Of Faith and New Life

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 30th of December, 2018 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This is our "New Year's" message.  Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Since I’ll be on vacation through next Sunday morning, I thought I’d use today to look ahead to the new year.  A new year, a new beginning, another chance to maybe get a few things right.  Out with the old, in with the new.  Well, there is a way to make old things new, but it has nothing to do with advancing of one year to the next.

Please listen and follow along as I read from the Apostle Paul’s 2nd Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 5, verses 6 through 8 and verses 16 and 17, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

--2 Corinthians 5:6-8, 16-17 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, by our belief, by our faith, we are indeed confident that some sweet day we will be with our Lord.  Father, may we cherish the new creation You made of us when we accepted Jesus as Lord.  Help us stay strong in our faith and not fall back into our old ways.  Open our hearts that we might hear Your voice, Your word, and Your message we need to hear.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus.   Amen.


Author Ian Wilson tells the story of a London businessman and a warehouse property he was selling:

"The building had been empty for months and needed repairs.  Vandals had damaged the doors, smashed the windows, and strewn trash around the interior.

As he showed a prospective buyer the property, the businessman took pains to say that he would replace the broken windows, bring in a crew to correct any structural damage, and clean out the garbage.

'Forget about the repairs,' the buyer said.  'When I buy this place, I'm going to build something completely different.  I don't want the building; I want the site.'”

Wilson goes on to say: “Compared with the renovation God has in mind, our efforts to improve our own lives are as trivial as sweeping a warehouse slated for the wrecking ball.  When we become God's, the old life is over.  He makes all things new.  All he wants is the site and the permission to build."


Isn’t that a neat way to think about what God does to us when we accept Jesus as His Son and our Lord?  He doesn’t just sweep out the cobwebs and do a few repairs here and there.  He tears us down and starts all over again!  We become something completely different, brand new!  He just needs us to hand over the property rights so He can get to work.  And by that I mean to give our lives fully over to God.


By the world’s thinking, all we have to do is make, and keep, a few New Year’s resolutions, and we’ll become a completely new person.  Well, yes, in a way, to a degree, we can indeed become at least a better person if we really commit ourselves and work at it.  That resolution to exercise and lose weight can definitely have positive benefits on our health.  And stopping to help someone in need instead of passing them by will make us better inside, if we do it often enough.

But really, New Year’s Day is just another day on the calendar, the one that marks the start of a new calendar year.  And even that comes from God.  In the Book of Genesis – the Book of Beginnings – we are told in chapter 1 verses 14 and 15 that…

14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.

--Genesis 1:14-15 (NKJV)

God gave us new years and changing seasons when He put the stars in the sky, the moon to light our night, the sun to mark off our days.  This was done for our need and our pleasure.  We, and the earth, need the time of rest that the winter months afford, or would if we only take the time and slow down like everything else.  The spring allows the earth to reawaken, the summer gives time for growing, and the fall allows for the harvest.

These are needed things, but they are also pleasurable things.  The seasons change so we don’t get tired of them.  We don’t get bored because in a few months everything will change.

God put this in place for our benefit, for the benefit of His creation.  But He also has planned for everything to change some day.  Everything will be made new, including us!  But there is another way we can become new, and we don’t have to wait until Jesus returns.


During one of the many occasions Paul was in prison, he explained to King Agrippa what had happened to him on that dusty road to Damascus, what had occurred to bring about such a change in him.  Listen to what Paul told Agrippa, from the Apostle Luke’s Book of the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 26, verses 12 through 18…

12 “While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’"

--Acts 26:12-18 (NKJV)

Now we have to remember why Saul was on that road in the first place: to arrest Christians and take them back to Jerusalem for trial and possible execution!  He was persecuting the church, persecuting the body of Christ.  He certainly was not a minister and witness for Jesus.  Not until Jesus gave him new life, a new beginning, another chance to get things right.  And that is why Paul could write to the church in Corinth and tell them that if anyone is in Christ, they become a new creation; old things have passed away, all things have become new!


In a few days people all across this world will celebrate the coming of the new year.  2018 will be swept away and 2019 will be ushered in with fireworks and loud noises.  They’ll mumble their way through “Auld Lang Syne”, reminiscing about times gone by.  And they’ll dream of a better tomorrow that the New Year holds.

Unless they turn to the Lord Jesus and accept Him as God’s Son, the true Christ, believe in Him and follow His commands, then all they can do is dream.  For us who believe, being made new is no dream.  And a far better tomorrow is a promised certainty.

Our faith is the key.  Believe in Jesus, love all others, share His love and serve Him by helping others and sharing the Gospel with them, make disciples of them.  For we are a new creation.  Old things have passed away, all things have become new.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You sent Your Son Jesus to offer us salvation, but we have to accept that offer.  Thank You, Father, for loving us that much.  Please forgive us when we forget just what it means to believe in Jesus.  Forgive us when we fail to serve You by serving Him.  Please help us be more obedient to Your word and to His commands.  Help us to return Your love by showing love to all others, by helping them when and where we can, by sharing with them just how much You and Jesus mean to us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness for our disobedience…

Lord Jesus, You are our only hope for salvation the only way to be with our Father God in heaven.  Thank You, Jesus, for giving of Yourself that we might be saved.  Forgive us when we fail to fully accept You as Lord, when we want the salvation You offer but don’t do as You command us, when we struggle to truly love others.  Please help us fully believe, help us to follow Your commands, help us to love.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord and Master.  Amen.

Of Faith and Joy

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 23rd of December, 2018 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This is the fourth Sunday in Advent, with the theme of "Joy".  Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Today is the 4th and last Sunday in Advent, the day when we are filled with joy as we anxiously await the coming of our Lord Jesus.  On Christmas day, God’s Light came down from heaven to earth.  And some sweet day, Jesus will return to conquer evil and bring everlasting joy.

But on that night long ago when Jesus was born into the world, we didn’t know or understand what was happening.  So God sent a messenger to get the word out that a Savior was born.  Please listen and follow along to the Apostle Luke’s Gospel account of that joyful night, from chapter 2, verses 8 through 14, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

--Luke 2:8-14 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You showed mercy and compassion upon Your sinful people by sending Your only Son into this world to offer us salvation.  Father, How could You love us so much, we who are so undeserving of Your love?  Father, may we be filled with joy to the point of bursting just thinking of what You have done for us!  Open our hearts that we might hear Your voice, Your word, Your message, and be joyful.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus.   Amen.


C.S. Lewis wrote:  "Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak.  We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.  We are far too easily pleased."

