Let us pray – Creator and maker of us all – bless the words of my lips and the meditations of our hearts – grow thou in us and show us your ways and inspire us to live by your truth. Amen.
Can love be wrong?
In my humble opinion, the Book of Ruth is one of the most beautiful books in the Bible. To me it is a beautiful story; it is a story that contains in it so many different elements. It is a story about life and death, famine and feast, love and loss, and love regained.
I would encourage you to read the story for yourself sometime this week. It is a very good story, it is a good story, if you got a good translation, will give you and your family entertainment, and to top it up, it is just as good, if not better, than a good television show.
In my sermon of today, which incidentally, is a story sermon, I would like us all to look at the love between Ruth and Boaz and what it might mean to our faith – in other words, what it might mean to how we are going to love our neighbours and our God.
I want to start off by telling you the story of Jonathan, that mysterious person whom we have been hearing about in today’s Old Testament from the Book of Ezra.
To give you a bit of background to the story, I will like to remind you that what happened in the Book of Ezra actually took place over five hundred years after what happened in the book of Ruth.
Even before Jonathan got to the corner of the Old Inn he could already hear someone praying in the square right in front of the house of God.
He knew immediately that something special was happening. Within the city of Jerusalem there was an unusual quite (imagine Causeway Bay being quite during a business day), and apart from the quietness, he noticed that for the last hour he had seem groups of people drifting towards the direction of the temple.
What finally aroused Jonathan’s curiosity and caused him to put down his tools and headed towards the temple was due to the unusual quietness and the movement of the people.
However, he could hardly see anything when he finally got to the temple square as there was already a huge crowd gathered there. All he could see was people everywhere.
Jonathan was very persistent, and after a couple of minutes, having moving first this way, and then that, he finally came to a place where he could see between the adults who were in front of him and over the heads of the children who were also present. And when he finally could see, he saw Ezra, the priest, on his knees before the temple in the middle of an intense prayer.
Ezra had torn his clothes and his tunic. He was also weeping and rocking back and forth. He was rocking back and forth, as he prayed to the Lord God of Israel, and in his voice, a voice which carried clear and loud over the square, Jonathan heard in the voice of Ezra the sound of grief.
Jonathan listened with all the people in the square to the prayer, and heard Ezra confesses to the Lord that his people had sinned, he heard Ezra expressed his fear that God’s people would sin once again, and that they would once again break the commandments of God and become unfaithful to Him. Ezra expressed his fear that the people would once again make treaties with corrupt nations and marry people from countries that scorned and despised both the laws of God and His chosen people. Jonathan as well as all present at the square witnessed Ezra weeping. He heard the anguish in Ezra’s voice, as he prayed that the people of Israel will not be acting the same way that they had been acting in the past. He prayed that they will not again run the risk of total destruction by loving those whom they should not love, and as a result binding themselves to foreigners, to people who worshipped other gods.
Jonathan felt deeply moved upon seeing and hearing the prayers of Ezra.
He too grieved for the glory that Israel once had and now lost. He too mourned for the Israel’s loss of innocence, for the time when David was King, and not only the true faith, but the entire nation was strong.
Jonathan knew, as did all the people present at the square that day, that some kinds of love are simply wrong.
He knew, from the history of Israel that some kinds of love were very dangerous to the nation and to the true faith, and Jonathan felt greatly tempted to join in his voice to those of all the other people who began to weep bitterly with Ezra over the sins and plight of Israel.
He was also tempted to take the vow that they were taking, after Ezra had finished praying. The vow that Shecaniah proposed while everyone was weeping:
- the vow to divorce those whom they should have never married;
- the vow to divorce them and send them as well as their children to the lands to which they originally came from, back to the lands of corruption from which they first came.
As the people around him wept and lifted up their voices in agreement with Shecaniah, Jonathan was tempted to join in with them, but something inside him would not allow him to do so.
Something held Jonathan back from joining the people that day. He was not certain what it was that held him back from that day, but as he walked away from the square with the other people. With a heavy heart he thought about it, and what he was going to do when the people were going to be gathered again in three days time to take action on Erza’s words and to fulfill the vow that had been made.
Jonathan thought about how from the very beginning the people of God had been warned about intermarriage.
Moses had told Israel that it would surely lead to idolatry, and that foreign women would corrupt the faith of their husband, and teach their children to love and worship other gods, until finally the day would come when the nation would perish, because it no longer worshipped the Lord God of Israel.
As Jonathan continued on working in his shop during the next two days, he kept on recalling how Ezra had claimed that the destruction of Israel and of Jerusalem and of the temple happened because the people of Israel had ignored Moses’ warning and their God.
He kept on remembering how Ezra had explained to the people that the current poverty and weakness of Israel was due partly to the same problem, that the people were suffering because they were once again contaminating the nation by marrying foreign women; and that they had weakened themselves by loving the wrong people.
The more he thought about it, Ezra’s words seem to made sense to Jonathan. He was not sure as to hwy he had held back from taking the vow. After all, he did not have a foreign wife, and he nothing to lose personally by going alone with what to all appearances seem to made sense.
Different traditions often do not mix well.
Different faiths more often than not conflicted with each other, and in such a conflict, both faiths normally perish, for a faith that is changed is a faith that is lost.
There were other people besides Moses and Ezra who said that if one truly loved God with all of one’s heart and soul and mind and strength then they would not risk their faith by marrying foreigners, or by loving a person from a different culture and belief.
That kind of love could not help but be dangerous; it could not help but being wrong, and it could very much be like inviting a wolf to come and live inside a sheep pen, no matter how kind the wolf seems to be, and how loving the sheep are, nature would end up having her way.
Jonathan kept on thinking about these things, and he felt confused and disturbed by his reluctance to take the vow – a reluctance he continued to feel despite all the arguments that he had thought of regarding the taking of the vow. It was in this kind of a state of confusion raging in his mind when he went up to the temple square on the third day with all the men of Judah and Benjamin.
His state of mind was exactly the same as the weather of the day – as it was a miserable rainy day. He sat in the square with several thousand other men, trying in vain to stay warm and dry as Ezra mounted the temple steps to talk to them.
Jonathan suddenly felt a measure of desperation when Ezra began to speak.
He still did not know what she should do when Ezra called out for all the men of Israel to renounce their foreign wives. He did not know that if he could agree to the action that would be legislated that very day.
But then, just as Ezra spoke he suddenly what was bothering him.
As Ezra once again proclaimed to the people that the men of Israel had been unfaithful to God because they had married foreign wives, he suddenly understands what had been bothering him all this time. He realized why he had not taken the vow proposed by Shecaniah, son of Jehiel.
It was all because of Ruth.
He remembers that his mother had often told him the story of Ruth and Boaz, about how Ruth had followed Naomi from Moab to Bethlehem, after the death of her first husband. He remembers hearing of how she had worked in the fields gleaning the wheat left behind by the reapers so she could care for herself and for her mother-in-law, until one day Boaz had noticed her and shown her his favor by instructing the harvesters to leave some sheaves for her.
Jonathan remembers how his mother had always loved the story of Ruth, she delighted in telling of the cleverness of Naomi in arranging things so that Ruth would meet up with Boaz again, and how Boaz had won Ruth from the relative who should have married her as according to the law of Moses by getting him to renounce his claim in public.
Jonathan’s mother had dearly loved the story of Ruth and now he realized that it was the story or Ruth that had prevented him from taking the vow of Shecaniah.
Jonathan knew that some kind of love are dangerous, but he also knew as well that all kinds of love can be used by God, it can be used by God, and it can be blessed, even if it may seem to be wrong to have that love.
Jonathan realized that the reason for his hesitation in the square three days ago was because he had known somewhere in his inner being that although it can be a dangerous to love a sinner, however, that love does not necessary end in disaster.
Jonathan remembered what Ezra and Shecaniah seems to have forgotten.
He remembered that Ruth was a Moabitess, she was a foreigner, she came from a tribe who were famous for corruption and idolatry.
Despite Ruth’s switch of faith; despite her proven loyalty to Naomi, Ruth was a like an Irish Protestant marrying a Roman Catholic; Ruth was like a black person marrying a white person in the United States way back in the 1930’s; Ruth was like a prostitute marrying a church elder.
Ruth was the leopard that according what Ezra said about foreigners, could not change its spots; she was the one who led to the destruction of the first temple and the defeat of the nation.
According to Ezra, she was the one, who even now, was destroying the people of Israel.
Jonathan, as he sat huddled down in the square, with the rain pouring down on him, suddenly felt a thrill ran through his body as he remembered how the story of Ruth and Boaz ended, and he thought about what would have happened if Boaz hade to take the vow of Shecaniah.
You see, after Ruth and Boaz got married, she became the mother of Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David, who became the king of Israel, the very king out of whom was to come the Messiah, the very king who had made Israel a great nation and the God of Israel famous throughout the known world.
If Boaz had not loved Ruth, who was a foreign woman, and it was supposedly wrong to love, then all the right things would never have happened. There would have been no king David, no king Salomon, no temple, no glory, no kingdom, no power, no might…nothing!
As so as Jonathan sat in the rain and watched Ezra and the people of Jerusalem weep again for all their sins, and decide to send away all the foreign women that they had married. He praised god for the love that they called wrong, for the love that had given to Israel its greatest king and which would soon give to the whole world the Messiah that the world desperately needed.
He praised God, and he, along with three other men present in the square that day, refused to agree with what Ezra proposed. He refused to be in agreement that the love of Ruth and Boaz had been wrong.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
It can be hard for us to understand John the Baptist today
O Lord, we pray, speak to us all here 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 children listen. Amen.
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near
I do not know about you, but a lot of people find it difficult to understand John the Baptist and what value are his message is to us today.
I have a feeling that very few people, whether it be 2000 years ago, or in today’s world really understand what he was trying to tell us when he told everyone that his job was to ‘prepare the way of the Lord and make his paths straight.” At least I must admit that I did have a problem in understanding what it means for us in today’s world.
I do not think that there were that many people who could even begin to understand it when he said that “After me comes one whose sandals I am not worthy to untie”
And among all the people who responded to his call of, “Repent and be baptized” they must have been deeply confused to hear him declaring to them “I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
What was John all about?
Why was he doing what he did?
And what is the importance of his message for all of us gathered here today?
To me, John the Baptist is the very voice of Advent, he is the voice of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to this world to intervene for us in the relationship between God and ourselves.
His message was not only a word about our Lord Jesus.
It was the Good News, in other words, the Gospel. It was the beginning of the Good News for you and me. It was the beginning of the Good News for the entire world.
The entire episode of John and his message was at the beginning of the Ministry of Jesus in this world. John’s message, still is the beginning today for everyone who want to walk with Jesus. This is for everyone who wants to find their way out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land…..
There is an old Chinese proverb, and I should know, as I am Chinese by race, that a journey of a thousand miles must begin with one step.
John’s purpose in his ministry was to point out to everyone in those days, and to all of us in today’s world what that first step must be. He was pointing out to us that the way of our Lord Jesus Christ must be prepared, and that we are not simply talking of a highway in the desert, but it must be a highway in our very hearts, a route or direction that we must all take, if we are to be ready for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
One day a university professor went to visit a great master by the name of Nan-In. The university professor asked the Master to teach him what he needed to know in order to have a happy life. He told the Master that he studied the sacred scriptures, he already visited all the greatest teachers in Japan, and yet he was not able to find the answer, and humbly he was asking Nan-In to show him the way to a happy life.
Nan-In said nothing and started serving tea to his guest. Nan-In kept on pouring tea into his visitor’s cup, and kept on pouring and pouring so that the tea began to run over the rim of the cup and across the table, and still he poured, until tea was flowing down from the table onto the floor. The professor watched this until he could no longer restrain himself. “It is overfull, stop, no more will go in”. He cried out.
Nan-In said, “Just like this cup, you are full of your opinions and speculations. How can I show you the way to a happy life until and unless you have emptied your cup?”
Indeed how can we ever welcome Christ? How can we ever enter the Promised Land with Him, if we ourselves are so full of our faith and trust in our own strengths, so full of our own high opinions of ourselves, so full of our poor opinion of other people, or so full of our own speculations, and therefore have no room for Him. How can we ever welcome the Lord if our hearts are not prepared? How?
How can we ever welcome the Lord if our hearts are not prepared? How?
John the Baptist came in order to prepare the way of the Lord. He prepared the way of the Lord, not by building a highway in the wilderness of Judea. He prepared the way of the Lord by preparing the hearts and minds of all who were willing to listen to him and to repent of their ways.
John the Baptist called on the people to hear his message and to take action, so that they would be able to greet the Messiah, and walk in the way of the Lord.
Repent, and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, he cried out, for after me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
REPENT!
What does the word repent mean?
It simply meant to “turn around”, to change the direction that we are going, to face a new way, to begin to move on that new way, and to leave behind the old way. It means to turn to the Lord and not to rely on our own resources, for never could we have salvation by our own efforts or to be able to face our daily trails or to walk with our Lord. By our own efforts we will not even be able to live another day!
Much as the professor had to empty himself to learn the way of how to have a happy life, so each and everyone of us must change direction if we are to truly see the Lord and walk with Him from the wilderness to the Promised Land through all the trials and tribulations we faces in this world.
You may tell me, ‘But Edwin, we are living in Hong Kong, and not in the wilderness of Judea. What are you talking about?” The wilderness we are in, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ is contained in our hearts. The wilderness is in our hearts.
The wilderness is in our hearts.
It is not what is outside that defines our wilderness, rather it is what is inside ourselves, it is created by what we are done, or what we left undone. In other words, it is define by our own actions or inactions.
However, outside things do have a great influence and they can, especially during certain time in the year, to point out to us just how barren and how unfruitful our present way of life is.
During Christmas time we can more easily detect the hazards of a life unprepared for our Lord Jesus Christ.
We can more easily see what we are lacking in, and have a more of an experience of our need for God, for something or for anything that will ease our burdens in life.
Christmas can be such a lonely time.
It is a lonely time, not only for those of us who are far away from family and loved ones, but also for those who are alone because they are widows or single mothers. It is also a lonely time for those who have no peace in their minds. It is a lonely time for those who have been deceived into thinking that they can ever buy happiness for their families and friends by purchasing bigger gifts, better gifts or more expensive gifts.
It can be such a barren time and a time without joy, for those who think that somehow all that they ever needed could be found at Christmas parties, whether it be in the office or someone’s home, or in having just the perfect tree, or the nicest decorations in the whole city block, or the best decorated house in the entire province.
Even for those of us who place great value on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Christmas can be a time of year that reveals our need for a new way of doing things. A time of the year that shows that we too need to repent, and that we too need to empty our cups so that they can be filled with the water of life.
In so many ways we are all in a wilderness at this time of the year. A wilderness that is not of rocks and sand, heat and thirst, but a wilderness that is just as desolate and which makes us feeling spiritually dry.
Being busy is a feature of this desert of ours. Endless rounds of Christmas shopping, meetings and partying. At the end of the day, all this busyness leaves us exhausted and emotionally drained.
Noise attacks us. From the noise in the large shopping malls to the endless noise of carols, advertisements attacking us in the middle of our city of Hong Kong, or wherever you might be, not to mention from radios and televisions.
There is great pressure on us to feel happy, to be full of Christmas cheer, to enjoy ourselves, even when we are feeling much too tired, or wrapped up in our private and important grief.
We all feel compelled to spend money that we do not have. Either charging up great big debts on our credit cards, and for those who do not have credit cards, borrow money from money lenders in order for our families and friends either in Hong Kong or overseas can have the latest toys and gadgets that they do not really need.
On top of all that, we get so many appeals for this charity or that charity, and we are also asked to work harder and longer hours, so that we might, as it was possible in our absence, make our family happier.
We are certainly in a wilderness, a wilderness both within ourselves and outside, and we need desperately the way of the Lord to be made ready in our lives so that we can emerge from that wilderness and come to the place where there is rest, the place of hope, joy, peace, and love, the place where our God resides – within our hearts.
I remember hearing of suggestions as to how we might better prepare the way in our lives, and in the lives of other people.
The suggestions are ways of turning around in how many of us go through Advent and Christmas, a kind of repentance as it were.
It might be worth considering that instead of doing more things during Advent and Christmas, we might consider doing less, that we might consider slowing down and relaxing a bit more, as these precious Christmas days are much too precious to spend in doing what other people wanted us to do. Maybe we can consider having a month of saying NO.
NO to meetings that I can put off until the month of January. No to invitations that I may regret of giving out or accepting when the date arrives. NO to demands that take our attention away from our families and loved ones. When I say No to all such things, I will be able to say YES to other things, things such as Yes in trying out that new Christmas recipe. Yes to writing to neglected friends and relatives, YES to sharing Christmas stories and singing the beautiful songs of the season with people I love. YES to cuddling up to your spouse or love ones.
Maybe we can even consider inviting someone whom we know is lonely over to our house for Christmas dinner? What about reading the scriptures and praying for our church and our world? What about letting go of some unnecessary activity so that we will can have more time for family, church, home and friends. What about meditating each day on the generosity of God and his call for us to live by His love?
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, repentance is what most of us needs, the turning around that most of us requires. It is not such a hard thing to do. It is a necessary change of attitude toward life, and towards the things in this world that we hold as important right now.
