In the Beginning

Then God said, Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion.    -Genesis 1:26.

The baseball season is upon us--go Buccos. Many of you may not know, but God likes baseball and even began the Bible with the words, as one little leaguer misquoted, "In the big inning."  Maybe you've heard about two retired men who loved baseball. They made a pact with each other; whoever dies first would see if there was baseball in heaven and come back and tell his friend. One man died and the next day appeared to his friend in a dream. He said, "I have good news and better news about baseball in heaven. The good news, yes, there is baseball in heaven. The better news is that you are pitching tomorrow."

Seriously, in the beginning, the first two chapters of the Bible tell the powerful story of God who spoke everything into being.  God then creates human beings in His own image and gives them dominion over all creation.  God dwells among His creation in authentic community, even enjoying walks in the garden with Adam and Eve.  They KNOW God and God KNOWS them. 

One very short chapter later, Adam and Eve eat fruit from the one tree God says is forbidden.  This is called “the fall,” and the rest is history… or is it?  In our western world we all have heard the story but do we really understand what it means to be created in the image of God and to be in fellowship with God: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? 

Fast forward to today, and we find ourselves in a post-industrialized age of rugged independence with little that we can be absolutely certain about.  This legacy of modern thought has seeped into our theology in crafty ways.  We deny absolute truth, preferring a “whatever works for you” mentality.  We say things like, “I choose God,” and “Jesus is my homeboy” or “I’ve made a personal decision for Christ.”  We ask questions like, “Have you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior?” 

When we base our relationship with God on our personal decision to accept Christ or not, we slip into the trap of individualism.  Yes, Jesus longs to have a personal relationship with all people. 2 Peter 3:9 speaks of a God who is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish.  Jesus relates to us on a very personal and intimate level, but we must be careful not to base our relationship with God solely on our personal decision. Our response to God's love and offer of salvation is required in order to experience new life and fellowship with the Lord, but basing our salvation completely on our personal decision denies the majesty, power, authority, and magnificence of a God who merely had to speak creation into existence. 

If I think that the basis of my salvation rests only on my decision to accept and follow Christ, I run the risk of thinking everything else is up to me, too!  Personal holiness, love for all humanity, sacrificial living, Christian perfection…the stuff we “Christians” are made of, becomes up to me.  

The story of God is a story of mutual interdependence.  God sent Jesus to take on the sins of every person and provide a means through which we can come into fellowship with God.  We needed Jesus to do this for us, not by us.  The really good news is that God did not stop there.  By grace, God sends us the Holy Spirit who works in and among God’s people to lead, guide, and empower them for all the “good works” God had called them to.  God tells us in Acts 1:8, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

Baseball is a team sport, and so is life in the Kingdom of God. By the grace of God you need and must not go it alone.  You are known by God, you are called by God, you are justified and made whole by God, and you are being glorified and made holy by God.   This is not of yourself… it is a gift from God.  In the end it is up to God who has saved us and reaches out to us. You and I get to partner with God to make His goodness and love known to all the earth.

We Have God's Attention

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.    —Colossians 3:12

The Voice reality television show is a singing competition that seeks to find new talent based on a contestant’s voice alone. Four celebrity coaches sit in chairs with their backs toward the performers. If the coach wants the singer for their team after only hearing their voice, they press their button, and their chair turns around.

There are five different parts to the Voice season: Blind Auditions, Battle Rounds, Knockout Rounds, Live shows, and the Season Finale. Each season begins with the Blind Auditions where singers try to catch the attention and choice of the judge to be on their team. They perform to be chosen. The blind aspect of the competition levels the playing field for those with phenomenal voices but without the wow-factor in appearance. Eventually, everyone turns around for those who are chosen, and performance, appearance, and personality all come into play.

In the Kingdom of God, we already have God’s attention. God judges by the heart rather than outward appearance. The Bible tells us that we are saved by grace through faith. Salvation is the gift of God; it is not earned or deserved (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Romans 6:23 tells us that we have already been judged and have been found guilty. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The second half of the verse states that although we are condemned, God offers each of us the gift of eternal life.

On The Voice, each singer performs to be accepted by the coaches and to have the opportunity to begin a new life for themselves and their families. In God’s Kingdom, we have already been chosen by God, and everyone has the opportunity to begin a new life in Christ. We are accepted by God not based upon our performance but on the performance of God in Christ. Jesus came to earth, lived a holy life, and died for our sins on the Cross. God raised Him from the dead and now gives salvation to all who believe in and follow Jesus.