George Bernard Shaw might have had Lewis' words in mind when he said:  "This is the true joy in life: being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap, and being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."


If we believe what we see on TV, the only hope we ever have for true happiness and joy is if we buy the newest car, the biggest house, the finest jewelry.  We can only be fulfilled if we eat the best burger, the biggest pizza, visit the busiest steakhouse.  According to the world, only the very best things can bring us joy.

Lewis and Shaw tell us otherwise.  Without saying it in so many words, both authors acknowledge that true joy can only come from surrendering ourselves to God, enjoying what He provides, and serving His purposes.  Joy that lasts, that stands the test of time, that cannot be taken away or diminished, comes from the Creator, not the created.


Our dictionary defines “joy” as the emotion of great delight or happiness, keen pleasure, the source or cause of keen pleasure or delight, or the expression or display of glad feeling.  So we can see there’s not only the aspect of feeling joy, but also of displaying that joy.  But do we even know how to be joyful, do we know how to express our joy?  We of the Reformed tradition tend to be rather staid in our worship.  Coaxing an “Amen” out of a German Reformed congregation can be a tad difficult sometimes.

The great prophet Isaiah knew how to express joy, and he encouraged the children of Israel to show their joy.  Listen to what Isaiah wrote in chapter 49 verse 13 of his book of prophecy…

13 Sing, O heavens!
Be joyful, O earth!
And break out in singing, O mountains!
For the Lord has comforted His people,
And will have mercy on His afflicted.

--Isaiah 49:13 (NKJV)

Be joyful!  Break out in singing!  Why?  Because our Lord has given us comfort and has shown us mercy by sending His own Son to us.

Psalm 96 is one of those that we’re not completely sure who wrote it, although it might well have been the work of King David.  No matter the author, the psalmist agrees with Isaiah in Psalm 96, verses 1 through 3, when he tells us…

1 Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
3 Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.

--Psalm 96:1-3 (NKJV)

Not only are we to sing to the Lord, but to sing a new song!  Why a new song?  I can think of any number of reasons.  One is that we should be creative.  We should take the time to come up with something new and wonderful that shouts our joy to the world.

Another is that when we do or say or even sing the same thing over and over, we start to take it for granted.  It becomes too familiar and we don’t really listen to what we’re saying anymore.  We stop paying attention to what we’re doing.  If it’s something new, it grabs our attention and holds onto us, and to those who witness it.  And then, when we declare God’s glory, when we proclaim the good news of His salvation, people just might stop and listen.


I’m sure you remember the parable Jesus told of three servants who were each entrusted with a sum of money by their master.  It’s in chapter 25 of the Apostle Matthew’s Gospel account.  Two of the servants invest the money and return a profit on what they were entrusted with.  Their lord told them, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  Enter into the joy of your lord.”  If we remain good and faithful servants to our Lord Jesus, we will indeed someday enter into His joy, a joy that will far exceed anything we can imagine.  We will know greater happiness and keener delight (as the dictionary puts it) beyond what words could describe.

The angel brought us the wonderful message of good tidings of great joy!  Be joyful, sing to the Lord a new song!  For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given!  Be filled with joy in the Lord Jesus, Son of God!


We light the candles at Advent to show that our hope is in our coming salvation, which causes us to show love to others, which brings us peace that leads to joy in the coming Christ.  Let’s show others that our hope is not unfounded by the love we share, the peace we enjoy, the great joy we feel, all because of the Good News of salvation through Jesus our Lord.  For Christ is coming.  In the blessed name of Jesus.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You sent Your only Son into this world to offer us forgiveness and salvation.  Thank You, Father, for such a wonderful gift, a gift greater than any we could ever imagine, a gift we don’t deserve.  Forgive us, please God, when we fail to express the depth of our joy, when we don’t pass that joy along to others.  Forgive us when the busyness of the season pushes our joy out of our hearts.  Please rekindle the fire of joy within us so we can celebrate what truly matters the most.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness for our disobedience…

Lord Jesus, You came to us as one of us.  You came as a tiny baby, and grew into a man.  You came as God’s only begotten Son so that we might be sons and daughters of God.  Thank You, Jesus, for coming, for living, for dying and then rising from the grave, just so we could be saved from our own sin.  Forgive us, Lord, when we fail to follow Your commands, especially when we find it so hard to love all others.  Please help us to honestly feel, express, and share the joy You brought into this world.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord and Master.  Amen.

Love and Peace at Christmas

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday evening, the 16th of December, 2018 at Paul's Chapel Church during the joint Advent service between Emanuel, Paul's Chapel, and Pilgrim Reformed Churches.  This is the third Sunday in Advent, but because the second service was canceled due to the weather, this service combines the themes of "Love" and "Peace".]

Today is the 3rd Sunday in Advent, when we would normally consider the theme of peace.  But since we missed the 2nd Sunday due to the huge winter storm, we’ll also ponder love this evening.  And because your pastors and I decided I would bring the message this evening and since I had already prepared a message on love, then love will be the predominant theme.  For on Christmas day, Love came down from heaven to earth and brought us peace.  And even today as we celebrate the coming of our Lord Jesus into this world while anxiously awaiting His return in all His glory, love is still what this world needs most.

There are many different aspects to love, aren’t there.  Let me share with you a little story of the kind of love that can hurt the most: unrequited love.  This may seem a bit odd for a message at Christmas time, but remember that we are also looking ahead to what is yet to happen.  Listen to what the Apostle Mark recorded in his Gospel account in chapter 10, verses 17 through 22, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”

21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

--Mark 10:17-22 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You showed us Your love by sending Your only Son into the world to offer us salvation.  Jesus showed His love by trying so hard to get us to see the truth, and then by giving His all just for us.  We speak of love, but too often our actions and our words do not show our love, do not bring peace.  Please teach us what true love means.  Open our hearts that we might show love not only during the Christmas season, but every day all year long.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus.   Amen.


I called the story in our scripture reading one of unrequited love.  Jesus loved this young man – Mark tells us so.  Yet that love was not returned, for the young man loved his possessions more.  And he walked away filled with sorrow, because he could not return the love Jesus held for him.


British pastor and author, James Packer, writes in his book, Your Father Loves You:

The Greek word agape (love) seems to have been virtually a Christian invention, a new word for a new thing.  Apart from about twenty occurrences in the Greek version of the Old Testament, it is almost non-existent before the New Testament.  Agape draws its meaning directly from the revelation of God in Christ.  It is not a form of natural affection, however intense, but rather a supernatural fruit of the Spirit. It is a matter of will rather than feeling, for Christians must love even those they dislike.  It is the basic element in Christ-likeness.


