Holiday Visitors

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the first Sunday after Christmas, the 26th of December, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  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.]

Valentine’s Day may be the time for lovers, but I think Christmas is the time for love.  For it is the celebration of when God showed His great love for us by sending His Son into the world to offer us redemption of our sins.  And it is the holiday when, if we are fortunate and blessed enough, we gather our loved ones close around us, sharing in the warmth of love as we share in the giving of gifts.

Yes, we are most likely to receive holiday visitors during the Christmas season.  Now, we don’t know for sure when this occurred, but at this time of year we also celebrate some visitors that Jesus received.  And they, too, shared some wonderful, and expensive, gifts.

Please listen and follow along as I read of a time after the birth of Jesus but while He was just a small child, less than two years old.  This comes from the 2nd chapter of the Gospel account of the Apostle Matthew, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come a Ruler

Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,

Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children,

Refusing to be comforted,

Because they are no more.”

19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

--Matthew 2 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for sending Your Messiah, our Christ, into the world to save us.  Rather than riding in like a conquering hero, He came to us as a small baby one quiet night, with only Your angels and nearby shepherds giving witness of His birth.  Thank You, Father, for sharing the greatest gift of love with us poor sinners.  Thank You for sending visitors to the young Jesus, who shared their expensive gifts with Him to show us how to share our own wealth.  And thank You for protecting the Christ child from great harm before the proper time.  Please help us remember the real meaning of this season, this time for love.  While we celebrate the birth of our Savior, help us to not forget the sacrifice He made to free us from the chains of sin.  And help us to do as You will and not just what we might be willing to do.  Please keep us strong in our faith and of one mind and one purpose in our service to Christ Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  And Father, please shield us from all the tricks and schemes of Satan.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this morning.  Speak to us of the greatest gift ever given, the gift of love, the gift of Your Son.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

In late September of 1864, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest was leading his troops north from Decatur, Alabama, toward Nashville.  But to make it to Nashville, Forrest would have to defeat the Union army at Athens, Alabama.  When the Union commander, Colonel Wallace Campbell, refused to surrender, Forrest asked for a personal meeting, and took Campbell on an inspection of his troops.  But each time they left a detachment, the Confederate soldiers simply packed up and moved to another position, artillery and all.  Forrest and Campbell would then arrive at the new encampment and continue to tally up the impressive number of Confederate soldiers and weaponry.  By the time they returned to the fort, Campbell was convinced he couldn't win and surrendered unconditionally!

General Forrest took Colonel Campbell on a little tour through the countryside.  And during this tour, Campbell was a “guest” of Forrest.

Seeing as they were in Alabama and Campbell was probably from somewhere up north, I think it safe to say he was a “visitor” to the area, even if his forces were encamped there in Athens.  He very likely was not familiar enough with the surroundings to know if Forrest was taking the “long way” around, giving his own troops time to move everything to a new location.  The end result was that Campbell perceived the forces opposing his own to be far greater in both numbers and arms, so he surrendered immediately upon return to his fort.

It just goes to show that sometimes you can deceive a visitor.  But then again, sometimes you can't.

Matthew was a tax collector.  Apparently he wasn’t one of the bad tax collectors, who would charge his neighbors more than the actual tax due and pocket the rest.  We would consider him to be more like a toll booth operator, collecting from travelers for using the roads.  Jesus walked up to his collection table one day and said, “Follow Me”, and Matthew did just that.

Matthew was also a Jew, by birth and by early training and belief, although now he believed in and followed Jesus.  So for this reason, Matthew’s primary audience, the main people he was writing for, were the Jews.  He wanted to prove to them that Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah, sent from God to save them.  So he often quoted Scripture, what we would call Old Testament Scripture, and specifically those passages that predict the coming of the Messiah.  And then he would show how Jesus fulfilled those prophecies.  We can see this four times in our scripture reading this morning.

If we pay attention to what Matthew saved for us, and research his references, we can see that Jesus is the Christ.  Of that point there should be no question.

But this isn’t so much about fulfilled prophecy as it is about holiday visitors.  You may have had some of those this year.  I did.  My daughter and son-in-law spent two weeks with me over the holidays – one at Thanksgiving and one at Christmas.

Jesus had some holiday visitors, too, although it wasn’t really celebrated as a holiday just yet, and He was pretty young when they came.  Wise men came from the far east, following a star that had appeared in their sky, following prophecies of old.  They came to Jerusalem asking the whereabouts of the one just born who would be king of the Jews.

Well, that didn’t sit too well with the current king of the Jews, King Herod, so he set a plot in motion.  His own priests and scribes said that Bethlehem was the place to find this future Ruler.  So Herod sent the visitors on their way to Bethlehem, telling them to let him know when they find the child, all along intending to have the infant killed.

But these wise men were visitors who could not be deceived, because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod.  Just as Joseph was warned to take his family and flee to Egypt, to escape before Herod could launch his plan.

Now, in a way, Herod was also a visitor to the young Jesus - a visitor of death.  He tried to deceive the wise men into giving up the location of the One born to be King of kings, but instead, he himself was deceived.  But when his plan failed, thanks to God's intervention, he ordered the slaughter of all males in Bethlehem and the surrounding area two years old and younger.  He visited death on the village.  Joseph, Mary, and the Christ child barely escaped.

Like I said, we don’t know exactly when the wise men visited the Christ child, although we celebrate that visit along with Christmastime.  Fact is, in all likelihood, Jesus was probably born in late September rather than on December 25th.

But the exact timing of either event doesn’t really matter, does it?  All that matters is that they happened and that we remember them, we celebrate them each year in late December.  We remind ourselves during this holiday of the time when God visited the world in the person of Jesus, bringing His wonderful gift of love.  Chapter 2 of the Apostle Luke’s Gospel account tells the story in verses 8 through 18…

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!”

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

--Luke 2:8-18 (NKJV)

Family, God is good.  For unto us a Child was born.  Unto us a Son was given.  And His name is called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  We know Him simply as Jesus, our favorite, most precious holiday visitor.  One who came to visit, and stayed.

