Stepping Down to Step Up

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.    —Matthew 1:24-25

Like Joseph, the stepfather of Jesus, I was a carpenter in my younger days. I built a couple houses, installed many kitchens and bathrooms, and replaced way too many roofs. My business partner and I even had dreams of building a model home and owning a home building franchise. If our dreams would have succeeded, we may have built a few more houses in the area and hopefully made a better than decent wage.

All of that changed as I became more involved in the church and grew in my walk with Jesus Christ. The more opportunities I had to serve in the church and preach, the more I felt God calling me to something more. I eventually accepted God’s nudging into full time ministry, but in order to follow God’s plan and will, I had to step down from my carpenter business and step away from my future plans for building homes.

How many of you have heard of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris? Probably quite of few, but how many know who designed it? It was Jean Chalgrin. What about the Pentagon? George Bergstrom and David Witmer were the chief architects. Joseph the Carpenter, the husband of Mary and step-father of Jesus, might have designed and build many earthly things had it not been for God’s plan and will for his life.

Joseph stepped down into surrender and humiliation in order to step up into God’s grander purpose for his life. Joseph may have had great hopes and dreams for himself. Maybe he was planning to offer an entire new furniture line. He may have had in his mind plans for the greatest building in the Middle East. As with other great structures, as the years pass, very few people would have remembered his name. Although he was known as “the husband of Mary” (Matthew 1:16), and listed as the “so it was thought” father of Jesus (Luke 3:23), Joseph was included in the greatest adventure and plan of the universe. Joseph shared in the salvation of the entire world and will be remembered forever as a servant of God.

Jesus, Himself, epitomizes the stepping down to step up mode of the Kingdom of God. Philippians 2:5-11 tells us that Jesus, “Who, being in very nature God … made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant … and humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.” Jesus stepped down from heaven on Christmas Day and became a helpless human baby. He then lived a perfect sinless life and gave His life on the cruel Roman cross to pay for our sins and the sins of the entire world.

In the resurrection on Easter morning and His ascension to heaven, Jesus steps up into the glory of God the Father and is exalted above every name. Jesus stepped down in humility, service, and obedience, but He stepped up higher than anyone or anything in all creation.

Many of us think that to totally surrender our lives to God’s will for our lives means we must sacrifice all the good things we had hoped for. God’s plan for our lives far surpasses the greatest earthly joy and human achievement without God. God knows you better than you know yourself. God has plans and goals that will benefit others and the Kingdom of God. Stepping down from human plans and up into the glorious plans of God never disappoints. James tells us, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (4:10). Peter repeats, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).

Fear Not, Let's Worship

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”                             —Luke 2:10-11

In our Advent sermon series, I have been asking the question, “If this was your Last Christmas, would you…?” The sermon for each week then completes the questions: Believer Boldly, Surrender Completely, and this week, “Worship Joyously.” Previously, we looked at John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah and then Mary’s encounter with the Angel Gabriel. This week we will look at the Angel of the Lord’s pronouncement of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds.

In each encounter with Angels, there was fear and troubling (Luke 1:12), troubling (1:29), or exceeding fear (2:9). Simply bringing up the possibility of this Christmas being our Last Christmas causes many to fear. What if I am diagnosed with a terminal illness? What if Jesus returns in the Second Coming before next Christmas? What if I am in a terrible car crash or terrorist attack? We must admit, this can be a very fearful and troubling world.

To each onset of fear (to Zechariah, Mary, and the Shepherds), the angels responded with the words, “Fear Not,” “Do not be afraid.” Zechariah’s prayers had been answered (Luke 1:13); Mary had found favor with God (1:30); and the Shepherds heard good news of great joy (2:11). Because of Jesus Christ, God’s greatest gift to humankind, we need not fear. We can rejoice and worship God. Our prayers have been answered. We have found favor with God, and we have received and can share the good news of greatest joy with all people.

This Christmas, I am focusing on the joy and peace given to us by God. In addition to God’s greatest gift of His Son to us, God has given us His Spirit so that the Trinity: God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit may live within us forever. Romans 14:17 tells us, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Jesus prayed in the Upper Room before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion, “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves” (John 17:33).

If this was our Last Christmas on earth, many of us would be very fearful, and rightly so for some. But hear the Good News of great joy for everyone, “For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). A Savior has come to rescue you from yourself, your sin, and your eternal punishment. As we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, He gives us His peace and joy. The angelic hosts sang loudly that first Christmas, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14).

If you will call upon the name of the Lord, God’s favor rests on you. You need not be afraid but can join with God’s heavenly choir and worship the Lord. After the shepherds saw Jesus lying in a manger bed, they “returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:20). This Christmas, whether it be our first or our last, let us not fear; rather, let us worship the Lord in peace and joy. 

