Get Involved

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 31st of May, 2020 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service, also streamed live, due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Today is Pentecost Sunday, when we celebrate the first coming of God’s Holy Spirit to dwell within believers.  This occurred after Jesus had ascended back into heaven, and fulfilled the promise He made to provide us with a constant Companion, Counselor, and Guide.  In the Apostle Luke’s recordings of the Acts of the Apostles, the Jewish converts received the Spirit first, followed by the Samaritans and then the Gentiles.

But before that first time in Jerusalem, God only sent His Spirit to be with certain specific people, and usually just to help them through a given task.  Even while Jesus walked the earth, not everyone had the Spirit within them to guide them and strengthen them.  Not even those twelve who followed the Lord for three years and were closest to Him.

It is during this time that I would like to look at the actions of one man, one of the first chosen as a disciple, one who swore his love of Jesus.  Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle Mark recorded for us in his Gospel account, from chapter 14 verses 53 and 54 and verses 66 through 72, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

53 And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. 54 But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.

66 Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. 67 And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”

68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.

69 And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” 70 But he denied it again.

And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your accent shows it.”

71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

72 A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.

--Mark 14:53-54, 66-72 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for loving us enough to speak to us through Your word, saved in our Bible.  It provides us the information we need to get through each day, shows us how we can better serve You, and also gives us examples of what can happen when we fail to act on our faith.  Thank You, Father, for providing us with this guidance.  Please help us live by these examples.  Help us be more willing to stand up for Jesus and get involved in our community in His name.  And please keep us strong in our faith and help us through these difficult times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us in these troubling and trying times.  Speak to us of putting our full trust in You.  Help us take guidance and strength from Your most Holy Spirit so that we might better serve You. This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.


In his book, The Fall of Fortresses, Elmer Bendiner describes one particular bombing run his B-17 flight team made over the German city of Kassel:

Our B-17 (the TONDELAYO) was barraged by flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns.  That was not unusual, but on this particular occasion our gas tanks were hit.  Later, as I reflected on the miracle of a twenty-millimeter shell piercing the fuel tank without touching off an explosion, our pilot, Bohn Fawkes, told me it was not quite that simple.
On the morning following the raid, Bohn had gone down to ask our crew chief for that shell as a souvenir of unbelievable luck.  The crew chief told Bohn that not just one shell but eleven had been found in the gas tanks - eleven unexploded shells where only one was sufficient to blast us out of the sky.  It was as if the sea had been parted for us.  Even after thirty-five years, so awesome an event leaves me shaken, especially after I heard the rest of the story from Bohn.
He was told that the shells had been sent to the armorers to be defused.  The armorers told him that Intelligence had picked them up.  They could not say why at the time, but Bohn eventually sought out the answer.
Apparently when the armorers opened each of those shells, they found no explosive charge.  They were clean as a whistle and just as harmless.  Empty?  Not all of them.
One contained a carefully rolled piece of paper.  On it was a scrawl in Czech.  The Intelligence people scoured our base for a man who could read Czech.  Eventually, they found one to decipher the note.  It set us marveling.  Translated, the note read:  "This is all we can do for you now."

You know, I believe the reason a lot of people don’t get involved in an important activity is because they think there isn’t much of anything they can do to help.  It isn’t that they don’t want to help, they just don’t see how they can make a difference.  After hearing Mr. Bendiner’s story, we should be able to see that even the smallest act can make a huge difference in someone’s life.  Those Czech munitions workers saved the flight crew of a B-17 Flying Fortress by simply, but purposely, not filling antiaircraft shells with explosives.  Had they been caught doing that, I’m sure they would have been severely punished by the Nazis, maybe even executed.

Sometimes our involvement can indeed carry certain risks.  But it didn’t stop the munitions workers even though they knew they thought they could only do so little to help.  And it shouldn’t stop us.  There’s no way of knowing how many lives they saved.  We need to get involved, even if we can only do a little, because there’s no way of knowing how many souls we might save.

One other thing…  it would have been easy for those workers to quit trying to help, to stop taking risks.  It’s easy to just quit, especially during trying times, during risky operations.  But they didn’t quit, nor should we.


Our scripture reading today addresses involvement.  In this particular case, it speaks volumes about the consequences of not getting involved.

Peter swore his love of Jesus.  He was ready to fight for Him, even die for Him if necessary.  Or so he said.  But when it came time to actually stand up for Jesus, at the very least to say, “Yes, I am with Him!”, Peter hid off to the side, trying to avoid being noticed.

Peter was afraid, afraid to get involved when it could have mattered the most.  Afraid to come forward and testify for the one he called Lord.  That fear, that failure to get involved, took its toll.  When Peter realized that he had done exactly as Jesus said he would do, what he had so vehemently denied he would ever do, he was filled with remorse and wept.


