Be Reformed

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 27th of October, 2024 - Reformation Sunday.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, do you know what October the 31st is?  Yes, we celebrate Halloween on the last day of October every year, although Trick or Treating is often moved to a weekend day.  But October the 31st is also Reformation Day, marking the day in 1517 when Martin Luther posted his “95 theses” on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany, in protest of the practices of the Roman Catholic Church of the time.

This is considered the beginning of the Reformation movement, and it is especially significant to Lutheran and Reformed churches, like us.  For Pilgrim Reformed Church has its roots in the old German Reformed Church.  We celebrate the Reformation on the last Sunday in October each year, which is today.

Our dictionary defines “reformed” as having been amended by the removal of faults or abuses, being improved in conduct and morals.  Back in the 1800’s, “reform schools” and “reformatories” were established as penal institutions for children and teens who had been convicted of crimes, as a somewhat more humane alternative to adult prison.  The hope and intent was that these juvenile delinquents – as we would call them today – could be reformed into good upright citizens by removing their faults and improving their conduct and morals.  Similar facilities today are called “youth correctional institutions”, but the goal is pretty much the same.

The idea of removing faults and abuses and improving conduct and morals has been around for a long time.  One instance in particular was when Jesus talked about our need of being reborn of the Spirit.  In effect He was telling us we must be re-formed by God’s Holy Spirit.

This is a theme repeated by a couple of His Apostles in their writings.  Please listen and follow along as the Apostle Peter tells us of some of the benefits and signs of being reborn, re-formed, as he wrote in the 1st chapter his 1st letter to the early church, verses 3 through 9 and verses 13 through 25, and I’ll be reading from the New American Standard Bible again this morning…

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Since you have purified your souls in obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brothers and sisters, fervently love one another from the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,

“All flesh is like grass,

And all its glory is like the flower of grass.

The grass withers,

And the flower falls off,

25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word which was preached to you.

--1 Peter 1:3-9; 13-25 (NASB)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your word.  Your word will last forever, it endures all things, it stands through all eternity and beyond.  Your word is our guidepost, our strength, our reassurance and encouragement.  Sadly though, Father, we don’t always take the time to really dig into Your word and seek a higher meaning.  We let the world interfere.  We are just too often beaten down and wearied by all the lies and evilness filling our days and our views.  Forgive us these times, Father.  Please help us not only spend more time in Your word, but also share it with others.  Help us be more obedient to You and Your Son’s command to spread Your word and the Good News it bears.  Give us the courage and the will to step out into the world witnessing to the non-believers, sharing the Gospel and showing Your love.  Please forgive us when we hesitate to speak and act on behalf of You and our Lord Jesus out of fear or anxiety.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Help us share the Good News of forgiveness and everlasting life in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Pastor Robert Schmidgall once noted that, “Living without Christ is like driving a car with its front end out of line.  You can stay on the road IF you grip the steering wheel with both hands and hang on tightly.  Any lapse of attention, however, and you head straight for the ditch.  Society in general - educators, political leaders, parents - exhorts us to drive straight and curb our destructive tendencies.  But it is a ceaseless struggle.  Coming to Christ is a little like getting a front-end alignment.  The pull toward the ditch is corrected from the inside.  Not to say there won't be bumps and potholes ahead that will still try to jar us off the road.  Temptations and challenges will always test our alertness to steer a straight course.  We can hardly afford to fall asleep at the wheel.  But the basic skew in the moral mechanism has been repaired.”

That’s a pretty good analogy, isn’t it?  And one I bet most of us have experienced.  It’s easy to tell when your vehicle needs a front-end alignment: it will start pulling to one side or the other.  The worse it gets, the more difficult it is to hold it on the road.

It’s just like trying to live without Christ.  The further we drift away from Him, the greater the pull from the world becomes.  We need to be very careful, very alert to our own internal alignment that our Christ made for us.  We must keep our focus straight ahead, on Jesus.

Peter tells us that we have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, the Spotless Lamb.  We have been born again, through the imperishable, enduring, living word of God.

Redeemed, reborn, reformed…  This pattern appears in our bible on purpose.  The three events are interrelated.  By the sacrifice of the Spotless Lamb, by the blood of Christ Jesus shed on our behalf, we are redeemed, forgiven of our sins.  By our acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God and our Lord, we are reborn of the Spirit of God.  And by the effects of the Spirit within us, we are reformed into new creations.

So to be re-formed we first start all over again, by being re-born.  Please listen to what the Apostle John saved for us in the first eight verses of the 3rd chapter of his Gospel account…

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a person be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.”

--John 3:1-8 (NASB)

And of course you know that this is followed shortly by the most well-known verse in our Bible: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”  God loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus into the world to redeem us of our sin.  And once redeemed, we have the opportunity to be born again.  By our faith we are reborn of the Spirit, that we might worship God in spirit and be granted entry into His kingdom.

But I did mention that being reformed is the third leg of this triangle.  Once we have been redeemed and then reborn of the Spirit, God’s Spirit takes up residence within us.  He is always here, our constant Companion, encouraging us, nudging us to go in the right direction, guiding us along the straight and narrow.

But only if we listen to Him and follow His lead.  If we let Him, the Spirit will change us, reform us.  Hear the words the Apostle Paul wrote in the 12th chapter of his Letter to the Romans, verses 1 & 2 and 9 through 21…

1 Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

9 Love must be free of hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor, 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Never repay evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all people. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

--Romans 12:1-2; 9-21 (NASB)

None of that stuff comes easy.  Most runs counter to basic human nature.  This is behavior that, sadly, most folks do not exhibit.  Even good solid Christians have trouble with some of it, especially when it comes to loving the unlovable and seeing to the needs of our enemies. 

But this is how God wants us to act, how He wants us to be and live.  By setting aside the ways of the world and letting His Holy Spirit lead us, we are showing God’s love to people who need it the most.  With the Spirit’s help and guidance, we can overcome evil with good.