Colossians 3:12 tells us that we are chosen and dearly loved. The Bible also tells us that while we were sinners and cared not for God Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). When Jesus prayed in the Garden, He thought of you and me. When Jesus died on the Cross, it was for you and me. You have probably heard the questions posed to Jesus, “How much to you love me?” Jesus opened up His arms to be nailed to the Cross and said, “This much.”

God wants us to live holy lives. God yearns for us to walk with Him every day, but we cannot earn God’s approval, selection, and love by our performance. God already loves us. God already desires to bless us. Our actions, our desire to follow Jesus, and our holy lives are in response to God’s love for us. 1 John 3:19 tells us, “We love because he first loved us.”

Our voice to God is a response to God’s voice to us. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). My friend, God loves you. God has chosen you. He is calling your name. Open your ears and hear His voice. You already have God’s attention. You have already won. Open your heart and ask Jesus to come into your life. Claim your prize.

The Rest of the Story

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.    —Mark 9:9

He was before my time, but I have heard classic commentaries from radio news host, Paul Harvey and his “Rest of the Story” reports. “The Rest of the Story” began as part of Harvey’s newscasts during World War II but became its own series on the ABC Radio Network in the 1970s. Harvey would present a little-known or forgotten fact while holding back an important aspect of the story. As he concluded his commentary, he would reveal the missing part, a famous person’s name or accomplishment, and end with some variation of his well-known tag line, “And now you know the rest of the story.”

On several occasions, Jesus instructed the disciples to tell no one about Him. After healing the blind man, cleansing the leper, or healing the deaf mute, “Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it” (Mark 7:3). Many explanations have been given for why Jesus would not want His Name proclaimed. Some say His popularity made it impossible for Him to minister due to the crowds. Others point out that the animosity with the Jewish religious leaders only increased with Jesus’ popularity.

Mark 9:9 shows another reason for this delay in proclaiming the news about Jesus. As He led Peter, James, and John down from the Mount of Transfiguration, “Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.” The Disciples did not know the rest of the story. Jesus may have repeatedly instructed them concerning His suffering, death, and resurrection, but they never quite got it until they met Jesus after Easter.

Jesus did not come to gather a following as a great teacher or miracle worker. Jesus came to live a sinless life, reveal God the Father to us, and die as the only and final sacrifice for our sins. Without the resurrection of Jesus, our message is only part of the story. Before Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection, He sent the disciples to only the Jewish people. Before the Empty Tomb, Jesus often told His followers to tell know one of His glory or their healing and deliverance.

After the resurrection, Mary was told, “Go quickly and tell” (Matthew 28:7). At Jesus’ first post resurrection appearance to the Disciples, He told them, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21). Now that Jesus had risen from the dead and His true nature as God had been revealed and understood, we are commanded to go and tell everyone that Jesus Christ is Lord.

The message of Jesus is not for one people, nationality, or socio-economic group but for every tribe, nation, and gender. “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Before ascending to heaven, Jesus told His Disciples and us, to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). In Acts 1:8, Jesus declares, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Sisters and brothers, if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you know the rest of the story. God so loved each and every one of us that He gave His only begotten Son that we might have life in the Name of Jesus. All who call upon the Name of the Lord will be saved.

Jesus is risen from the dead. Go and tell the world the rest of the story—Jesus is Lord!

Finishers Are Winners

Finishers Are Winners

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”    —2 Timothy 4:7

A runner from Kenya, Hyvon Ngetich, took third place at the Austin Marathon in February 2015. It is noteworthy just to complete a marathon, but Ngetich was leading the female pack until she got within 1.2 miles of the finish line, and her body began to shut down. Race volunteers and nurses rushed to her side to give her aid, but she refused knowing their assistance would disqualify her. She crawled the last 400 meters on bloodied hands and knees to take third place.

After completing the race, Ngetich was rushed to a medical tent, where she was treated for dangerously low blood sugar. The race director was so impressed by her determination that he adjusted the prize money so she received as much as the second place winner. She may not have come in first place but was a true winner in many persons’ minds.

In most children’s sports leagues today everyone who finishes the season gets a trophy regardless of the record. My grandchildren have received participation trophies that are twice as large as some of my most prized trophies from high school. Every Special Olympics athlete has a hugger who greets them with a congratulatory embrace for competing, “Well done! Way to go!”

In the kingdom of God, winning and losing is not as important as finishing faithfully. The first shall be last and the last first (Matthew 19, 20). Those who lose their life for the kingdom shall find it; they are the true winners (Matthew 10, 16). Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).  Because he had kept the faith to the end and finished the race, he will be rewarded a crown of righteousness.