Rev. Packer brings out a number of interesting points.  When we read the word “love” in our New Testament, we are being told of this agape type of love.  Rather than a love of affection, it is one of the supernatural fruits of the Holy Spirit, as described by the Apostle Paul in the 5th chapter of his letter to the Galatians.  And it is not so much a feeling as it is a matter of will.  It is a love that we have to give on purpose.

Why?  Because Jesus commands us to, and if we do indeed acknowledge and accept Him as our Lord and Master, then we must do as He commands.  Perhaps the clearest statement of this comes from the Gospel account of the Apostle John, in chapter 13, verses 34 and 35 when Jesus says…

34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

--John 13:34-35 (NKJV)

If it is a commandment, how else can we view it other than it being a command?  How else will other folks know we are followers of Christ if we don’t have love for one another?

As Rev. Packer notes, loving others is a basic element in being like Christ, which we should all aspire to.  The Apostle Matthew affirms that loving others is indeed a commandment, as he relates a conversation between Jesus and a scribe in his Gospel account, chapter 22, verses 36 through 40…

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

--Matthew 22:36-40 (NKJV)

The great commandment from God, second only to loving God Himself, is to love our neighbor just as much as we love ourselves.  Rev. Packer also notes that we are to love even those who dislike us.  Again we’ll turn to Jesus’ own words, as recorded by Matthew in chapter 5 of his Gospel account, verses 43 through 48…

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

--Matthew 5:43-48 (NKJV)

That’s a tough one, isn’t it.  Love those who hate us, who would do us harm if they could, who curse us for what we are.  Yet that is what we are called to… no, commanded to do.

It’s easy to love folks who love us - anybody can do that.  But how many are willing to make the effort to love someone who truly hates them?  Followers of Christ, to be Christ-like, must force themselves to show this strength of love and of will.


I’ve been talking a lot about loving others, but let’s not lose sight of where this love originates.  There is one verse in our Holy Bible that more people know than any other, believers and non-believers alike: John 3:16.  Say it with me…

16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

--John 3:16 (NKJV)

God so loved the world, yes, but so did Jesus.  Let me ask you this…  Jesus lived in heaven with God before coming down to earth as a man.  Jesus is God.  Did He have to come as a baby?  Did the God and Maker of all creation, fully in control of all the universe, have to come to us as a little baby who couldn't even control His own bladder and bowels?  Did He have to try His parents' patience during the terrible twos?  Did He have to go through a normal childhood, possibly being taunted or bullied by the other children?  Did He have to endure those difficult teen years?

Could Jesus not have come down as a fully grown man, walked up to Andrew and Peter and said "Follow Me" and kicked off His ministry right there?  They wouldn’t have known any difference.  No, for Jesus so loved the world that He was willing to endure life just like us.

And Jesus still loves us.  Another expression of His love can be found in chapter 14 of John’s Gospel account, in verse 27, when Jesus says…

27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

--John 14:27 (NKJV)

God, through His Love, offered us peace.  Jesus brings us true peace.  What kind of peace does the world offer?  We say there’s peace in the middle east when only a few skirmishes are fought.  The world gives us peace for only a short time before throwing us back into the midst of turmoil!  But Jesus brings us a peace that lasts, a peace that penetrates right to our very soul and stays with us.  With the love of God, the love of Jesus, comes a peace that surpasses all human understanding.

Ignoring the fact that Jesus commands us to do so, can't we just show Him our love by loving others?  Can’t we pass His peace along to those in great need?


We light the candles at Advent to show that our hope is in our coming salvation, which causes us to show love to others, which brings us peace that leads to joy in the coming Christ.  Let’s show that love so that others may come to know the same hope we hold, feel the same peace, find the same joy.  For Christ is coming.  In the blessed name of Jesus.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You sent Your only Son, into this world to redeem us from our life of sin, bring us peace, and offer us eternal life.  Greater love has no one ever shown, greater love has no man even known.  Thank You, Father, for Your wonderful, unmerited, unconditional love and for the everlasting peace You give.  Forgive us, please God, when we fail to act on or even acknowledge Your love.  Please give us the courage and the strength do as we are commanded and share Your great love with all others.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, repenting of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness for our disobedience…

Lord Jesus, You gave Your all just for us.  You suffered a cruel death, taking our sins to the grave, and then leaving them there as You rose again from the dead.  You redeemed us by Your own precious blood – we are Yours.  Forgive us, Lord, when we fail to follow Your commands.  Forgive us when we hesitate to show the same love that You hold for us.  Please help us put our belief into action by loving all others, by helping those who need our help, by meeting the needs we are capable of meeting.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord and Master.  Amen.

Of Faith, Love and Peace

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 16th of December, 2018 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This is the third Sunday in Advent, with the theme of "Peace".  Due to a heavy snow storm, we missed the second Sunday and its theme of "Love".  So this Sunday I am combining the two, with an emphasis on love, for that is what the world needs most right now.  Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Today is the 3rd Sunday in Advent, when we would normally consider the theme of peace.  But since we missed the 2nd Sunday due to the huge winter storm, we’ll also ponder love this morning.  For on Christmas day, Love came down from heaven to earth and brought us peace.  And on some glorious day yet to come, Love will return to set the earth aright and bring everlasting peace.  We celebrate the one as we anxiously await the other.

The Apostle John tells us about love, true love.  Please listen and follow along as I read from the 3rd chapter of his Gospel account, verses 13 through 21, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

13 "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

--John 3:13-21 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You showed us Your love by sending Your only Son into this cold world to offer us salvation.  Father, Your love transcends anything man is capable of.  We speak of love, but too often our actions and our words do not show love.  Please teach us what true love means.  Open our hearts that we might show love as an expression of our faith.  This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus.   Amen.


Newspaper columnist and minister George Crane tells of a woman who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband: “I not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even.  Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has hurt me.”

Dr. Crane suggested an ingenious plan: “Go home and act as if you really love your husband.  Tell him how much he means to you.  Praise him for every decent trait.  Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible.  Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him.  Make him believe you love him.  After you've convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb.  Tell him that you're getting a divorce.  That will really hurt him.”  With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, “Beautiful, beautiful!  Will he ever be surprised!”

And she did it with enthusiasm, this “acting as if”.  For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing, sharing.  When she didn't return, Crane called. “Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?”  “Divorce?”, she exclaimed.  “Never! I discovered I really do love him.”