All In

And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”    —Luke 1:38

Many of us are familiar with the term “all in.” I only knew “all in” in reference to the Christian faith and Texas Hold’em poker I’ve seen on TV. I have only ever gambled once, and I crashed and burned. I was 15 years old and thought I had enough money to outlast a carnival worker at the Dayton Fair. The prize was to win double or nothing, but the cost to play (swing a ball on a chain over and back to knock down a lone bowling pin) also doubled each time.

In poker, “all in” occurs when you are usually low on funds, but think you have a really good hand and wish to scare off your opponents and take the pot. You go “all in” by betting all the money or chips that you have on the table. “All in” in this case is an attempt to get everything for yourself or go home.

To me, the Christian meaning of “all in” is that Jesus is either Lord of all or He is not Lord at all. Jesus said, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). The most important relationship in our lives must be our relationship to God in Jesus. I do not believe Jesus was telling us to hate our family or ourselves, but was using exaggeration to drive home the point that Jesus wants to be number one in our lives?

 

The Christmas passage in Luke’s Gospel records the Annunciation, the announcement by the Angel Gabriel telling Mary she would become the Mother of God’s Son. Mary’s concluding response describes her statement of faith and a complete surrender to the Will of God. “And Mary said, ‘Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word’” (Luke 1:38). Mary believed the angel’s message and went “all in” with God. She was risking everything she had and everything she would ever be. Mary was also placing in jeopardy her relationship and love for Joseph, to whom she was engaged.

Mary’s “all in” was not for her own benefit but for the benefit of others and the entire world; it was for you and for me. She was surrendering her plans and her life for the welfare and salvation of every other human being. Poker players play to win for themselves. Mary was giving her life away in order to find it again in Jesus Christ. Jesus also said as He faced the Cross, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25).

What are you “all in” about? Your golf game? Shopping? Facebook? Working out? Fox News or CNN? Your family? Your car? Your job? When Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord,” she was denying her own good plans for her life and surrendering to God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will for her. One of my favorite “all in” passages is Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

If we are to experience God’s good and perfect will in our lives, we must surrender our selfish plans, go “all in,” and make Jesus Christ the boss of our life.

Religious Doubt

Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”    —Luke 1:18

What would you do, how would you act if you knew this was going to be the last Christmas you would celebrate on earth? I recently conducted a memorial service for a lady whose favorite song was the Tim McGraw country hit, “Live Like You were Dying.” For you non-country music fans who might not know the song, it describes a man in his early forties who is diagnosed with a terminal disease. The song details the way he chooses to live his remaining days on earth: become a better husband and friend, turn to the Bible and offer forgiveness, and complete his bucket list by mountain climbing, sky diving, and bull riding.

No one knows for sure when the last Christmas will be nor what it will look like. I and many Christians believe the Lord Jesus may return to earth at any time. The second coming would define the last Christmas for everyone on earth once and for all. If the Lord does not return in our lifetime, our last Christmas would be the December before our death.

Each year, we celebrate the first Christmas when Jesus Christ, God’s Son, became a human baby and dwelt among us. The Biblical narratives describe how people responded to the original Christmas. Zacharias, a Jewish priest, and his wife, Elizabeth, were very old and had no children. While he was ministering in the Temple, an angel appeared to him telling him that his prayers had been heard; they were going to have a son, John the Baptist, who would prepare the world for the earthly ministry of Jesus.

Zacharias was a religious man who prayed, served in the temple, and obeyed all of God’s commandments. One would expect such a religious person to possess strong faith, but upon hearing the great news, Zacharias appears to have doubted. He asked, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years” (Luke 1:1). I do not believe in blind faith, but there is always an element of uncertainty in each opportunity to trust God. Our only certainty is that God is good and will always be with us. We can trust Him with our future.

Many people struggle with doubt. Sometimes they act holier and perform religious deeds in hopes of being accepted by God. Religious persons should doubt as they attempt to please and appease God by their good deeds. According to Isaiah 64:6, all our righteous acts and human efforts to reach heaven are like filthy rags to God. We cannot find peace with God through religious acts alone. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). Jesus paid the price for our sins and reconciled us to God. As we believe on His Name and receive God’s love, we are made right with and righteous before God as a gift.

You and I cannot know for certain if this is will be our last Christmas on earth, but if it was, how would you live? Would you believe boldly or doubt? One thing is sure; God loves you. Jesus gave His life to rescue you from sin and death. He promises to come again and receive us unto Himself. Trust in the Lord and do not doubt. Live your remaining days until the last Christmas in gratitude and love to God.

All God's Children Got Crowns

In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.    —2 Timothy 4:8

There is an old southern spiritual song entitled, I'm Gonna Walk All Over Heaven, that many might remember by its lyrics, “All God’s children got shoes.” The lyrics and even the title varies greatly from year to year and artist to artist. Some sing, all God’s children have a robe, shoes, a crown, a cross, a song, and even wings.

 

Honestly, I am quite sure we will not receive wings; we do not become angels in heaven. I seldom thought about getting a crown until I reflected on the connection between worship and thanksgiving. The twenty-four elders before the throne of God in heaven, “Cast their crowns before the throne, saying, You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power” (Revelation 4:10-11).

