me a Tag through Tagged, telling me to exercise myself as a Christian. That was the one response that hurts.
I do not mind people not asking me for details, I do not mind that there was no one asking me whether they can help. I do not think that it is right to ignore the email, nor do I think that it is right to judge, as that response using Tagged seems to be, for after all, Christ told us to not judge. We need to take care of the beam in our eyes, before we take care of the spark in our Brother’s eyes. He also told us that whoever judges the same level of judgement will be use against that person
Jer 29:14
"I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive" Jer 29:14
Something wonderful happens when we seek the Lord with all our hearts. He begins a restoration. It hasn't happened yet? How much is "all"? 50%? 80%? 99%? 100%? I know for some this seems hard, but it is the way of the Lord. He requires all. When you buy a car, do you buy the wheels only? Ok, how about the wheels and the frame? No? You mean you want all of it? With a full tank of gas, too? You even want air in the tires? Of course you do. You want to drive down the street with the knowledge that you own a car - lock, stock, and barrel. The same goes for the computer you just bought. You didn't just buy an Intel processor. You bought all the components. You bought the fancy case, the monitor, the speakers - every thing that makes it run. See what I mean?
When Jesus paid the price for your ransom, He bought all of you, not just an arm and a leg. He bought your body, your soul (composed of you mind and emotions), and your spirit. He paid for it all and that's what He wants. Let's go back to that shiny new car for a moment. Let's suppose that you drive it home and see a dent on the hood. Now it's no big dent, but it's noticeable to you. What do you do? You drive it back to the dealer and want it repaired. Why? You bought a new car and you want it to look new. A little later, you hear a tick in the engine. You repeat the process for the same reason. It's a new car and you want to keep it that way.
Jesus expects nothing less. Unfortunately, we tend to want to keep parts of ourselves for our own use. Won't work. Can't happen. If we want all the promises, we must keep all the conditions. And look at those promises: restoration of fortunes, restoration of lands, restoration of freedom. Joel (chapter 2) adds a few others: restoration of all that the cankerworm and locust have destroyed, new crops, new wine and much more. All that in exchange for the right of ownership. "Sure," you say, "but it's easier said than done." Indeed it is. It's a process. It begins with a determination of the heart to seek God, to be totally yielded to Him. It grows as we give more and more of ourselves. It finds it's fulfillment in our total obedience. Fortunately, Jesus is willing to let us yield a piece at a time. He is patient. He will grant us partial fulfillment for partial dedication. With that in mind, we need to begin today to yield ourselves. We need to continue tomorrow and the day after that and the week after that and the month after that and the year after that - until we have attained a measure of maturity. If we do this, we will see the restoration begin and amplify day by day. Oh, it may not be in the form in which we want to see it, but it will be there. We may not see it today, but we will see it as time goes by. Trust me on this. God has promised it. Let it happen to you! Hallelujah, Amen.
Something wonderful happens when we seek the Lord with all our hearts. He begins a restoration. It hasn't happened yet? How much is "all"? 50%? 80%? 99%? 100%? I know for some this seems hard, but it is the way of the Lord. He requires all. When you buy a car, do you buy the wheels only? Ok, how about the wheels and the frame? No? You mean you want all of it? With a full tank of gas, too? You even want air in the tires? Of course you do. You want to drive down the street with the knowledge that you own a car - lock, stock, and barrel. The same goes for the computer you just bought. You didn't just buy an Intel processor. You bought all the components. You bought the fancy case, the monitor, the speakers - every thing that makes it run. See what I mean?
When Jesus paid the price for your ransom, He bought all of you, not just an arm and a leg. He bought your body, your soul (composed of you mind and emotions), and your spirit. He paid for it all and that's what He wants. Let's go back to that shiny new car for a moment. Let's suppose that you drive it home and see a dent on the hood. Now it's no big dent, but it's noticeable to you. What do you do? You drive it back to the dealer and want it repaired. Why? You bought a new car and you want it to look new. A little later, you hear a tick in the engine. You repeat the process for the same reason. It's a new car and you want to keep it that way.
Jesus expects nothing less. Unfortunately, we tend to want to keep parts of ourselves for our own use. Won't work. Can't happen. If we want all the promises, we must keep all the conditions. And look at those promises: restoration of fortunes, restoration of lands, restoration of freedom. Joel (chapter 2) adds a few others: restoration of all that the cankerworm and locust have destroyed, new crops, new wine and much more. All that in exchange for the right of ownership. "Sure," you say, "but it's easier said than done." Indeed it is. It's a process. It begins with a determination of the heart to seek God, to be totally yielded to Him. It grows as we give more and more of ourselves. It finds it's fulfillment in our total obedience. Fortunately, Jesus is willing to let us yield a piece at a time. He is patient. He will grant us partial fulfillment for partial dedication. With that in mind, we need to begin today to yield ourselves. We need to continue tomorrow and the day after that and the week after that and the month after that and the year after that - until we have attained a measure of maturity. If we do this, we will see the restoration begin and amplify day by day. Oh, it may not be in the form in which we want to see it, but it will be there. We may not see it today, but we will see it as time goes by. Trust me on this. God has promised it. Let it happen to you! Hallelujah, Amen.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Origins of Halloween
Deu 18:9 (KJV)
When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
1 Th 5:22 (KJV)
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
Num 16:26 (KJV)
And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.
Halloween, also known as the witches’ new year, originated among the ancient Druid priests from Britain and France. It commemorated the end of summer and the beginning of the Celtic year. The celebration was considered the highest festival of the year called Samhain (sah-ween). It was named after Saman, the god of the dead.
The Druids not only believed that the dead came back to mingle among the living on this night, but that demons, witches and hobgoblins were also released in droves to harass and oppress the living. The Celts also believed that the sinful souls of those who had died during the year had been transferred to the bodies of animals. Through gifts and sacrifices their sins were atoned for and their souls were set free. Samon judged the souls and decreed whether they would continue as a human or an animal.
Bonfires, animal and human sacrifices and ritualistic offerings to the dead were common during this Feast of Samhain. It was believed that human blood opened up the gates of the dead and released the spirits for the night. To protect themselves, many Druids would dress up as devils, witches and ghouls and would even involve themselves in demonic activities to ward off an attack.
In a bold evangelistic move designed to demonstrate that only the power of Jesus Christ could protect men and women from the fiery darts of Satan, the early church moved a festive celebration of their own called "All Saints Day" from the month of May to November 1st. They renamed it "All Hallows’ Eve", from which we get the name Halloween. The evening before November 1 (October 31) was set aside as a HOLY EVENING in remembrance of those who had suffered martyrdom for their belief and faithfulness to Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, this Holy Evening has become anything but holy. There has been little or no effort on the part of the "church" (us) to renew the original purpose for which this day was intended. On the contrary, many churches and Christians today are compromising their faith on Halloween just so their children don’t feel left out of the ghoulish festivities. I believe we have allowed things in our homes and churches that are an abomination to God.
TRICK OR TREAT - This modern custom of going door to door begging for candy while masked and dressed in costumes goes back to the pagan New Year’s Feast. It was thought as long as the living set out bowls of fruit and other treats for the demons, witches and ghosts to partake of, then they might leave that home untouched. When your child goes door to door yelling ”trick or treat" he is re-enacting that ancient superstition.
JACK-O-LANTERN - in America it’s a pumpkin but in Europe it was usually a turnip that had the fact of a demonic spirit carved in it. The smiling face was symbolic of the mocking spirit that laughed at the fate of it’s victims. Candle-lit Jack-O-Lantern or skull’s heads also symbolized that the occupants of that house were sympathetic to the evil spirits and would hope to receive mercy and favor.
We can ill-afford to sit around any longer and remain ignorant about Halloween. Our children need to be taught that there is nothing cute in pretending to be a friend of the enemy for a few hours. It only took one piece of fruit for Adam and Eve to express their disobedience to God. Who are we to think that going to strangers houses or a haunted house or a school Halloween party is any less appealing to a young mind.
If I had a child in grade school, you can bet they will be missing school the last day of October. Why! Ask any school administrator which holiday receives the most money, time, energy and bulletin boards and I guarantee it won’t be Christmas or Easter. Halloween wins hands down. For those who think that’s a coincidence, think again. Hitler wasn’t the only one who knew that those who have the youth have the future.
At this point many will argue, "Come on. It’s just Halloween, I’m not worshipping anyone. It’s just harmless fun." Is it? Our children are already growing up in such a contradictory society, do we have to add to it? Can’t we at least give them the stability of worshipping the one true God, only?
The then-popular teen magazine "Sassy", printed an article in 1992 entitled "Witchcraft is a Religion", subtitled "And a very cool one at that" . The author praised witchcraft for it’s environmentalist and self-esteem building features. She explained why Halloween was important to witches and some of the meaning of the evening. The magazine article concluded by quoting a witch named Laurie: "Witchcraft is a connectedness to everything, so you can center yourself and feel as if you can control some of your environment a little more. I think teenagers today need their own power."
I also agree that teenagers today need more power, but it sure isn’t the power she’s talking about. It’s the power of the Holy Spirit that enables a young person to stand up and boldly and unashamedly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That starts when parents care enough to not just let anyone deceive or give candy to their babies.
Bible-believing Christians cringe and shudder at the thought of Satan worship and occult rites. But, how many of these same people will dress their children as witches, ghosts, skeletons or devils and send them out to "trick-or-treat"? How many smile approvingly at the church or Sunday School and youth organizations that have Halloween parties and sponsor "haunted house" activities?
Can any Christian give any scriptural - or even logical- reason for participating in, or approving of, that which is unmistakably associated with paganism, devil-worship and witchcraft?
Deuteronomy 18: 10--13 explicitly forbids Christians to have anything to do with witchcraft, spiritism or the demonic.
1 Thesalonians 5:22 tells us to abstain from all appearance of evil.
(Deu 18:9-14 KJV)
When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
{10} There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
{11} Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
{12} For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
{13} Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
{14} For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
(1 Th 5:22 KJV)
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
You may say, "I don’t let my child dress as demonic characters, only Biblical ones. Our church has a ‘Harvest Party’ and my kids go to it instead of going out to ‘Trick or Treat’. So, we’re not taking part in the demonic Halloween stuff." Well, this may be true. But, we are told in God’s Word that we are not to love the things of this world. (1 John 2:15) (James 4:4) Though we are in it, we are not to be part of it. How is it that different to have a "Harvest Party" with costume or to have a "Halloween Party" with costume. This is still copying after the world.
(1 John 2:15-17 KJV)
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
{16} For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
{17} And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
(James 4:4 KJV)
Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
I have seen small children, even babies, dressed for Halloween. You can’t say that the children are the ones who want this. They don’t even know what it is. It is the parents who are teaching them about these things. Deuteronomy 6 tells us what we are to teach our children, and it has nothing to do with demonism or demonic "Holy days." In other words, be busy teaching your children The Word and what God wants us to know, and avoid the workings and teachings of the world and evil.
(Deu 6:4-9 KJV)
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
{5} And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might
{6} And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
{7} And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
{8} And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
{9} And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
Finally, this is not a time to simply curse the darkness: it is a time to let our light shine before our children and before a world of lost men. Teach your children that Satan isn’t some funny character running around in red tights with horns and a pitchfork. They need to know that he is very real and his goal is to steal, kill and destroy their lives and their very souls. Reassure them of this:
(1 John 4:4 KJV)
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
1 Th 5:22 (KJV)
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
Num 16:26 (KJV)
And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.
Halloween, also known as the witches’ new year, originated among the ancient Druid priests from Britain and France. It commemorated the end of summer and the beginning of the Celtic year. The celebration was considered the highest festival of the year called Samhain (sah-ween). It was named after Saman, the god of the dead.
The Druids not only believed that the dead came back to mingle among the living on this night, but that demons, witches and hobgoblins were also released in droves to harass and oppress the living. The Celts also believed that the sinful souls of those who had died during the year had been transferred to the bodies of animals. Through gifts and sacrifices their sins were atoned for and their souls were set free. Samon judged the souls and decreed whether they would continue as a human or an animal.
Bonfires, animal and human sacrifices and ritualistic offerings to the dead were common during this Feast of Samhain. It was believed that human blood opened up the gates of the dead and released the spirits for the night. To protect themselves, many Druids would dress up as devils, witches and ghouls and would even involve themselves in demonic activities to ward off an attack.
In a bold evangelistic move designed to demonstrate that only the power of Jesus Christ could protect men and women from the fiery darts of Satan, the early church moved a festive celebration of their own called "All Saints Day" from the month of May to November 1st. They renamed it "All Hallows’ Eve", from which we get the name Halloween. The evening before November 1 (October 31) was set aside as a HOLY EVENING in remembrance of those who had suffered martyrdom for their belief and faithfulness to Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, this Holy Evening has become anything but holy. There has been little or no effort on the part of the "church" (us) to renew the original purpose for which this day was intended. On the contrary, many churches and Christians today are compromising their faith on Halloween just so their children don’t feel left out of the ghoulish festivities. I believe we have allowed things in our homes and churches that are an abomination to God.
TRICK OR TREAT - This modern custom of going door to door begging for candy while masked and dressed in costumes goes back to the pagan New Year’s Feast. It was thought as long as the living set out bowls of fruit and other treats for the demons, witches and ghosts to partake of, then they might leave that home untouched. When your child goes door to door yelling ”trick or treat" he is re-enacting that ancient superstition.
JACK-O-LANTERN - in America it’s a pumpkin but in Europe it was usually a turnip that had the fact of a demonic spirit carved in it. The smiling face was symbolic of the mocking spirit that laughed at the fate of it’s victims. Candle-lit Jack-O-Lantern or skull’s heads also symbolized that the occupants of that house were sympathetic to the evil spirits and would hope to receive mercy and favor.
We can ill-afford to sit around any longer and remain ignorant about Halloween. Our children need to be taught that there is nothing cute in pretending to be a friend of the enemy for a few hours. It only took one piece of fruit for Adam and Eve to express their disobedience to God. Who are we to think that going to strangers houses or a haunted house or a school Halloween party is any less appealing to a young mind.
