2014 or 2015, Does it Really Matter?

Another year is almost history. I sat contemplating what 2014 was like for me. What went right, what went wrong, what I should have done differently. Wondering If I could turn back the calendar to specific days or times and redo things would it have made a difference?  Had I did this or that or said this or that would it have made a noticeable difference in how things are now. I am sure in some instances it would have and yet in others I have totally forgotten what I did or said! So goes life. I look at the calendar and see that there are three days (counting what is left of this one) before I have to change calendars. I envision that starting a new calendar somehow ends one year and starts another one. In reality the days are no different it is only how we count them. We stop counting the days of 2014 and then with the flip of a page we start counting the days 2015. Therefore it is all about keeping count is it not? Let’s be honest and say that our calendars serve the purpose of planning. Days that have numbers assigned to them make it easy to plan things. About now, if you are still reading, you are probably thinking I am a doofus head, think about stuff too much, and have somehow become crazy in my learning. “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion” as Briscoe Darlin told Andy Taylor. The thing is people have always counted days.

I think it has to do with this: Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.[1] Looking ahead to the numbered days of 2015 causes me to wonder what will happen on day 14 in May? Have I planned anything for that day yet? What about day 28 in October? Or how about day 3 in January? In reality I should be thinking Lord will you allow me to see those days. Today, day 29 of December in the year 2014 is actually the only day that really matters now. Day 28 is past, day 30 has not arrived. I think God is telling us to take hold of the present day and live in it. Make the most of the minutes and hours we have allotted to us in this day. If you read this entire message you probably have spent about 5 minutes of it already; I hope it was not a waste of time for you. As we see the days of 2014 coming to an end and the days of 2015 lying in wait for us, let’s take a few minutes to come to grips with reality as God tells us to do and recognize how few they really are in comparison to eternity. Where will we be a thousand years from now? In heaven or hell? That is what really matters in regards to time. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.[2]

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[1] Psalm 90:12 The Living Bible (TLB)

[2] 2 Corinthians 6:7 New King James Version (NKJV)

He's A Fake! From the Mouth of Babes!

She is a beautiful five year old girl with long curly hair and lovely dark brown eyes. She took the stage with the rest of the kids to sing their Christmas songs during our recent programs to celebrate the birth of Christ. She played her kazoo perfectly with all the others as they played We Wish You A Merry Christmas as their encore presentation for us. Then she came down and sat in one of the two front pews reserved for the kids with their teachers. She watched as the teens presented their program and sang songs and played instruments as their tribute to Christ. When they were finished it was my turn to bring the Christmas message to the people. I had chosen to portray a Bible character in order to present the message in a different format.

I attempted to portray Luke the evangelist, gospel writer, and beloved physician. I did extensive research on the good doctor and apostle in order to be as realistic as possible as what Dr. Luke may have been like. I listened to lots of videos of people speaking in Koine Greek to try to mimic the accent and pronunciation of words. I researched the history to get some idea of what Dr. Luke may have worn for his attire. I then did a lot of study of his writings, when he wrote, who he wrote to, why he wrote, how God used him to pen the words of the gospel on the parchment. I researched the history of the accounts of his birth of Christ. I studied the traditions the Jewish people followed when having to travel to the city of their heritage to be counted and pay taxes to Rome. I studied about stables and how they were used and what types of them there were. I put a lot of time, prayer, and research into portraying the best Luke I could and to ensure when I told the Christmas story it would be scripturally accurate and as historically true as possible. I stepped into the rear entrance of the sanctuary greeting the folks with my best attempt in the Greek accent and walked to the front of the sanctuary in my robe and sandals and my headband, carrying my scroll from which I would read the prophecy of Isaiah of the virgin birth. She watched closely and listened intently when I made my way over to where all the children were sitting. She then told one of her teachers, “He’s a fake! That’s the preacher! Look at his shoes! Why is he wearing those shoes?!”