A quick study of the word “crown” in the New Testament reveals that every Christian believer will receive a crown in heaven, and there are several types of crowns. Paul speaks of receiving a crown of righteousness. After warning Timothy of the terrible apostate times to come, Paul concludes, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (vs. 7). He concludes the thought by telling us the crown of righteousness is not only for Paul but for everyone who loves Jesus’ appearing. A crown of righteousness is promised for all those who stay true to Jesus until the end.

A second crown, the crown of life, is described in James 1:12 and by Jesus in Revelation 2:10. This crown is promised to those who persevere under trial and suffer persecution. Jesus says, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). Hopefully, you and I will not have to face death for our faith, but many have died confessing Christ in our day, even in America.  Jesus did say, “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).

Peter mentions a crown of glory which might be reserved for those who lead the flock of God. 1 Peter 5 describes how to be a good shepherd to those under one’s care. “And, when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (5:4).

A fourth crown, the crown of joy, is the soul winner’s crown. Paul refers to believers that he led to the Lord as his joy and crown (Philippians 4:1) and his hope, joy, and crown of exultation (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). Paul is not boasting a gold medal for his accomplishments for he had a Kingdom view of his ministry. “So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:7-8).  

There are rewards in heaven, and, yes, there are crowns for every believer. Do not be confused thinking that we can earn our way into heaven. Heaven is the gift of God, purchased for each of us with the precious blood of Christ. All our righteous acts and human efforts to please God are like filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6). One might ask, “Then why are we given crowns?” We are given crowns so we can cast them at the feet of Jesus in heaven to give Him thanks, honor, and praise for His love and power at work in and through our lives. 

No Thanksgiving without Worship

Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.    —Revelation 7:12

In America, Thanksgiving brings images of pilgrims, family, turkey, and pumpkin pie. For over ten years, I, my five siblings, who have been spread across the United States, and our families gathered for several days at one of our houses each Thanksgiving. The time together included, outdoor games like golf and football. We usually spent some time shopping together, going to a movie, and staying up late to play board games. The Thanksgiving Day meal was always on Friday, with all the fixings. Thanksgiving just wouldn’t seem right without turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes and homemade noodles, pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce.

One year, we met at my sister’s home in the San Francisco area. On Thursday, their church had a special Thanksgiving service. Many people came, some recovering from addictions. We shared our testimonies and gave honor and praise to God. It was one of the most meaningful Thanksgivings I have ever experienced. To many Americans, Thanksgiving is not complete without food and family, but in God’s eyes, thanksgiving is not complete without worship.

In the Bible, true thanksgiving includes worship and submission to God. In the book of Revelation, the word “thanks” is found three times. Each occurrence takes place before the throne of God in an act of worship. In Revelation 4:9, the four living Beings who dwell continually before God’s throne, give glory, honor, and thanksgiving to God. When they do, the twenty-four elders fall down before the Lord and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created” (4:11).

Then in Revelation 7:9-12, a multitude of people coming out of the great tribulation stand before the throne and the Lamb clothed with white robes, and worship God by saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”  Joining them in worship, “All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.’”

The third time is in Revelation 11:17. After the last trumpet, the seventh, is sounded, the twenty-four elders, who sat on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come.”

Come to Jesus

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.    —Matthew 11:28

The Gospel might be described in one word, “Come.” Jesus invites all who are weary and weighed down with care to come to Him for rest. Jesus also says in John 10:10, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” The cares and sorrows of this life steal our joy and burden our souls, but Jesus comes to give us abundant life: rest, peace, joy, and purpose.

Sadly and amazingly, we will do almost anything to find happiness in life except simply coming to Jesus. Oswald Chambers has said, “Isn’t it humiliating to be told that we must come to Jesus! Think of the things about which we will not come to Jesus Christ. If you want to know how real you are, test yourself by these words— “Come to Me….” In every dimension in which you are not real, you will argue or evade the issue altogether rather than come; you will go through sorrow rather than come” (My Utmost, October 8).

In the early days of my Christian life, I soon learned how people will evade and argue rather than come to Jesus. When I first began to witness and tell others my story of coming to Jesus Christ, I was surprised how quickly folks would justify their sin and argue why they did not need to come to Jesus. Almost immediately, they would give their criticism of the Church or some Christian and give their reason for refusing to come.

One lady comes to mind. I was working for a carpenter who was remodeling her kitchen. During a break she began to ask me about my life, and the subject of my dropping out of college came up. I told her my story how I asked Jesus to come into my life and to forgive me of my sins. I described the joy and peace I found in Him. I then asked her if she had found the joy and peace that Christ offers. Our conversation took a surprising turn into excuses and criticisms.

She immediately said that there was nothing wrong with owning and running a bar. I knew that her family ran one of the bars in my hometown, but I never mentioned or even hinted anything about it. It appears that she lived with a great deal of guilt for the family business. Instead of coming to Jesus, she made justification for her guilt.