If I had a child in grade school, you can bet they will be missing school the last day of October. Why! Ask any school administrator which holiday receives the most money, time, energy and bulletin boards and I guarantee it won’t be Christmas or Easter. Halloween wins hands down. For those who think that’s a coincidence, think again. Hitler wasn’t the only one who knew that those who have the youth have the future.
At this point many will argue, "Come on. It’s just Halloween, I’m not worshipping anyone. It’s just harmless fun." Is it? Our children are already growing up in such a contradictory society, do we have to add to it? Can’t we at least give them the stability of worshipping the one true God, only?
The then-popular teen magazine "Sassy", printed an article in 1992 entitled "Witchcraft is a Religion", subtitled "And a very cool one at that" . The author praised witchcraft for it’s environmentalist and self-esteem building features. She explained why Halloween was important to witches and some of the meaning of the evening. The magazine article concluded by quoting a witch named Laurie: "Witchcraft is a connectedness to everything, so you can center yourself and feel as if you can control some of your environment a little more. I think teenagers today need their own power."
I also agree that teenagers today need more power, but it sure isn’t the power she’s talking about. It’s the power of the Holy Spirit that enables a young person to stand up and boldly and unashamedly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That starts when parents care enough to not just let anyone deceive or give candy to their babies.
Bible-believing Christians cringe and shudder at the thought of Satan worship and occult rites. But, how many of these same people will dress their children as witches, ghosts, skeletons or devils and send them out to "trick-or-treat"? How many smile approvingly at the church or Sunday School and youth organizations that have Halloween parties and sponsor "haunted house" activities?
Can any Christian give any scriptural - or even logical- reason for participating in, or approving of, that which is unmistakably associated with paganism, devil-worship and witchcraft?
Deuteronomy 18: 10--13 explicitly forbids Christians to have anything to do with witchcraft, spiritism or the demonic.
1 Thesalonians 5:22 tells us to abstain from all appearance of evil.
(Deu 18:9-14 KJV)
When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
{10} There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
{11} Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
{12} For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
{13} Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
{14} For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
(1 Th 5:22 KJV)
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
You may say, "I don’t let my child dress as demonic characters, only Biblical ones. Our church has a ‘Harvest Party’ and my kids go to it instead of going out to ‘Trick or Treat’. So, we’re not taking part in the demonic Halloween stuff." Well, this may be true. But, we are told in God’s Word that we are not to love the things of this world. (1 John 2:15) (James 4:4) Though we are in it, we are not to be part of it. How is it that different to have a "Harvest Party" with costume or to have a "Halloween Party" with costume. This is still copying after the world.
(1 John 2:15-17 KJV)
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
{16} For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
{17} And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
(James 4:4 KJV)
Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
I have seen small children, even babies, dressed for Halloween. You can’t say that the children are the ones who want this. They don’t even know what it is. It is the parents who are teaching them about these things. Deuteronomy 6 tells us what we are to teach our children, and it has nothing to do with demonism or demonic "Holy days." In other words, be busy teaching your children The Word and what God wants us to know, and avoid the workings and teachings of the world and evil.
(Deu 6:4-9 KJV)
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
{5} And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might
{6} And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
{7} And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
{8} And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
{9} And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
Finally, this is not a time to simply curse the darkness: it is a time to let our light shine before our children and before a world of lost men. Teach your children that Satan isn’t some funny character running around in red tights with horns and a pitchfork. They need to know that he is very real and his goal is to steal, kill and destroy their lives and their very souls. Reassure them of this:
(1 John 4:4 KJV)
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Amos 5:4
"For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: "Seek Me and live" Amos 5:4
A question has been inside my head lately. I've thought a lot about it. I've asked others about it. I'll ask you about it. "OK, Edwin, what's the question?" Thought you would never ask. Here it is: "Who are you living for?"
To be honest, I have to say that I live a large part of my life for myself. I'm not proud of that fact. I'm rather ashamed, to be honest. If I were to add up the minutes of my day on a ledger with two columns the first being labeled "The Lord's Minutes" and the second "My Minutes" - well, come midnight, I don't really think I want to check the totals. I'm not trying to lay a guilt trip on myself or you or anyone else, but I do have to ask myself these questions:
1.. "How many minutes a day do I read my Bible?"
2.. "How many minutes a day do I pray?"
3.. "How many minutes a day do I share my faith with others?"
4.. "How many minutes a day do I thank the Lord for His kindness towards me?"
5.. "How many minutes a day do I sing His praises?"
6.. Then there are these questions: "How many minutes a day do I over eat?"
7.. "How many minutes a day do I think about what I want?"
8.. "How many minutes a day do I do what I want to do?"
9.. "How many minutes a day do I promote myself?"
Well, that's enough questions because they reveal too well that I tend to live for myself much more than I live for Jesus. What about you? Amen and Amen.
A question has been inside my head lately. I've thought a lot about it. I've asked others about it. I'll ask you about it. "OK, Edwin, what's the question?" Thought you would never ask. Here it is: "Who are you living for?"
To be honest, I have to say that I live a large part of my life for myself. I'm not proud of that fact. I'm rather ashamed, to be honest. If I were to add up the minutes of my day on a ledger with two columns the first being labeled "The Lord's Minutes" and the second "My Minutes" - well, come midnight, I don't really think I want to check the totals. I'm not trying to lay a guilt trip on myself or you or anyone else, but I do have to ask myself these questions:
1.. "How many minutes a day do I read my Bible?"
2.. "How many minutes a day do I pray?"
3.. "How many minutes a day do I share my faith with others?"
4.. "How many minutes a day do I thank the Lord for His kindness towards me?"
5.. "How many minutes a day do I sing His praises?"
6.. Then there are these questions: "How many minutes a day do I over eat?"
7.. "How many minutes a day do I think about what I want?"
8.. "How many minutes a day do I do what I want to do?"
9.. "How many minutes a day do I promote myself?"
Well, that's enough questions because they reveal too well that I tend to live for myself much more than I live for Jesus. What about you? Amen and Amen.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Luke 9:1-2
"Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick" Luke 9:1-2
Notice how Jesus equipped His disciples for ministry. He knew that when they began preaching the kingdom of God and healing the sick, demonic powers would bring opposition. So He specifically gave them power and authority over demons.
Later Jesus sent out 70 of His followers on a similar mission, and they "returned with joy, saying 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name'" (Luke 10:17.) These missionaries were spiritually in tune enough to know that demons existed and that they were a force to be reckoned with in their ministry. Jesus' followers had been eyewitnesses as the evil spirits opposed the Master, and they probably anticipated the same treatment. Perhaps they even started out on their mission with pangs of fear and doubt about encountering demonic resistance. But they came back astonished at the victory they experienced over evil spirits.
But Jesus quickly brought the issue of spiritual conflicts into perspective: "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven" (Luke 10:20). Jesus sent out the 70 to preach the gospel and to heal, but all they could talk about when they came back was how they sent the demons running. "Don't be demon-centered," Jesus replied. "Be kingdom-centered, be ministry-centered, be God-centered."
That's a good warning. As you learn to exercise authority over the kingdom of darkness in your life and in the lives of others, you may be tempted to see yourself as some kind of spiritual freedom fighter, looking for demons behind every door. But it's truth which sets you free, not the knowledge of error. You are not called to dispel the darkness; you are called to turn on the light. You would have no authority at all if it weren't for your identity as a child of God and your position in Christ. Amen and Amen.
Notice how Jesus equipped His disciples for ministry. He knew that when they began preaching the kingdom of God and healing the sick, demonic powers would bring opposition. So He specifically gave them power and authority over demons.
Later Jesus sent out 70 of His followers on a similar mission, and they "returned with joy, saying 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name'" (Luke 10:17.) These missionaries were spiritually in tune enough to know that demons existed and that they were a force to be reckoned with in their ministry. Jesus' followers had been eyewitnesses as the evil spirits opposed the Master, and they probably anticipated the same treatment. Perhaps they even started out on their mission with pangs of fear and doubt about encountering demonic resistance. But they came back astonished at the victory they experienced over evil spirits.
But Jesus quickly brought the issue of spiritual conflicts into perspective: "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven" (Luke 10:20). Jesus sent out the 70 to preach the gospel and to heal, but all they could talk about when they came back was how they sent the demons running. "Don't be demon-centered," Jesus replied. "Be kingdom-centered, be ministry-centered, be God-centered."
That's a good warning. As you learn to exercise authority over the kingdom of darkness in your life and in the lives of others, you may be tempted to see yourself as some kind of spiritual freedom fighter, looking for demons behind every door. But it's truth which sets you free, not the knowledge of error. You are not called to dispel the darkness; you are called to turn on the light. You would have no authority at all if it weren't for your identity as a child of God and your position in Christ. Amen and Amen.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Rom 1:17
"For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith" Rom 1:17
Every once in a while the kids in our neighborhood would get into a name calling contest (of course I never did this, but all the other kids did!) Eventually, someone would issue a really bad epithet. Not having a stronger reply, the recipient would reply, "It takes one to know one!" Usually the argument would continue for a while longer to be ended when someone stomped off vowing never to play with the other "ever again!"
It seems that we would often double a comment to add emphasis. Paul does the same thing in today's verse. "The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith." Similar to "it takes one to know one" only better. God can take a little bit of faith and increase it. Not only CAN He do it, He LONGS to do it. That is His greatest desire! "But where does that first bit of faith come from?"
Paul tells us in Ephesians that God gives us the first bit of faith - its His gift to us. (For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. [Eph 2:8 KJV]) You see, God does not want any of us to miss out on His glorious grace. He also is not willing for any of us to say we "earned" our way into Heaven. That's impossible. It just can't be done. When it comes to our salvation - our redemption - our adoption into God's family, we are totally dependent upon the Father to do it. Oh, we may try. But have any of us ever succeeded? No. We have all failed.
So, when all is said and done, we really do live by faith - not by our senses. And that faith is so unobtainable that we can only receive it by God planting it in our hearts. The next time you are tempted to say "I feel that . . .," STOP and think about what Pastor Edwin has been saying and remember. We are a faith people. We know God well enough that we can recognize His voice as He speaks to our spirits. And, hearing God's voice, we act believing that God will direct our paths. Amen and Amen.
Every once in a while the kids in our neighborhood would get into a name calling contest (of course I never did this, but all the other kids did!) Eventually, someone would issue a really bad epithet. Not having a stronger reply, the recipient would reply, "It takes one to know one!" Usually the argument would continue for a while longer to be ended when someone stomped off vowing never to play with the other "ever again!"
It seems that we would often double a comment to add emphasis. Paul does the same thing in today's verse. "The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith." Similar to "it takes one to know one" only better. God can take a little bit of faith and increase it. Not only CAN He do it, He LONGS to do it. That is His greatest desire! "But where does that first bit of faith come from?"
Paul tells us in Ephesians that God gives us the first bit of faith - its His gift to us. (For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. [Eph 2:8 KJV]) You see, God does not want any of us to miss out on His glorious grace. He also is not willing for any of us to say we "earned" our way into Heaven. That's impossible. It just can't be done. When it comes to our salvation - our redemption - our adoption into God's family, we are totally dependent upon the Father to do it. Oh, we may try. But have any of us ever succeeded? No. We have all failed.
So, when all is said and done, we really do live by faith - not by our senses. And that faith is so unobtainable that we can only receive it by God planting it in our hearts. The next time you are tempted to say "I feel that . . .," STOP and think about what Pastor Edwin has been saying and remember. We are a faith people. We know God well enough that we can recognize His voice as He speaks to our spirits. And, hearing God's voice, we act believing that God will direct our paths. Amen and Amen.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Joel 2:23-32; Psalm 84; II Timothy 4:6-8,16-18; Luke 18:9-14
O Lord, we pray, speak in this place, in the calming of our minds and in the longing of our hearts, by the words of my lips and in the thoughts that we form. Speak, O Lord, for your servants listen. Amen.
When I first started going to church some 35 years ago I had some real problems with people there. Do you ever have problems with church people?
I certainly did.
I was at that time – three and half decades ago - and still am - what some would call a bible believing Christian - I not only took my bible to church with me every Sunday, but I nowadays have it on my Smart phone.
At that time the faith was new to me and I was enthusiastic and eager.
Winning souls for God was important to me, prayer was important; enthusiasm in worship was important; - and, while I was in a very good congregation, a charismatic and evangelical congregation, I nevertheless found that I was in some kind of minority within the church.
I looked around me at worship services - and I saw that many people there did not read their bibles, they did not sing the hymns, they did not seem to pray, nor did they fellowship with their brothers and sisters afterwards.
How many of you people do that you know - check out what other people are doing during worship? Looking to see if they are singing, or if they close their eyes during prayer time or lift up their hands?
I think lots of us do it. During worship - and at other times in our life together.
And when I did it, when I checked things out, I noted that many in my congregation seem more concerned that the service end exactly one hour after it began so they could get home and eat, or meet their friends - than they were about the actual worship they were involved in.
I noted too that only about 10% of the congregation ever bothered attending the weekly bible studies and prayer meetings; and - and that - as far as I could tell by how they talked - most of them had never really grasped the gospel message is one of grace - instead of works – that Jesus died not so people who treated one another decently could be rewarded - but so that sinners could approach the throne of God and find there a welcome that they do not deserve.
I had real problems with some of the people in the church in other words. To my eyes the church was full of hypocrites, full of people who could barely talk the talk, let alone walk the walk.
You ever make judgements like that??? You ever thought of yourself as better than someone else???
One of the biggest issues I had at worship services in those days were the prayers of confession that were often printed in the bulletin.
I don't know about you, but sometimes I still have a strong reaction to the words that I find in prayers of confession that have been written by other people.
The fact that those prayers were prayers of confession didn't bother me. I knew I was a sinner. What bothered me was the kinds of sins that were often listed in the prayers: - things like - neglect of the poor - selfishness - ingratitude - racism - and the like.
I found it hard to pray some of those prayers because I knew in my heart that I had not done those particular things - that I was not especially selfish or neglectful of the poor, nor was I in any way a racist, or ungrateful for all that God, and indeed other people, did for me.