Get involved…

One thing’s for sure, Jesus certainly got involved!  He was not fearful or concerned about what any of the ruling class might think about Him and His actions.  God’s Holy Spirit was in Him, strengthening Him, guiding Him.  In chapter 10 verse 38 of the Apostle Luke’s Book of Acts, we read of…

38 "how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him."

--Acts 10:38 (NKJV)

Now that’s getting involved!  Jesus went all over the place, mostly on foot, doing good and healing anyone and everyone who suffered because of the works of Satan.  He didn’t care what their nationality was, or the color of their skin, or even what, if any, religion they held.  Jesus got involved and did good, because God was with Him.


So why should we get involved?  Well, if not suffering remorse for our inaction as did Peter isn’t enough to encourage our involvement, how about because Jesus tells us to?  While He doesn’t necessarily put it in those words, I think the message is quite clear.  Listen to what Jesus said as recorded in chapter 12 verse 30 of the Apostle Matthew’s Gospel account…

30 "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad."

--Matthew 12:30 (NKJV)

If we’re not with Jesus, we’re against Him!  There’s no riding the fence here, no staying neutral and not picking sides.  There’s no grey area – it’s all black and white.  If we’re not working with Jesus, we’re working against Him!  If we’re not helping Him gather in the lost sheep, then we’re helping scatter them abroad, helping Satan in his work.  If we’re not involved in doing good and trying to counteract the work of the devil, even if what we can do seems small and insignificant to us, then we’re no better than Peter cowering in the shadows!


I mentioned that today is Pentecost Sunday and this talk of involvement may seem  a bit off topic, but because of Pentecost we have God’s Holy Spirit living within us, we who believe.  Just like Jesus, we have been anointed with the Holy Spirit and God is with us.   And just like Jesus, we need to be going all about doing good and helping folks who are suffering because of Satan.  We should not be afraid to act, not fearful of what others may think or what they might do to us.

The Apostle Paul, in chapter 10 verses 6 and 7 of his 2nd letter to his young protégé Timothy, wrote…

6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

--2 Timothy 1:6-7 (NKJV)

At Pentecost, God sent His Spirit to us.  He did not give us a spirit of fear, but His own Spirit of great power and strength!  We have that power within us.  Why should we fear anything of this world?

God has given us His Spirit of love.  The same love that drove Jesus to help and heal all those afflicted by the devil, whether in mind or body or spirit.  Let’s stir up the Holy Spirit within us.  Let’s not quit, because that’s the easy thing to do.  Let’s get involved and show the love of Jesus to the world.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to dwell within us to guide us and make sure we are never alone.  You have given us Your Spirit of power and love, not of fear.  Father, please help us take strength and courage from Your Spirit.  Help us step out of our comfort zone and serve You in ways that show others Your love.  Help us become more involved in expanding Your kingdom across the face of the earth, beginning right here in our community.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, Peter failed to stand up for You even after swearing that would never happen.  Lord, it just seems to be human nature that many times we fail to act out of fear.  Like Peter, we may fear for our very lives.  Or we may simply be afraid of what other people may think of us if we do something they see as foolish.  Jesus, help us, please, to be more faithful and assured in working for You.  Help us to put aside any fears and doubts when faced with possible public ridicule for serving You.  Help us take courage from our Father’s Holy Spirit within us, to face each day and to show Your love to the world.  And please, Lord, be with us during this time of great trial and devastating illness.  Help us remain faithful through it all.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Jesus Calms the Storm

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 24th of May, 2020 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service, also streamed live, due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

In our scripture last week, we read of a man possessed by a legion of unclean spirits, demons that drove the man mad.  Jesus rid the man of the demons and then left him there in that region to tell everyone of the good thing the Lord did for him.  I mentioned that this incident came when Jesus and His disciples reached the far shore of the Sea of Galilee, after a great windstorm had arisen during the night while they crossed the sea.

Well, family, today we are being tossed about by a great storm.  So I’d like to take a closer look at the events of that night, what Jesus did and how His disciples reacted to it all.  And I’d like to turn to the Apostle Matthew for his account of that tempestuous sea passage.

Please listen and follow along to what Matthew recorded for us in his Gospel account, from chapter 8 verses 23 through 27, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

--Matthew 8:23-27 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for the four men who faithfully recorded the things Your Son said and did during His ministry on earth.  Through their eyes, we can see our Lord work His great signs.  Through their words, we can come to know Him even more.  Thank You, Father, for giving us the wonderful gift of our Bible.  Please help us make better use of what it tells us in our daily lives.  Remind us of our need to pray before making any decision.  And please help us to completely trust in You and not be fearful.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us in these trying times.  Speak to us of fully trusting in You and Your Son Jesus.  Help us be more obedient to His voice. This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.