She then gave me a long detailed story of how the local Methodist pastor acted poorly in her eyes in ministering to her dying father. The pastor would visit weekly to pray and give Holy Communion to her bedridden father. After each visit, her father secretly reminded her to give the pastor a monetary gift for visiting. One time, she withheld the money from the preacher, and the minister never came back. Because of this offense, she would never go to church and never come to Jesus.

I didn’t get to know this lady’s life any deeper. I don’t know the depth of her guilt and shame and any judgmental attitudes from others towards her family’s business. I also don’t know if her father died, the minister moved away, or why he never returned to visit. But I do know that I have seen this reaction toward the Gospel repeated many times by other folks. We justify, make excuses, and refuse to simply come to Jesus.

The Gospel message is for you and everyone who will come. Jesus says, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” God loves you. Why don’t you come? No excuse or justification of sin is worth refusing Jesus’ invitation. Come!

My Miracle

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”   —John 6:5

Shortly after I returned from a mission trip to Central America, I met Art Winger. He had gone on numerous short-term mission work teams with World Gospel Mission. Art told me how he was miraculously healed from liver disease the year before.

Weeks before he was to lead an upcoming mission trip, Art lay gravely ill on a hospital bed watching evangelist Pat Robertson on television. Robertson was praying and naming illnesses and persons whom the Holy Spirit was telling him were being healed. As he was about to finish praying, Art yelled out to the TV screen, “What about me?” At that moment, Robertson paused and added, “Yes, someone lying in a hospital bed is being healed of liver disease.”

Art shouted, “Hallelujah,” felt a warmth come into his body, and began to get better at that moment. A few weeks later he was healthy enough to lead a work team to Honduras. Many of us often feel like Art Winger. God seems to answer other folk’s prayers, the other person has the financial breakthrough, and someone else receives their miracle, but we ask, “What about me? Where is my miracle?”

The Gospel of John includes seven miracle signs performed by Jesus so we might believe. The feeding of the multitudes in John 6 is the only miracle besides Jesus’ birth and resurrection that is included in all four Gospels. In each of the miraculous signs in John’s Gospel, there is an obstacle of faith to overcome, an act of obedience to demonstrate, and a personal participation in the miracle.

In feeding the 5,000, Jesus tested Philip by asking where they would buy enough bread to feed the multitude. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus told the disciples, “You give them something to eat” (6:37). Jesus then directed the disciples to have the people to sit down in groups of fifties and hundreds (Mark 6:39-40). After Jesus blessed the five loaves and two fish donated by a young boy, the disciples distributed the loaves and fish to the crowd and then gathered up twelve baskets of leftovers.

The feeding of the 5,000 was a miracle for each person in the crowd, but it was especially a miracle for the disciples. The disciples ate of the blessed and multiplied loaves, but they also helped give the miracle to others. Maybe some of us who are waiting for our miracle are supposed to be a miracle to others. When we say, “What about me?” Jesus may be saying, “Yes, what about you? What miracle are you going to bring to others?” As He told the disciples, “You give them something to eat,” Jesus may be telling us, “You, go, and be a miracle to another.”

What about you? Don’t sit around and wait for Jesus to perform a miracle for you, go and be a miracle for someone else. Allow God to use you to give and bless someone in need. We cannot, in our human ability, multiply food and heal the sick, but submitted to and in the hands of Jesus, we can do all things. Jesus told the disciples and us, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). What about you? Where is your miracle?

Consider Your Life

Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways!”           

—Haggai 1:7

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to consider my life in an unexpected time and place. I went elk hunting with a friend who had successfully hunted on Colorado state game lands the year before. We hired no guide and camped on public land. Our trip only cost us money for gas, food, and license. Colorado was advertising an abundance of elk so I anticipated the hunt of a lifetime with elk behind every tree.

We began hunting each day with a pre-dawn breakfast before hiking up a mile high mountain. We mistakenly hunted the elk much like we hunt white tail deer or rabbits in Pennsylvania. My friend kept saying to his dad and brother, “We didn’t hunt this hard last year.” On my dream hunt for elk, I was thoroughly disgusted that we were seeing no elk, and I was exhausted.

On those long days hiking up and down steep mountains, I began to consider my life. I determined I was not a true hunter; I was a shooter, a killer. Back home in Pennsylvania, I seldom spent much time in the woods during the late summer and the beautiful, peaceful autumn scouting for turkey and deer. I would merely go out during hunting season and look for some game to shoot and kill. Now, as I considered my life on this dream hunt in the beautiful mountains of Colorado, I became disgusted at myself for being frustrated with the lack of opportunity to shoot an elk. I became so disgusted with myself that I didn’t go hunting in Pennsylvania after that for two full years.

Haggai prophesied to the Jews who returned from the 70-year Babylonian Captivity. King Cyrus had issued a degree sixteen years earlier that the Jews could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. The returning Jews began to rebuild the Temple, but amid difficult economic times, soon turned their attention to their own lives and comfort. Haggai received a Word from the Lord calling the Jews to consider their ways and the reason for their economic distress. “You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied” (1:6a).