Repentance is not all about beating on your breast and saying what a miserable sinner I have been. Repentance is not saying I am sorry over and over again. Repentance is doing things in a new way. A way that will give life both to yourselves and to other people. Repentance is the only way that will allow our Lord Jesus Christ to enter more deeply into your hearts.
All of us here today know more about John the Baptist than the people who first heard him some 2000 years ago. We do know that the one, who followed, the one that he called people to prepare for, was the Lord of Life, a man who bestowed health and wholeness on all who were ready for him. However, John’s words to us are just important today as it was 2000 years ago. John calls on us to the new life revealed in Jesus.
JOHN IS CALLING ON US TO THE NEW LIFE REVEALED IN JEUS.
He reminds us that if are to have that life, we must do just a little more than just wanting it. We must prepare ourselves for it, by making changes in our directions. We must prepare ourselves for it by doing certain things differently than we have done in the past.
To repent is to recognize that the old ways in which we have been traveling on will lead us only to a spiritual death, and will lead further and further away from God. To repent is to recognize the need to turn around, and to ask for God’s forgiveness and help, and by the help of His grace started walking in the way that will lead us to the light.
Repentance is a beginning that is blessed by God, a beginning that we all need to make each day, one day at a time.
As we turn to face Jesus, our lives are warmed, for his light shines on our path. As we walk forward from the place we were, we find our paths are made straight, the valleys in our way are raised up, the mountains and hills are made low, the rough places are leveled out, the rugged places becomes a plain, for Jesus is walking with us.
Comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, all her sins has been paid for. AMEN.
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near
I do not know about you, but a lot of people find it difficult to understand John the Baptist and what value are his message is to us today.
I have a feeling that very few people, whether it be 2000 years ago, or in today’s world really understand what he was trying to tell us when he told everyone that his job was to ‘prepare the way of the Lord and make his paths straight.” At least I must admit that I did have a problem in understanding what it means for us in today’s world.
I do not think that there were that many people who could even begin to understand it when he said that “After me comes one whose sandals I am not worthy to untie”
And among all the people who responded to his call of, “Repent and be baptized” they must have been deeply confused to hear him declaring to them “I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
What was John all about?
Why was he doing what he did?
And what is the importance of his message for all of us gathered here today?
To me, John the Baptist is the very voice of Advent, he is the voice of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to this world to intervene for us in the relationship between God and ourselves.
His message was not only a word about our Lord Jesus.
It was the Good News, in other words, the Gospel. It was the beginning of the Good News for you and me. It was the beginning of the Good News for the entire world.
The entire episode of John and his message was at the beginning of the Ministry of Jesus in this world. John’s message, still is the beginning today for everyone who want to walk with Jesus. This is for everyone who wants to find their way out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land…..
There is an old Chinese proverb, and I should know, as I am Chinese by race, that a journey of a thousand miles must begin with one step.
John’s purpose in his ministry was to point out to everyone in those days, and to all of us in today’s world what that first step must be. He was pointing out to us that the way of our Lord Jesus Christ must be prepared, and that we are not simply talking of a highway in the desert, but it must be a highway in our very hearts, a route or direction that we must all take, if we are to be ready for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
One day a university professor went to visit a great master by the name of Nan-In. The university professor asked the Master to teach him what he needed to know in order to have a happy life. He told the Master that he studied the sacred scriptures, he already visited all the greatest teachers in Japan, and yet he was not able to find the answer, and humbly he was asking Nan-In to show him the way to a happy life.
Nan-In said nothing and started serving tea to his guest. Nan-In kept on pouring tea into his visitor’s cup, and kept on pouring and pouring so that the tea began to run over the rim of the cup and across the table, and still he poured, until tea was flowing down from the table onto the floor. The professor watched this until he could no longer restrain himself. “It is overfull, stop, no more will go in”. He cried out.
Nan-In said, “Just like this cup, you are full of your opinions and speculations. How can I show you the way to a happy life until and unless you have emptied your cup?”
Indeed how can we ever welcome Christ? How can we ever enter the Promised Land with Him, if we ourselves are so full of our faith and trust in our own strengths, so full of our own high opinions of ourselves, so full of our poor opinion of other people, or so full of our own speculations, and therefore have no room for Him. How can we ever welcome the Lord if our hearts are not prepared? How?
How can we ever welcome the Lord if our hearts are not prepared? How?
John the Baptist came in order to prepare the way of the Lord. He prepared the way of the Lord, not by building a highway in the wilderness of Judea. He prepared the way of the Lord by preparing the hearts and minds of all who were willing to listen to him and to repent of their ways.
John the Baptist called on the people to hear his message and to take action, so that they would be able to greet the Messiah, and walk in the way of the Lord.
Repent, and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, he cried out, for after me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
REPENT!
What does the word repent mean?
It simply meant to “turn around”, to change the direction that we are going, to face a new way, to begin to move on that new way, and to leave behind the old way. It means to turn to the Lord and not to rely on our own resources, for never could we have salvation by our own efforts or to be able to face our daily trails or to walk with our Lord. By our own efforts we will not even be able to live another day!
Much as the professor had to empty himself to learn the way of how to have a happy life, so each and everyone of us must change direction if we are to truly see the Lord and walk with Him from the wilderness to the Promised Land through all the trials and tribulations we faces in this world.
You may tell me, ‘But Edwin, we are living in Hong Kong, and not in the wilderness of Judea. What are you talking about?” The wilderness we are in, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ is contained in our hearts. The wilderness is in our hearts.
The wilderness is in our hearts.
It is not what is outside that defines our wilderness, rather it is what is inside ourselves, it is created by what we are done, or what we left undone. In other words, it is define by our own actions or inactions.
However, outside things do have a great influence and they can, especially during certain time in the year, to point out to us just how barren and how unfruitful our present way of life is.
During Christmas time we can more easily detect the hazards of a life unprepared for our Lord Jesus Christ.
We can more easily see what we are lacking in, and have a more of an experience of our need for God, for something or for anything that will ease our burdens in life.
Christmas can be such a lonely time.
It is a lonely time, not only for those of us who are far away from family and loved ones, but also for those who are alone because they are widows or single mothers. It is also a lonely time for those who have no peace in their minds. It is a lonely time for those who have been deceived into thinking that they can ever buy happiness for their families and friends by purchasing bigger gifts, better gifts or more expensive gifts.
It can be such a barren time and a time without joy, for those who think that somehow all that they ever needed could be found at Christmas parties, whether it be in the office or someone’s home, or in having just the perfect tree, or the nicest decorations in the whole city block, or the best decorated house in the entire province.
Even for those of us who place great value on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Christmas can be a time of year that reveals our need for a new way of doing things. A time of the year that shows that we too need to repent, and that we too need to empty our cups so that they can be filled with the water of life.
In so many ways we are all in a wilderness at this time of the year. A wilderness that is not of rocks and sand, heat and thirst, but a wilderness that is just as desolate and which makes us feeling spiritually dry.
Being busy is a feature of this desert of ours. Endless rounds of Christmas shopping, meetings and partying. At the end of the day, all this busyness leaves us exhausted and emotionally drained.
Noise attacks us. From the noise in the large shopping malls to the endless noise of carols, advertisements attacking us in the middle of our city of Hong Kong, or wherever you might be, not to mention from radios and televisions.
There is great pressure on us to feel happy, to be full of Christmas cheer, to enjoy ourselves, even when we are feeling much too tired, or wrapped up in our private and important grief.
We all feel compelled to spend money that we do not have. Either charging up great big debts on our credit cards, and for those who do not have credit cards, borrow money from money lenders in order for our families and friends either in Hong Kong or overseas can have the latest toys and gadgets that they do not really need.
On top of all that, we get so many appeals for this charity or that charity, and we are also asked to work harder and longer hours, so that we might, as it was possible in our absence, make our family happier.
We are certainly in a wilderness, a wilderness both within ourselves and outside, and we need desperately the way of the Lord to be made ready in our lives so that we can emerge from that wilderness and come to the place where there is rest, the place of hope, joy, peace, and love, the place where our God resides – within our hearts.
I remember hearing of suggestions as to how we might better prepare the way in our lives, and in the lives of other people.
The suggestions are ways of turning around in how many of us go through Advent and Christmas, a kind of repentance as it were.
It might be worth considering that instead of doing more things during Advent and Christmas, we might consider doing less, that we might consider slowing down and relaxing a bit more, as these precious Christmas days are much too precious to spend in doing what other people wanted us to do. Maybe we can consider having a month of saying NO.
NO to meetings that I can put off until the month of January. No to invitations that I may regret of giving out or accepting when the date arrives. NO to demands that take our attention away from our families and loved ones. When I say No to all such things, I will be able to say YES to other things, things such as Yes in trying out that new Christmas recipe. Yes to writing to neglected friends and relatives, YES to sharing Christmas stories and singing the beautiful songs of the season with people I love. YES to cuddling up to your spouse or love ones.
Maybe we can even consider inviting someone whom we know is lonely over to our house for Christmas dinner? What about reading the scriptures and praying for our church and our world? What about letting go of some unnecessary activity so that we will can have more time for family, church, home and friends. What about meditating each day on the generosity of God and his call for us to live by His love?
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, repentance is what most of us needs, the turning around that most of us requires. It is not such a hard thing to do. It is a necessary change of attitude toward life, and towards the things in this world that we hold as important right now.
Repentance is not all about beating on your breast and saying what a miserable sinner I have been. Repentance is not saying I am sorry over and over again. Repentance is doing things in a new way. A way that will give life both to yourselves and to other people. Repentance is the only way that will allow our Lord Jesus Christ to enter more deeply into your hearts.
All of us here today know more about John the Baptist than the people who first heard him some 2000 years ago. We do know that the one, who followed, the one that he called people to prepare for, was the Lord of Life, a man who bestowed health and wholeness on all who were ready for him. However, John’s words to us are just important today as it was 2000 years ago. John calls on us to the new life revealed in Jesus.
JOHN IS CALLING ON US TO THE NEW LIFE REVEALED IN JEUS.
He reminds us that if are to have that life, we must do just a little more than just wanting it. We must prepare ourselves for it, by making changes in our directions. We must prepare ourselves for it by doing certain things differently than we have done in the past.
To repent is to recognize that the old ways in which we have been traveling on will lead us only to a spiritual death, and will lead further and further away from God. To repent is to recognize the need to turn around, and to ask for God’s forgiveness and help, and by the help of His grace started walking in the way that will lead us to the light.
Repentance is a beginning that is blessed by God, a beginning that we all need to make each day, one day at a time.
As we turn to face Jesus, our lives are warmed, for his light shines on our path. As we walk forward from the place we were, we find our paths are made straight, the valleys in our way are raised up, the mountains and hills are made low, the rough places are leveled out, the rugged places becomes a plain, for Jesus is walking with us.
Comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, all her sins has been paid for. AMEN.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Proverbs 12:4
"An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones." Proverbs 12:4
Everyone wants quality. Most men, if they have to wear a suit, would love to own a custom tailored suit. A suit from the best tailor in town cut to our own body shape would feel wonderful. Unfortunately, most of us can't afford such a garment. Most of us would love to drive a Mercedes Benz or luxury car or sports machine. The feel of fine tooled leather; the power available at the touch of foot to pedal; the exhilaration of such precision machinery must be "out of this world." Unfortunately, most of us drive our old clunkers until they are beyond repair and then buy someone else's cast-off and do it all again.
Most women would love to have the finest jewelry, perhaps a $100,000 diamond ring to go with her luxurious furs and designer clothing. Unfortunately, most of them live on a very small budget. All of life is a trade-off. We desire the best. We settle for the best our money can buy.
Solomon tells his son that the best wife in the world is a treasure worth clinging to. Whatever a man does, wherever he goes, his wife makes him look good. It may not be that she is the most beautiful woman, physically, in the room. It is that she is smooth and secure. Her role is to support her husband. She makes sure he looks good in his clothing. She sees to it that he knows what is happening (after all, we all know that most men are clueless!) and what is soon to happen. She makes her home a palace to be enjoyed by her family. She is frugal in her extravagance. (See finds a way to furnish her home and clothe her family with products that look like they cost a million, and she does it on pennies.)
Yes, we all desire the best our money can buy, and we are proud of what we own.
God is the same way. He has chosen us because He sees in us the excellence He created in us. He sees beyond the zits and flaws and sins. He sees deep into the soul, and He sees not the filth, but the perfection He created and will recreate. God does not make mistakes. Never has. Never will. His desire is that we become His showpiece. Oh, He knows our limitations, he did create us. He knows our flaws. He wept over each one as we inflicted them upon ourselves. But He knows what is yet to come. In many ways He is like a diamond cutter. What I see as a pretty rock, He sees as a brilliant cut diamond. What I see as a flaw, He sees as raw material ready for the Craftsman. What I see as failure, He sees as an opportunity to witness His power and love and grace and mercy.
To God, we are like an "excellent wife." He desires for us to make Him "proud." And, what's more, He gives us the tools, the opportunities, and the experiences to do just that. Are you allowing Him to make you into a "crown jewel"? Amen and Amen.
Everyone wants quality. Most men, if they have to wear a suit, would love to own a custom tailored suit. A suit from the best tailor in town cut to our own body shape would feel wonderful. Unfortunately, most of us can't afford such a garment. Most of us would love to drive a Mercedes Benz or luxury car or sports machine. The feel of fine tooled leather; the power available at the touch of foot to pedal; the exhilaration of such precision machinery must be "out of this world." Unfortunately, most of us drive our old clunkers until they are beyond repair and then buy someone else's cast-off and do it all again.
Most women would love to have the finest jewelry, perhaps a $100,000 diamond ring to go with her luxurious furs and designer clothing. Unfortunately, most of them live on a very small budget. All of life is a trade-off. We desire the best. We settle for the best our money can buy.
Solomon tells his son that the best wife in the world is a treasure worth clinging to. Whatever a man does, wherever he goes, his wife makes him look good. It may not be that she is the most beautiful woman, physically, in the room. It is that she is smooth and secure. Her role is to support her husband. She makes sure he looks good in his clothing. She sees to it that he knows what is happening (after all, we all know that most men are clueless!) and what is soon to happen. She makes her home a palace to be enjoyed by her family. She is frugal in her extravagance. (See finds a way to furnish her home and clothe her family with products that look like they cost a million, and she does it on pennies.)
Yes, we all desire the best our money can buy, and we are proud of what we own.
God is the same way. He has chosen us because He sees in us the excellence He created in us. He sees beyond the zits and flaws and sins. He sees deep into the soul, and He sees not the filth, but the perfection He created and will recreate. God does not make mistakes. Never has. Never will. His desire is that we become His showpiece. Oh, He knows our limitations, he did create us. He knows our flaws. He wept over each one as we inflicted them upon ourselves. But He knows what is yet to come. In many ways He is like a diamond cutter. What I see as a pretty rock, He sees as a brilliant cut diamond. What I see as a flaw, He sees as raw material ready for the Craftsman. What I see as failure, He sees as an opportunity to witness His power and love and grace and mercy.
To God, we are like an "excellent wife." He desires for us to make Him "proud." And, what's more, He gives us the tools, the opportunities, and the experiences to do just that. Are you allowing Him to make you into a "crown jewel"? Amen and Amen.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Psalm 42:1-2
"As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" Psalm 42:1-2
I don't know a lot about deer, so I will talk about camels. Well, actually I don't know a lot about camels - but I've read quite a few books that talk about camels. Camels can smell water several miles away. . . especially after they have been driven through a desert for several days. We all know that camels have an astounding reservoir inside their bodies. This allows them to spend days in the desert without water. Still, when they are running dry, they will run to a distant water hole. Many a desert traveler has been saved by simply holding on to his camel.
Something I do know about is dogs. Dogs spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer. After spending several hours outside the first thing they rush to is the water bowl! It's just natural for animals of all kinds to find water. It is the most elemental of needs for most living creatures. It seems that man is the only living creature who does not long for water naturally. The average person would rather drink a flavored beverage than plain old water. It would serve us well to "pant for water" in a literal way!
David says his desire for God is as strong as a thirsty animal's desire for water. Nothing will stand between him and his God. So should it be for us (though I suspect that if we had to make a choice on a given non-church night we just might choose our favorite TV show.) How thirsty was David for God? How thirsty should we be for God? David wanted to - no anxiously looked forward to - the time he would meet God face to face! How many of us can say that? We need to - no we must desire God above all else. Why? Our very lives depend upon it. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
I don't know a lot about deer, so I will talk about camels. Well, actually I don't know a lot about camels - but I've read quite a few books that talk about camels. Camels can smell water several miles away. . . especially after they have been driven through a desert for several days. We all know that camels have an astounding reservoir inside their bodies. This allows them to spend days in the desert without water. Still, when they are running dry, they will run to a distant water hole. Many a desert traveler has been saved by simply holding on to his camel.
Something I do know about is dogs. Dogs spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer. After spending several hours outside the first thing they rush to is the water bowl! It's just natural for animals of all kinds to find water. It is the most elemental of needs for most living creatures. It seems that man is the only living creature who does not long for water naturally. The average person would rather drink a flavored beverage than plain old water. It would serve us well to "pant for water" in a literal way!