Each letter to the seven churches in chapters two and three in the book of Revelation, ends with the challenge and promise, “He who overcomes.” In three of the letters (to churches at Smyrna, Thyatira, Philadelphia), overcoming or being victorious is further defined as, “be faithful until death,” and “hold fast what you have” until the end (2:10, 2:25, 3:11). God’s promise of reward is not to the fastest and brightest but to the one who finishes faithfully.

In life, we spend way too much time looking around to see how well everyone else is doing or to see the expression on their faces telling us how well they think we are doing. Hebrews 12 urges us to run the race with perseverance fixing our eyes upon Jesus (12:1-2). If we focus our eyes on Jesus, we are reminded that He has completed not only His race but ours, also. On the Cross, Jesus cried out, “It is finished” (John 19:30). With Jesus’ last breath, He paid the price for our sins and offered salvation to everyone who will believe.

As you journey through this life, you don’t have to compare yourself, your accomplishments, and your family to anyone else. God is not concerned with who finishes first or last, only that we remain faithful to the end that we overcome through Jesus’ sacrifice and love for us. Jesus tells each of us to “be of good cheer” because He has “overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Are you overwhelmed, today? Do you feel you are falling behind in the rat race of this world? Take heart! Jesus loves you. He has overcome the world and promises to be with you to the very end. Take His hand and finish the race that is before you. You are a winner in God’s eyes.

How Much Longer?

“Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.”    —Luke 2:51a

Road trips have always been a large part of our life with two children, and now, two grandchildren. Years ago, I attended seminary in Kentucky, and we traveled home to PA several times a year. Now, we frequently visit my brother’s vacation lake house in the mountains of South Carolina.

Inevitably, about 30 minutes into our eight to ten hour journey before we have left PA, one of the children will ask, “How much longer?” My wife and I take two different approaches in answering the question. I quickly reply, “Five more minutes.” I am not lying but using the grammatical technique known as hyperbole. I exaggerate how close we are to our destination to demonstrate that the how-much-longer question is premature, and “We are not anywhere near there yet!” I think it’s humorous.

Darlene patiently tries to distract the children with a game or song or nap. “If you take a long, long, nap, we will be much closer.” In more recent days with portable DVD players, “If you watch four more movies, we will be there.” I feel her patient approach is unnecessary. Toughen up kids. Life’s rough.

The movie “The Young Messiah” is set to be released to theaters next week. It tells the fictional but possible events from the life of Jesus Christ, age seven until His public ministry as recorded in the Gospels. Luke’s Gospel recounts the only Biblical record of Jesus’ early life. At the age of twelve, Jesus stays behind in Jerusalem to debate with the religious teachers in the Temple. Jesus’ family searched for three days before they found Him.

Confronting Jesus in the Temple courts, Mary says, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you” (2:48).  Jesus replies, “Why were you searching for me? ... Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Jesus may have been saying, “We have arrived. It is time for My public ministry to begin.” Mary’s response basically says, “We are not anywhere near there, yet.”

My Bible subtitles this passage, “Boy Jesus amazes the scholars.” What amazes me most about this passage is not that Jesus debated with the religious scholars but that Jesus returned home to Nazareth and patiently submitted to earthly parents for the next eighteen years.

There are two different Greek words in the New Testament that are usually translated as patience or endurance. One stresses the idea of great forbearance under suffering caused by other people. The second stresses patient endurance and steadfastness as we seem to be kept waiting for a long time by God. Hebrews 12:1-2 describes both of these ideas, “Let us run with endurance [patience] the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, … who for the joy set before Him endured [patience] the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

At times in life, you may feel circumstances, family, or even God is holding you back. Jesus understands. He had a God-sized mission but fulfilled it in God’s perfect timing. You may be crying out to God, “How much longer?” Jesus obediently waited 30 years to begin His public ministry. By God’s grace, we too can be patient with those around us for a while longer.

Made New

“And we all … are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”    —2 Corinthians 2:18

Last evening, I sat down in front of some mindless TV program with two pairs of shoes, a newspaper, and my shoeshine kit. My kit consists of two Kiwi tins of polish (brown and black), two old tooth brushes, and a horsehair shine brush. As I opened the brown tin, I quickly remembered how dried out and cracked the polish was. I managed to hold down a few of the larger pieces long enough to get sufficient polish to coat both brown shoes. Then, I googled the internet for some way of restoring my leftover brown polish.