The Word of the Lord through His prophet, Haggai, reveals to the Jews that the reason for their economic distress is that they did not seek to rebuild the Temple and glorify God; rather, they sought personal pleasure and comfort. A second call to “Consider your ways,” was followed by the call to “‘Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,’ says the Lord” (1:7). Israel heeds God’s call and resumes the Temple renovations within the month.

Haggai chapter 2 again calls upon the Jews to consider their ways and how the economy had improved. “Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree, it has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’” (2:19). It might be difficult to put ourselves in the exact situation of the Jews of Haggai’s time, but if we seek to follow the Lord, God can bring all the resources of the universe to meet our needs. Jesus said, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Consider your life. Is your life in shambles and unprofitable? It is time to seek the Lord and His Kingdom. Consider from this day forward if God does not add “all these things” to you as well.

Blind Faith

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.    —John 20:29b

Seeing is believing. Many of us won’t believe anything unless we see it. This might be why many of us believe, “It must be true; I read it on the internet.” In thinking about blind faith, believing without seeing, I thought of Missouri as the show-me state. Missouri designated the Missouri mule as the official state animal in 1995. I am quite certain of this because I read it on the internet. Mules are known as durable, hardworking animals, but with only one speed, their own. The show-me label for Missourians showing them as conservative, hard-working, and down-to-earth might be interpreted by some as stubborn and mule-headed.

I heard a joke describing how determined Missourians can be. A farmer from Missouri bought a mule for $100 from his neighbor, but it died before he picked it up. “Load it up,” he told the seller. “What are you going to do with a dead mule?” asks the first guy. “Raffle it off,” says the buyer. “You can’t raffle off a dead mule.” “Sure I can. I just won’t tell anyone it’s dead.” They meet a week later and the first farmer says, “What happened with the dead mule?” “Raffled him off and sold 500 tickets at $2 each.” “Didn’t anyone complain?” asks the first farmer. “Only the guy who won and I gave him his money back.”

The Gospel of John records seven miracle signs performed by Jesus so His Disciples and true followers might believe. The first miracle sign is turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana. “What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him” (John 2:11).

In the second miracle sign, Jesus returned to Cana, the site of His first miracle. A certain royal official, whose son lay sick in a nearby town, went to Jesus and begged Him to come and heal his dying son. Jesus, either to test his faith or to rebuke the sign-seeking crowd, replied, “Unless you people see signs and wonders … you will never believe” (vs. 48). Jesus then told the man, “Go; your son lives” (4:50). The man believed and headed home. His servants greeted him on the way with news that his son was made well at the exact moment Jesus said, “Your son lives.”

At the end of His ministry on earth, Jesus greeted Thomas for the first time after the resurrection. Thomas had vowed he would not believe unless he saw and touched Jesus for himself. Jesus told him, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29b). God does not expect everyone to believe with blind faith. The Lord is at work in each of our lives everyday if we will only open our eyes to see and believe.

John describes the purpose of his Gospel in the last two verses of chapter 20, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:30-31).

The very final verse of the last chapter in the Gospel of John concludes this theme, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (21:25). Open your eyes and see God’s wondrous works around and in your lives. Don’t be stubborn like the mule. See and believe. How blessed you will be if you believe without seeing.

David's Songs

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.    —Psalm 137:1

Many in the over 50 crowd will remember the 1972 song written and recorded by Neil Diamond, Song Sung Blue. It was an immediate hit partly because of its simple but truthful message. If you feel sad, write a song or poem about it, and you will begin to feel better. The first verse and chorus read, “Song sung blue, everybody knows one. Song sung blue, every garden grows one. Me and you are subject to the blues now and then, but when you take the blues and make a song, you sing them out again.”

Much of the ever-expanding counseling industry is based on this song’s truth. If you are troubled by an issue and feel down, talk about it with someone. Share your feelings and struggles, and you will soon begin to feel better. Christians and Jews, using the Book of Psalms as a songbook, already knew and practiced this truth and more. The themes to the songs in the Psalms are not only sad songs but include joyous songs, prayers, and prophecies, as well.

As many as 80 of the 150 Psalms were written by King David. In his life, David experienced the full range of human emotions as recorded in the Psalms. Have you had problems with your children? They cannot compare to David’s. David’s son, Ammon, raped his half-sister, Tamar (2 Samuel 13:14). Another of David’s sons, Absalom, proclaimed himself king and attempted to assassinate his father, King David (2 Samuel 15). David expressed his fears and broken spirit to God in his own Song Sung Blue called the lament Psalms.

David’s songs also include songs of praise. Psalm 150 was possibly sung at the dedication of the second temple and has been used by both Christians and Jews in celebratory worship. “Praise the Lord! … Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! (vss. 1, 6) We are exhorted by scripture, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). We can do exactly that by sharing the Songs of David in the Psalms.

