Bless thou, the words of my lips and the meditations of our hearts that they be of profit to us and acceptable to thee, oh our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen
Where the gospel according to Matthew ends, the Christian faith begins - in the resurrection of our Lord.
The resurrection exhausts our capacity to imagine and it pushes our reasoning ability to the breaking point. However we don't have to explain the resurrection. Rather it explains us, it establishes who we are and why we are here today. Because Easter happened, because the resurrection happened, the church happened.
The story of Easter is so familiar that we sometimes fail to hear some of the details of the account. Today I want us to look at three of those details as they are found in Matthew's account of the first Easter morning.
First, the stone was rolled away - not to let Jesus out - but to let us in.
I say this because the idea that God rolled the stone away from the door to let Jesus escape is inconsistent with the resurrection appearances of Jesus recorded elsewhere in the scriptures. - appearances in which he suddenly appeared in the midst of the disciples, even when they were behind closed doors. Closed doors never kept Jesus in or out.
Matthew makes this clear in today's reading. In his account of the resurrection it was after Mary Magdalene and the other Mary had come to the tomb that "there was a great earthquake, and an angel of the Lord rolled away the stone and sat upon it."
For centuries the curious have always wanted to look into the dark depths of death, but the tomb has been sealed with secrecy. The tomb has always mocked us. It has always stood as the "dead end" of all our efforts to peer beyond this life into the life to come.
The angel tells the two women on the first Easter morning to look inside the tomb, saying to them: "do not be afraid, I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here ; for he has been raised - as he said. Come, see the place where he lay."
Easter rolls the stone door of the tomb away for us so that we might penetrate the mystery of death. It makes of the tomb a tunnel - a tunnel into the heart of the eternal and shows us that the holy heart of God is love and life. God rolls the door of the tomb away not to let Jesus out - but to let us in - to allow us to see that Christ's promises are true.
Second - the tomb is not completely empty - Christ's body is not there, but the place is filled with the words of the angel, the words we just heard, the words that say, "Look, he is not here, he is risen." The words that continue on saying:
"Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples - he has been raised from the dead and is going ahead of you to Galilee, and there you will see him."
If the women on that first Easter morning had looked into an empty and silent tomb, then our resurrection faith would be a belief based on human speculation, an assumption of the moment, an argument based on negative evidence.
But no! Our faith is based on a word spoken to us by God. It is based on God's holy promise, spoken by Christ before he died, and upon God's holy assurance - spoken by the angel on the first Easter Sunday.
That same word that echoed and re-echoed in that Easter tomb still fills the emptiness of world today. "He is risen". The tomb has become a trumpet proclaiming the victory of life over death, and the continuation of Christ's presence and mission in this world - first in Galilee, and ultimately to the ends of the earth.
The third detail is this - because of Easter we can turn our backs on the grave.
Matthew tells us that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, having heard the angelic assurance, "He is risen", turned their backs on the grave and ran "with great joy" to tell the disciples.
Joy is the key word here. Christ was buried, but he wouldn't stay dead. The tomb could not hold him - and because of him - the tomb cannot hold us either.
This indeed is what Jesus promised to us before he died, a promise that seemed at the time totally incredible, a matter, at best, of metaphor, and hyperbole, but which - because of the first Easter morning, we now know to be a matter of fact and substance.
The stone of was rolled away from the tomb, not to let Jesus out, but to let us in, to show us that death is not the end - but rather a new beginning.
A beginning that proclaims the victory of life over death, and which allows us to turn our backs on the grave and face our future with faith and hope, confident that all of God's promises will indeed bear fruit
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
1 Sam. 2:10
"The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed" 1 Sam. 2:10
Some young people I know are "gamers." They play computer games until they have mastered every level. I, on the other hand, am not a gamer. Oh, I have tried my hand at a few. I bought a full version of "Age of Empires" and never discovered how to get anywhere. I bought "Bass Master Pro" and manage to catch a few fish if I stay in the same area. I bought a copy of a flight simulator and crashed the plane more often that I manage to land it. If there is a contest between me and a game, the game will win and I will be shattered. If my emotions were fragile, I could easily be crushed by that failure. Fortunately, I am a bit stronger than that, and I generally avoid playing that type of computer game.
There is one game that I do not intend to play, but millions of people around the world play it every day. That game is called, for lack of any other name, "Contending with God." The game is played this way: God issues a command, clear and simple. It could be something as simple as "Don't lie." The human player asks the question, "Why not?" and the game is on. The human is confronted with a situation in which the truth would hurt a bit. He is tempted to fabricate a total lie, but this would be obvious and result in losing the game. Instead, the player tries to tell as little of the truth as possible and still get away with what appears to be total truth. If he fools the human judges, he wins. The game continues until the player has mastered the "little white lie." He then takes greater risk, making his "white lie" into a "deception." The goal here is to make the judges believe that the deception is the same as the truth. If the player succeeds, he moves to the next level. He tries to tell an "outright lie." This is a bald-faced attempt to totally deceive the judges into believing that the player is telling the truth when there is absolutely no truth at all in the fabrication. If the player succeeds at this level, the judges declare him the winner and certify that there is nothing in this world that is not available to him.
There is only one problem. The ultimate judge is God, the one who issued the original command. It seems that God's standard of truth is "Absolute Truth." When God takes out the ruler of Absolute Truth and measures the player's fabrications, the player always falls short. He loses, game over, reset and try again, and fail again, or ask the Judge for forgiveness. If the player keeps trying again and continues to lose, he ultimately is crushed.
Hannah knew the end result of contending with God. The opponent is shattered, crushed, totally defeated. But the player who chooses to give up and rely on God's mercy lives a complete, whole life, he wins!
If you are playing this game with God, STOP! You can't win. Give up before it is too late. Stay away from the game. You don't want to be crushed and shattered as a glass dropped on a tile floor. Call upon the Ultimate Judge to be a winner. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Some young people I know are "gamers." They play computer games until they have mastered every level. I, on the other hand, am not a gamer. Oh, I have tried my hand at a few. I bought a full version of "Age of Empires" and never discovered how to get anywhere. I bought "Bass Master Pro" and manage to catch a few fish if I stay in the same area. I bought a copy of a flight simulator and crashed the plane more often that I manage to land it. If there is a contest between me and a game, the game will win and I will be shattered. If my emotions were fragile, I could easily be crushed by that failure. Fortunately, I am a bit stronger than that, and I generally avoid playing that type of computer game.
There is one game that I do not intend to play, but millions of people around the world play it every day. That game is called, for lack of any other name, "Contending with God." The game is played this way: God issues a command, clear and simple. It could be something as simple as "Don't lie." The human player asks the question, "Why not?" and the game is on. The human is confronted with a situation in which the truth would hurt a bit. He is tempted to fabricate a total lie, but this would be obvious and result in losing the game. Instead, the player tries to tell as little of the truth as possible and still get away with what appears to be total truth. If he fools the human judges, he wins. The game continues until the player has mastered the "little white lie." He then takes greater risk, making his "white lie" into a "deception." The goal here is to make the judges believe that the deception is the same as the truth. If the player succeeds, he moves to the next level. He tries to tell an "outright lie." This is a bald-faced attempt to totally deceive the judges into believing that the player is telling the truth when there is absolutely no truth at all in the fabrication. If the player succeeds at this level, the judges declare him the winner and certify that there is nothing in this world that is not available to him.
There is only one problem. The ultimate judge is God, the one who issued the original command. It seems that God's standard of truth is "Absolute Truth." When God takes out the ruler of Absolute Truth and measures the player's fabrications, the player always falls short. He loses, game over, reset and try again, and fail again, or ask the Judge for forgiveness. If the player keeps trying again and continues to lose, he ultimately is crushed.
Hannah knew the end result of contending with God. The opponent is shattered, crushed, totally defeated. But the player who chooses to give up and rely on God's mercy lives a complete, whole life, he wins!
If you are playing this game with God, STOP! You can't win. Give up before it is too late. Stay away from the game. You don't want to be crushed and shattered as a glass dropped on a tile floor. Call upon the Ultimate Judge to be a winner. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Friday, April 22, 2011
The book Conversations with God is not from God
Beware of the book 'Conversations with God'! Oprah is pushing it. It is scary that someone would be bold enough to write a book from God's point of view contrary to His Word. Please send to all with kids or grandkids.
If you have children or grandchildren, work with children at church, or you have neighborhood children whose parents you know, please take note of the information below and pass it along to others. Schools are distributing this book to children through the Scholastic Book Club.
The name of the book is Conversations with God. James Dobson talked about this book twice this week in the States. It is devastating. Parents, churches and Christian schools need to be aware of it. Please pass this information on to church/e-mail addresses, Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, friends.
Two particular books are Conversations with God and Conversations with God for Teens, written by Neale D. Walsch. They sound harmless enough by their titles alone. The books have been on the New York Times best sellers list for a number of weeks, and they make truth of the statement, "Don't judge a book by its cover or title."
The author purports to answer various questions asked by kids using the "voice of God". However, the "answers" that he gives are not Bible-based and go against the very infallible word of God. For instance (and I paraphrase), when a girl asks the question "Why am I a lesbian?" His answer is that she was 'born that way' because of genetics (just as you were born right-handed, with brown eyes, etc.). Then he tells her to go out and "celebrate" her differences.
Another girl poses the question "I am living with my boyfriend. My parents say that I should marry him because I am living in sin. Should I marry him?" His reply is, "Who are you sinning against? Not me, because you have done nothing wrong."
Another question asks about God's forgiveness of sin. His reply "I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive... There is no such thing as right or wrong and that is what I have been trying to tell everyone, do not judge people. People have chosen to judge one another and this is wrong, because the rule is "'judge not lest ye be judged."
Not only are these books the false doctrine of the devil, but in some instances quote (in error) the Word of God.
And the list goes on. These books (and others like it) are being sold to school children through (The Scholastic Book Club), and we need to be aware of what is being fed to our children.
Our children are under attack. So I pray that you be sober and vigilant about teaching your children the Word of God, and guarding their exposure to worldly mediums, because "our adversary, the devil, roams about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). We know that lions usually hunt for the slowest, weakest and YOUNGEST of its prey.
Pass this on to every Believer you know. God bless. And, if you are in doubt, check out the books yourself.
If you have children or grandchildren, work with children at church, or you have neighborhood children whose parents you know, please take note of the information below and pass it along to others. Schools are distributing this book to children through the Scholastic Book Club.
The name of the book is Conversations with God. James Dobson talked about this book twice this week in the States. It is devastating. Parents, churches and Christian schools need to be aware of it. Please pass this information on to church/e-mail addresses, Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, friends.
Two particular books are Conversations with God and Conversations with God for Teens, written by Neale D. Walsch. They sound harmless enough by their titles alone. The books have been on the New York Times best sellers list for a number of weeks, and they make truth of the statement, "Don't judge a book by its cover or title."
The author purports to answer various questions asked by kids using the "voice of God". However, the "answers" that he gives are not Bible-based and go against the very infallible word of God. For instance (and I paraphrase), when a girl asks the question "Why am I a lesbian?" His answer is that she was 'born that way' because of genetics (just as you were born right-handed, with brown eyes, etc.). Then he tells her to go out and "celebrate" her differences.
Another girl poses the question "I am living with my boyfriend. My parents say that I should marry him because I am living in sin. Should I marry him?" His reply is, "Who are you sinning against? Not me, because you have done nothing wrong."
Another question asks about God's forgiveness of sin. His reply "I do not forgive anyone because there is nothing to forgive... There is no such thing as right or wrong and that is what I have been trying to tell everyone, do not judge people. People have chosen to judge one another and this is wrong, because the rule is "'judge not lest ye be judged."
Not only are these books the false doctrine of the devil, but in some instances quote (in error) the Word of God.
And the list goes on. These books (and others like it) are being sold to school children through (The Scholastic Book Club), and we need to be aware of what is being fed to our children.
Our children are under attack. So I pray that you be sober and vigilant about teaching your children the Word of God, and guarding their exposure to worldly mediums, because "our adversary, the devil, roams about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). We know that lions usually hunt for the slowest, weakest and YOUNGEST of its prey.
Pass this on to every Believer you know. God bless. And, if you are in doubt, check out the books yourself.
Gen 3:9
"Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" Gen 3:9
Many years ago the teaching pastors of a church in another part of the world taught a series called, "Big Hairy Questions" seeking to answer some of our... well big questions about why God does what He does. Well, the Bible has a few questions of its own, and I thought we might investigate a few of those "Big Hairy Questions." Ready? Let's go.
The first question we will discuss is actually the second question in the Bible. "Adam, where are you?" That seems like a simple question with a rather simple answer. "I'm hiding from you, God," would be the expected response. But there is more to both the question and the answer than meets the eye. First, God's question. God knew full well where Adam was. Remember, God was still God and He had all of His supernatural powers long before man was created. Creation shows that God is all-powerful. The fact that He could conceive of all that it takes to make the universe spin in harmony shows that God is all-knowing. The fact that He and the Son and the Spirit were involved in all of the creation process shows that He is omni-present. Yes, there is no doubt that God knew where Adam was and why he was there.
So why did God ask Adam where he was? Have you ever asked "Little Jamie" why he had cookie crumbs on his face? You already knew the answer. Jamie had been eating cookies. Why did you ask him? Most likely you wanted to give your son an opportunity to "come clean" and admit his wrongdoing. Did he? Not likely! Jamie may have asked, "What cookie crumbs?" or "I don't know," or "Brother made me do it." Not quite the answer we expected and hoped for. Discipline followed because of the dishonesty, and that discipline was probably more severe that if Jamie had simply said, "Because I ate a cookie... or two." God wanted Adam to come clean.
But Adam hid the truth, in a grove of trees and behind a fig leaf. Instead of responding with the truth, Adam said, "I was naked and so I hid from you." More questions followed. Blame was cast upon "the woman" who passed it on to "the serpent" who took a blow to the head and slithered away.
So now I ask you a question. "Where are you?" Are you hiding behind some feeble excuse, your own form of a fig leaf? When God calls you, do you answer with something less than the truth? Of course God's question to Adam could easily be translated, "What have you done, Adam?" Well, what have you done that separates you from the fellowship of the Father? Remember, it wasn't God who was hiding from Adam... and He isn't hiding from you either. Go ahead. Answer honestly. You will experience the liberation that comes from restoration to the rich fellowship with the Father, the fellowship you lost when you followed the lead of the first question, "Hasn't God said...?" Amen and Amen.
Many years ago the teaching pastors of a church in another part of the world taught a series called, "Big Hairy Questions" seeking to answer some of our... well big questions about why God does what He does. Well, the Bible has a few questions of its own, and I thought we might investigate a few of those "Big Hairy Questions." Ready? Let's go.
The first question we will discuss is actually the second question in the Bible. "Adam, where are you?" That seems like a simple question with a rather simple answer. "I'm hiding from you, God," would be the expected response. But there is more to both the question and the answer than meets the eye. First, God's question. God knew full well where Adam was. Remember, God was still God and He had all of His supernatural powers long before man was created. Creation shows that God is all-powerful. The fact that He could conceive of all that it takes to make the universe spin in harmony shows that God is all-knowing. The fact that He and the Son and the Spirit were involved in all of the creation process shows that He is omni-present. Yes, there is no doubt that God knew where Adam was and why he was there.
So why did God ask Adam where he was? Have you ever asked "Little Jamie" why he had cookie crumbs on his face? You already knew the answer. Jamie had been eating cookies. Why did you ask him? Most likely you wanted to give your son an opportunity to "come clean" and admit his wrongdoing. Did he? Not likely! Jamie may have asked, "What cookie crumbs?" or "I don't know," or "Brother made me do it." Not quite the answer we expected and hoped for. Discipline followed because of the dishonesty, and that discipline was probably more severe that if Jamie had simply said, "Because I ate a cookie... or two." God wanted Adam to come clean.
But Adam hid the truth, in a grove of trees and behind a fig leaf. Instead of responding with the truth, Adam said, "I was naked and so I hid from you." More questions followed. Blame was cast upon "the woman" who passed it on to "the serpent" who took a blow to the head and slithered away.
So now I ask you a question. "Where are you?" Are you hiding behind some feeble excuse, your own form of a fig leaf? When God calls you, do you answer with something less than the truth? Of course God's question to Adam could easily be translated, "What have you done, Adam?" Well, what have you done that separates you from the fellowship of the Father? Remember, it wasn't God who was hiding from Adam... and He isn't hiding from you either. Go ahead. Answer honestly. You will experience the liberation that comes from restoration to the rich fellowship with the Father, the fellowship you lost when you followed the lead of the first question, "Hasn't God said...?" Amen and Amen.
Matt 13:3
"Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow" Matt 13:3
"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase" 1 Cor 3:6-7
I was a farmer today. I may have been turning fallow ground, preparing it for planting. I may have planted seed, ready to sprout when someone else comes by to water. I may have watered seeds already sown. I may have pulled weeds that were wanting to choke out the new plants. I may have poured water on a parched, drought stricken field, bringing new life to nearly dead plants. I just might have harvested the results of others' efforts.