The woman’s actions had changed her feelings.  What started out as play-acting turned into real emotion.  This shows that the ability to love is established not so much by fervent promises as by often repeated deeds.  If we “act like” we love someone long enough, we may find ourselves actually loving them, as Jesus intended.


Did you notice that our scripture reading this morning pretty much encapsulates the life of Jesus?  It speaks of His birth, with God sending His only Son.  It mentions His death, being lifted up on the cross, and His ascension back into heaven, from whence He came.  And it tells of His ministry, spreading the truth,  bringing the light to mankind.  But mostly, this passage speaks of love, of God’s love for His creation, for us.

Yes, it also brings up the subject of condemnation, but notice it is not God who condemns us.  We condemn ourselves when we refuse to believe in and listen to His son!  We condemn ourselves when we reject the light.  But even that is a message of love, for we who believe are not condemned, but are in fact saved, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and given eternal life.


This isn’t the first time John tells us of God’s love, nor will it be the last.  You know how John opens his Gospel account.  Listen once again to chapter 1 verses 1 through 5, and I’m adding in verse 14…

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

--John 1:1-5, 14 (NKJV)

Do you see the love in that passage?  Jesus, the Word of God, who has been with God since before time and will be with Him long after time has ended…  Jesus, who through Him all things were made and without Him nothing was made that was made…  Jesus, shines the light into the darkness, a light, a love, that cannot be overcome.

On Christmas day, the Word, God’s Love, became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth.  Emmanuel, God with us, God’s Love with us.


For most of us that call ourselves Christian, it’s easy to see God’s love.  But how do we show God our love in return?  The answer to that question is simple to state, but for many, much more difficult to execute.  Later on in John’s Gospel recording, in chapter 13, verses 34 and 35, Jesus speaks to us saying…

34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

--John 13:34-35 (NKJV)

Just as Jesus has loved us, we are to love one another.  Another expression of His love can be found in chapter 14 of John’s Gospel account, in verse 27, when Jesus says…

27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

--John 14:27 (NKJV)

In our first Advent service on “Hope”, we saw where Jesus gives us peace with God.  In our congregational reading a while ago, we repeated that God, through His love, offered us peace.  With the love of God, the love of Jesus, comes a peace that surpasses all human understanding.  And this peace comes from our faith just as does hope and love.

There’s a story that the Apostle Luke relates for us in chapter 7 of his Gospel account, where a “sinful woman” attends a dinner party at the home of a Pharisee because she heard Jesus was there.  She kissed His feet and washed them with her tears, dried them with her hair.  She anointed His head with fragrant oils, sobbing the whole time because she knew she was a sinner.

Jesus told her, "Your sins are forgiven.  Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."  Forgiven, saved, and given peace, all by faith.


We’ve already seen how much Jesus loves us – He brought us God’s love and peace, He gave His all for us, He died on a cold cruel cross for us!  How far are we willing to go to give our love to others?  And especially those “others” who we might consider to be our enemies, those who would do harm to us if they could, those who hate us for what we are.  Are we willing to show them true love, as Jesus loves us?

In chapter 21 of John’s book, he tells us of a conversation between Jesus and Peter, that stubborn, emotionally charged disciple upon whom Jesus built His church.  Three times Jesus asked, “Peter, do you love Me?”  Three times Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, You know I do.”  And each time, Jesus told Peter to feed His lambs, tend His sheep, feed His sheep.  If we love Jesus, we will do as He asks of us, showing His love through our love, taking care of those who have needs we can meet.

Actually, He didn’t ask us to do this, did He?  He said this was a new commandment He gave us.  Jesus commands us to love others, as He loves us!  If He is truly our Lord and Master, shouldn’t we do what He commands?  What price might we have to pay for disobedience?

God loves us, you and I.  Do we feel that love, do we truly know that love?  For that matter, do we recognize God’s love in action?  God is still pouring out His love, even today.  We can see it in the actions of Christians who share His love with others.  Let’s strive to make sure others can see that love in us, in our actions.


We light the candles at Advent to show that our hope is in our coming salvation, which causes us to show love to others, which brings us peace that leads to joy in the coming Christ.  Let’s show that love so that others may come to know the same hope we hold, be given the same peace.  For Christ is coming.

In the blessed name of Jesus.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You sent Your Word, Your only Son, into this world to redeem us from our life of sin and offer us eternal life.  Greater love has no one ever shown, greater love has no man even known.  Thank You, Father, for Your wonderful, unmerited, unconditional love.  Forgive us, please God, when we fail to act on or even acknowledge that love.  Please give us the courage and the strength to put our faith into action and share Your great love with all others.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness for our disobedience…

Lord Jesus, You gave Your all just for us.  You suffered a cruel death, taking our sins to the grave, and then leaving them there as You rose again from the dead.  You redeemed us by Your own precious blood – we are Yours.  Forgive us, Lord, when we fail to follow Your commands.  Forgive us when we hesitate to show the same love that You hold for us.  Please help us put our faith into action by loving all others, by helping those who need our help, by meeting the needs we are capable of meeting.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord and Master.  Amen.

Of Faith and Hope

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 2nd of December, 2018 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This is the first Sunday in Advent, with the theme of "Hope".  Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Today is the 1st Sunday, and the 1st day, in Advent, that time each year when we prepare ourselves for the coming of our Lord Jesus into this world.  We celebrate the first time He came to us, as a little baby born in Bethlehem.  We reflect on what His birth means to us, what His life showed us, what promise His death and resurrection hold for us.  We acknowledge Jesus as our only hope for salvation.

Please listen and follow along as I read from the 1st letter the Apostle Peter sent out to the early church, chapter 1, verses 3 through 9 and verses 20 and 21, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith — the salvation of your souls.

20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

--1 Peter 1:3-9, 20-21 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, in You we glorify for we know You offer our only hope of salvation, through our belief in Jesus Christ Your Son.  Father, please help us ignore any false hopes the world may offer.  Only through Jesus may we be saved.  Speak into our hearts, Father, with the message You need us to hear.  Show us how our faith assures our hope.  This we pray in the glorious name of Your Son Jesus.   Amen.


G. K. Chesterton once noted that:  "Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all...  As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength."


Perhaps that helps explain the true story of how self-made millionaire Eugene Lang greatly changed the lives of a sixth-grade class in East Harlem, New York.  Mr. Lang had been asked to speak to a class of 59 sixth-graders.  What could he say to inspire these students, most of whom would drop out of school?  He wondered how he could get these predominantly black and Puerto Rican children even to look at him.  Scrapping his notes, he decided to speak to them from his heart.  "Stay in school," he admonished, "and I'll help pay the college tuition for every one of you."  At that moment the lives of these students changed.  For the first time they had hope.  Said one student, "I had something to look forward to, something waiting for me.  It was a golden feeling."  Nearly 90 percent of that class went on to graduate from high school.