Dr. Eli Stanley Jones, American missionary and theologian, once wrote:

"I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear.  Fear is not my native land; faith is.  I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil.  I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety.  In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath - these are not my native air.  But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely - these are my native air.  A John Hopkins University doctor says, 'We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact.'  But I, who am simple of mind, think I know;  We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear.  God made us that way.  To live by worry is to live against reality."

Worry and anxiety are the results of fear.  I guess you could call them by-products.  No matter what we call them, they shorten our lives and make us more miserable.  According to Dr. Jones, this is not how we were made, not how we were intended to go through life.  We were created for faith, and then given faith as a gift, to help us through this tumultuous life.

But sometimes our faith falters, and we give in to fear.  That’s when we should run to our Lord and cry out, “Save us!”.  That’s when faith is most important, most needed - when our fears begin to take hold.


Like I mentioned last week, Jesus had been teaching along the Sea of Galilee when evening came and He decided to head to the other side of the lake.  And as they sailed, a great windstorm arose and blew across the waters, threatening to fill and sink their boat.  Jesus slept – Mark tells us in the stern of the boat - as the waves washed over the deck.  His disciples awoke Him, fearing for their lives.  He stood and told the wind to be still, and the storm died down and the waves calmed.

His followers were stunned, left wondering just who this might be, that even the wind and sea obeyed Him.  A literal translation of verse 27 is “What sort of man is this that even the winds and sea obey Him?”.  What sort of man is this…  It took them a while to finally understand the truth.


Today’s scripture reading is actually in two parts.  Let me read the second part now.  It comes a little later on in Matthew’s Gospel account, in chapter 14, verses 22 through 33, after the feeding of the five thousand…

22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

--Matthew 14:22-33 (NKJV)

Here, during the height of the storm, Jesus walked across the raging sea to come to His disciples.  Amazed, Peter wanted to join Him on the water.  And He was doing OK, until he took his eyes off Jesus and began worrying about the stormy sea.  He lost his focus on Jesus, and began to sink.


I’m sure you noticed the commonality in these two events.  Both took place on the Sea of Galilee.  And in both, Jesus rebukes His followers for having so little faith, for being fearful, for not fully trusting Him.  And once again, His very presence calmed the wind and the seas.  But at least by now the disciples were beginning to understand.  They worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Do we understand that?  Do we fully understand that as the Son of God, Jesus can do anything?  Can He calm the storm?  Sure!  As the Creator of everything there is, He can control everything there is.  We can see all the signs of what He did, as recorded in our Bible, to show that Jesus is the Son of God, is indeed God.

So what it comes down to is do we believe Him when He says He will do what we ask when we ask in His name?  Do we believe that God is working all things to the good for those who love Him and are called to His purpose?  Do we believe Jesus will reach out and pull us from the water, save us from drowning in the stormy seas of life if we only cry out to Him for help?

If so, then why are we fearful?  Why do we sometimes have so little faith?


I guess one reason is that we don’t have to look very far or hard to see a good, God-fearing Christian suffering through some trial, some illness, some struggle.  The storm is raging all around us, threatening to sweep us overboard and into the sea.  And storms are fearful things.

Right now the waves of COVID-19 are washing over our deck and the winds of death blow hard against the hull.  And we worry and wonder, in our hearts or even out loud, “Where is Jesus now?“  “Why doesn’t He calm this storm?”

Well, family, sometimes our Lord calms the storm.  And sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms us, His believers, God’s children.  For the greatest storms are the ones that rage within us, the storms of worry and fear.  They may be caused by the tempests swirling in the world around us, but the ones that really cause us the most harm, the most damage, are those churning within.

Let’s keep our faith, trust in the Lord, keep our eyes on Him, and let Him calm the storm within us.  Blessed be Jesus our Christ, our Savior.  In the glorious name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Master.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for the great love You have for Your children and Your creation.  You love us so much that You sent Your own Son to save us from ourselves and to show us how to live.  You offer us salvation, not only in the next life but this one as well, if we would just remain faithful.  Father, please help us understand that You will always be with us, seeing us through this life.  Help us to put all our trust in You and in Jesus.  And help us follow Him always, even when we may be fearful of the path we walk.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, by the many signs and indications You gave, there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that You are indeed the Son of God, and capable of anything, including calming any storm.  We accept You as Lord, and we truly believe You can do anything, but where our doubt comes in is whether You will do anything for us, whether we are worthy enough to deserve Your help.  Jesus, help us, please, to be less fearful in this world, of this world.  Help us to place all our trust in You.  Lord, if it is not in Your will to calm the storm that is raging all around us, then please calm the one raging within.  Help us keep all our focus on You, and not on the storm.  And please, Lord, see us safely through these times of great trial and tribulation.  Help us remain faithful through it all.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Left Here to Witness

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 17th of May, 2020 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service, also streamed live, due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Have you ever heard someone ask, “Why am I here?  What’s the point in all this?”  Maybe you’ve wondered that yourself.  I think we all probably have doubts and questions like these at some point in our life.  I know I sure have.  It is a question asked so often that Pastor Rick Warren wrote a book trying to answer it.  It is a tough question, but one I think we can find an answer to in our Bible, by looking at and studying our scripture.  So let’s look at one example that I think can help.