From the mouth of babes Jesus said would come forth sincere worship and truth. She was right. I was a fake. I never thought of it that way. When Luke was introduced to the people she expected to see Luke not her regular old preacher dressed up and wearing funny looking shoes. I think her comments struck a spiritual nerve within me that forces me to be honest with myself. The adults knew what I was doing but she was not told that the pastor would be playing like he was Luke. I was so moved by her comments because it tells me that she knows me; yeah, me! She may be five but she knows her pastor; what a wonderful compliment to know that I have succeeded in my attempt to relate to the children by spending time talking to them in their classes and always greeting them when they enter the church. It melts my heart to know that she counts me as her preacher. That carries with it big responsibility. If she was disappointed that Luke was a fake how much more disappointed would she be if I turned out to be a fake? We forget sometimes that our “portrayal” of men and women of God is being watched and believed by little eyes. May the Lord help us not to let them down. May we ever be constantly aware that they see us as who we say we are. God forbid that they ever grow up and say to someone; he’s a fake. Did you know that the word hypocrite means “a stage actor?” Wow! Thank you little (Jane Doe) for teaching me a great lesson Sunday morning!

Guess Who's Pregnant?

Guess who’s pregnant? Give me a bit of liberty today as I write my opinion of how it may have went when Mary became pregnant with Jesus. That was the talk of the town. You know, the little pretty maiden who was promised to Joseph, an older, nice looking carpenter that would have people saying that it was going to be a May – December wedding. After the angel told Mary the news of what God was going to do she took off to the hill country in Judah to see Elizabeth because the angel told her that old cousin Liz, the barren one, was 6 months pregnant too! Three months later, following the birth of John she returns to Nazareth sporting a new profile. Joseph not wanting to embarrass himself or cause any trouble for her conceived a plan that she could be shipped off; perhaps back to Judah to live with Cousin Liz. “It is of the Holy Spirit” Mary told old Joe when he asked, “Whose is it?” Can you see the look on his face? She more than likely told him what the angel said, and even testified that Liz had a kid just as the angel said! Joseph did not buy it. He was a just man, a devout man of God that knew the Scriptures and was looking for the promised Messiah. He was certainly not going to marry a woman that was carrying someone else’s child, and then blamed it on God! No, she has to go.

During the night after grappling with the hurt of betrayal and the grief associated with having to let Mary go, he drifted off to sleep with a broken heart and tears on his cheeks. Then the same angel came to him during his sleep; in the context of a dream. “Mary is not lying to you Joseph. She is telling the truth. She really became pregnant by God. He sent the Holy Spirit to place the Holy Embryo in her womb. It is going to be a Son; He is the Son of God. You will name Him Jesus, meaning salvation is from God. He will be the one to save Gods people from their sins." Joseph being a man of God and knowing the Scriptures was reminded by the angel what Isaiah said; “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Old Joseph sat straight up in the bed, wiping the sweat from his brow as it was so real. He sent word to Mary the next day that the angel had visited him as well and probably apologized to her, then asked her to finalize her marriage to him. She did and although they never slept together to seal the deal, the Rabbis pronounced them husband and wife.  Without a doubt both of them made the Nazareth after Midnight section of the local paper. I am sure they may have tried to explain it to their families and friends only to have them listen with eyebrows cocked and smirks on their faces. The annual Roman census was coming up and Joseph always had to go to Bethlehem to register. This was the first census for the new governor Quirinius. Joseph and Mary along with many others that had to make the journey all began to make their way to Judah which was about a four day journey. Once they arrived they were able to find lodging with local Jews that would host those coming in for the census. Joseph and Mary were given the most privacy possible as she was near giving birth, and ended up not in the house where many others were staying but in the shelter where the local family housed their animals. One night as the family bedded down, labor pains hit Mary. Joseph did what he could to prepare the stable to maintain privacy and receive the Child. He came. The miraculous happened! A Child was born to a virgin!

Wrapping Him as all new infants were wrapped with the strips of cloth used to clothe newborns that Mary had brought with her and she laid Him in His makeshift crib; a feed trough. Then the shepherds showed up. “We were told the Messiah was here.” He was. “This is Jesus”, Joseph said.

Who would have believed it? Do you? If you do not believe the virgin birth of Jesus then there is no use in believing His death on the Cross redeemed your sins. If He was born a natural man then He died as a martyr and not a Savior. His Blood was pure, not tainted with the corrupted human DNA and thereby His Blood is the only Blood God will accept as sacrifice for sin. He came as the Prophets said He would and He will be back as the Prophets say He will. Are you ready? Joseph and Mary found out that God keeps His Word. He is Jesus, the Messiah, the Only Begotten Son of God, and the Savior of all who will believe. I hope you are one of us that do.