Hope is a powerful force, as this little story shows.  It can give us the courage and strength to go on, when we think we’ve gone as far as we can.  It can shorten the longest night, shine a glimmer of light into the deepest darkness.  Hope is sometimes all we have left.

Of course, what we put our hope in is important.  It is truly wonderful and remarkable that Mr. Lang was able to follow through with his promise to those kids.  But let’s face it…  anything could have happened that would have prevented it.  He could have simply changed his mind, thinking the expense to be too great.  Or he could have gone bankrupt and lost everything.  Where we place our hope is crucial, because any hope the world offers might not come to pass.


The way the world defines “hope” is more like a wish.  Hoping for something is nothing more than wishing that it might happen.  And part of the problem with that way of treating “hope” is that, deep in our hearts, we don’t really believe it will happen, because the world has disappointed us so many times.

But God never disappoints, He always follows through with what He promises, and nothing can stop Him from doing so.  God is our only true hope, and in Him, it’s not just a wish.  Our hope in God is the expectation of what will happen, and it will happen because He said it would.

The Apostle Paul tells us to rejoice in this hope.  Hear what he wrote to the church in Rome, chapter 5, verses 1 and 2…

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

--Romans 5:1-2 (NKJV)

One of the many blessings that comes with our belief in Jesus as Christ is that we can be at peace with God.  We don’t have to struggle with the greatest force to ever exist, nor should we need to struggle with anything this life throws at us, if we take our peace from God through Jesus.  Our faith grants us entry into this peace, and to God’s great grace, our only hope for salvation.  And for that we can rejoice!


There is so much more that comes with placing our hope in the Lord than anything the world can give.  King David, in Psalm 31, verses 23 and 24 tells us…

23 Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!
For the Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
24 Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.

--Psalm 31:23-24 (NKJV)

When we place our hope in the Lord, we are placing all our trust in Him as well.  And as we’ve seen in previous weeks, our faith will be rewarded.  Those who are prideful, who look to the world for their hope and satisfaction, will get what’s coming to them, but the faithful will be preserved, will be saved.  For that we can take courage, and our hearts will be strengthened to resist the world when we place our hope only in the Lord.


In verse 3 of our scripture this morning, Peter says that God has “begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”.  Through our belief in Jesus we have been born into life once again, this time to the living hope of our own resurrection into life eternal!

And I see that to also mean that we are a living hope!  When we hope in the Lord, we live as He would have us live, love as He would have us love.  And in that way we show Jesus to the world.  By our very lives, we show others what true hope means, what true hope brings.

We know what God has promised, and our hope in Him is merely our expectation, our anticipation, of that promise being realized.  Our hope was fulfilled by the sacrifice of Jesus, by His death and resurrection.  Now we can share that true hope with the world by being a living hope to others.  We can show them the love of Jesus by giving freely of our love.  We can help them come to know Jesus, to believe in Him, and then find their own true hope.  Like us, they too can come to place their faith and their hope solely in God, giving Him all the glory.


We light the candles at Advent to show that our hope is in our coming salvation, which causes us to show love to others, which brings us peace that leads to joy in the coming Christ.  Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.  We dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

We can trust in the Lord, for He is our only true hope.  In the blessed name of Jesus.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You are our only hope for salvation and eternal life.  We can put our trust in You because You have never failed us, You’ve always done as You promised.  Forgive us, Father, when we try to place our hopes on things of this world.  Please give us the courage and the strength to put our faith into action and be a living hope that others can see.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help by our faith to serve You in all we do…

Lord Jesus, our hope for salvation is founded on Your resurrection.  You died and were buried, and then raised again to life by our Father God.  Forgive us, Lord, when we place more trust in things of this world than in God’s saving grace.  Please help us grow our faith into the living hope into which we were reborn.  Help us put our gift of faith to good use so that others might see it, and in that act see You.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior.  Amen.

Of Faith Unexpected

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the Sunday morning, the 25th of November, 2018 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our annual Congregational meeting followed the service.  Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Last week I mentioned that during His ministry on earth, Jesus performed many acts of healing as a sign of His power and authority from God.  We saw in one of these acts where He cleansed ten lepers, but only one of them came back to thank Him.

Today I’d like to look at another healing Jesus performed, and this one’s a little different in that it includes a bit of a surprise.  Please listen and follow along as I read from the Gospel account of the Apostle Luke, chapter 7, verses 1 through 10, and I’ll be reading from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible…

1 When He had completed all His words in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. 2 Now a centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. 3 When he heard of Jesus, he sent the elders of the Jews to Him, asking Him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they asked Him earnestly, saying, “You should do this for him for he is worthy, 5 for he loves our nation, and he has built us a synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them.

When He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. 7 Likewise, I did not think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

9 When Jesus heard these words, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the people who followed Him, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.

--Luke 7:1-10 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, Your Son Jesus, while fully God was also fully man.  And the Man Jesus marveled at just how much faith this Roman army officer showed.  Father, please help us be as faithful as this centurion.  May Jesus marvel at just how much trust we place in You and in Your great mercy and provision.  Speak to us this morning, Father, with the message You need us to hear.  Show us how best to use this wonderful gift of faith You gave us.  This we pray in the glorious name of Your Son Jesus.   Amen.


Former Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield tells of touring Calcutta, India, with Mother Teresa and visiting the so-called "House of Dying," where sick children are cared for in their last days, and the dispensary, where the poor line up by the hundreds to receive medical attention.  Watching Mother Teresa minister to these people, feeding and nursing those left by others to die, Hatfield was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the suffering she and her co-workers face daily.  "How can you bear the load without being crushed by it?", he asked.  Mother Teresa replied, "My dear Senator, I am not called to be successful, I am called to be faithful."


We all know how selfless Mother Teresa was in serving our Lord.  I believe her response to Senator Hatfield makes two excellent points.  The first point is in the second half of her reply, that she – and we – are called to be faithful.  God gave us this wonderful gift of faith, and now it’s our job to make good use of it.  We are called to exercise that faith and make it grow until we are filled with it, full of faith, faithful.