David says his desire for God is as strong as a thirsty animal's desire for water. Nothing will stand between him and his God. So should it be for us (though I suspect that if we had to make a choice on a given non-church night we just might choose our favorite TV show.) How thirsty was David for God? How thirsty should we be for God? David wanted to - no anxiously looked forward to - the time he would meet God face to face! How many of us can say that? We need to - no we must desire God above all else. Why? Our very lives depend upon it. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
2 Corinth 13:5
"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless indeed you are disqualified." 2 Corinth 13:5
Some people hate tests. They would cram for them and study the material and could know it inside and out - and still hate tests. Finals are the worst. They usually carried 1/3rd the weight of an entire semester's grade. Do poorly on one of those and you repeated the course. The fear of failure is always present - and we hate failure as much as we hate tests. Still, tests are a necessary evil in the scheme of education. Without them, we would have no incentive to learn. We would never have mastered the dreaded multiplication tables. We would never have studied Shakespeare. We would have totally ignored some subject matter that has proven to be absolutely nonessential for our every day lives.
Tests have helped make me into the man that I am - well rounded (don't laugh about my physical appearance - I mean mentally!) man. Come to think of it, though I used to like tests, I still like them now - of course a high grade is not the issue any more. Success in life is the issue.
Successful Christian living is the issue. And sometimes, the lives of people around me are the issue. All of these are far more important than whether or not I can "ace" the course. Paul tells us to take a test - a self-test. On that exam is one question. "Am I in the faith?" What does that mean? "Am I right with God? Or, have I parted ways with Him?" In all honesty, we are either one or the other. There is no middle ground. It is a black and white question demanding a "yes" or a "no." "Maybe" or "Sometimes" will never do. And the answer we give will indeed shape our lives.
So, how did you do? Now bear in mind that this is not the final for the course. It's only a "pop quiz." If you aren't satisfied with the answer, you can work to change it. You can improve it. Oh, by the way, it's an "open book" exam. You can check your answer against the Word of God - it's always available. You can always bring it to "class" and its yard stick is always accurate. If your answer is not adequate, I hope you will work on it. We never know when the final will come. Amen and Amen.
Some people hate tests. They would cram for them and study the material and could know it inside and out - and still hate tests. Finals are the worst. They usually carried 1/3rd the weight of an entire semester's grade. Do poorly on one of those and you repeated the course. The fear of failure is always present - and we hate failure as much as we hate tests. Still, tests are a necessary evil in the scheme of education. Without them, we would have no incentive to learn. We would never have mastered the dreaded multiplication tables. We would never have studied Shakespeare. We would have totally ignored some subject matter that has proven to be absolutely nonessential for our every day lives.
Tests have helped make me into the man that I am - well rounded (don't laugh about my physical appearance - I mean mentally!) man. Come to think of it, though I used to like tests, I still like them now - of course a high grade is not the issue any more. Success in life is the issue.
Successful Christian living is the issue. And sometimes, the lives of people around me are the issue. All of these are far more important than whether or not I can "ace" the course. Paul tells us to take a test - a self-test. On that exam is one question. "Am I in the faith?" What does that mean? "Am I right with God? Or, have I parted ways with Him?" In all honesty, we are either one or the other. There is no middle ground. It is a black and white question demanding a "yes" or a "no." "Maybe" or "Sometimes" will never do. And the answer we give will indeed shape our lives.
So, how did you do? Now bear in mind that this is not the final for the course. It's only a "pop quiz." If you aren't satisfied with the answer, you can work to change it. You can improve it. Oh, by the way, it's an "open book" exam. You can check your answer against the Word of God - it's always available. You can always bring it to "class" and its yard stick is always accurate. If your answer is not adequate, I hope you will work on it. We never know when the final will come. Amen and Amen.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Psalm 68:6
"God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land." Psalm 68:6
It's all about love. That's the sum total of the human experience. Of course we define love in many different ways, but when it comes down to it, we are all looking for the same thing - a love that passes understanding - one that is pure and satisfying beyond description. It's beyond the physical, though that is were many stop in their search. The physical is simply a shallow imitation if what we all desire. We want that eternal love, one that transcends time and space. There is only one place to find that kind of love - in the Father's arms.
The prodigal son found that out. When he was in the pig sty (a rough place for a young Jewish boy), he knew that what he had experienced, what he thought was love, was nothing. When the money was gone, the love was gone. He realized that his father's servants felt more love than he did. He would have been satisfied with the love his father gave the servants.
Still, when he approached home, his father saw him, ran to him, put his arms around him and gave that lost son all that he wanted and needed. The prodigal found perfect love in the arms of his father.
David says that God places the lonely in a family. The lonely, like the prodigal, have mostly given up on ever finding perfect love. They have convinced themselves that second or third best or none at all in the love category is all they are worthy of.
But the Father has other plans. He wants to give them all that He has for them. He desires above all else to provide perfect love - His love. All they have to do is start out for home and the Father will come running to them. Perhaps you know of some lonely people. Do you shun them, or do you give them love? Do you cross the street and tell your children to look the other way, or do you feed them? How do you look at the homeless, the downtrodden, the poor, the filthy, the addict? They are people that Jesus died for. If God was willing to pay that price, don't you think you should be able to give them some of the Father's love - share the love He has freely given you? Don't be stingy with your love, give it away! The Father will give you much more in return - guaranteed! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
It's all about love. That's the sum total of the human experience. Of course we define love in many different ways, but when it comes down to it, we are all looking for the same thing - a love that passes understanding - one that is pure and satisfying beyond description. It's beyond the physical, though that is were many stop in their search. The physical is simply a shallow imitation if what we all desire. We want that eternal love, one that transcends time and space. There is only one place to find that kind of love - in the Father's arms.
The prodigal son found that out. When he was in the pig sty (a rough place for a young Jewish boy), he knew that what he had experienced, what he thought was love, was nothing. When the money was gone, the love was gone. He realized that his father's servants felt more love than he did. He would have been satisfied with the love his father gave the servants.
Still, when he approached home, his father saw him, ran to him, put his arms around him and gave that lost son all that he wanted and needed. The prodigal found perfect love in the arms of his father.
David says that God places the lonely in a family. The lonely, like the prodigal, have mostly given up on ever finding perfect love. They have convinced themselves that second or third best or none at all in the love category is all they are worthy of.
But the Father has other plans. He wants to give them all that He has for them. He desires above all else to provide perfect love - His love. All they have to do is start out for home and the Father will come running to them. Perhaps you know of some lonely people. Do you shun them, or do you give them love? Do you cross the street and tell your children to look the other way, or do you feed them? How do you look at the homeless, the downtrodden, the poor, the filthy, the addict? They are people that Jesus died for. If God was willing to pay that price, don't you think you should be able to give them some of the Father's love - share the love He has freely given you? Don't be stingy with your love, give it away! The Father will give you much more in return - guaranteed! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Gen 37:3-4
"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him." Gen 37:3-4
Joseph wasn't the problem so much as Israel's reaction to him. Israel lavished upon his youngest (at that time) son. He "loved him more that all his sons." I suppose there was some just cause. He was the last born son of Israel's favorite wife (that's another story). He gave Joseph all the advantages. While he dressed the other sons well, he made Joseph special clothes. It's like buying most of your children clothes from the Salvation Army Family Stores, (a charitable shop run by the Salvation Army here in Hong Kong) while buying your favorite child only designer garments from the fanciest store in town.
It will always cause problems. Joseph's brothers were jealous - and rightfully so. (You could say they had "older brother syndrome" - "you never killed a fatted calf for me!") They already had a severe disliking for their youngest sibling. Joseph didn't help matters much by relaying his dreams of his prominence to his brothers. Really now, why should they bow down to him? Here's the problem.
If you openly exalt one child over another, you will invariably damage all of them. It's a fact. Look at the trouble that arose from Israel's favoritism. Hatred, distrust, contemplated murder, slavery, imprisonment, suffering, loss, lying. All of these things resulted from this misplaced "love." Sure, good came of it.
Joseph survived the suffering. Israel survived the loss of his favorite son. Murder was avoided because reason prevailed. The family was ultimately saved because of Joseph. That doesn't mean all the decisions were right - all that happened was the way God wanted it. But it worked out.
Parents, I encourage you to learn from Israel's error. Do your best to treat all your children equally - give them all the love they need. Don't squander your love on one at the expense of the others. Israel would probably be the first to tell you that the suffering, the pain, of this mistake is severe. It is better to love all and have all than to love one over the other and lose all.
This advice can apply to many other situations as well. Teachers, take note. Preachers, take note. Employers, take note. All of us need to take note and avoid this pitfall. It leads to trouble. Amen and Amen.
Joseph wasn't the problem so much as Israel's reaction to him. Israel lavished upon his youngest (at that time) son. He "loved him more that all his sons." I suppose there was some just cause. He was the last born son of Israel's favorite wife (that's another story). He gave Joseph all the advantages. While he dressed the other sons well, he made Joseph special clothes. It's like buying most of your children clothes from the Salvation Army Family Stores, (a charitable shop run by the Salvation Army here in Hong Kong) while buying your favorite child only designer garments from the fanciest store in town.
It will always cause problems. Joseph's brothers were jealous - and rightfully so. (You could say they had "older brother syndrome" - "you never killed a fatted calf for me!") They already had a severe disliking for their youngest sibling. Joseph didn't help matters much by relaying his dreams of his prominence to his brothers. Really now, why should they bow down to him? Here's the problem.
If you openly exalt one child over another, you will invariably damage all of them. It's a fact. Look at the trouble that arose from Israel's favoritism. Hatred, distrust, contemplated murder, slavery, imprisonment, suffering, loss, lying. All of these things resulted from this misplaced "love." Sure, good came of it.
Joseph survived the suffering. Israel survived the loss of his favorite son. Murder was avoided because reason prevailed. The family was ultimately saved because of Joseph. That doesn't mean all the decisions were right - all that happened was the way God wanted it. But it worked out.
Parents, I encourage you to learn from Israel's error. Do your best to treat all your children equally - give them all the love they need. Don't squander your love on one at the expense of the others. Israel would probably be the first to tell you that the suffering, the pain, of this mistake is severe. It is better to love all and have all than to love one over the other and lose all.
This advice can apply to many other situations as well. Teachers, take note. Preachers, take note. Employers, take note. All of us need to take note and avoid this pitfall. It leads to trouble. Amen and Amen.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Mark 10:33-34
"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again" Mark 10:33-34
Writers often us a technique called "foreshadowing" to hint at things to come. Sir Conan Doyle uses such gimmicks to lead the reader in correct - or misleading - paths on the way to the solution of a mystery. Another writer, Angela Lansbury often did the same in the "Murder, a series she wrote for the television. It is a wonderful tool for the fiction writer.
Today we see the same tool used by Jesus as He and His disciples are on their way to Jerusalem. To us, it seems that these verses are rather obvious. Jesus is telling His disciples that He will be betrayed into the hands of His enemies. He will be tortured, mocked, ridiculed, beaten, condemned to death, and hung on a cross. He also tells them that He will rise from the grave.
The only problem was that the disciples did not seem to be listening. James and John were seeking a favor of Jesus - "when you come into you kingdom, can we have the places of honor?" They missed the point Jesus was making - totally! Sure, He would have a kingdom - but it would come at a great price. And that kingdom would not be of a nature that they thought. They could see themselves sitting on golden thrones on either side of Jesus' much larger and glorious jewel studded throne. They never heard Jesus say he was about to die.
Surely the others thought James and John were a bit out of line. The ten weren't listening to Jesus either. They were indignant at the request of James and John! Their anger burned towards their toward brothers - and justly so. Those two had been Jesus' favorites from the very beginning. The ten wanted their share of the kingdom too. It's really too bad the twelve didn't listen to the only person worth listening to. It would have certainly helped them understand what would happen in a few short days. They would not have been so frightened when Judas betrayed Jesus. They wouldn't have fled when Jesus was taken captive. Peter might not have denied Jesus three times before dawn on that eventful Friday. Sure, Jesus would die - but the final clause of His statement was so very important: "and three days later He will rise again."
Imagine what would have happened if the disciples had paid attention. The crucifixion could have been a victory celebration. The resurrection an expected climax to a most important week. But they didn't - and they would soon suffer the consequences because they did not hear the foreshadowing statement of their Master.
Jesus often gives us a foreshadowing of what is to come in our lives. Our pastor might be talking about sorrows coming to believers to make us strong. We are drawing cartoons on our bulletin. He tells us to be "prayed up" in advance of the coming troubles. We are telling the kids to quit fighting. Then, when the sermon is over and the invitation sung, we exit the sanctuary thinking the pastor failed to tell us a thing. Three weeks later we wonder why he didn't warn us that the enemy would be having a field day at our expense. If he had only warned us, we would have been praying!
If we can learn anything from today's verses it is this: when God speaks, we had better listen. Amen and Amen.
Writers often us a technique called "foreshadowing" to hint at things to come. Sir Conan Doyle uses such gimmicks to lead the reader in correct - or misleading - paths on the way to the solution of a mystery. Another writer, Angela Lansbury often did the same in the "Murder, a series she wrote for the television. It is a wonderful tool for the fiction writer.
Today we see the same tool used by Jesus as He and His disciples are on their way to Jerusalem. To us, it seems that these verses are rather obvious. Jesus is telling His disciples that He will be betrayed into the hands of His enemies. He will be tortured, mocked, ridiculed, beaten, condemned to death, and hung on a cross. He also tells them that He will rise from the grave.
The only problem was that the disciples did not seem to be listening. James and John were seeking a favor of Jesus - "when you come into you kingdom, can we have the places of honor?" They missed the point Jesus was making - totally! Sure, He would have a kingdom - but it would come at a great price. And that kingdom would not be of a nature that they thought. They could see themselves sitting on golden thrones on either side of Jesus' much larger and glorious jewel studded throne. They never heard Jesus say he was about to die.
Surely the others thought James and John were a bit out of line. The ten weren't listening to Jesus either. They were indignant at the request of James and John! Their anger burned towards their toward brothers - and justly so. Those two had been Jesus' favorites from the very beginning. The ten wanted their share of the kingdom too. It's really too bad the twelve didn't listen to the only person worth listening to. It would have certainly helped them understand what would happen in a few short days. They would not have been so frightened when Judas betrayed Jesus. They wouldn't have fled when Jesus was taken captive. Peter might not have denied Jesus three times before dawn on that eventful Friday. Sure, Jesus would die - but the final clause of His statement was so very important: "and three days later He will rise again."
Imagine what would have happened if the disciples had paid attention. The crucifixion could have been a victory celebration. The resurrection an expected climax to a most important week. But they didn't - and they would soon suffer the consequences because they did not hear the foreshadowing statement of their Master.
Jesus often gives us a foreshadowing of what is to come in our lives. Our pastor might be talking about sorrows coming to believers to make us strong. We are drawing cartoons on our bulletin. He tells us to be "prayed up" in advance of the coming troubles. We are telling the kids to quit fighting. Then, when the sermon is over and the invitation sung, we exit the sanctuary thinking the pastor failed to tell us a thing. Three weeks later we wonder why he didn't warn us that the enemy would be having a field day at our expense. If he had only warned us, we would have been praying!
If we can learn anything from today's verses it is this: when God speaks, we had better listen. Amen and Amen.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Repaint and Thin no more
Lord of light – shine upon us. God of love fill our hearts with your wisdom. Holy Spirit, bring yourself closer to us in my words and how we hear them, in our thoughts and how we think them. Use this time – and uses us to accomplish your good will. Amen.
The life we are having in this world is not all that there is to it – there is a lot more to come, and what is to come is based on – to a very large extent to what we do here and now – it is basically based on the kind of foundation that we are building for ourselves with the help of God.
The two Scripture readings we heard this morning speaks of the future life and of what lies beyond this mortal coil of ours. And the Scripture readings do so in a most solemn manner – one with the story of Lazarus and the rich man, the other one with a reminder to us of what it is we should all be about, what we should be doing in this life.
Reading from Timothy –
As for you – pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith – take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called…
And again –
As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everyone for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.
Pursue righteousness – godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Set your hops on God rather than riches. Do good, share with each other.
Very simple instructions – ones in fact contained in the Law and the Prophets. Yet how often in our daily lives do we really go about building the foundation of our future using these set of instructions?
Let us all take into consideration the story of Lazarus and the Rich man for a moment –
Lazarus, a poor beggar – ends up in heaven, while the Rich man – ends up in hell.
Do you know what happened? What is all seems to come down to is that the rich man failed to share even the crumbs that fell from his table with the beggar who was laying right at his gate during his lifetime – the Rich man failed to have any compassion for his neighbour.
The Law and the Prophets tell us to feed the hungry. We are to look after the widows and the orphans. We are to do justice to those who are foreigners and the strangers in where we are living in. We are to take car of those who are suffering. We are to love God and to we are to love our neighbour as ourselves.
The Rich man probably knew what he was supposed to do. He probably obeyed most of the Law and the Prophets, but for some reason or other, the beggar at his gates did not seem to be worthy of his attention. For some reason or other the beggar was not even worthy to be given the leftovers of his feast. How about us?
Do we ever notice the poor people who are in our community? Do we ever notice the suffering of some of the people in our community? Do we ever notice the hardship of the orphans and widows? Do we do justice to those who are foreigners and strangers here in our community?
As we eat our fast food meals, as we go out to nice restaurants and watch television shows like “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”. As some of us may be dreaming of winning the great Mark Six lottery prize or some other lotteries so that we might become even richer – do we spare a thought – let alone a few crumbs – a few dollars – to help those who se sores are fill of puss – whose bellies know little but dirty water and the odd bit of bread that others may from time to time have provided for them?