I found it hard, in part, because I knew in those long ago days that, all in all, I was pretty much on the right track.
While I was not well off, I gave a substantial amount to the work of God each year, a tenth of my income in fact, and that little tenth was more than most others in the church gave, though they had far more income than I.
Indeed, I tithed, I went to prayer meetings every Tuesday night, I attended a bible study every Wednesday night, and I worshipped almost every Sunday morning, - even if I had company coming for lunch or relatives were expected to drop in for supper. I even helped lead in worship when the minister was away.
Not bad eh? I know that many of you out there have been there. You have been faithful. You have been generous. You have worked hard and asked nothing in return.
Like me all those years ago, you too have realized God needs many workers in his vineyard. Like me, you knew too that your efforts have made a difference both to others, and in the end, to you.
Now in all this you have to understand I was not particularly prideful. Any more than the hard workers among you are particularly prideful.
I knew that there were sins that I committed - I knew that I needed God's grace and forgiveness - I believed that it was only because of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice upon the cross that I would enter heaven.
My favourite hymns in fact revolved around these ideas - and I, even with the poor memory that I have, memorized some of the key verses of those hymns: verses from songs like those we sing today:
Amazing Grace - how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now and found, was blind, but now I see.
Or
Just as I am, without one plea - but that O Lord, you died for me.
One of my favourite sayings from that time of my life, in fact it is still one of my favourite sayings, was a short and simple one that is know to you all - There, but for the grace of God, go I.
Those hymns, those verses, and that saying, my friends, are good stuff, they are of the essence of the gospel - but I want to suggest to each of you here today, that they can easily be misused by us; that they can be, for us, songs and words that allow us to feel good about ourselves, and good about what we are about, instead of being words that penetrate and pierce our hearts!
We may, in other words, comprehend in our heads what these words concerning God's grace mean, but in our hearts, and with our feet and our hands and our lips, display a total lack of true appreciation for their messages.
In other words, We may fail, by our behaviours and by our attitudes to really understand who we are before God - and who we are in relationship to one another.
Hear today's reading from the gospel once again:
"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.'
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'
If you were one of the two persons described in that reading, which would you be?
You know, it is one thing to thank God for what he has done for us, for the blessings we have received but it is quite another thing to compare ourselves to one another and to thank God for the differences, as if somehow we are better than that poor miserable tax collector over there, better than that single mother who drinks too much, or that clumsy idiot who is our fellow worker or the parishioner who sits next to us and seems to have no real faith at all, or that person who owes people so much money and not got round to repayment.
But we do it don't we?
We do it - whether we see ourselves as the tax collector begging God's forgiveness, or as the Pharisee - who has been diligent in all things of the faith.
I don't know about you. But I suspect that most of you do it.
Even I, some 35 years later from when I began, find myself doing it upon occasion, I still find others lacking something - which I, by the logic of the observation, think I have.
Why oh why do we, do I, such dumb things?
Why oh why do we, do I, engage in behaviour, or hold an attitude, that can do not but end up dividing us, one from another?
That is the mystery of sin my friends. It has power!
And while we have breath, we must continually fight that power. We must fight it - and we must trust in the good Lord to forgive us when we fail.
You all know the Jesus Prayer don't you? That famous prayer that is recommended as a mantra, which we should repeat over and over again, when we get down to serious praying?
"Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner."
"Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner."
"Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner."
It comes from today's gospel reading - where the tax collector – the lowest of the low according to all that was right and holy in those days - and even today - beats his breast and says: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner".
Words to live by. Words to cultivate in our minds and hearts that we might know the true joy of salvation.
There is a beautiful promise in today's gospel lesson my friends, the promise is this:
"All who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."
It is a promise of God, but it is also a challenge - a challenge because it is very hard not to exalt oneself, - very hard not to think that somehow or other, that I am better than that person over there: that tax collector, that sinner, that arrogant person, that cheat, that hypocrite, that lazy person, that liar, that domineering person.
It is very hard, but it is not impossible .
We do not have to think that we have the one right answer; that because we do this or that thing better, or more often than others, we are somehow better people, wiser people, or holier people than those who do it poorly or less often than we.
We do not have to think that because we are more diligent at serving God inside the church and out, that because we tithe, or attend worship more often than most other people, that we are somehow more important, or more faithful, or more loved by God than they are.
Nor do we have to think - that because we work hard, pay our taxes, and refuse to hold out our hands, that we are better than immigrants from the China or the helpers in our midst, or politicians, or those who own big businesses, or people on welfare.
"All who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."
A promise. And a challenge, a challenge that we are all called to embrace, a challenge that we are all called to work on..
There is an old saying that goes like this:
"The person who thinks he can live without others is mistaken; the person who thinks that others can't live without him are even more mistaken."
Our prayer each day - should not be "O Lord, I thank you that I am not like other people - like John or Jane, like my mother or my fellow worker"; but rather it should be "I thank you God that you are so good to me - me a miserable sinner; help me be good to others in the same way."
Praise be to God, day by day. Amen
When I first started going to church some 35 years ago I had some real problems with people there. Do you ever have problems with church people?
I certainly did.
I was at that time – three and half decades ago - and still am - what some would call a bible believing Christian - I not only took my bible to church with me every Sunday, but I nowadays have it on my Smart phone.
At that time the faith was new to me and I was enthusiastic and eager.
Winning souls for God was important to me, prayer was important; enthusiasm in worship was important; - and, while I was in a very good congregation, a charismatic and evangelical congregation, I nevertheless found that I was in some kind of minority within the church.
I looked around me at worship services - and I saw that many people there did not read their bibles, they did not sing the hymns, they did not seem to pray, nor did they fellowship with their brothers and sisters afterwards.
How many of you people do that you know - check out what other people are doing during worship? Looking to see if they are singing, or if they close their eyes during prayer time or lift up their hands?
I think lots of us do it. During worship - and at other times in our life together.
And when I did it, when I checked things out, I noted that many in my congregation seem more concerned that the service end exactly one hour after it began so they could get home and eat, or meet their friends - than they were about the actual worship they were involved in.
I noted too that only about 10% of the congregation ever bothered attending the weekly bible studies and prayer meetings; and - and that - as far as I could tell by how they talked - most of them had never really grasped the gospel message is one of grace - instead of works – that Jesus died not so people who treated one another decently could be rewarded - but so that sinners could approach the throne of God and find there a welcome that they do not deserve.
I had real problems with some of the people in the church in other words. To my eyes the church was full of hypocrites, full of people who could barely talk the talk, let alone walk the walk.
You ever make judgements like that??? You ever thought of yourself as better than someone else???
One of the biggest issues I had at worship services in those days were the prayers of confession that were often printed in the bulletin.
I don't know about you, but sometimes I still have a strong reaction to the words that I find in prayers of confession that have been written by other people.
The fact that those prayers were prayers of confession didn't bother me. I knew I was a sinner. What bothered me was the kinds of sins that were often listed in the prayers: - things like - neglect of the poor - selfishness - ingratitude - racism - and the like.
I found it hard to pray some of those prayers because I knew in my heart that I had not done those particular things - that I was not especially selfish or neglectful of the poor, nor was I in any way a racist, or ungrateful for all that God, and indeed other people, did for me.
I found it hard, in part, because I knew in those long ago days that, all in all, I was pretty much on the right track.
While I was not well off, I gave a substantial amount to the work of God each year, a tenth of my income in fact, and that little tenth was more than most others in the church gave, though they had far more income than I.
Indeed, I tithed, I went to prayer meetings every Tuesday night, I attended a bible study every Wednesday night, and I worshipped almost every Sunday morning, - even if I had company coming for lunch or relatives were expected to drop in for supper. I even helped lead in worship when the minister was away.
Not bad eh? I know that many of you out there have been there. You have been faithful. You have been generous. You have worked hard and asked nothing in return.
Like me all those years ago, you too have realized God needs many workers in his vineyard. Like me, you knew too that your efforts have made a difference both to others, and in the end, to you.
Now in all this you have to understand I was not particularly prideful. Any more than the hard workers among you are particularly prideful.
I knew that there were sins that I committed - I knew that I needed God's grace and forgiveness - I believed that it was only because of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice upon the cross that I would enter heaven.
My favourite hymns in fact revolved around these ideas - and I, even with the poor memory that I have, memorized some of the key verses of those hymns: verses from songs like those we sing today:
Amazing Grace - how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now and found, was blind, but now I see.
Or
Just as I am, without one plea - but that O Lord, you died for me.
One of my favourite sayings from that time of my life, in fact it is still one of my favourite sayings, was a short and simple one that is know to you all - There, but for the grace of God, go I.
Those hymns, those verses, and that saying, my friends, are good stuff, they are of the essence of the gospel - but I want to suggest to each of you here today, that they can easily be misused by us; that they can be, for us, songs and words that allow us to feel good about ourselves, and good about what we are about, instead of being words that penetrate and pierce our hearts!
We may, in other words, comprehend in our heads what these words concerning God's grace mean, but in our hearts, and with our feet and our hands and our lips, display a total lack of true appreciation for their messages.
In other words, We may fail, by our behaviours and by our attitudes to really understand who we are before God - and who we are in relationship to one another.
Hear today's reading from the gospel once again:
"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.'
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!'
If you were one of the two persons described in that reading, which would you be?
You know, it is one thing to thank God for what he has done for us, for the blessings we have received but it is quite another thing to compare ourselves to one another and to thank God for the differences, as if somehow we are better than that poor miserable tax collector over there, better than that single mother who drinks too much, or that clumsy idiot who is our fellow worker or the parishioner who sits next to us and seems to have no real faith at all, or that person who owes people so much money and not got round to repayment.
But we do it don't we?
We do it - whether we see ourselves as the tax collector begging God's forgiveness, or as the Pharisee - who has been diligent in all things of the faith.
I don't know about you. But I suspect that most of you do it.
Even I, some 35 years later from when I began, find myself doing it upon occasion, I still find others lacking something - which I, by the logic of the observation, think I have.
Why oh why do we, do I, such dumb things?
Why oh why do we, do I, engage in behaviour, or hold an attitude, that can do not but end up dividing us, one from another?
That is the mystery of sin my friends. It has power!
And while we have breath, we must continually fight that power. We must fight it - and we must trust in the good Lord to forgive us when we fail.
You all know the Jesus Prayer don't you? That famous prayer that is recommended as a mantra, which we should repeat over and over again, when we get down to serious praying?
"Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner."
"Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner."
"Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner."
It comes from today's gospel reading - where the tax collector – the lowest of the low according to all that was right and holy in those days - and even today - beats his breast and says: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner".
Words to live by. Words to cultivate in our minds and hearts that we might know the true joy of salvation.
There is a beautiful promise in today's gospel lesson my friends, the promise is this:
"All who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."
It is a promise of God, but it is also a challenge - a challenge because it is very hard not to exalt oneself, - very hard not to think that somehow or other, that I am better than that person over there: that tax collector, that sinner, that arrogant person, that cheat, that hypocrite, that lazy person, that liar, that domineering person.
It is very hard, but it is not impossible .
We do not have to think that we have the one right answer; that because we do this or that thing better, or more often than others, we are somehow better people, wiser people, or holier people than those who do it poorly or less often than we.
We do not have to think that because we are more diligent at serving God inside the church and out, that because we tithe, or attend worship more often than most other people, that we are somehow more important, or more faithful, or more loved by God than they are.
Nor do we have to think - that because we work hard, pay our taxes, and refuse to hold out our hands, that we are better than immigrants from the China or the helpers in our midst, or politicians, or those who own big businesses, or people on welfare.
"All who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."
A promise. And a challenge, a challenge that we are all called to embrace, a challenge that we are all called to work on..
There is an old saying that goes like this:
"The person who thinks he can live without others is mistaken; the person who thinks that others can't live without him are even more mistaken."
Our prayer each day - should not be "O Lord, I thank you that I am not like other people - like John or Jane, like my mother or my fellow worker"; but rather it should be "I thank you God that you are so good to me - me a miserable sinner; help me be good to others in the same way."
Praise be to God, day by day. Amen
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Psalm 72:6
"He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, Like showers that water the earth" Psalm 72:6
Not very long ago, with the very hot weather we were having in Hong Kong, when out of nowhere a cloud would form blocking the blistering sun. A cool burst of air would rush over the land. Then, with a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder, the rains would fall. There is nothing as wonderful as the scent of rain on the grass! What a refreshing feeling it provided - not just for the land - but for me as well. It seemed that the whole world was renewed in a few moments time!
So it is with the Lord's presence. When He arrives, there is nothing like it in all the world. Weariness drops away like a garment. Heavy hearts are lifted. Burdens fall away. All our cares shrink at the majesty of God! Something I experienced sometime ago while working with the homeless. The air was aglow with a fresh scent and the Holy Spirit was surrounding each and every one of us. We could have stayed out there all night long. There was no doubt that God was there. Sins were washed away like dust in a rain shower. We found that we were clean. Our spirits were refreshed. Our souls washed in the Blood of Jesus.
I pray that you will experience the presence of God this week as you worship Him with His people. May He dwell with you. May He find you ready and willing to be cleaned, refreshed, and made whole by His visitation. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Not very long ago, with the very hot weather we were having in Hong Kong, when out of nowhere a cloud would form blocking the blistering sun. A cool burst of air would rush over the land. Then, with a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder, the rains would fall. There is nothing as wonderful as the scent of rain on the grass! What a refreshing feeling it provided - not just for the land - but for me as well. It seemed that the whole world was renewed in a few moments time!
So it is with the Lord's presence. When He arrives, there is nothing like it in all the world. Weariness drops away like a garment. Heavy hearts are lifted. Burdens fall away. All our cares shrink at the majesty of God! Something I experienced sometime ago while working with the homeless. The air was aglow with a fresh scent and the Holy Spirit was surrounding each and every one of us. We could have stayed out there all night long. There was no doubt that God was there. Sins were washed away like dust in a rain shower. We found that we were clean. Our spirits were refreshed. Our souls washed in the Blood of Jesus.