On Hell

“Without that self-choice there could be no Hell."[1] Some of the senior saints complain that we never hear sermons on hell any more. The topic is unfavorable it seems when it comes to sharing the love, grace, and mercy of the Savior. I have always preached that a Gospel that does not contain judgment is not a true gospel. As a pastor I have been given a shepherd’s heart by our Lord, a heart that wants the best for the sheep under my care. I not only lead the sheep to pasture but have the responsibility to show them the green grass that supplies the nutrients needed for growth. I also am responsible for warning them about the danger of wandering into the wrong field or the forest where poisonous weeds and wolves live. That is where Mr. Lewis is coming from with his statement; choosing is left up to the sheep. Therefore I think the reason that sometimes the subject of hell is not preached as often as some think it should be, and in my experience those who want to hear sermons on hell are already saved, is because most shepherds do not want their sheep to fear hell as much as they want them to love Christ. If one comes to Christ just because they fear hell then that somehow takes away from what Jesus said His purpose for coming into the world was in the first place; “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”[2] Jesus came to draw us unto Himself, that where He is there we may be also, not to send us to hell.

Take the prodigal son for instance. Have you ever stopped to think that the love the father had for the son was so great that he gave the son what he wanted even at the expense of losing him? The father did not have to give the boy his inheritance before he died; but he did. He gave him his inheritance because the boy did not want to be a part of that family any longer and stay in that place so the father gave him what he asked for, knowing that he may never see his son again. He loved the boy enough to give him what he asked for. In fact he wrote him off when he left as evidenced by what he said when the boy returned; “for this my son was dead and is alive again.”[3] The boy did not choose to end up in a pigpen at the out start but that is where he eventually chose to be. God allows people to make bad choices because He loves us enough to give us what we want. If no one ever chose to reject Christ, men or angels, then there would be no need for hell. Who in their right mind would chose an eternity of tormenting fire that never ends, without any possibility of ever escaping it? No one, but there are millions who choose to have their own way now, as the prodigal did, without ever thinking about the pigpen. I would say there are people in hell today who never thought they would really end up there. Perhaps many never thought it existed and yet others never believed the whole life after death thing to begin with. On the other hand how horrible for those who may have believed but yet chose to place their hope in going to heaven instead of placing their trust in Jesus. God help them.

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[1] The Great Divorce. Copyright © 1946, C. S Lewis

[2] John 3:17 New King James Version

[3] Luke 15:24 New King James Version

We Need A Real Thanksgiving

We need a real thanksgiving. Although there are many accounts of how the Pilgrims and the Native Americans came together in November 1621 the Pilgrim chronicler Edward Winslow wrote in his journal that after the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest proved successful, Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast and invited a group of the fledgling colony’s Native American allies, including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit[1]. The chief accepted and the peoples came together for a three day feast. It would not be long however that the European settlers would not be very friendly toward the Natives as we all know. In 1863 heeding the request of prolific writer Sarah Josepha Hale—author, among countless other things, of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb”— President Abraham Lincoln at the height of the Civil War, in a proclamation entreating all Americans to ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.” Thereby establishing a national day of thanksgiving scheduled for the final Thursday of November.

If there has ever been a time in history in which America needed to commend to His tender care all the lamentable civil strife so that the wounds of the nation may be healed; it is now. Today the holiday is celebrated primarily by individual families. There are thousands of broken families out here today so wouldn’t it be good if those families could come together and seek God for His tender care to heal the wounds. When Jesus said that we are to love our enemies I think He was referring to anyone, whether a friend or family member, that does not like us.[2] That being the case how would it be to call up that coworker or that brother-in-law that does not see eye to eye with us and invite them to a thanksgiving feast? What if the family of Michael Brown called up the family of Officer Darren Wilson and invited them to sit down to dinner for a time of forgiveness and a “healing of the wounds?” It would be a miracle; and that is what God can do, perform miracles. However we have been influenced to long as humans by the wiles of the devil. Ever since the Garden of Eden lines have been drawn between family members and nationalities and the devil started it all.  

But don’t get depressed! God also shows us the future. John the Revelator wrote, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.”[3] Mankind will never be able to bring peace upon the earth between families or peoples, but Jesus will. The Prince of Peace Himself will one day come and put an end to all this strife in society and the world! We do not have the natural ability within ourselves to love our enemies but if we will love Jesus then He will love them; through us. Then we will have a real thanksgiving.