I heard recently a story of a Texan who, after a whole lifetime of striving, finally struck I struck it rich in oil. The first thing he did was to take a trip to Dallas and got himself an outfit that he has been dreaming for all his life – boots, spurs, a 10 gallon hat, together with all the trimmings – including a nice big Cadillac with a set of Texas Longhorn horns mounted on the front end of the car. No sooner had he got home from his trip to Dallas, he had a heart attack and died. His wife, knowing of her late husband’s new found pride and joy, decided that the only appropriate thing for her to do is to have him bury with his new finery. Accordingly a concrete vault was prepared, and a large crane was hired for the occasion. With his hat, his boots, and all the trimmings, the body was placed behind the wheel of the Cadillac. As the crane lifted the car and began lowering the Cadillac with his body in it into the vault, a friend of the deceased nudged someone standing close by and said “Man, that is living.”
I am afraid that there are many people in the world who think that way. They think that life is all about living affluently. They think that living is all about having a DVD player and a television, a nice car and a nice apartment or house, not to mention a nice funeral when it is time to go.
But that, my dear sisters and brothers in Christ, that is not living, that is dying.
Andrew Carnegie, who amassed a fortune of over 400 million dollars, ended up giving away 99.5% of his fortune away. When interviewed as to the reason for his doing so, he said – “The man, who dies rich, dies in disgrace.”
The bible seems to give us an indication that only does the rich man died in disgrace, but he also ended up in hell. While the very people that the rich man very likely despised during his lifetime, the poor beggars of our society, the welfare cases that a lot of people only talked about but never lift a finger to help, the millions of children around the world who die each year for lack of basic sanitation and a lack of food, all ended up in heaven.
What do think are riches worth in the very end of our lives? Riches that have not been shared with the needy?
Some of you here sitting here in church this morning are probably thinking – “this teaching of Jesus does not apply to me. I am not rich. I only earn very little money every month. I do not have sumptuous feasts or live in a big mansion.” However, please allow me to remind you, wealth is a relative thing – and I dare say to you that most of us sitting here are rich beyond measure when you compared yourself to 90% of the world’s population, and not doing too bad if you compared yourself to about 40% of people in Hong Kong or in your own country.
What good will all that does to us in the end? Unless we are first rich, as Paul so puts it in verses 18 and 19 of today’s Epistle reading, and unless we are rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, and thus have stored up for ourselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future.
Some people may say that this is a hard teaching, and I do not doubt that at all, for it is. However, again using the words of the Apostle Paul, it is the way to take hold of the life that really is life.
Jesus, in another passage in the Scriptures tells us that a rich man is as likely to get into heaven as it is for a camel to get through the eye of a needle.
Some interpreters of the Bible say that what Jesus was referring to in this particular passage was an ancient gate that went through the walls of Jerusalem and into the city. This gate so we understand was so small, that anyone wanted to pass through with his camel will have to first get off the camel, unload his camel, and then have to have the camel kneel down and basically go through the gate by repeated crouching down and rising up movements. There are interpreters who rejected the idea of there ever being such a gate in existence. However, the message to us is very clear, whether this gate existed or not, you cannot be so attached to your possessions, to your wealth and your pride and your position in life, and hope to be able to enter the Kingdom of God. You rather have them put aside, you rather that you give them away, you rather that you get down from your high place and in an attitude of humility, then walk through the gate.
There are many people in this world who would love to be able to have their hunger satisfied with what falls from our table. And there will be come a time when we will all be reduced to being equal with all those people
A time of dying
A time of judgment
Although the mercy of Christ is there for those who will seek it, but personally I doubt whether it is going to do us much good, if we do not prepare ourselves during this lifetime, if we have not laid a good foundation for ourselves, a foundation that is based on the love of God and the love of our neighbours. I am talking of all our neighbours, not just the ones whom we think as being worthy of our love.
A deacon of a church went out one day to paint his house. He purchased five gallons of white paint and began the job. As he got to the third side of the house, he notice that he was running out of paint, so he added some turpentine to the remainder of the paint and kept on painting. On the final side of the house, he noticed that he was again running out of paint, so he added a bit more turpentine and succeeded in finishing off painting. After the paint dried, he noticed that the last two sides of the house were streaky, the whole thing looked awful. Being a religious man, he bowed his head in prayer, and asked God what he should do. A voice came from heaven and said to him – REPAINT AND THIN NO MORE.
This is also the message of Christ for us. He calls us on us to repent and sin no more. We are called by Christ to repent of our selfishness, of our lack of caring for those who do not fit our concept of deserving, of our tendency to pass judgment in such a way that we can justify ignoring those who are outside our gates.
Where does the Grace of God fit into all that I have talk about today?
It is in the very fact that all of us can enter the Kingdom of God, and this is the will of God for each and every one of us.
As Paul wrote in his epistle:
As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Set your hope in God, and build a good foundation for the future, by using what God has given for our enjoyment to increase the enjoyment of others. Visit those who are sick. Cloth those who are naked. Feed those who are hungry. Give a cup of cold water to those who thirst. And bless God’s name for the fact that God has made it possible for you to show His love and His grace to those who are in such deep need for it.
The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.” But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your many good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us. The rich man then said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house – for I have five brothers – that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” Abraham replied – “They have Moses and the prophets, they should listen to them.” The rich man said, “No father Abraham, but if someone should rise from the dead, they will repent.” Abraham said to him – “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convince even if someone rises from the dead.”
Listen my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, to Moses and the Prophets. Their message is the same as that of the one who rose from the dead. Listen – do what they have told us to do, and thereby build a good foundation for the future.
Blessed be God – day by day. Amen.
The life we are having in this world is not all that there is to it – there is a lot more to come, and what is to come is based on – to a very large extent to what we do here and now – it is basically based on the kind of foundation that we are building for ourselves with the help of God.
The two Scripture readings we heard this morning speaks of the future life and of what lies beyond this mortal coil of ours. And the Scripture readings do so in a most solemn manner – one with the story of Lazarus and the rich man, the other one with a reminder to us of what it is we should all be about, what we should be doing in this life.
Reading from Timothy –
As for you – pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith – take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called…
And again –
As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everyone for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.
Pursue righteousness – godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Set your hops on God rather than riches. Do good, share with each other.
Very simple instructions – ones in fact contained in the Law and the Prophets. Yet how often in our daily lives do we really go about building the foundation of our future using these set of instructions?
Let us all take into consideration the story of Lazarus and the Rich man for a moment –
Lazarus, a poor beggar – ends up in heaven, while the Rich man – ends up in hell.
Do you know what happened? What is all seems to come down to is that the rich man failed to share even the crumbs that fell from his table with the beggar who was laying right at his gate during his lifetime – the Rich man failed to have any compassion for his neighbour.
The Law and the Prophets tell us to feed the hungry. We are to look after the widows and the orphans. We are to do justice to those who are foreigners and the strangers in where we are living in. We are to take car of those who are suffering. We are to love God and to we are to love our neighbour as ourselves.
The Rich man probably knew what he was supposed to do. He probably obeyed most of the Law and the Prophets, but for some reason or other, the beggar at his gates did not seem to be worthy of his attention. For some reason or other the beggar was not even worthy to be given the leftovers of his feast. How about us?
Do we ever notice the poor people who are in our community? Do we ever notice the suffering of some of the people in our community? Do we ever notice the hardship of the orphans and widows? Do we do justice to those who are foreigners and strangers here in our community?
As we eat our fast food meals, as we go out to nice restaurants and watch television shows like “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”. As some of us may be dreaming of winning the great Mark Six lottery prize or some other lotteries so that we might become even richer – do we spare a thought – let alone a few crumbs – a few dollars – to help those who se sores are fill of puss – whose bellies know little but dirty water and the odd bit of bread that others may from time to time have provided for them?
I heard recently a story of a Texan who, after a whole lifetime of striving, finally struck I struck it rich in oil. The first thing he did was to take a trip to Dallas and got himself an outfit that he has been dreaming for all his life – boots, spurs, a 10 gallon hat, together with all the trimmings – including a nice big Cadillac with a set of Texas Longhorn horns mounted on the front end of the car. No sooner had he got home from his trip to Dallas, he had a heart attack and died. His wife, knowing of her late husband’s new found pride and joy, decided that the only appropriate thing for her to do is to have him bury with his new finery. Accordingly a concrete vault was prepared, and a large crane was hired for the occasion. With his hat, his boots, and all the trimmings, the body was placed behind the wheel of the Cadillac. As the crane lifted the car and began lowering the Cadillac with his body in it into the vault, a friend of the deceased nudged someone standing close by and said “Man, that is living.”
I am afraid that there are many people in the world who think that way. They think that life is all about living affluently. They think that living is all about having a DVD player and a television, a nice car and a nice apartment or house, not to mention a nice funeral when it is time to go.
But that, my dear sisters and brothers in Christ, that is not living, that is dying.
Andrew Carnegie, who amassed a fortune of over 400 million dollars, ended up giving away 99.5% of his fortune away. When interviewed as to the reason for his doing so, he said – “The man, who dies rich, dies in disgrace.”
The bible seems to give us an indication that only does the rich man died in disgrace, but he also ended up in hell. While the very people that the rich man very likely despised during his lifetime, the poor beggars of our society, the welfare cases that a lot of people only talked about but never lift a finger to help, the millions of children around the world who die each year for lack of basic sanitation and a lack of food, all ended up in heaven.
What do think are riches worth in the very end of our lives? Riches that have not been shared with the needy?
Some of you here sitting here in church this morning are probably thinking – “this teaching of Jesus does not apply to me. I am not rich. I only earn very little money every month. I do not have sumptuous feasts or live in a big mansion.” However, please allow me to remind you, wealth is a relative thing – and I dare say to you that most of us sitting here are rich beyond measure when you compared yourself to 90% of the world’s population, and not doing too bad if you compared yourself to about 40% of people in Hong Kong or in your own country.
What good will all that does to us in the end? Unless we are first rich, as Paul so puts it in verses 18 and 19 of today’s Epistle reading, and unless we are rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, and thus have stored up for ourselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future.
Some people may say that this is a hard teaching, and I do not doubt that at all, for it is. However, again using the words of the Apostle Paul, it is the way to take hold of the life that really is life.
Jesus, in another passage in the Scriptures tells us that a rich man is as likely to get into heaven as it is for a camel to get through the eye of a needle.
Some interpreters of the Bible say that what Jesus was referring to in this particular passage was an ancient gate that went through the walls of Jerusalem and into the city. This gate so we understand was so small, that anyone wanted to pass through with his camel will have to first get off the camel, unload his camel, and then have to have the camel kneel down and basically go through the gate by repeated crouching down and rising up movements. There are interpreters who rejected the idea of there ever being such a gate in existence. However, the message to us is very clear, whether this gate existed or not, you cannot be so attached to your possessions, to your wealth and your pride and your position in life, and hope to be able to enter the Kingdom of God. You rather have them put aside, you rather that you give them away, you rather that you get down from your high place and in an attitude of humility, then walk through the gate.
There are many people in this world who would love to be able to have their hunger satisfied with what falls from our table. And there will be come a time when we will all be reduced to being equal with all those people
A time of dying
A time of judgment
Although the mercy of Christ is there for those who will seek it, but personally I doubt whether it is going to do us much good, if we do not prepare ourselves during this lifetime, if we have not laid a good foundation for ourselves, a foundation that is based on the love of God and the love of our neighbours. I am talking of all our neighbours, not just the ones whom we think as being worthy of our love.
A deacon of a church went out one day to paint his house. He purchased five gallons of white paint and began the job. As he got to the third side of the house, he notice that he was running out of paint, so he added some turpentine to the remainder of the paint and kept on painting. On the final side of the house, he noticed that he was again running out of paint, so he added a bit more turpentine and succeeded in finishing off painting. After the paint dried, he noticed that the last two sides of the house were streaky, the whole thing looked awful. Being a religious man, he bowed his head in prayer, and asked God what he should do. A voice came from heaven and said to him – REPAINT AND THIN NO MORE.
This is also the message of Christ for us. He calls us on us to repent and sin no more. We are called by Christ to repent of our selfishness, of our lack of caring for those who do not fit our concept of deserving, of our tendency to pass judgment in such a way that we can justify ignoring those who are outside our gates.
Where does the Grace of God fit into all that I have talk about today?
It is in the very fact that all of us can enter the Kingdom of God, and this is the will of God for each and every one of us.
As Paul wrote in his epistle:
As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Set your hope in God, and build a good foundation for the future, by using what God has given for our enjoyment to increase the enjoyment of others. Visit those who are sick. Cloth those who are naked. Feed those who are hungry. Give a cup of cold water to those who thirst. And bless God’s name for the fact that God has made it possible for you to show His love and His grace to those who are in such deep need for it.
The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.” But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your many good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us. The rich man then said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house – for I have five brothers – that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” Abraham replied – “They have Moses and the prophets, they should listen to them.” The rich man said, “No father Abraham, but if someone should rise from the dead, they will repent.” Abraham said to him – “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convince even if someone rises from the dead.”
Listen my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, to Moses and the Prophets. Their message is the same as that of the one who rose from the dead. Listen – do what they have told us to do, and thereby build a good foundation for the future.
Blessed be God – day by day. Amen.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Rom 3:23
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Rom 3:23
I had done my best, honest. I had worked that clay just like the teacher said. I turned it just so. I rolled it just right. I shaped it and formed it and . . .well I don't understand why she didn't like my pottery. Sure, it didn't look like hers. She was 75 or 80 and I was 10 (well at 10 anyone over 20 is ancient!). She had an edge on experience. How humiliating to get a "D" in art! And my English at that age was just as bad!
I had missed the mark - fallen short - I had sinned by not being able to meet my art teacher's expectations.
We've all done that - missed the mark. We most likely do it every day. We set goals for ourselves and don't get them all finished. We missed the mark. The boss tells us to get this done before we go home - and we fail. We missed the mark. We have sinned. Now don't get me wrong. These are not life threatening "sins" - at least most of them aren't. But they are "sins" none the less. But there are more important "sins" that we must consider - we have all committed our share of them.
We have missed God's idea of perfection. He says "do not lie", and we have all told lies in the past. He gives us a list of 10 things that we should not do - or do. We have failed in more than one. But let's imagine for a moment that there is some wonderful person out there who has managed to sin only one time. "That's wonderful" you may say. And indeed it would be. But there is only one problem. One sin is as bad as a hundred - or a thousand - or a million. That one sin will keep that near sinless guy out of heaven. Why? Because God set the standard - and He set it high.
"Then no one can get to heaven! Right?" It would seem like that - until we understand that Jesus is standing between you (and me) and God. If we have accepted Him as our Lord and our Savior, He will speak to the Judging Father and say something like this, "Daddy, this man is indeed a sinner. However, at the age of 10 he accepted Me as his Lord. He has been washed in My blood. I have redeemed him. Therefore he stands before you spotless - sinless. You must accept Him into Heaven." And the Father will look beyond Jesus, and say to us, "Well done. You are a good and faithful servant. Enter into your reward!"
But, if you haven't put your trust in Jesus. If you have rebelled against God and have rejected His provision for salvation, no amount of good works on your part will change the words of the Father as He speaks "You are unworthy of the kingdom of God. You have not taken advantage of My provision for your purity. You shall not enter into this perfect world. Instead, you must spend all of eternity in hell." If this latter describes your current condition, admit that you are a sinner. Call upon Jesus to save you. I don't want to spend an eternity without ever meeting you in Heaven. Amen and Amen.
I had done my best, honest. I had worked that clay just like the teacher said. I turned it just so. I rolled it just right. I shaped it and formed it and . . .well I don't understand why she didn't like my pottery. Sure, it didn't look like hers. She was 75 or 80 and I was 10 (well at 10 anyone over 20 is ancient!). She had an edge on experience. How humiliating to get a "D" in art! And my English at that age was just as bad!
I had missed the mark - fallen short - I had sinned by not being able to meet my art teacher's expectations.
We've all done that - missed the mark. We most likely do it every day. We set goals for ourselves and don't get them all finished. We missed the mark. The boss tells us to get this done before we go home - and we fail. We missed the mark. We have sinned. Now don't get me wrong. These are not life threatening "sins" - at least most of them aren't. But they are "sins" none the less. But there are more important "sins" that we must consider - we have all committed our share of them.
We have missed God's idea of perfection. He says "do not lie", and we have all told lies in the past. He gives us a list of 10 things that we should not do - or do. We have failed in more than one. But let's imagine for a moment that there is some wonderful person out there who has managed to sin only one time. "That's wonderful" you may say. And indeed it would be. But there is only one problem. One sin is as bad as a hundred - or a thousand - or a million. That one sin will keep that near sinless guy out of heaven. Why? Because God set the standard - and He set it high.
"Then no one can get to heaven! Right?" It would seem like that - until we understand that Jesus is standing between you (and me) and God. If we have accepted Him as our Lord and our Savior, He will speak to the Judging Father and say something like this, "Daddy, this man is indeed a sinner. However, at the age of 10 he accepted Me as his Lord. He has been washed in My blood. I have redeemed him. Therefore he stands before you spotless - sinless. You must accept Him into Heaven." And the Father will look beyond Jesus, and say to us, "Well done. You are a good and faithful servant. Enter into your reward!"