I pray that you will experience the presence of God this week as you worship Him with His people. May He dwell with you. May He find you ready and willing to be cleaned, refreshed, and made whole by His visitation. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Isa 26:4
"Trust in the LORD forever, For in JEHOVAH, the LORD, is an everlasting Rock" Isa 26:4
Here's a question for you:
Why should we trust in the Lord?
Because He is a Rock?
-----
----
---
--
-
Give up?
Off the top of my head I can think of several reasons. First, during the Exodus we find that the Rock provides water. When it was struck, out of it flowed rivers of life giving water. What's more, in Hebrews we find that the Rock followed the people while they were in the desert places. So we see that the Lord is a Rock of life - we cannot survive without water. We cannot survive without the Lord.
Second, the Rock is a hiding place. Isaiah talks about being hidden in the shadow of the rock. Many a man has found protection from his enemies, the weather, wild animals, and more by hiding in the rocks. When the storms of life come upon us, when our enemies surround us, all we have to do is take shelter in the Rock, Jesus Christ.
Third, the Rock is a foundation. Jesus talked about the foolish builder and the wise builder. Which built his house upon the rock? Of course it was the wise man. Jesus said to Peter that He would build His Church upon the Rock. What was that Rock? The fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God - Jesus is the rock. Jesus referred to Himself as the chief foundation stone. The wise man builds his life upon the foundation of which Jesus is the chief cornerstone.
We all need to trust in the Lord for He is our sustainer, our protection, and our strong foundation. Those who rely upon Him in these ways will find salvation. I pray that you are one of them. Renew your reliance daily. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Here's a question for you:
Why should we trust in the Lord?
Because He is a Rock?
-----
----
---
--
-
Give up?
Off the top of my head I can think of several reasons. First, during the Exodus we find that the Rock provides water. When it was struck, out of it flowed rivers of life giving water. What's more, in Hebrews we find that the Rock followed the people while they were in the desert places. So we see that the Lord is a Rock of life - we cannot survive without water. We cannot survive without the Lord.
Second, the Rock is a hiding place. Isaiah talks about being hidden in the shadow of the rock. Many a man has found protection from his enemies, the weather, wild animals, and more by hiding in the rocks. When the storms of life come upon us, when our enemies surround us, all we have to do is take shelter in the Rock, Jesus Christ.
Third, the Rock is a foundation. Jesus talked about the foolish builder and the wise builder. Which built his house upon the rock? Of course it was the wise man. Jesus said to Peter that He would build His Church upon the Rock. What was that Rock? The fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God - Jesus is the rock. Jesus referred to Himself as the chief foundation stone. The wise man builds his life upon the foundation of which Jesus is the chief cornerstone.
We all need to trust in the Lord for He is our sustainer, our protection, and our strong foundation. Those who rely upon Him in these ways will find salvation. I pray that you are one of them. Renew your reliance daily. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Gen 2:18
"And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him" Gen 2:18
Did you notice the wording here? "It is not good for man to be alone"? Why not? Have you ever seen the apartment of a single man? How about his car? Need I say more?
I knew a youth Pastor years ago who was a single man. His car looked like it was part of the set for the junk yard! I don't believe he ever threw anything that entered the door of his vehicle away. Worse yet, I don't thing there was a thing in there worth saving! And, sorry to say, this is not an isolated case! It seems to run in the "youth Pastor" blood line!
Most men think they can "go it alone," but let the little woman go shopping and leave a couple of kids with daddy and see what happens. Oh, it may look good on the outside, but look closely and you will begin to see some strange things - like food splatters where there should be no food, like spaghetti sauce in the cracks in the ceiling tiles! And diapers put on in reverse with duct tape, because the tape wouldn't work! Or, feeding steak and rice to an infant. Yes, I did ALL these things myself. My wife almost had a heart attack!
When God created man, he created a creature with an ego. When He saw that man was nothing but trouble constantly, He chose to create woman to help Him out, because Man did not know where he had come IN! Eve had just the talents that Adam was missing. (And I'm not talking about looks here guys!) I really believe it was woman who discovered fire. Man would still be eating his meat raw! I believe most women have the skill to organize a man's life. Without a woman, most men couldn't get out the door on time - except Sunday when the shoe is on the other foot! (To be honest, if most men would help their wives with the kids, they would not be late at all.)
I've noticed over the past many years that what a man lacks, his God given wife has. If he is no organizer, she is. If he lacks financial wizardry, she has it in abundance. It is good for a husband and wife to sit down together and discuss their strengths and weaknesses - and we guys really have them - and the biggest weakness we have is our inability to admit to anyone that we REALLY DO have them!
Then, after our strengths and weaknesses are honestly discussed, we should divide the responsibilities, giving each care over our strong areas, sharing what is left over. If that means Me, being the Man give up the check book, so be it. The marriage will be stronger for it. If that means Me, again, The Man wash dishes, I will do it with all that is within me -- don't get the wrong idea, Carmel. This is just an example!
Having problems in your marriage? Look to see if each is doing what he or she is good at. You might be surprised at what you find. Praise God, Amen and Amen.
Did you notice the wording here? "It is not good for man to be alone"? Why not? Have you ever seen the apartment of a single man? How about his car? Need I say more?
I knew a youth Pastor years ago who was a single man. His car looked like it was part of the set for the junk yard! I don't believe he ever threw anything that entered the door of his vehicle away. Worse yet, I don't thing there was a thing in there worth saving! And, sorry to say, this is not an isolated case! It seems to run in the "youth Pastor" blood line!
Most men think they can "go it alone," but let the little woman go shopping and leave a couple of kids with daddy and see what happens. Oh, it may look good on the outside, but look closely and you will begin to see some strange things - like food splatters where there should be no food, like spaghetti sauce in the cracks in the ceiling tiles! And diapers put on in reverse with duct tape, because the tape wouldn't work! Or, feeding steak and rice to an infant. Yes, I did ALL these things myself. My wife almost had a heart attack!
When God created man, he created a creature with an ego. When He saw that man was nothing but trouble constantly, He chose to create woman to help Him out, because Man did not know where he had come IN! Eve had just the talents that Adam was missing. (And I'm not talking about looks here guys!) I really believe it was woman who discovered fire. Man would still be eating his meat raw! I believe most women have the skill to organize a man's life. Without a woman, most men couldn't get out the door on time - except Sunday when the shoe is on the other foot! (To be honest, if most men would help their wives with the kids, they would not be late at all.)
I've noticed over the past many years that what a man lacks, his God given wife has. If he is no organizer, she is. If he lacks financial wizardry, she has it in abundance. It is good for a husband and wife to sit down together and discuss their strengths and weaknesses - and we guys really have them - and the biggest weakness we have is our inability to admit to anyone that we REALLY DO have them!
Then, after our strengths and weaknesses are honestly discussed, we should divide the responsibilities, giving each care over our strong areas, sharing what is left over. If that means Me, being the Man give up the check book, so be it. The marriage will be stronger for it. If that means Me, again, The Man wash dishes, I will do it with all that is within me -- don't get the wrong idea, Carmel. This is just an example!
Having problems in your marriage? Look to see if each is doing what he or she is good at. You might be surprised at what you find. Praise God, Amen and Amen.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Psalm 108:3
"I will praise You, O LORD, among the peoples, And I will sing praises to You among the nations" Psalm 108:3
I know, it is not Thanksgiving Day, but it is still good to give thanks to the Lord. As a matter of fact, there is no Biblical Thanksgiving Day because every day should be a day of thanksgiving!
Three questions come to my mind:
First, of what should we be thankful? Now this is not a loaded question, but I want you to make a list of things you are thankful for. Be specific. Be generous in you thoughts. I think you will find your list a lot longer than you think - if you will just get quiet and ponder the possibilities for a few moments.
Question 2: To whom should we be thankful?
Obviously God is tops on most of our lists, but how long has it been, guys, since you thanked your wife for a well prepared meal - or the way she runs your household - or the way she is raising your children (and she does, you know. She has much more influence on your children than you do.) Have you ever thanked your server at your favorite restaurant? No, I mean with more than a tip. Have you stopped and thanked her/him personally and told them how good a job they did? Have you thanked your employer for hiring you and providing a job for you? Come to think of it, how often do you express thanks to those around you?
Question 3: When it comes to thanking the Lord, where do you do it?
In the privacy of your prayer closet? That's good. In the presence of your family? Wonderful! In the assembly of the saints? Perhaps. In the market place? " Get real, Pastor Edwin. I'm too private a person for that!" Oh, really? The Psalmist suggests that we should not be so shy! He recommends that we thank the Lord among the people - that's the world, people. They should know from whom our blessings come. We shouldn't make them guess - they are most likely to believe we quietly won the lottery, or a rich uncle died, or some other such thing. No, they should have no doubts that our blessings come from the Lord. How do we do that? I have a friend who, when asked how he is, always responds "Blessed!" It opens opportunity for him to share how the Lord has blessed him. It really gets some strange reactions in the checkout lane of his favorite grocery store!
Try it, you may like it! Of course for the really bold among us, the Psalmist suggests that we sing God's praise among the nations! Now we have really stretched out into the heathen world - and we don't really have to burn a CD to do it. We can just hum a happy song of the Lord as we shop, work, play, visit, etc. Trust me, even if you are a lousy singer, people will wonder why you are so happy! And THAT will open doors for you! My life is a daily Ministry and yours can be one too. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
I know, it is not Thanksgiving Day, but it is still good to give thanks to the Lord. As a matter of fact, there is no Biblical Thanksgiving Day because every day should be a day of thanksgiving!
Three questions come to my mind:
First, of what should we be thankful? Now this is not a loaded question, but I want you to make a list of things you are thankful for. Be specific. Be generous in you thoughts. I think you will find your list a lot longer than you think - if you will just get quiet and ponder the possibilities for a few moments.
Question 2: To whom should we be thankful?
Obviously God is tops on most of our lists, but how long has it been, guys, since you thanked your wife for a well prepared meal - or the way she runs your household - or the way she is raising your children (and she does, you know. She has much more influence on your children than you do.) Have you ever thanked your server at your favorite restaurant? No, I mean with more than a tip. Have you stopped and thanked her/him personally and told them how good a job they did? Have you thanked your employer for hiring you and providing a job for you? Come to think of it, how often do you express thanks to those around you?
Question 3: When it comes to thanking the Lord, where do you do it?
In the privacy of your prayer closet? That's good. In the presence of your family? Wonderful! In the assembly of the saints? Perhaps. In the market place? " Get real, Pastor Edwin. I'm too private a person for that!" Oh, really? The Psalmist suggests that we should not be so shy! He recommends that we thank the Lord among the people - that's the world, people. They should know from whom our blessings come. We shouldn't make them guess - they are most likely to believe we quietly won the lottery, or a rich uncle died, or some other such thing. No, they should have no doubts that our blessings come from the Lord. How do we do that? I have a friend who, when asked how he is, always responds "Blessed!" It opens opportunity for him to share how the Lord has blessed him. It really gets some strange reactions in the checkout lane of his favorite grocery store!
Try it, you may like it! Of course for the really bold among us, the Psalmist suggests that we sing God's praise among the nations! Now we have really stretched out into the heathen world - and we don't really have to burn a CD to do it. We can just hum a happy song of the Lord as we shop, work, play, visit, etc. Trust me, even if you are a lousy singer, people will wonder why you are so happy! And THAT will open doors for you! My life is a daily Ministry and yours can be one too. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Monday, October 18, 2010
John 5:4-5
"For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years." John 5:4-5
Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be made whole, and he answered, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up." He was so caught up with thinking he needed someone to help him, he could not see that his miracle was standing right in front of him! When you have no man to help you - nowhere to turn but God - you are a prime target for a miracle! No man can do for you what Jesus can do for you.
When you quit depending on your job, the preacher, your family, or the next healing line, you are positioned for your breakthrough. Family may let you down, the preacher may disappoint you and your friends may forsake you, but Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Rely on Him and Him alone, and He will meet you at the very point of your deepest need. What are the deep needs He is meeting in your life today? Praise Him, Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Jesus asked the man if he wanted to be made whole, and he answered, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up." He was so caught up with thinking he needed someone to help him, he could not see that his miracle was standing right in front of him! When you have no man to help you - nowhere to turn but God - you are a prime target for a miracle! No man can do for you what Jesus can do for you.
When you quit depending on your job, the preacher, your family, or the next healing line, you are positioned for your breakthrough. Family may let you down, the preacher may disappoint you and your friends may forsake you, but Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Rely on Him and Him alone, and He will meet you at the very point of your deepest need. What are the deep needs He is meeting in your life today? Praise Him, Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
II Timothy 3:14-4:5; Psalm 119:97-104; Luke 18:1-8
God of our days and our nights, of our coming and our going, bless we pray thee, the words of my lips and the meditations of our hearts and by them and the power of your Holy Spirit, make us more fitting servants of your most Holy Will.
Perseverance is a trait that is much admired in our society and with good reason.
Those who do not try - and try again - until they succeed - are bound to fail. While those who persist, who labour unceasingly, who hang in, generally accomplish a great deal.
The bible is full of examples of perseverance - from Jacob wrestling with the angel at the River Jabuk and refusing to let this much stronger opponent go until he receives a blessing, - to Paul - who despite being imprisoned, stoned, flogged, beaten, and shipwrecked and having to endure hunger, thirst, nakedness, and rejection - went to all the known world and preached the gospel and so brought to completion the job to which Christ called him.
The Gospel today seems to be a classical example of the link between perseverance and blessing; between unflagging doggedness and achieving one's goal.
Luke sets the story in the context of a challenge Jesus makes to his disciples to pray always and not lose heart. His story describes a widow who wouldn't give up until she got what she wanted from an uncaring - an unjust - judge. Jesus concludes the story by saying: "And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?"
The lesson seems clear - persevere and you will be blessed.
Today I want to challenge you by questioning that teaching. Indeed I want to suggest to you that Jesus was trying to tell his disciples something entirely different.
We believe, you see, in a God of grace, a God who freely gives his people what they need.
Jesus says over and over again: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners". And over and over again we are told by him and by the Apostles that he went to the cross for us, he died for us, while we were yet alienated from him, while we were his enemies.