Please listen and follow along to an incident recorded for us by the Apostle Mark in his Gospel account, from chapter 5 verses 1 through 20, and I’ll be reading from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible…

1 They went to the other side of the sea to the region of the Gadarenes. 2 When He had come out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met Him. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could constrain him, not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. But he had pulled the chains apart and broken the shackles to pieces. And no one could subdue him. 5 Always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran up and kneeled before Him, 7 and cried out with a loud voice, “What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure You by God, do not torment me.” 8 For Jesus said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

9 Then He asked him, “What is your name?”

He answered, “My name is Legion. For we are many.” 10 And he begged Him repeatedly not to send them away out of the country.

11 Now there was a great herd of swine feeding near the mountains. 12 All the demons pleaded with Him, asking, “Send us to the swine, so that we may enter them.” 13 At once, Jesus gave them leave. Then the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. And the herd, numbering about two thousand, ran wildly down a steep hill into the sea and were drowned in the sea.

14 Those who fed the swine fled and reported it in the city and in the country. And people went out to see what it was that had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and saw him who had been possessed with the legion of demons sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 16 Those who saw it told them how it befell him who had been possessed with the demons and also concerning the swine. 17 Then they began to plead with Him to depart out of their region.

18 When He entered the boat, he who had been possessed with the demons prayed Him that he might be with Him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you and how He has had compassion on you.” 20 So he departed and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.

--Mark 5:1-20 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You so very much for our Bible.  It is Your word, brought to us by the hands of men and women who You inspired, who You spoke to and through.  If we read and study it, using references and resources from others who have studied it at length and have received insight and inspiration from You, we can find answers to anything we may encounter, to any question we may ask.  Thank You, Father, for such a great guide.  Please help us make better use of our Bible.  Remind us to refer to it, and to come to You in prayer, before we make any decision.  And please help us remember that You love us and that You put us here for a reason: to serve You.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us in these trying times.  Speak to us of how important it is that we listen to Jesus and obey His voice.  Speak to us of how we can best serve You and Your Son.  This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.


George Sweeting, in his book The No-Guilt Guide for Witnessing, tells of a man by the name of John Currier who, in 1949, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison.  Later he was transferred and paroled to work on a farm near Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1968, 19 years after being found guilty, John's sentence was terminated and a letter bearing the good news was sent to him.  But John never saw the letter, nor was he told anything about it.  Life on that farm was hard and with no promise for the future.  Yet John kept doing what he was told, even after the farmer for whom he worked had died.

Ten more years passed by.  Then a state parole officer learned about John's plight, found him, and told him that his sentence had been terminated.  He was a free man.

Sweeting concluded that story by asking, "Would it matter to you if someone sent you an important message - the most important in your life - and year after year the urgent message was never delivered?"

We who have heard the good news and experienced freedom through Christ are responsible to proclaim it to others still enslaved by sin.  Are we doing all we can to make sure that people get the message?


When Jesus walked this earth, people would throng to Him, coming from miles around, from distant villages.  They would come to Him no matter where He was.  In an age with no internet or radio or TV, no instant communications, how did people get word of Jesus, or where He might be?  How did His message get out, how was it received, how did the people get it?  Simply by word of mouth, by people sharing the information and news with each other.  Jesus was a healer, and people would tell each other of how He healed them.  Just like the man in our scripture was healed of being possessed by Satan’s minions.

Well, Jesus is still a healer.  He heals us of our sins.  He heals our broken hearts and spirits.  He makes things right again.  Are we telling others how He has healed us?  Are we spreading the word?


Jesus had been teaching along the Sea of Galilee when evening came and He decided to head to the other side of the lake.  This was the same night when a great windstorm arose and blew across the waters, threatening to fill and sink their boat.  Yet all the while, Jesus slept in the stern.  His disciples awoke Him, fearing for their lives.  He stood and told the wind to be still, and the wind died down and the waves calmed.

Mark, in his usual brevity, doesn’t tell us whether it was morning yet or still dark, but when they reached the far shore, a madman came rushing out of the tombs toward Jesus and His followers.  Jesus recognized what was going on and ordered the demons to leave the man.  The demons, named Legion because they were many, asked to be allowed to enter some nearby swine.  Jesus granted the request, whereupon the swine promptly ran down a hill into the sea and drowned.  I think this a fitting fate for the demons, one which should serve as a stark warning to all those who would serve Satan.