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

Let us pray…  Father God, again we thank You for the gift of love given in Your Son Jesus.  The Child Jesus received gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh, but He brought us a gift of far greater value – the gift of redemption and everlasting life.  Thank You, Father, for giving us Your love.  Thank You for having mercy upon us poor sinners.  And thank You, too, for allowing us to share love with all our visitors this holiday season.  Sometimes though, Father, we get too caught up in all the rush of this busy time.  Sometimes the commercialism distracts us from the true meaning of Christmas, the real reason for the season.  Please forgive us, dear Father, when the world view of the holidays overshadows the birth of Your Son and the promise of salvation He brought us, the redemption He bought for us, paid by His own precious blood.  Please help us remember His great sacrifice even as we celebrate His birth.  Remind us of this beautiful holiday visitor who came to stay in our hearts.  Encourage us and strengthen us as we strive to carry out the task Jesus gave us.  Please keep us strong in our spirit, in our faith, and in our service to You and Jesus.  And please help us stay true to You during these times of turmoil and pain.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You were a visitor to our world so long ago and for a short 33 years, but yet You remain in our hearts, those of us who follow You.  You came and brought us the gift of God’s love, the best gift we could ever receive.  Thank You, Jesus, for coming to us, for giving Your all for us, for loving us.  Lord, we ask You to help us remember the true meaning of Christmas and God’s gift to the world.  And help us remember the sacrifice You made on our behalf even as we celebrate Your birth.  Help us stay true to You and faithful no matter what trial we may face.  Strengthen our will to do what our Father God wills us to do.  Help us to be more loving, more understanding, kinder to all we encounter each day.  And please help us as we try to show Your love to all we encounter in our daily walk.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Joy in Heaven

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the fourth Sunday in Advent, the 19th of December, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  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.]

Family, those little moments of joy we experience are blessings from our Father God.  In this life, they are too often short-lived, quickly replaced by the next hardship or disappointment the world hands us.  Joy is usually accompanied by smiles and laughter, by shouts of joy, even tears of joy.  We celebrate joy with the sounds and spirit of rejoicing, one of our many words which has its root in the word “joy”.  We feel joy when something exceptionally good or satisfying happens, either to us or to someone we care deeply about.  Sometimes that feeling lasts only a second, or the warm glow can remain for days.  Yet even if it passes in the blink of an eye, that joyful, joy-filled, moment can make our daily tribulations just a little more bearable.

We certainly know and recognize joy when we feel it.  But have you ever wondered if joy – this wonderful gift from God - is reserved solely for us mortals?  How about the angels and saints in heaven?  Can they experience joy like we do?

Please listen and follow along as I read two parables Jesus used to rebuke the Pharisees and scribes and to tell us about the joy in heaven when a sinner repents.  This comes from the Gospel account of the Apostle Luke, chapter 15, verses 1 through 10, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Jesus to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

--Luke 15:1-10 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for blessing us with feelings of joy and joyful events in this life.  This is yet another example of You giving us so much more than just what we need, so that we may not only survive but also take pleasure in this life.  Thank You, Father, for Your many blessings.  Please help us turn from our disobedient ways, to repent so that all of Your heaven can rejoice.  Help us carry out the mission our Lord Jesus assigned us.  And help us to do as You will and not just what we might feel like doing at any given time.  Please keep us strong in our faith and of one mind and one purpose in our service to Christ Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  And Father, please shield us from all the tricks and schemes the devil plays.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this morning.  May we hear the joyful sounds of Your heavenly host rejoicing.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

I may have used this piece before, but I love it and it certainly bears repeating.  George Bernard Shaw was once quoted as saying, "This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one: the 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."

I fear many people in our current age fit that last description all too well.  They’re selfish little clods of ailments and grievances, complaining all the time that the rest of the world is not giving them the happiness they deserve.  For them, nothing matters but the drama they can stir up, for if there is no drama in their life, they must not be living.  They are miserable, leading miserable little lives, and making everyone around them miserable, too.

If they would just devote themselves to serving a higher purpose, they would have no need of drama.  And if they would give of themselves wholeheartedly, leaving everything on the field (as the sports saying goes), they would have no time for drama, nor the energy to complain.  And then they could take greater enjoyment from those moments of pure happiness and pleasure our Father blesses us with from time to time.

Family, there is true joy to be gained in serving a mighty purpose, and only pain and sorrow in being a selfish clump of grievance and complaint.

I think Jesus might have described most of the Pharisees and scribes as “feverish selfish little clods of ailments and grievances”.  Seems like all they did was complain.  In our scripture reading, they’re complaining because some tax collectors and other sinners joined Jesus for a meal so they could hear Him speak, could learn more of the truth from Him.

Now we know, from some of the words our Lord spoke, that Jesus came to this earth to offer redemption to sinners such as these, such as you and I.  He even said as much, noting that the righteous have no need of a Savior, for they are already saved.  Only sinners need a way to salvation, just as only the sick have need of medical care.

So Jesus tries to answer the Pharisees in simple language that they should be able to grasp.  When we’ve lost something, something precious to us, don’t we take great delight when it is found?  These sinners were lost, they had strayed from God’s path of righteousness.  By their repentance and acceptance of Jesus as the Christ, sent from God, they are found.  And when they are found, all heaven rejoices with great joy.

Jesus says there is joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner who repents.  Of course, this isn’t the first time He talked about joy, nor about that joy being only celebrated in heaven.  Earlier in His ministry, during what the Apostle Luke called His Sermon on the Plane, Jesus told us to be joyful even when something happens to us that we would not normally associate with feeling joy over.  In chapter 6 of Luke’s Gospel account, verses 22 and 23, in what we call the Beatitudes, Jesus tells us…

22 "Blessed are you when men hate you,

And when they exclude you,

And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,

For the Son of Man’s sake.

23 "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!

For indeed your reward is great in heaven,

For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets."

--Luke 6:22-23 (NKJV)

So we’re supposed to be joyful when other people hate us, when they won’t include us in their social groups, when they verbally abuse us and call us all kinds of nasty names in public?

Well…  yes.  Yes, be joyful, if they are treating us like this because we are doing something for Jesus, for His name’s sake.  Be joyful because we are being treated just like the prophets were treated, those who spoke for God.  Rejoice and leap for joy, for great will be our reward in heaven.  And rejoice along with all heaven if our action helps even one lost sinner be found and returned to Jesus.

There’s one other time… well, there’s many, but I’d like to read of just one more time when Jesus mentioned joy.  I shared this with you a couple weeks ago, but it bears repeating today as we dwell on joy, and especially on the joy that God gives.  This comes from the Gospel account of the Apostle John, chapter 15, verses 9 through 11, where Jesus says…

9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

--John 15:9-11 (NKJV)

To live in Jesus’ love, we must obey His commandments.  We must turn from our sinful, disobedient ways.  We must love others in the same way that Jesus loves us: sacrificially, unconditionally.  We must go out and tell other people all about Jesus and the great things He has done, so that they too might come to believe and be saved.  And then Jesus’ love and His joy will remain in us, and our joy will be full.

