Every Day Is Father's Day!

[The following was delivered at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, Locust, NC, on Sunday, June 20, 2010.]

Old Testament reading:

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.

Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.

"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." 

-- Genesis 22:1-12 (New International Version)

New Testament reading:


So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.

--Romans 8:1-4, 12-19 (New Living Translation)

Message scripture:


“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”

“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans — I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

-- John 14:1-21 (New Living Translation)

We all remember the story of Abraham. Originally named Abram, he and his wife Sarai lived out their lives with his extended family, having no children of their own. God speaks to Abram one day, telling him to pack up Sarai and his belonging and go to a place He'll tell them about later. Abram says “Sure thing, Lord.” and they head out for Canaan, accompanied by a nephew by the name of Lot and his wife, who later will become a real pillar of the community. No arguments, no questions, no recorded concerns, this couple in their mid-seventies simply did what God told them. Maybe the promise of a son, and an entire nation for that matter, helped persuade this childless couple. Along the way, God gives them new names and the promised son, Isaac. By that time, Abraham and Sarah had passed the century mark. Could you even imagine being a new parent at a hundred years of age? While Isaac was still a boy, God ordered Abraham to take the lad and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. Again, with no protestations recorded in Genesis, Abraham started out to do as he was told. Just as he raised the knife to take the life of his son, the son he had waited a hundred years for, the angel of the Lord stopped him. “Do not lay a hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

So was Abraham a good father? That he loved Isaac is evident in the Bible. But he was so readily willing to kill his son, seemingly without any questions or protest. How many of us fathers, if we heard a voice say, “Kill your son.”, would reply, “OK”, and go about the business of doing just that, no questions asked? The answer is that Abraham loved God even more than his own son. Just as promised, God rewarded Abraham's love and loyalty, making him the father of his nation, the father of an entire people, for that matter. We call George Washington the father of our nation, but Abraham was the father of a race and a religion.

And that nephew Lot mentioned earlier was also a father, of two daughters whom he obviously loved. Yet he offered these two virgin girls to an unruly mob that demanded to have sex with two visiting angels of the Lord. Lot loved his daughters, but he loved God more and wanted to protect His messengers in any way possible. Was Lot a good father?

Being a father is a tough job, one filled with many dangers and bearing tremendous responsibility. A father is supposed to be a provider, a protector, a leader, a guide, a teacher, a role model, and the Biblical foundation for the family, among other things. But a father must not be prideful or pretentious. His leadership must be one of sacrifice, not of force. He must know when to be gentle and when to be firm. He must be able to deal with small, developing children without being condescending. And like mothers, he must be able to figure all this out on his own because there are no instruction manuals.

The Old Testament relates many stories of men whose paternal skills leave a bit to be desired. Isaac fathered twins and let one fool him into giving his blessing and birthright to the younger rather than the older. That wily son, Jacob, fathered twelve sons of his own. He favored one over the others so much that they turned on the one and sold him into slavery, breaking old Jacob's heart. And a couple of mighty King David's sons tried to take the throne a little early, one by force and the other by trickery.

Fathers fare a little better in the New Testament, where they are often shown trying to get help for their children, taking them to Christ for healing. The little we know about Jesus' own earthly father, Joseph, indicates he was a good father, teaching Jesus the law and the scripture as well as a trade. What we do know about Joseph is that he was an exemplary husband, a very good man. His initial reaction to Mary's declaration of being with child not from a man but from the Holy Spirit was fairly typical: skepticism. But he loved God and relented when an angel came to him and explained the truth of the situation. And he indeed served well as Jesus' surrogate father.

We can all relate to these Biblical fathers, because we have all seen or heard of similar examples in our experiences. We know of great fathers and those that are downright terrible. Some perhaps dote too much over their offspring, others walked out of their child's life at a very early age and never looked back. Sadly, too many children don't even know who their father might be. In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul assures us that whether our earthly father has been present and active in our life or completely absent, we all have a Father in heaven who has willingly adopted us and calls us His children.