The man, now freed of his demons, asked if he could stay with Jesus and follow Him, to always be with Him.  But Jesus had another purpose for this man, a different job for him to do.  He was to stay behind and bear witness of what Jesus had done for him.  He was to remain there in his home region of the ten cities – that’s what Decapolis literally means.  He was left there to give testimony of the mighty works of Jesus to all his friends and family.

This is how he was to serve our Lord.  This is why he was here.


Giving testimony and witnessing for Jesus can be seen even while Jesus performed His mighty acts.  There are a number of incidents in our New Testament where we can read of the witness of certain people while Jesus was still a youth.

One testimony I would like to share with you comes from just before Jesus began His ministry.  John, a kinsman of Jesus, was called by God into the wilderness to witness to Jesus and His works to come.  Hear what the Apostle John tells us in the 1st chapter of his Gospel account, verses 6 through 8, about a man called by God to witness to Jesus…

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

--John 1:6-8 (NKJV)

John, whom we call the Baptist, was sent from God to bear witness to the Light that is Jesus.  John himself was not the Light, but was sent for the sole purpose of bearing witness to the Light, of preparing the way for our Lord to begin His ministry.  That is why he was here.  John was left there, out in the middle of nowhere, to witness to Jesus.


When Jesus returned to heaven, He left us here, His church, His followers.  He left us here on earth to continue His work.  He left us here with orders to witness of Him.  We call those orders the Great Commission, and the Apostle Matthew recorded it for us in chapter 28 verses 18 through 20 of his Gospel account.  You’ve heard me read this before, and you’ll hear it many times again…

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

--Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)

Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth by the One who created heaven and earth – God Almighty!  What should we do as regards those in positions of authority over us?  We should obey them, right?  We should obey them so as to avoid possible retribution or punishment.

Well, Jesus is the ultimate authority.  We can’t hide from Him, we can’t fool Him, we can’t do something and hope He doesn’t find out about it because He already knows what we are about to do!  When He commands us to go out and make disciples of all people, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe and follow all that He has commanded, then family we should do just that!

This is why He left us here.  Just as the healed man was left there in his home land to witness to Jesus and what He had done, we have been left here in our land - on this earth - to witness to Jesus and all the great things He has done for us.  We have been left here to witness.  Let’s do the very best job of it we can.

Blessed be Jesus our Christ, the One we proclaim as our Master!  In the glorious name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for all the love and mercy You show us, lowly sinners that we are.  You sent Your own Son to save us from ourselves, to wash us clean with His own precious blood.  Thank You, Father, for such love.  Please help us grasp the full impact of what Jesus did for us.  Help us understand that to truly believe in Him as Lord is to obey His every command.  And help us follow Him always, even when we are unsure of where His path might lead us in this life on earth.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You rid a man of the many demons that possessed him, then left him there in his homeland to witness to You, to tell everyone what You had done for him.  God put John the Baptist in the wilderness alongside the Jordan River, there to witness to You and to call others to repentance.  And Lord, You command us, who You left behind here on earth when You returned to Your Father, to also bear witness to You and to tell others of all You’ve done for us.  Thank You, Jesus, for the sacrifice You made on our behalf, for offering us redemption of our sin.  Please help us obey Your voice, Your command.  Help us teach others what You have taught us.  Help us love them as You love us.  Help us lead them to You so that they too might gain eternal life in heaven.  And please, Lord, see us through these times of trial and tribulation, that we may grow ever stronger in our faith and love.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Mother Knows Best

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Mother's Day, Sunday morning the 10th of May, 2020 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service, also streamed live, due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Today is Mother's Day.  There is one thing that we all have in common:  we all have a mother.  Our mother may still be alive with us, or she may have gone on to the next life and her eternal rewards.  But every human being ever on the face of this earth was born of a woman.  Even our Lord Jesus.

Now that isn’t to say that the woman who raised us was necessarily the one who gave birth to us.  Sadly, not all women survive childbirth, and not all who do are really cut out to be mothers.  And sometimes it might actually turn out that a Dad is also a Mom.

But I’d like to think we all had someone, some dear person, who “mothered” us when we needed it most.  And didn’t that person, that “Mother” seem especially wise, maybe not then but certainly now, in retrospect?


I mentioned that even Jesus had a mother.  And Mary was indeed wise.  She had been told who her Son truly was and what He would become, and she could see that He needed to step into the role God had set before Him.  God had given her a duty, a responsibility - to raise His Son – and her wisdom showed through in accomplishing that task.

Please listen and follow along to the events at a certain wedding, as recorded by the Apostle John in his Gospel account, from chapter 2 verses 1 through 12, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

--John 2:1-12 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for our mothers.  Thank You for those who gave birth to us and for those who raised us.  Thank You for giving them the wisdom to see us through our formative years.  And thank You for making us the home of Your Holy Spirit.  Please give us the understanding to keep His house firmly established.  And please help us remain strong in our faith, no matter what the future holds.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Speak to us of how we can best serve You.  And speak to us of love, of Your love given to us through our mothers.  This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.