This is God’s goal for us, that once redeemed, we can be reborn, and once reborn, that we be reformed into a closer likeness of Jesus.  Let’s celebrate this upcoming Reformation Day by allowing God’s Holy Spirit to reform us, removing our worldview and transforming our minds to more perfect service to God.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for another trinity to enrich our souls and our lives.  First there is Your three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  And now You give us redemption, rebirth, and reformation, that we might more closely act as Your Son Jesus acted when He walked this earth.  But sometimes, Father, we still struggle with a worldview.  We are bombarded with images of damage and desolation from storms and from wars, we see all the cruelty and corruption, all the evil in the world, and it scares us and fills us with dread.  Sometimes we just have trouble letting go of the world and worldly things.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  Forgive us when we let the world tells us what to do and how to act.  Please help us reach out more into the world, serving You by serving others.  Help us be more like Your Son Jesus, being more forgiving and merciful in our dealings with others.  Please strengthen our spirits to do Your will and help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave of Yourself to redeem us of our sin.  And then You had Your Father God send His Holy Spirit to live within us when we accepted You as our Master.  Now, Lord, please help us be reformed by the Spirit into a new and better creation.  Please help us be more like You, more considerate and caring of others, more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving.  And heal the hurts that still separate and divide us one from another.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Are You Feeling Anxious?

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 20th of October, 2024.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Are you feeling anxious?  Are you worried about where our country is going, or what direction it might take with the upcoming elections?  Does all the talk of wars and hostility bother you?  What about the higher prices for everything?

There’s a lot going on in this weary world that can keep us up at night, wondering what tomorrow might bring.  So if any of this worries you, you are not alone.  But I have to ask, will our worry, our concern, our anxiety, or our sleepless nights change anything?

You’ve likely heard the expression, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”  Or how about, “There’s nothing new under the sun”?

When you get right down to it, when it comes to being anxious, not much has changed since the days Jesus walked this earth.  Yes, the causes of our fears may be more potent and ever-present, but people back then worried about some of the same things we do, like being able to pay our taxes and having enough to eat.  As Jesus’ fame spread and grew, so did the group of more powerful enemies - a cause of great concern for His disciples.  Their worries must have become more and more evident to Him, since He addressed the subject in front of them and a great multitude that had gathered to hear the Nazarene teach.  In fact, this comes from about the middle of what many consider the most important speech Jesus ever gave - His Sermon on the Mount.

Please listen and follow along to the words of wisdom and encouragement spoken by our Lord Jesus and recorded by His Apostle Matthew in the 6th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 19 through 21 and verses 25 through 34, and I’ll be reading from the New American Standard Bible this morning…

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? 27 And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.

34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

--Matthew 6:19-21; 25-34 (NASB)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for being in control of this world and watching over all that is going on around us.  We may not understand why You allow some things to happen, especially to good people, but we trust You, Father, and we know that You are doing what is best for us and Your Son’s church.  Sadly though, Father, we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders and we worry about the future.  We are just too often beaten down and wearied by all the lies and evilness filling our days and our resolve weakens.  Forgive us these times, Father.  Please help us not feel so anxious all the time, especially over things we can’t control or affect.  And help us be more obedient to You and Your Son’s command to spread Your word and the Good News it bears.  Give us the courage and the will to step out into the world witnessing to the non-believers, sharing the Gospel and showing Your love.  Please forgive us when we hesitate to speak and act on behalf of You and our Lord Jesus out of fear or anxiety.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Help us share the Good News of forgiveness and everlasting life in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Dr. E. Stanley Jones, in his book Transformed by Thorns – I love that title – Dr. Jones writes, “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 is the fruit of our fear.  Our faith is our greatest shield against worry.  By faith, we can walk on water.  But when we take our focus off Jesus, our faith falters, our fear rises, and we sink beneath a sea of worry.

We are made for faith, not fear.  God made us this way.  So in the words of that great philosopher, Bobby McFerrin: Don’t worry, be happy.  OK, being happy in some situations may prove quite difficult, but we can strive to not worry so much.

Our scripture reading opens with Jesus telling us not to work so hard at acquiring possessions – treasures – here on earth, instead striving for our heavenly reward.  In other words, we shouldn’t worry about what we have or don’t have in this life.  God will provide for our needs, and that’s what’s really important.

Think about the birds.  They don’t work the fields, plant crops, reap a harvest.  They don’t even run to the grocery store once a week.  But they have food and water provided to them.  Closer to home, consider the folks in the mountains who were so harshly impacted by the hurricane.  Some lost everything, but then help began pouring in, both from the government and from ordinary citizens, many inspired by God and the compassion He gives us.  Their immediate needs are starting to be met, if slowly.  But worrying about where the next meal may come from or whether replacement clothes will be available won’t put food on their table or a shirt on their back.

Worry won’t help a thing.  We just need to keep our focus on God’s kingdom and His righteousness, and everything will be taken care of in the long run.

It’s easy to say those two words, “Don’t worry”, but much more difficult to put them into practice.  We all have our moments, we all have something we’re concerned about, something we worry over.  Some of us, though, worry too much, and over the least significant things.

Rather than fixing things, worry can have the opposite effect, causing us problems both physical and emotional.  Increased anxiety levels can result in higher heart rates and increased gastric acid production, literally eating away at our guts and lowering our life span.  As Dr. Jones noted in my earlier illustration, worriers die sooner than non-worriers.  Worry also affects our mood, dampening our social interactions.  It’s just not a good thing to do.

So how do we stop?  How can we keep from worrying, especially in a world full of troubles and confusion, with soaring prices on the basic necessities, with war and disease constant threats?

Let’s see if our Bible has an answer.  Please listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote in the first six verses of the 2nd chapter of his 1st letter to his young protégé Timothy…

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 recognition 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.

--1 Timothy 2:1-6 (NASB)

When we feel worrisome, when anxiety begins to rise, we can pray.  Whatever our concern, we can give it to God.  He will help us lead a tranquil and quiet life if we just put all our trust in Him and His provenance.  The universe is His, and all within it, including the things that cause us worry.  So when we feel anxious, we need to give it all to God and pray for the strength and courage to face each new day.

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and our needs will be seen to.  Jesus promised it.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for giving us faith, compassion, and the capacity to love.  Through these we can surmount whatever this life throws at us.  We need worry for nothing, for You are our provision.  But sometimes, Father, we still struggle with all the craziness we see around us, both locally and globally, the damage and desolation from the storms and from wars, all the cruelty and corruption, all the evilness, and it worries us and fills us with dread.  Sometimes we just have trouble letting go of our worries and anxieties, our fears and misgivings.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  Forgive us when we let the world tells us what to do and how to act.  Please help us reach out more into the world, serving You by serving others.  Help us be more like Your Son Jesus, being more forgiving and merciful in our dealings with others.  Please strengthen our spirits to do Your will and help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave us a job to do, and You even showed us how to go about doing it.  You were fearless in Your actions, words, and deeds.  And You encourage us not to be afraid, not to worry, for worrying cannot benefit us in any way.  Please help us be more like You, more considerate and caring of others, more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving.  And heal the hurts that still separate and divide us one from another.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Where Do We Put Our Trust?