I opened our service this morning by reading from the beautiful words of Isaiah who said, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation”.  We who have accepted Jesus as our Lord have received redemption, the cleansing of our sins, and are saved.  Rejoice and be joyful!  Repent and be obedient!  And help others come to Jesus.  For there is joy throughout all heaven when one lost sheep is returned to the fold.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Joy to you.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You most of all for sending Your own Son into this world to offer us salvation and eternal life.  The mere thought of this wonderful, undeserved gift brings us great joy.  Thank You, Father, for blessing us so often and in so many ways.  And thank You, too, for allowing us to share in the joy that is heaven, the glory of rejoicing along with the heavenly host.  Sometimes though, Father, we just get too overwhelmed with all the drama and tragedy in the world around us and our joy escapes us.  Sometimes we fail to rejoice in just knowing what awaits us when this life is over, instead letting sadness and misery pull us down.  Please forgive us those times, dear Father.  Please help us feel the joy You have blessed us with.  Remind us that a great reward awaits us when we remain in the love and joy of Your Son Jesus.  Encourage us and strengthen us as we strive to carry out the work He assigned us.  Please keep us strong in our spirit, in our faith, and in our service to You and Jesus.  And please help us stay true to You during these times of turmoil and pain.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You want us to know and feel joy, if not from the moments of pleasure we receive in this life, then in the knowledge and the promise of our eternal life with You.  For through You and You alone may we be granted everlasting life in paradise.  Thank You, Jesus, for loving us so much You were willing to give up Your own mortal life for us that we might be washed clean of our sins by Your blood.  Thank you for taking our sin upon Yourself.  Lord, we ask You to help us find a moment of joy in each day.  Help us remain in Your love that our joy may be full.  Help us stay true to You and faithful no matter what trial we may face.  Strengthen our will to do what our Father God wills us to do.  Help us to be more loving, more understanding, kinder to all we encounter each day.  And please help us as we try to show Your love to all we encounter in our daily walk.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Where Is Our Peace?

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the third Sunday in Advent, the 12th of December, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  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.]

Family, this morning our choir sang the beautiful anthem, “Peace, Peace”, and you joined in with “Silent Night, Holy Night”.  Peace on earth, a quiet night…  That’s how we envision the night our Savior Jesus was born into the world as a mortal babe, born like one of us, born of flesh and blood.  Quiet, and peaceful.

But where is our peace?  How many of our nights can be described as quiet and peaceful?  Gunshots and sirens too often punctuate the silence.  Loud vehicles, radios, or people shouting at each other wake us from our slumbers.  The daylight hours are even worse.  And our round-the-clock newscasts seem little more than announcements of the latest spurts of violence throughout the world.  Where is our peace?

Please listen and follow along to what Jesus said about peace as recorded for us by the Apostle Matthew in chapter 24, verses 1 through 13 of his Gospel account, and I’ll be reading this from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, epidemics, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

--Matthew 24:1-13 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for Your promise of redemption and eternal life through Your Son Jesus.  As the end draws near, peace will be hard to find.  Thank You, Father, for standing by us and staying with us through troublesome times.  Please help us endure to the very end.  Help us stay true to our calling no matter what each day brings.  And help us to do as You will and not just what we are comfortable doing.  Please keep us strong in our faith and of one mind and one purpose in our service to Christ Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  And Father, please shield us from all of Satan’s tricks and schemes.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this morning.  Give us the inner peace that can come only from You, the peace that will help us survive these angry times.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

It has been reported that Duke University once did a study on "peace of mind."  Some factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability, that add to our peace of mind, include: 

1. The absence of suspicion and resentment.  Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness. 
2. Not living in the past.  An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.
3. Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change.  Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it.
4. Force yourself to stay involved with the living world.  Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress.
5. Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal.  Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune.
6. Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues -- love, humor, compassion and loyalty.
7. Do not expect too much of yourself.  When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable.
8. Find something bigger than yourself to believe in.  Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness.

I hope you can see that more than a few of those points can be traced back to our unwillingness to forgive others of their wrongs or perceived slights.  Nursing a grudge, living in the past, wasting time and energy fighting conditions we can’t change, withdrawing into a world of our own, having little personal pity parties, not loving others as Jesus loves us, as Jesus commands us.

All of those, along with expecting too much of ourselves, can absolutely destroy our peace of mind.  And sadly, peace of mind is about the only peace we can expect these days.  So let’s be quick to forgive, and quicker still to love.

When Jesus came to us the first time, He came quietly, with very few noticing His birth.  Had it not been for the angel’s announcement, even the nearby shepherds watching over their sheep would have missed the event.  The silence of that night was broken only by the heavenly host, as the Apostle Luke tells us in chapter 2 of his Gospel account, where in verses 13 and 14 we read…

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 2:13-14 (NKJV)

“And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”  That sure didn’t last very long, did it.  The peace and goodwill of that holy night quickly faded.

We know very little about Jesus as a youth, which is understandable since the Gospel writers didn’t know Him until He was an adult and into His ministry.  As an adult, Jesus soon became the target of the plots and schemes of the Jewish religious leaders, even to the point of their planning how to have Him killed.  So Jesus knew what it was like to suffer trials and endure hardships.  And in chapter 16 of the Apostle John’s Gospel account, verses 32 and 33, Jesus warns us of what we face…

32 “But the time is coming — indeed it’s here now — when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving Me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with Me. 33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

--John 16:32-33 (NLT)

Jesus said, “I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.”  We are never alone because our Father God is always with us.  But what do we have to look forward to here on earth?  Jesus says many trials and sorrows.

In our earlier scripture reading from Matthew’s Gospel account, Jesus talks about the end times and the horrible events that will occur then.  And to me, the most frightening thing He says is that all of these are only the beginning of sorrows.  After everything He just said, there’s even more to come - more trials, more sorrows.  Where is our peace?

I could not find the source of the statement, but it’s been said that safety consists not in the absence of danger, but in the presence of God.  I believe the same certainly applies to peace.

Our peace can come from the last part of what I just read from John, where Jesus says, “take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  Our world, this mortal life, may be falling apart all around us, but Jesus has already conquered and transcended the world.  He has fought the battle and won.  And it was all done for us.

So take heart, and be at peace.  This is what Jesus wants, that we can find an inner peace that will allow us to shut out the noise and chaos of the world around us.  In chapter 14 verse 27 of John’s Gospel account, Jesus leaves us with these beautiful words of reassurance…

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)

The world’s peace is transient, short-lived, usually filled with deceit and broken promises.  Even if there is peace on one front, disorder and conflict and hardships abound on other sides.  True, lasting peace in the world is only a dream, an unfulfilled wish.  But the peace that Jesus offers, that only He can give, is true and lasting, for it is an inner peace that settles the storms raging within us.

Again I could not trace the source, but it was said that the peace that Jesus gives is not the absence of trouble, but is rather the confidence that He is there with you always.  He is with us always.