I was a farmer today. I may not know the results of today's labor on this side of heaven, but, I can sleep tonight knowing that a couple who claim to have once been Christians have heard again the Good News that Jesus wants to redeem them. I will be able to stand before the Father with a clean conscience, knowing that if they fail to enter the kingdom, the fault will not be mine.
I was a farmer today. I will not worry about the crop - it's in God's hands.
With dirt under my fingernails, Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase" 1 Cor 3:6-7
I was a farmer today. I may have been turning fallow ground, preparing it for planting. I may have planted seed, ready to sprout when someone else comes by to water. I may have watered seeds already sown. I may have pulled weeds that were wanting to choke out the new plants. I may have poured water on a parched, drought stricken field, bringing new life to nearly dead plants. I just might have harvested the results of others' efforts.
I was a farmer today. I may not know the results of today's labor on this side of heaven, but, I can sleep tonight knowing that a couple who claim to have once been Christians have heard again the Good News that Jesus wants to redeem them. I will be able to stand before the Father with a clean conscience, knowing that if they fail to enter the kingdom, the fault will not be mine.
I was a farmer today. I will not worry about the crop - it's in God's hands.
With dirt under my fingernails, Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Prov. 23:4-5
"Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven" Prov. 23:4-5
Someone once said, "Show me your checkbook, and I'll tell you what your heart is." Think about it. Now look at your checkbook. Go to the first entry where you deposited your paycheck. What is the next entry? Is it paying a bill? Buying groceries? Eating out? Shopping for a video? I should hope the first check is to your church paying your tithes. What is the second, third, fourth? Where is your heart? Where are your priorities?
Let's take another test. How much time to you spend in "church"? Write that down. Add to that the amount of time you spend reading the Bible. Now calculate the time you spend praying and add that to the previous total. Go ahead and add time that you spend EXCLUSIVELY listening to Bible based teaching on tape, CD, or TV. Total that list of times. How did you fare? Now compare that to the time you spend at work. Compare it to the time you spend in "play." Finally compare it to the time you spend with your children. Now how do you fare? From this can you begin to determine where your heart is?
The proverb writer tells us not to make ourselves tired by seeking to get rich. Hmmm. I've been there, at least I was seeking to gain sufficient that I didn't have to worry about where the next meal came from. But then, if I think about it, I did spend much more than forty hours in job related activities, at the expense of wife and children. What job do you think I have in mind? Teaching? Manufacturing? Construction? Ambulanceman? I am talking about my life as a minister of the Gospel. Frankly, I spent more time "working at ministering" than I did with God, and I was one of the good Bible believing guys!
Have you ever noticed that people who are rich don't quit working? Most of them work harder to get richer than you and I spend in order to make ends meet! Where does their wealth go? Mortgages. Cars. Sports teams. Business. More expensive toys. And there are some things that we just won't mention. It seems that there is never enough money in the bank to make people happy. How can a billionaire spend a billion dollars? It boggles my mind! When will Lee Ka Shing really retire? When will Cathay Pacific have made enough money and have enough customers that they will quit advertising?
Get Solomon's point? All the money in the world is not enough to satisfy our desire for wealth.
So what do we seek that will satisfy. Jesus. And when will we begin to recognize that fact? Let me relate a story that was told to me by a fellow pastor. Socrates supposedly had a man ask him how to gain knowledge. Socrates took the man to the river and waded in chest deep. He took the man's head and held it under water for ten seconds. He asked the man what he wanted, knowledge. He held the man under for twenty seconds and asked again, knowledge was the reply. A third time he held the man under water, forty, fifty, sixty seconds passed before he allowed the man to rise. "I want air!" Socrates told the man that when he wanted knowledge as much as he wanted air, he would get it.
When we want Jesus as much as we want air, we will find Him and love Him and want nothing other than to be with Him at the expense of all else. Amen and Amen.
Someone once said, "Show me your checkbook, and I'll tell you what your heart is." Think about it. Now look at your checkbook. Go to the first entry where you deposited your paycheck. What is the next entry? Is it paying a bill? Buying groceries? Eating out? Shopping for a video? I should hope the first check is to your church paying your tithes. What is the second, third, fourth? Where is your heart? Where are your priorities?
Let's take another test. How much time to you spend in "church"? Write that down. Add to that the amount of time you spend reading the Bible. Now calculate the time you spend praying and add that to the previous total. Go ahead and add time that you spend EXCLUSIVELY listening to Bible based teaching on tape, CD, or TV. Total that list of times. How did you fare? Now compare that to the time you spend at work. Compare it to the time you spend in "play." Finally compare it to the time you spend with your children. Now how do you fare? From this can you begin to determine where your heart is?
The proverb writer tells us not to make ourselves tired by seeking to get rich. Hmmm. I've been there, at least I was seeking to gain sufficient that I didn't have to worry about where the next meal came from. But then, if I think about it, I did spend much more than forty hours in job related activities, at the expense of wife and children. What job do you think I have in mind? Teaching? Manufacturing? Construction? Ambulanceman? I am talking about my life as a minister of the Gospel. Frankly, I spent more time "working at ministering" than I did with God, and I was one of the good Bible believing guys!
Have you ever noticed that people who are rich don't quit working? Most of them work harder to get richer than you and I spend in order to make ends meet! Where does their wealth go? Mortgages. Cars. Sports teams. Business. More expensive toys. And there are some things that we just won't mention. It seems that there is never enough money in the bank to make people happy. How can a billionaire spend a billion dollars? It boggles my mind! When will Lee Ka Shing really retire? When will Cathay Pacific have made enough money and have enough customers that they will quit advertising?
Get Solomon's point? All the money in the world is not enough to satisfy our desire for wealth.
So what do we seek that will satisfy. Jesus. And when will we begin to recognize that fact? Let me relate a story that was told to me by a fellow pastor. Socrates supposedly had a man ask him how to gain knowledge. Socrates took the man to the river and waded in chest deep. He took the man's head and held it under water for ten seconds. He asked the man what he wanted, knowledge. He held the man under for twenty seconds and asked again, knowledge was the reply. A third time he held the man under water, forty, fifty, sixty seconds passed before he allowed the man to rise. "I want air!" Socrates told the man that when he wanted knowledge as much as he wanted air, he would get it.
When we want Jesus as much as we want air, we will find Him and love Him and want nothing other than to be with Him at the expense of all else. Amen and Amen.
Hebrews 13:2
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels" Hebrews 13:2
Today as I was reading my Bible this verse jumped out at me. To me it is saying let the love of God shine through me. In Hebrew times it was a common practice for people to take strangers in overnight. They showed the Love of Christ, not knowing if who they were helping was a spy or a brother or sister in the Lord.
Today we would say times are very different, but we can show the Love of Christ in many ways in our daily lives. Many people cross our paths in a day's time. We don't know the struggles they are going through. Most of the time we see the bad side of people. But this might be from being let down or from being hurt so many times by others. If we would start by offering to open a door for them or say a kind word, offering a word of encouragement to a person whom is hurting. Trying to have a smile on your face, a pleasantness that will allow others to see Christ in us. Helping others without expecting anything in return can bring many blessings. Getting to know people has been a blessing to me. After we befriend a person, we get to see through the hard and ruff shell that all of us have.
The Lord has brought many people into my life, just at the time I needed encouragement or someone to talk with. TO ME THEY WERE ANGELS SENT BY GOD. By taking a step in faith, by letting Gods Light shine through you. You might be an angel that someone needs today. LET THE LIGHT OF THE LORD SHINE THROUGH YOU TODAY.
Father God, we thank you for how you bring people into our lives. For the many ways you bless us in and through others. Help us to entertain strangers and show them your love through us. Shine through us (I want to be in the Light as You are in the Light) each and every day Lord. Even in times when people treat us rudely and unfairly. Show us ways to help and encourage others. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Today as I was reading my Bible this verse jumped out at me. To me it is saying let the love of God shine through me. In Hebrew times it was a common practice for people to take strangers in overnight. They showed the Love of Christ, not knowing if who they were helping was a spy or a brother or sister in the Lord.
Today we would say times are very different, but we can show the Love of Christ in many ways in our daily lives. Many people cross our paths in a day's time. We don't know the struggles they are going through. Most of the time we see the bad side of people. But this might be from being let down or from being hurt so many times by others. If we would start by offering to open a door for them or say a kind word, offering a word of encouragement to a person whom is hurting. Trying to have a smile on your face, a pleasantness that will allow others to see Christ in us. Helping others without expecting anything in return can bring many blessings. Getting to know people has been a blessing to me. After we befriend a person, we get to see through the hard and ruff shell that all of us have.
The Lord has brought many people into my life, just at the time I needed encouragement or someone to talk with. TO ME THEY WERE ANGELS SENT BY GOD. By taking a step in faith, by letting Gods Light shine through you. You might be an angel that someone needs today. LET THE LIGHT OF THE LORD SHINE THROUGH YOU TODAY.
Father God, we thank you for how you bring people into our lives. For the many ways you bless us in and through others. Help us to entertain strangers and show them your love through us. Shine through us (I want to be in the Light as You are in the Light) each and every day Lord. Even in times when people treat us rudely and unfairly. Show us ways to help and encourage others. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Prov. 23:6-8
"Do not eat the bread of a miser, Nor desire his delicacies; For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. "Eat and drink!" he says to you, But his heart is not with you. The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, And waste your pleasant words" Prov. 23:6-8
Today's verses paint quite a picture, don't they? I imagine sitting down to eat with Jabba the Hutt from the Star Wars films. Jabba was a gangster type individual who was humongously fat and ugly. Everyone served Jabba. No one dared deny "his majesty" anything. To eat with this character was to pledge allegiance to him. At that point everything one has became the property of Jabba, for the price of a meal! No, I do not consider that eating with Jabba to be an appealing prospect.
But eating with a selfish man would be exactly like that. The "free food" one receives will cost everything. The delicacies devoured will become poison to the soul. Should a person desire his possessions and riches, he will destroy and take all for his own. The selfish man has no one's interests in his mind but his own. The end result is sickness, sickness of heart and soul.
So, if eating with a selfish man is madness and eating with a king is foolishness, whom do we eat with? The obvious choice might be a wise and selfless man. This type of individual gives with no desire to receive in return. He will invite a person to a meal without expecting to be invited for a reciprocal visit. He will share his last slice of bread without reservation. He will take the coat off his back and give it without hesitation. And his gift is totally without strings attached! But there is another source of food that we might want to consider.
Jesus is to himself as "the Bread of Life" (John 6:35 and 48). Jesus tells us that anyone who eats of this Bread will never hunger again. Hmm! That sounds good. He also tells us that all who eat of physical bread will die, but those who eat of His Bread will live forever. Yes! That sounds even better. Could you imagine the reaction of the 5,000 if they had heard this about the bread Jesus broke and multiplied for them? There would have been a lot of hoarding going on, not for personal consumption but to share with beloved family and friends!
But Jesus is speaking of neither physical hunger nor physical life. He is referring to the spiritual hunger that slowly eats at all men's bodies. We all long for a time when our spirits are at peace. Until we find the Bread of Life, a throbbing knowing that "something" is wrong tears at our insides. We search high and low for nourishment that will satiate that hunger, but nothing lasts. Riches satisfy for a while, but that soon proves to be fleeting. We may try to satisfy our appetites with physical pleasure, but that too leaves us empty. We can accumulate "things" only to find that these satisfy about as long as a bowl of rice gratifies a serious hunger.
Only Jesus can provide what all men seek. Only He provides real peace. Only He brings life, anything else provides, at best, temporary satisfaction.
If you are hungering today for something that you cannot find, your search is over. The Son of God desires above all else to meet your needs, beginning with your need to be a peace with the Father. Call upon Him today. He will satisfy forever. Amen and Amen.
Now I have serious question for You... Are YOU Right with God?
True Christianity is not about attending a particular church, or how your parents raised you, or what country you were born in. Being a Christian means that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that He is your Savior. It's not good enough that your priest, pastor, mother, or aunt knows Jesus, you must know Him for yourself. They cannot believe in Him for you, you must believe for yourself. They cannot repent for you, you must repent for yourself.
Jesus is everywhere all the time. He can hear you now if you ask Him for forgiveness. Please turn your life over to Him NOW. Time slips by so quickly, don't miss this opportunity. If you want to pray and ask Jesus to be your Savior, you can say a prayer something like this:
"Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you. I know the truth is that I have sinned by my own choice, and I am the one responsible for it. I know that I have earned punishment from you, and that the fair punishment would be death. Jesus, I believe that You died in my place. Forgive me for my sin. I cannot cover or take my sin away, I am relying totally and only on You. You are the only one who can save me. I reject my sin, I turn away from it, I repent. Come into my life, take away my sin, and show me how to live my life in a way that is right and pleasing to You." Thank You Jesus, Amen
If you have prayed this, YOU ARE SAVED! You are now completely forgiven, a new creation, innocent in the eyes of God, please e-mail me and let me know and I will guide you toward Fellowship and Baptism. Welcome to the family of God! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Today's verses paint quite a picture, don't they? I imagine sitting down to eat with Jabba the Hutt from the Star Wars films. Jabba was a gangster type individual who was humongously fat and ugly. Everyone served Jabba. No one dared deny "his majesty" anything. To eat with this character was to pledge allegiance to him. At that point everything one has became the property of Jabba, for the price of a meal! No, I do not consider that eating with Jabba to be an appealing prospect.
But eating with a selfish man would be exactly like that. The "free food" one receives will cost everything. The delicacies devoured will become poison to the soul. Should a person desire his possessions and riches, he will destroy and take all for his own. The selfish man has no one's interests in his mind but his own. The end result is sickness, sickness of heart and soul.
So, if eating with a selfish man is madness and eating with a king is foolishness, whom do we eat with? The obvious choice might be a wise and selfless man. This type of individual gives with no desire to receive in return. He will invite a person to a meal without expecting to be invited for a reciprocal visit. He will share his last slice of bread without reservation. He will take the coat off his back and give it without hesitation. And his gift is totally without strings attached! But there is another source of food that we might want to consider.
Jesus is to himself as "the Bread of Life" (John 6:35 and 48). Jesus tells us that anyone who eats of this Bread will never hunger again. Hmm! That sounds good. He also tells us that all who eat of physical bread will die, but those who eat of His Bread will live forever. Yes! That sounds even better. Could you imagine the reaction of the 5,000 if they had heard this about the bread Jesus broke and multiplied for them? There would have been a lot of hoarding going on, not for personal consumption but to share with beloved family and friends!
But Jesus is speaking of neither physical hunger nor physical life. He is referring to the spiritual hunger that slowly eats at all men's bodies. We all long for a time when our spirits are at peace. Until we find the Bread of Life, a throbbing knowing that "something" is wrong tears at our insides. We search high and low for nourishment that will satiate that hunger, but nothing lasts. Riches satisfy for a while, but that soon proves to be fleeting. We may try to satisfy our appetites with physical pleasure, but that too leaves us empty. We can accumulate "things" only to find that these satisfy about as long as a bowl of rice gratifies a serious hunger.
Only Jesus can provide what all men seek. Only He provides real peace. Only He brings life, anything else provides, at best, temporary satisfaction.
If you are hungering today for something that you cannot find, your search is over. The Son of God desires above all else to meet your needs, beginning with your need to be a peace with the Father. Call upon Him today. He will satisfy forever. Amen and Amen.
Now I have serious question for You... Are YOU Right with God?
True Christianity is not about attending a particular church, or how your parents raised you, or what country you were born in. Being a Christian means that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that He is your Savior. It's not good enough that your priest, pastor, mother, or aunt knows Jesus, you must know Him for yourself. They cannot believe in Him for you, you must believe for yourself. They cannot repent for you, you must repent for yourself.
Jesus is everywhere all the time. He can hear you now if you ask Him for forgiveness. Please turn your life over to Him NOW. Time slips by so quickly, don't miss this opportunity. If you want to pray and ask Jesus to be your Savior, you can say a prayer something like this:
"Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you. I know the truth is that I have sinned by my own choice, and I am the one responsible for it. I know that I have earned punishment from you, and that the fair punishment would be death. Jesus, I believe that You died in my place. Forgive me for my sin. I cannot cover or take my sin away, I am relying totally and only on You. You are the only one who can save me. I reject my sin, I turn away from it, I repent. Come into my life, take away my sin, and show me how to live my life in a way that is right and pleasing to You." Thank You Jesus, Amen
If you have prayed this, YOU ARE SAVED! You are now completely forgiven, a new creation, innocent in the eyes of God, please e-mail me and let me know and I will guide you toward Fellowship and Baptism. Welcome to the family of God! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Matthew 21:1-11; Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Matthew 27:1-2,11-50
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.
Crowds. They're sometimes scary. Sometimes supportive. There are cheering crowds. And there are jeering crowds. And there is a "crowd mentality".
You've heard of "mob rule". That's the mentality of a crowd. There is no space for individual thoughtfulness. No time for reflection. Just immediate and mass response.