In Romans chapter 8 verses 1 through 4, Paul tells us that the law handed down through Moses could not save us from our own sinful nature, so God did what the law could not do. He sent His Son to save us. The Apostle John, in his chapter 3 verse 17, tells us that God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him the world might be saved. He accomplished this by sending Jesus not as an invincible warrior, not as God Himself in all His radiant glory, but as a man, in the fragile, destructible body of a man, a body just like the one that you and I wear. In this way Jesus was one of us. I can only imagine He knew all about growing pains, indigestion, insomnia, even heartbreak. God did this so that His law could still be fulfilled for us, if not by us.

Paul continues in verses 12 through 19 with a truly wonderful message, that of our adoption by God. He assures us that the sacrifice God and Jesus made on our behalf can free us from our sinful nature. We no longer have to give in to the urgings of Satan, we can resist them. For when Christ returned to the Father, He sent down the Holy Spirit to live within us and guide us just as Jesus did while He walked this earth. Paul further says that if we follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, then we are the children of God; the adoption is complete. Now we can call God “Abba, Father”. “Abba” is the familiar form of “father” in the Aramaic language of that day. It is like our endearments Daddy, Pop, Poppa, Dad. I personally have a little trouble calling the Lord of All Creation, the Maker of the universe and everything in it, Daddy, but that is what He wants. Why? He loves us, and wants us to love Him in return. He wants us to be comfortable with Him, to truly understand and realize that He cares for us as His own.

Now if God is our Father, what is Jesus but our Brother! As the Son of God, Jesus followed His role model's example. In John, chapter 5, verses 19b through 20a, our Savior says, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does.” Of course, Jesus took that a little further. Our Brother was beaten and suffered for us. Our Brother died and defeated death for us. Our Brother bodily rose from the grave for us. Our Brother took all our sins upon Himself and washed us clean with His blood so that we might be able to stand beside Him as together we face our Father on our day of judgment.

While it is sadly true that not all fathers care what fate may befall their children, most of us, even if we aren't perfect Dads, only want what is best for our offspring and will make any sacrifice trying to ensure their lives are better than ours. Jesus knew this sentiment even if He never experienced it personally. As we said, by all indications, Joseph was a good father to the young Jesus and probably did everything he could to ensure the lad's success in life. How tough a job would that be, trying to prepare God for the future? Jesus shows us He understands when in Matthew chapter 7 verse 11 He tells us, “Even though you are bad [sinful], you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him!”. So if you think you're a great Dad, just wait until you see what our heavenly Father has in store for us.

A good father will try to give his child what he is asked for, within reason, Jesus tells us our heavenly Father will do just that also. But a really great father will anticipate and plan for his child's needs. He will start a savings fund or a college fund when the child is still a baby. He'll get presents ahead of time for birthdays and Christmas. He will even get the family auto insurance upgraded before the kid gets a drivers license. He'll surprise his child with little things, pleasing things. God is a really great Father. We know if for no other reason than that Jesus tells us so. When He teaches us how to pray to God, He begins by telling us why we should pray. It isn't for the obvious reason, so that God will know what we need. In Matthew chapter 6 verse 8b, Jesus assures us that “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” No, like any other father, God just wants us to talk to Him, to build a relationship with Him, to spend time with Him, to get to know and understand Him better. God doesn't need us to tell Him anything; He already knows. The need to pray to God isn't His, it is ours. We need to talk to Him, to share our daily lives with Him, to grow in our love for Him. And unlike many earthly fathers, our heavenly Father is never too busy to stop and listen to our problems, our cares, our concerns. We wants nothing more than to hear about our triumphs and our defeats, our gains and our losses, our loves and our heartbreaks.

As for the great things our Father has in store for us, John offers a little insight in his first letter, chapter 3, verses 1 and 2: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” How wonderful to see God as He really is! Even His servant Moses had to hide in the cleft of the rock as He passed. As His children, He will reveal Himself to us in all His glory. Jesus adds to this as related by John in chapter 14 verse 21 of his Gospel: “The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who really loves Me; and whoever really loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and will reveal Myself to him. I will let myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.” Now this isn't so much a matter of seeing what God and Jesus physically look like, although that in itself would be truly awesome. No, it is more about seeing the inner being of God and His Son, their essence, their thought processes, their reasons for doing what they do. It is all about fully knowing our triune God.