But, if you haven't put your trust in Jesus. If you have rebelled against God and have rejected His provision for salvation, no amount of good works on your part will change the words of the Father as He speaks "You are unworthy of the kingdom of God. You have not taken advantage of My provision for your purity. You shall not enter into this perfect world. Instead, you must spend all of eternity in hell." If this latter describes your current condition, admit that you are a sinner. Call upon Jesus to save you. I don't want to spend an eternity without ever meeting you in Heaven. Amen and Amen.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Deut 6:16
"You shall not tempt the LORD your God as you tempted Him in Massah." Deut 6:16
Sometimes the Israelites argued against anything and anyone. So it was at Massah (aka Meribah). The people had just escaped from Egypt and were roaming in the wilderness. At some point, their water was a growing a bit strong... and they complained to Moses. No, really they were about to string Moses from the nearest tree, if there happened to be one nearby. Moses did what all men of God should do. He went to his knees supplicating the Father to do something about this situation.
God instructed Moses to take the rod he had used to strike the Nile and a few trusted elders to a nearby stone. Once there, Moses was to strike the stone with the rod. Sounds a bit strange, but then Moses was used to the strange and unusual from God. After all, that rod, when it hit the Nile, caused the river to turn into blood, and that was after the same rod had turned into a viper and devoured the snakes of the Egyptian sorcerers!
Expecting something strange to happen, Moses walked up to the rock, struck it and stood back from a gusher of a crack in the stone! From within the rock flowed the sweetest water in sufficient quantities to feed the multitude. Before you picture a nice little stream of water like you might see in an Italian fountain, realize that this stream was sufficient to water over a million people and to do it on a daily basis. Wouldn't that rod come in handy if you live in the desert.
The people managed to "snooker" God, or so they thought. They tested God and found they could manipulate Him. "Grumble enough and God will give you the desires of your heart," or so the people thought. But God was not to be "snookered" and would not be manipulated by a rowdy crowd. Moses tells the next generation, before they entered the Promised Land, that they had best not "put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah." Ah. So they tested God. Other references add some light to the meaning of the word "tested." Deuteronomy 9:22 says that the people "provoked" God. That sounds a bit stronger than "tested." Provoking indicates that the people were pushing God to the limit. He was on the verge of anger, AND I DON'T THINK I LIKE AN ANGRY GOD. Deuteronomy 33:8 says that the people "contended" with God. That sounds like a brawl. They started arguing unreasonably and inconsolably with God. Finally Psalm 95:8 says that the people "hardened their heart" against God. That is a serious charge. Hardened hearts are not only inconsolable; they are nearly murderous in nature, as if a person could kill the One True God!
In conclusion, don't you just love it when I conclude? In conclusion, it is ok for God to test us. But we had best not get in the habit of testing Him, except when Malachi gives us instruction: "Bring the whole offering into the warehouse.. test me in this." (Malachi 3:10) Don't test God... except in the tithe. Only in this test will you be permitted to put God on the spot, and He will invariably bless the tither. Amen and Amen.
Sometimes the Israelites argued against anything and anyone. So it was at Massah (aka Meribah). The people had just escaped from Egypt and were roaming in the wilderness. At some point, their water was a growing a bit strong... and they complained to Moses. No, really they were about to string Moses from the nearest tree, if there happened to be one nearby. Moses did what all men of God should do. He went to his knees supplicating the Father to do something about this situation.
God instructed Moses to take the rod he had used to strike the Nile and a few trusted elders to a nearby stone. Once there, Moses was to strike the stone with the rod. Sounds a bit strange, but then Moses was used to the strange and unusual from God. After all, that rod, when it hit the Nile, caused the river to turn into blood, and that was after the same rod had turned into a viper and devoured the snakes of the Egyptian sorcerers!
Expecting something strange to happen, Moses walked up to the rock, struck it and stood back from a gusher of a crack in the stone! From within the rock flowed the sweetest water in sufficient quantities to feed the multitude. Before you picture a nice little stream of water like you might see in an Italian fountain, realize that this stream was sufficient to water over a million people and to do it on a daily basis. Wouldn't that rod come in handy if you live in the desert.
The people managed to "snooker" God, or so they thought. They tested God and found they could manipulate Him. "Grumble enough and God will give you the desires of your heart," or so the people thought. But God was not to be "snookered" and would not be manipulated by a rowdy crowd. Moses tells the next generation, before they entered the Promised Land, that they had best not "put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah." Ah. So they tested God. Other references add some light to the meaning of the word "tested." Deuteronomy 9:22 says that the people "provoked" God. That sounds a bit stronger than "tested." Provoking indicates that the people were pushing God to the limit. He was on the verge of anger, AND I DON'T THINK I LIKE AN ANGRY GOD. Deuteronomy 33:8 says that the people "contended" with God. That sounds like a brawl. They started arguing unreasonably and inconsolably with God. Finally Psalm 95:8 says that the people "hardened their heart" against God. That is a serious charge. Hardened hearts are not only inconsolable; they are nearly murderous in nature, as if a person could kill the One True God!
In conclusion, don't you just love it when I conclude? In conclusion, it is ok for God to test us. But we had best not get in the habit of testing Him, except when Malachi gives us instruction: "Bring the whole offering into the warehouse.. test me in this." (Malachi 3:10) Don't test God... except in the tithe. Only in this test will you be permitted to put God on the spot, and He will invariably bless the tither. Amen and Amen.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Gen 17:21
"But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year." Gen 17:21
Sometimes it's very hard to put a promise on the shelf and wait until God does His work. As we have seen, Abraham had that problem. He tried to promote a trusted slave. He and Sarah contrived to produce Ishmael. Now there was nothing wrong with Ishmael - except that He was not God's way to fulfill God's promise. It would seem that Ishmael would have fallen by the wayside and never been heard from again.
WRONG! To this day the descendants of Ishmael are thorns in the side of Israel, God's chosen people. God is not one to back down from a promise, so he extended a secondary promise to Abraham that would be fulfilled through his first born son. He, too, would become a father of nations - just not the chosen nation. Those nations have worked for centuries trying to claim the land God gave Abraham. Their claim is that they are the rightful heirs - being the first-born. If you have understanding this conflict, check the international news stories detailing the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian and Muslim worlds.
Sometimes when we get in the way of God, we make problems that can never completely be undone. Abraham always had his Ishmael. We will always suffer the consequences of our own sins. Some we can escape. They can be reversed. Forgiveness can be petitioned. Restitution can be made. Others are much more complicated. Trusted friendships once broken are often irreconcilable. Confidences once made and broken can never become a confidence again.
When you receive a promise from God, wait on Him to fulfill it. He will. If you take the fulfillment upon yourself, you will only make things worse - if not impossible. If you have already muddied the waters with your own efforts, STOP! Step back and confess to the Father that you have sinned. Ask Him to forgive you. Be willing to accept the consequences - and let God do His work. He is faithful to fulfill all His promises and covenants. Amen and Amen.
Sometimes it's very hard to put a promise on the shelf and wait until God does His work. As we have seen, Abraham had that problem. He tried to promote a trusted slave. He and Sarah contrived to produce Ishmael. Now there was nothing wrong with Ishmael - except that He was not God's way to fulfill God's promise. It would seem that Ishmael would have fallen by the wayside and never been heard from again.
WRONG! To this day the descendants of Ishmael are thorns in the side of Israel, God's chosen people. God is not one to back down from a promise, so he extended a secondary promise to Abraham that would be fulfilled through his first born son. He, too, would become a father of nations - just not the chosen nation. Those nations have worked for centuries trying to claim the land God gave Abraham. Their claim is that they are the rightful heirs - being the first-born. If you have understanding this conflict, check the international news stories detailing the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian and Muslim worlds.
Sometimes when we get in the way of God, we make problems that can never completely be undone. Abraham always had his Ishmael. We will always suffer the consequences of our own sins. Some we can escape. They can be reversed. Forgiveness can be petitioned. Restitution can be made. Others are much more complicated. Trusted friendships once broken are often irreconcilable. Confidences once made and broken can never become a confidence again.
When you receive a promise from God, wait on Him to fulfill it. He will. If you take the fulfillment upon yourself, you will only make things worse - if not impossible. If you have already muddied the waters with your own efforts, STOP! Step back and confess to the Father that you have sinned. Ask Him to forgive you. Be willing to accept the consequences - and let God do His work. He is faithful to fulfill all His promises and covenants. Amen and Amen.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Deut 13:1 - 3
"If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, "Let us go after other gods" "which you have not known" "and let us serve them," you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." Deut 13:1 - 3
So you think that beautiful woman or man is a godsend. That person is perfect in every way. You know that this person was meant just for you. Yes, indeed, God sent her just for you. That may be so, but the reasons might be a bit confusing. So what if you are already married? This person is perfect, the way your spouse used to be...
CUT!
I always wanted to be a movie director and this little scene would make a great little clip from a powerful flick. Too many of us have been in this person's shoes. We have thought that a certain event, item, person, or situation was just so perfect that it had to be sent from God. However, if we look closely at today's verse, we might just come away with a different idea.
The perfect preacher has just come on the scene. His words are eloquent. His message is from the Bible. His life is stellar. His board of directors is composed of names that you recognize and trust. You follow him without question... at least after a period of testing. There is no doubt that he preaches the truth. Then, WHAM!
After he has you under his spell, he proposes that there are multiple ways to God's perfection. He introduces "meditation" into the services telling you that it is a way to get in touch with the Father. A while later, he introduces some suggestive dancing explaining that the movement of the dancers is a demonstration of God's grace and beauty. A few Sundays later the Communion Table has been replaced with smaller "altar" that is used to celebrate the sacrifice to the divine. So far you have followed the logic and it seems to be fine. You have abandoned reading the Word of God yourself because the preacher is doing a much better job... and he does it so deeply. You never dreamed that all of this is in the Bible.
Finally, the preacher places a "Buddha" on the altar and tells you that this is a better way to God.
Do you swallow his progression without question? Answer honestly using the logic of our dear actor and deceived friend. Without a doubt the answer is "yes." Why not? The man's logic is so well presented... including Book, Chapter, and verse. Was the "man" sent from God? He certainly led this believer away from the truth. But WAS HE SENT BY GOD? "... for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul."
Not all that is bright and shiny and perfect looking is good. Not all that is bright and shiny and perfect is from the devil. That bright and shiny and perfect thing just might be a "plant", a decoy to test your love. Is your love wrapped up in God...or your own desires? Who is on the throne of your life?
The next time the attractive, the beautiful, the perfect fit comes your way, watch carefully what is being said. He, she, they, it just might be a temptation. "So," you ask, "how do I know the difference?" Search the word. Bury it in your heart. Know the truth. Not only will the truth "set you free," it will keep you free! The truth will reveal the works of darkness. The truth will open your mind to all the good things God has for you. The truth will allow you to know a fake... in a heartbeat. When the perfect appears... and it is not Jesus descending from Heaven, keep your eyes open and you mind tuned to God's Word. Resist temptation and it will flee from you! Amen and Amen.
So you think that beautiful woman or man is a godsend. That person is perfect in every way. You know that this person was meant just for you. Yes, indeed, God sent her just for you. That may be so, but the reasons might be a bit confusing. So what if you are already married? This person is perfect, the way your spouse used to be...
CUT!
I always wanted to be a movie director and this little scene would make a great little clip from a powerful flick. Too many of us have been in this person's shoes. We have thought that a certain event, item, person, or situation was just so perfect that it had to be sent from God. However, if we look closely at today's verse, we might just come away with a different idea.
The perfect preacher has just come on the scene. His words are eloquent. His message is from the Bible. His life is stellar. His board of directors is composed of names that you recognize and trust. You follow him without question... at least after a period of testing. There is no doubt that he preaches the truth. Then, WHAM!
After he has you under his spell, he proposes that there are multiple ways to God's perfection. He introduces "meditation" into the services telling you that it is a way to get in touch with the Father. A while later, he introduces some suggestive dancing explaining that the movement of the dancers is a demonstration of God's grace and beauty. A few Sundays later the Communion Table has been replaced with smaller "altar" that is used to celebrate the sacrifice to the divine. So far you have followed the logic and it seems to be fine. You have abandoned reading the Word of God yourself because the preacher is doing a much better job... and he does it so deeply. You never dreamed that all of this is in the Bible.
Finally, the preacher places a "Buddha" on the altar and tells you that this is a better way to God.
Do you swallow his progression without question? Answer honestly using the logic of our dear actor and deceived friend. Without a doubt the answer is "yes." Why not? The man's logic is so well presented... including Book, Chapter, and verse. Was the "man" sent from God? He certainly led this believer away from the truth. But WAS HE SENT BY GOD? "... for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul."
Not all that is bright and shiny and perfect looking is good. Not all that is bright and shiny and perfect is from the devil. That bright and shiny and perfect thing just might be a "plant", a decoy to test your love. Is your love wrapped up in God...or your own desires? Who is on the throne of your life?
The next time the attractive, the beautiful, the perfect fit comes your way, watch carefully what is being said. He, she, they, it just might be a temptation. "So," you ask, "how do I know the difference?" Search the word. Bury it in your heart. Know the truth. Not only will the truth "set you free," it will keep you free! The truth will reveal the works of darkness. The truth will open your mind to all the good things God has for you. The truth will allow you to know a fake... in a heartbeat. When the perfect appears... and it is not Jesus descending from Heaven, keep your eyes open and you mind tuned to God's Word. Resist temptation and it will flee from you! Amen and Amen.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Earning a place in the Kingdom of God
It is not fair! My children love to tell me. It is a fact that almost every child in the world will say that, regardless of what their race may be and where they might be from or living in. Have you ever experienced your children or nephews or nieces telling you that “it is not fair”?
It is not fair! When my children tell me this, I often tell them that life is not fair, not fair at all. Some children have more toys and some have less toys and some none at all, some have more friends and some not as many, some have less talent and some with more talent, and so on and so on.
Let us think for a moment, life is not fair, is it? We often see good things happening to bad people and bad things happening to good people. We see some people working for hours and hours and hours and they get hardly enough to make ends meet. All you have to do is to look at the cleaners of public toilets in Hong Kong, they work very long hours, and they get less than HK$4,000 a month, with no food or lodgings provided by the employers, on the other hand we see people making thousands of dollars with just a simple phone call. My ex-eldest sister-in-law, who in her lifetime never drink, never smoke, never eat excessively, physically fit and died of cancer at the age of 37, and yet there are people who smokes, drinks, eats a lot and never did any exercise in their life living to a ripe old age. And so on and so on. So many things are not fair in this life.
That is why I thank God that we have a God who is fair. We have a God who can be trusted to do the right thing for us. A God who promised to correct all the wrong things and even things up for us, if not later, maybe a bit later. We have a God who tells us that whatever you sow, that is what you will get. In other words, what goes around comes around!
WE have a God who is fair…..Or do we?
If we have a God that is fair, then why do we have all those complaints? Why the story that Jesus tells his disciples, the story about what the Kingdom of God is like? Why the story about how a landowner of a vineyard who goes to town early in the morning at harvest time to hire labourers at the usual rate of minimum pay, and because of his need to have more labourers, make an additional three more trips to town throughout the day to look for more labourers? Consider this, he must have hired all that he could find on each trip, and yet, he still goes to town for more people. Except for the first lot of labourers, whom he agreed to pay them minimum wages, the others he hired them with the promise of a fair wage.
Why the story about how at the end of a very long and hot day in the vineyard the labourers who were hire for just one hour of work got their wages first, and were given a whole day’s wages?
Why all the complaints from the ones who were hired at 6 am in the morning? They were complaining as they had been working for the whole day, and got the same wages as those who only worked for one hour.
And most of all why the words that Jesus ends his story with “Everyone who is now first, will be last, and everyone who is last will be first?”
Is this fair? Is it right? I do not think so.
I would like you to think about it for a moment. Labour leaders, human rights activists, church leaders, and socialists has for years and years been fighting to bring about a day’s wages for a day’s work, as well as equal pay for equal work. It was not that many years ago that a female civil servant here in Hong Kong would be getting less pay than her male counterpart just because of the differences in their sex gender. And here we have Jesus telling a story that threw the entire concept that we have been fighting for outside the window. Have all those good people been wrong all the time? Should those who work half a day get the same pay as those who have worked twelve hours in a day? Or maybe if I start a new job on the 20th of the month ask my boss for a full month’s pay, as this seems to be what the story is telling us?
DO YOU REALLY HEAR THE GOSPEL MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS?
DO YOU REALLY HEAR WHAT JESUS IS TRYING TO TELL US?
“The kingdom of God is like a man who went out to hire some workers for his vineyard…and when the day ended he paid those hired last the same as he paid those hired first.
In fact I may be tempted to say that this parable sets a very bad example. Just like so many of the other things that Jesus said and did:
- Like being together with prostitutes and known criminals.
- Like eating with tax collectors.
- Like performing healing on a Sabbath day.
- Like telling sinners that they are forgiven because they repented from their ways and trusted in him and believed in him.
- Like challenging people whoever had no sin to cast the first stone.
This Jesus of ours sets a poor example, poor by the standards of the world, especially the standards set by the Pharisees for a good Jew.