Indeed the essence of the gospel is found in the scripture that says: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that is not your own doing, it is a gift of God."
So how can we take this passage of scripture and assert that if we do something
- if we work at praying hard enough
- if we just hang in there and pester God without mercy
then God will roll over and give us what we want?
This kind of assertion reduces the gospel to a mere matter of works and it makes a mockery out of any statement that tries to assert that God is loving and giving.
Furthermore - because it reduces the gospel to a matter of works - it lays guilt trips on some people and creates pride in others:
"If you try hard enough - God will give you stuff - see what I have..."
And,
"If you don't try hard enough - God will not listen to you - you will not get what you want or need...."
How can we say such things and look one another in the eye?
How can we tell the person who is suffering from cancer - "You haven't prayed hard enough"? How can we suggest to the person whose son has been killed - "If you had remembered to pray to God every day this would not have happened?" And how can we stomach the person who suggests - that everything they have is because they worked hard and prayed to God till they got it?
Persevere and you will be blessed is not gospel!
It is important of course: fidelity, commitment, and hard work do take us places in this world, but it is not the good news we celebrate here each week.
Think for a minute of the gospel story we heard here a few weeks ago - the story of the man who goes to neighbour at midnight to borrow food for an unexpected guest. Think of the punch line of that story - how Jesus says that the neighbour will get up and give the man some bread, not because he is a friend but because of the man's persistence. And think of today's story and of it's punch line - how the unjust judge says: "Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because
this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming."
Though both stories sound as if their lesson is "persevere and you will be blessed" the reality is that they are told to draw a contrast: - a contrast between God and the reluctant neighbour - and between God and the uncaring Judge.
If a corrupt and unjust Judge will render justice because the plaintiff is so persistent, how much more is God, who loves us and is concerned about us, willing to answer us when we call to him?
Which leads to the point of the parable - to the reason Jesus told this story. The words with which the story opens - and indeed the words with which it closes.
To remind you - the opening line was: "Then Jesus told them a story about their need to pray always and not to lose heart"
The concluding line is "I tell you, God will quickly grant justice to those who cry to him day and night.... and yet when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Jesus calls us, with the example of the widow and the unjust judge, to have faith, to trust that God in his goodness will bring about the justice we all seek, the blessing we all require - and that we should continue in prayer for these things till they happen.
It is simply a matter of timing.
I head a story which illustrates how we often confuse God's timing with our own.
A rural newspaper overseas had been running a series of articles on the value of church attendance. One day, a letter to the editor was received. It read:
"Print this if you dare. I am trying an experiment. I have a field of corn which I plowed on Sunday. I planted it on Sunday. I did all the cultivating on Sunday. I gathered the harvest on Sunday and hauled it to my barn on Sunday. I find that my harvest this October is just as great as any of my neighbours' who went to church on Sunday. So where was God all this time?"
The editor printed the letter, but added his reply at the bottom: "You're mistake was in thinking that God always settles his accounts in October."
That's often our mistake as well, isn't it? Thinking that God should act when and how we want him to act, according to our timetable and according to our desire.
The fact that our vision is limited, that we are unable to see the end from the beginning, somehow escapes our minds. That our desire, while often very good, runs against the freedom that God has given, for good or ill, to all people...
Bad things happen my friends. And Sometimes it seems to us that God doesn't care:
- that he doesn't make a difference in our lives
- that justice will not come about,
- that evil will prevail
- that death will have the last word.
This is why Jesus says we ought to pray always and not lose heart. This is why he asks "when the Son of Man comes will he find faith on earth?"
Persistence in prayer is part of what faithfulness is all about.
It means refusing to give in to appearances and continuing to trust God to act in his way and in his time. It may appear that we are alone. It may appear that God does not hear. It may appear that injustice and evil are prevailing. BUT faith dares to go on praying, it dares to approach the reality we cannot see and live by it.
This is what makes people of faith different from other people. We are willing to live by what we cannot see, but believe to be real, rather than by what we can see, and what the world tells us is real.
Many people pray my friends - And mostly they pray when they are in a jam and are desperate because they cannot come up with some fast and efficient human solution.
- They pray because they have an incurable disease
- They pray because they cannot figure out any way to help themselves.
And when they don't get the answer they expect when they expect it, the
temptation is to stop praying and start asking "Why?"
That is not faith my friends.
It is not faithful living.
It is not what Jesus calls us to.
Jesus calls us to pray always and not to lose heart.
God has a blessing in mind for us.
He has promised to stand by us and to vindicate us.
He has promised a new heaven and a new earth.
He has promised to save and deliver those who trust in him, - those who are joined to his people, those who have faith.
The real lesson of today's gospel is not - persist and you will get a blessing.
That is not in doubt for those who believe.
The real lesson is found in our reaction to the world around us - in our reaction to our trials and tribulations and to the trials and tribulations of this world.
Do we trust God. Do we believe? Do we pray always and not lose heart? Or do we see this world as all there really is - and only go to God when we can't do anything else, and then abandon God when things aren't happening as we think they should.
Where is the point in your life at which you need to let go of your fears, your frustrations, your impatience, your anger, and sink down into patient trusting in God's timing and his way of working?
Where is the point in your life at which you need to stop asking Why and instead trust God to bring about that which He has promised? That which he calls us to pray for and to look for and to expect during the time when it doesn't seem to be happening.
When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?
That is the question this parable asks of each of us. May you be blessed in your own answering of it, day by day, till the day our Saviour returns. Amen
Perseverance is a trait that is much admired in our society and with good reason.
Those who do not try - and try again - until they succeed - are bound to fail. While those who persist, who labour unceasingly, who hang in, generally accomplish a great deal.
The bible is full of examples of perseverance - from Jacob wrestling with the angel at the River Jabuk and refusing to let this much stronger opponent go until he receives a blessing, - to Paul - who despite being imprisoned, stoned, flogged, beaten, and shipwrecked and having to endure hunger, thirst, nakedness, and rejection - went to all the known world and preached the gospel and so brought to completion the job to which Christ called him.
The Gospel today seems to be a classical example of the link between perseverance and blessing; between unflagging doggedness and achieving one's goal.
Luke sets the story in the context of a challenge Jesus makes to his disciples to pray always and not lose heart. His story describes a widow who wouldn't give up until she got what she wanted from an uncaring - an unjust - judge. Jesus concludes the story by saying: "And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?"
The lesson seems clear - persevere and you will be blessed.
Today I want to challenge you by questioning that teaching. Indeed I want to suggest to you that Jesus was trying to tell his disciples something entirely different.
We believe, you see, in a God of grace, a God who freely gives his people what they need.
Jesus says over and over again: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners". And over and over again we are told by him and by the Apostles that he went to the cross for us, he died for us, while we were yet alienated from him, while we were his enemies.
Indeed the essence of the gospel is found in the scripture that says: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that is not your own doing, it is a gift of God."
So how can we take this passage of scripture and assert that if we do something
- if we work at praying hard enough
- if we just hang in there and pester God without mercy
then God will roll over and give us what we want?
This kind of assertion reduces the gospel to a mere matter of works and it makes a mockery out of any statement that tries to assert that God is loving and giving.
Furthermore - because it reduces the gospel to a matter of works - it lays guilt trips on some people and creates pride in others:
"If you try hard enough - God will give you stuff - see what I have..."
And,
"If you don't try hard enough - God will not listen to you - you will not get what you want or need...."
How can we say such things and look one another in the eye?
How can we tell the person who is suffering from cancer - "You haven't prayed hard enough"? How can we suggest to the person whose son has been killed - "If you had remembered to pray to God every day this would not have happened?" And how can we stomach the person who suggests - that everything they have is because they worked hard and prayed to God till they got it?
Persevere and you will be blessed is not gospel!
It is important of course: fidelity, commitment, and hard work do take us places in this world, but it is not the good news we celebrate here each week.
Think for a minute of the gospel story we heard here a few weeks ago - the story of the man who goes to neighbour at midnight to borrow food for an unexpected guest. Think of the punch line of that story - how Jesus says that the neighbour will get up and give the man some bread, not because he is a friend but because of the man's persistence. And think of today's story and of it's punch line - how the unjust judge says: "Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because
this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming."
Though both stories sound as if their lesson is "persevere and you will be blessed" the reality is that they are told to draw a contrast: - a contrast between God and the reluctant neighbour - and between God and the uncaring Judge.
If a corrupt and unjust Judge will render justice because the plaintiff is so persistent, how much more is God, who loves us and is concerned about us, willing to answer us when we call to him?
Which leads to the point of the parable - to the reason Jesus told this story. The words with which the story opens - and indeed the words with which it closes.
To remind you - the opening line was: "Then Jesus told them a story about their need to pray always and not to lose heart"
The concluding line is "I tell you, God will quickly grant justice to those who cry to him day and night.... and yet when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
Jesus calls us, with the example of the widow and the unjust judge, to have faith, to trust that God in his goodness will bring about the justice we all seek, the blessing we all require - and that we should continue in prayer for these things till they happen.
It is simply a matter of timing.
I head a story which illustrates how we often confuse God's timing with our own.
A rural newspaper overseas had been running a series of articles on the value of church attendance. One day, a letter to the editor was received. It read:
"Print this if you dare. I am trying an experiment. I have a field of corn which I plowed on Sunday. I planted it on Sunday. I did all the cultivating on Sunday. I gathered the harvest on Sunday and hauled it to my barn on Sunday. I find that my harvest this October is just as great as any of my neighbours' who went to church on Sunday. So where was God all this time?"
The editor printed the letter, but added his reply at the bottom: "You're mistake was in thinking that God always settles his accounts in October."
That's often our mistake as well, isn't it? Thinking that God should act when and how we want him to act, according to our timetable and according to our desire.
The fact that our vision is limited, that we are unable to see the end from the beginning, somehow escapes our minds. That our desire, while often very good, runs against the freedom that God has given, for good or ill, to all people...
Bad things happen my friends. And Sometimes it seems to us that God doesn't care:
- that he doesn't make a difference in our lives
- that justice will not come about,
- that evil will prevail
- that death will have the last word.
This is why Jesus says we ought to pray always and not lose heart. This is why he asks "when the Son of Man comes will he find faith on earth?"
Persistence in prayer is part of what faithfulness is all about.
It means refusing to give in to appearances and continuing to trust God to act in his way and in his time. It may appear that we are alone. It may appear that God does not hear. It may appear that injustice and evil are prevailing. BUT faith dares to go on praying, it dares to approach the reality we cannot see and live by it.
This is what makes people of faith different from other people. We are willing to live by what we cannot see, but believe to be real, rather than by what we can see, and what the world tells us is real.
Many people pray my friends - And mostly they pray when they are in a jam and are desperate because they cannot come up with some fast and efficient human solution.
- They pray because they have an incurable disease
- They pray because they cannot figure out any way to help themselves.
And when they don't get the answer they expect when they expect it, the
temptation is to stop praying and start asking "Why?"
That is not faith my friends.
It is not faithful living.
It is not what Jesus calls us to.
Jesus calls us to pray always and not to lose heart.
God has a blessing in mind for us.
He has promised to stand by us and to vindicate us.
He has promised a new heaven and a new earth.
He has promised to save and deliver those who trust in him, - those who are joined to his people, those who have faith.
The real lesson of today's gospel is not - persist and you will get a blessing.
That is not in doubt for those who believe.
The real lesson is found in our reaction to the world around us - in our reaction to our trials and tribulations and to the trials and tribulations of this world.
Do we trust God. Do we believe? Do we pray always and not lose heart? Or do we see this world as all there really is - and only go to God when we can't do anything else, and then abandon God when things aren't happening as we think they should.
Where is the point in your life at which you need to let go of your fears, your frustrations, your impatience, your anger, and sink down into patient trusting in God's timing and his way of working?
Where is the point in your life at which you need to stop asking Why and instead trust God to bring about that which He has promised? That which he calls us to pray for and to look for and to expect during the time when it doesn't seem to be happening.
When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?
That is the question this parable asks of each of us. May you be blessed in your own answering of it, day by day, till the day our Saviour returns. Amen
Saturday, October 16, 2010
2 Kings 16:8
"And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasuries of the king's house, and sent it as a present to the king of Assyria" 2 Kings 16:8
Ahaz was not a good man. Never was. Never will be. It just wasn't in his nature. He was selfish, proud, arrogant, selfish - oh, I already said that. There was nothing Ahaz wouldn't do to please himself. So, when the kingdom was on the line, Ahaz did the only thing he could do to save his position - he emptied his personal coffers - wrong! No, he emptied the coffers of his national bank account - wrong again! He went to the Temple and robbed the wealth that was held in the storage rooms there! Can you imagine the nerve of this man. Robbing God! I suspect that he thought God wouldn't mind. After all, God never did have much to say to Ahaz. Only those prophets came around and gave nothing but harsh warnings. I suspect Ahaz though, "I'll show Him who's boss. I'll just use His wealth to keep my enemies happy!"
Speaking of robbing God, none of us would think of breaking into our local Church and stealing the sound equipment and selling it so we could buy a new car. None of us would ever take money OUT of the offering plate as it was passed! Of course not. We are an honest people and we honor our God by being honest.
Or are we so pure in our relationship with God? We may pay our tithes, but do we do any work for the Lord on Monday? Do we ever call on a new visitor? Do we ever visit the sick in the hospital? Do we ever volunteer to teach a Sunday School class? Do we offer to cook a meal for some bereaved family - even though we don't know them personally? Do we help the janitor clean the building after the morning service so he can get home at a reasonable time? Do we even pick up our own trash after the service? No? Then you are robbing God.
Do you watch movies you shouldn't watch? Do you drive over the speed limit? Do you look hungrily at that luscious looking co-worker with the gorgeous body? Do we shout at our kids and show them no love? Do we buy them things to make up for our lack of personal time with them? Yes? Then you are robbing God.