Looking a little further in John’s Gospel account, in chapter 20, verse 21, we read…

21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

--John 20:21 (NKJV)

The word “apostle” comes from the Greek word meaning “one who is sent out”.  Biblically, it is one who is sent out by God, or for God.  God the Father sent Jesus His Son out into the world to offer us salvation.  God the Son Jesus sends us out into the world to make new disciples, teaching them all about Him and what He did, and helping them to salvation.

And what does He give us to equip us for that task?  Peace.  Peace - not as the world gives peace, but a peace that surpasses all understanding, the peace that comes from the presence of God and in knowing that He is with us always.

Where is our peace?  It’s right here, in our hearts, placed there by Jesus, who will never forsake us.

Peace on earth and goodwill to men may be a pipe dream, but the peace of God is real.  It may surpass our understanding, but if we dwell on that peace, if we abide in the love of Jesus, then all the turmoil around us will subside, the drama will fade.

Trust in the Lord, accept His peace, and endure to the end.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Peace to you.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You first and foremost for sending Your own Son into this world to offer us salvation and eternal life.  By this act, Father, You showed how much You love us, how much You want us to be able to live with You for all eternity.  Thank You, Father, for so great a love.  And thank You, too, for blessing us with Your peace, the peace knowing You are always with us.  Sometimes though, Father, the trials and troubles of this world chip away at our peace until there is none left, and fear takes its place.  Sometimes the events happening around us crush any love we may have to give.  Please forgive us those times when our faith and conviction falter, when we rail away at the storm rather than facing it with the courage You’ve given us.  Please help us feel You peace in our hearts.  Remind us that You will never leave us or forsake us.  Encourage us and strengthen us as we strive to carry out the work Your Son left for us.  Please keep us strong in our spirit, in our faith, and in our service to You and Jesus.  And please help us remain strong and true during these trouble-filled times we now live in.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You came to us in obedience of our Father’s command.  You came to offer us redemption and salvation from our sin.  And when we accept You as Lord, You give us peace - a true and lasting peace, not the short-lived peace the world can offer.  Thank You, Jesus, for loving us.  Thank you for giving us peace, for helping us through the tough times, for always being with us.  Lord, we ask You to help us truly know and feel Your peace even as the world sinks into chaos all around us.  Help us endure to the end of the age.  Help us stay true to You and faithful no matter what trial we may face.  Strengthen our will to do what our Father God wills us to do.  Help us to be more loving, more understanding, kinder to all we encounter each day.  And please help us as we try to show Your love to all we encounter in our daily walk.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Show Some Love

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the second Sunday in Advent, the 5th of December, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  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 we celebrate love.  We lit the pink Advent candle to remind us of the love God has for us, the love that He brought into this cold, dark world when He sent His own Son Jesus to offer us salvation, the love of Jesus who allowed Himself to be sacrificed so that His blood could atone for our sin.  And we pray that its tiny flame will set ablaze a love in our own hearts for all others, during this holiday season and every day that follows.

Today it’s all about love, and the command Jesus gave us to show some love, to everyone.  So I’d like to share with you a passage from our Bible that is all about love.  You’ll often hear this during a wedding ceremony, as it offers great advice to a couple as they begin their new life as one.  It also offers great advice to we who are one in God.

Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle Paul wrote in chapter 13 of his 1st letter to the church in Corinth, and I’ll be reading this from the Contemporary English Version of our Holy Bible…

1 What if I could speak all languages

of humans and of angels?

If I did not love others,

I would be nothing more

than a noisy gong

or a clanging cymbal.

2 What if I could prophesy

and understand all secrets

and all knowledge?

And what if I had faith

that moved mountains?

I would be nothing,

unless I loved others.

3 What if I gave away all

that I owned

and let myself

be burned alive so that I could brag?

I would gain nothing,

unless I loved others.

4 Love is kind and patient,

never jealous, boastful,

proud, or 5 rude.

Love isn’t selfish

or quick tempered.

It doesn’t keep a record

of wrongs that others do.

6 Love rejoices in the truth,

but not in evil.

7 Love is always supportive,

loyal, hopeful,

and trusting.

8 Love never fails!

Everyone who prophesies

will stop,

and unknown languages

will no longer

be spoken.

All that we know

will be forgotten.

9 We don’t know everything,

and our prophecies

are not complete.

10 But what is perfect

will someday appear,

and what isn’t perfect

will then disappear.

11 When we were children,

we thought and reasoned

as children do.

But when we grew up,

we quit our childish ways.

12 Now all we can see of God

is like a cloudy picture

in a mirror.

Later we will see him

face to face.

We don’t know everything,

but then we will,

just as God completely

understands us.

13 For now there are faith,

hope, and love.

But of these three,

the greatest is love.

--1 Corinthians 13 (CEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for showing so much love to Your creation that You would offer us poor sinners eternal life with You in heaven if we would only accept Your Son Jesus as our Lord.  You love us so much that You sent Jesus into the world to take the punishment we deserved, to sacrifice Himself so that we might be washed clean when we stand before You at the last.  Thank You, Father, for a love we can never earn on our own, nor ever repay.  Please help us show our love to others in return.  Help us follow Jesus’ order to love others – all others - even as we love ourselves.  And help us to do as You will and not just what we are comfortable doing.  Please keep us strong in our faith and of one purpose in our service to Christ Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  And Father, please shield us from all of Satan’s plots and schemes.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this morning.  May Your love warm our hearts and may we show Your love to everyone around us.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

Long ago, in medieval times, a certain monk announced that he would be preaching next Sunday evening on "The Love of God."  As the shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the cathedral windows, the congregation gathered.  In the darkness of the altar, the monk lighted a candle and carried it to the crucifix.  First of all, he illumined the crown of thorns, next, the two wounded hands, then the marks of the spear wound.  In the hush that fell, he blew out the candle and left the chancel.  There was nothing else to say.

Our Bible speaks volumes about love.  “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.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

What more is there to say?  What greater love could be shown an underserving people?

If you ever hear anyone say, “God doesn’t love me!”, or “God could never love me.”, remind them of the crown of thorns, the nail-scarred hands, the spear-pierced side.  Jesus took our punishment and bore our sins just so we could be seen as clean when we stand before God.  God sent His own Son to suffer and die on our behalf, and watched it all happen.  Yes, God loves us all.

When we accept Christ Jesus as our Lord, we put on His name as our title: Christian.  And by doing so, if we are indeed sincere, we agree to obey the simple command Jesus gave us: to love others as we love ourselves, and to make more disciples for Him, telling them all about Him and what He has done.

If we examine that command, we will see that the second part is really just an extension of the first part.  To tell others all about Jesus and what He has done, for them and for us, leading them into discipleship of Jesus, is to help them along the path of salvation and eternal life, offering them a share in the same inheritance we have been promised.  And if we truly love others as we love ourselves, we will want them to be saved, just as we are saved, just as we want all our loved ones to be saved.