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 13th of October, 2024.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, I’ve heard a lot of different sayings about trust over the years.  “Trust your instincts”, or “Trust your gut”, are probably the most common.  I’ve heard “Trust no one” in many movies, usually the action/adventure or suspense type.  And back in the ’80s, President Ronald Reagan popularized the old Russian proverb, “Trust, but verify”.  In today’s environment, some folks need to do more of the verifying part, what with all the scams and misinformation going around.  One of my all-time favorite trust sayings is “In God we trust – all others pay cash”.  But I can’t help but wonder how much we really do trust in God.

Think for a moment about faith.  Can we not say that faith is trusting in something that we have no proof for; believing without proof?  Believing in Jesus is an act of trust, isn’t it?

Jesus often talked about trust, especially about trusting in God, and about where we place our trust.  Please listen and follow along to one conversation Jesus had with a person who it seems wanted to believe, wanted to follow Jesus, but just couldn’t quite let go of the world and take up their own cross.  This exchange, and a follow-up Jesus had with His disciples, was recorded for us by the Apostle Mark in the 10th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 17 through 27, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

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

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

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

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

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

23 Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”

27 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

--Mark 10:17-27 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for giving us the wonderful gift of faith.  We trust You, Father.  We have trust in Your word and Your promises.  Sadly though, Father, our trust wavers and falters at times.  We are just too often beset by all the lies and evilness filling our days and our trust weakens.  We begin to put our trust in other people, even when we have no good reason to.  Forgive us these times, Father.  Please help us set aside our desire for worldly things and keep our trust in You and all that You provide.  And help us be more obedient to You and Your Son’s command to spread Your word and the Good News it bears.  Give us the courage and the will to step out into the world witnessing to the non-believers, sharing the Gospel and showing Your love.  Please forgive us when we hesitate to speak and act on behalf of You and our Lord Jesus out of fear or anxiety.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Help us share the Good News of forgiveness and everlasting life in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

A gentleman by the name of Robert W. Sutton once noted that, “A television program preceding the 1988 Winter Olympics featured blind skiers being trained for slalom skiing, as impossible as that sounds.  Paired with sighted skiers, the blind skiers were taught on the flats how to make right and left turns.  When that was mastered, they were taken to the slalom slope, where their sighted partners skied beside them shouting, 'Left!' and 'Right!'  As they obeyed the commands, they were able to negotiate the course and cross the finish line, depending solely on the sighted skiers' word.  It was either complete trust or catastrophe.

What a vivid picture of the Christian life!  In this world, we are in reality blind about what course to take.  We must rely solely on the Word of the only One who is truly sighted - God Himself.  His Word gives us the direction we need to finish the course.”

Mr. Sutton does indeed paint a vivid picture of what Christian life should be, but I’m not sure we really live up to it very well.  It’s been said that there are no atheists in a foxhole, meaning that anyone will start praying for God’s help when they are in bad enough trouble.  The same probably holds true in a hurricane.  I bet thousands of people were praying, “God, please help me get through this storm OK”, or “God please don’t let my house get damaged”.  But I wonder how may people trusted in God enough to simply ask, “God, please stop this storm”.

Jesus did that once, remember?  Mark recorded it earlier in his Gospel account.  Jesus and His disciples were crossing over the Sea of Galilee when a tremendous storm blew in and threatened to capsize their boat.  Jesus simply said, “Peace, be still”, and the storm ceased to exist, the seas calmed, no one was hurt.  God can calm the storm, and He can calm the storms raging within us.

Getting back to our scripture, could the young rich man have managed to sell all his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and then follow Jesus?  Not on his own initiative, not without a lot of second thoughts and doubts.  Mark tells us that the man had “great possessions”, apparently too much and too many for him to part with willingly.  With God's help, trusting fully in God, he certainly could have done so, but instead, he trusted in his riches.

Do you remember when Jesus told His twelve disciples that they were to be His apostles and He sent them out two-by-two into the villages and towns around the area, to places He would soon visit?  Mark also recorded this for us a little earlier in his Gospel account.  When Jesus sent them, He told them to take nothing but a walking staff – no bag, no food, no money, not even an extra tunic.  He wanted them to place all their trust in God, that He would provide for their needs while on their mission.  Too often we tend to trust in our own resources, forgetting just how powerful God is, and how much He loves us.

At the end of our scripture reading, when Jesus was explaining to His disciples what had just happened and why it went down as it did, He told them it was hard for someone who trusts in riches to enter the kingdom of heaven, that it would even be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.  The men were astonished and asked among themselves “Then who can be saved?”  Jesus responded that for man, it is impossible.  No one, by their own efforts or deeds or will, can be saved.  Only through God can we find salvation, for with Him, anything and everything is possible.

We have another great example where God showed nothing is impossible with Him.  We find this very early in our Gospel story, actually before Jesus was even born.  Please listen to what the Apostle Luke recorded for us in the 1st chapter of his Gospel account, verses 26 through 38…

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”

38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

--Luke 1:26-38 (NKJV)

Is it possible for a woman to become pregnant without having first had sexual relations with a man or without the benefit of artificial insemination?  No, not in human wisdom or knowledge.  But with God, nothing is or ever will be impossible.  With God, all things are possible.  Mary fully trusted in God and in His word sent by His angel Gabriel, no matter how improbable those words sounded.  She put her trust in God.

What do we put out trust in?  In people or things of this world?  Or in God?  People will fail us.  Things built by human hands will fall apart and break.  What people and things can do are very limited.  But with God, all things are possible.  With God, anything and everything is possible.