You see, theft comes in many forms. God has required more of us than our tithe - though if you are giving less than 10% of your income to the work of the Kingdom, you are robbing God, too. He requires our time. He requires our love. He requires that our love be expressed to our family and our neighbors - and our enemies! He requires our lives - and not just part of them, but all of them. If we are only giving 10% of ourselves, we are robbing God. If we are giving 95% of ourselves, we are robbing God - and we are just as guilty as Ahaz!
You may have missed it yesterday, or in the last hour, but you can start over right now. Go ahead, give Him your all. You will find that He gives much more in return! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Ahaz was not a good man. Never was. Never will be. It just wasn't in his nature. He was selfish, proud, arrogant, selfish - oh, I already said that. There was nothing Ahaz wouldn't do to please himself. So, when the kingdom was on the line, Ahaz did the only thing he could do to save his position - he emptied his personal coffers - wrong! No, he emptied the coffers of his national bank account - wrong again! He went to the Temple and robbed the wealth that was held in the storage rooms there! Can you imagine the nerve of this man. Robbing God! I suspect that he thought God wouldn't mind. After all, God never did have much to say to Ahaz. Only those prophets came around and gave nothing but harsh warnings. I suspect Ahaz though, "I'll show Him who's boss. I'll just use His wealth to keep my enemies happy!"
Speaking of robbing God, none of us would think of breaking into our local Church and stealing the sound equipment and selling it so we could buy a new car. None of us would ever take money OUT of the offering plate as it was passed! Of course not. We are an honest people and we honor our God by being honest.
Or are we so pure in our relationship with God? We may pay our tithes, but do we do any work for the Lord on Monday? Do we ever call on a new visitor? Do we ever visit the sick in the hospital? Do we ever volunteer to teach a Sunday School class? Do we offer to cook a meal for some bereaved family - even though we don't know them personally? Do we help the janitor clean the building after the morning service so he can get home at a reasonable time? Do we even pick up our own trash after the service? No? Then you are robbing God.
Do you watch movies you shouldn't watch? Do you drive over the speed limit? Do you look hungrily at that luscious looking co-worker with the gorgeous body? Do we shout at our kids and show them no love? Do we buy them things to make up for our lack of personal time with them? Yes? Then you are robbing God.
You see, theft comes in many forms. God has required more of us than our tithe - though if you are giving less than 10% of your income to the work of the Kingdom, you are robbing God, too. He requires our time. He requires our love. He requires that our love be expressed to our family and our neighbors - and our enemies! He requires our lives - and not just part of them, but all of them. If we are only giving 10% of ourselves, we are robbing God. If we are giving 95% of ourselves, we are robbing God - and we are just as guilty as Ahaz!
You may have missed it yesterday, or in the last hour, but you can start over right now. Go ahead, give Him your all. You will find that He gives much more in return! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Jeremiah 17:9-10
"The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings" Jeremiah 17:9-10.
"It's hopeless. I can't be changed. I'm evil from my mother's womb and there is nothing I can do about it." Ever thought that or something like it? I have. When I get caught in the snare of one of my pet sins - again - and again, that's when I think it. I also wonder "what's the use of trying? I never change." And all this is true.
"Wait a minute, Pastor Edwin. You are supposed to lift my spirits. Now you are telling me that I am bad and there is nothing I can do about it. What's gotten into you. Are you like, sick or something?"
I hear you, but it is true. There is nothing you and I can do about the evil lurking in our hearts. Jeremiah was correct. Think about it. Where does our sin come from? The desires of the heart. We want something so we set about getting it. Whether it be a new toy, or a new car, or a new wife, or a house or whatever it is our hearts desire, we usually find a way to get it. We may use legal means - like working overtime to get the required the funds, or being on our best behavior when we are around our "dream" date. Or we may turn to illegal means - like stealing or lying or cheating or even killing. The difference is only in degrees.
Allow me to explain. A legal means must cause sacrifice somewhere. It may be stealing time from our families. It may be padding our time to get the overtime thus stealing from our employers. These are no better than robbing a bank or killing. They are all sin - and there is no degrees in sin. Romans says "all have sinned and fallen short. . ." It doesn't say "only those who have committed great and grievous sins have sinned and fallen short . . ." A sin is a sin and a sin will keep you from God - yes, even one sin.
"So where is the hope, Pastor Edwin?" It's here: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10 ) While it's true that we can do nothing about our deceitful hearts, God can. He can take our hard, cold, lifeless hearts and replace them with soft hearts full of love and mercy and grace. He can do what you and I find hopeless. The only problem is that He will not do it unless and until we are ready. God will never force himself upon us. He only gently prods us in the right direction. Even then we have the right of refusal. Yes, God cares, but He created us with the freedom to choose and He will never take that away - not even to meet His own needs.
Caught in the depths of despair? Turn to Jesus. He has the ladder. Locked in a prison of defeat? Turn to Jesus. He holds the keys to your lock. Lost in a maze of confusion? Turn to Jesus. He has the map to freedom. Yes, it's true. Jesus is the answer for the world today. Without Him there is no other. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the LIGHT. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
"It's hopeless. I can't be changed. I'm evil from my mother's womb and there is nothing I can do about it." Ever thought that or something like it? I have. When I get caught in the snare of one of my pet sins - again - and again, that's when I think it. I also wonder "what's the use of trying? I never change." And all this is true.
"Wait a minute, Pastor Edwin. You are supposed to lift my spirits. Now you are telling me that I am bad and there is nothing I can do about it. What's gotten into you. Are you like, sick or something?"
I hear you, but it is true. There is nothing you and I can do about the evil lurking in our hearts. Jeremiah was correct. Think about it. Where does our sin come from? The desires of the heart. We want something so we set about getting it. Whether it be a new toy, or a new car, or a new wife, or a house or whatever it is our hearts desire, we usually find a way to get it. We may use legal means - like working overtime to get the required the funds, or being on our best behavior when we are around our "dream" date. Or we may turn to illegal means - like stealing or lying or cheating or even killing. The difference is only in degrees.
Allow me to explain. A legal means must cause sacrifice somewhere. It may be stealing time from our families. It may be padding our time to get the overtime thus stealing from our employers. These are no better than robbing a bank or killing. They are all sin - and there is no degrees in sin. Romans says "all have sinned and fallen short. . ." It doesn't say "only those who have committed great and grievous sins have sinned and fallen short . . ." A sin is a sin and a sin will keep you from God - yes, even one sin.
"So where is the hope, Pastor Edwin?" It's here: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10 ) While it's true that we can do nothing about our deceitful hearts, God can. He can take our hard, cold, lifeless hearts and replace them with soft hearts full of love and mercy and grace. He can do what you and I find hopeless. The only problem is that He will not do it unless and until we are ready. God will never force himself upon us. He only gently prods us in the right direction. Even then we have the right of refusal. Yes, God cares, but He created us with the freedom to choose and He will never take that away - not even to meet His own needs.
Caught in the depths of despair? Turn to Jesus. He has the ladder. Locked in a prison of defeat? Turn to Jesus. He holds the keys to your lock. Lost in a maze of confusion? Turn to Jesus. He has the map to freedom. Yes, it's true. Jesus is the answer for the world today. Without Him there is no other. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the LIGHT. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Psalm 137:1
"By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion" Psalm 137:1.
It was a sad time for Israel. The unbelievable had happened. The once great kingdom of David and Solomon laid in ruins - her people, those who were left alive, had been transported to nations far away. The best and brightest and healthiest and strongest were now in Babylon. They were inconsolably saddened by the turn of events that lead to their demise. Sure, they had been warned by the prophets, but they were thought of as nothing but a bunch of religious fanatics and kooks. But they had been true spokesmen for God. Now they were paying for their frivolities.
Their captives - ever desiring something "new" - demanded they play the songs from the Israeli homeland, the happy songs, the joyous songs, not the dirges the Jews wanted to play. But their hearts were not in it. How could they do the "happy" songs when their hearts were heavy with defeat and disbelief. Besides, they were homesick for a land they would most likely never see again! The next verse says the hung their harps in the willow trees. They refused to play.
To be honest, I long for the old days myself. I long for the days when Moms were home when the kids got home from school. I remember a time when drugs were bought from the druggist not the corner "pusher." I weep for a time, long lost, when the moral standard was high and the teen pregnancy rate was just barely above zero. Yes, I long for the days of the '50s, '60s and early '70s. Those were days when you didn't have to lock the doors to your house and car. Those were the times when you could walk the streets at midnight and not worry about being mugged. Those were indeed the "good old days". And, yes, they were better times.
What happened? Where did we go wrong? More importantly, how can we return? Yes, we were warned by the modern prophets. They shouted that we should not allow abortions to enter the main streets of our communities. Certainly, they informed, cajoled, pleaded, bargained, and warned us that if we continued to turn our backs on God that He would eventually turn His back on us. If it could happen to Israel, God's chosen nation filled with His chosen people, it could happen to each and every nation and race.
Indeed, there is an answer. And that answer is unpopular! We, as the people of God, must return to the roots our forefathers planted. We must return to the Judeo-Christian foundation. We must return to a saving faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! That is our only hope to prevent the same thing that happened to Israel from happening to us!
Do you weep with me? Do you long for something that we had and lost and long to have again? Then pray that God will save all the nations - no, pray that God will save all human beings again! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
It was a sad time for Israel. The unbelievable had happened. The once great kingdom of David and Solomon laid in ruins - her people, those who were left alive, had been transported to nations far away. The best and brightest and healthiest and strongest were now in Babylon. They were inconsolably saddened by the turn of events that lead to their demise. Sure, they had been warned by the prophets, but they were thought of as nothing but a bunch of religious fanatics and kooks. But they had been true spokesmen for God. Now they were paying for their frivolities.
Their captives - ever desiring something "new" - demanded they play the songs from the Israeli homeland, the happy songs, the joyous songs, not the dirges the Jews wanted to play. But their hearts were not in it. How could they do the "happy" songs when their hearts were heavy with defeat and disbelief. Besides, they were homesick for a land they would most likely never see again! The next verse says the hung their harps in the willow trees. They refused to play.
To be honest, I long for the old days myself. I long for the days when Moms were home when the kids got home from school. I remember a time when drugs were bought from the druggist not the corner "pusher." I weep for a time, long lost, when the moral standard was high and the teen pregnancy rate was just barely above zero. Yes, I long for the days of the '50s, '60s and early '70s. Those were days when you didn't have to lock the doors to your house and car. Those were the times when you could walk the streets at midnight and not worry about being mugged. Those were indeed the "good old days". And, yes, they were better times.
What happened? Where did we go wrong? More importantly, how can we return? Yes, we were warned by the modern prophets. They shouted that we should not allow abortions to enter the main streets of our communities. Certainly, they informed, cajoled, pleaded, bargained, and warned us that if we continued to turn our backs on God that He would eventually turn His back on us. If it could happen to Israel, God's chosen nation filled with His chosen people, it could happen to each and every nation and race.
Indeed, there is an answer. And that answer is unpopular! We, as the people of God, must return to the roots our forefathers planted. We must return to the Judeo-Christian foundation. We must return to a saving faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! That is our only hope to prevent the same thing that happened to Israel from happening to us!
Do you weep with me? Do you long for something that we had and lost and long to have again? Then pray that God will save all the nations - no, pray that God will save all human beings again! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Luke 11:42
"But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone" Luke 11:42.
"Pastor Edwin, I don't have any mint or rue or other herbs, so what's your beef today? Besides I tithe on all of my income. So lay off will you?" I hear you loud and clear. Today, I won't preach about tithing. I won't even tell you that you need to tithe on the small things in addition to your regular income. (Oh, by the way, have you ever thought about tithing on your birthday presents?) And that wasn't Jesus' point either.
Jesus was talking about the letter and the spirit of the law. The law was to tithe 10% of the "increase." The Pharisees didn't have a problem with that. They were so strict that they counted even the smallest details. I mean, get real, you tithe off the increase of your herb garden?
No, the point was not tithing. It was the spirit of the law. They tithed, but they did things against God's law that no self-respecting church going man would ever do. For example, the Law stated that a man could not walk over a certain distance from his home on the Sabbath. That was rather restrictive since Sabbath dinner at Mom's house was beyond the limit. So some rabbi somewhere down the line said a man's house was where his hat was. Alas! Friday afternoon would find a man walking so far and leaving a hat in a tree. He would travel that distance and leave another hat. He would do that until he could reach Mom's house - only a Sabbath's day walk away from his hat - err, I mean "home" (or should I say "homes"!) Pretty slick.
Another ploy used by good Pharisees was this. The Law says that a man should take care of his family. Mom and Dad were in need, but Jr. didn't want to help. So what did he do? He dedicated all he had to the Lord - and appointed himself as God's representative. He certainly couldn't take care of Mom and Dad with the Lord's money. It wasn't his to distribute. Mom and Dad went hungry. Jr. extracted his "maintenance fee" from the "Lord's property" and lived quite well, "thank you very much."
"OK, Pastor Edwin. What's the point?" Glad you asked. We often justify ourselves with "spiritual excuses." Carmel might ask me to do something for her. I often forget. I might come up with an answer like this: "I'm sorry, Honey. I was praying and time just got away from me." See the "spiritual" excuse? It sounds good, but it's a lie just the same. Or I might have indeed been praying - no lie - but the truth of the matter is I was just too lazy to do it! I'm sure if you think about it you can come up with something that you really did along this line.
Jesus was saying that we should live our lives in service - not just paying our tithe - or doing our good deeds - or praying - or reading the Word (though these are vitally important and not to be ignored). There is a difference. Hell will be quite well populated with men and women who "paid their tithes" but live like hellions during the week. Hell will be the eternal home for many who "went to Church every Sunday" but hit the bars every Friday. And that's not to mention the men who "love their wives" but have affairs with the women they work with. Good deeds, paying the tithe, praying, even preaching, do not guarantee your salvation. Only the application of the Blood of Jesus can do that. And that only if we don't wash it off the first time we get a chance! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
"Pastor Edwin, I don't have any mint or rue or other herbs, so what's your beef today? Besides I tithe on all of my income. So lay off will you?" I hear you loud and clear. Today, I won't preach about tithing. I won't even tell you that you need to tithe on the small things in addition to your regular income. (Oh, by the way, have you ever thought about tithing on your birthday presents?) And that wasn't Jesus' point either.