This too, is what God wants.  He wants all to be saved.  He sent Jesus into the world that the world might be saved, the entire world!  To do our part, all we need to do is show some love.

Let’s be clear about this.  When Jesus told us to love others, it wasn’t a request.  He didn’t say, “Hey, you know, if you work at loving other folks, it would make Me so happy.  Why don’t you give it a try?  OK?”  No, He commanded us to love.  He made it a commandment.  Listen to what Jesus said as recorded by the Apostle Mark in the 12th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 30 and 31…

30 "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

--Mark 12:30-31 (NKJV)

And again, as recorded by the beloved Apostle John in the 15th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 9 through 12, Jesus said this…

9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."

--John 15:9-12 (NKJV)

“This is My commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you.”  How much did Jesus love us?  Look at the crown of thorns upon His brow.  Look at those beautiful, healing hands pierced by nails.  Look at His side where they stabbed Him with a spear.  We have been spared the vision of His back, shredded by the flogging He endured before being hung on the cross to suffer and die.

Jesus loved us enough that He did not want even one of us to suffer eternal damnation, everlasting punishment, separation from God for all eternity.  And that is exactly how much He commands us to love others.  He orders us to care enough not to want even one person to not be saved.  He orders us to show our love of them by telling them about Jesus and helping them to salvation.

By loving others, we show our love to Jesus, and we show His love to them.  By feeding the hungry, by giving drink to the thirsty, by clothing the naked, by giving aid to the sick and visiting those in prison, we show them the love of Jesus, just as He showed when He walked this earth.

Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude.  Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered; it doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do.  Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.  Love never fails!

Family, the greatest thing about love is that the more of it you give away, the more you receive in return.  Let’s make an extra special effort this holiday season to show some love.  After all, Christmas is a time of love, and a time for love.  But let’s not stop there.  Let’s keep the love flowing, into the new year, and on for every day we walk this earth.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Show some love.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for a love so great that You hold for us, that You do not want us to be separated from You for all eternity.  We have rebelled against You and disobeyed You almost from the very moment You created us, yet You never stopped loving us.  And then, when the time was right, You sent Your own Son to offer us salvation.  Thank You, Father, for so great an undeserved love.  Jesus commands us to love others, but sometimes, Father, that is just tough to do.  Some people are difficult to love.  Some are downright unlovable.  Please forgive us when we struggle to love other folk in a way that reflects how Jesus loved us.  Please help us be more loving.  Remind us of all Jesus has done for us.  Encourage us and strengthen us as we strive to carry out the work Your Son left for us.  Please keep us strong in our spirit, in our faith, and in our service to You and Jesus.  And please help us remain strong and true during these trouble-filled times we now live in.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You came to this earth bringing the Good News of salvation.  You came in obedience to Your Father God.  You came out of love.  Thank You, Jesus, for coming in our behalf, for taking our punishment, even onto the cross.  Thank you for taking our sins upon Yourself and leaving them in the empty tomb.  Lord, we ask You to help us do as You command us and love all others as we love ourselves, as You loved us.  Help us to love even the unlovable, so that all might be saved.  Help us stay true to You and faithful no matter what may come next in this life.  Strengthen our will to do what our Father God wills us to do.  Help us to be more loving, more understanding, kinder to all we encounter each day.  And please help us as we try to show Your love to all we encounter in our daily walk.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Thank You, Jesus!

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 21st of November, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  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.]

The Apostle Paul is certainly a very interesting man.  As a Pharisee, he served the temple with zeal, carrying out orders given to him without hesitation, bringing in these converts to the New Way to stand trial for their blasphemes.  He was a good Jew, well taught and knowledgeable of the scriptures and the Law.

And then he was personally touched by Jesus and shown the truth.  From that moment on, once his eyes were opened, Paul almost constantly suffered persecution for his belief and his service to Jesus.  He was arrested, beaten, shipwrecked, threatened, mocked and ridiculed time after time.

But yet, through all of this, Paul was thankful to God and Jesus, for he knew he had been saved.  Nothing else mattered – none of the beatings or time spent in chains.  He had been living a lie, but now was set free by the truth.  Before, he was dead in sin, but now he was redeemed and freed to enjoy life eternal with God.  Through all the pain and torment Paul had to endure, he was always thankful.

Paul shared his thanks with us through his many letters, where he encourages us to be ever thankful, too – not just one day a year, but every day.  Please listen and follow along to what Paul wrote in his 1st letter to his young protégé Timothy.  I’ll be reading chapter 1 verses 12 through 17 and chapter 2 verses 1 through 7 from the New American Standard Bible…

1:12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was previously a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost. 16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost sinner Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

2:1 First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed as a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

--1 Timothy 1:12-17, 2:1-7 (NASB)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for sending Your Son to earth as one of us.  Jesus is Your word in the flesh, who came to shed the light of truth into the darkness of a sinful world.  Thank You, Father, for Your loving mercy shown us.  Please help us truly be grateful in our hearts for all Your many blessings.  Help us show our gratitude by being a blessing to others.  And help us to do as You will and not just what we want to do.  Please keep us strong in our faith and of one purpose in our service to Christ Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  And Father, please guard us from Satan and those who do his bidding.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this morning.  May Your truth soak into every fiber of our being.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

In his book Folk Psalms of Faith, pastor and author Ray Stedman tells of an experience preacher H. A. Ironside once had in a crowded restaurant.  Just as Ironside was about to begin his meal, a man approached and asked if he could join him.  Ironside invited him to have a seat.  Then, as was his custom, Ironside bowed his head in prayer.  When he opened his eyes, the other man asked, "Do you have a headache?"  Ironside replied, "No, I don't."  The other man asked, "Well, is there something wrong with your food?"  Ironside replied, "No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat."  The man said, "Oh, you're one of those, are you?  Well, I want you to know I never give thanks.  I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don't have to give thanks to anybody when I eat.  I just start right in!"   Ironside replied, "Yes, you're just like my dog.  That's what he does too!"

Can a dog give thanks for its meal?  Can it express gratitude?  I think so.  I believe it says “Thank you” in its undying, faithful service to its master.

Now I’m sure Ironside meant that comment as a slight to the non-believer.  But sometimes I think we should be more like our dogs, who love us unconditionally.  We can say “Thank you”, for our meal and for all that God provides, but those are just words, no matter how many we speak.  We need to be more like a dog, and express our thankfulness in our undying, faithful service to our Master, Jesus.

This coming Thursday is our federally recognized and nationally celebrated Thanksgiving Day.  We know that the early Pilgrim settlers celebrated God’s grace and mercy with a fall harvest feast in 1621, while this New World was subject to English rule.  The very first Thanksgiving Day of these United States was proclaimed by the Continental Congress in 1777 with a document authored by Samuel Adams.  In October of 1787, President George Washington assigned Thursday, November 26th of that year, as an official day to offer thanks to the Almighty God for all He had done to establish and secure this fledgling nation.