If you are feeling sad and no one seems to care, you can go to God and tell Him everything that is on your heart. If you feel uncomfortable speaking so harshly to God, go to some of David’s Songs and read them to the Lord. For example, read all nine verses of Psalm 137. You will be shocked and moved by the pain behind the words. The Psalms were inspired by God and given to human beings to recite and sing back to God. God can handle the feelings of your struggles.

If you are extremely happy but don’t want to make those around you who are struggling feel worse, then turn to David’s Songs and sing praise to God. I have found it is often much harder to share praises with folks than sorrows. When you share your bad times, people can sympathize with you and feel better about themselves. When you share your joys, it may come across as bragging and make people feel worse about themselves. Sing the songs of praise and thanksgiving in the Psalms. “Come before Him with joyful singing” (Psalm 100:2b).

No matter where you are in life: hurting and far from God or close to the Lord and filled with joy, you can express those feelings to God through the Psalms. David sang, wept, and danced before the Lord. We can, too. 

Divine Appointment

And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.    —Ruth 2:3

I spent a few days last week in the woods of western Michigan with my Uncle Joe at his primitive cottage. Uncle Joe joined the Navy right after high school. He went to basic training and then on to advanced schooling as a naval electrician. During some rough housing in the barracks, he broke his glasses. Joe’s eyesight was very poor. I always remember him wearing those coke-bottle thick lenses. When the doctor checked his eyes, he asked him how he ever got into the Navy in the first place. He was immediately given an honorable discharge.

Upon arriving home, Joe went to the courthouse to sign his discharge papers. While there, he just happened to meet an old friend who told him a steel mill in Ohio was hiring, “Just go down the hall and sign up.” Joe signed up, took an aptitude test, and was hired on the spot. Joe moved to Youngstown, Ohio and raised his family. He retired from US Steel many years ago.

Thinking about that chance meeting with his friend at the courthouse, I asked Joe if he ever thought how completely different his life might have been if the timing had been even a few minutes different. I don’t believe that moment at the courthouse was a chance happening; rather, it was a divine appointment.

The Book of Ruth tells the tragic story of Elimelech and Naomi. Famine comes to Israel. Elimelech, his wife, and two sons move to Moab to find food. Elimelech dies. Both of the sons marry, but after about ten years, both sons die leaving Naomi and her two daughters-in-law to helplessly fend for themselves.

Upon hearing the famine had ceased in their hometown, Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, return to Bethlehem and begin scavenging the leftovers behind the barley harvesters. Ruth has one of those chance encounters with a man named, Boaz. “And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech” (2:3).

Naomi and Ruth’s lives completely change as a result of that choice to glean in Boaz’s field. As events unfold, Boaz agrees to buy back Naomi’s lands and marries Ruth to raise up an heir for Elimelech and Naomi. If you check out the genealogy in chapter 4, Ruth and Boaz have a son named Obed. Obed became the grandfather of King David. As you may know, King David became the ancestor of Jesus.

Uncle Joe’s chance meeting with his friend was no coincidence, but a divine appointment. Joe, his family, and future generations have been changed by that one moment. Ruth, Naomi, Jewish history, and the entire Christian world were affected by Ruth’s “happening” to glean in Boaz’s field. Here again, not a happening but a divine appointment.

Think back over your past. Praise God for those divine appointments in your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to those everyday chance happenings that might really be God’s divine appointments. God is at work in your life each and every day. Live expectantly and keep alert to open doors and opportunities to serve. Nothing just happens. God has a plan and a purpose for your life.

A Little Barbecue Sauce

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.   --Matthew 11:30

When my son was a toddler, he used to call my wife's way of eating a hotdog or hamburger as eating a dead bun. To explain, I have never seen my wife eat ketchup or mustard or mayonnaise on anything. She does not like the taste and that is just how God made her.

She often gets hassled by well-meaning friends, "Have you tried salad dressing?" To which she replies, "Yes I have. I don't like mayonnaise or salad dressing." Actually, she also eats her lettuce salads plain as well. Recently, in the last five years, she has begun to add just a little barbecue sauce to her hotdogs and hamburgers.

Last Sunday, I greeted a young lady at church who often feels pressured to be something she is not. I told her she just needs to be herself. Just seek to please only the Lord; perform for an audience of One. She quickly responded, "Yes, I need to find that rest." Jesus said, "Come to me all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." God does not expect us to be someone else. God does not expect us to try to please everyone else. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. It's hard enough just to be yourself and what He wants you to become; but that's all He asks us to do.

The Apostle Paul tells us to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God which is our reasonable service (Romans 12:1). We are to present our bodies to God not to someone else. We are to present our own body not someone else's body. Philippians 3:14 says "I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Paul was seeking to be all that God called him to be, not what others wanted him to be.

As Jesus lived this human life on earth, He sought to please His Heavenly Father. Sometimes the people loved Him, and sometimes the people hated Him. But, His Heavenly Father was always pleased with Him. God said at Jesus' baptism, "This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."