One thing that's been true, from the very moment the first crowd gathered. And that is this: There are usually two sides in a crowd. Whether its a packed stadium for a soccer game, or a political rally, there are those for, and those against. There are the cheerers and the jeerers.
And sometimes one side or the other takes over. Sometimes, you get a crowd that becomes either supportive, or hostile. And often - the balance is delicate and fragile. A crowd can turn on you.
The crowd that Jesus faced in these days at Jerusalem was both.
It started off as a cheering and supportive crowd. And that's the crowd we meet today on Palm Sunday.
But - watch out Jesus! Because - in a very few days - these same people are going to be a very different sort of a crowd for you! And God help you, my Saviour Jesus. These cheering ones - are going to turn into jeering ones.
Jesus attracted crowds.
He was a most charismatic person, this One who called himself the "Son of Man". People came from far and away to hear him. To see him. To witness to the amazing things he was doing. The great and inclusive and loving addresses he gave. The miracles he was known to perform.
But in any crowd - then and now - you get two kinds of people - the believers, and the doubters. And we see this quite often in the Bible - when we are told of the reaction of the crowds, the behaviour of the onlookers.
For example: When Jesus healed the man born blind by making mud with dirt and spit and anointing his eyes with it some of the Pharisees believed it to be a great miracle. Some believed that indeed Jesus was the Messiah.
But many more did not believe. As we heard two weeks ago, they expected kept questioning the healed man. And his parents. And his neighbours. And then they accused both him and Jesus of being an agent of the Devil.
Some for, some against. The cheerers - and the jeerers.
And later - when we look past Good Friday, past Easter, to the events of Pentecost - to the time when the Spirit descended on the disciples like tongues of flame and they began to praise God and speak in other languages, we discover that some of the onlookers saw it miraculous event. To others it was just a big drinking party! "They are filled with new wine" they said.
But - you know - as a crowd takes shape, as "mob rule" comes into effect the sentiment of the crowd solidifies. The mind of the crowd moves to one side - or the other - of an issue. It can be very frightening. And if you're in such a crowd - there's only a couple of "safe" ways to behave. Either go along with the crowd, or keep quiet.
If you don't agree, better stay silent, or leave - inconspicuously.
Some interesting experiments have been conducted by an American psychologist to understand crowds. And these experiments show how readily people will change their opinion to match the crowd. And I don't mean pretend to change their opinion, to fake it. I mean - really change their mind.
The experiment was simple. A bunch of people were seated in a dimly lit room. Onto a screen at the front of the room two straight lines were projected. One was obviously longer than the other.
The task was simple. State which line was longer. However unknown to the one subject of this experiment (let us say unknown to you) all of the other people in the room were involved in trickery. They had been told to lie. So - you had twenty or so other people around you saying that line A was the longer one. Everybody else in agreement. And you can see clearly that line B is longer.
What happens? Well, the experiment showed that you change your opinion, that's what. Pure and simple. And - even after the experiment is finished, and you are told what was going on you still hold to your changed opinion. That line "B" was longer. That's how persuasive the effect of a crowd is. It will even sway you to an obviously wrong opinion - and keep you there.
There was a big crowd in Jerusalem that day. Lots of people who didn't even know who Jesus was - even though he'd been the talk of the town in recent weeks. It was at Passover time, when many Jews from the countryside would be there - celebrating this special feast.
There would be Jews from far away places too. Honouring their religious beliefs by travelling the great distances to Jerusalem, perhaps only once in their lifetime. Going to the Holy City for the most Holy of Feasts - the Passover. And this crowd - this day - was in a happy mood. They're ready for a parade! They are ready to celebrate.
And Jesus - knowing the mood of the city just before Passover - knowing the prophecies concerning how the Messiah would enter Jerusalem - and knowing what would come later - rides into the city on a donkey - his disciples beside him.
For those who have eyes to see - it is significant this choice of animals. Conquering heroes - generals and kings ride into town on horses - on stallions. The Messiah comes in a more humble fashion - on a donkey. Just as predicted by the prophets.
And on this day - and on this crowd - the Spirit of God had descended. "Hosanna" they shouted "Hosanna in the highest Heaven". "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord".
The disciples must have thought they had it made. Success - at last! Where are those arrogant Pharisees now? We've got it made - with Jesus! The people are all for him. They recognize that he is the promised one - the Son of David - it won't be long now - everything is going to go our way.
But Jesus knew what was to come.
He know even as the people shouted on Sunday Hosanna in the highest - hosanna to the Son of David - Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. What was to come on Friday.
He knew what the same crowd would shout out when Pilate asked them "What should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?"
He knew that they shout out "Let him be crucified!" And that when Pilate asked, "Why, what evil has he done?" they would shout all the more, "Let him be crucified!"
And so Pilate released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
How quickly things can change. One week a hero, the next just another victim, a person, an object, to be spat upon and scorned - to be beaten and killed.
And yet here we are today - the Sunday before the Friday. With our palm leaves and branches - singing praises to Jesus with our children.
We have cheered with the crowd that cheered for Jesus - and rightly so - for Jesus deserves all our cheers.
But we have also -if we have understood aright, cheered with a heart heavy with the knowledge of what is to come.
In that we are closer to Christ and his knowledge of the real situation than the disciples were.
Jesus knew who he was dying for - he knew that Judas would betray him, that Peter would deny him, that the disciples would abandon him and that crowd would call for his death.
He knew what was to come - and yet he ate and drank with Judas.
He knew and yet he prayed with Peter.
He knew and yet he called all the disciples his friends.
He knew and yet he taught in the marketplace and healed those who came to him.
Jesus knew - and we know.
We know his part - and we know our part - and knowing - we have celebrated, and I say to you we must celebrate.
We must cheer for life, knowing that death follows. We must praise Jesus and call him Lord even knowing that we - like all the others have failed him, and may yet fail him.
We must cheer, and we must remember, we must remember that Jesus knows who we were - and who we are and what we have done and will yet do and he still lay down his life for us.
Today we handed out palm crosses so that we might celebrate, a token memory of the cheering crowd on Palm Sunday when they lovingly spread palms and cloaks and branches into the roadway ahead of our Saviour. And we have handed out palm leaves shaped into crosses.
Look at what you hold - perhaps you have placed it on a seat beside you...
The palms of "hosanna"!
The palms of this "day of acceptance" of our Lord.
Are woven into the cross of rejection.
And yet, it is an empty cross - this cross you hold - a cross which bespeaks resurrection. - cross which bespeaks forgiveness.
It is a very holy mystery - this cross that you hold - this cross upon which Jesus died.
It is a mystery which the crowd can never quite accept. A mystery which you and I cannot truly understand. - but which, when we accept it in faith - in our heart of hearts turns earthly despair into heavenly triumph.
Hosanna - Jesus! Hosanna - in the brief moment of earthly acclaim. Hosanna, and may God your Father give you strength for what is to come. Hosanna, blessed are you who have come in the name of the Lord to save and deliver your people. Blessed be your name - now and forevermore. Hosanna in the highest heaven. Amen
Crowds. They're sometimes scary. Sometimes supportive. There are cheering crowds. And there are jeering crowds. And there is a "crowd mentality".
You've heard of "mob rule". That's the mentality of a crowd. There is no space for individual thoughtfulness. No time for reflection. Just immediate and mass response.
One thing that's been true, from the very moment the first crowd gathered. And that is this: There are usually two sides in a crowd. Whether its a packed stadium for a soccer game, or a political rally, there are those for, and those against. There are the cheerers and the jeerers.
And sometimes one side or the other takes over. Sometimes, you get a crowd that becomes either supportive, or hostile. And often - the balance is delicate and fragile. A crowd can turn on you.
The crowd that Jesus faced in these days at Jerusalem was both.
It started off as a cheering and supportive crowd. And that's the crowd we meet today on Palm Sunday.
But - watch out Jesus! Because - in a very few days - these same people are going to be a very different sort of a crowd for you! And God help you, my Saviour Jesus. These cheering ones - are going to turn into jeering ones.
Jesus attracted crowds.
He was a most charismatic person, this One who called himself the "Son of Man". People came from far and away to hear him. To see him. To witness to the amazing things he was doing. The great and inclusive and loving addresses he gave. The miracles he was known to perform.
But in any crowd - then and now - you get two kinds of people - the believers, and the doubters. And we see this quite often in the Bible - when we are told of the reaction of the crowds, the behaviour of the onlookers.
For example: When Jesus healed the man born blind by making mud with dirt and spit and anointing his eyes with it some of the Pharisees believed it to be a great miracle. Some believed that indeed Jesus was the Messiah.
But many more did not believe. As we heard two weeks ago, they expected kept questioning the healed man. And his parents. And his neighbours. And then they accused both him and Jesus of being an agent of the Devil.
Some for, some against. The cheerers - and the jeerers.
And later - when we look past Good Friday, past Easter, to the events of Pentecost - to the time when the Spirit descended on the disciples like tongues of flame and they began to praise God and speak in other languages, we discover that some of the onlookers saw it miraculous event. To others it was just a big drinking party! "They are filled with new wine" they said.
But - you know - as a crowd takes shape, as "mob rule" comes into effect the sentiment of the crowd solidifies. The mind of the crowd moves to one side - or the other - of an issue. It can be very frightening. And if you're in such a crowd - there's only a couple of "safe" ways to behave. Either go along with the crowd, or keep quiet.
If you don't agree, better stay silent, or leave - inconspicuously.
Some interesting experiments have been conducted by an American psychologist to understand crowds. And these experiments show how readily people will change their opinion to match the crowd. And I don't mean pretend to change their opinion, to fake it. I mean - really change their mind.
The experiment was simple. A bunch of people were seated in a dimly lit room. Onto a screen at the front of the room two straight lines were projected. One was obviously longer than the other.
The task was simple. State which line was longer. However unknown to the one subject of this experiment (let us say unknown to you) all of the other people in the room were involved in trickery. They had been told to lie. So - you had twenty or so other people around you saying that line A was the longer one. Everybody else in agreement. And you can see clearly that line B is longer.
What happens? Well, the experiment showed that you change your opinion, that's what. Pure and simple. And - even after the experiment is finished, and you are told what was going on you still hold to your changed opinion. That line "B" was longer. That's how persuasive the effect of a crowd is. It will even sway you to an obviously wrong opinion - and keep you there.
There was a big crowd in Jerusalem that day. Lots of people who didn't even know who Jesus was - even though he'd been the talk of the town in recent weeks. It was at Passover time, when many Jews from the countryside would be there - celebrating this special feast.
There would be Jews from far away places too. Honouring their religious beliefs by travelling the great distances to Jerusalem, perhaps only once in their lifetime. Going to the Holy City for the most Holy of Feasts - the Passover. And this crowd - this day - was in a happy mood. They're ready for a parade! They are ready to celebrate.
And Jesus - knowing the mood of the city just before Passover - knowing the prophecies concerning how the Messiah would enter Jerusalem - and knowing what would come later - rides into the city on a donkey - his disciples beside him.
For those who have eyes to see - it is significant this choice of animals. Conquering heroes - generals and kings ride into town on horses - on stallions. The Messiah comes in a more humble fashion - on a donkey. Just as predicted by the prophets.
And on this day - and on this crowd - the Spirit of God had descended. "Hosanna" they shouted "Hosanna in the highest Heaven". "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord".
The disciples must have thought they had it made. Success - at last! Where are those arrogant Pharisees now? We've got it made - with Jesus! The people are all for him. They recognize that he is the promised one - the Son of David - it won't be long now - everything is going to go our way.
But Jesus knew what was to come.
He know even as the people shouted on Sunday Hosanna in the highest - hosanna to the Son of David - Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. What was to come on Friday.
He knew what the same crowd would shout out when Pilate asked them "What should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?"
He knew that they shout out "Let him be crucified!" And that when Pilate asked, "Why, what evil has he done?" they would shout all the more, "Let him be crucified!"
And so Pilate released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
How quickly things can change. One week a hero, the next just another victim, a person, an object, to be spat upon and scorned - to be beaten and killed.
And yet here we are today - the Sunday before the Friday. With our palm leaves and branches - singing praises to Jesus with our children.
We have cheered with the crowd that cheered for Jesus - and rightly so - for Jesus deserves all our cheers.
But we have also -if we have understood aright, cheered with a heart heavy with the knowledge of what is to come.
In that we are closer to Christ and his knowledge of the real situation than the disciples were.
Jesus knew who he was dying for - he knew that Judas would betray him, that Peter would deny him, that the disciples would abandon him and that crowd would call for his death.
He knew what was to come - and yet he ate and drank with Judas.
He knew and yet he prayed with Peter.
He knew and yet he called all the disciples his friends.
He knew and yet he taught in the marketplace and healed those who came to him.
Jesus knew - and we know.
We know his part - and we know our part - and knowing - we have celebrated, and I say to you we must celebrate.
We must cheer for life, knowing that death follows. We must praise Jesus and call him Lord even knowing that we - like all the others have failed him, and may yet fail him.
We must cheer, and we must remember, we must remember that Jesus knows who we were - and who we are and what we have done and will yet do and he still lay down his life for us.
Today we handed out palm crosses so that we might celebrate, a token memory of the cheering crowd on Palm Sunday when they lovingly spread palms and cloaks and branches into the roadway ahead of our Saviour. And we have handed out palm leaves shaped into crosses.
Look at what you hold - perhaps you have placed it on a seat beside you...
The palms of "hosanna"!
The palms of this "day of acceptance" of our Lord.
Are woven into the cross of rejection.
And yet, it is an empty cross - this cross you hold - a cross which bespeaks resurrection. - cross which bespeaks forgiveness.
It is a very holy mystery - this cross that you hold - this cross upon which Jesus died.
It is a mystery which the crowd can never quite accept. A mystery which you and I cannot truly understand. - but which, when we accept it in faith - in our heart of hearts turns earthly despair into heavenly triumph.
Hosanna - Jesus! Hosanna - in the brief moment of earthly acclaim. Hosanna, and may God your Father give you strength for what is to come. Hosanna, blessed are you who have come in the name of the Lord to save and deliver your people. Blessed be your name - now and forevermore. Hosanna in the highest heaven. Amen
Josh. 22:5
"But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul" Josh. 22:5
Sometimes the obvious is the most difficult to see. Sherlock Holmes often found the convicting evidence where no one else bothered to look, right out in the open. In "The Case of the Purloined Letter" Holmes found the missing document in plain site but overlooked through numerous searches by Scotland Yard.
The question often asked by Christians is, "Why am I here? Why did God create me?" We struggle with that question from the time we first realize that God has a purpose and plan for our lives. In my case that question came when I was a teenager. For others, the question was asked at a much later stage in life because they came to the Lord much later than I. Still, no matter when we come to Jesus, we all eventually ask the question in one form or another.
So, when did I find the answer, you may be asking. I found it a few years ago when I realized that my mission, my purpose, my reason for existing is the same as yours. Joshua summarized it in a very simple way in today's verse. Read it again.
Why am I here? Why are you here? What are we to do with our lives? We are to love God, walk in His ways, keep His commandments, cling to Him and serve Him with all that we have. Sherlock, move over. Joshua has announced the question that all mankind has been asking for thousands of years. And that answer is as obvious... now... as was the stolen letter to Mr. Holmes.
Ah, but there must be more to it than that! There's not. That is God's plan. In its very simplicity, it is very complicated, not that God makes it so. It is our interpretation that makes it so difficult. Amen and Amen.
Sometimes the obvious is the most difficult to see. Sherlock Holmes often found the convicting evidence where no one else bothered to look, right out in the open. In "The Case of the Purloined Letter" Holmes found the missing document in plain site but overlooked through numerous searches by Scotland Yard.
The question often asked by Christians is, "Why am I here? Why did God create me?" We struggle with that question from the time we first realize that God has a purpose and plan for our lives. In my case that question came when I was a teenager. For others, the question was asked at a much later stage in life because they came to the Lord much later than I. Still, no matter when we come to Jesus, we all eventually ask the question in one form or another.
So, when did I find the answer, you may be asking. I found it a few years ago when I realized that my mission, my purpose, my reason for existing is the same as yours. Joshua summarized it in a very simple way in today's verse. Read it again.
Why am I here? Why are you here? What are we to do with our lives? We are to love God, walk in His ways, keep His commandments, cling to Him and serve Him with all that we have. Sherlock, move over. Joshua has announced the question that all mankind has been asking for thousands of years. And that answer is as obvious... now... as was the stolen letter to Mr. Holmes.
Ah, but there must be more to it than that! There's not. That is God's plan. In its very simplicity, it is very complicated, not that God makes it so. It is our interpretation that makes it so difficult. Amen and Amen.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Luke 10:27-28
"So he answered and said, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live" Luke 10:27-28
A friend of mine had two dogs, German Shepherds, one male and one female. The female was somewhat docile and easily cowed. The male was rather mean and intimidating. I often visited my friend and became acquainted with his animals. I could learn to love the female; she became friendly. The male and I appeared to be sworn enemies. We never approached anything remotely associated with friendship though he did ignore me after a time. One was loveable because it was loving. The other was respected because of its fierceness but never loved.