The importance of a national day of giving thanks continued off and on over the years until 1863, while this nation battled with itself.  President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November to be “a day of Thanksgiving and Praise”.  So for 158 years now, the United States government has recognized and set aside the last Thursday of each November as a day to give thanks to God for His many blessings in our life and the life of our nation.  For without those blessings, this nation may never have been born, and most certainly would not have stood these many years.

In his 1st letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul tells us to give thanks in everything, in all conditions and situations.  And in his 1st letter to Timothy he himself gives thanks, thanks to Jesus.  And the amazing thing is that he is thanking Jesus for putting him – Paul – into service for our Lord, even though he was blasphemer, a persecutor of the church, and a violent aggressor before he came to know Jesus.  He is thanking Jesus for putting him into the service that saw him beaten, shipwrecked, threatened, and imprisoned multiple times because of that very service and belief in Jesus as Lord.

Of course, Paul isn’t thanking Jesus for the beatings and the rest.  He is thanking the Lord in spite of all he had to endure because Jesus came to save sinners, sinners just like him.  He is thanking Jesus for showing him the truth, for washing him clean of his sin, for leading him to eternal life in heaven.  And he’s thanking Jesus for using him as an example, that if he – the worst sinner of all – could be redeemed, then anyone could find redemption simply by accepting Jesus as Lord.

Thank You, Jesus!

And then Paul goes on to give us reasons why we should be thankful, as if we need more.  We should be thankful and prayerful in behalf of all people, even those we don’t love, or that don’t love us.  This not only might help us lead a more tranquil and quiet life, as Paul puts it, but mainly we should follow this advice because it is good and acceptable in the sight of God, who holds our fate in His hands.

God wants all people to be saved – all people – and to come to know the truth that is Jesus.  Jesus is the only mediator between us and God, the only bridge, the only way we can get back to our heavenly Father.  And He gave of Himself as a ransom for that very reason.  Thank You, Jesus, Lord of all!

Be thankful…  We who call ourselves Christian have the very best reason in all the world to be thankful, for God loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son into this world that we might be saved.  And God, in His great mercy, gives us the faith to believe in His Son Jesus, to accept Him as our Lord, and to follow His commands.  We should thank our Lord with every breath.  We should sing His praises for all to hear.

We don’t know for sure the identity of the author of Psalm 100, but in that short psalm he makes a glorious declaration…

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)

Shout to the Lord with joy!  Serve Him with gladness – not because we should or we must if we want salvation, but because we want to!  Come before Him singing praises to His name, for He made us, we are His!  Be thankful to Him for He is good, He is merciful, He is the everlasting truth, He is God.

Later this week we’ll join millions of others in celebration and observance of Thanksgiving Day.  For many, it will be nothing more than a paid day off and an excuse to overeat.

But I think most folks will take the time to remember, and maybe even talk about, the good and dear things in their lives, those things they are most thankful for.  They’ll cherish their loved ones and friends, whether together with them or not.  They’ll be thankful for their meal, whether a feast at the family table, or a humble plate among other less fortunate folk at the homeless shelter or soup kitchen.  They’ll lift up a quiet prayer to our Lord, a simple “Thank You”.

Family, for those of us so richly blessed by our Father God, for those of us saved by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus, every day should be Thanksgiving Day.  Every single day we should stop and take inventory of all that we have been given, all that we’ve been blessed with.  Every day, with every breath, our hearts should sing our thankful praise to the one true God and to Jesus His Son, who gave His all for us.

Thank You, Father!  Thank You, Jesus!

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

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for showing mercy to us poor sinners.  We disobeyed You from the very beginning but You never stopped loving us, and when the time was right, You sent Your own Son to offer us salvation.  Thank You, Father, for so great a love.  We believe that Jesus is Your Son, and we try to obey Him.  Sometimes, Father, we just have a tough time loving other people.  Sometimes we have trouble expressing how much Jesus means to us.  Please forgive us those moments of insecurity, those struggles with hatred.  Please help us remain strong and true during these frightening times.  Remind us of all the reasons we have to be thankful and for all Jesus has done for us.  Encourage us and strengthen us as we strive to carry out the work Your Son left for us.  Please keep us strong in our spirit, in our faith, and in our service to You and Jesus.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You came to this earth as a man of flesh and bone.  You came, knowing full well how it would all turn out, but You came anyway.  You came to fulfill God’s plan.  Thank You, Jesus, for coming in our behalf, and for taking our sins upon Yourself.  Lord, we ask You to help us be good servants and to obey You without hesitation.  Help us stay true to You and faithful no matter what may happen next.  And help us carry on Your work here on earth.  Strengthen our will to do what our Father God wills us to do.  Help us to be more loving, more understanding, kinder to all we encounter each day.  And please help us as we try to show Your love to everyone who crosses our path.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Signs of the Times

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 14th of November, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  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 seen the movie “Bruce Almighty”?  Bruce has had a very bad day and he’s in his car driving along while praying to God for a sign.  “Just show me a sign, God”, he prays.  “Show me what to do!”

And all the while we see road signs and construction signs telling him to “Detour”, or pointing “This Way” and “One Way”.  Yet Bruce just keeps driving and praying for a sign, oblivious to all the signs he’s being shown.  Until he wrecks his car, that is, because he didn’t pay attention to the “Road Closed” sign.

Family, our Bible is full of signs from God.  We have signs pointing us which way to go, and signs warning us about what is ahead.  We even have signs that Jesus Himself erected for us, to keep us on the right, and righteous, route.  Please listen and follow along to what the Apostle Mark recorded in his Gospel account, in chapter 12 verses 38 through 40 and chapter 13 verses 1 through 8, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

12:38 He said to them in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, 39 the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance's sake make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

13:1 Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!”

2 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

5 And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 6 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. 7 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

--Mark 12:38-40; 13:1-8 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for all the signs You put in place for us to clearly see in our Bible.  All we need to do is read this great book to be guided through this life.  Thank You, Father, for showing us the path to walk and for warning us of the pitfalls ahead.  Please help us see and pay attention to the signs You give us.  Help us stay safe and be more righteous in Your eyes.  And help us to do as You will and not just what we want to do.  Please keep us strong in our faith and of one purpose in our service to Christ Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  And Father, please guard us from Satan and those who do his bidding.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this morning.  Remove the scales from our eyes and the blinders over our hearts so we can clearly see Your signs.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

During the 1982 war in the Falkland Islands between England and Argentina, the Royal Navy's 3,500-ton destroyer HMS Sheffield was sunk by a single missile fired from an Argentine fighter jet.  It caused some people to wonder if modern surface warships were obsolete, sitting ducks for today's sophisticated missiles. But a later check revealed that the Sheffield's defenses did pick up the incoming missile, and the ship's computer correctly identified it as a French-made Exocet. But the computer was programmed to ignore Exocets as "friendly." The Sheffield was sunk by a missile it saw coming and could have evaded.