What is the major issue causing you distress, today? Do you feel rejected and criticized by other people?  Are you made to feel subhuman because of your unique qualities? Remember who made you and who loves you most. John 3:16, "For God so loved you that He gave His One and Only Son" for you. You are loved and accepted by God because of Jesus Christ.

God created us in His image. We were not a mistake. Seek to become everything God created you to be. We need to be considerate of others and their feelings and needs, but seek to please the Lord only in everything you do . Be yourself and maybe even try a little barbecue sauce, but remember that the Lord's yoke is easy and His burden is light. Jesus has already done the heavy lifting and paid for our redemption on the Cross. Come to Him and find your rest.

Weep with Those Who Weep

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.    —Romans 12:15

One of the greatest examples of suffering is Job. Job lost all his wealth, his family, and finally his health. When three of Job’s friends heard of his terrible misfortune, they got together and decided to go console and comfort him. “When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was” (Job 2:12-13).

Job’s friends got it right for about a week. They sat in silence and wept with their friend. When they decided they could weep no longer, Job’s so-called friends tried to comfort him with words. They tried to explain Job’s suffering with the clichés and wisdom of the day. They believed Job was suffering because he had sinned and was getting what he deserved. The book of Job gives little explanation for the meaning of suffering except it was not Job’s fault.

In the New Testament, Jesus addressed the confusion about suffering in two ways. First, Jesus taught it. In John 9, when the disciples asked Jesus if the man was born blind because of his sins or those of his parents, Jesus replied, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him” (9:3). Also in Luke 13, Jesus spoke about two tragic events of the day, the collapse of the Tower of Siloam that killed eighteen people and some Galileans who were executed by Pilate. Jesus teaches that those killed by the tower and Pilate were no worse sinners than anyone else.

Suffering and pain come to everyone. Frequently, it can be traced directly to stupid choices and/or the direct result of sinful behavior. Although, many times, as described by Jesus and experienced by Job, there is little or no explanation. Bad things happen to everyone. Bad things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people.

Secondly, Jesus addressed the issue of sin and suffering by His life, death, and resurrection. God created a world where sin, rebellion, and suffering were possible. Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, death, pain and suffering corrupted our world. God, Himself, in the Person of Jesus Christ, entered our world of pain and suffering. On the Cross, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? (Mark 15:34).  Jesus died for our sins and sin’s punishment.

God promises to filter our suffering through His screen of grace and love. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that God will not let us be tested more than we can bear and always makes a way out. The Lord told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Through His resurrection from the grave, Jesus promises a day when suffering, death, and pain will end. In heaven, all the wrongs of this world will be made right.

Until that day, how do we respond to suffering? As Christians, we are told to weep with those who weep. We do not question their morality. We simply get down in the dust and grime of their pain and weep with them. We love and support those going through suffering with the love of God in Jesus. Are you hurting today? Whether you can feel it right now or not, God really does care, and many of those around you do, too. 

Lift Up Your Heads

When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.    —Luke 21:28

This week has been full of frightening news. In addition to the normal (did I say normal?) senseless shootings, bombings, and explosions, the DOW Jones industrial average fell 1,879 points in a seven day slide partly sparked by concerns about China’s failing economy. Many fearfully ask if this could lead to a worldwide economic collapse. Is this be the beginning of the end?

Additionally, in my own life, I am working on another “Hot Topic” sermon about the Blood Moon phenomenon. The Bible tells us that there will be signs in the heavens above and the earth below before Jesus Christ returns. Three verses speak about the moon turning to blood before the end of the age (Joel 2:31, Acts 2:20, Revelation 6:12). Over the last two years (2014-2015), four total lunar eclipses, named a tetrad by NASA, will have occurred. During a total lunar eclipse, the moon passes completely through earth’s shadow. The sun’s rays are bent around the earth’s atmosphere leaving a red, sunset glow on the moon. The last of these blood moons will occur on September 28^th, during the Jewish fall feast season (Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles). Some believe these to be significant precursors to the return of Christ.

The people who should be most concerned about the end of the age and the return of Christ, the unbelieving world, are either oblivious to all of these things or merely shrug their shoulders nonchalantly. On the other hand, the people who should be most excited, born again believing Christians, appear the most fearful.

During Jesus’ last week on earth before His death, He taught the disciples about the future. In Luke 21, He warned of nations rising against other nations, earthquakes, famines, fearful events, and great signs in the heavens (vss. 10-11). Jesus also predicted, “People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken” (21:26). But Jesus’ word to the disciples then and believers today is, “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (28).

Many prophecies about the return of Christ and the end of the age are accompanied by words of encouragement. Rather than being fearful, Christians should be encouraged and lift their heads up high. Our deliverance, the Risen Lord, is returning to take us home to Himself. 1 Thessalonians 4 describes the situation for believers still living on this earth when Jesus returns, “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (17). We are immediately instructed, “Therefore encourage one another with these words” (18).