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[1] History.com (History.com staff, 2009. History of Thanksgiving)

[2] Matthew 5:44

[3] Revelation 7:9

Yes, There Is A Holy Spirit

Over the centuries the work of the Holy Spirit has continued in the world. Although there are factions within Christianity that even deny the existence of the Holy Spirit, or attribute His work to some kind of “supernatural force.” People tend to not believe in things they cannot explain. Science does its best to answer the unanswerable questions that mankind deals with but falls short of logical explanation of everything. Religion is one of those areas in which science leaves it up to each individual as to what one believes because there are no foundational scientific principles that regulate that what one believes is real or not. It exists in the mind or life of the individual as far as science is concerned. The Holy Spirit of God exists and always has according to the Holy Scriptures. Whether one believes the Scriptures are the Word of God or not does not change the truth that God has revealed to mankind within them. The fact that God has inspired the Scriptures and has revealed to us the mystery of where we came from, what we are here for, and where we are going is the basis of the Christian belief or faith. Therefore believing the Scriptures we believe in the Holy Spirit. As a Divine Personality, not the third person of the Godhead, but rather a person of the Godhead, equal in power, authority, and existence, His function is the personal manifestation of the invisible God in the person of Jesus Christ and in the lives of each person that is willing to believe in Christ, submit their will to His will, and accept His offer of forgiveness of sin. [1]When one makes the decision to do that then the Holy Spirit will come into that persons heart (the inner man) and begin to reveal the will of God to the individual. [2]If you choose not to believe in the whole Jesus thing or the Bible, then you will never know the truth. 

The Holy Spirit is working in the world today within those who are willing to let Him work through them. [3]We know how evil the world can be today but if it were not for the Holy Spirit still in the world, you could not even imagine how bad it would be. The Holy Spirit is the inspiration for all that is good in the world. His influence upon humanity is God’s grace toward us. [4]All the good attributes that exist in people today first existed in God. Even those who reject or rebel against God and Jesus are still loved by them. They Holy Spirit is the Link that connects us to Jesus the Son who connects us to God the Father. [5]You may be like the people in Ephesus who had not even heard of the Holy Spirit until the Apostle Paul told them about Him. If you have ever given God or Jesus a single thought, you can thank the Holy Spirit for it. [6]Were it not for Him we would have never known about God or Christ.

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[1] Galatians 4:6

[2] 1 Corinthians 2:14

[3] 2 Thessalonians 2:7

[4] 1 John 4:8

[5] Acts 19:2

[6] Ephesians 3:4-6

Religion and Politics

Never discuss politics and religion I have heard. So have you. The reason of course is that more often than not expressing our views on both subjects usually arouses arguments; unless you are discussing both subjects with someone that agrees with your views on either of them. I appreciate the differences in people. In saying that I am not condoning the behaviors or opinions that people have or do that is in opposition to the Bible. Jesus told the Pharisees that if you only show kindness and love to those who love you, then you are no better than tax collectors. The tax collectors of course being the people that the Jews considered traders and hated them for helping the Roman government.

God created mankind with the ability to choose what we think. On the one hand it is a curse and yet on the other it is a blessing. Right thinking will lead to right behavior and wrong thinking usually leads to wrong behavior. If you think you can fly and jump off a cliff without a parachute you would realize you were wrong in your thinking. When I observe or hear how people think in regards to religion or politics I respect their God given ability to think as they do. I also have that same ability and think differently than they do sometimes. When they do not think the same way I do it is easy to view them as tax collectors.  Just as with the example of someone jumping off a cliff, their thinking may lead them into disaster unless they consider why someone else thinks you will need a parachute.

I am often asked if I am a Republican or a Democrat and I always answer that I am neither. The Bible teaches that, [1]“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Our political party system does not have a “holy nation party” so therefore I say that I am a Christian, one of His own special people. The Bible clearly teaches that Christians are to acknowledge politics and government. [2]“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” What does that mean? It means that those who are in office were allowed to be in office by God, even if they were elected. I may have not voted for the man or woman that was elected but it is my duty to pray for them; [3]“And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.”

Did you catch that? “Patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.” I am not afraid to discuss religion or politics with anyone. If it leads to a conflict of opinions then that is okay; the other person is loved as much by God as I am. They may be ready to jump off a cliff without a parachute so I have a duty to suggest they consider their actions, but I should not jump off the cliff too and argue with them on the way down.

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[1] 1 Peter 2:9

[2] Romans 13:1

[3] 2 Timothy 2: 24,25