“Don't let your hearts be troubled.”, Jesus comforts us in John 14. “Trust in God, and trust also in Me.” There is more than enough room in our Father's house, in His heart, for all of us, and when all is ready Jesus will come and take us home. We may often note how a child looks or acts just like their father. Jesus remarked on this also. By knowing the Son, we know the Father. And by loving Jesus, we find our way to our Father. There is no other way to our heavenly home than through Him. Christ goes on to say something remarkable: “I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.” (vs. 10 and 11) In this He says that He is not just following some example His Father set, but that He is actually following the instructions of His Father that is within Him. Now we know that we are children of God and a brother of Jesus, and we know that we have the Holy Spirit within us. So just like Jesus, we have the Father in us and we are in the Father! Praise the Lord, God is within each of us! Anything we ask in His name, He will do it so that the Son can bring Glory to the Father. But this gives us a certain responsibility as well. “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” (vs 12) This isn't to imply that Jesus expects more of us than He was able to perform, but that He will do great works through us if we love Him, backed by the extra strength and power of God our Father.

Jesus ends his message to us in John 14 by assuring us He will return to take us home. Unlike earthly fathers may do, our heavenly Father will not abandon us or leave us orphaned. Then He promises His love. “Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, My Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal Myself to each of them.”

Every child needs love. Studies have proven how development is delayed and a child may well become emotionally disturbed when they are not given love. Every child longs for the love of their father. Good fathers love their children without reservation, under any and all circumstances, regardless of what the child does or turns out to be. Unconditional love is a mark of a good father. Our heavenly Father is a great father. He loves us even when we ignore him, turn against Him, sin against Him. All He asks is that we love Him, and our brother Jesus, in return. What greater reward than to be loved by God.

There is a church choir tenor I know who, without fail every Mother's Day, when the preacher would proclaim Happy Mother's Day, would remark rather sarcastically, “Every day is Mother's Day”, referring to the special treatment he seemed to think women, and mothers especially, afforded themselves. After many years of this, one Father's Day he took his seat only to see a small hand-lettered sign taped to the back of the chair in front of him that read, “Every Day Is Father's Day!”. When the preacher welcomed us with a hearty Happy Father's Day, the three sopranos in front of my tenor friend turned, smiled sweetly, and intoned in perfect unison “Every day is Father's Day”.

Those words came to me as I considered what message to deliver today, when I wondered what God might want you to hear. “Every day is Father's Day” echoed in my head as clearly as if those lovely ladies were singing it in front of me. When we love our Lord and Savior, when we remember God is our Father and Jesus our Brother, when we hold Their commandments in our hearts and love Them with all that is within us and love our earthly brothers and sisters as much as we love ourselves, then every day is indeed Father's Day. Happy Father's Day, Lord! Happy Father's Day!

Amen.

Who Loves Ya, Baby?

[The following was delivered at Christ Community Church, Monroe, NC, on Sunday, May 16, 2010.]

Old Testament reading:


O nations of the world, recognize the Lord, recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory He deserves! Bring your offering and come into His presence. Worship the Lord in all His holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before Him. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.

Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!” Let the sea and everything in it shout His praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise, for the Lord is coming to judge the earth.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.

-- 1 Chronicles 16:28-34 (New Living Translation)


New Testament reading:

Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, who through our faith has brought us into that
blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory. We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope. And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out His love to fill our hearts. He gave us His love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us.

When we were unable to help ourselves, at the right time, Christ died for us, although we were living against God. Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die. But God shows His great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners. So through Christ we will surely be saved from God's anger, because we have been made right with God by the blood of Christ's death.

While we were God's enemies, He made us His friends through the death of His Son. Surely, now that we are His friends, He will save us through His Son's life. And not only that, but now we are also very happy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we are now God's friends again.

-- Romans 5:1-11 (New Century Version)


Message scripture:

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 4:9-11 (New International Version)

In the mid-70s, Telly Savalas starred in the title role in the television crime drama “Kojak”. One of TV's first characters with a completely shaven head, Lt. Theo Kojak had a fondness for lollipops and at least once a show uttered his trademark line, “Who loves ya, baby?”, usually asked of one of his subordinates after solving a case, making an arrest, or doing some other type of favor, and always with the implied answer that Kojak loves you. Someone truly does love us, and it isn't a television character.