I typed into the Google search bar, “soften Kiwi shoe polish.” Within 0.46 seconds, I had over 5,000 results to my query. I took the advice of the first two responses: reheat without an open flame until melted. We have a large electric tart warmer. (For most of you guys out there, it’s kind of like a mini crockpot for scented candles.) Our tart warmer has a 4 ½” opening and was just large enough to allow my fingers to lower a shoe polish tin to the bottom. By the time I had polished my black shoes, the brown polish had melted and looked completely new.

Just a word of caution: don’t try this at home without adult supervision. Guys, get your wife’s permission. I am told Kiwi shoe polish contains naphtha, lanolin, turpentine, wax, and, ethylene glycol. It might not explode but will definitely catch fire if heated over an open flame. Also, I read that 175 degrees is hot enough to do the trick. One website cautioned against overheating and most warned not to ignite the polish. The tart warmer worked perfectly for me.

Honestly, when I saw the dried, cracked polish transform into a shimmering liquid in the tin, I was completely amazed and immediately thought about how God is able to take the cracked and broken pieces of our lives and make them new again. When we turn our eyes upon Jesus in faith, God begins the process of melting, molding, and transforming us into His image. We, who have wrecked our lives or lived for ourselves, can, by God’s grace, become re-created and useful for God’s Kingdom and others.

I would imagine, thousands, maybe tens of thousands of Kiwi tins have been thrown away with plenty of useful polish within. The polish may be cracked and crumbled. It may be dried up and appear useless to the human eye, but a few minutes in the tart warmer might make them good as new and useful once again. God’s love for us is infinitely more powerful than a tart warmer.

If you and I would only place ourselves under the discipline and love of God, we too can be reclaimed and made new again. This is done through the Spirit. The Holy Spirit, in my illustration, would be the power source, the electricity that causes the warmer to heat and transform the polish (our lives). John the Baptist said he was baptizing with water, but One was coming, Jesus Christ, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11).

My renewed polish worked great, but after a couple uses, it cracked and dried again in the tin. I plan to follow another post’s advice and add a small amount of mineral spirits (turpentine or kerosene) and try again. After all, the scripture did say transformation comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. This lesson may indeed be good household advice for shoe polish, but the greater lesson is an invitation from the Lord to begin life anew. Take the broken pieces of your life and give them to Jesus. You, too, can be made new.

Traveling with Family

“Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”    —Mark 3:35

Growing up in St. Charles, Pennsylvania in Armstrong County, my family drove a 1955 Pontiac Star Chief station wagon. In those days, there were four children in our family. I do not remember the actual traveling part of family road trips, but I do remember celebrating my birthday each year on Lake Erie in July.

One thing I do vividly remember when traveling as a family was my dad threatening to stop the car if we did not calm down and behave in the back seat. My dad would whip his right arm onto the top of the front seat and yell back at us, “Don’t make me stop this car!” We never found out what would happen if he had to stop the car because we obeyed immediately.

My memory has been kind to me. I look back with nostalgia and good thoughts over my childhood. The saying goes, “You can pick your friends, but you’re stuck with your family.” I felt blessed (most of the time) with the family I had. It was a good childhood.

God entrusted Jesus into an earthly family. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be the Creator of the universe and to have to listen to a step-father threatening to stop the ox cart.  It’s hard to think how Jesus’ family reacted to living with the perfect Son of God. Mark chapter 3 gives us a glimpse into one moment in Jesus’ family history.

After Jesus had healed a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath and then appointed His twelve Disciples, they entered a house but were so overwhelmed with followers that they could not even eat. Jesus’ family came to rescue Him. “When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind’” (Mark 3:21). The leaders of the day were also calling Jesus crazy. They accused Him of being possessed by Beelzebul, the prince of demons. They attributed Jesus’ miraculous powers to heal and cast out demons to Satan.

Jesus’ mother and brothers could not reach Him due to the crowd. Word was sent to Jesus, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you” (3:32). Jesus replied with a question, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Jesus then looked around and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother” (3:34-35).

Jesus may have had His struggles with His earthly family, but He loved them to the very end. His family eventually believed in Him. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was at the Cross and with the believers gathered in the Upper Room on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out. James, the Brother of Jesus, became one of the key leaders of the Jerusalem Church and was the human author of the book of James. Acts 16:31 became true for Jesus’ family, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

As Christians, we have a large extended family of every Christian believer in the entire world who does God’s will. As human beings, God has entrusted us with a biological family to care for and love. If you had a great childhood, praise God and love your family with all your being. If childhood was painful and your family members do not believe, continue to love them and trust God for their salvation. God loves them even more than you and I ever could. God loves them and us so much that He said (well, not exactly in these words), “Don’t make me come down there.” But praise the Lord, God did come down to Earth in Jesus to save us from our sins.