But I think the first part of her response, the second point I want to bring out, is one we all need to understand.  God isn’t as concerned with how successful we are at applying our faith, as He is with the simple fact that we try to apply it.  Was Mother Teresa able to heal or help or even comfort all of the thousands of poor and afflicted as they suffered and awaited death?  No, but she did her very best to do so, trying as hard as she possibly could.

Sometimes we hesitate to even start a faith-based project because we don’t see any way we can possibly succeed in it.  Our Outreach Team struggled a little at first with the idea of putting on a 5K run, something none of us had any experience in managing. We figured we would be doing a great job if we could raise even as much as $5000.  Well, God rewarded our efforts and we were able to give the Workshop $10,000 that first year.  He is more concerned that we put our faith to work and try to help others – He’ll help us succeed.  And maybe in the process we can surprise Jesus a little by how much faith we have, and how we put it to use.


There’s another story of healing in our Bible where once again Jesus seemed a little surprised as it unfolded.  And once again we see extraordinary faith being put into practice, as the person being healed steps out of her comfort zone and takes a chance.  Hear what the Apostle Mark recorded for us in his Gospel account, chapter 5, verses 25 through 34…

25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”

32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

--Mark 5:25-34 (NKJV)

This woman had suffered for 12 years.  For 12 years she had endured countless treatments, many painful in themselves, at the hands of what passed for doctors in that day.  She exhausted all her resources, and yet she was no better for it, and in fact was a little worse off now.

How many folks would have simply given up and ended it all?  How much more would they have been willing to endure?  It had to have seemed hopeless to this woman.

But she heard about Jesus, and learned He would be passing nearby.  So she took a leap of faith and tried something many would be afraid to do.  She reached out and touched the hem of His garment as He walked by, in her faith knowing that by the power in Him, that touch alone could make her well.  Like Mother Teresa, even though to most of us it would seem hopeless and futile, this woman but her faith into action and was rewarded with immediate healing.

And Jesus seemed a little surprised, didn’t He?  He turned around after feeling that healing power going out, and asked, “Who touched Me?”  His disciples were quite incredulous themselves, but for a different reason.  With the great mass of people thronging around Jesus, it might be easier to ask who didn’t touch Him.

But His question was enough to cause the woman to fear that she might have upset Jesus, maybe by taking without asking first.  So she admitted what she had done, and just like in last week’s story, Jesus responded that her faith had made her well.


Family, these two stories today tell of faith unexpected.  In both, our Lord Jesus didn’t expect to see such great faith, especially from a Roman centurion, a leader of the occupying forces.  Even the woman’s action was unexpected, putting her faith on the line just to touch Jesus’ robe.  The centurion and the woman both knew, by the strength of their faith, that Jesus could heal without even touching or seeing the one who needed healing.  Both took a chance and put that faith to work, and were rewarded.


We may not be able to surprise Jesus.  But do you think the world expects to see the strength of faith as shown by Mother Teresa?  Does the world expect us to try, even when it all seems hopeless?  If we show the world faith unexpected, might our act possibly lead some along the path that brings them to Jesus, and a faith of their own?

We are not called to succeed in our efforts, merely to be faithful and to act upon that faith.  Let’s try to surprise Jesus.  In His blessed name.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, help us answer Your call to put Your gift of faith to good use in helping others.  Forgive us, Father, when we fail to act, when we hesitate out of fear.  Please give us the courage and the strength to act on our faith and serve You.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help by our faith to serve You in all we do…

Lord Jesus, You showed Your power and authority by healing so many people, and some managed to surprise You a little by how much faith they showed.  Forgive us, Lord, when we let our faith go unused.  Please help us show a faith unexpected.  Help us put our gift of faith to so much good use that it surprises not only the world, but even You.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior.  Amen.

Of Faith and Thankfulness

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the Sunday morning before Thanksgiving Day, the 18th of November, 2018 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

During His short, three year ministry on earth, Jesus performed a lot of miracles as signs of His authority and His authenticity as the Son of God.  Many of these miracles were acts of healing.  Everyone who was healed were pretty much overjoyed, but not all of them stopped long enough to say thanks.

Please listen and follow along as I read from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible of one time when Jesus healed some lepers.  Hear the Gospel account of the Apostle Luke, chapter 17, verses 11 through 19…

11 As Jesus went to Jerusalem, He passed between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As He entered a village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood at a distance. 13 They lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

14 When He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned with a loud voice glorifying God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus said, “Were not the ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found to return and give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then He said to him, “Rise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

--Luke 17:11-19 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You sent Your Son into our world to offer us eternal life if we would only believe in Him and follow His voice.  Thank You, Father, for this great gift!  Please help us be more thankful of all You give us.  Speak to our hearts this morning, Father.  Give us a better understanding of how our faith should give rise to a thankful attitude for all You do.  This we pray in the glorious name of Your Son Jesus.   Amen.


In 1636, amid the darkness of the Thirty Years' War, a German pastor, Martin Rinkart, is said to have buried five thousand of his parishioners in one year - an average of fifteen a day.  His parish was ravaged by war, death, and economic disaster.  In the heart of that darkness, with the cries of fear outside his window, he sat down and wrote this table grace for his children:

Now thank we all our God
With heart and hands and voices;
Who wondrous things had done,
In whom His world rejoices.
Who, from our mother's arms,
Hath led us on our way
With countless gifts of love
And still is ours today.

Here was a man who knew that true thanksgiving comes from the love of God, not from outward circumstances.


What does being thankful mean to us?  If there is one place we can look for how-to examples, it’s the book of Psalms in our Holy Bible.  Two that quickly came to my mind are both of unknown authorship, but some attribute both to David.  The first comes from Psalm 95, verses 1 through 3…

1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.

--Psalm 95:1-3 (NKJV)

Sing to the Lord and shout joyfully, for He is indeed our Rock and our salvation.  Let us give thanks just to come into His presence!

When do we come into God’s presence?  Not just when we walk through those doors, into what some refer to as “God’s house”.  When we accept Jesus as Lord, then one person of God lives within us – His Holy Spirit.  By our faith, we are God’s house.  Effectively then, we are in God’s presence every single second, and especially when we stop to pray.  So according to the psalmist, we should always be thankful to God; after all, He is great and He is good.


The second example is much like the first.  In Psalm 100 we are instructed to…

1 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.

--Psalm 100 (NKJV)

Again, we are to enter into His presence with thanksgiving and praise, making a joyful shout.  We are His, He made us, we are nothing without Him.

Notice that we are also to serve the Lord as part of our thanksgiving.  And to serve Him with gladness at that!  We should be happy to serve our Lord – we should view it as a great opportunity for us to do so.