And as for God, our Father in Heaven, the same God that we said AMEN to today, as well as many other days, is He not the one who sends the rain upon the just and the unjust and makes the sun to shine upon the righteous and the unrighteous?
What is fair in that? Why should the evil and the proud and the greedy and the hateful get the same refreshing rain that the good and humble and the generous and the loving ones get? Why should those people who worked for one hour be receiving the same as those who have been working under the sun for the whole day?
Rev. Susan Moxley, an Anglican church Minister in Nova Scotia, Canada once said the following, and I quote from her:
“Stop looking for a Fair God, and Be Thankful for the One you Got!”
Stop looking for a fair God, and Be Thankful for the One you Got. That sounds provocative, does it not?
Provocative. I think Jesus was trying to provoke us when he tells us the story about the generous landowner who owns the vineyard.
Did you know that all of the stories that Jesus told us are meant to provoke a reaction in us. They are supposed to shock us and make us think. Make us feel. Make us take sides! They come, after all, from the one who said in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 3, verses 15-16, “I know everything that you have done, and you are not cold or hot. I wish you were either one or the other. But since you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out….
A minister once told me that if a sermon does not get to you, if it does not make you feel angry, or ashamed, or lifted up, and hopefully all of the above, then maybe the sermon is in need of something more.
Who are you with? Who do you feel for?
Are you with the labourers who worked in the fields and sweated under a very hot sun for the whole day and received what they agreed upon? Or the ones who were hired later in the day and received what they could not have possibly earn?
Are you with the oldest son who worked hard at his father’s place and did not waste away his inheritance, or the poor sinner who was delivered from the pig sty and pollution of his own foolishness?
Or are you with Jonah, who sat on a hill side and sulked because God had mercy on the Ninevites, or the people of that wicked city who were surely doomed to die had they not repented of their sins?
Or are you somewhere else? Perhaps with the one who told us the parable of the labourers and the parable of the prodigal son? Or with the one who sent Jonah to Nineveh, even though Jonah did not want to go?
A story that maybe you can relate to is one told by the former Anglican Bishop of Los Angeles, Rev. Frederick Borsch. He told us that when his wife got pregnant, he found that he had a desire to have a son. He felt sorry about that now, as it seems rather sexist…but he had two sisters and no brothers as he was growing up, and he wanted so much to have a brother, but when you want something that much, you figure that it will probably not be happening.
But it did! His first son Benjamin was born and all his parental heart when out to him with more love than he knew he had inside him. When his wife got pregnant again, he discovered that he had a very worrisome problem. He was thinking that when the second child was born, and as it grew, how was he going to hide from the second child that he could never love the second child as much as his first?
He must have thought that love was like a birthday cake. The more people that came to share it, the smaller the slices would have to be.
Then, as though to make matters worse, he had twins! But most of us will have guessed what happened. It was like a miracle to him. Suddenly he found that he loved the twins, Matthew and Stuart as much as he loved Benjamin. This was as though the birthday cake had suddenly become larger.
This is what the love of a parent is like. To be able to love all your children with the same level of love.
Stop looking for a fair God, and Be Thankful for the One you got. Provocative! Is it not?
The trouble is that we, in the church often fall into the trip of believing deep down that we deserve God’s grace, which is, when you think about it, how ridiculous it is. We deserve God’s love??? We deserve God forgiveness???
Perhaps that is because when we come to God for forgiveness we are really only paying lip service to our sinfulness. We do not really think that we are all that bad, after all, we come to church, we give to the church a part of our income, we perform service in the church, we give to charity, we help other people when they needed help, and we do not steal, lie, cheat, murder people, dishonour our parents, or commit adultery. We are ok after all. We are certainly better than the people who are living next door to us.
But we are not, are we? Or maybe we are! But does it really matter when it comes to the heart of a parent? Does it really matter when it comes to the heart of God? Are we not the ones whom he saved? Are we not the ones whom Christ calls to, “come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest”?
Are we not all his dearly beloved children? Even though some of us may have been around longer and have done good things all their days? And others are second or third or fifth born Christians, and maybe have not done as much? No matter when we were born into God’s family, we are all his children, and God loves us all!
That is a hard thing to believe in when we have burdened ourselves with a merit system, and want to see some extra reward for our efforts, rather than seeing things from the point of view of the God who loves us so much, that he spares not even His own Son for our sake.
We are all His children, and we all need His love, we all need His forgiveness. WE all need a day’s wages if we are to live…
And praise is to God, forgiveness is what we receive when we turn to God. Forgiveness is given to us by the Grace of God, and never could be earned, no matter how much merit you think you might have, for Heaven has no merit system. When we receive Christ into our lives, and do the work that he has set before us to do, the work of the vineyard, the work of pointing the way to salvation, to wholeness, by worship, by prayer, by testimony, by example, by love and care for one another and for God Himself.
Before I finish off my sermon I will like to share a story with you about Heaven:
A man dies and goes to Heaven. Saint Peter
meets him at the Pearly Gates and says, "Ok,
here's how it works. You need 100 points to
make it into Heaven. You tell me all the good
things you've done, and I'll award you a certain
number of points for each item, depending on
how good it was. When you reach 100 points,
you get in."
"Okay," the man says...."I was married to the
same woman for 50 years and never once
cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful," says Saint Peter, "That's
worth three points!" "Three points?" he asks.
"Well, I attended church all my life and
supported its ministry with one tenth of my income and service."
"Terrific!" says Saint Peter, "That's certainly
worth a point." "One point?!!
Hey, I started a soup kitchen in my city and
worked in a shelter for homeless people!"
"Fantastic, that's good for two more points, "
Saint Peter says. "Two points?!!" the man
cries.
"At this rate, the only way I'm going to get
into Heaven is by the Grace of God!"
"Bingo, 100 points! Come on in!"
My brothers and sisters, we do not earn God’s love, we respond to it. After all, it was Him who first loves us!
God loves you. End of story.
God loves you. Beginning of a brand new story.
Let us all live that new story. Let us come to God in gratitude every day for what he has done for us all, and in thanksgiving for what he does for everyone who turns to him. Amen.
It is not fair! When my children tell me this, I often tell them that life is not fair, not fair at all. Some children have more toys and some have less toys and some none at all, some have more friends and some not as many, some have less talent and some with more talent, and so on and so on.
Let us think for a moment, life is not fair, is it? We often see good things happening to bad people and bad things happening to good people. We see some people working for hours and hours and hours and they get hardly enough to make ends meet. All you have to do is to look at the cleaners of public toilets in Hong Kong, they work very long hours, and they get less than HK$4,000 a month, with no food or lodgings provided by the employers, on the other hand we see people making thousands of dollars with just a simple phone call. My ex-eldest sister-in-law, who in her lifetime never drink, never smoke, never eat excessively, physically fit and died of cancer at the age of 37, and yet there are people who smokes, drinks, eats a lot and never did any exercise in their life living to a ripe old age. And so on and so on. So many things are not fair in this life.
That is why I thank God that we have a God who is fair. We have a God who can be trusted to do the right thing for us. A God who promised to correct all the wrong things and even things up for us, if not later, maybe a bit later. We have a God who tells us that whatever you sow, that is what you will get. In other words, what goes around comes around!
WE have a God who is fair…..Or do we?
If we have a God that is fair, then why do we have all those complaints? Why the story that Jesus tells his disciples, the story about what the Kingdom of God is like? Why the story about how a landowner of a vineyard who goes to town early in the morning at harvest time to hire labourers at the usual rate of minimum pay, and because of his need to have more labourers, make an additional three more trips to town throughout the day to look for more labourers? Consider this, he must have hired all that he could find on each trip, and yet, he still goes to town for more people. Except for the first lot of labourers, whom he agreed to pay them minimum wages, the others he hired them with the promise of a fair wage.
Why the story about how at the end of a very long and hot day in the vineyard the labourers who were hire for just one hour of work got their wages first, and were given a whole day’s wages?
Why all the complaints from the ones who were hired at 6 am in the morning? They were complaining as they had been working for the whole day, and got the same wages as those who only worked for one hour.
And most of all why the words that Jesus ends his story with “Everyone who is now first, will be last, and everyone who is last will be first?”
Is this fair? Is it right? I do not think so.
I would like you to think about it for a moment. Labour leaders, human rights activists, church leaders, and socialists has for years and years been fighting to bring about a day’s wages for a day’s work, as well as equal pay for equal work. It was not that many years ago that a female civil servant here in Hong Kong would be getting less pay than her male counterpart just because of the differences in their sex gender. And here we have Jesus telling a story that threw the entire concept that we have been fighting for outside the window. Have all those good people been wrong all the time? Should those who work half a day get the same pay as those who have worked twelve hours in a day? Or maybe if I start a new job on the 20th of the month ask my boss for a full month’s pay, as this seems to be what the story is telling us?
DO YOU REALLY HEAR THE GOSPEL MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS?
DO YOU REALLY HEAR WHAT JESUS IS TRYING TO TELL US?
“The kingdom of God is like a man who went out to hire some workers for his vineyard…and when the day ended he paid those hired last the same as he paid those hired first.
In fact I may be tempted to say that this parable sets a very bad example. Just like so many of the other things that Jesus said and did:
- Like being together with prostitutes and known criminals.
- Like eating with tax collectors.
- Like performing healing on a Sabbath day.
- Like telling sinners that they are forgiven because they repented from their ways and trusted in him and believed in him.
- Like challenging people whoever had no sin to cast the first stone.
This Jesus of ours sets a poor example, poor by the standards of the world, especially the standards set by the Pharisees for a good Jew.
And as for God, our Father in Heaven, the same God that we said AMEN to today, as well as many other days, is He not the one who sends the rain upon the just and the unjust and makes the sun to shine upon the righteous and the unrighteous?
What is fair in that? Why should the evil and the proud and the greedy and the hateful get the same refreshing rain that the good and humble and the generous and the loving ones get? Why should those people who worked for one hour be receiving the same as those who have been working under the sun for the whole day?
Rev. Susan Moxley, an Anglican church Minister in Nova Scotia, Canada once said the following, and I quote from her:
“Stop looking for a Fair God, and Be Thankful for the One you Got!”
Stop looking for a fair God, and Be Thankful for the One you Got. That sounds provocative, does it not?
Provocative. I think Jesus was trying to provoke us when he tells us the story about the generous landowner who owns the vineyard.
Did you know that all of the stories that Jesus told us are meant to provoke a reaction in us. They are supposed to shock us and make us think. Make us feel. Make us take sides! They come, after all, from the one who said in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 3, verses 15-16, “I know everything that you have done, and you are not cold or hot. I wish you were either one or the other. But since you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out….
A minister once told me that if a sermon does not get to you, if it does not make you feel angry, or ashamed, or lifted up, and hopefully all of the above, then maybe the sermon is in need of something more.
Who are you with? Who do you feel for?
Are you with the labourers who worked in the fields and sweated under a very hot sun for the whole day and received what they agreed upon? Or the ones who were hired later in the day and received what they could not have possibly earn?
Are you with the oldest son who worked hard at his father’s place and did not waste away his inheritance, or the poor sinner who was delivered from the pig sty and pollution of his own foolishness?
Or are you with Jonah, who sat on a hill side and sulked because God had mercy on the Ninevites, or the people of that wicked city who were surely doomed to die had they not repented of their sins?
Or are you somewhere else? Perhaps with the one who told us the parable of the labourers and the parable of the prodigal son? Or with the one who sent Jonah to Nineveh, even though Jonah did not want to go?
A story that maybe you can relate to is one told by the former Anglican Bishop of Los Angeles, Rev. Frederick Borsch. He told us that when his wife got pregnant, he found that he had a desire to have a son. He felt sorry about that now, as it seems rather sexist…but he had two sisters and no brothers as he was growing up, and he wanted so much to have a brother, but when you want something that much, you figure that it will probably not be happening.
But it did! His first son Benjamin was born and all his parental heart when out to him with more love than he knew he had inside him. When his wife got pregnant again, he discovered that he had a very worrisome problem. He was thinking that when the second child was born, and as it grew, how was he going to hide from the second child that he could never love the second child as much as his first?
He must have thought that love was like a birthday cake. The more people that came to share it, the smaller the slices would have to be.
Then, as though to make matters worse, he had twins! But most of us will have guessed what happened. It was like a miracle to him. Suddenly he found that he loved the twins, Matthew and Stuart as much as he loved Benjamin. This was as though the birthday cake had suddenly become larger.
This is what the love of a parent is like. To be able to love all your children with the same level of love.
Stop looking for a fair God, and Be Thankful for the One you got. Provocative! Is it not?
The trouble is that we, in the church often fall into the trip of believing deep down that we deserve God’s grace, which is, when you think about it, how ridiculous it is. We deserve God’s love??? We deserve God forgiveness???
Perhaps that is because when we come to God for forgiveness we are really only paying lip service to our sinfulness. We do not really think that we are all that bad, after all, we come to church, we give to the church a part of our income, we perform service in the church, we give to charity, we help other people when they needed help, and we do not steal, lie, cheat, murder people, dishonour our parents, or commit adultery. We are ok after all. We are certainly better than the people who are living next door to us.
But we are not, are we? Or maybe we are! But does it really matter when it comes to the heart of a parent? Does it really matter when it comes to the heart of God? Are we not the ones whom he saved? Are we not the ones whom Christ calls to, “come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest”?
Are we not all his dearly beloved children? Even though some of us may have been around longer and have done good things all their days? And others are second or third or fifth born Christians, and maybe have not done as much? No matter when we were born into God’s family, we are all his children, and God loves us all!
That is a hard thing to believe in when we have burdened ourselves with a merit system, and want to see some extra reward for our efforts, rather than seeing things from the point of view of the God who loves us so much, that he spares not even His own Son for our sake.
We are all His children, and we all need His love, we all need His forgiveness. WE all need a day’s wages if we are to live…
And praise is to God, forgiveness is what we receive when we turn to God. Forgiveness is given to us by the Grace of God, and never could be earned, no matter how much merit you think you might have, for Heaven has no merit system. When we receive Christ into our lives, and do the work that he has set before us to do, the work of the vineyard, the work of pointing the way to salvation, to wholeness, by worship, by prayer, by testimony, by example, by love and care for one another and for God Himself.
Before I finish off my sermon I will like to share a story with you about Heaven:
A man dies and goes to Heaven. Saint Peter
meets him at the Pearly Gates and says, "Ok,
here's how it works. You need 100 points to
make it into Heaven. You tell me all the good
things you've done, and I'll award you a certain
number of points for each item, depending on
how good it was. When you reach 100 points,
you get in."
"Okay," the man says...."I was married to the
same woman for 50 years and never once
cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful," says Saint Peter, "That's
worth three points!" "Three points?" he asks.
"Well, I attended church all my life and
supported its ministry with one tenth of my income and service."
"Terrific!" says Saint Peter, "That's certainly
worth a point." "One point?!!
Hey, I started a soup kitchen in my city and
worked in a shelter for homeless people!"
"Fantastic, that's good for two more points, "
Saint Peter says. "Two points?!!" the man
cries.
"At this rate, the only way I'm going to get
into Heaven is by the Grace of God!"
"Bingo, 100 points! Come on in!"
My brothers and sisters, we do not earn God’s love, we respond to it. After all, it was Him who first loves us!
God loves you. End of story.
God loves you. Beginning of a brand new story.
Let us all live that new story. Let us come to God in gratitude every day for what he has done for us all, and in thanksgiving for what he does for everyone who turns to him. Amen.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Gen 12:1-2
"Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing." Gen 12:1-2
Promises are good. Everyone like to be promised something they want. The problem with promises is that they are only as good as the one who makes the promise.
In our society we find many broken promises. It seems there is nothing keeping a husband and wife from breaking their matrimonial promises. Divorce is at an all time high. Infidelity is even more common.
Many fathers feel there is no problem breaking a promise of a fishing trip to a son or daughter when there is something more important - like free tickets to a professional soccer game or a little extra work at the office. After all, there are more weekends for fishing and those tickets are a one time thing. (They never consider the effect broken promises have on the heart of a child.) Employers are always promising more pay and less work when the reality is just the opposite. Store advertisements promise to have a certain product at a really good price - the product "didn't come in on the last shipment - and no we don't give rain checks on sale items."
Have you paid close attention to commercials lately? What do they sell? Looked at a flower advertisement? Have you ever received a package from them that looks like the product on the advertisement? All of these are selling a promise. "Buy this and you will get that." Often the promises are unfulfilled.
Abram (later called Abraham) was offered a promise, "Go to a country I will show you in the future and I will bless you." Sounds a lot like a telemarketer I talked to the other day. The only difference was that I was talking to a human with a slick line and Abram was talking with the Almighty God. Evidently Abram had had dealings with God before. He trusted Him. Was the promise fulfilled? Certainly. Has God made promises to you? Has he fulfilled them? (Careful before you say "no." His promises are recorded in Scripture. Any other promises you may claim He made - personal prophecy - are subject to human emotion and error.) God promises salvation. He delivers. God promises eternal life. He delivers. God promises answers to prayer. He delivers - but not always the way we want Him to answer. Our God is faithful and true. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Promises are good. Everyone like to be promised something they want. The problem with promises is that they are only as good as the one who makes the promise.
In our society we find many broken promises. It seems there is nothing keeping a husband and wife from breaking their matrimonial promises. Divorce is at an all time high. Infidelity is even more common.