I have known children who share the same temperaments of those two German Shepherds. The ones who climb into my lap and make themselves at home are loved. The ones who shriek and hide whenever they look at me are respected as children, but not loved.
Likewise, I have had bosses who share similar characteristics. Some are mean and gruff, growling at every good and bad deed. These are respected and obeyed because they have instilled a sense of fear in me. Others are loved because they truly and honestly care about me as an individual. If my wife is ill, they ask about her. If a son or daughter is to be married, they not only send a nice gift; they attend the wedding. These are loved... because they love.
When it comes to the "love the Lord your God" requirement for believers, we can approach that "loving" with similar attitudes. If we experience God as the Law Giver, an old Man with a white beard who says, "Thou shalt not" and seldom responds, "Yes, My son," then we have a respect for God because He is to be feared.
If we know God as a loving Father... one who is concerned about us and is willing to help us through times of trouble, it will be easier to love Him. We should not fall into the trap of believing that God is a big "Teddy Bear" of a fellow with a fat belly and a ready laugh who has deep pockets and a bag full of "Hershey's Kisses." While God does indeed love us to distraction, He is also a disciplinarian who will apply the "rod of correction" in a spiritual sense in order to keep our souls pure and holy. Still, even then we know that God loves us... and it is easy to love Him in return. It all depends upon our understanding of God.
I pray that you know Him as the benevolent, loving Father that He truly is. After all, He did simplify the law and sent His Spirit to help us obey the one commandment, to love the Lord thy God and love your neighbor as yourself. Amen and Amen.
A friend of mine had two dogs, German Shepherds, one male and one female. The female was somewhat docile and easily cowed. The male was rather mean and intimidating. I often visited my friend and became acquainted with his animals. I could learn to love the female; she became friendly. The male and I appeared to be sworn enemies. We never approached anything remotely associated with friendship though he did ignore me after a time. One was loveable because it was loving. The other was respected because of its fierceness but never loved.
I have known children who share the same temperaments of those two German Shepherds. The ones who climb into my lap and make themselves at home are loved. The ones who shriek and hide whenever they look at me are respected as children, but not loved.
Likewise, I have had bosses who share similar characteristics. Some are mean and gruff, growling at every good and bad deed. These are respected and obeyed because they have instilled a sense of fear in me. Others are loved because they truly and honestly care about me as an individual. If my wife is ill, they ask about her. If a son or daughter is to be married, they not only send a nice gift; they attend the wedding. These are loved... because they love.
When it comes to the "love the Lord your God" requirement for believers, we can approach that "loving" with similar attitudes. If we experience God as the Law Giver, an old Man with a white beard who says, "Thou shalt not" and seldom responds, "Yes, My son," then we have a respect for God because He is to be feared.
If we know God as a loving Father... one who is concerned about us and is willing to help us through times of trouble, it will be easier to love Him. We should not fall into the trap of believing that God is a big "Teddy Bear" of a fellow with a fat belly and a ready laugh who has deep pockets and a bag full of "Hershey's Kisses." While God does indeed love us to distraction, He is also a disciplinarian who will apply the "rod of correction" in a spiritual sense in order to keep our souls pure and holy. Still, even then we know that God loves us... and it is easy to love Him in return. It all depends upon our understanding of God.
I pray that you know Him as the benevolent, loving Father that He truly is. After all, He did simplify the law and sent His Spirit to help us obey the one commandment, to love the Lord thy God and love your neighbor as yourself. Amen and Amen.
Matt 21:22
"And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matt 21:22
This verse is not a guarantee that we can get 'anything' we want simply by asking Jesus and believing. God does not grant requests that would hurt us or others or that would violate his own nature or will. Jesus' statement is not a blank check. To be fulfilled, our requests must be in harmony with the principles of God's kingdom. The stronger our belief, the more likely our prayers will be in line with God's will, and then God will be happy to grant them.
Where we get wrong in prayer is that we are so self-willed. We set ourselves to pray for things; we vow to sit up all night to bring God round to our way of thinking; we use strong crying's, tears, and protestations... And then we are surprised if the fig-tree does not wither, or the
mountain remove.
Where are we wrong?... There is too much of self and the energy of the flesh in all this. We can only believe for a thing when we are in such union with God that his thought and purpose can freely flow into us, suggesting what we should pray for, and leading us to that point in which there is a perfect sympathy and understanding between us and the divine mind....
Then the Spirit will lead you to ask what is in the will of God to give, and you will know instantly that the Spirit intercedes within you according to the will of God. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
This verse is not a guarantee that we can get 'anything' we want simply by asking Jesus and believing. God does not grant requests that would hurt us or others or that would violate his own nature or will. Jesus' statement is not a blank check. To be fulfilled, our requests must be in harmony with the principles of God's kingdom. The stronger our belief, the more likely our prayers will be in line with God's will, and then God will be happy to grant them.
Where we get wrong in prayer is that we are so self-willed. We set ourselves to pray for things; we vow to sit up all night to bring God round to our way of thinking; we use strong crying's, tears, and protestations... And then we are surprised if the fig-tree does not wither, or the
mountain remove.
Where are we wrong?... There is too much of self and the energy of the flesh in all this. We can only believe for a thing when we are in such union with God that his thought and purpose can freely flow into us, suggesting what we should pray for, and leading us to that point in which there is a perfect sympathy and understanding between us and the divine mind....
Then the Spirit will lead you to ask what is in the will of God to give, and you will know instantly that the Spirit intercedes within you according to the will of God. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Ex. 33:18
"And he said, "Please, show me Your glory." Ex. 33:18
Ah! Now it will happen. We shall have an eyewitness and know what God looks like. Moses has the boldness, the confidence, the perfection necessary to actually see God's face. Praise the Lord of Moses. We shall vicariously experience the viewing of GOD!
What's that? Uh, Moses didn't see God's face? Oh, that's right. God told Him that no man could see His face and live! Still, God wanted to honor Moses' request. So, He told Moses that when His glory marched by, He would put Moses in the cleft of a rock and put His hand over Moses to protect him. Then, after the glory of the Lord had passed, God would take His hand away and Moses could see the back of God. Ah! That's the story. So we won't get to see God's face, but we can have a report on what the back of God looks like!
Let's have it! Bring it on! Uh, Moses doesn't say a thing about it? Why? There must not have been that much to write about. But this is assured: Moses was transformed. How do we know? Read on. "It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses' hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him." (Ex.34:29) Moses' face shown with the glory of God! He had a total visual transformation! Incredible!
I have observed people who, before their salvation were torn and twisted with the stresses of life. After their salvation, their physical features relaxed and the inner beauty that now dwelt within them showed through the outer shell. This, too, is a transformation - a physical transformation. We all know of someone who has been healed by the hand of God after the doctors said there was no hope. They have been transformed by the glory of God.
You and I may or may not have had such a physical transformation, but we have certainly had a transformation of the inner being. Where once we were dead in spirit, driven to destruction by the sins we had committed, we were cleansed and made alive. Our cinder-black, burned out souls were recreated and given new life by the breath of God - His Holy Spirit Am I right? Yes, I hear those shouts of "Amen!"
Moses continued to wear the veil in front of the people of Israel. At first it was because the glory shown so bright on him that the people were frightened. Later, according to Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:13, he wore the veil to keep the people from seeing that the physical manifestation of God's glory was fading. Paul continues by telling us that this should not be our experience. Our features should show the glory - and that glory should intensify as we draw ever closer to the Father. Paul says the veil is taken away from us because the world needs to see Jesus, God the Son, in us! And what is the glory of the Father? Remember what His very essence is? That's right. Love.
Let's God's love shine in and through you every day. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Ah! Now it will happen. We shall have an eyewitness and know what God looks like. Moses has the boldness, the confidence, the perfection necessary to actually see God's face. Praise the Lord of Moses. We shall vicariously experience the viewing of GOD!
What's that? Uh, Moses didn't see God's face? Oh, that's right. God told Him that no man could see His face and live! Still, God wanted to honor Moses' request. So, He told Moses that when His glory marched by, He would put Moses in the cleft of a rock and put His hand over Moses to protect him. Then, after the glory of the Lord had passed, God would take His hand away and Moses could see the back of God. Ah! That's the story. So we won't get to see God's face, but we can have a report on what the back of God looks like!
Let's have it! Bring it on! Uh, Moses doesn't say a thing about it? Why? There must not have been that much to write about. But this is assured: Moses was transformed. How do we know? Read on. "It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses' hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him." (Ex.34:29) Moses' face shown with the glory of God! He had a total visual transformation! Incredible!
I have observed people who, before their salvation were torn and twisted with the stresses of life. After their salvation, their physical features relaxed and the inner beauty that now dwelt within them showed through the outer shell. This, too, is a transformation - a physical transformation. We all know of someone who has been healed by the hand of God after the doctors said there was no hope. They have been transformed by the glory of God.
You and I may or may not have had such a physical transformation, but we have certainly had a transformation of the inner being. Where once we were dead in spirit, driven to destruction by the sins we had committed, we were cleansed and made alive. Our cinder-black, burned out souls were recreated and given new life by the breath of God - His Holy Spirit Am I right? Yes, I hear those shouts of "Amen!"
Moses continued to wear the veil in front of the people of Israel. At first it was because the glory shown so bright on him that the people were frightened. Later, according to Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:13, he wore the veil to keep the people from seeing that the physical manifestation of God's glory was fading. Paul continues by telling us that this should not be our experience. Our features should show the glory - and that glory should intensify as we draw ever closer to the Father. Paul says the veil is taken away from us because the world needs to see Jesus, God the Son, in us! And what is the glory of the Father? Remember what His very essence is? That's right. Love.
Let's God's love shine in and through you every day. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Matt 12:15
"But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all" Matt 12:15
If anyone could have boasted, it would be Jesus. He was the Son of God. He was a miracle worker. He could produce gold out of the mouth of a fish. He could raise the dead. It seems that there was nothing that He couldn't do. And all of this is true. Still, when it came to a point when He could boast, He told everyone to keep His story a secret.
He could have aroused the crowds into a rebellious frenzy. He could have commanded a legion of angels to prepare the way. If a follower were killed, He could have brought them back to life - He could have lead an undefeatable army! Supply lines - no problem. He could have spoken quality food into existence to feed His soldiers.
The people would have followed Him anywhere. They already followed Him into the wilderness - without food, water, or provisions. They knew He would take care of them. They would have followed Him into the very throne room of the Caesars! He was that popular.
But, in all humility He preferred to remain in the background. I can't recall a single time that He boasted upon Himself. Oh, He boasted alright. He boasted on His Father. He was proud of the Word. He loved the Temple, the House of God. But He never presented Himself in a proud manner.
Now, I, on the other hand, would have done just the opposite. If I could perform a miracle, I would want someone to take note. If I had a following like Jesus, I would want to promote it. If I could turn water into wine, I would want to bottle it. If I could multiply the loaves, or heal the sick, or raise the dead, I would be disappointed if my picture was not on the cover of Time Magazine's "Man of the Year" edition. I would try to parlay it into a Nobel Peace Prize.
Don't laugh! You can't tell me that you would desire anything less. All of this leads me to think, "Pastor Edwin, you have a long way to go before you look like, walk like, talk like, and act like Jesus." How true. How about you? Praise God, Amen and Amen.
If anyone could have boasted, it would be Jesus. He was the Son of God. He was a miracle worker. He could produce gold out of the mouth of a fish. He could raise the dead. It seems that there was nothing that He couldn't do. And all of this is true. Still, when it came to a point when He could boast, He told everyone to keep His story a secret.
He could have aroused the crowds into a rebellious frenzy. He could have commanded a legion of angels to prepare the way. If a follower were killed, He could have brought them back to life - He could have lead an undefeatable army! Supply lines - no problem. He could have spoken quality food into existence to feed His soldiers.
The people would have followed Him anywhere. They already followed Him into the wilderness - without food, water, or provisions. They knew He would take care of them. They would have followed Him into the very throne room of the Caesars! He was that popular.
But, in all humility He preferred to remain in the background. I can't recall a single time that He boasted upon Himself. Oh, He boasted alright. He boasted on His Father. He was proud of the Word. He loved the Temple, the House of God. But He never presented Himself in a proud manner.
Now, I, on the other hand, would have done just the opposite. If I could perform a miracle, I would want someone to take note. If I had a following like Jesus, I would want to promote it. If I could turn water into wine, I would want to bottle it. If I could multiply the loaves, or heal the sick, or raise the dead, I would be disappointed if my picture was not on the cover of Time Magazine's "Man of the Year" edition. I would try to parlay it into a Nobel Peace Prize.
Don't laugh! You can't tell me that you would desire anything less. All of this leads me to think, "Pastor Edwin, you have a long way to go before you look like, walk like, talk like, and act like Jesus." How true. How about you? Praise God, Amen and Amen.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Gen. 21:17
"And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, "What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is" Gen. 21:17
OK. Hagar had made her own bed. Now she was sleeping in it. For years she had been rubbing her fertility in Sarah's face. Ever since Sarah had her child, Hagar had been making life miserable for both, and her son Ishmael had been doing the same. Now they were outcasts from the family they had loved and been loved in. While she probably knew that a righteous judgment had come upon her, she was never the less saddened and heartbroken by her situation. It was bleak. It seemed that death was eminent. They had neither water nor food. Starvation was not the true enemy. Hagar knew without the water, food was useless. She did what any good woman would do, she cried out to God, if there was a God as Abraham had taught her.
Ishmael was crying in the wilderness; Hagar had given up, and God spoke through an angel in the midst of her turmoil asking, "What is the matter with you, Hagar?" I can just hear the voice in Hagar's mind shouting, "Here I am in the desert without water and food. My son is dehydrating, even faster not that he is crying. We are going to die out here and there is not even anyone to give us a proper burial. What do you think is wrong? If you are truly from God, you know full well what is wrong!" But, there is no record that she spoke those obvious words. It appears she remained silent. The angel continued, "Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is."
Have you ever asked a "stupid question"? You know, the one you wished you could take back. We all have, usually in the most embarrassing possible setting. What do you think when it appears that God is asking you a stupid question? Do you respond like my imaginary Hagar conversation? All to often we do. Hagar was probably silent because women were not allowed to speak in public to men. That didn't keep her from thinking. We are freer in our society. Most of us don't think twice when an authority figure approaches us. We are of the nature that we will speak our minds. I went to a meeting the other night where people were supposed to submit questions on paper. In the midst of an explanation, a woman stood up and rebelliously spoke her mind, and not in a very pretty tone of voice either. That is just the way human beings are. If we heard the audible voice of God ask us, "What is the matter?" We would be likely to give God a few choice words before we allowed Him to respond, especially if the problem was as obvious as Hagar's.
But God IS asking us, "What is the matter?" He asks us constantly. Not because He doesn't know, but because He wants us to respond. People have an independent spirit, however, in spite of our independence, or perhaps because of it, we are often in trouble. We say a cross word to the boss. We are in trouble. We pass on a bit of juicy gossip that is flat out false; it gets back to the object of the wagging tongue. We are in trouble. We are late for work and exceed the speed limit through a radar trap. We are in trouble. We say something derogatory in class. We are in trouble. So let's stop the cycle.
When God asks you, "What is the matter?" Will you be honest? Or will you be sharp and nasty? God never asks a question He doesn't want the answer to. What will you say? "I hurt." "I have failed and I feel so bad." "I have made some serious mistakes and my wife hates me." When God asks, be honest. He knows what the problem is. He just wants you to express it in your own words. Then He can resolve the difficulty. Amen and Amen.
OK. Hagar had made her own bed. Now she was sleeping in it. For years she had been rubbing her fertility in Sarah's face. Ever since Sarah had her child, Hagar had been making life miserable for both, and her son Ishmael had been doing the same. Now they were outcasts from the family they had loved and been loved in. While she probably knew that a righteous judgment had come upon her, she was never the less saddened and heartbroken by her situation. It was bleak. It seemed that death was eminent. They had neither water nor food. Starvation was not the true enemy. Hagar knew without the water, food was useless. She did what any good woman would do, she cried out to God, if there was a God as Abraham had taught her.
Ishmael was crying in the wilderness; Hagar had given up, and God spoke through an angel in the midst of her turmoil asking, "What is the matter with you, Hagar?" I can just hear the voice in Hagar's mind shouting, "Here I am in the desert without water and food. My son is dehydrating, even faster not that he is crying. We are going to die out here and there is not even anyone to give us a proper burial. What do you think is wrong? If you are truly from God, you know full well what is wrong!" But, there is no record that she spoke those obvious words. It appears she remained silent. The angel continued, "Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is."