Jesus healed ten lepers, but it didn’t happen immediately.  He told them to go show the priests that they had been cleansed of their disease so they could rejoin the synagogue and the community.  As they went to do as He commanded, the healing took place.

I can only imagine they were overjoyed when they noticed they were now clean.  Leprosy was pretty much the worst affliction a Jew could suffer, because it made them an outcast among their kind.  They could not worship in the temple, nor even live in their communities any longer.  So being cleansed, being healed, would make all the difference in the world to them.

Yet only one of the ten returned to Jesus to thank Him and to glorify God for what had been given him.  Only one, and a Samaritan at that, one already treated poorly by the Jews even when healthy.  This one man showed gratitude for being healed.  Jesus said his faith had made him well.

Our Lord tied faith and thankfulness together.  Because of our faith, we are granted salvation.  And for that we should truly be thankful.  But God gives us so much more than our salvation.  He gives us things both great and small.

We already saw that we should always be thankful because we are always in God’s presence.  But the Apostle Paul tells us there’s another reason to always be thankful.  He tells us to rejoice always, to pray without ceasing, and to give thanks for everything.  Not just the really great things, like our salvation, but for every single thing.  Why?  Because it is the will of God through Christ Jesus for us to do.  It is God’s will that we give Him thanks for all His provisions, for all His mercies, for all He has done and continues to do.  We often ask what is God’s will.  It is that our faith give rise to constant thankfulness.  We should have an attitude of gratitude to God for what He has done through His Son Jesus, and for what He does on our behalf every day we live.

This Thanksgiving Day, and every day, give thanks to God.  Thank Him for our faith.  Thank Him for our life.  Thank Him for His Son and for His Holy Spirit living within us.  In everything give thanks.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, help us always be grateful for Your many blessings.  Forgive us, Father, when we fail to give You the glory.  Forgive us when we don’t stop to give You thanks.  Please help us see and acknowledge all You do for us.  Help us be ever thankful.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help by our faith to serve You in all we do…

Lord Jesus, You showed Your power and authority by healing so many people, yet not all took the time to thank You for it.  Forgive us, Lord, when we don’t recognize Your hand at work in our life.  Please help us see all that You and our Father God do for us.  Let our gift of faith always give rise to a thankful attitude.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior.  Amen.

Of Faith and Riches

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 11th of November, 2018 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

When we think about the Apostle Paul, we don’t generally associate him with great wealth or riches.  By all accounts, he gave up everything in service to our Lord.  In fact, during his lengthy stays in prison and under house arrest, he only got by through the kindness and generosity of the churches he had helped establish, primarily the church in Philippi.  But physical wealth and monetary riches aren’t the only kind.  Paul was certainly wealthy indeed in spiritual riches.

Please listen and follow along to some of the instructions Paul gave his young protégé and friend, from chapter 6 of his 1st letter to Timothy, verses 6 through 12 and 17 through 19, and I’ll be reading from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible…

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. 8 If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with these things. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil. While coveting after money, some have strayed from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

11 But you, O man of God, escape these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold on eternal life, to which you are called and have professed a good profession before many witnesses.

17 Command those who are rich in this world that they not be conceited, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who richly gives us all things to enjoy. 18 Command that they do good, that they be rich in good works, generous, willing to share, 19 and laying up in store for themselves a good foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of eternal life.

--1 Timothy 6:6-12, 17-19 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You give us so much.  Please help us be content with what we have, with what You give us.  Speak to us this morning, Father, with the message You need us to hear.  Give us a better understanding of how our faith and our service to You help pave our way toward eternal life with You.  This we pray in the glorious name of Your Son and our Christ, Jesus.   Amen.


How rich is rich?  According to a survey of people who ought to know, as reported in the November 11th, 1991 issue of USA Today, the answer is anywhere from $1 million to $5 million in assets. Investment managers Neuberger & Bergman sponsored the survey of people who stand to give or receive inheritances with median household assets of $500,000.  Paradoxically, 55% of those whose assets ranged from $1 million to $5 million didn't consider themselves to be wealthy.


Do you remember the story from the Gospel account of Matthew of the rich young man who asked Jesus what he needed to do to gain eternal life?  Jesus told him to keep God’s commandments.  The young man responded he’d done that all his life.  Jesus said, “Then go and sell all your possessions, give the money to the poor, and follow Me”.  The young man turned away, sad and despondent, because he had many possessions and he couldn’t bear to part with them.  His worldly riches were more important to him than any spiritual wealth he might accumulate.

Now the interesting thing is, if we look at what that young man might have possessed in his day and compare it to what most of us have today, we would be seen as far richer than he, as measured by earthly possessions.  Even by today’s standards, we in America are wealthy indeed when compared to most of the people of the world.  Just having enough food to eat and clean water to drink each day is nothing but a dream to millions.  Which is dearer to us: our worldly possessions, or what we may be storing away in heaven?


Jesus used parables – word pictures, if you will – when trying to explain subjects or ideas that are difficult for us to grasp, such as when He tried to tell us what heaven is like.  In the Gospel account of the Apostle Matthew, chapter 13, verses 45 and 46, Jesus said…

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it."

--Matthew 13:45-46 (NKJV)

What awaits us in heaven is so precious, so beautiful, so desirable, that we should be willing to give up all our worldly possessions for it, just as the merchant sold all he had just to get that one pearl.  Worldly riches cannot even compare in splendor or worth to heavenly riches.


Paul wrote a 2nd letter to Timothy, from prison, as his time on earth was drawing to a close.  He knew his end was near, but he didn’t want his young friend to grieve for him.  In chapter 4 of this 2nd letter to Timothy, verses 6 through 8, Paul wrote…

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

--2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NKJV)

His life was being poured out as a drink offering to God, but his faith remained constant, strong, and true.  For he knew that his crown of righteousness, the crown Jesus will give him, was waiting for him in heaven.

And a crown awaits each of us, too.  All manner of riches are there for us, when Jesus welcomes us home with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  Of course, that all depends on our remaining faithful, like Paul.  And, also like Paul, on our being good servants.

The world treasures wealth and possessions – things.  The world measures a person by how much they have, how much they are worth.  God measures a person by what is in their heart.  He places value on what we believe, and what we do with our belief.  His balance sheet compares what He has given us with what we have returned to Him, and I don’t mean just with our Sunday offerings but with how we spend our time as well as our resources.

Do we share our many blessings with others in their times of need?  Do we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the ill and the prisoners?  Or do we cave in to the world and place greater value on earthly possessions than on our promised rewards in heaven?