Many fathers feel there is no problem breaking a promise of a fishing trip to a son or daughter when there is something more important - like free tickets to a professional soccer game or a little extra work at the office. After all, there are more weekends for fishing and those tickets are a one time thing. (They never consider the effect broken promises have on the heart of a child.) Employers are always promising more pay and less work when the reality is just the opposite. Store advertisements promise to have a certain product at a really good price - the product "didn't come in on the last shipment - and no we don't give rain checks on sale items."
Have you paid close attention to commercials lately? What do they sell? Looked at a flower advertisement? Have you ever received a package from them that looks like the product on the advertisement? All of these are selling a promise. "Buy this and you will get that." Often the promises are unfulfilled.
Abram (later called Abraham) was offered a promise, "Go to a country I will show you in the future and I will bless you." Sounds a lot like a telemarketer I talked to the other day. The only difference was that I was talking to a human with a slick line and Abram was talking with the Almighty God. Evidently Abram had had dealings with God before. He trusted Him. Was the promise fulfilled? Certainly. Has God made promises to you? Has he fulfilled them? (Careful before you say "no." His promises are recorded in Scripture. Any other promises you may claim He made - personal prophecy - are subject to human emotion and error.) God promises salvation. He delivers. God promises eternal life. He delivers. God promises answers to prayer. He delivers - but not always the way we want Him to answer. Our God is faithful and true. Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Friday, November 27, 2009
2 Cor 3:3
"Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart." 2 Cor 3:3
My life is an open book, so is yours. It's open because it is still being written. If your life is anything like mine, it will be pretty boring reading when it is finished, but it will be read. In all honesty, that last statement is probably not true. I think it will be boring reading, but if God is writing it, I'm sure it will be valuable reading to anyone who is led to read it.
The fact is, God is writing His message to the world, our world, upon our hearts. And this message is expressed in our daily lives. It may not seem like much to us, but every day the Father writes a new chapter and every chapter is different. For example, my daily routine was disrupted some time ago when I went to church (I was in charge of little church on an island). One of our sisters was sitting by herself. I knew her father was in bad shape in the hospital, not expected to live. I sat next to her and she began to cry. Suffice it to say that I was God's messenger for the moment, bringing a message of encouragement and hope. Not that her father would be healed, she's had plenty of that. This hope was that God was in control and that He was there to encourage her and help her through this struggle.
I can see that some of the past chapters of my life, dull though they were, were written for just this occasion. She read part of my book. I think it helped. She smiled on the way out the door after the service had ended.
Now I bring you hope. Those chapters, the boring ones, the hard ones, the sad ones, the happy ones... all of them, were written for a purpose. The lessons in them might be needed for such a time as you will have tomorrow or next week or next year. One thing I have learned about God, He is a master conservationist. Nothing goes to waste with Him. He uses all things for good, our good and His good. He wants to use you.
Be available. Amen and Amen.
My life is an open book, so is yours. It's open because it is still being written. If your life is anything like mine, it will be pretty boring reading when it is finished, but it will be read. In all honesty, that last statement is probably not true. I think it will be boring reading, but if God is writing it, I'm sure it will be valuable reading to anyone who is led to read it.
The fact is, God is writing His message to the world, our world, upon our hearts. And this message is expressed in our daily lives. It may not seem like much to us, but every day the Father writes a new chapter and every chapter is different. For example, my daily routine was disrupted some time ago when I went to church (I was in charge of little church on an island). One of our sisters was sitting by herself. I knew her father was in bad shape in the hospital, not expected to live. I sat next to her and she began to cry. Suffice it to say that I was God's messenger for the moment, bringing a message of encouragement and hope. Not that her father would be healed, she's had plenty of that. This hope was that God was in control and that He was there to encourage her and help her through this struggle.
I can see that some of the past chapters of my life, dull though they were, were written for just this occasion. She read part of my book. I think it helped. She smiled on the way out the door after the service had ended.
Now I bring you hope. Those chapters, the boring ones, the hard ones, the sad ones, the happy ones... all of them, were written for a purpose. The lessons in them might be needed for such a time as you will have tomorrow or next week or next year. One thing I have learned about God, He is a master conservationist. Nothing goes to waste with Him. He uses all things for good, our good and His good. He wants to use you.
Be available. Amen and Amen.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
1 Kings 3:9
"Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" 1 Kings 3:9
Discernment is an overlooked spiritual discipline in many churches. But in reality, spiritual discernment should be our first line of defense against deception. It's that "buzzer" inside, warning you that something is wrong. For example, you visit someone's home and everything appears in order. But you can cut the air with a knife. Even though nothing visible confirms it, your spirit detects that something is wrong in that home.
The first step to understanding discernment is to understand the motive which is essential for employing it. In 1 Kings 3:9, Israel's king Solomon cried out to God for help. God answers: "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart" (verses 11, 12). The motive for true discernment is never to promote self, to amass personal gain, or to secure an advantage over another person - even an enemy.
The Greek word for discernment - diakrino - simply means to make a judgment or a distinction. Discernment has one primary function: to distinguish right from wrong. In 1 Corinthians 12:10 discernment is the divinely enabled ability to distinguish a good spirit from a bad spirit.
Discernment is not a function of the mind; it's a function of the Holy Spirit which is in union with your soul/spirit. When the Spirit sounds a warning, your mind may not be able to perceive what's wrong. Have the courage to acknowledge that something is wrong when your spirit is troubled. Share what you are sensing with others, and ask the Lord for wisdom. Amen and Amen.
Discernment is an overlooked spiritual discipline in many churches. But in reality, spiritual discernment should be our first line of defense against deception. It's that "buzzer" inside, warning you that something is wrong. For example, you visit someone's home and everything appears in order. But you can cut the air with a knife. Even though nothing visible confirms it, your spirit detects that something is wrong in that home.
The first step to understanding discernment is to understand the motive which is essential for employing it. In 1 Kings 3:9, Israel's king Solomon cried out to God for help. God answers: "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart" (verses 11, 12). The motive for true discernment is never to promote self, to amass personal gain, or to secure an advantage over another person - even an enemy.
The Greek word for discernment - diakrino - simply means to make a judgment or a distinction. Discernment has one primary function: to distinguish right from wrong. In 1 Corinthians 12:10 discernment is the divinely enabled ability to distinguish a good spirit from a bad spirit.
Discernment is not a function of the mind; it's a function of the Holy Spirit which is in union with your soul/spirit. When the Spirit sounds a warning, your mind may not be able to perceive what's wrong. Have the courage to acknowledge that something is wrong when your spirit is troubled. Share what you are sensing with others, and ask the Lord for wisdom. Amen and Amen.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Lev 20:7-8
"Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the LORD who sanctifies you." Lev 20:7-8
A member of the Royal Family and a big bottle combine to consecrate a big ship - commission it - set it aside for service in the Royal Navy. When the big bottle of champagne has been smashed on the bow of the huge ship, it becomes an official warship.
Ceremonies like this happen all the time. Our daily newspaper shows "ribbon cutting" ceremonies that mark the grand opening of new businesses. Board members dig the ceremonial "first shovel" of dirt to commemorate the beginning of a building project. Photos are taken of the people who built the first product off a new production line.
We like to consecrate things, set them aside. We hold holy convocations and ordain deacons, elders, ministers, missionaries and church secretaries! We anoint the doorposts of our church buildings and homes to consecrate them, set them aside, to the Lord.
How often do we consecrate ourselves? "Oh," you say, "I did that when I was baptized as a child." Or, "My parents did that when I was born." Yeah, sure. But have you done it lately? I find that I have to consecrate myself daily. Why? Because I am continually de-consecrating my self! How can that be? The Royal navy can de-commission that new ship at any time simply by saying so! I can de-consecrate myself by becoming unholy, loosing my sanctification, my purity, and I do it far too frequently.
The Lord is calling for His people, you and me included, to consecrate ourselves and BE HOLY! Why? Because He is God, our Lord and Savior.
So, what happens when I'm consecrated? I'm set aside for the service of the King. I do whatever He asks of me. I study His Words so that I may know Him. It is our job to consecrate ourselves, set ourselves aside, for the King's service. It is His job to sanctify us, that is to make us holy. He can't do the first job for us. We certainly can't do the second! Amen and Amen.
A member of the Royal Family and a big bottle combine to consecrate a big ship - commission it - set it aside for service in the Royal Navy. When the big bottle of champagne has been smashed on the bow of the huge ship, it becomes an official warship.
Ceremonies like this happen all the time. Our daily newspaper shows "ribbon cutting" ceremonies that mark the grand opening of new businesses. Board members dig the ceremonial "first shovel" of dirt to commemorate the beginning of a building project. Photos are taken of the people who built the first product off a new production line.
We like to consecrate things, set them aside. We hold holy convocations and ordain deacons, elders, ministers, missionaries and church secretaries! We anoint the doorposts of our church buildings and homes to consecrate them, set them aside, to the Lord.
How often do we consecrate ourselves? "Oh," you say, "I did that when I was baptized as a child." Or, "My parents did that when I was born." Yeah, sure. But have you done it lately? I find that I have to consecrate myself daily. Why? Because I am continually de-consecrating my self! How can that be? The Royal navy can de-commission that new ship at any time simply by saying so! I can de-consecrate myself by becoming unholy, loosing my sanctification, my purity, and I do it far too frequently.
The Lord is calling for His people, you and me included, to consecrate ourselves and BE HOLY! Why? Because He is God, our Lord and Savior.
So, what happens when I'm consecrated? I'm set aside for the service of the King. I do whatever He asks of me. I study His Words so that I may know Him. It is our job to consecrate ourselves, set ourselves aside, for the King's service. It is His job to sanctify us, that is to make us holy. He can't do the first job for us. We certainly can't do the second! Amen and Amen.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Mark 12:42
"Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. Mark 12:42
In some churches the offering plate is not passed. Instead those who wish to give march to the front of the sanctuary and place their offering in the plate. Imagine for a moment that you are in one of those churches. The offering prayer has been uttered. The organist begins the peppy offering march. People begin to gather in the center isle and make their way to the front. Nothing out of the ordinary happens until fellow steps from the back pew of the building. Heads turn. The room hushes of all but the melodious strains of the pipe organ. The man is dressed in the finest silk suit, obviously hand tailored to fit him and him only. The mass of humanity opens before him like the sea at Moses' command. Reaching the front, this fine fellow dramatically reaches into his coat pocket, pulls out pen and checkbook, and with a flourish writes a huge check.
Immediately behind him, un-intimidated by the show, slowly and painfully creeps a little old widow who cares for three abandoned grandchildren, all on her pittance of a social security check. Few notice. Some snicker. "What do we need with her coins after that huge check?" some ask. Finally reaching the front, the widow carefully opens a worn coin purse, pulls out its contents. Silently, timidly she drops a couple of coins into the plate. The organ plays on. The people murmur about the generosity of the rich man. The deacons rejoice that the new roof is paid for.
Who put the most in the offering? Of course we know that it was the widow - she gave her all - everything she had. The man gave petty cash! One made a show. The other made a sacrifice.
The New Testament never really talks about tithing. (Tithing is the practice of giving 10% of one's income to the Lord.) It does talk about giving. The reason tithing is never mentioned is that something greater is demanded of the Christian believer. Jesus uses the example of the widow and her two coins to illustrate the principle. He expects our all, every cent, every possession, every ounce of flesh, every breath we breath, every drop of our blood. He expects us to be a "living sacrifice." After all, He set the example of giving. He gave His very life for us. What less could we offer Him?
The next time the offering plate is passed your way, stop and think about the widow. Compare her gift to yours. Then remember that your offering is just a token of what God wants - everything! Amen and Amen.
In some churches the offering plate is not passed. Instead those who wish to give march to the front of the sanctuary and place their offering in the plate. Imagine for a moment that you are in one of those churches. The offering prayer has been uttered. The organist begins the peppy offering march. People begin to gather in the center isle and make their way to the front. Nothing out of the ordinary happens until fellow steps from the back pew of the building. Heads turn. The room hushes of all but the melodious strains of the pipe organ. The man is dressed in the finest silk suit, obviously hand tailored to fit him and him only. The mass of humanity opens before him like the sea at Moses' command. Reaching the front, this fine fellow dramatically reaches into his coat pocket, pulls out pen and checkbook, and with a flourish writes a huge check.
Immediately behind him, un-intimidated by the show, slowly and painfully creeps a little old widow who cares for three abandoned grandchildren, all on her pittance of a social security check. Few notice. Some snicker. "What do we need with her coins after that huge check?" some ask. Finally reaching the front, the widow carefully opens a worn coin purse, pulls out its contents. Silently, timidly she drops a couple of coins into the plate. The organ plays on. The people murmur about the generosity of the rich man. The deacons rejoice that the new roof is paid for.
Who put the most in the offering? Of course we know that it was the widow - she gave her all - everything she had. The man gave petty cash! One made a show. The other made a sacrifice.
The New Testament never really talks about tithing. (Tithing is the practice of giving 10% of one's income to the Lord.) It does talk about giving. The reason tithing is never mentioned is that something greater is demanded of the Christian believer. Jesus uses the example of the widow and her two coins to illustrate the principle. He expects our all, every cent, every possession, every ounce of flesh, every breath we breath, every drop of our blood. He expects us to be a "living sacrifice." After all, He set the example of giving. He gave His very life for us. What less could we offer Him?
The next time the offering plate is passed your way, stop and think about the widow. Compare her gift to yours. Then remember that your offering is just a token of what God wants - everything! Amen and Amen.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Prov. 26:1
"As snow in summer and rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool." Prov. 26:1
Some things are just meant to go together: love and marriage, joy and happiness, grace and peace, mercy and forgiveness. These are but a few of the Siamese twins of rightness.
Other things just don't mix well: oil and water, cats and dogs, frogs and little girls, hate and love, rain and drought, war and peace, grace and hatred, honor and a fool. Hey, that is just what Solomon said in today's verse.
It has been said that opposites attract... and I suppose there is some truth to that statement. Without opposites, magnetism would not be valuable in electric motors. Without opposites, all electricity would be direct current. Without opposites, everyone would be like everyone else. Opposites create a sense of excitement, mystery, and intrigue. Where would every author be if there were no opposites? Authors live and die with conflict. Conflict is a direct result of opposition. The good guy is always opposed by the bad guy. If ultimate truth is subscribed to, the good guy will ultimately win while the bad guy, in due course, gets what is coming to him. There are a few successful authors who make a living by creating a story in which the bad guy wins... but they haven't read the last chapter of Revelation!
Solomon declares that snow is totally foreign to the nature of summer. While we can wish for it on a 33 degrees C August day, it isn't likely to happen. And rain in the harvest time? Any farmer will tell you that rain will ruin a good harvest. Rain will beat down a good stand of wheat making it impossible to reap. Too much rain in the harvest season will cause the corn to rot on the stalk. Excessive rain will prevent the farmer from entering the field for days and maybe weeks until the crop is totally destroyed and not worth gathering at all. No, rain and harvest do not belong together any more than snow and summer.
Neither is honor to be granted to a fool. The fool is not worthy of such recognition. The fool is always in the wrong place at the wrong time. He always opens his mouth and says the wrong thing. His actions destroy and never redeem. No, the fool is unworthy of honor. Should he receive recognition, he is emboldened to try harder... and the results are even greater acts of foolishness.
Jesus said it another way, "Don't cast your pearls before swine." At best a pig will trample a string of pearls into the mud. At worst, he will devour such a prize thinking it dessert after a wonderful meal of slop! The interpretations of Jesus' proverbial saying are many. The most common is that we should not preach the Gospel to those who will obviously reject it. The Gospel is "the pearl of great price." The hardened non-believer is the "swine." The unbeliever will not recognize the value of salvation, thinking he can earn his own way into some version of heaven. Why waste our time? Don't get me wrong. I am not against evangelism. We should all be preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. However, we need to recognize that sometimes our particular calling is to "preach and run".
Remember, one man's fool is another man's mission field. God will not suffer anyone to die without having multiple opportunities to receive the love of God into his life. Amen and Amen.
Some things are just meant to go together: love and marriage, joy and happiness, grace and peace, mercy and forgiveness. These are but a few of the Siamese twins of rightness.
Other things just don't mix well: oil and water, cats and dogs, frogs and little girls, hate and love, rain and drought, war and peace, grace and hatred, honor and a fool. Hey, that is just what Solomon said in today's verse.
It has been said that opposites attract... and I suppose there is some truth to that statement. Without opposites, magnetism would not be valuable in electric motors. Without opposites, all electricity would be direct current. Without opposites, everyone would be like everyone else. Opposites create a sense of excitement, mystery, and intrigue. Where would every author be if there were no opposites? Authors live and die with conflict. Conflict is a direct result of opposition. The good guy is always opposed by the bad guy. If ultimate truth is subscribed to, the good guy will ultimately win while the bad guy, in due course, gets what is coming to him. There are a few successful authors who make a living by creating a story in which the bad guy wins... but they haven't read the last chapter of Revelation!
Solomon declares that snow is totally foreign to the nature of summer. While we can wish for it on a 33 degrees C August day, it isn't likely to happen. And rain in the harvest time? Any farmer will tell you that rain will ruin a good harvest. Rain will beat down a good stand of wheat making it impossible to reap. Too much rain in the harvest season will cause the corn to rot on the stalk. Excessive rain will prevent the farmer from entering the field for days and maybe weeks until the crop is totally destroyed and not worth gathering at all. No, rain and harvest do not belong together any more than snow and summer.