Jesus was talking about the letter and the spirit of the law. The law was to tithe 10% of the "increase." The Pharisees didn't have a problem with that. They were so strict that they counted even the smallest details. I mean, get real, you tithe off the increase of your herb garden?
No, the point was not tithing. It was the spirit of the law. They tithed, but they did things against God's law that no self-respecting church going man would ever do. For example, the Law stated that a man could not walk over a certain distance from his home on the Sabbath. That was rather restrictive since Sabbath dinner at Mom's house was beyond the limit. So some rabbi somewhere down the line said a man's house was where his hat was. Alas! Friday afternoon would find a man walking so far and leaving a hat in a tree. He would travel that distance and leave another hat. He would do that until he could reach Mom's house - only a Sabbath's day walk away from his hat - err, I mean "home" (or should I say "homes"!) Pretty slick.
Another ploy used by good Pharisees was this. The Law says that a man should take care of his family. Mom and Dad were in need, but Jr. didn't want to help. So what did he do? He dedicated all he had to the Lord - and appointed himself as God's representative. He certainly couldn't take care of Mom and Dad with the Lord's money. It wasn't his to distribute. Mom and Dad went hungry. Jr. extracted his "maintenance fee" from the "Lord's property" and lived quite well, "thank you very much."
"OK, Pastor Edwin. What's the point?" Glad you asked. We often justify ourselves with "spiritual excuses." Carmel might ask me to do something for her. I often forget. I might come up with an answer like this: "I'm sorry, Honey. I was praying and time just got away from me." See the "spiritual" excuse? It sounds good, but it's a lie just the same. Or I might have indeed been praying - no lie - but the truth of the matter is I was just too lazy to do it! I'm sure if you think about it you can come up with something that you really did along this line.
Jesus was saying that we should live our lives in service - not just paying our tithe - or doing our good deeds - or praying - or reading the Word (though these are vitally important and not to be ignored). There is a difference. Hell will be quite well populated with men and women who "paid their tithes" but live like hellions during the week. Hell will be the eternal home for many who "went to Church every Sunday" but hit the bars every Friday. And that's not to mention the men who "love their wives" but have affairs with the women they work with. Good deeds, paying the tithe, praying, even preaching, do not guarantee your salvation. Only the application of the Blood of Jesus can do that. And that only if we don't wash it off the first time we get a chance! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Acts 20:23-24
"Except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" Acts 20:23-24.
The Apostle Paul is speaking in these verses. He is telling of his final trip to Jerusalem before his arrest and detention and ultimate trip to Rome. Paul says that at each stop along the way, the prophets and prophetesses would indicate that he would be bound in Jerusalem. Of course they wanted him to go elsewhere - anywhere - to remain a free man. But Paul would not be swayed from the direction the Lord was leading him. The Lord said "Jerusalem" so Jerusalem it would be. If he was to be put in bonds, so be it. If it meant certain death, he did not hold life so dear that he was not willing to sacrifice it for his Lord and Savior. Paul was focused - (like a kind of tunnel vision) focused on Jesus. Nothing else mattered to him but doing the will of his King.
In this Paul was adamant - and we should be as well. Nothing - no person, no possession, no government, no power or authority, nothing - should keep us from doing the will of our Father. But, alas, we live in a land far to influenced by "Stuff." Who among you can walk through a department store and exit the store without making a purchase? When the kids and grandchildren come over to play, do we hide our most valued possessions so they will not get broken? What is more valuable, grandma's whatnot or a grandchild? If our TV or DVD player breaks, do we rush out to replace it with something even better? I'll admit, I long for a flat screen TV, but I
still don't have it.
Stuff or things do separate us from our appointed purpose and plan. How often have we not gone to church so we could watch the "soccer game" live? (I've tried recording the FA Cup Finals - it's just not the same! But I go to church anyway.) When Carmel and I get away to Xavier House (A Christian Retreat in the Cheung Chau with no phones in the rooms and no TV, radio, etc.) we find ourselves much closer to God. And I found I could do without TV or radio or a refrigerator or even a lot of food. But how quickly I fell into the old patterns when I returned to "civilization". How sad that I have to resort to solitude in the retreat house in order to "hear Gods voice louder." The affairs of this world are indeed a distraction to me. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes my focus is blurred. Will you be the second? Amen and Amen.
The Apostle Paul is speaking in these verses. He is telling of his final trip to Jerusalem before his arrest and detention and ultimate trip to Rome. Paul says that at each stop along the way, the prophets and prophetesses would indicate that he would be bound in Jerusalem. Of course they wanted him to go elsewhere - anywhere - to remain a free man. But Paul would not be swayed from the direction the Lord was leading him. The Lord said "Jerusalem" so Jerusalem it would be. If he was to be put in bonds, so be it. If it meant certain death, he did not hold life so dear that he was not willing to sacrifice it for his Lord and Savior. Paul was focused - (like a kind of tunnel vision) focused on Jesus. Nothing else mattered to him but doing the will of his King.
In this Paul was adamant - and we should be as well. Nothing - no person, no possession, no government, no power or authority, nothing - should keep us from doing the will of our Father. But, alas, we live in a land far to influenced by "Stuff." Who among you can walk through a department store and exit the store without making a purchase? When the kids and grandchildren come over to play, do we hide our most valued possessions so they will not get broken? What is more valuable, grandma's whatnot or a grandchild? If our TV or DVD player breaks, do we rush out to replace it with something even better? I'll admit, I long for a flat screen TV, but I
still don't have it.
Stuff or things do separate us from our appointed purpose and plan. How often have we not gone to church so we could watch the "soccer game" live? (I've tried recording the FA Cup Finals - it's just not the same! But I go to church anyway.) When Carmel and I get away to Xavier House (A Christian Retreat in the Cheung Chau with no phones in the rooms and no TV, radio, etc.) we find ourselves much closer to God. And I found I could do without TV or radio or a refrigerator or even a lot of food. But how quickly I fell into the old patterns when I returned to "civilization". How sad that I have to resort to solitude in the retreat house in order to "hear Gods voice louder." The affairs of this world are indeed a distraction to me. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes my focus is blurred. Will you be the second? Amen and Amen.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Nahum 1:7
"The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him" Nahum 1:7.
It's nice to be known. When you walk into a room full of strangers, you immediately look for a familiar face. Why? We don't like to be alone. If we see two faces that we know and they are on opposite ends of the room, we have a choice to make. Invariably we move to the end housing the person with whom we are most comfortable. We just like to have company in a strange or uncomfortable situation.
How important it is then that we know the Lord. Even more important that He knows US! There have been times that I walked up to that familiar face only to discover that the person didn't know (or remember) me! Now that's embarrassing. What do you say when you greet a person with a hearty "Hello, Bob. How are you." Only to be greeted with a puzzled look and a "Do I know you?" It makes you want to melt through the cracks in the floor!
It certainly is comforting that we are known by the Lord when we take refuge in Him. Not only are we known by Him, but He welcomes us with open arms. He asks how we are doing. He inquires about our spouse, our kids, the job . . . . He is interested in all our doings. He makes us feel welcome - at home - at ease. When we are in His refuge, His shelter, His fortress, we have nothing to fear. If you are outside the stronghold looking in, open your door and enter. Yes, you read me right. The only door that keeps you out of God's presence is the door that you keep closed to Him - your door - your heart - your privacy. In all reality, God has no doors on His kingdom for He is willing to accept all comers. It is only our refusal to accept Him as our Savior, our Lord, our King, that separates us from the joy and peace we all seek.
So, open your door and walk into the presence of Jesus. Though you may have done it before, you can do it again -- every day. Don't allow yourself to be kept apart from Him. He certainly wants you in His presence. He will never turn you away if you are seeking His face. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
It's nice to be known. When you walk into a room full of strangers, you immediately look for a familiar face. Why? We don't like to be alone. If we see two faces that we know and they are on opposite ends of the room, we have a choice to make. Invariably we move to the end housing the person with whom we are most comfortable. We just like to have company in a strange or uncomfortable situation.
How important it is then that we know the Lord. Even more important that He knows US! There have been times that I walked up to that familiar face only to discover that the person didn't know (or remember) me! Now that's embarrassing. What do you say when you greet a person with a hearty "Hello, Bob. How are you." Only to be greeted with a puzzled look and a "Do I know you?" It makes you want to melt through the cracks in the floor!
It certainly is comforting that we are known by the Lord when we take refuge in Him. Not only are we known by Him, but He welcomes us with open arms. He asks how we are doing. He inquires about our spouse, our kids, the job . . . . He is interested in all our doings. He makes us feel welcome - at home - at ease. When we are in His refuge, His shelter, His fortress, we have nothing to fear. If you are outside the stronghold looking in, open your door and enter. Yes, you read me right. The only door that keeps you out of God's presence is the door that you keep closed to Him - your door - your heart - your privacy. In all reality, God has no doors on His kingdom for He is willing to accept all comers. It is only our refusal to accept Him as our Savior, our Lord, our King, that separates us from the joy and peace we all seek.
So, open your door and walk into the presence of Jesus. Though you may have done it before, you can do it again -- every day. Don't allow yourself to be kept apart from Him. He certainly wants you in His presence. He will never turn you away if you are seeking His face. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Jeremiah 29:1,4-7; Psalm 66; II Timothy 2:8-15; Luke 17:11-19
O Lord, we pray, speak in this place, in the calming of our minds and in the longing of our hearts, by the words of my lips and in the thoughts that we form. Speak, O Lord, for your servants listen. Amen.
On the way to Jerusalem to face the cross - while he was near Samaria - Jesus encounters ten lepers - ten outcasts - ten people with, for their time at least, the equivalent of AIDS.
They are under a sentence of death - no one will come near them - no one will touch them - no one will even touch their clothing and their eating utensils.
By the rules of their society, rules created because of the fear of contamination, lepers were forced to live apart from everyone else, and on those occasions when they drew near to others for one reason or other, they rang little bells to announce their presence and to warn others to stand off.
Until very recently Lepers were treated as the living dead - shunned and avoided, they were regarded as unclean, - as people most likely guilty of great sin, - as men and women of the greatest misfortune, - as people beyond help and beyond all but the least significant form of compassion - charity.
As Jesus enters a village ten lepers approach him and, mindful of the rules of their society, mindful of their need to avoid contaminating anyone, and mindful too of the fear that others had of them, they call out to Jesus from a distance: "Jesus, Master, Have Mercy On Us."
What a plaintive cry that must have been. With what sense of futility, what desperate hope - must they have called out?
But Jesus does respond - even to them - but he does so in a most unusual manner.
Rather than saying, as he had said to others - "be healed - rise up - look and see - take up your bed and walk", Jesus responds to their cry by saying - "go and show yourselves to the priests".
It helps us to know that Jesus was referring to Leviticus, chapter fourteen, verses two and three, which specifies what a priest is to do with a leper who happens to get healed.
Lepers were not allowed in the temple because they were regarded as "unclean". If cured, however, the leper could gain re-admission to the temple, and to the rest of society, if he was ritually purified and certified as "clean" by a priest.
Still, Jesus' command to the ten lepers is a bit confusing. They have asked for mercy - they have asked to be healed. But Jesus does nothing for them but tell them to go and act as if they are healed - to go and present themselves to the priests as if they were whole, healed, accepted, living people.
Yet, despite the unusual response of Jesus - despite the possible confusion in understanding what Jesus is about, they go, and as they go - as they walk down the path towards the priests in the village they are healed.
The Greek for the word healed here - in verse 14 and again in verse 17 is IAOMAI - which literally means cleansed or cured.
As we know - one of the ten - a Samaritan man upon realizing he has been made clean, turns back and praising God with a loud voice he comes up Jesus and prostrates himself, he falls on his knees and his face before Jesus’ feet, and thanks him.
And Jesus looks upon him - and he says something very strange - and very important to his disciples. He says:
"'Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?' And then he says to the man: 'Get up and go on your way, your faith has made you well.'"
The word for well that is used here in the Greek is SOZO - which like the word IAOMAI - can be used to mean "healed" - but unlike IAOMAI, SOZO also means to be made whole or to saved.
My friends, we all know, or ought to know, that faith makes us whole. That is a basic tenant of our teaching. But here, in this story, we have the opportunity to see faith in a different light than we might normally see it.
We have the opportunity to see faith as something that leads us to a life that is more than normal.
And we have the opportunity to see faith as nothing more difficult and as nothing more profound as remembering what God has done and giving thanks to him for it.
What, after all, is the difference between the nine lepers who are made clean and the tenth leper who is not only made clean, but made whole? Between the nine who go to the priests as commanded and the one who returns to Jesus praising God and thanking Jesus for healing him?
Robert Capon, in his book "Parables of Grace" urges us to think about it this way.
The ten lepers are all dead people. Whether you are talking physically, spiritually, or socially, they are dead. They would love to get healed which, in this context, means they would love to get raised from the dead, and return back home to a "normal life".
That's all that they, like most people, ever really asked for. Just a chance to "be like other people", an opportunity to go back home be like everyone else, to be normal. They assume that this is what Jesus is all about - a return to the normal, a revival of the ordinary for people who, because of their infirmity and illness, are abnormal and sub-ordinary.
But one of the healed lepers, the Samaritan, realizes real resurrection. He alone comes back to say "Thanks". He realizes that his healing comes from God - through Jesus - and that God has put him in a relationship to Jesus - and that relationship alone has made him whole and alive again.
All that the other nine wanted out of Jesus was to made well, to go back home and start all over again, doing what everybody else had been doing: going to school, driving to work on Mondays, attending synagogue on Friday night if nothing more interesting is going on, eating yogurt out of plastic containers, meeting someone and maybe starting a family of nice, normal, ordinary kids? And who would blame them?
But that one Samaritan comes back not only cured, but saved, made whole.
He comes back - saved - because he alone saw that his healing, his resurrection, for what it was.
He was saved and accepted by Jesus - by God - while he was a leper, while he was still sick, while he was untouchable, before he got well.