God sees our hearts, and we will be judged.  When Jesus stands before us, let us be seen in His eyes as completely poured out as an offering to God.  May our riches be counted only in heaven.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, help us be content with all You give us in this life, and help us share what You give with others who are not as blessed as us.  Forgive us, Father, when we value our possessions more than what You promise us in heaven.  Forgive us when we fail to lay up a good foundation in paradise, preferring instead to hoard things of this life.  Please help us see the truth of heaven.  Help us more clearly understand the difference between physical wealth and spiritual riches.   Please show us what You expect of us and how we might better serve You.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help by our faith to serve You in all we do…

Lord Jesus, You tried to tell us that the things of this world have no measure in riches when compared to what we will receive in heaven if we just keep our faith, continue to believe and be true to You, and serve our Father God as You direct us.  Forgive us, Lord, when it pains us to share our earthly wealth with others who have less.  Please help us, Jesus, to see how a far greater reward awaits us when we do God’s will.  Help us be more giving, of our resources, of our time, of our love.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior.  Amen.

Of Faith and Works

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 4th of November, 2018 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

James was a half-brother of Jesus – same mother, different father.  You’d think if anyone would know Jesus and would have keen insight into what He taught and what He expects of us as followers, it would be James.  So it’s important that we understand what James tells us, as well as what Jesus teaches and says.

Please listen and follow along to a very significant passage from James’ letter to the early church, chapter 2, verses 14 through 18, and I’ll be reading from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible…

14 What does it profit, my brothers, if a man says he has faith but has no works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacking daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” and yet you give them nothing that the body needs, what does it profit? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

18 But a man may say, “You have faith and I have works.”

Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

--James 2:14-18 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You gave us this wonderful gift of faith, and it’s up to us to put it to good use.  Speak to us this morning, Father, with the message You need us to hear.  Give us a better understanding of how our faith leads us to work in service to You.  This we pray in the glorious name of Your Son and our Christ, Jesus.   Amen.


William Booth, in the October 1992 issue of the magazine Christianity Today, wrote an article titled, “The Founder's Messages to Soldiers”.  In the article, Mr. Booth stated:

“Faith and works should travel side by side, step answering to step, like the legs of men walking. First faith, and then works; and then faith again, and then works again -- until they can scarcely distinguish which is the one and which is the other."


I think Mr. Booth draws a very good picture of faith in action:  it’s just like walking.  We can’t walk if we don’t use both legs.  If we only use one or the other, it’s more hopping than walking, and quite tiring, too.

And so it is with our faith.  If we rely on faith alone, or on good deeds alone, we’ll just be hopping through life.  We have to apply them both, we have to include good deeds to put our faith into action.  Otherwise, as James points out, our faith is dead.  Walking with faith and works in step with each other is one great way to exercise our faith.


Today is the Sunday after Reformation Day, and since I included a quote from Martin Luther before Reformation Day, I thought I’d include one after.  Luther said:  "The true, living faith, which the Holy Spirit instills into the heart, simply cannot be idle."  Our faith, that beautiful gift from God, if it is alive, cannot remain idle, at least not for very long.

And truly, I believe our faith yearns to be active.  It tugs at us to go out and do good stuff for Jesus.  And it rewards us when we do, with that warm feeling inside that nothing else can bring.

I’m afraid, though, in our current culture, in our present modern age, we too easily take our faith for granted.  Now I’m speaking in general here, of our society as a whole and even many who profess Jesus as Lord.  As Christians today, our primary concern is to worship God and to believe in Jesus as the Son of God.  We too often tend to isolate ourselves, wrap ourselves up in our own troubles and woes, ignoring the plight of others around us.  When someone seeks our help we say, “Sorry, I can’t help you right now, but I’ll pray for you.”

Prayer is good, and we should pray for others, but as James says, if we give them nothing they need, then what have we really done for them?  What does it profit?  We’re just hopping around on one leg.  And you know, the thing about hopping… it really tires us out quickly.


The early church had much different priorities than we do today.  They were persecuted, hunted down, imprisoned, beaten, even executed.  They needed help, and had little resource to call on.  So in most cases, they had to help one another.

The Apostle Paul understood James’ concern.  In his letter to the Galatians, chapter 6, verses 9 and 10, Paul tells us all…

9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

--Galatians 6:9-10 (NKJV)

When we get a chance, when the opportunity presents itself, let us do good.  And Paul directed this good work to benefit all people, but especially to benefit the household of faith, the brotherhood of believers – our fellow Christians.

Paul says we should not grow weary doing good.  I don’t think he’s talking about getting tired.  Being tired is an effect on the body, when we’re physically spent and our muscles ache.  Being weary, as I see it, is as much about our spirit as our body.  It’s as much a spiritual exhaustion as physical.  We may get tired doing good for others, but we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be weary.  We can keep our spirits refreshed by the assurance of great rewards awaiting us.

The greatest of those rewards is our very salvation.  We looked at that just a little while ago, in our responsive reading that came from the 25th chapter of the Gospel account of the Apostle Matthew [vs. 31-46].  In verse 40 Jesus says…

40 “‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”

--Matthew 25:40b (NKJV)

The hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, the prisoner…  Jesus sees how we treat them as our treatment of Him!  I know we’ve all heard this passage before, but did it really sink in?  The beggar on the street, the person who comes to our door asking for help, the guy sitting in jail, the terminally ill…  we need to look at them and see Jesus!  We need to treat them the same way we would treat our Lord and Master, the Son of God!  Because that is how He will look at our actions, or inactions.  He knows our heart, He knows our faith - He wants to see what we’ve done with it!


May we not let our faith sit idle for too long.  Let’ not hop around on one leg.  We here at Pilgrim are very good at putting our faith to work, but we can always do more.  After all, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few.  There’s plenty to do, and too few to do it.

Faith and works, works and faith, side by side, one leg and then the other.  Let’s show our faith by our works.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You have given us this gift of faith.  Forgive us, Father, when we fail to hold onto our faith and don’t put it to work for You.  Forgive us when we fail to show our faith to others by doing good, so that they too might seek Your wonderful gift.  Please help us be better servants.  Help us more clearly understand what You expect of us and how we might better put our faith to work.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help by our faith to serve You in all we do…

Lord Jesus, You warn us that we will be judged by what we have done and not done in this life.  We Christians, Lord, are expected to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick, come to the prisoner.  Please help us, Jesus, to meet these expectations.  Help us put and keep our faith in action doing good for all.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior.  Amen.