Pastor and author John Killinger wrote the following affirmation in his book, Lost in Wonder, Love, and Praise:

I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the loving God, who was born of the promise to a virgin named Mary.

I believe in the love Mary gave her son, that caused her to follow Him in His ministry and stand by His cross as He died.

I believe in the love of all mothers, and its importance in the lives of the children, they bear.  It is stronger than steel, softer than down, and more resilient than a green sapling on the hillside. It closes wounds, melts disappointments, and enables the weakest child to stand tall and straight in the fields of adversity.

I believe that this love, even at its best, is only a shadow of the love of God, a dark reflection of all that we can expect of Him, both in this life and the next.

And I believe that one of the most beautiful sights in the world is a mother who lets this greater love flow through her to her child, blessing the world with the tenderness of her touch and the tears of her joy.

Isn’t that a beautiful testimony to love?  I believe in the love of all mothers and the importance of that love in the lives of their children.  This love is exemplified by Mary, whose love caused her to follow her Son even to the cross.  Love that is stronger than steel, yet softer than downy feathers and more resilient than a green sapling.  A mother’s love can close and heal wounds with a kiss, can melt away disappointment with a smile.

And yet this love, even at its best, is no more than a mere shadow of the love God has for His children.  But He gives us a glimpse, reflected in our mother’s eyes.


In our scripture reading, Jesus and His disciples were invited to a wedding that His mother Mary was also attending.  In those days, wedding were big deals, usually lasting many days, and going through much wine.  But at this wedding, the wine ran out early, which would reflect badly on the host.

Mary took pity on them and mentioned it to Jesus.  And His reply was one I think we can all relate to.  “What’s that got to do with Me?”  Jesus was basically saying, “It’s none of My business.”  And don’t you just love how Mary responded to that comment?  She completely ignored it and instructed the servers to do whatever Jesus tells them.

We can see from the rest of John’s account that this was indeed the right thing to do.  It was the beginning of the signs that Jesus did, the first of His miracles revealing His true glory.  And it was Mary’s wisdom – along with ignoring her Son’s initial refusal – that made it happen.  Because after all, mother knows best.


You know, there are some folk who will take a verse or two from the Apostle Paul’s letters and proclaim that women should have no say in the church, should not even speak up.  Well, our Bible is full of stories of strong female characters serving God and His people.  One of my personal favorites is about the Samaritan woman at the well who helped bring her entire village to Christ.

Women have been playing prominent roles in the church since its very beginning.  Take, for example, Priscilla, who along with her husband Aquila fully explained the Gospel to Apollos.  Hear what the Apostle Luke tells us in his Book of the Acts of the Apostles, from chapter 18, verses 24 through 28…

24 A Jewish man named Apollos came to Ephesus. Apollos had been born in the city of Alexandria. He was a very good speaker and knew a lot about the Scriptures. 25 He also knew much about the Lord’s Way, and he spoke about it with great excitement. What he taught about Jesus was right, but all he knew was John’s message about baptism.

26 Apollos started speaking bravely in the Jewish meeting place. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him to their home and helped him understand God’s Way even better.

27 Apollos decided to travel through Achaia. So the Lord’s followers wrote letters, encouraging the followers there to welcome him. After Apollos arrived in Achaia, he was a great help to everyone who had put their faith in the Lord Jesus because of God’s kindness. 28 He got into fierce arguments with the Jewish people, and in public he used the Scriptures to prove that Jesus is the Messiah.

--Acts 18:24-28 (CEV)

The love Priscilla held for her Lord led her to not only approach Apollos, but to also offer him instruction so he could better understand the full truth of Jesus.  And in turn, he took that gift of knowledge she gave him and used it to help others see the truth, the Light that is Jesus.


And let’s not forget the women – in addition to Mary – who followed Jesus during His ministry on earth.  They helped Jesus in His walk, even selling some of their possessions to provide funds for Him and His disciples.  Hear what Luke shares in the first three verses of chapter 8 of his Gospel account…

1 Soon after this, Jesus was going through towns and villages, telling the good news about God’s kingdom. His twelve apostles were with Him, 2 and so were some women who had been healed of evil spirits and all sorts of diseases. One of the women was Mary Magdalene, who once had seven demons in her. 3 Joanna, Susanna, and many others had also used what they owned to help Jesus and His disciples. Joanna’s husband Chuza was one of Herod’s officials.

--Luke 8:1-3 (CEV)

Did you catch that last part?  One of the women who followed Jesus and who used what she owned to help Him, was married to an official of Herod.  This was Herod Antipas – the same Herod who had John the Baptist beheaded, the same Herod who tried Jesus and handed Him over to the Romans for execution!  The wife of one of his own officials followed Jesus and helped with His ministry!