He realized that Jesus didn't just want to heal people, much less make them normal, but that he wanted to, and had the power to, raise them from the dead, now. Today.
Nine lepers got healed, one got saved.
Nine people go away from Jesus healed, but not saved, because they put their lives as lepers, as outcasts, as dead people, behind them.
They go in obedience most certainly, but they go in a hurry, anxious to be on with it, to begin living like everyone lives.
.
They go away unsaved because all they really want is a normal life - a life like that they have dreamed of, a life like that which they had before they became lepers, - a life just like everyone else.
But the tenth leper - he is not in such a hurry to forget how bad it was - he's not in such a hurry to get a normal life. He realizes something important.
He realizes that the hand of God has touched his life; that Jesus has accepted him - as he accepted the other nine, before he, before they, were healed.
It didn't matter to Jesus that they were lepers, that they were outcasts, that they were dead in their sins.
And the Samaritan realizes this - he realizes how unusual, how out of the ordinary, how exceptional this is, and he gives thanks to God, and to Jesus for it; and his acknowledgment of this fact - his Thanksgiving – is called faith by Jesus, a faith that saves.
How many of us have made vows to God to do something for him if only God in return would do this or that for us - and then promptly forgotten those vows when our lives have returned to normal?
Too strong an example?
Well then, how many of us have had an experience of divine grace, - only to forget that experience shortly there afterward like those who have never encountered grace?
How many us have had an experience of knowing that God is truly out there and that he truly cares, - only to go on with living our lives like normal people, like those who have never known the grace of God's forgiveness or the wonder of his many gifts?
Too remote an example?
Well, how many of us have been in trouble, how many of us have despaired, how many of us have been rejected by friends and by family members, and then encountered one day a person who has really helped us, or experienced an event or a series of events that has allowed us to live again, to live and rejoin those whom we had feared forever lost to us and then failed to treat each day hereafter as a incredible gift from God?
I fear that all too many of us are in the position of the nine lepers who went onward to the priests and to a renewal of their "normal lives".
What a shame to have met Jesus, the Lord and Giver of Life, to have met the one who loves to eat and drink with sinners and to worship in the synagogues and in the temple and to pray alone on the mountain tops and in the wilderness, and to then come away from that meeting with nothing more than our health.
What a shame to have met Jesus, the risen Christ, the one who takes us and embraces us just as we are, the one who forgives us and gives us his resurrection power, and come away from that meeting with nothing more than normal.
The power of salvation, of wholeness, is in remembering our previous state - what was normal for us - how we were enslaved by the powers of despair, darkness, and death, and seeing the miracle of what we have now - of seeing that God has acted and is still acting, of then acting like this is the day that the Lord alone has made, and rejoicing and being glad in it.
Our faith is not about how to live a normal life, It is about how God touches us and Christ embraces us, and raises not only that which was dead to new life, but transforms that which was ordinary into the blessedness of the more than normal, the blessedness of knowing that God's hand and God's heart is in each and every moment of each and every new day.
One day Jesus healed ten lepers. Of them nine went away as commanded to show themselves to the priests and to return to their normal lives. But one of them, a Samaritan, turned and gave Jesus thanks - and he was made whole, he was saved - on account of his faith.
Blessed be God, day by day. Amen.
On the way to Jerusalem to face the cross - while he was near Samaria - Jesus encounters ten lepers - ten outcasts - ten people with, for their time at least, the equivalent of AIDS.
They are under a sentence of death - no one will come near them - no one will touch them - no one will even touch their clothing and their eating utensils.
By the rules of their society, rules created because of the fear of contamination, lepers were forced to live apart from everyone else, and on those occasions when they drew near to others for one reason or other, they rang little bells to announce their presence and to warn others to stand off.
Until very recently Lepers were treated as the living dead - shunned and avoided, they were regarded as unclean, - as people most likely guilty of great sin, - as men and women of the greatest misfortune, - as people beyond help and beyond all but the least significant form of compassion - charity.
As Jesus enters a village ten lepers approach him and, mindful of the rules of their society, mindful of their need to avoid contaminating anyone, and mindful too of the fear that others had of them, they call out to Jesus from a distance: "Jesus, Master, Have Mercy On Us."
What a plaintive cry that must have been. With what sense of futility, what desperate hope - must they have called out?
But Jesus does respond - even to them - but he does so in a most unusual manner.
Rather than saying, as he had said to others - "be healed - rise up - look and see - take up your bed and walk", Jesus responds to their cry by saying - "go and show yourselves to the priests".
It helps us to know that Jesus was referring to Leviticus, chapter fourteen, verses two and three, which specifies what a priest is to do with a leper who happens to get healed.
Lepers were not allowed in the temple because they were regarded as "unclean". If cured, however, the leper could gain re-admission to the temple, and to the rest of society, if he was ritually purified and certified as "clean" by a priest.
Still, Jesus' command to the ten lepers is a bit confusing. They have asked for mercy - they have asked to be healed. But Jesus does nothing for them but tell them to go and act as if they are healed - to go and present themselves to the priests as if they were whole, healed, accepted, living people.
Yet, despite the unusual response of Jesus - despite the possible confusion in understanding what Jesus is about, they go, and as they go - as they walk down the path towards the priests in the village they are healed.
The Greek for the word healed here - in verse 14 and again in verse 17 is IAOMAI - which literally means cleansed or cured.
As we know - one of the ten - a Samaritan man upon realizing he has been made clean, turns back and praising God with a loud voice he comes up Jesus and prostrates himself, he falls on his knees and his face before Jesus’ feet, and thanks him.
And Jesus looks upon him - and he says something very strange - and very important to his disciples. He says:
"'Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?' And then he says to the man: 'Get up and go on your way, your faith has made you well.'"
The word for well that is used here in the Greek is SOZO - which like the word IAOMAI - can be used to mean "healed" - but unlike IAOMAI, SOZO also means to be made whole or to saved.
My friends, we all know, or ought to know, that faith makes us whole. That is a basic tenant of our teaching. But here, in this story, we have the opportunity to see faith in a different light than we might normally see it.
We have the opportunity to see faith as something that leads us to a life that is more than normal.
And we have the opportunity to see faith as nothing more difficult and as nothing more profound as remembering what God has done and giving thanks to him for it.
What, after all, is the difference between the nine lepers who are made clean and the tenth leper who is not only made clean, but made whole? Between the nine who go to the priests as commanded and the one who returns to Jesus praising God and thanking Jesus for healing him?
Robert Capon, in his book "Parables of Grace" urges us to think about it this way.
The ten lepers are all dead people. Whether you are talking physically, spiritually, or socially, they are dead. They would love to get healed which, in this context, means they would love to get raised from the dead, and return back home to a "normal life".
That's all that they, like most people, ever really asked for. Just a chance to "be like other people", an opportunity to go back home be like everyone else, to be normal. They assume that this is what Jesus is all about - a return to the normal, a revival of the ordinary for people who, because of their infirmity and illness, are abnormal and sub-ordinary.
But one of the healed lepers, the Samaritan, realizes real resurrection. He alone comes back to say "Thanks". He realizes that his healing comes from God - through Jesus - and that God has put him in a relationship to Jesus - and that relationship alone has made him whole and alive again.
All that the other nine wanted out of Jesus was to made well, to go back home and start all over again, doing what everybody else had been doing: going to school, driving to work on Mondays, attending synagogue on Friday night if nothing more interesting is going on, eating yogurt out of plastic containers, meeting someone and maybe starting a family of nice, normal, ordinary kids? And who would blame them?
But that one Samaritan comes back not only cured, but saved, made whole.
He comes back - saved - because he alone saw that his healing, his resurrection, for what it was.
He was saved and accepted by Jesus - by God - while he was a leper, while he was still sick, while he was untouchable, before he got well.
He realized that Jesus didn't just want to heal people, much less make them normal, but that he wanted to, and had the power to, raise them from the dead, now. Today.
Nine lepers got healed, one got saved.
Nine people go away from Jesus healed, but not saved, because they put their lives as lepers, as outcasts, as dead people, behind them.
They go in obedience most certainly, but they go in a hurry, anxious to be on with it, to begin living like everyone lives.
.
They go away unsaved because all they really want is a normal life - a life like that they have dreamed of, a life like that which they had before they became lepers, - a life just like everyone else.
But the tenth leper - he is not in such a hurry to forget how bad it was - he's not in such a hurry to get a normal life. He realizes something important.
He realizes that the hand of God has touched his life; that Jesus has accepted him - as he accepted the other nine, before he, before they, were healed.
It didn't matter to Jesus that they were lepers, that they were outcasts, that they were dead in their sins.
And the Samaritan realizes this - he realizes how unusual, how out of the ordinary, how exceptional this is, and he gives thanks to God, and to Jesus for it; and his acknowledgment of this fact - his Thanksgiving – is called faith by Jesus, a faith that saves.
How many of us have made vows to God to do something for him if only God in return would do this or that for us - and then promptly forgotten those vows when our lives have returned to normal?
Too strong an example?
Well then, how many of us have had an experience of divine grace, - only to forget that experience shortly there afterward like those who have never encountered grace?
How many us have had an experience of knowing that God is truly out there and that he truly cares, - only to go on with living our lives like normal people, like those who have never known the grace of God's forgiveness or the wonder of his many gifts?
Too remote an example?
Well, how many of us have been in trouble, how many of us have despaired, how many of us have been rejected by friends and by family members, and then encountered one day a person who has really helped us, or experienced an event or a series of events that has allowed us to live again, to live and rejoin those whom we had feared forever lost to us and then failed to treat each day hereafter as a incredible gift from God?
I fear that all too many of us are in the position of the nine lepers who went onward to the priests and to a renewal of their "normal lives".
What a shame to have met Jesus, the Lord and Giver of Life, to have met the one who loves to eat and drink with sinners and to worship in the synagogues and in the temple and to pray alone on the mountain tops and in the wilderness, and to then come away from that meeting with nothing more than our health.
What a shame to have met Jesus, the risen Christ, the one who takes us and embraces us just as we are, the one who forgives us and gives us his resurrection power, and come away from that meeting with nothing more than normal.
The power of salvation, of wholeness, is in remembering our previous state - what was normal for us - how we were enslaved by the powers of despair, darkness, and death, and seeing the miracle of what we have now - of seeing that God has acted and is still acting, of then acting like this is the day that the Lord alone has made, and rejoicing and being glad in it.
Our faith is not about how to live a normal life, It is about how God touches us and Christ embraces us, and raises not only that which was dead to new life, but transforms that which was ordinary into the blessedness of the more than normal, the blessedness of knowing that God's hand and God's heart is in each and every moment of each and every new day.
One day Jesus healed ten lepers. Of them nine went away as commanded to show themselves to the priests and to return to their normal lives. But one of them, a Samaritan, turned and gave Jesus thanks - and he was made whole, he was saved - on account of his faith.
Blessed be God, day by day. Amen.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Matt 6:24
"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" Matt 6:24
Picture this. I knew a man who had two jobs. Both employers want this fellow to work weekends. Not only do they want him to work weekends, they want him to work the same hours on the weekend. Obviously this guy has a problem. He is trying to satisfy two bosses and it is impossible.
His situation is a bit like the little boy who was sitting on the fence between two turfs with a mean massive dog on each side. Which way was he to go? If he jumped off to the right, the black dog would get him. If he jumped to the left, the brown dog was waiting. The only thing he could do was try to shimmy down the fence to a place where there was no dog and not fall off before he got there.
We do that sometimes. We straddle the fence trying to take advantage of two different worlds. We may have an alcohol problem, but we think we can drink wine with a meal and not get into trouble. Ask any recovering alcoholic if that is possible and the answer is likely to be a resounding, "NO!" Is it possible for someone trying to kick the cigarette habit to wean himself off the weed one at a time? Possible, but not likely. Is it possible to lose weight and keep it
off by not eating? Not without a serious lifestyle change involving increased exercise (I know because I have lost weight over the past year, but they seem to find me every time and bring a lot of friends back with them!
Jesus was right; we cannot serve two masters. Oh, we may get by with it for a time, but eventually one or the other will take control and we will invariably loose because the fleshly master will have the greater draw. We will love the one and hate the other.
One last word: if we desire to serve our Lord, Jesus Christ, we must continually break our ties with Satan. Just like losing weight, stopping smoking, quitting drinking, we will have a struggle on our hands and it may be a prolonged struggle. But this is a battle we can win, if we are willing to choose the right Master. If you are struggling today, choose Jesus. He is the only Master who can help you win the war and His victory parade is out of this world! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Picture this. I knew a man who had two jobs. Both employers want this fellow to work weekends. Not only do they want him to work weekends, they want him to work the same hours on the weekend. Obviously this guy has a problem. He is trying to satisfy two bosses and it is impossible.
His situation is a bit like the little boy who was sitting on the fence between two turfs with a mean massive dog on each side. Which way was he to go? If he jumped off to the right, the black dog would get him. If he jumped to the left, the brown dog was waiting. The only thing he could do was try to shimmy down the fence to a place where there was no dog and not fall off before he got there.
We do that sometimes. We straddle the fence trying to take advantage of two different worlds. We may have an alcohol problem, but we think we can drink wine with a meal and not get into trouble. Ask any recovering alcoholic if that is possible and the answer is likely to be a resounding, "NO!" Is it possible for someone trying to kick the cigarette habit to wean himself off the weed one at a time? Possible, but not likely. Is it possible to lose weight and keep it
off by not eating? Not without a serious lifestyle change involving increased exercise (I know because I have lost weight over the past year, but they seem to find me every time and bring a lot of friends back with them!
Jesus was right; we cannot serve two masters. Oh, we may get by with it for a time, but eventually one or the other will take control and we will invariably loose because the fleshly master will have the greater draw. We will love the one and hate the other.
One last word: if we desire to serve our Lord, Jesus Christ, we must continually break our ties with Satan. Just like losing weight, stopping smoking, quitting drinking, we will have a struggle on our hands and it may be a prolonged struggle. But this is a battle we can win, if we are willing to choose the right Master. If you are struggling today, choose Jesus. He is the only Master who can help you win the war and His victory parade is out of this world! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