Have you ever asked a "stupid question"? You know, the one you wished you could take back. We all have, usually in the most embarrassing possible setting. What do you think when it appears that God is asking you a stupid question? Do you respond like my imaginary Hagar conversation? All to often we do. Hagar was probably silent because women were not allowed to speak in public to men. That didn't keep her from thinking. We are freer in our society. Most of us don't think twice when an authority figure approaches us. We are of the nature that we will speak our minds. I went to a meeting the other night where people were supposed to submit questions on paper. In the midst of an explanation, a woman stood up and rebelliously spoke her mind, and not in a very pretty tone of voice either. That is just the way human beings are. If we heard the audible voice of God ask us, "What is the matter?" We would be likely to give God a few choice words before we allowed Him to respond, especially if the problem was as obvious as Hagar's.
But God IS asking us, "What is the matter?" He asks us constantly. Not because He doesn't know, but because He wants us to respond. People have an independent spirit, however, in spite of our independence, or perhaps because of it, we are often in trouble. We say a cross word to the boss. We are in trouble. We pass on a bit of juicy gossip that is flat out false; it gets back to the object of the wagging tongue. We are in trouble. We are late for work and exceed the speed limit through a radar trap. We are in trouble. We say something derogatory in class. We are in trouble. So let's stop the cycle.
When God asks you, "What is the matter?" Will you be honest? Or will you be sharp and nasty? God never asks a question He doesn't want the answer to. What will you say? "I hurt." "I have failed and I feel so bad." "I have made some serious mistakes and my wife hates me." When God asks, be honest. He knows what the problem is. He just wants you to express it in your own words. Then He can resolve the difficulty. Amen and Amen.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45
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.
It would be interesting to poll this congregation and ask - what do you think is the hardest problem to handle in the Christian life???
Your answer might be different than mine.
For me, the hardest problem I have to handle as a Christian is what to do when God does not do what I have been taught to expect him to do; when God gets out of line and does not act the way I think he ought.
We have an occasion like that in the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
John introduces this last of the great miracles of Jesus in chapter 11 in these words:
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying "Lord, he whom you love is ill."
When the message reached Jesus, this was his remarkable response:
"This illness is not unto death, but it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it."
The remarkable thing about that is, if you carefully check out the schedule of timing of this event, Lazarus was already dead when the message reached Jesus. It took two days for the messenger to get to the Jordan, so when Jesus returned to Bethany, Lazarus had been dead four days.
It is difficult for us to believe that Jesus did not know that because of the insight that the Spirit of God had given him on numerous occasions. But he sees this as a signal from the Father that something tremendous is going to happen in connection with it, thus he sent back this remarkable word: "This illness is not unto death."
In verses 5 and 6 we get the real shocker here, however when we read:
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was ill... he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
That is incredible to us. That is the part of the story which is hard to handle.
Martha loved Jesus; Mary loved Jesus; Lazarus loved Jesus; and Jesus loved them. From the record of scripture we know that their home was filled with love and that it was one of the most welcome havens for our Lord during his three years of ministry.
But when Jesus hears that Lazarus is sick - what does he do?? He waits.
It is a tough thing to believe that Jesus deliberately waited. We are so used to critical illness being a signal for immediate action - wailing sirens, flashing red lights, frantic phone calls - get right down to the hospital, that it seems incredible that Jesus, knowing that his friend was ill, or in this case dead, nevertheless stayed right where he was for two
more days.
Somebody may well say,
"If he knew Lazarus was dead why would he hurry? There was nothing he could do."
But remember Mary and Martha's hearts were breaking. This was a dearly loved brother, and his death would be a grievous loss to them. Jesus' presence with them would have been a tremendous comfort even though he never did a thing about raising Lazarus from the dead.
Yet, knowing that they needed him there to comfort them, - knowing that they longed to have him there to the point that they sent a messenger to let him know the situation, he deliberately remained two days longer at the place where he was.
Why?
That is the question we all ask.
Why?
When you have gone to God for help which you feel you desperately need and nothing happens, when your heart is breaking over something and you need God to intervene, but the heavens are silent, it is tough to understand, tough to accept, tough to get any kind of grip on.
But what this passage is telling us is that a delay in answer like that is not a sign of God's indifference or his failure to hear. It is a sign of his love. The delay will help us. It is for our sake. And it is so that Christ may be glorified through it.
Jesus deliberately delayed going to Mary and Martha because he loved them and knew this would strengthen their faith as they learned the ultimate outcome which God would work through Him.
That is a hard lesson to accept. I have struggled over this many times myself. But it works - something we expect and long for does not occur and then - bingo - sometime after we think that everything is lost and that there is no hope, God does something remarkable that totally reverses our view.
Think of the reaction in Bethany as the messenger returned with the news that when he told Jesus that Lazarus was ill, Jesus had said, "This illness is not unto death." Yet when the messenger got back with that message Lazarus had already been dead for two days.
What do you think the reaction of his sisters was?
How do you think they felt?
According to the account, two days later Jesus acts. He says to his disciples
"Let us go back Judea... Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up."
The disciples, who had every reason to believe that if they returned to Judea that Jesus would be stoned to death, protest, saying:
"Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."
To which Jesus replies
"Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe"
Notice that Jesus says he was glad he was not there when Lazarus died, "for the sake of the disciples."
Just as Jesus delayed his going for Mary and Martha's sake in order that their faith might be strengthened by that delay, so that they might see His glory in it what will happen because of it. So he delayed as well for the sake of his disciples that they might believe.
I want to tell you there have been times when I have cried out to God for help and said, "Things are so bad it can't get any worse. Lord, do something. Help us." But no answer came. That is hard. It is hard to believe. It is hard to wait.
But I am gradually learning that this is never the end of the story, gradually learning what God said so clearly through the prophet Isaiah, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways."
That is what is so difficult. God is sovereign. God is not a mortal that he should act like we act. There are dimensions of the problems which he sees that we do not and cannot remotely imagine. There are possibilities and opportunities in every situation that we cannot conceive of.
So we must wait and quietly trust, knowing that he is working out something.
"Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe"
As we go in the story, as Jesus arrives at the outskirts of Bethany - we see that Martha greets Jesus with a phrase that must have been frequently on all of their lips when Lazarus was sick.
How many times must they have said, "Oh, if Jesus were only here." They had said it so many times that it comes automatically to Martha's lips when she meets him: "Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died."
I do not believe this is a word of reproach.
Martha is not saying, "Lord, why didn't you come sooner? We sent for you. If you had responded we wouldn't be in this pickle." It is clear from the account, that she realizes that the message did not reach him until Lazarus was dead. Martha's word rather is one of regret: "Lord, I wish you could have been here, because if you had, my brother would not have died."
Then she goes on to say, "But even now, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will give it to you."
Many ask at this point, "What does she expect? What is it that she wants from him?" Some commentators say that she really did expect Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead, pointing to her words, "Even now."
These commentators miss the point because, of course, the very next word of Jesus is, "Your brother will rise again."
If Martha had any idea that would happen then, she would have said, "How wonderful, Lord! That is exactly what I expected you to do now that you have come."
But she does not say that. What she says is, "Yes, I know. He will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
Clearly Martha is not looking for the immediate resurrection of her brother. What, then, is she looking for from Jesus? What does she mean by the words, "Even now, whatever you ask of God, God will give it to you?"
We have to conclude that she is looking for his comfort, for the release that God can give to a heart that is burdened and saddened, torn with grief, anticipating the loneliness and emptiness of the days ahead. God can give marvellous inward peace. Many have testified to that. This is what Martha is asking for, "Even now, Lord, even though he is gone..."
There is so much God can give us at a time like this. As we listen to the story we can see that Martha's faith is like the faith we so often have. She believes in what she thinks will happen now and then later, rather than in what God might make happen whenever God decides to make it happen.
How many times have you said to yourself, "I know God has worked in the past, and I know that he will work again in the future, but today, well, this is not the day of miracles..."
This is Martha's faith: in the future, at the resurrection of the last day, yes, the program of God is certain. But for today - well - that is a different matter.
The same thing can be said of Mary - who greets Jesus with the same words that Martha used: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.".
Neither Martha, nor Mary, nor any of those who accompany her to the grave side - nor the disciples expect what happens next. They do not even hope for it.
How often are we in the same position with regard to the Lord's work in our lives?
In our brokenness - in our experience of grief - in our despair- we weep, as Mary wept - we weep and we expect nothing - nothing but heartache for today and for as long as we live and breath..
Jesus wept too - It says that Jesus asked where they had laid Lazarus, and as he started out to the tomb, that "he wept".
He weeps not because he loves Lazarus - not because Lazarus has died - for he knows what he is about to do -- he weeps because Mary weeps. He weeps because he is sharing the heartache of the sisters - because he sympathizes with them in their pain..
I read once of a little girl who hurt her finger, and she ran to her daddy, who was busy studying for an exam in his den. She showed him her finger, but he was so caught up in what he was doing he just looked at it and said, "Oh, that will be all right," and sent her on out. She ran to her mother, weeping and crying, and her mother said, "Oh, dear, does it hurt so much?" The little girl said, "No, mommy, it's just that daddy didn't even say, 'Oh.'" That is what she wanted, somebody to say "Oh" with her.
In Romans 12, Paul tells us to "weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice." Here our Lord himself sets the example of this. Knowing that he is going to turn it all around, he yet feels the sorrow of their hearts and weeps.
Now we come to the actual miracle.
Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odour, for he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone."
Notice how he answers. He does not rebuke her, he encourages her in the words, "Remember what I said." "Did I not say to you that 'if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"
Then Jesus turns to do the great deed. He begins with a simple prayer.
And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
Notice the many times in this account that what Jesus did he did for the sake of the ones involved.
Earlier he said to the disciples, "I am glad I was not there for your sake. He stayed two days where he was when the message reached him "because he loved Mary and Martha." Now he prays out loud for the sake of the people there.
When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. And Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
What does this miracle say to us this morning?
One answer to that is given by the apostle Paul in his Second Letter to Timothy. Timothy was a young man who was left in the pagan city of Ephesus. He had to struggle to live as a Christian in that polluted, pagan environment, just as we have to today in our society here in Hong Kong. He was sometimes discouraged, sometimes defeated, facing many problems. He was a little afraid. He was frail of health.
What were Paul's words to him?
"Remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead. Remember Jesus right where you are. Remember he is with you."
This is his word. He is with you.
He knows how to handle the situation you are in.
He knows how to lead you through it, he can - and in fact will even raise the dead.
He can do anything.
Focus your faith on him, not on the solution to the problem or the eventual working out of it.
Trust in him, despite the delays - turn to him, knowing that he is able - and knowing that whatever illness may strike, with him it is never an illness unto death - rather it may well be the pathway to new life.
Blessed be God, day by day. Amen.
It would be interesting to poll this congregation and ask - what do you think is the hardest problem to handle in the Christian life???
Your answer might be different than mine.
For me, the hardest problem I have to handle as a Christian is what to do when God does not do what I have been taught to expect him to do; when God gets out of line and does not act the way I think he ought.
We have an occasion like that in the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
John introduces this last of the great miracles of Jesus in chapter 11 in these words:
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying "Lord, he whom you love is ill."
When the message reached Jesus, this was his remarkable response:
"This illness is not unto death, but it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it."
The remarkable thing about that is, if you carefully check out the schedule of timing of this event, Lazarus was already dead when the message reached Jesus. It took two days for the messenger to get to the Jordan, so when Jesus returned to Bethany, Lazarus had been dead four days.
It is difficult for us to believe that Jesus did not know that because of the insight that the Spirit of God had given him on numerous occasions. But he sees this as a signal from the Father that something tremendous is going to happen in connection with it, thus he sent back this remarkable word: "This illness is not unto death."
In verses 5 and 6 we get the real shocker here, however when we read:
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was ill... he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
That is incredible to us. That is the part of the story which is hard to handle.
Martha loved Jesus; Mary loved Jesus; Lazarus loved Jesus; and Jesus loved them. From the record of scripture we know that their home was filled with love and that it was one of the most welcome havens for our Lord during his three years of ministry.
But when Jesus hears that Lazarus is sick - what does he do?? He waits.
It is a tough thing to believe that Jesus deliberately waited. We are so used to critical illness being a signal for immediate action - wailing sirens, flashing red lights, frantic phone calls - get right down to the hospital, that it seems incredible that Jesus, knowing that his friend was ill, or in this case dead, nevertheless stayed right where he was for two
more days.
Somebody may well say,
"If he knew Lazarus was dead why would he hurry? There was nothing he could do."
But remember Mary and Martha's hearts were breaking. This was a dearly loved brother, and his death would be a grievous loss to them. Jesus' presence with them would have been a tremendous comfort even though he never did a thing about raising Lazarus from the dead.
Yet, knowing that they needed him there to comfort them, - knowing that they longed to have him there to the point that they sent a messenger to let him know the situation, he deliberately remained two days longer at the place where he was.
Why?
That is the question we all ask.
Why?
When you have gone to God for help which you feel you desperately need and nothing happens, when your heart is breaking over something and you need God to intervene, but the heavens are silent, it is tough to understand, tough to accept, tough to get any kind of grip on.
But what this passage is telling us is that a delay in answer like that is not a sign of God's indifference or his failure to hear. It is a sign of his love. The delay will help us. It is for our sake. And it is so that Christ may be glorified through it.
Jesus deliberately delayed going to Mary and Martha because he loved them and knew this would strengthen their faith as they learned the ultimate outcome which God would work through Him.
That is a hard lesson to accept. I have struggled over this many times myself. But it works - something we expect and long for does not occur and then - bingo - sometime after we think that everything is lost and that there is no hope, God does something remarkable that totally reverses our view.
Think of the reaction in Bethany as the messenger returned with the news that when he told Jesus that Lazarus was ill, Jesus had said, "This illness is not unto death." Yet when the messenger got back with that message Lazarus had already been dead for two days.
What do you think the reaction of his sisters was?
How do you think they felt?
According to the account, two days later Jesus acts. He says to his disciples
"Let us go back Judea... Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up."
The disciples, who had every reason to believe that if they returned to Judea that Jesus would be stoned to death, protest, saying:
"Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."
To which Jesus replies
"Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe"
Notice that Jesus says he was glad he was not there when Lazarus died, "for the sake of the disciples."
Just as Jesus delayed his going for Mary and Martha's sake in order that their faith might be strengthened by that delay, so that they might see His glory in it what will happen because of it. So he delayed as well for the sake of his disciples that they might believe.
I want to tell you there have been times when I have cried out to God for help and said, "Things are so bad it can't get any worse. Lord, do something. Help us." But no answer came. That is hard. It is hard to believe. It is hard to wait.
But I am gradually learning that this is never the end of the story, gradually learning what God said so clearly through the prophet Isaiah, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways."
That is what is so difficult. God is sovereign. God is not a mortal that he should act like we act. There are dimensions of the problems which he sees that we do not and cannot remotely imagine. There are possibilities and opportunities in every situation that we cannot conceive of.
So we must wait and quietly trust, knowing that he is working out something.
"Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe"
As we go in the story, as Jesus arrives at the outskirts of Bethany - we see that Martha greets Jesus with a phrase that must have been frequently on all of their lips when Lazarus was sick.
How many times must they have said, "Oh, if Jesus were only here." They had said it so many times that it comes automatically to Martha's lips when she meets him: "Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died."
I do not believe this is a word of reproach.
Martha is not saying, "Lord, why didn't you come sooner? We sent for you. If you had responded we wouldn't be in this pickle." It is clear from the account, that she realizes that the message did not reach him until Lazarus was dead. Martha's word rather is one of regret: "Lord, I wish you could have been here, because if you had, my brother would not have died."
Then she goes on to say, "But even now, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will give it to you."
Many ask at this point, "What does she expect? What is it that she wants from him?" Some commentators say that she really did expect Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead, pointing to her words, "Even now."
These commentators miss the point because, of course, the very next word of Jesus is, "Your brother will rise again."
If Martha had any idea that would happen then, she would have said, "How wonderful, Lord! That is exactly what I expected you to do now that you have come."
But she does not say that. What she says is, "Yes, I know. He will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
Clearly Martha is not looking for the immediate resurrection of her brother. What, then, is she looking for from Jesus? What does she mean by the words, "Even now, whatever you ask of God, God will give it to you?"
We have to conclude that she is looking for his comfort, for the release that God can give to a heart that is burdened and saddened, torn with grief, anticipating the loneliness and emptiness of the days ahead. God can give marvellous inward peace. Many have testified to that. This is what Martha is asking for, "Even now, Lord, even though he is gone..."
There is so much God can give us at a time like this. As we listen to the story we can see that Martha's faith is like the faith we so often have. She believes in what she thinks will happen now and then later, rather than in what God might make happen whenever God decides to make it happen.
How many times have you said to yourself, "I know God has worked in the past, and I know that he will work again in the future, but today, well, this is not the day of miracles..."
This is Martha's faith: in the future, at the resurrection of the last day, yes, the program of God is certain. But for today - well - that is a different matter.
The same thing can be said of Mary - who greets Jesus with the same words that Martha used: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.".
Neither Martha, nor Mary, nor any of those who accompany her to the grave side - nor the disciples expect what happens next. They do not even hope for it.