Let me give just one more example of women in our Bible, of mothers showing their love.  These had followed Jesus and helped Him.  And they were there at what seemed to be the end, as He hung from the cross, breathing His last.  The Apostle Matthew looked out upon the scene and noted this, in the 27th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 55 and 56…

55 Many women had come with Jesus from Galilee to be of help to Him, and they were there, looking on at a distance. 56 Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of James and John were some of these women.

--Matthew 27:55-56 (CEV)

Mary Magdalene was there, who Luke told us had been freed of seven demons by the touch of her Lord Jesus.  And Mary was there, the mother of Jesus and His brothers James and Joseph.

Those women looking on from a distance also included the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, the Sons of Thunder.  When we first met James and John, the beloved disciple, they were with their father Zebedee at his boat, tending the nets. Jesus called them to discipleship and they left everything behind to follow Him.  We are not introduced to their mother, who remains unnamed, until much later on, as we near the end of Jesus’ ministry.

Do you remember?  She asked a request of Jesus.  She wanted her sons to sit at His sides in heaven.  She loved her sons so much that she also followed Jesus.  She loved them so much that she dared ask special privileges for them.  She loved them so much that she stood with them at the cross, when they so needed her.


A mother’s love is special.  And it doesn’t matter if it was the woman who gave birth to us or someone else who smothers us with love, who mothers us.  A mother’s love is God’s gift to us.  And it is a peek at God’s own love, the love that led Him to sacrifice His Son so that our sin could be forgiven.

To all our mothers out there, and up there, thank you.  Thanks be to God, our loving Father.  Blessed be Jesus our Christ, our brother in God!  In the glorious name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for giving us our mothers.  Through them and their love we get a taste of the love You have for us.  You  gave us this beautiful garden to live in.  You gave us mothers to love and nurture us.  And You gave us Your own Son, to offer redemption of our sin and to show us how we should live so that we can be seen as righteous in Your eyes.  Thank You for making us the home of Your Holy Spirit, to guide us and be our ever present Companion.  Please help us stay strong in our faith no matter what we may face.  Help us place all our trust in You, because You are fully trustworthy.  And help us be better servants for You and Jesus.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, even as God, You knew the love of a mother, who nurtured You and raised You, and who followed You even to the cross.  She loved You.  And if we truly love You, we too will follow You, even unto the cross.  We will obey You and do what You say.  Thank You, Jesus, for loving us so much that You offer us salvation if we would only believe in You and follow Your voice.  Please help us show Your love to the world by the love we share.  Help us love them as a mother loves her child, giving of ourselves for them.  And please see us through the trials of these times, that we may grow ever more righteous in God’s eye.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

There's No Place Like Home

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning the 3rd of May, 2020 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  This was an abbreviated service, also streamed live, due to constraints put in place from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our YouTube streaming channel is:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.  Look for the video of our recorded services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Next Sunday is Mother's Day.  It’s the day when all of us remember our mothers, whether they are alive and with us or have gone on to their eternal rewards.  And so many of those memories revolve around home, and especially around the dinner table.  Roman philosopher, Pliny the Elder, coined the phrase, “Home is where the heart is”, back in the 1st century.  This means that home is, for most people, where we are most emotionally attached.  For most of us, there’s no place like home.

Since we've spent so much time at home lately, I thought this would be a good time to look at just what "home" means.  In this case, I’m not referring to the dictionary definition, but to what our Bible says about “home”.  And specifically, about where Jesus makes His home.

Please listen and follow along to a conversation Jesus had with His disciples, as recorded by the Apostle John in his Gospel account, from chapter 14 verses 19 through 27, and I’ll be reading from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible this morning…

19 "Soon the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, My Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal Myself to each of them.”

22 Judas (not Judas Iscariot, but the other disciple with that name) said to Him, “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself only to us and not to the world at large?”

23 Jesus replied, “All who love Me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and We will come and make Our home with each of them. 24 Anyone who doesn’t love Me will not obey Me. And remember, My words are not My own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent Me. 25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative — that is, the Holy Spirit — He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

27 “I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid."

--John 14:19-27 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for offering us eternal life through Your Son Jesus.  And thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to live within us, to be our Advocate and constant Companion.  Thank You for making sure we would never again be alone.  Please help us to be just and to live righteously in Your eyes.  Help us to remain strong in our faith regardless of what the world throws at us.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and understand the message we so need in these times.  Speak to us of our duties as followers of Your Son Jesus, of how we should live our lives.  And speak to us of our eternal home that Jesus has prepared for us.  This we pray under the blood and in the name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.