Neither is honor to be granted to a fool. The fool is not worthy of such recognition. The fool is always in the wrong place at the wrong time. He always opens his mouth and says the wrong thing. His actions destroy and never redeem. No, the fool is unworthy of honor. Should he receive recognition, he is emboldened to try harder... and the results are even greater acts of foolishness.
Jesus said it another way, "Don't cast your pearls before swine." At best a pig will trample a string of pearls into the mud. At worst, he will devour such a prize thinking it dessert after a wonderful meal of slop! The interpretations of Jesus' proverbial saying are many. The most common is that we should not preach the Gospel to those who will obviously reject it. The Gospel is "the pearl of great price." The hardened non-believer is the "swine." The unbeliever will not recognize the value of salvation, thinking he can earn his own way into some version of heaven. Why waste our time? Don't get me wrong. I am not against evangelism. We should all be preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. However, we need to recognize that sometimes our particular calling is to "preach and run".
Remember, one man's fool is another man's mission field. God will not suffer anyone to die without having multiple opportunities to receive the love of God into his life. Amen and Amen.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Eph 4:1-3
"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." Eph 4:1-3
As I was pondering the "prisoner" aspect of this verse, I began to realize that Paul's comments were not only about his prisoner status, but also about you and me. As a prisoner of Jesus Christ, Paul is calling us to walk worthy of our calling.
What is our calling? We are called to be a child of the King. Now that's a calling. Some time ago, I was reading an article in a business newsletter by August A. Bush IV - the great, great, great grandson of the founder of the Budweiser Brewery in St. Louis. I almost didn't read it because it was written by a beer monger, but my curiosity got the best of me. One of the things that struck me is how Mr. Bush IV walks in a manner worthy of his calling. He is a fourth generation beer man. He is in the business. He is the chief salesman for the business - just like his fathers before him. He started at the bottom of the business and worked his way up. He will most likely replace his father at the top. His son Mr. Bush V, will start at the bottom - and replace him in due course. Mr. Bush IV is most worthy of the name he carries and is proud of it, I could tell by the way he spoke of his role and his business.
So, how should we walk since our calling is greater? Humbly, without pride in our own efforts giving all the glory to our Father and preferring each other above ourselves. Gently, careful to do no damage, but to do all things well. Patiently, perfection, whether our own, or the work we do, or the work God is doing in us or other people, takes time. Be willing to wait. Lovingly, Peter says love covers a multitude of sins. Our love can help someone else overcome his sin. I've seen it happen many times. Someone is lost and antagonistic towards the kingdom, but because a friend or loved one keeps on loving, even when it hurts, that person is eventually brought to the Father for adoption as one of God's children. Preserving unity, how can you preserve unity? By keeping all the other items in this list. Above all, walk as a child of the King of Kings would walk!
Who is more worthy of the calling? August A. Bush IV or you? I believe you have the greater calling. And I believe you are worthy of that calling - because you are chosen by God to be His son or daughter! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
As I was pondering the "prisoner" aspect of this verse, I began to realize that Paul's comments were not only about his prisoner status, but also about you and me. As a prisoner of Jesus Christ, Paul is calling us to walk worthy of our calling.
What is our calling? We are called to be a child of the King. Now that's a calling. Some time ago, I was reading an article in a business newsletter by August A. Bush IV - the great, great, great grandson of the founder of the Budweiser Brewery in St. Louis. I almost didn't read it because it was written by a beer monger, but my curiosity got the best of me. One of the things that struck me is how Mr. Bush IV walks in a manner worthy of his calling. He is a fourth generation beer man. He is in the business. He is the chief salesman for the business - just like his fathers before him. He started at the bottom of the business and worked his way up. He will most likely replace his father at the top. His son Mr. Bush V, will start at the bottom - and replace him in due course. Mr. Bush IV is most worthy of the name he carries and is proud of it, I could tell by the way he spoke of his role and his business.
So, how should we walk since our calling is greater? Humbly, without pride in our own efforts giving all the glory to our Father and preferring each other above ourselves. Gently, careful to do no damage, but to do all things well. Patiently, perfection, whether our own, or the work we do, or the work God is doing in us or other people, takes time. Be willing to wait. Lovingly, Peter says love covers a multitude of sins. Our love can help someone else overcome his sin. I've seen it happen many times. Someone is lost and antagonistic towards the kingdom, but because a friend or loved one keeps on loving, even when it hurts, that person is eventually brought to the Father for adoption as one of God's children. Preserving unity, how can you preserve unity? By keeping all the other items in this list. Above all, walk as a child of the King of Kings would walk!
Who is more worthy of the calling? August A. Bush IV or you? I believe you have the greater calling. And I believe you are worthy of that calling - because you are chosen by God to be His son or daughter! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Luke 8:48
"And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace." Luke 8:48
There's just something about a touch - both given and received. Note the next time you are in the presence of a newborn baby. Everyone wants to touch it. Men will rub the soft cheeks with the back of a finger. Women will touch the child with the front of a finger. All make comments about how soft the newborn skin is. That feel is the closest to perfection man will ever know on earth! We all like to be touched. The human touch is more than a contact, it is an emotional link.
The woman in today's verse was no different. All she wanted to do was touch Jesus. She didn't want to talk to Him. She didn't want to shake His hand. She didn't even want Him to know she did it. All she wanted was to touch the hem of His garment! The unusual thing about this was that she was an "unclean" woman, shunned by society. She had been sick for years. Everyone knew her. Everyone stayed away from her. If they had realized she was there, she could have been stoned to death for her social infraction. Still she persisted. She pressed her way through the potentially hostile crowd. She finally reached the back side of Jesus, reached down, and touched Him. Her intention was to slip away silently, but Jesus stopped. "Who touched me?" He asked. In that crowd, many people touched Him. They were all grabbing for Him.
But this touch was different. It was not a greedy touch. It was not a pushing touch. It was a touch of faith. Who touched Him? Who could tell? But He knew. He wanted to talk to the individual. Shyly, fearfully, the little, sick woman stepped forward. "I touched you, sir." "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." Her faith - because she said "If only I could touch the hem of His garment." Her faith - to fight the crowd. Her faith - that Jesus could do some thing for her. Her faith - had made her well.
How about you. Do you need a touch from Jesus? Are you one of those who are reaching just to get a touch of the hand. Are you one of those who are bumping into Him? Or are you willing to just get a touch of that dirty, grimy, grass stained hem of His garment. Is your touch greed? Or is it a touch of faith. Jesus knows the difference. Let your faith make you whole! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
There's just something about a touch - both given and received. Note the next time you are in the presence of a newborn baby. Everyone wants to touch it. Men will rub the soft cheeks with the back of a finger. Women will touch the child with the front of a finger. All make comments about how soft the newborn skin is. That feel is the closest to perfection man will ever know on earth! We all like to be touched. The human touch is more than a contact, it is an emotional link.
The woman in today's verse was no different. All she wanted to do was touch Jesus. She didn't want to talk to Him. She didn't want to shake His hand. She didn't even want Him to know she did it. All she wanted was to touch the hem of His garment! The unusual thing about this was that she was an "unclean" woman, shunned by society. She had been sick for years. Everyone knew her. Everyone stayed away from her. If they had realized she was there, she could have been stoned to death for her social infraction. Still she persisted. She pressed her way through the potentially hostile crowd. She finally reached the back side of Jesus, reached down, and touched Him. Her intention was to slip away silently, but Jesus stopped. "Who touched me?" He asked. In that crowd, many people touched Him. They were all grabbing for Him.
But this touch was different. It was not a greedy touch. It was not a pushing touch. It was a touch of faith. Who touched Him? Who could tell? But He knew. He wanted to talk to the individual. Shyly, fearfully, the little, sick woman stepped forward. "I touched you, sir." "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." Her faith - because she said "If only I could touch the hem of His garment." Her faith - to fight the crowd. Her faith - that Jesus could do some thing for her. Her faith - had made her well.
How about you. Do you need a touch from Jesus? Are you one of those who are reaching just to get a touch of the hand. Are you one of those who are bumping into Him? Or are you willing to just get a touch of that dirty, grimy, grass stained hem of His garment. Is your touch greed? Or is it a touch of faith. Jesus knows the difference. Let your faith make you whole! Hallelujah, Amen and Amen.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Acts 17:26 - 28
"And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, "For we are also His offspring." Acts 17:26 - 28
There he was, standing in the middle of a hostile crowd. No one believed what he was saying. No one expected to hear anything sensible from him. Everyone knew more than he did, everyone. Still, he continued in exactly the same manner that he always did. A bit brash, a bit humble, a bit arrogant, a bit extravagant, a bit extreme. That was Indiana Jones. If you know Jones, you know that he always managed to bungle into some outrageous situation and just as bunglingly made his way out of it.
Paul was no Indiana Jones. He stood before the learned Greek philosophers on their own territory. He was confident of what he was doing. He never bungled, never. In the midst of these hostile intellectuals, Paul stood firm, argued the facts of the Gospel using their own language... and their own literature... to prove that there is but one God and He is the Father of all. Paul didn't back down. He spoke of the creation and the God who set the universe in motion. He spoke of a God who did not abandon man to his own devices. He spoke of a God who knew the sinful plight of mankind... and never thought of turning His back on His finest creation. However, Paul also spoke of a God who set boundaries... times and seasons... and announced that "this is the time" and that the window of opportunity might close. He spoke of a people who were "groping" for that One God...searching in all the wrong places, and finding nothing but futility and despair. He spoke of a people who, if they kept groping, would find that the feet of the Father were nearby and could be grasped. He spoke of a Father who was so big that the people lived in Him, moved in Him, and had their being in Him. Yet, that God was so personal that He could dwell within them... if they allowed Him too. And the scoffers scoffed; the philosophers laughed; and fools heckled. But Paul preached on, undaunted, unafraid, thoroughly convinced of the Truth he preached. And a few believed, some wanted to hear more.. and Paul secured a victory in the midst of the enemy's camp.
So you have responded to the call. You have sought. You have found. What will you do with this Jesus? Will you take Him for granted, calling upon Him when times get rough? Will you accept Him as a regular fixture in the temple of your heart... but place Him on a pedestal to be viewed and appreciated on special days? Will you use Him as your personal prophet, seeking His advice when you need answers, going your own way when you "know what you want"? Or will you take Him as the Son of God? Will you let Him be the one who sits on the throne in your temple? Will you follow Him wherever He leads you... across the street or around the world?
What will you do with this Jesus you have found? Amen and Amen.
There he was, standing in the middle of a hostile crowd. No one believed what he was saying. No one expected to hear anything sensible from him. Everyone knew more than he did, everyone. Still, he continued in exactly the same manner that he always did. A bit brash, a bit humble, a bit arrogant, a bit extravagant, a bit extreme. That was Indiana Jones. If you know Jones, you know that he always managed to bungle into some outrageous situation and just as bunglingly made his way out of it.
Paul was no Indiana Jones. He stood before the learned Greek philosophers on their own territory. He was confident of what he was doing. He never bungled, never. In the midst of these hostile intellectuals, Paul stood firm, argued the facts of the Gospel using their own language... and their own literature... to prove that there is but one God and He is the Father of all. Paul didn't back down. He spoke of the creation and the God who set the universe in motion. He spoke of a God who did not abandon man to his own devices. He spoke of a God who knew the sinful plight of mankind... and never thought of turning His back on His finest creation. However, Paul also spoke of a God who set boundaries... times and seasons... and announced that "this is the time" and that the window of opportunity might close. He spoke of a people who were "groping" for that One God...searching in all the wrong places, and finding nothing but futility and despair. He spoke of a people who, if they kept groping, would find that the feet of the Father were nearby and could be grasped. He spoke of a Father who was so big that the people lived in Him, moved in Him, and had their being in Him. Yet, that God was so personal that He could dwell within them... if they allowed Him too. And the scoffers scoffed; the philosophers laughed; and fools heckled. But Paul preached on, undaunted, unafraid, thoroughly convinced of the Truth he preached. And a few believed, some wanted to hear more.. and Paul secured a victory in the midst of the enemy's camp.
So you have responded to the call. You have sought. You have found. What will you do with this Jesus? Will you take Him for granted, calling upon Him when times get rough? Will you accept Him as a regular fixture in the temple of your heart... but place Him on a pedestal to be viewed and appreciated on special days? Will you use Him as your personal prophet, seeking His advice when you need answers, going your own way when you "know what you want"? Or will you take Him as the Son of God? Will you let Him be the one who sits on the throne in your temple? Will you follow Him wherever He leads you... across the street or around the world?
What will you do with this Jesus you have found? Amen and Amen.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Phil. 1:21
"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" Phil. 1:21
We don't talk about providence much any more. In the old days people did, and people attributed a lot of events to providence. It wasn't just any providence; this was THE Providence of God. If a storm blew up out of the west and hail destroyed a house, it was God's providence. If the crops produced more than enough food for the winter, it was God's providence. If a wondrous sight appeared in the night sky, it was God's providence. As you can see, God's providence was deeply ingrained in their lives. But what IS God's providence?
Providence is the understanding that God is in total control. Everything that happens is first filtered through God's purposes and plans. Satan's work in our lives... approved by God. Natural occurrences that change our lives... approved by God. Illness, health, marriage, death, success, failure, victory, defeat... all approved by God. We don't believe much in providence anymore.
We believe we are in control of our circumstances. We want to be in charge of every aspect of our lives and we are all like that... if we are perfectly honest.
But that is not God's way. The Bible uses a word we translate as "trust". It is the same word that we also translate "faith". God asks us to trust Him... put our complete faith in His ability to run our lives. Most of us can heartily accept God's ability to forgive us and save us from our sinful natures. We firmly believe (have faith in) that God paid the price for our transgressions. Where we fail is in trusting Him with our finances, our marriages, our children, our purchases, our needs and wants. We say we have faith in God... but by our actions, our insisting on controlling our own lives, we are telling Him, and the world, that we can do a better job of it ourselves.
Paul didn't have that problem. He totally entrusted his life to the Father. More than once he faced death in the midst of his ministry. He lived to tell us about it. He was stoned to death (he himself doesn't know but what his spirit had left him and he visited heaven) but God sent him back to the same town to finish his ministry there. Three times he faced shipwreck, the most severe on the way to Rome as a prisoner. Each time he trusted God to take care of him. He lived only to be bitten by a viper. Even that did not kill him but opened doors to preach the Gospel. Now, as he faced the death penalty for doing no wrong, he was satisfied that whatever God wanted to do was fine with him.
"For me to live is Christ... " Paul says he is satisfied to live if that is what God wants for in living he is free to testify of the great things God has done for him. "... but to die is gain." And if he should be crucified on the next day, or the next, or the one after that, he is satisfied that he will hear Jesus say, "Enter in good and faithful servant. Great is your reward in Heaven." Paul believed in providence...God's providence.
Do you? Amen and Amen.
We don't talk about providence much any more. In the old days people did, and people attributed a lot of events to providence. It wasn't just any providence; this was THE Providence of God. If a storm blew up out of the west and hail destroyed a house, it was God's providence. If the crops produced more than enough food for the winter, it was God's providence. If a wondrous sight appeared in the night sky, it was God's providence. As you can see, God's providence was deeply ingrained in their lives. But what IS God's providence?
Providence is the understanding that God is in total control. Everything that happens is first filtered through God's purposes and plans. Satan's work in our lives... approved by God. Natural occurrences that change our lives... approved by God. Illness, health, marriage, death, success, failure, victory, defeat... all approved by God. We don't believe much in providence anymore.
We believe we are in control of our circumstances. We want to be in charge of every aspect of our lives and we are all like that... if we are perfectly honest.
But that is not God's way. The Bible uses a word we translate as "trust". It is the same word that we also translate "faith". God asks us to trust Him... put our complete faith in His ability to run our lives. Most of us can heartily accept God's ability to forgive us and save us from our sinful natures. We firmly believe (have faith in) that God paid the price for our transgressions. Where we fail is in trusting Him with our finances, our marriages, our children, our purchases, our needs and wants. We say we have faith in God... but by our actions, our insisting on controlling our own lives, we are telling Him, and the world, that we can do a better job of it ourselves.
Paul didn't have that problem. He totally entrusted his life to the Father. More than once he faced death in the midst of his ministry. He lived to tell us about it. He was stoned to death (he himself doesn't know but what his spirit had left him and he visited heaven) but God sent him back to the same town to finish his ministry there. Three times he faced shipwreck, the most severe on the way to Rome as a prisoner. Each time he trusted God to take care of him. He lived only to be bitten by a viper. Even that did not kill him but opened doors to preach the Gospel. Now, as he faced the death penalty for doing no wrong, he was satisfied that whatever God wanted to do was fine with him.
"For me to live is Christ... " Paul says he is satisfied to live if that is what God wants for in living he is free to testify of the great things God has done for him. "... but to die is gain." And if he should be crucified on the next day, or the next, or the one after that, he is satisfied that he will hear Jesus say, "Enter in good and faithful servant. Great is your reward in Heaven." Paul believed in providence...God's providence.
Do you? Amen and Amen.
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