So let’s put all our trust in God and get out there and do the work our Lord assigned us.  Let us love our Lord with all our heart and soul and mind, and let us love our fellow man enough to help them find salvation through Christ Jesus.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we can trust.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for showing us that nothing is impossible for You.  There is nothing that You cannot do.  But sometimes, Father, we still struggle with all the nastiness we see around us, both locally and globally, the damage and desolation from the storms and from wars, all the cruelty and corruption, all the evilness, and it weakens our faith and our trust.  We worry over the future for our children and grandchildren.  We think that surely it won’t be much longer before Your send Your Son Jesus back to call us home.  Still, we trust in You, Father.  We know You are working all things according to Your plan and to the good for us and all who love You and are Your chosen.  Thank You for showing Your love in this way.  But sometimes, we just have trouble letting go of our worries and anxieties.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  And forgive us when we let the world dictate our thoughts and actions.  Please help us reach out more into the world, serving You by serving others.  Help us be more like Your Son Jesus, being more forgiving and merciful in our dealings with others.  Please strengthen our spirits to do Your will and help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave us a job to do, and You even showed us how to go about doing it.  You want us to trust in God for our help, for our strength, for the right words to say and the right things to do so that others might see You in us.  Please help us be more considerate and caring of others, more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving.  And heal the hurts that still separate and divide us one from another.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Don't Harden Your Heart

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 6th of October, 2024 - World Communion Day.  This morning's service also included our observance of Holy Communion.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, our heart is a miraculous organ.  It cycles 60 times or more a minute, pumping blood to all the far reaches of our body, from the top of our head to the tips of our toes.  When we’re stressed, it works harder, supplying oxygen to the muscles that are straining.  If we don’t pay proper attention to our diet or our lifestyle, the passageways for that blood may become clogged, or the tissue around our heart may become too thick, forcing our heart to work even harder.  In my case, a cholesterol blocked artery led to a heart attack and a short stay in the hospital.

But you know, a lot of times when we’re talking about our “heart”, we don’t necessarily mean that throbbing muscle in our chest.  Don’t we generally think of our heart as being the center of all our emotions?  We draw a heart-shaped image or use a heart emoticon to indicate love for someone or something.  We can have a warm heart, filled with love and compassion, or a cold heart, not caring about much of anything at all.

So when we hear about the danger of a hardened heart, that blood-pumping organ is not necessarily what we need to worry about.  As we always should, let’s turn to our Bible to better understand how we can protect our heart.  Please listen and follow along to the passages I selected from the Letter to the Hebrews, all coming from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible.  I’m going to start with the 1st three verses of chapter 1, then move to chapter 3 and read verses 1 through 6 and 12 through 19…

1:1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 And now in these final days, He has spoken to us through His Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son He created the universe. 3 The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. When He had cleansed us from our sins, He sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.

3:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s Apostle and High Priest. 2 For He was faithful to God, who appointed Him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house.

3 But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. 4 For every house has a builder, but the One who built everything is God.

5 Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. 6 But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ, faithful to the end.

12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says:

“Today when you hear His voice,

don’t harden your hearts

as Israel did when they rebelled.”

16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard His voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when He took an oath that they would never enter His rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed Him? 19 So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter His rest.

--Hebrews 1:1-3, 3:1-6, 3:12-19 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for all the examples, explanations, instructions, and warnings You provided for us in our Bible.  Through the words You inspired good men and women to write, we can see how we should live that is pleasing to You.  Sadly though, Father, we don’t always spend as much time in our Bible as we should, or as we could.  We get too busy with life, or too tired, and simply want to be entertained by whatever is on TV or some activity that draws our interest.  Forgive us these times, Father.  Please help us be reverent of You and Your word.  And help us be more obedient to You and Your Son’s command to spread Your word and the Good News it bears.  Give us the courage and the will to step out into the world witnessing to the non-believers, sharing the Gospel and showing Your love.  And please forgive us when we hesitate to speak and act on behalf of You and our Lord Jesus out of fear or anxiety.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Help us share the Good News of forgiveness and everlasting life in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Joseph Stowell, in his book, Fan The Flame, notes that, “Heart is used in Scripture as the most comprehensive term for the authentic person.  It is the part of our being where we desire, deliberate, and decide.  It has been described as ‘the place of conscious and decisive spiritual activity’, ‘the comprehensive term for a person as a whole; his feelings, desires, passions, thought, understanding and will’, and ‘the center of a person.  The place to which God turns.’”

When our Bible speaks of a ‘hardened heart’, it doesn't mean the organ that pumps blood, it means our entire being, even our thinking processes.  And that may be part of the problem: sometimes we think too much.  I love what Blaise Pascal - yes, the mathematician - said about thinking and reasoning and our "hearts"...  “We come to know truth not only by reason, but still more so through our hearts.  The heart has its reasons that reason does not know.”

Think for a moment about your soul.  Some folks get confused about the difference between our spirit and our soul, and tend to use the terms interchangeably.  But our spirit is what gives us life.  It is with us as long as we draw breath, then passes away when our mortal body ceases.

Our soul, on the other hand, is eternal.  It is pure, created by God and breathed into us at our birth.  Our soul is what makes us… us.  It defines us as individuals.  It is what differentiates us from each other.  It’s what makes this “Richard” different from any other “Richard”.

I believe this – our soul – is really what we are referring to when we talk about our “heart” – the non-blood-pumping variety.  It is the center of our being.  And it can grow cold and hard if we’re not careful.

We should all understand by now that faith is a gift from God, our faith in Christ Jesus as Lord.  But where does faith reside, where do we keep it?  Surely not in our brain, because our brain demands proof and faith is the belief in something for which there is no proof.  So faith – an intangible – must reside in our “heart”, our soul – another intangible.

Faith is something Jesus often mentioned, usually when scolding or bemoaning someone for their lack of faith.  Oh, and those times when He experienced the effects of a lack of faith did not end with His death and resurrection.  In the 16th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 9 through 16, the Apostle Mark describes a few of Jesus’ appearances after He was raised from the dead…

9 After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw Him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom He had cast out seven demons. 10 She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. 11 But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen Him, they didn’t believe her.

12 Afterward He appeared in a different form to two of His followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. 13 They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.

14 Still later He appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen Him after He had been raised from the dead.

15 And then He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned."

--Mark 16:9-16 (NLT)

Pascal said we come to the truth not only through reasoning, but also through our hearts.  When our heart becomes hardened by events of the day, it adversely affects our reasoning.  The disciples had witnessed the death and burial of their Teacher, their Master.  The shock and disbelief that this could happen to Jesus caused their hearts to harden, so much so that they would not accept the word of those who witnessed the resurrected Lord.

I think this is one reason Jesus gave us our mission to go out and share the Good News.  Not only will it benefit them, but doing this will help keep our hearts pliable and flexible.  It will keep alive the stirrings and longings and feelings of our heart.  Sadly, those who hear and yet refuse to believe stand condemned by their own hardened hearts.