How often are we in the same position with regard to the Lord's work in our lives?
In our brokenness - in our experience of grief - in our despair- we weep, as Mary wept - we weep and we expect nothing - nothing but heartache for today and for as long as we live and breath..
Jesus wept too - It says that Jesus asked where they had laid Lazarus, and as he started out to the tomb, that "he wept".
He weeps not because he loves Lazarus - not because Lazarus has died - for he knows what he is about to do -- he weeps because Mary weeps. He weeps because he is sharing the heartache of the sisters - because he sympathizes with them in their pain..
I read once of a little girl who hurt her finger, and she ran to her daddy, who was busy studying for an exam in his den. She showed him her finger, but he was so caught up in what he was doing he just looked at it and said, "Oh, that will be all right," and sent her on out. She ran to her mother, weeping and crying, and her mother said, "Oh, dear, does it hurt so much?" The little girl said, "No, mommy, it's just that daddy didn't even say, 'Oh.'" That is what she wanted, somebody to say "Oh" with her.
In Romans 12, Paul tells us to "weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice." Here our Lord himself sets the example of this. Knowing that he is going to turn it all around, he yet feels the sorrow of their hearts and weeps.
Now we come to the actual miracle.
Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odour, for he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone."
Notice how he answers. He does not rebuke her, he encourages her in the words, "Remember what I said." "Did I not say to you that 'if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"
Then Jesus turns to do the great deed. He begins with a simple prayer.
And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
Notice the many times in this account that what Jesus did he did for the sake of the ones involved.
Earlier he said to the disciples, "I am glad I was not there for your sake. He stayed two days where he was when the message reached him "because he loved Mary and Martha." Now he prays out loud for the sake of the people there.
When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. And Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
What does this miracle say to us this morning?
One answer to that is given by the apostle Paul in his Second Letter to Timothy. Timothy was a young man who was left in the pagan city of Ephesus. He had to struggle to live as a Christian in that polluted, pagan environment, just as we have to today in our society here in Hong Kong. He was sometimes discouraged, sometimes defeated, facing many problems. He was a little afraid. He was frail of health.
What were Paul's words to him?
"Remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead. Remember Jesus right where you are. Remember he is with you."
This is his word. He is with you.
He knows how to handle the situation you are in.
He knows how to lead you through it, he can - and in fact will even raise the dead.
He can do anything.
Focus your faith on him, not on the solution to the problem or the eventual working out of it.
Trust in him, despite the delays - turn to him, knowing that he is able - and knowing that whatever illness may strike, with him it is never an illness unto death - rather it may well be the pathway to new life.
Blessed be God, day by day. Amen.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Matt. 8:29
"And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" Matt. 8:29
Some questions come out of curiosity. A little girl is looking at a bug. "Mommy, why do bugs have wings? Why is the worm fuzzy? Why did God create mosquitoes?" I have to admit, that last one has bugged me, too.
Other questions come out of rebellion. Your teenager daughter wants to go to a party. You know that the family hosting the affair is morally suspect, so you say "No." "But, Daddy," she squeals in protest, "everyone of my friends are going. Why can't I?" At this point there is no reasoning in the world that will resolve the conflict. "Because I said so," is the only possible answer. Reason will prevail tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year, well maybe in a decade or two.
A few well-spoken questions arise out of fear. Today's question fits that bill to a "T." "What business do we have with each other?" The demons are speaking to Jesus. They recognize the traveling preacher for who He is, the Son of God. They may have met before on another battleground. More likely, they had seen his mug shot on the bulletin board on the walls of "Demon Post Office Number 5." The label under the unflattering picture said, "SBI (Satan's Bureau of Investigation): MOST WANTED. GREAT REWARD IF YOU CAN TURN HIM. EQUAL REWARD IF YOU BRING HIM IN DEAD." Oh, yes. These fellows knew Jesus. He was no stranger to them.
And they knew something else too. They knew the times and seasons. "Have You come here to torment us before the time?" It would seem that the enemy forces know that there is a time when they will have to admit defeat. There will come a time when they will face the music, and it will not be a sweet tune they dance to. No, there will come a time of great torment for the evil they have done. But that time was not yet. There was, however, a problem. Jesus had met the demoniac of Gadarene. The possessed man was, shall we say, uncomfortable with his ever-present companions. It appears the tormented individual was in deep need of deliverance, and the Son of God was the one to provide it.
I find it strange that the demons and Jesus "negotiate" for a reasonable solution. Jesus was to set the man free. The demons did not want to be sent to Hell where they would be eternally punished. "Hey, there is a herd of swine on the hillside. If you insist on taking away our home, how about sending us there?" Out they came. In they went. And over the cliff ran the swine. Who said pigs were dumb animals. They knew that they did not want to be possessed by these evil beings!
The demoniac sat at Jesus' feet and praised Him for setting him free. He wanted to stay in the presence of Jesus forever. But that time would be delayed for a while. Jesus had a mission for the new child of God, "Stay with your people and tell them what the Son of God has done for you."
You have probably figured out by now that I am going to ask you a question. "What do you and Jesus have to do with each other?" I'm not implying that you are a demon, or a demon- possessed individual. What I do want you to think about is your relationship with the Savior. Are you truly in love with Him? Are you so filled with desire for Him that you would do anything to please Him? Or, are you lukewarm? Has your heart grown attached to the things of this world? Has pleasure and a life of ease dampened the affection you had for the Master? What DO you and Jesus have to do with each other? Amen and Amen.
Some questions come out of curiosity. A little girl is looking at a bug. "Mommy, why do bugs have wings? Why is the worm fuzzy? Why did God create mosquitoes?" I have to admit, that last one has bugged me, too.
Other questions come out of rebellion. Your teenager daughter wants to go to a party. You know that the family hosting the affair is morally suspect, so you say "No." "But, Daddy," she squeals in protest, "everyone of my friends are going. Why can't I?" At this point there is no reasoning in the world that will resolve the conflict. "Because I said so," is the only possible answer. Reason will prevail tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year, well maybe in a decade or two.
A few well-spoken questions arise out of fear. Today's question fits that bill to a "T." "What business do we have with each other?" The demons are speaking to Jesus. They recognize the traveling preacher for who He is, the Son of God. They may have met before on another battleground. More likely, they had seen his mug shot on the bulletin board on the walls of "Demon Post Office Number 5." The label under the unflattering picture said, "SBI (Satan's Bureau of Investigation): MOST WANTED. GREAT REWARD IF YOU CAN TURN HIM. EQUAL REWARD IF YOU BRING HIM IN DEAD." Oh, yes. These fellows knew Jesus. He was no stranger to them.
And they knew something else too. They knew the times and seasons. "Have You come here to torment us before the time?" It would seem that the enemy forces know that there is a time when they will have to admit defeat. There will come a time when they will face the music, and it will not be a sweet tune they dance to. No, there will come a time of great torment for the evil they have done. But that time was not yet. There was, however, a problem. Jesus had met the demoniac of Gadarene. The possessed man was, shall we say, uncomfortable with his ever-present companions. It appears the tormented individual was in deep need of deliverance, and the Son of God was the one to provide it.
I find it strange that the demons and Jesus "negotiate" for a reasonable solution. Jesus was to set the man free. The demons did not want to be sent to Hell where they would be eternally punished. "Hey, there is a herd of swine on the hillside. If you insist on taking away our home, how about sending us there?" Out they came. In they went. And over the cliff ran the swine. Who said pigs were dumb animals. They knew that they did not want to be possessed by these evil beings!
The demoniac sat at Jesus' feet and praised Him for setting him free. He wanted to stay in the presence of Jesus forever. But that time would be delayed for a while. Jesus had a mission for the new child of God, "Stay with your people and tell them what the Son of God has done for you."
You have probably figured out by now that I am going to ask you a question. "What do you and Jesus have to do with each other?" I'm not implying that you are a demon, or a demon- possessed individual. What I do want you to think about is your relationship with the Savior. Are you truly in love with Him? Are you so filled with desire for Him that you would do anything to please Him? Or, are you lukewarm? Has your heart grown attached to the things of this world? Has pleasure and a life of ease dampened the affection you had for the Master? What DO you and Jesus have to do with each other? Amen and Amen.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Gen 19:12
"Then the men said to Lot, "Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, take them out of this place!" Gen 19:12
Questions. We ask them every day. "Where are you going, son? Who will you be with? How long will you be? What are you going to do?" When we ask questions, we expect answers. As we discovered last time, we don't always get the answer we want. Today's verse asks a question and gives an answer, but the answer didn't fit well with the facts of reality.
God had just told Abraham that He, God, was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for the grievous sin of homosexuality (sound familiar?). Both cities were filled with moral, spiritual, and physical filth. It seems that the citizens of these communities were beyond redemption for Abraham had pleaded with God to save the cities if fifty righteous people were found there. Then, not believing himself that there were fifty, he bargained the number to forty-five, then forty, then thirty, and finally twenty. It seems that he might have felt fairly secure at twenty among the thousands of residents of both cities.
When God's angels entered Sodom, they went straight to Lot's house and asked today's question. "Whom else have you here?" True to God's word, the census was taken. Lot was sure he had a significant number. He was asked to lead them all out of the city. The end list was rather dismal. Lot assembled his two daughters, his wife, and himself. Even counting the two angels, the number of righteous in Sodom amounted to six. It is rather obvious that Lot didn't have much to account for during his say in "Sin City." And even what he had was suspect.
The angels lead Lot and his family out of the city leaving them at the city limits. They then instructed the family to flee to the hills and not look back. Suspect family member number one was Lot's wife. We all know that she looked back as the city exploded into flames, and was turned into a pillar of salt. Her heartstrings were attached to the allurement of Sodom. What we often overlook is the remainder of the family members.
For some reason, Lot did not turn to Abraham. He hung out in the hills with his daughters. At some distant point the daughters disparaged every being able to marry and plotted an act every bit as shameful as any of Sodom or Gomorrah. "We're not getting any younger, and we have no hope of ever marrying," said the oldest. "Let's get our father drunk on the nights when we are most fertile and lay with him." This plot they carried out to perfection. Both became pregnant by their father. Suspect family member numbers two and three. Lot didn't have much left. How many were really with Lot? The count is down to one. And what about Lot himself? Even Lot is suspect. Why was he living in the city? He was a shepherd. Is it possible that Lot did not see the green grasses as much as he saw the gleaming lights of Sin City?
How many are with you? Hmmmm. I think I had better take stock of my life. What about you? What are we really living for? Where are we really going? What are we really doing with our lives? Who are we taking with us? Do we want to leave a legacy that matches Lot's, or Abraham's? Amen.
Questions. We ask them every day. "Where are you going, son? Who will you be with? How long will you be? What are you going to do?" When we ask questions, we expect answers. As we discovered last time, we don't always get the answer we want. Today's verse asks a question and gives an answer, but the answer didn't fit well with the facts of reality.
God had just told Abraham that He, God, was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for the grievous sin of homosexuality (sound familiar?). Both cities were filled with moral, spiritual, and physical filth. It seems that the citizens of these communities were beyond redemption for Abraham had pleaded with God to save the cities if fifty righteous people were found there. Then, not believing himself that there were fifty, he bargained the number to forty-five, then forty, then thirty, and finally twenty. It seems that he might have felt fairly secure at twenty among the thousands of residents of both cities.
When God's angels entered Sodom, they went straight to Lot's house and asked today's question. "Whom else have you here?" True to God's word, the census was taken. Lot was sure he had a significant number. He was asked to lead them all out of the city. The end list was rather dismal. Lot assembled his two daughters, his wife, and himself. Even counting the two angels, the number of righteous in Sodom amounted to six. It is rather obvious that Lot didn't have much to account for during his say in "Sin City." And even what he had was suspect.
The angels lead Lot and his family out of the city leaving them at the city limits. They then instructed the family to flee to the hills and not look back. Suspect family member number one was Lot's wife. We all know that she looked back as the city exploded into flames, and was turned into a pillar of salt. Her heartstrings were attached to the allurement of Sodom. What we often overlook is the remainder of the family members.
For some reason, Lot did not turn to Abraham. He hung out in the hills with his daughters. At some distant point the daughters disparaged every being able to marry and plotted an act every bit as shameful as any of Sodom or Gomorrah. "We're not getting any younger, and we have no hope of ever marrying," said the oldest. "Let's get our father drunk on the nights when we are most fertile and lay with him." This plot they carried out to perfection. Both became pregnant by their father. Suspect family member numbers two and three. Lot didn't have much left. How many were really with Lot? The count is down to one. And what about Lot himself? Even Lot is suspect. Why was he living in the city? He was a shepherd. Is it possible that Lot did not see the green grasses as much as he saw the gleaming lights of Sin City?
How many are with you? Hmmmm. I think I had better take stock of my life. What about you? What are we really living for? Where are we really going? What are we really doing with our lives? Who are we taking with us? Do we want to leave a legacy that matches Lot's, or Abraham's? Amen.
Matthew 14.14
And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. Matthew 14.14
One of the most frequent phrases in the gospels is "Jesus being moved with compassion...." I never counted the exact number of times it occurs, but in listening to the Gospels on tape it seems like it appears in almost every chapter. Jesus would be tired and want to rest, then "being moved with compassion" he continued to minister. He would need to eat, but "being moved with compassion" he would feed the 5000 first. He would be going in one direction, but "being moved with compassion" he changed his plans to teach, heal or comfort.
We cannot have the mind of Christ and not be moved with compassion. It is one of the defining characteristics of Jesus life and ministry. In this phrase we see two components to Christ-like compassion. The first is a feeling. The second is an action.
To be compassionate, we must first feel the feelings of others. The pain of my brother or sister, my neighbor, my co-workers, fellow students and others around me must also be my pain. Remember, the image of the body of Christ in I Corinthians 12. If I get up in the middle of the night and stub my toe in the darkness, the rest of my body doesn't just say, "Oh well, that's the toe's problem, let it take care of itself." No! The whole body reacts. The brain coordinates action sending blood to the area to aid healing and raising the temperature in the area. The feet and legs modify how they walk to give the toe some rest. The eyes examine the toe to see if the damage is serious. The fingers hold the toe and test to see if it is broken.
So, it must be in the body of Christ. We must all react to the pain of our brothers and sisters. We also need to extend this compassion to the world at large. A hungry child, an abused wife, a person trapped by addiction, a youth caught up in the deception of a gang, a business executive running to stand still in his business, a teenage girl unmarried and pregnant. We cannot ignore these people, and we must not condemn them. As someone once said, "The only time to look down on anyone is when you are holding out a hand to help them up."
Which brings us to the second component of "being moved with compassion." That component is action. We don't simply need to "feel" compassion for someone then go on our merry way happy that it isn't us. What we need is to put legs to our sympathy. When Jesus was moved with compassion, he got busy. James tells us that if we just say, "Ah it's too bad you are hungry and without clothing, be fed and be clothed" with out doing something about it our Christianity is really no good to that person.
We must not only feel t he pain of others, but we must also do what we can to relieve that pain. So, here are some practical ways to do this. First, pray for the person as you would pray for your own need. Seek the face of God for that person's needs. Second, ask yourself, what do I have that can help this other person. If someone is without food, and you have a well stocked pantry, why not sneak a box of food onto their doorstep, ring the doorbell and slip away. Third, ask yourself, what can I do to help this other person? Sometimes, the easiest thing we have to give is material things, food, clothing, money, etc. It is often harder to give of our time.
If someone is facing an emotional crisis, can you spend a few hours on the telephone with them listening, comforting and praying with them? If someone's car is broken down, can you give them a ride? If someone needs work done around the house while they are recovering from an illness can you donate some time to wash dishes and sweep the floor?
To be like Jesus, we must be "moved with compassion." So, maybe it's time we rolled up our sleeves and got to work. Amen and Amen.
One of the most frequent phrases in the gospels is "Jesus being moved with compassion...." I never counted the exact number of times it occurs, but in listening to the Gospels on tape it seems like it appears in almost every chapter. Jesus would be tired and want to rest, then "being moved with compassion" he continued to minister. He would need to eat, but "being moved with compassion" he would feed the 5000 first. He would be going in one direction, but "being moved with compassion" he changed his plans to teach, heal or comfort.
We cannot have the mind of Christ and not be moved with compassion. It is one of the defining characteristics of Jesus life and ministry. In this phrase we see two components to Christ-like compassion. The first is a feeling. The second is an action.
To be compassionate, we must first feel the feelings of others. The pain of my brother or sister, my neighbor, my co-workers, fellow students and others around me must also be my pain. Remember, the image of the body of Christ in I Corinthians 12. If I get up in the middle of the night and stub my toe in the darkness, the rest of my body doesn't just say, "Oh well, that's the toe's problem, let it take care of itself." No! The whole body reacts. The brain coordinates action sending blood to the area to aid healing and raising the temperature in the area. The feet and legs modify how they walk to give the toe some rest. The eyes examine the toe to see if the damage is serious. The fingers hold the toe and test to see if it is broken.