The ship’s systems saw the approaching missile in time to intercept and destroy it before it could impact, yet they did nothing to stop it.  Why?  Because the missile was correctly identified as one made by an ally, the French, even though it was launched, in this case, by an enemy.  So while it was definitely, clearly on a collision course, the missile was allowed to pass, untouched, until it struck the Sheffield and sank her. They saw the sign, but ignored it.

Well family, we humans have been warned of a missile called "condemnation" that is headed straight for us.  People can easily evade it by accepting Jesus as Lord, but so many won't.  So many people will ignore the sign that missile bears.  And they will be sunk, for all eternity.

In the first part of our scripture reading, Jesus tells us to be leery of those who are basically only pretending to be Christians.  They put on a good act so that they can receive the admiration and praises of their fellow man, while actually causing harm to others, including the most vulnerable in their community.

We’ve seen that kind of behavior in action, haven’t we?  Especially from some of our politicians and public officials who take advantage of photo ops to make themselves look good to the masses, while enacting and enforcing policies that actually hurt the people they purportedly help.  And sadly, we can see this behavior in many pulpits, where greed has taken hold even of those called to serve Jesus by tending to His flock.

None of this is new, because greed and avarice have always been man’s downfall.  But as incidents increase, we can take it as a sign of the approaching fulfillment of all that Jesus told us.

And then we come to the more explicit signs Jesus told us to watch for in chapter 13.  Again there’s that warning to beware false prophets, false teachers, false Christians, even those who may claim to be the returned Christ.  We can easily see the false teachers and fake Christians around us.  But family, there are also those who are claiming to be Jesus by putting writings out there the He supposedly wrote, new writings, telling us what He really meant by the things recorded in our Bible.

Signs of the times.  Wars and rumors of wars come next.  But again, this is nothing new.  Mankind has been at war with himself since Cain first struck down his brother Abel.  Jesus tells us not to let any of this trouble us because these things must happen.  Before He comes again, certain things must happen.  And these, therefore, become our signs.

The ever accelerating instances of wars and threats of war.  Nation rising up against nation, kingdom against kingdom, family against family, neighbor against neighbor.  Earthquakes, famines, and troubles popping up all over.  Jesus wasn’t overly specific here, but I think “troubles” could include floods, wildfires, drought, and pandemics.

And yes, we’ve been experiencing these things throughout our history.  But the thing is, they are increasing in numbers, in frequency, and in devastating effect.  And the scary things is, Jesus says this is only the beginnings of sorrows.  There’s worse yet to come.

Now none of this is meant to frighten us, but to prepare us.  If we truly believe in Jesus, we will trust what He tells us and take His warning to heart.  If we don’t ignore the signs of the times, we will understand what is to come – and it may be soon - and be better prepared.

The important thing is to keep our faith firm and secure, no matter what happens.  As we come across sign after sign, faster and faster, we must not lose hope and let our faith waver.  Trust in God always, and trust in the word of our Lord Jesus, for His signs are not all bad.

The last book in our Bible contains the vision of what is to come that Jesus showed to the Apostle John.  For many, this is truly a frightening glimpse into what we may have to endure.  But it resolves with Jesus coming again to set everything right.

Listen to the wonderful reassurances the Book of Revelation opens with, from chapter 1, verses 1 through 8…

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

--Revelation 1:1-8 (NKJV)

Hear these words of prophecy and hold them close to your heart, for the time is near when all will be fulfilled.  Jesus is coming again, and this time in all His glory, not hidden in some obscure manger but coming with clouds.  Every eye will see Him, believers and non-believers, those who follow Him and those who rejected Him.

And there will be a great mourning across the land as the non-believers realize it was all true; everything in our Bible was all true.  The signs were there all along.  But too many people ignored them.

Family, we don’t want to be like Bruce Almighty, not paying a bit of attention to the signs God has posted for us until we crash.  We must keep our faith strong.  We must continue to serve our Lord Jesus, trusting in Him to set everything right, trusting in His word.

Bad, scary things will happen, must happen, and with increasing frequency.  But we can’t let it get us down, or shake loose our hold on the truth of Jesus’ word.  When our Lord returns, He’ll call us home and none of what we’ve gone through will matter.

Just be watchful of the signs, knowing what is to come, and keep a firm grip on your faith.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for setting Your great plan in place that will allow us to live with You forever, just as You intended in the first place.  All we have to do is believe in Your Son Jesus and maintain our faith and obedience to the end.  Thank You, Father, for having mercy on us.  Please help us remain strong and true during these frightening times.  Sometimes, Father, we get too busy to watch for the signs You set for us.  Please forgive us when we ignore those signs and warnings.  Help us to endure what is yet to come.  Remind us that a far greater tomorrow awaits us if we remain faithful and true.  Encourage us and strengthen us as we strive to carry out the work Jesus left for us even as the world seems to be falling apart.  Please keep us strong in our spirit, in our faith, and in our service to You and Jesus.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, You warn us of troubling times yet to come.  We realize that this is not meant to scare us, but to prepare us, to forewarn us.  Thank You, Jesus, for letting us know what lies ahead.  Lord, we ask You to help us remain vigilant and watchful for the sign of the times.  Help us stay true to You and faithful no matter what may happen next.  And help us carry on Your work here on earth.  Strengthen our will to do what our Father God wills us to do.  Help us to be more loving, more understanding, kinder to all we encounter each day.  And please help us as we try to show Your love to everyone who crosses our path.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Hold to the Hope

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday, the 7th of November, 2021, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  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.]

There is a lot we don’t know about our New Testament Book of Hebrews.  We don’t know who the author was, although there has been much debate and many names suggested, including the Apostles Paul and Barnabas along with Silas, Apollos, and Clement of Rome.  We don’t know for sure who the letter was written to, although it’s very title indicates its readership would have been the early Jewish converts to Christianity, and most likely those in Italy.  We don’t know when it was written, although most indicators point to sometime in the late 60s.

But we do know that the author displays great literary and rhetorical skills in his writing.  We do know that this letter provided much needed exhortation to those early Christians who were in danger of abandoning the faith in the face of persecution.  We do know that it shows the superiority of Christ and of Christianity by proving that Christ is superior in both His person and His priesthood.  And we know that it also serves as a warning to us all not to let our faith - our hope - waver and degrade so that we fall back into sinful lives.