Friends, we live in perilous, dreadful, and exciting times. If you have never put your trust in Jesus Christ, now is the time to call upon Him. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins, come into your life, and make you the child of God He intends you to be. If you are already a believer, lift up your head and rejoice for your salvation is just round the corner. These things are already beginning to take place. Stand firm, rejoice, and lift your heads up high. Maranatha!

Hope in the Lord

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.    —Jeremiah 17:7

People seldom get the opportunity to be in the woods during the early moments just before dawn away from artificial light and heat. I recall my first turkey hunting experience over thirty years ago. It was shortly before the sunrise, and I thought I could no longer bear the cold.

I lived on a 100-acre farm and had numerous friends who asked permission to hunt on our property. I had never seen a turkey in the wild and had never hunted them. After getting some basic instructions about where to go and how to hear gobblers in the morning, I set out very early to listen for and locate turkeys. Not realizing how cold the morning hours can become, I was woefully underdressed for the experience. As I sat quietly listening in the pre-dawn hours, the cold seemed to penetrate my very being. I learned the hard way that the coldest time of the day is the moment just before the warming rays of the sun appear.

This is also true in life as the Bill Gaither song, Joy Comes in the Morning, encourages, “Hold on my child; joy comes in the morning. The darkest hour means dawn is just in sight.” Many persons struggle with the challenges they face in life. They believe things will never get better. Hopelessness overcomes them as they begin to think they can no longer stand under the weight of their problems.

Kings Saul and David are examples of persons handling the stresses of life differently. Saul, after being rejected as king, obsessively hunted David down to take his life. During a battle against the Philistines, Saul’s sons were killed and he was severely wounded (1 Samuel 31). Saul’s response was to kill himself before the enemy could torture and kill him and desecrate his body.

Suicide never solves anything. As it turned out, Saul was still beheaded by the Philistine army, and his body hung on the wall of Beth-Shan. David’s troops were already returning from defeating the Amalekites and would surely have marched into the Philistine camps. The Lord could have healed King Saul, but rather than put his trust in the Lord, Saul took his own life in hopelessness.

King David, on the other hand, had been running for his life for years. At one point, his band of men returned home to find that the Amalekites had destroyed their city and taken their wives and families captive. “Moreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). Not only was David a fugitive, his city destroyed, and his family taken from him, but now his own loyal men were threatening to kill him. Rather than give up in hopelessness, as many of us might do today, David strengthened himself in the Lord.

God is still on the throne, and there is always hope as long as we are alive. Psalm 30:5 says, “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.” Many times our rescue, our breakthrough, our answer to prayer is just around the corner. We can and must stand firm in hope; the darkest hour means dawn is just in sight. “Blessed is the man … whose hope is the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:70).

Let's Get Going

Get up, let us be going.    —Mark 14:42

My family has enjoyed the summer months of baseball. My grandson, 11, played on a little league team that traveled around Somerset County playing teams from other small towns. They had a great season and were runner-ups in their league championship tournament.

As a coach, a parent, and now a grandparent, I find it frustrating to watch a little league game (all baseball games for that matter) when a batter watches good pitches cross home plate and gets called out without swinging. Passively watching a third strike is such a big deal that coaches circle the “K” standing for a strikeout to indicate a called or non-swinging third strike.

Some may say, they are just kids and are under a lot of pressure standing inches away from a fast flying baseball. Yes, they are just children, but I watch in frustration the same passive, hesitation in adults as they face daily life. God calls us all to walk in faith, make new starts, or reach out to help in ministry, but we often wait just long enough for the moment to pass or for someone else to act first.

We may have prayed long enough about a certain action we need to take. Some of us are quite certain that God is calling us to act, move, and get going, but we wait. Moving ahead in uncertainty is always scary, but the Lord tells us we can do all things through Him. If you have prayed and received direction from God, then plan your next step, and get going in faith.

Jesus was facing one of the hardest challenges of His life: taking upon Himself the sins of the entire world, suffering on a Roman cross, and dying separated from His heavenly Father. He asked His closest three Disciples, Peter, James, and John, to pray with Him. As you probably know, the disciples fell asleep three times as Jesus agonized in prayer just a short distance away. After the third time, Jesus told them, “Get up, let us be going.” The time for praying was over; the time for action had come.

Many of us who call ourselves Christians fail the Lord on both sides of the pray-act continuum. We either pray, pray in uncertainty as to whether we can do something and God will come through for us. Or, on the other side, we do not pray at all but overconfidently blunder ahead in a fool hearted fashion believing that things just work out. The challenge for the true Christian is knowing when to prayerfully wait and when to get going in faith.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” Although not included in Ecclesiastes 3, I would like to add, “A time to wait, and a time to get going.” When Jesus ascended back to heaven, He told His followers to wait in Jerusalem until they received the power of the promised Holy Spirit. After the Holy Spirit fell upon them, they burst open the doors and got going.

God has given us everything we need. Let us pray, listen for his voice, and then get going. Can’t you just hear Jesus’ voice, “Get up, let us be going.” Jesus promised to be with us until the end of the age. Jesus goes with us; let’s go.