Pastor Larry Chell once told of a local pastor in the Philippines who used the following parable to illustrate Christ's offer of rest, and the response of people who won't trust Him completely:

"The driver of a carabao wagon was on his way to market when he overtook an old man carrying a heavy load.  Taking compassion on him, the driver invited the old man to ride in the wagon.  Gratefully the old man accepted.  After a few minutes, the driver turned to see how the man was doing.  To his surprise, he found him still straining under the heavy weight, for he had not taken the burden off his shoulders."

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I think those few words paint a true picture of how so many people respond to the offer of peace from our Lord Jesus.  We’re willing to accept His peace, but only so far.  We just can’t completely get away from all the turmoil of the world.  Fear keeps us in its grasp.  We can’t seem to let go and let God.  Isn’t it time we took the burden off our shoulders?

And isn’t that one of the reasons we cherish our homes, one of the very good purposes it serves?  It is perhaps the only place we feel we can lay the burdens of the world down and be comfortable.  All of us carry some load around with us as we walk through the day.   But when we get home we can take that load off our shoulders, relax, and rest.  It is the place where we can find peace, at least once all the chores are done and the kids are in bed.  But that is peace of the world, and it soon vanishes.


It’s been said that a house is not a home, and that our home is where our heart is.  Even our home is not our home because this world is not our home, not our eternal home, our place of everlasting peace.  Our true home, the one God intended for us, is with Him, is in Him.  But only if we love Jesus and do what He says.

That is what our Lord tells us, in verse 23 of our scripture reading.  Everyone who loves Jesus will do what He says.  We will obey Him.  And then God will love us as well and both the Son and the Father will make their home with us.

All of us who love and obey Jesus will be together with Him and God in paradise, our everlasting home where there will always be peace.  In verse 24 Jesus says that those who do not love Him will not obey Him, but we can turn that around and realize that the people who do not obey Jesus do not truly love Him.


God wants us to live with Him.  When He created mankind, He placed us in a beautiful garden.  And family, we still live in a beautiful garden.  All you have to do is look around at God’s handiwork to see how beautiful our temporary home is.  But Satan threw his evil seeds into the garden and now we have a bunch of weeds and thorns to deal with.

Someday, though, the garden will be restored.  And then we will be reunited with God.  In the 21st chapter of John’s Book of Revelation verse 3, the Apostle witnessed…

3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God."

--Revelation 21:3 (NKJV)

If God will dwell with us, then that means that we will dwell with Him.  Our home will be with Him.


Now, all of that is yet to come.  What John wrote of had occurred, in the revealing, after the tribulation and the return of Jesus, when the world had been made new.  We still have to get to that point.  We still have to get through each day, carrying our heavy burdens.

And to be assured of our eternal home, we need to be mindful of what Jesus told us.  We need to truly love Him and obey His voice.  And we need to accept the peace He offers – fully, completely accept it and lay our burdens at His nail-scarred feet.

We can apply His peace to our earthly homes as well.  The Apostle Paul gives us instruction on how to keep our homes peaceful - some rules for Christian living, if you will.  Listen to what Paul wrote in chapter 3 of his letter to the Colossians, verses 18 through 21…

18 A wife must put her husband first. This is her duty as a follower of the Lord.
19 A husband must love his wife and not abuse her.
20 Children must always obey their parents. This pleases the Lord.
21 Parents, don’t be hard on your children. If you are, they might give up.

--Colossians 3:18-21 (CEV)

If we put each other first, truly loving each other, not abusing or being too hard on one another, then even our temporary home can enjoy the peace that Jesus offers.  And in doing so, we will be preparing ourselves for our future, permanent home with God and Jesus, our home in paradise.


Love the Lord Jesus and obey Him.  Accept His gift of peace and lay your burdens down.  Trust in the Lord and do not fear what this world might bring tomorrow.  For some sweet tomorrow, God will make His home with us and will dwell with us, forever.  And there is indeed no place like home.

Blessed be Jesus our Christ, the one true Son of God!  In the glorious name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for sending Your Son to us.  Not only did He come to offer us salvation, to redeem us from our sin, but also to set the example of His own life for how we should live.  Thank You for promising to dwell with us, for giving us everlasting life if we love Your Son and obey Him in our life here on earth.  Please help us stay strong in our faith.  Help us put our trust in You and Your faithfulness.  Help us loosen our grip on the world.  And help us be better servants for You and Jesus.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You straight from our hearts, promising to repent of our sinful ways, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You promised that You and Your Father God would come live with us, and us with You, if we would only love You.  And if we truly love You, we will obey You and do what You say.  Thank You, Jesus, for offering us so much, while requiring so little of us in return.  Thank You for giving us peace with God, a place in You where we can always find peace, even during the stormiest days of this life.  Please help us show You our love by obeying Your voice.  Help us see others through Your eyes.  Help us live as You lived, love as You loved, serve as You served.  And please see us through the trials of these times, that we may grow more righteous in God’s eye.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.