So let us so as Jesus commands.  Let us love our Lord with all our heart and soul and mind, and let us love our fellow man enough to help them find salvation through Christ Jesus.  Don’t let your heart become hardened.  Get out there and work for the Lord.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, who has promised us and gives us eternal life.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You again for ensuring that Your word would be saved for us in our Bible throughout the generations.  We need all the encouragements and the warnings that it provides.  But sometimes, Father, we still struggle with all the cruelty and corruption, all the evil we see in the world around us, and it all slowly hardens our hearts, a little at a time.  We worry over the future for our children and grandchildren.  We think that surely it won’t be much longer before Your send Your Son Jesus back to call us home.  Still, we trust in You, Father.  We know You are working all things according to Your plan and to the good for us and all who love You and are Your chosen.  Thank You for showing Your love in this way.  But sometimes, we just have trouble letting go of our worries and anxieties.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  And forgive us when we let the world dictate our thoughts and actions.  Please help us reach out more into the world, serving You by serving others.  Help us be more like Your Son Jesus, being more forgiving and merciful in our dealings with others.  Please strengthen our spirits to do Your will and help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave us a job to do, and part of the reason for that may have been to help us keep our hearts from hardening.  If we’re out helping others, sharing the Gospel, sharing Your love, helping where and when we can, then we are more likely to focus on their problems than on our own.  In this way, our hearts will stay more open, more inviting, more loving, so that others might see You in us.  Please help us be more considerate and caring of others, more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving.  And heal the hurts that still separate and divide us one from another.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

The Antichrist

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 29th of September, 2024.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, there are two questions I am often asked.  One is something to the effect, “Why did God allow this to happen?”, whatever “this” might happen to be.  To answer that one, I just harken back to when Isaiah spoke for God, saying, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”  And I can follow that up with the Apostle Paul’s declaration that, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

In other words, I don’t know why God lets things happen that we see as bad and harmful, but I trust that in the end, it will all work out to our good.  But let’s face it… that’s not a very satisfying answer to someone’s serious inquiry, especially if they’re hurting.

The second question, though, has a more definitive answer, and one that can be found in our Bible.  It is sometimes asked during an occurrence that prompted the first question, but may be completely unconnected.  And to my memory, this is the first time I’ve been asked this during an election cycle here in the US.

That question:  “Is so-an-so the Antichrist?”, with a capital “A”.  “Is this person the Antichrist, or maybe that person?”  “Is the Antichrist alive today and walking among us, just waiting to show himself?”  “Oh, and it will be a ‘he’, right?”

Well, like I said, the answers to questions concerning the Antichrist are right here in our Bible, for God doesn’t want us to be confused about it.  When Jesus revealed what is to come to His beloved disciple, John saw the Antichrist and his master, Satan.  Please listen and follow along to the words recorded by the Apostle John in the first 10 verses of the 13th chapter of his Book of Revelation, and I’ll be reading from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on his horns, and blasphemous names on his heads. 2 The beast which I saw was like a leopard. His feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. 3 I saw one of his heads as if it was mortally wounded, but his deadly wound was healed, and the whole world marveled and followed the beast. 4 They worshipped the dragon who gave authority to the beast. And they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to wage war with him?”

5 He was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies. And he was given authority to wage war for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to speak blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to wage war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe and tongue and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, all whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.

9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

10 “He who is to be taken captive,

into captivity he shall go;

he who kills with the sword,

with the sword he must be killed.”

--Revelation 13:1-10 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing answers in our Bible to questions that often come up in life.  We even have the words from Your prophets of thousands of years ago that give us insight into Your thoughts and ways.  Sadly though, Father, we don’t always look to Your word first when confronted by a tough question.  We don’t always fully trust in Your word, but harbor doubts instead.  Forgive us these times, Father.  Please help us be more trusting and accepting of Your word.  And help us be more obedient to You and Your Son’s command to spread the Good News in our Bible.  Give us the courage and the will to worship You with our proper service.  Help us as we step out into the world witnessing to the non-believers, sharing the Good News and showing Your love.  And please forgive us when we hesitate to speak and act on behalf of You and our Lord Jesus out of fear or anxiety.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Help us share the Good News of forgiveness and everlasting life in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

An article once appeared in the little "Our Daily Bread" magazine that began... “The word ‘maranatha’ is a Syriac expression that means: ‘our Lord comes.’  It was used as a greeting in the early church.  When believers gathered or parted, they didn't say ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ but ‘Maranatha!’  If we had the same upward look today, it would revolutionize the church.  O that God's people had a deepening awareness of the imminent return of the Savior!”

The timing of the great Rapture, the coming of the Antichrist, and our Lord's return are all intertwined.  When Jesus returns, whether before, during, or after the Rapture, He will defeat the Antichrist and all evil.  We don't know when all this will occur, but it may happen when we least expect it.  Our Lord comes!  Are we ready?

It only takes a quick read of our scripture this morning to see that the Book of Revelation is one of the most difficult in our Bible to understand.  It’s also one of the most - if not the most - discussed books.  Its wording and descriptive phrases are just strange to us today.  But one thing we need to realize is that John was being shown events and occurrences for which he had no words.  For instance, how could he have possibly described nuclear warfare and its aftermath, as some believe is foretold?  This is why scholars and researchers have expended countless hours discussing and debating John’s words.  But he does give us a picture of the Antichrist, even if he doesn’t call him by that name in this passage.

Earlier in Revelation, we are told of some events that will happen before the Antichrist comes.  These include the introduction and use of one world currency, of one world government, where the ten "kings" come together to rule all, and of the two witnesses who stand in testimony to God and Jesus.  Then we get to John’s description in those first 10 verses of chapter 13.

It may help to see the “ten horns” and “ten crowns” on the head of the beast as representing the ten kings, the ten world leaders who will give their power and authority to the Antichrist.  And the mortal wound that was healed likely represents a fatal injury where Satan brings the Antichrist back to life, imitating the resurrection of Jesus, and causing the world to worship him like Jesus.  Add that to his ability to speak great things, and the people are drawn to him.  And he is given the authority and power to wage war for 42 months – three and one-half years… the first half of the seven year tribulation.