Please listen and follow along to the message the author of our Book of Hebrews left for us in chapter 6 of that letter.  This is a little long, but please bear with me as I read from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible…

1 So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. 2 You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.

4 For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened — those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come — 6 and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing Him to the cross once again and holding Him up to public shame.

7 When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. 8 But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it.

9 Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don’t believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation. 10 For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers, as you still do. 11 Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. 12 Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.

13 For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in His own name, saying:

14 “I will certainly bless you,

and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.”

15 Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.

16 Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. 17 God also bound Himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that He would never change His mind. 18 So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. 20 Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

--Hebrews 6 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for ensuring that this great letter was saved for us through the ages so that we can share in and learn from the instruction it provides.  From this we see how Your Son Jesus is superior in every way to anything this world might offer.  From this we see why it is necessary that we hold to the hope available only through Him.  Thank You, Father, for the undeserved mercy You have shown us.  Please help us mature in our faith.  Help us hold to the hope of eternal life with You that You promise.  And help us to do as You will and not just what we want to do.  Please keep us strong in our faith and of one purpose in our service to Christ Jesus.  Please keep us healthy and safe through these trying times.  And Father, please guard us from Satan and those who do his bidding.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit and better understand the message You have for us this morning.  We place all our hope on the promise You made of eternal life with You through Your Son Jesus.  Help us keep that hope alive and strong.  This we pray in the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

English writer, philosopher, and lay theologian 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."

Mr. Chesterton says that the virtue of hope is hoping when things are hopeless.  Only when everything is hopeless does hope show its true strength.

Hopelessness, desperation…  I imagine we’ve all tasted those feelings at one time or another, that sense that all is lost, there’s no hope left.  Fact is, when we watch the nightly news or read about what’s going on around us, we may get the sense that there is no longer any hope for this old world.

But I think what Mr. Chesterton is alluding to is that we only feel hopeless if we use the world’s definition of hope.  The world says that hope is the feeling that we will get what we want, that what we want to happen will happen.  It’s almost like a game of chance – either it will happen or it won’t; we’re just hoping that it will.  There’s no guarantee here, just a hope. 

But if we get away from the worldview and shift to our Biblical application of the word, we’ll see hope in a whole new light.  Here we will see hope is the expectation of the fulfillment of promise.  We don’t just hope it will happen, we expect it to happen.  For our true hope is based on God and His word.

Everything God has ever said has come true so far.  Everything He has promised has come to pass to date.  So we have every reason to trust that what He has said will come true, will happen in the future, will indeed come to pass just as He said it will.  This is the basis of our hope, that God’s word is trustworthy and true.

Our problem comes in when, like those early Christians, we start losing that hope, little by little, as the circumstances begin to weigh heavily on us.  Maybe it’s a sense of growing persecution from the unbelieving world, like those early converts experienced.  Maybe it’s a a virus sweeping across the land like the angel of death, infecting even our loved ones, even ourselves.

Slowly our hope begins to fade.  Slowly our complete trust in God shifts toward placing more and more trust in our fellow man.  Our hope begins to slip through our fingers, as hopelessness settles in.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews understood how all this could happen.  He saw it happening to those early converts, and God knew it would happen to us as well.  That’s why the author so strongly encourages them and us to hold to our hope.  He gives us the example of the promise God made to Abraham, a promise made and kept.  And he gives us the fair warning that those who have accepted Jesus, who have shared in the indwelling Holy Spirit, but then turn away from God and reject His Son, they can never be brought back to repentance and salvation.  In their betrayal, they are nailing Jesus to the cross once again, and holding Him up to public ridicule and shame.  This is true hopelessness.

But our author didn’t just leave it at one example, one warning.  A little earlier on in his letter, in chapter 5 verses 1 through 10, our author writes…

1 Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. 2 And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. 3 That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs.

4 And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was. 5 That is why Christ did not honor Himself by assuming He could become High Priest. No, He was chosen by God, who said to Him,

“You are My Son.

Today I have become Your Father.”

6 And in another passage God said to Him,

“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

7 While Jesus was here on earth, He offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the One who could rescue Him from death. And God heard His prayers because of His deep reverence for God. 8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, He learned obedience from the things He suffered. 9 In this way, God qualified Him as a perfect High Priest, and He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him. 10 And God designated Him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

--Hebrews 5:1-10 (NLT)

Now remember that the original audience for this great letter was composed primarily of good Jewish people who had come to believe in Jesus as the Messiah.  Our author used references that they would be familiar with and understand.  In this passage, Psalm 110:4 is cited as an indicator that Jesus had a right to a priesthood that pre-dated the Jewish priesthood begun under Aaron.  Jesus is our great High Priest, and through Him and Him alone we have a direct line straight to God.

Family, I know there is a lot of craziness going on in this world.  The news on TV is filled with it.  We hear of murders, crimes, scams, human trafficking, drug trafficking, use of excessive force by some law enforcement officers, lack of enforcement by others.  We get the latest numbers of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths from the coronavirus along with the health mandates.  Businesses desperately seek employees while supplies shrink and demand grows.  More and more, it just all seems hopeless.  And indeed, if we put our hope in man and mankind, all is truly hopeless.

Our only hope, family, is in God and the promise He made us.  Our only hope is Christ Jesus, who was sacrificed to atone for our sin, whose blood washes us clean.  Our only hope is our continued belief in Jesus, our acceptance of Him as our Lord and Master.  We must hold to that hope, lest we sink into the vast hopelessness of this world.

Hold to the hope, in the blessed name of Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for always being just and trustworthy.  We can fully trust in You because You have always done just as You said You would.  Thank You, Father, for promising us life eternal with You if we accept Your Son as our Lord.  Please help us hold to the hope You give.  Sometimes, Father, things just seem to be utterly hopeless.  We let the world convince us that we can only depend upon ourselves, upon our fellow man.  Please forgive us those times.  Help us hold Your word in our hearts.  Remind us that You have always kept Your promises.  Help us set the world off to the side and focus only on You and the things of heaven.  Encourage us and strengthen us as we strive to hold on to our hope.  Please keep us strong in our spirit, in our faith, and in our service to You and Jesus.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You from our hearts through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more faithful and true, putting all our trust in You and Jesus, and seeking Your help as we do so…

Lord Jesus, it is only through You that we can come and be with our heavenly Father.  By Your blood we are washed clean and by our belief in You we are saved.  Thank You, Jesus, for loving us this much.  Lord, we ask You to help us remain true and faithful to You.  Help us firmly hold to the hope of salvation You offer.  And help us carry on Your work here on earth.  Strengthen our will to do what our Father God wills us to do.  Help us to be more loving, more understanding, kinder to all we encounter each day.  And please help us as we try to show Your love to everyone who crosses our path.  All this we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.