So, it must be in the body of Christ. We must all react to the pain of our brothers and sisters. We also need to extend this compassion to the world at large. A hungry child, an abused wife, a person trapped by addiction, a youth caught up in the deception of a gang, a business executive running to stand still in his business, a teenage girl unmarried and pregnant. We cannot ignore these people, and we must not condemn them. As someone once said, "The only time to look down on anyone is when you are holding out a hand to help them up."
Which brings us to the second component of "being moved with compassion." That component is action. We don't simply need to "feel" compassion for someone then go on our merry way happy that it isn't us. What we need is to put legs to our sympathy. When Jesus was moved with compassion, he got busy. James tells us that if we just say, "Ah it's too bad you are hungry and without clothing, be fed and be clothed" with out doing something about it our Christianity is really no good to that person.
We must not only feel t he pain of others, but we must also do what we can to relieve that pain. So, here are some practical ways to do this. First, pray for the person as you would pray for your own need. Seek the face of God for that person's needs. Second, ask yourself, what do I have that can help this other person. If someone is without food, and you have a well stocked pantry, why not sneak a box of food onto their doorstep, ring the doorbell and slip away. Third, ask yourself, what can I do to help this other person? Sometimes, the easiest thing we have to give is material things, food, clothing, money, etc. It is often harder to give of our time.
If someone is facing an emotional crisis, can you spend a few hours on the telephone with them listening, comforting and praying with them? If someone's car is broken down, can you give them a ride? If someone needs work done around the house while they are recovering from an illness can you donate some time to wash dishes and sweep the floor?
To be like Jesus, we must be "moved with compassion." So, maybe it's time we rolled up our sleeves and got to work. Amen and Amen.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
I Corinthians 12:18
"But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased" I Corinthians 12:18
I have noticed a disturbing trend among Christians. More and more I hear people say things like, "The church would be better off without so and so" or "Why don't they just leave, we'd all be better off." I've even heard Christians say they wished other people dead. I Pray that they were exaggerating, but still underlying all of this talk is a serious sense that many of us feel we can do without the others.
I hate to be the one to break this to you, but, WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER. We can't just pick and choose who we go through life with and we certainly can't pick and choose who God has decided to put us into fellowship with in the church.
Paul has a wonderful way of putting this into focus in I Corinthians 12:21-26 "And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our un-presentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."
Can you get this picture of one part of the body arguing with the other telling it to leave. What kind of life would we live if that were the case. Likewise, if we are going around thinking that another member of the body of Christ is expendable then we cause the body to suffer and when the body suffers we suffer along with it. I might also add this goes for those who are not yet members of the body. We must never "write off" someone as too bad to be saved. We all need each other. Once we lose sight of that we have lost sight of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who died for us all and not just those we like to have around. Amen and Amen.
I have noticed a disturbing trend among Christians. More and more I hear people say things like, "The church would be better off without so and so" or "Why don't they just leave, we'd all be better off." I've even heard Christians say they wished other people dead. I Pray that they were exaggerating, but still underlying all of this talk is a serious sense that many of us feel we can do without the others.
I hate to be the one to break this to you, but, WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER. We can't just pick and choose who we go through life with and we certainly can't pick and choose who God has decided to put us into fellowship with in the church.
Paul has a wonderful way of putting this into focus in I Corinthians 12:21-26 "And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our un-presentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."
Can you get this picture of one part of the body arguing with the other telling it to leave. What kind of life would we live if that were the case. Likewise, if we are going around thinking that another member of the body of Christ is expendable then we cause the body to suffer and when the body suffers we suffer along with it. I might also add this goes for those who are not yet members of the body. We must never "write off" someone as too bad to be saved. We all need each other. Once we lose sight of that we have lost sight of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who died for us all and not just those we like to have around. Amen and Amen.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
John 1:1-2
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." John 1:1-2
Let's start with the question of who Jesus is. John gives us a rather open, though a bit mystical answer. He calls Jesus "The Word" and tells us that The Word was with God and The Word was God and The Word was in the very beginning. Like I said, John is somewhat mystical or philosophical in his statement. Let's examine his statements one by one.
The Word is Jesus, that is found in verse 14 where John tells us that The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He completes this thought in verse 17 when he simply tells us that Jesus is whom he is talking about. OK. So Jesus is The Word. What does that mean? John tells us that Jesus spoke nothing except what He heard the Father speak (John 5:19). Jesus was therefore the spokesman for the Father, the Living Word of God. With this established, let's move on to the next statement.
The Word was with God. This is important. We have already established that Jesus spoke and did only what the Father told Him to speak. This could indicate a subordinate position, and there are those who argue this point. But they would be wrong. The word "with" indicates a rather close relationship. When a person is "with" someone, the implication is that the person spends considerable time in the presence of that individual. The question is when and where did the person spend time with someone. Fortunately John tells us that as well.
The Word was with God from the very beginning. Depending upon your personal philosophy and understanding of eternity, the beginning may be the beginning of human chronology (the creation) or more literally, from the very beginning of eternity. Either way, that is a long-term relationship. I personally believe that time was created by God "in the beginning" so that you and I would have something to peg events upon. With God, time is totally irrelevant. Since He has always existed, He has no need of time. We, on the other hand, find eternity past or eternity future hard to comprehend, though the latter, eternity future, is an easier concept to grasp than past eternity. We DO seem to ask, "Where did God come from?" But, just in case you are not sure that time alone is sufficient to make Jesus equal with God, read the next statement.
The Word WAS God. Does John mean that the Father and the Son are co-equal? It rather appears that, that is his implication, they are so co-equal that they are literally fused into one being. I rather suspect that indeed the Son, The Word, would know the Father's mind if they are that close!
Let's see what we have established. From the very beginning of eternity God the Father and Jesus the Son, The Word as John calls Him, have been together. We have also established that though they are co-equal, each has a specific responsibility. The Father thinks, the Son speaks, and let's not forget that Genesis 1:1 tells us that the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the chaotic earth. There we have it, the Three-in-One, the Godhead, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Amen.
Let's start with the question of who Jesus is. John gives us a rather open, though a bit mystical answer. He calls Jesus "The Word" and tells us that The Word was with God and The Word was God and The Word was in the very beginning. Like I said, John is somewhat mystical or philosophical in his statement. Let's examine his statements one by one.
The Word is Jesus, that is found in verse 14 where John tells us that The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. He completes this thought in verse 17 when he simply tells us that Jesus is whom he is talking about. OK. So Jesus is The Word. What does that mean? John tells us that Jesus spoke nothing except what He heard the Father speak (John 5:19). Jesus was therefore the spokesman for the Father, the Living Word of God. With this established, let's move on to the next statement.
The Word was with God. This is important. We have already established that Jesus spoke and did only what the Father told Him to speak. This could indicate a subordinate position, and there are those who argue this point. But they would be wrong. The word "with" indicates a rather close relationship. When a person is "with" someone, the implication is that the person spends considerable time in the presence of that individual. The question is when and where did the person spend time with someone. Fortunately John tells us that as well.
The Word was with God from the very beginning. Depending upon your personal philosophy and understanding of eternity, the beginning may be the beginning of human chronology (the creation) or more literally, from the very beginning of eternity. Either way, that is a long-term relationship. I personally believe that time was created by God "in the beginning" so that you and I would have something to peg events upon. With God, time is totally irrelevant. Since He has always existed, He has no need of time. We, on the other hand, find eternity past or eternity future hard to comprehend, though the latter, eternity future, is an easier concept to grasp than past eternity. We DO seem to ask, "Where did God come from?" But, just in case you are not sure that time alone is sufficient to make Jesus equal with God, read the next statement.
The Word WAS God. Does John mean that the Father and the Son are co-equal? It rather appears that, that is his implication, they are so co-equal that they are literally fused into one being. I rather suspect that indeed the Son, The Word, would know the Father's mind if they are that close!
Let's see what we have established. From the very beginning of eternity God the Father and Jesus the Son, The Word as John calls Him, have been together. We have also established that though they are co-equal, each has a specific responsibility. The Father thinks, the Son speaks, and let's not forget that Genesis 1:1 tells us that the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the chaotic earth. There we have it, the Three-in-One, the Godhead, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Amen.
Luke 1:26-27
"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary." Luke 1:26-27
Some of the greatest people have come from lowly births. Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin and was raised in rural Illinois. John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress, was born to a craftsman. There is no denying that both men have made great inroads into human history. There is another born of lowly birth. Day before yesterday we talked about Jesus' divinity. Today we will look at his human birth.
The wise men from the east certainly didn't expect to find the new King where they did. You recall that they stopped in Jerusalem first. After all, Jerusalem was the home of the governing ruler. It seems logical that the son of a king would be found in a royal palace. Instead, the scholars of Jerusalem sent them to Bethlehem, and the star led them to a stable behind an inn. There, lying in a manger and wrapped in the garb of poor infants, they found Jesus, the newborn King. They did not seem particularly repulsed at the idea of finding a king there, though I suspect they had some interesting conversations on the way home!
But the story did not begin in Bethlehem. Indeed, the physical birth of Jesus began in Nazareth when the Angel of the Lord spoke to a young engaged girl named Mary. He made an announcement that every woman of childbearing age in Israel had hoped to hear, she was chosen to be the bearer of the Son of God, the Deliverer of Israel, the long awaited Messiah. Of course Mary though the infant would be the son of Joseph, her betrothed husband, but that was not to be. The angel promised that her son would be the direct descendant of God, the Father. In short, she would be an unwed mother bearing an illegitimate son. In Israel, a person did not get much lower and more humbled than that! And, to further complicate things, Joseph who took Mary as his wife any way, was just a simple carpenter. His prospects weren't great. He would never be able to send the Messiah to the proper schools so He could become a noted scholar who would be in a position to transform Israel. Yes, the birth of the Son of God was lowly.
Oh, there is one more thing that we need to discuss. The lineage of Jesus from His earthly parents went straight through the ages to King David! Mary, whose lineage Jesus bore by blood lead there. But God in His infinite wisdom knew that the Jews did not have much respect for a woman's lineage, therefore He had arranged for the visible father of the King of Kings to be from the same family line as well! It is a certainty that Jesus had a human side to Him. And this is important. Some thirty years after His birth, Jesus would begin His ministry with a period of temptation. If he were purely God, this would have been nothing to brag about. But His humanness made the temptation real. Three times Satan tried to get Jesus to forsake His true role as redeemer and follow the "path less traveled." Three times Jesus rebuked the devil and resisted the temptation, even though He knew the ultimate outcome of His ministry on a Passover Day just three years later.
With the knowledge that Jesus is of human descent, we can rest assured that our flesh can overcome evil, for we who have been "born again" have been remade in the spiritual image of Jesus, the God-man, the Son of God and the Son of Mary. With the knowledge that Jesus is totally divine in His parentage, we have the assurance that we, having been made in His likeness, are true sons and daughters of God the Father and share in the same inheritance as Jesus! Amen and Amen.
Some of the greatest people have come from lowly births. Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin and was raised in rural Illinois. John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress, was born to a craftsman. There is no denying that both men have made great inroads into human history. There is another born of lowly birth. Day before yesterday we talked about Jesus' divinity. Today we will look at his human birth.
The wise men from the east certainly didn't expect to find the new King where they did. You recall that they stopped in Jerusalem first. After all, Jerusalem was the home of the governing ruler. It seems logical that the son of a king would be found in a royal palace. Instead, the scholars of Jerusalem sent them to Bethlehem, and the star led them to a stable behind an inn. There, lying in a manger and wrapped in the garb of poor infants, they found Jesus, the newborn King. They did not seem particularly repulsed at the idea of finding a king there, though I suspect they had some interesting conversations on the way home!
But the story did not begin in Bethlehem. Indeed, the physical birth of Jesus began in Nazareth when the Angel of the Lord spoke to a young engaged girl named Mary. He made an announcement that every woman of childbearing age in Israel had hoped to hear, she was chosen to be the bearer of the Son of God, the Deliverer of Israel, the long awaited Messiah. Of course Mary though the infant would be the son of Joseph, her betrothed husband, but that was not to be. The angel promised that her son would be the direct descendant of God, the Father. In short, she would be an unwed mother bearing an illegitimate son. In Israel, a person did not get much lower and more humbled than that! And, to further complicate things, Joseph who took Mary as his wife any way, was just a simple carpenter. His prospects weren't great. He would never be able to send the Messiah to the proper schools so He could become a noted scholar who would be in a position to transform Israel. Yes, the birth of the Son of God was lowly.
Oh, there is one more thing that we need to discuss. The lineage of Jesus from His earthly parents went straight through the ages to King David! Mary, whose lineage Jesus bore by blood lead there. But God in His infinite wisdom knew that the Jews did not have much respect for a woman's lineage, therefore He had arranged for the visible father of the King of Kings to be from the same family line as well! It is a certainty that Jesus had a human side to Him. And this is important. Some thirty years after His birth, Jesus would begin His ministry with a period of temptation. If he were purely God, this would have been nothing to brag about. But His humanness made the temptation real. Three times Satan tried to get Jesus to forsake His true role as redeemer and follow the "path less traveled." Three times Jesus rebuked the devil and resisted the temptation, even though He knew the ultimate outcome of His ministry on a Passover Day just three years later.
With the knowledge that Jesus is of human descent, we can rest assured that our flesh can overcome evil, for we who have been "born again" have been remade in the spiritual image of Jesus, the God-man, the Son of God and the Son of Mary. With the knowledge that Jesus is totally divine in His parentage, we have the assurance that we, having been made in His likeness, are true sons and daughters of God the Father and share in the same inheritance as Jesus! Amen and Amen.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Ephesians 5:8-14; Psalm 23; John 9:1-41
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.
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
Thus began this morning's Gospel Reading.
The entire passage that Yat Tung read today deals with blindness - but strangely enough it is not the blindness of the man who was born blind that is central to the passage - despite how this man is mentioned throughout it, rather it is the blindness of those around him and most especially the blindness of the religious teachers and authorities that is central to the passage - their blindness and their sin.
And this is so much so that the closing words of the story about the Man Born Blind - which come after the man born blind has been questioned, his parents questioned, and he has been questioned again and then thrown out of the synagogue by the priests and teachers of the law and has then been found by Jesus and has professed his faith in him and worshipped him are these -
"For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
And then we hear that some Pharisees who were with Jesus heard him say this and asked,
"What? Are we blind too?"
And Jesus replies
"If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
What are we to make of the story of the man born blind? Well, it is a very rich passage - and today I have time only to touch on a couple of things.
The first thing I would like you to grasp is this - while all people sin and fall short of the glory of God not all afflictions, perhaps not even most afflictions, can be blamed on the sin of the person who must bear that affliction, or - as in the case of a genetic defect or a birth accident like that the man born blind must have had - upon the sin of the parents.
God doesn't work that way.
While some afflictions obviously are the result of one kind of sin or another - for example someone driving drunk may have an accident in which they are crippled for life or in which they cripple someone else for life - for the most part many other afflictions can't be blamed on someone, nor should we try to blame them on someone.
Rather we should try to bring healing to those who are afflicted
Which is the second point I want to make.
Jesus answers the question about who sinned that the man was born blind by saying:
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. "
And he healed him with mud and spit and the touch of his own precious hand.
This is how God operates. This is what Jesus is about. He has come to give us relief from those things afflict us - to give sight to the blind and to heal the lame, - and to set free those who oppressed and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord to those who are poor.
Indeed - even if - and this is a big if - even if the particular affliction or tribulation that rests upon a person is the result of a direct sin, for example, that drunken driver who has wounded himself or some one else - even if this is the case - Jesus still wants them to be whole. He still wants to make the work of God manifest in their lives.
That is what the cross is ultimately all about - bringing forgiveness and salvation to sinners, and showing the love of God to those who, by any other standard, are unlovable.
But some will not accept this.
They didn't in the past.
And they don't now.
As with some of the Pharisees and Scribes of old, they will persist in denying that there is anything good that could come out of Nazareth. They will deny the good that they see done around them is being done by a servant of God. And they, despite their love for God, will attempt to stop the one doing good from doing good.
They are many modern day self-righteous ones, both in the church and outside of it. They don't want the boat to be rocked - they don't want to have to change their comfortable accommodation with the status quo, they don't want to change the way they see the world.
And like some of the Pharisees and Scribes of old they will continue to seek to blame the condition of the poor upon the poor; and of the sick upon the sick; and the oppression of the oppressed upon the oppressed.
It is safer that way isn't it?
It means that they - or is it we - don't have to do anything - we don't have to change.
We can give tax breaks to the rich while we give less to the poor and the needy. We can ignore the hunger in the third world while spend massive amounts on ski trips and vacations. Or we can call those who seek to help the street people and defend the abused women in our society unrealistic idealists who do not fully understand that those people are responsible for their own condition - and cheer as the welfare rolls are reduced and funding for shelters and for counselling programs cut.
There is none so blind as those who will not see.
There is none so blind as those who will not accept the call of our Lord: - the call to allow the work of God to be displayed in their lives - the call of God to bring healing and salvation to those around us who really need it - regardless of what sin those who need healing may have or may not have committed.