The timing for the events of Revelation is a little confusing, with much still being a matter for debate.  For example, some believe – and some scripture supports – that the Antichrist may not appear until midway through the Tribulation, which true believers may not see if the Rapture comes before Tribulation.  Scripture also supports my personal belief, one shared by many, that Jesus will return in the sky to call His church home shortly before the Tribulation begins and before the Antichrist makes his presence known.

Like I said, this is all pretty confusing, but the point is that John indeed makes it clear that the Antichrist will appear and make war against God’s domain.  Fortunately we have other sources of information, other references in our Bible.  One of them comes from John again, and this somewhat earlier, when he was writing to the early church scattered throughout the known world.  In the 2nd chapter of his 1st letter, verses 18 through 26, John provides a clear definition of an antichrist, while not yet mentioning the Antichrist…

18 Little children, it is the last hour. As you have heard that the antichrist will come, even now there are many antichrists. By this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have remained with us. But they went out, revealing that none of them were of us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have written to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? Whoever denies the Father and the Son is the antichrist. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father.

24 Let that which you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If that which you have heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that He has promised us — eternal life.

26 I have written these things to you concerning those who deceive you.

--1 John 2:18-26 (MEV)

Putting it simply, an antichrist is anyone who denies God the Father and Jesus the Son.  Jesus once said, “He who is not with Me is against Me”, and an antichrist is certainly not with Christ but working against Him.

I think that in this passage, John explains why that second question keeps popping up, asking, “Is this person the Antichrist?”  We ask this because there are many antichrists – lower case “a”.  There are many people actively working against Christ.  Are any of them the Antichrist?  Maybe, but he hasn’t declared himself yet.  Nor have other signs announced his presence.

Another of our biblical sources of information on the Antichrist comes from the Christ, from Jesus Himself.  Listen to what the Apostle Matthew recorded in verses 3 through 14 of chapter 24 in his Gospel account…

3 As Jesus 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 Jesus answered 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 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled. For all these things must happen, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines, epidemics, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. And you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 Then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will rise and will deceive many. 12 Because iniquity will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

--Matthew 24:3-14 (MEV)

Many will come declaring themselves to be the Christ, even the Antichrist himself, according to John and his Book of Revelation.  And we’ve seen this throughout the Jesus age and even in modern times, with many an antichrist claiming to be the one and only Christ.  And we’ve certainly had enough wars and rumors of wars, especially now.  We’re even seeing more and more persecution of the church all over the world, including here in the US.

All this is true, but Jesus says the end is not yet.  The beast has not yet risen from the sea, the tribulation has not yet begun, Jesus has not yet called His church home.  Once the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached throughout the world as a testimony to all nations and all peoples, then the end will come.

So is the end close?  Is this person or that person the Antichrist?  Well, maybe.  Only God knows for sure.  We do know, though, that he hasn’t shown himself yet if he is alive now.  And we know all the signs have not yet been given.  But if I and other like-minded folks are right, we may never know who – or what - the Antichrist is, for Jesus will come and call us home before the beast makes his presence known.  And for that belief, I thank God.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, who has promised us and gives us eternal life.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You again for giving us answers in our Bible to questions that we often struggle with.  You inspired the authors of the books of our Bible to give us these answers by Your words.  But sometimes, Father, we still struggle with the answers we receive.  Some we just don’t like, while some just confuse us even more.  But we trust You, Father, and know that You are working all things according to Your plan and to the good for us and all who love You and are Your chosen.  Thank You for showing Your love in this way.  But sometimes, we just have trouble letting go of our worries and anxieties.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  And forgive us when we let the world dictate our actions.  Please help us reach out more into the world, serving You by serving others.  Help us be more like Your Son Jesus, being more forgiving and merciful in our dealings with others.  Please strengthen our spirits to do Your will and help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what the world throws at us or holds out before us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave us the signs to watch for to indicate the end is near.  But more importantly, Lord, You cautioned us to always be ready for that time, to keep doing the mission You gave us, to continue living God’s will.  In this way we will not be caught off-guard when the Antichrist appears to the world.

Lord, we really do want to please.  We try to live as You would have us live, Lord, but sometimes we just get too caught up in the world around us and we lose sight of our mission.  Please forgive us our weaknesses, dear Jesus.  Forgive us our hesitation.  Please help us be more considerate and caring of others.  Help us as we go about spreading the Gospel message.  Help us share Your love by being more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving of others, offering aid when we can.  Not everyone believes in You, so it is our job to help them see the truth and believe.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others.  And heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

The Wondrous Cross

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 15th of September, 2024 - one day after Holy Cross Day.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Yesterday, Saturday, September the 14th, was Holy Cross Day on our Christian calendar.  This may be an unfamiliar holy day for you.  It was set aside to honor our Lord's suffering on the cross, suffering that He willingly accepted for the forgiveness of our sin and for our salvation

Today, we see the cross in and on Christian churches the world over.  It’s worn as jewelry by believers and even some non-believers.  But the cross did not become an accepted and regularly used symbol of Christianity until the 4th century, when it replaced the fish and other commonly used signs of the faith.

Some who practice the faith use the crucifix as their symbol, which has an image of the battered, bleeding, thorn-crowned Jesus still hanging there.  Our cross is empty, just like the tomb where His body was laid.

The Apostle Paul wrote two letters to the church in Corinth, a city in ancient Greece mostly populated by Greeks, Romans, and Hellenists.  The Greek people were vey interested in knowledge and philosophy was widely practiced and respected.  One of the key themes of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians involved giving more emphasis to love rather than knowledge.

But very early in this letter, Paul mentions the cross, and what it means to us, to believers.  Please listen and follow along to the words of the Apostle Paul in the 1st chapter of his 1st letter to the church in Corinth, verses 17 through 24, and I’ll be reading from the Contemporary English Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

17 Christ did not send me to baptize. He sent me to tell the good news without using words that sound wise and would make the cross of Christ lose its power.

18 The message about the cross doesn't make any sense to lost people. But for those of us who are being saved, it is God's power at work. 19  As God says in the Scriptures,

“I will destroy the wisdom

of all who claim

to be wise.

I will confuse those

who think they know

so much.”

20  What happened to those wise people? What happened to those experts in the Scriptures? What happened to the ones who think they have all the answers? Didn't God show that the wisdom of this world is foolish? 21  God was wise and decided not to let the people of this world use their wisdom to learn about Him.