I don't know if you noticed, but all the hymns this morning except "Give To Us Laughter" and the "23rd Psalm were written by the same person.
"All the Way My Saviour Leads Me", "Jesus, Keep Me Near The Cross", "Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine" and "Pass Me Not Gentle Saviour" were written by a lady by the name of Fanny Crosby.
I chose hymns by her today because Fanny Crosby could not see.
When Fanny was six weeks old, she had an eye infection. Her regular doctor was out of town, and a man posing as a doctor gave her the wrong treatment. Within a few days, she was totally blind.
If that happened to some people, I am afraid they would be very bitter and would probably spend a lifetime feeling sorry for themselves. Fanny was never bitter and she never felt sorry for herself. When she was only eight years old, she wrote this poem:
Oh, what a happy child I am,
Although I can not see.
I am resolved that in this world,
Contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don't.
To weep and sigh
Because I'm blind,
I cannot and I won't!
Instead of being bitter and feeling sorry for herself, instead of blaming the doctor for his "sin" against her and dwelling in darkness all her days, Fanny used the gifts that God had given her to write over 8,000 hymns and poems to praise and glorify God.
We might know who caused her blindness - but to Fanny knowing who caused her blindness did not matter. Nor did it matter to her that she was blind - because in her mind - and in mine - she could see.
As a Australian preacher by the name of Bruce Prewer put it this way in a discussion of the story of the Man Born Blind some years ago:
"Some people have excellent eyesight but do not see further than their noses. Some have good vision yet choose to see only a little of the way, the truth and the life. And some have no physical sight yet who see brilliantly along the path of Christ "
Christ didn't heal the physical blindness of Fanny Crosby as he healed the sight of the man born blind, but like that man at the end of today's Gospel reading - when he knelt at Jesus' feet and worshipped him, she saw more than we can imagine - she saw more - and felt more blessed - than millions about her with eyes to see, but no will to look past themselves and their own vision of what is and what should be..
The next time we you someone who is afflicted - in body, mind, or spirit - remember what Jesus said about the man born blind - remember how Jesus said that his affliction happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life and then healed him .
And the next time you see someone else engaged in disputes about who is doing the right thing and who is doing what is wrong - quietly remember what Jesus said to those who were confident of their rightness and all to ready to judge him and most others as less worthy of God's love than themselves.
Remember how Jesus said "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." And remember too how he added when they asked him if they were blind too, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."
Remember too - all of you are blessed - you are blessed to be a blessing. Amen.
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.
Thus began this morning's Gospel Reading.
The entire passage that Yat Tung read today deals with blindness - but strangely enough it is not the blindness of the man who was born blind that is central to the passage - despite how this man is mentioned throughout it, rather it is the blindness of those around him and most especially the blindness of the religious teachers and authorities that is central to the passage - their blindness and their sin.
And this is so much so that the closing words of the story about the Man Born Blind - which come after the man born blind has been questioned, his parents questioned, and he has been questioned again and then thrown out of the synagogue by the priests and teachers of the law and has then been found by Jesus and has professed his faith in him and worshipped him are these -
"For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
And then we hear that some Pharisees who were with Jesus heard him say this and asked,
"What? Are we blind too?"
And Jesus replies
"If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
What are we to make of the story of the man born blind? Well, it is a very rich passage - and today I have time only to touch on a couple of things.
The first thing I would like you to grasp is this - while all people sin and fall short of the glory of God not all afflictions, perhaps not even most afflictions, can be blamed on the sin of the person who must bear that affliction, or - as in the case of a genetic defect or a birth accident like that the man born blind must have had - upon the sin of the parents.
God doesn't work that way.
While some afflictions obviously are the result of one kind of sin or another - for example someone driving drunk may have an accident in which they are crippled for life or in which they cripple someone else for life - for the most part many other afflictions can't be blamed on someone, nor should we try to blame them on someone.
Rather we should try to bring healing to those who are afflicted
Which is the second point I want to make.
Jesus answers the question about who sinned that the man was born blind by saying:
"Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. "
And he healed him with mud and spit and the touch of his own precious hand.
This is how God operates. This is what Jesus is about. He has come to give us relief from those things afflict us - to give sight to the blind and to heal the lame, - and to set free those who oppressed and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord to those who are poor.
Indeed - even if - and this is a big if - even if the particular affliction or tribulation that rests upon a person is the result of a direct sin, for example, that drunken driver who has wounded himself or some one else - even if this is the case - Jesus still wants them to be whole. He still wants to make the work of God manifest in their lives.
That is what the cross is ultimately all about - bringing forgiveness and salvation to sinners, and showing the love of God to those who, by any other standard, are unlovable.
But some will not accept this.
They didn't in the past.
And they don't now.
As with some of the Pharisees and Scribes of old, they will persist in denying that there is anything good that could come out of Nazareth. They will deny the good that they see done around them is being done by a servant of God. And they, despite their love for God, will attempt to stop the one doing good from doing good.
They are many modern day self-righteous ones, both in the church and outside of it. They don't want the boat to be rocked - they don't want to have to change their comfortable accommodation with the status quo, they don't want to change the way they see the world.
And like some of the Pharisees and Scribes of old they will continue to seek to blame the condition of the poor upon the poor; and of the sick upon the sick; and the oppression of the oppressed upon the oppressed.
It is safer that way isn't it?
It means that they - or is it we - don't have to do anything - we don't have to change.
We can give tax breaks to the rich while we give less to the poor and the needy. We can ignore the hunger in the third world while spend massive amounts on ski trips and vacations. Or we can call those who seek to help the street people and defend the abused women in our society unrealistic idealists who do not fully understand that those people are responsible for their own condition - and cheer as the welfare rolls are reduced and funding for shelters and for counselling programs cut.
There is none so blind as those who will not see.
There is none so blind as those who will not accept the call of our Lord: - the call to allow the work of God to be displayed in their lives - the call of God to bring healing and salvation to those around us who really need it - regardless of what sin those who need healing may have or may not have committed.
I don't know if you noticed, but all the hymns this morning except "Give To Us Laughter" and the "23rd Psalm were written by the same person.
"All the Way My Saviour Leads Me", "Jesus, Keep Me Near The Cross", "Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine" and "Pass Me Not Gentle Saviour" were written by a lady by the name of Fanny Crosby.
I chose hymns by her today because Fanny Crosby could not see.
When Fanny was six weeks old, she had an eye infection. Her regular doctor was out of town, and a man posing as a doctor gave her the wrong treatment. Within a few days, she was totally blind.
If that happened to some people, I am afraid they would be very bitter and would probably spend a lifetime feeling sorry for themselves. Fanny was never bitter and she never felt sorry for herself. When she was only eight years old, she wrote this poem:
Oh, what a happy child I am,
Although I can not see.
I am resolved that in this world,
Contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don't.
To weep and sigh
Because I'm blind,
I cannot and I won't!
Instead of being bitter and feeling sorry for herself, instead of blaming the doctor for his "sin" against her and dwelling in darkness all her days, Fanny used the gifts that God had given her to write over 8,000 hymns and poems to praise and glorify God.
We might know who caused her blindness - but to Fanny knowing who caused her blindness did not matter. Nor did it matter to her that she was blind - because in her mind - and in mine - she could see.
As a Australian preacher by the name of Bruce Prewer put it this way in a discussion of the story of the Man Born Blind some years ago:
"Some people have excellent eyesight but do not see further than their noses. Some have good vision yet choose to see only a little of the way, the truth and the life. And some have no physical sight yet who see brilliantly along the path of Christ "
Christ didn't heal the physical blindness of Fanny Crosby as he healed the sight of the man born blind, but like that man at the end of today's Gospel reading - when he knelt at Jesus' feet and worshipped him, she saw more than we can imagine - she saw more - and felt more blessed - than millions about her with eyes to see, but no will to look past themselves and their own vision of what is and what should be..
The next time we you someone who is afflicted - in body, mind, or spirit - remember what Jesus said about the man born blind - remember how Jesus said that his affliction happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life and then healed him .
And the next time you see someone else engaged in disputes about who is doing the right thing and who is doing what is wrong - quietly remember what Jesus said to those who were confident of their rightness and all to ready to judge him and most others as less worthy of God's love than themselves.
Remember how Jesus said "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." And remember too how he added when they asked him if they were blind too, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains."
Remember too - all of you are blessed - you are blessed to be a blessing. Amen.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Luke 4:15
"And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all."
People can and will say a lot of things about Jesus, but one thing most people agree upon is the fact that Jesus was a master teacher. His lessons were at the same time easy to listen to and hard to comprehend. The parables form a perfect example.
In the parable of the sower, Jesus tells the story of a farmer who planted seed in four different types of soil. Each soil produces different results. It seems that the majority of the hearers of this parable enjoyed the entertainment, but failed to comprehend the message behind the story. They went away satisfied that they had heard a powerful teacher. But the disciples were not satisfied. They knew there was some thing more to the story, they just couldn't put their finger on it. Perhaps being braver than most and more familiar with the Master, they asked, "What did you mean by that parable?" And Jesus proceeded to tell them the real meaning, the seed is the Word of God, the soil represents men's hearts...
Jesus also used the teaching tool we call proverbs. The Beatitudes fit this bill. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted..." Matt. 5:3-4 (NKJV) Each little statement is a proverb, a catchy saying that delivers a message. This style the people readily understood. Simple thoughts put into simple language yields truths that can sink into the heart and take root.
Jesus was not always kind in His teachings. Do you recall the time when Jesus went into the Temple and found the moneychangers fleecing the people? With anger in His eyes, He took a cord and made it into a whip and drove the wicked businessmen out. As they fled, He shouted that God's House was a place of prayer, and they had made it into a den of thieves. While the populace probably enjoyed that display, it is certain that the moneychangers and the priests who profited from their thievery were no to happy!
Jesus also had a sense of humor when He taught. He called Herod "that fox". He has some rather juicy things to say to the Pharisees as well. "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 (NKJV) can almost hear the crowds cheering Jesus on during this lesson! But the point was made, and all understood. Working the loop holes would no longer be an acceptable practice. Jesus removed the "gray" from the Law, the gray the interpreters of the Law had put in for their own benefit.
Yes, Jesus was God. He was man. And He was a teacher. It would serve us well to re-familiarize ourselves with His teachings. We just might learn a thing or two about how to live our lives while dwelling in this foreign land. Amen and Amen.
People can and will say a lot of things about Jesus, but one thing most people agree upon is the fact that Jesus was a master teacher. His lessons were at the same time easy to listen to and hard to comprehend. The parables form a perfect example.
In the parable of the sower, Jesus tells the story of a farmer who planted seed in four different types of soil. Each soil produces different results. It seems that the majority of the hearers of this parable enjoyed the entertainment, but failed to comprehend the message behind the story. They went away satisfied that they had heard a powerful teacher. But the disciples were not satisfied. They knew there was some thing more to the story, they just couldn't put their finger on it. Perhaps being braver than most and more familiar with the Master, they asked, "What did you mean by that parable?" And Jesus proceeded to tell them the real meaning, the seed is the Word of God, the soil represents men's hearts...
Jesus also used the teaching tool we call proverbs. The Beatitudes fit this bill. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted..." Matt. 5:3-4 (NKJV) Each little statement is a proverb, a catchy saying that delivers a message. This style the people readily understood. Simple thoughts put into simple language yields truths that can sink into the heart and take root.
Jesus was not always kind in His teachings. Do you recall the time when Jesus went into the Temple and found the moneychangers fleecing the people? With anger in His eyes, He took a cord and made it into a whip and drove the wicked businessmen out. As they fled, He shouted that God's House was a place of prayer, and they had made it into a den of thieves. While the populace probably enjoyed that display, it is certain that the moneychangers and the priests who profited from their thievery were no to happy!
Jesus also had a sense of humor when He taught. He called Herod "that fox". He has some rather juicy things to say to the Pharisees as well. "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 (NKJV) can almost hear the crowds cheering Jesus on during this lesson! But the point was made, and all understood. Working the loop holes would no longer be an acceptable practice. Jesus removed the "gray" from the Law, the gray the interpreters of the Law had put in for their own benefit.
Yes, Jesus was God. He was man. And He was a teacher. It would serve us well to re-familiarize ourselves with His teachings. We just might learn a thing or two about how to live our lives while dwelling in this foreign land. Amen and Amen.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Mark 6:2
"And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!" Mark 6:2
Son of God. Son of Man. Master Teacher. What else could a guy ask for in a Savior? How about Miracle Worker?
Of course we know that Jesus is a miracle worker. He performed many miracles beginning with the miracle at the wedding feast. Isn't it interesting that Jesus created "new wine" for the wedding, that which is pure, unadulterated with fermentation? Later in His ministry, He tells us that no one puts new wine in old wineskins because the new wine, as it ferments, expands and breaks the old wineskin, which is no longer pliable.
Shortly after the miracle of the new wine, Jesus began to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, raise the dead, and cast out demons. All of these are spectacular events, but I believe one of the greatest miracles was the feeding of the 5,000. In the middle of nowhere Jesus produced enough bread and fish to feed the multitude. Oh, by the way, the 5,000 count was just men. I'm sure we could count a few thousand women and children in the group as well. Now THAT'S a "feed". It wasn't fancy, but it was good. The reason I think this was a great miracle is this: it proved that Jesus had the ability to feed an army, but He chose to go to the cross alone. It also demonstrates His teaching about the "bread of life", He is the bread of life, and He is sufficient to feed an unlimited quantity of people.
I am also attracted to the miracle of walking on water! How I would like to be able to do that! Can you imagine the places we could catch fish if we could only get there? No problem. Step out of the boat and walk to the hard to reach fishing hole! But again the miracle was more than meets the natural eye. Jesus demonstrated to His disciples that He controlled nature. He could overcome the problem of gravity. Peter sank after a few steps. He immediately stopped the storm, and the sea became as calm as glass. There is more to the miracles than we can imagine.
Every miracle had a lesson or a purpose. Every one of them resulted in changed lives, no not only the physical ones, the spiritual ones. Each resulted in the advancement of the Kingdom of God. This trend was continued in the Book of Acts. Peter opened the eyes of the blind beggar, and thousands were redeemed. It seems, though I cannot be totally certain, that every miracle performed in the New Testament was first and foremost evangelistic! Do I dare say that some of the miracle workers today have other things in mind?
Yes, it is good to have a Savior who is wholly God and wholly man. It is wonderful to have a Savior who teaches God's truth in a way that can be understood by the common man. It is powerful to have a Savior who can heal the sick, feed the multitudes, and raise the dead. But there is something even greater than all of this. We will discuss that tomorrow. Amen and Amen.
Son of God. Son of Man. Master Teacher. What else could a guy ask for in a Savior? How about Miracle Worker?
Of course we know that Jesus is a miracle worker. He performed many miracles beginning with the miracle at the wedding feast. Isn't it interesting that Jesus created "new wine" for the wedding, that which is pure, unadulterated with fermentation? Later in His ministry, He tells us that no one puts new wine in old wineskins because the new wine, as it ferments, expands and breaks the old wineskin, which is no longer pliable.
Shortly after the miracle of the new wine, Jesus began to heal the sick, give sight to the blind, raise the dead, and cast out demons. All of these are spectacular events, but I believe one of the greatest miracles was the feeding of the 5,000. In the middle of nowhere Jesus produced enough bread and fish to feed the multitude. Oh, by the way, the 5,000 count was just men. I'm sure we could count a few thousand women and children in the group as well. Now THAT'S a "feed". It wasn't fancy, but it was good. The reason I think this was a great miracle is this: it proved that Jesus had the ability to feed an army, but He chose to go to the cross alone. It also demonstrates His teaching about the "bread of life", He is the bread of life, and He is sufficient to feed an unlimited quantity of people.
I am also attracted to the miracle of walking on water! How I would like to be able to do that! Can you imagine the places we could catch fish if we could only get there? No problem. Step out of the boat and walk to the hard to reach fishing hole! But again the miracle was more than meets the natural eye. Jesus demonstrated to His disciples that He controlled nature. He could overcome the problem of gravity. Peter sank after a few steps. He immediately stopped the storm, and the sea became as calm as glass. There is more to the miracles than we can imagine.
Every miracle had a lesson or a purpose. Every one of them resulted in changed lives, no not only the physical ones, the spiritual ones. Each resulted in the advancement of the Kingdom of God. This trend was continued in the Book of Acts. Peter opened the eyes of the blind beggar, and thousands were redeemed. It seems, though I cannot be totally certain, that every miracle performed in the New Testament was first and foremost evangelistic! Do I dare say that some of the miracle workers today have other things in mind?
Yes, it is good to have a Savior who is wholly God and wholly man. It is wonderful to have a Savior who teaches God's truth in a way that can be understood by the common man. It is powerful to have a Savior who can heal the sick, feed the multitudes, and raise the dead. But there is something even greater than all of this. We will discuss that tomorrow. Amen and Amen.
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