Instead, God chose to save only those who believe the foolish message we preach. 22 Jews ask for miracles, and Greeks want something that sounds wise. 23 But we preach that Christ was nailed to a cross. Most Jews have problems with this, and most Gentiles think it is foolish. 24 Our message is God's power and wisdom for the Jews and the Greeks that He has chosen.

--1 Corinthians 1:17-24 (CEV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for choosing us to follow Your Son Jesus.  This is truly an undeserved blessing.  Sadly though, Father, we sometimes forget the message of the cross.  We hesitate to do the work Jesus left for us to do.  We know that we need to reach out to the non-believers around us, but too often we hesitate to do so.  Forgive us these times, Father.  Please help us be more obedient to Your and Your Son’s commands.  Give us the courage and the will to worship You with our proper service.  Help us as we step out into the world, offering aid where we can and witnessing to the non-believers, sharing the Good News and showing Your love.  And please forgive us when we hesitate to speak and act on behalf of You and our Lord Jesus out of fear or anxiety.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Thank You for forgiving and forgetting our sin.  Help us share the Good News of forgiveness and everlasting life in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

The name of the person who made this observation is unknown, but they noted that, “If you were to look at Rembrandt's painting of The Three Crosses, your attention would be drawn first to the center cross on which Jesus died.  Then as you would look at the crowd gathered around the foot of that cross, you'd be impressed by the various facial expressions and actions of the people involved in the awful crime of crucifying the Son of God.  Finally, your eyes would drift to the edge of the painting and catch sight of another figure, almost hidden in the shadows.  Art critics say this is a representation of Rembrandt himself, for he recognized that by his sins he helped nail Jesus to the cross.”

Jews are often accused of executing our Lord, but we are the ones who did the dirty work.  We Gentiles, in the persons of the Romans, humiliated Jesus, tortured Him, and nailed Him to a cross to die.  And every time we sin, by our every disobedience, we drive a nail into His hand.

But in the act of dying, Jesus defeated death.  And He did it for us, that we might never die.  Isaiah said it best: “He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment, He made us completely well.”

Maybe that’s each of us, standing there off to the side in Rembrandt's painting…

Paul says the message of the cross doesn’t make any sense to lost people – to the lost.  The New King James Versions phrases it that, “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing”.  But what is the message of the cross?

Well, it depends on who you ask.  To the Romans, the cross was a warning to anyone who would even think about upsetting the peace enforced by Rome.  To the world, a cross is where a man named Jesus was executed for his crimes.  And a little earlier, I alluded to what the cross says to us, we who believe.  It is a sign of God’s power in raising His Son from the dead, promising eternal life to all who follow Jesus.  But family, there’s another message of the cross of Jesus, and it is one He gave voice, one that has to do with following Him.

After Jesus had hand-picked His twelve disciples, He told them they were also to be His apostles, and He sent them out two-by-two to heal the people and spread the word about the kingdom of heaven.  Upon their return, He spoke some hard truths.  Listen to what Jesus told His chosen twelve, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew in the 10th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 37 through 39…

37  “If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than Me, you are not fit to be My disciples. 38  And unless you are willing to take up your cross and follow Me, you are not fit to be My disciples. 39  If you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you give it up for Me, you will surely find it.”

--Matthew 10:37-39 (CEV)

If we want to follow Jesus, truly follow Him, we must be willing to take up our cross, bear the load, not worrying about this life but giving our all to Jesus, just as He gave His all for us.

Much later in His ministry, after the feeding of the 5000 and then later the 4000, after Peter proclaimed that Jesus is the Christ, the long awaited Messiah, our Lord told His disciples of His upcoming death and resurrection.  At this point, He didn’t mention how His death would be carried out, but when He addressed His disciples and the gathered crowd, He hinted at the method of His impending execution.  Hear what the Apostle Mark recorded for us in verses 34 and 35 of the 8th chapter of his Gospel account…

34  Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and He said:

If any of you want to be My followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow Me. 35  If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for Me and for the good news, you will save it.

--Mark 8:34-35 (CEV)

We must forget about ourselves.  To save our life we must destroy it.  This doesn’t mean we need to develop amnesia or commit suicide.  No, He means we must let go of our self, our sense of self - we must destroy our sense of self.  We must give up selfishness and become selfless.  This is also a message of the cross to us, for this is one way we take up our cross so that we may follow Jesus, by giving ourselves to Him.

Crucifixion may not have first been devised by the Romans, but they certainly put it to horrific use as a means of torture and execution, intended as a deterrent against breaking the peace imposed by Imperial Rome.  They would leave the bodies hanging there for days as a warning to everyone who passed by.  To them, the message of the cross was, “This will be your fate if you cross us.”

But to us - we who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God – to we who follow Him, the message the cross sends is much different.  It is a show of God’s power and wisdom.  It is a wondrous sign that our Lord defeated death and conquered the grave, winning a victory that we will share in.

And it is also a message of God’s love.  For like Jesus said, “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.”

The message of the cross is not simply a saying or an ideal - it is a way of life.  Each and every day we may be challenged because of our faith.  We don’t know when we may once again have to lift our cross upon our shoulders and face the scorn of the non-believing world.  But if we find ourselves in that situation, let us willingly and gladly bear our load, giving of ourselves to Jesus.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, who bore the cross for us.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your own Son into the world to offer us forgiveness of our sin and life everlasting.  You used the cross to send us a message, one that the world cannot understand and thinks is foolish.  But we get it, Father.  We understand that the cross, the empty cross, is a clear sign of Your love for us and Your creation.  Thank You for sending this message.  Sometimes, though, dear Father, we lose sight of what You did for us through Your Christ Jesus.  We hesitate or even downright refuse to go out into the world sharing the Good News and making disciples.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  And forgive us when we can’t seem to let go of our sense of self, giving of ourselves to Jesus.  Please help us reach out more into the world, serving You by serving others.  Help us be more like Your Son Jesus, being more forgiving and merciful in our dealings with others.  Guide us around any pitfalls in this life and strengthen our spirits to do Your will.  And please help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  

Father, please shield us from Satan as he attacks our faith, trying to make us his own.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things, no matter what the world throws at us or holds out before us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You gave up Your mortal life there upon that cruel cross, and You did it for our sake, carrying out Your Father’s will.  Your cross is our sign of Your sacrifice, and of how You conquered death so that we too might have eternal life.  Lord, we really do want to please You and do the mission You gave us.  We try to live as You would have us live, Lord, but sometimes we just get too caught up in the world around us and we lose sight of the cross.  Please forgive us our weaknesses, dear Jesus.  Forgive us our hesitation.  Please help us be more considerate and caring of others.  Help us as we go about spreading the Gospel message.  Help us share Your love by being more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving of others, offering aid when we can.  Not everyone believes in You, so it is our job to help them see the truth and believe.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.

Lord Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations and all the false teachings.  Help us fend off his attacks.  Please help us be faithful and true to You, putting all our trust in You, all our hope in You.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Come Home

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered at Pilgrim Reformed Church on Sunday morning, the 8th of September, 2024 - homecoming Sunday at Pilgrim Reformed.  A recording of our service should be available on our YouTube streaming channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@pilgrimreformedchurch1992/streams.]

Family, any homecoming is a special occasion, a time for celebration.  It brings families back together.  It is especially delightful when a family member returns who has been away for a while, like a student gone off to college or a service member returning from a deployment.  Homecoming is even special if that returning member left out of anger or for the wrong reasons, or did something terribly wrong while they were away.  No matter its size or how its made up, a family that truly loves each other, where love is the key focus, is a forgiving family.

Let me tell you about a family I read of in the Gospels.  The story starts, though, as do so many of these stories, with the Pharisees and the scribes complaining about the things that Jesus said and did, finding fault in everything and anything about Him.  Because of their hyper attention, He taught the people in parables, using word pictures they could more readily understand.

Please listen and follow along to one parable Jesus shared with His followers and the people gather around Him, as recorded by the Apostle Luke in chapter 15 of his Gospel account, verses 11 through 24, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

11 Then Jesus said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’  And they began to be merry.”

--Luke 15:11-24 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Heavenly Father, we thank You for the example of a loving and forgiving father in our Bible.  This shows us how much You love us and will forgive us no matter how far afield we may roam as long as we return home to You.  Sadly though, Father, we don’t always share this message with others.  We know that we need to reach out to the non-believers around us, but too often we hesitate to do so.  Forgive us these times, Father.  Please help us be more obedient to Your and Your Son’s commands.  Give us the courage and the will to welcome anyone who comes home to You.  Help us as we step out into the world, offering aid where we can and witnessing to the non-believers, sharing the Good News and showing Your love.  And please forgive us when we hesitate to speak and act on behalf of You and our Lord Jesus.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand Your message today.  Thank You for forgiving and forgetting our sin.  Help us share the Good News of forgiveness and everlasting life in our daily walk.  This we pray in the precious name of Your Son, Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

The "Law of the Search" states that the first place to look for anything is the last place you'd expect to find it.  Henry Miller's corollary to that law is that objects are lost because people look where the objects are not instead of where they are.  But objects have no will of their own, and can only be lost when we misplace them, or forget where we put them.  People, on the other hand, can choose to be lost.  It is said that actor Marlon Brando wandered so much on his way to kindergarten each day, that his sister eventually had to walk him to class on a leash.

You know, sometimes we act like young Marlon.  We wander around, heading off in different directions, straying off the path we should be following.  And of course you know I’m not talking about walking to school, but about our spiritual walk through life.

If we’re not careful, if we wander too far afield, we just might get lost.  Unlike my reading glasses that I may think are “lost” when I can’t find them because they’re sitting on top of my head, wandering is a choice I make, whether consciously or unconsciously.  We need to be very careful of just how far we stray off that straight and narrow path.

Our scripture reading this morning is from what is known as the parable of the prodigal son.  The word "prodigal" means wasteful.  The prodigal son wasted all his inheritance on living the high life, and then found himself in trouble.  Broke and desperate, he hired himself out as a farm hand just for something to eat.  He finally sucked in his pride and returned home, hoping to at least be treated as well as the servants.  But his father welcomed him back with open arms and had a great feast prepared in his honor, for his son was home again.

One thing we see in this parable is that when the lost return home, a great celebration is in order.  Just before He spoke this parable of the prodigal son, in the opening 7 verses of the chapter, Luke reports…

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 receives 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.”

--Luke 15:1-7 (NKJV)

The parable of the lost sheep, of how the 99 are left while the one that is lost is searched for and found.  The shepherd celebrates and calls his friends and neighbors together.  Rejoice, for the lost has been found.  Rejoice, for the lost has come home.

In the 14th chapter of his Gospel account, the Apostle John records for us in verses 23 and 24 when Jesus is telling His disciples that He will soon be leaving them.  Jesus said…

23 “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.”

--John 14:23b-24 (NKJV)

Do we love Jesus?  Then we will keep His word, carry out His mission, follow His example.  And then we can come home.  Our true home is with God and Jesus.  No matter what we do, or what we have done, if we come home to Jesus we will always be welcomed.  This is unconditional love.  This is God’s love.

Come home.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord, the one true Son of God, the best example for us to follow.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, thank You for preparing a new home for us when we accepted Your Son Jesus as our Lord.  We know our home is with You, and we await the blessed day when we can come home.  Thank You for being so gracious to us.  Sometimes, though, dear Father, we don’t follow Your Son as closely as we should.  We wander off, chasing after some dream that the world put in our head.  Please forgive us these times, Father.  Forgive us when we stray from how we know we should live.  Please help us reach out more into the world, serving You by serving others.  Help us be more like You and Your Son Jesus, being more forgiving and merciful in our dealings with others.  And please help us do a better job of sharing Jesus with others so that they too may be saved by Your mercy and His sacrifice.  Help us be better servants, glorifying You in all we do so that the world can see You in us, through our deeds, in how we live.  And help us remain strong, faithful, and true to You in all things.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You showed us how to live by how You lived as You walked this earth as one of us.  You painted word pictures for us to make Your teachings more easily understood.  We try to live as You would have us live, Lord, but sometimes we just get too caught up in the world around us, we pay too much attention to what it says is important, and we wander.  Please forgive us our weaknesses, dear Jesus.  Forgive us our hesitation to serve as we should.  Please help us be more considerate and caring of others.  Help us share Your love by being more understanding, more merciful, more giving and forgiving of others.  Not everyone believes in You, so it is our job to help them see the truth and believe.  Give us the words to say, show us what to do to help bring the lost to You.

Lord Jesus, please shield our minds and our hearts from Satan’s lies and the world’s empty promises.  Guide us around all the devil’s traps and snares.  Help us see though his temptations and all the false teachings.  Help us fend off his attacks.  Heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.