Who loves us? God loves us, every one of us. How do we know? Just as it says in the children's hymn: Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. The scripture I just read assures us of God's great love for us, His ever faithful love, His enduring love. One translation of Romans has Paul explaining the depth of this love when he notes that Jesus came to us while we were God's enemies to make us God's friends again. Did we become friends of God because of something we did, something we said, maybe our good deeds and acts of kindness to others? No! John reminds us it isn't that we love God that really matters. It's that God loves us! That is what makes all the difference. God loves us, and He loves us so much He sent His one and only Son so that we might live through Him.

Arguably, the best known and most often recited verse in the Christian Bible is John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This is what John is referring to in his first letter, this is how God showed His love among us. But how many are familiar with the next verse, John 3:17? This is one of my favorites. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

When talk of a Messiah started spreading out before Jesus as He traveled, preached, taught, healed, performed miracles, the people looked to the prophesies of old and interpreted them to mean a mighty conqueror would come, someone to deliver them from cruel tyranny. Some have conjectured that Judas turned Jesus in to the authorities to get Him to act, to become that great deliverer, the warrior king they anticipated. At any time during His ordeal, Jesus could have called down an overpowering army from heaven, God could have intervened and crushed Rome and all who opposed our Lord. But God did not send a warrior to condemn and conquer the world, He sent a Lamb to love and save the world.

I sometimes worry that we tend to focus too much on punishment, on what happens if we are sinful. Do we usually react to bad behavior with a threat of retribution? Isn't it rather common to hear a parent say, “You just wait until your father gets home!”, or “When I get you home you will regret making a scene in public.”? Sometimes those words come from our own mouths, in one form or another, for one reason or another. It starts when we're young and continues throughout our lives. We don't act up in class so we don't have to sit at our desk during recess. We don't sass our parents to keep from getting grounded. We don't speed so we avoid getting a ticket and having our insurance rates skyrocket. And in his Book of Revelation, John tells us how those who turn their backs on Jesus are punished. We are cautioned about that a lot, aren't we? We are warned to do good and keep God's commandments and obey Christ so we don't end up in that lake of fire for all eternity. The threat of ultimate punishment even comes from the pulpit at times. And that is all well, for sometimes we need those little reminders.

But is that really what God has in mind? I truly feel the main theme running throughout the New Testament is inescapable and is that God loves us! He doesn't want to punish us. He didn't send Jesus to condemn us to eternal damnation. He sent Jesus to save us from just that harsh fate. John 3:16 and 17 say just that, in no uncertain terms. It would take all day to talk about all the verses that reference God's love in the Bible, but let me provide just a few.

From the New International Version, more from John's first letter, chapter three, verses one and two: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” Think about that for a moment, about how great an honor it is to be called a child of the Almighty God. Isn't that a sign of His love, that He would call us His children, and want us to call Him by the familiar endearment “Daddy” (Abba)?

From the New King James Version of Romans 8:28, Paul encourages us with this truth: “And we know that all things work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” That ties it all together. God loves us and will shower us with His grace and goodness when we love Him in return. No matter how bad a situation seems, God will make something good come out of it for us.

John gives a little more definition to this, in chapter 14, verse 21, this time reading the words of our Christ as rendered in the Amplified Bible: “The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who really loves Me; and whoever really loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and will reveal Myself to him. I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.” Is Christ real to you?

And what are Christ's commands? A Pharisee once asked Jesus what is the greatest commandment, an exchange recorded in Matthew chapter 22, verses 34 through 40. Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV)

What does it mean, this word “love”? Paul gives us a solid guide in scripture often read during wedding ceremonies: 1 Corinthians 13, particularly in verses four through eight. “Love is patient.” Is God patient with us? Certainly! He could have crushed us effortlessly when we persecuted His Son. He could destroy all of humanity more easily than we can squish an ant. His patience is evident throughout the Bible, both for nations of people and for individuals. He gives us chance after chance to do what is right, even when we deserve no chances.

“Love is kind.” Think of the many miracles Jesus performed, all the people He healed and helped. All these represent acts of great kindness. Even as He hung upon the cross, gasping for breath, He extended a loving kindness to a convicted criminal by reassuring him that salvation was his.

“Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” What could we possibly have that God, the Creator of all things, could envy us for? What could He want that He could not simply wish into existence? But the point is that God, in the person of Jesus Christ, did not do this. He came as a humble servant, seeing to the needs of others, washing the feet of those who strove to follow Him.

“It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered.” We know from the Bible, and personal experience, that anger is to be expected as a human emotion. For example, Job grew angry at God but God did not hold that against him. He patiently explained that Job was not capable of understanding the reasons for all God did. Even Jesus once showed anger, when He chased the merchants and money changers from the temple, to chastise them for making it a den of thieves. He was not rude, He was direct. And He was not self-seeking, He was doing the work of His Father. So yes, anger can be expected and even understood to a degree. But the point is that it took a great deal to anger Jesus, and He expects us to be patient and cautious, not to let our anger grow too fast or too strong that it overwhelms us and rules our minds. For unbridled anger can destroy lives.

“It keeps no record of wrongs.” This is surely God's love in practice. The Bible instructs us that when we sin, when we go against God's wishes and commands, if we realize what we did was truly bad, if we turn from that behavior and not continue along that path, if we hate that we did it, then we need only confess our sin to God and ask His forgiveness. He will not only forgive, He will forget that it ever happened! One definition of “forget” is to purposely ignore. When we repent and humbly seek God's forgiveness, He will forgive us for acting against Him and deliberately ignore that we did so. He loves us that much.

“Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.” God goes to great lengths to give us the truth, to make sure we have the truth in our hands to use as defense against evil. His word in our Holy Bible is the truth. His Son is the truth in the flesh. God hates evil, and despairs when His children fall to evil ways. But He and all heaven rejoice when we turn back to Him and reject the evil one.

“It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd in John chapter 10. A shepherd protects his flock, guards it from danger, goes to great lengths to find a sheep when it strays. And a shepherd is on duty as long as he is with his flock. Jesus is with us always, as He promised. The Holy Spirit is with us always, inside us. God is with us always, for He is everywhere and exists forever, even before time itself began and after time ends.

“Love never fails.” And this is the ultimate sign of God's love, that it never fails us. His love endures forever. His faithfulness to us knows no boundary. He offers us the greatest love and the most wonderful rewards if we only believe in Him and love Him in return, following the path and the example of His beloved Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus told us, in John chapter 13 verses 34 and 35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (New American Standard Bible) By loving one another, by obeying this command, we glorify Jesus and our heavenly Father and give others a reason to look into this Christianity thing to see what it is all about. We can be like God in this one way, by loving one another as He loves us.

One more quality we can give to love is that love hurts. Who hasn't had their heart broken by someone they loved? Who hasn't been hurt or felt betrayed when their love wasn't returned? How horribly Jesus must have hurt, in His heart, when the very people He came to save shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” His heart must have broken when they chose to free Barabbas rather than Him, even though He knew that exact sequence of events must transpire. Yes, love can hurt.

And finally, love means sacrifice. When we truly love someone, we are willing to give anything and everything for them, even our lives. God made this sacrifice for us, giving us His only Son that we might be saved by His love. Jesus made this sacrifice for us, taking a beating for our sins, dying a horrible death in our place, defeating death so that we would have the chance to live forever.

Jesus said, “My command is this: Love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command.” (John 15:12-14 NIV) Jesus did that for us. He laid down His life for us. Why? Because He loves us and considers us His friends.

No matter what happens in our lives, no matter what we may have done in the past, we can awaken every morning and go to bed every night knowing that we are loved, truly loved. Who loves ya, baby? God loves you.

Amen.

In the words of John from Revelation 1:5c-6 (NKJV): “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Fear!

[The following formed the basis of the sermon delivered at Christ Community Church, Monroe, NC, on Sunday, January 24, 2010.]

Psalm 23 (King James Version)
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Psalm 56 (New International Version)
1 Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack.
2 My slanderers pursue me all day long; many are attacking me in their pride.
3 When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
5 All day long they twist my words; they are always plotting to harm me.
6 They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, eager to take my life.
7 On no account let them escape; in your anger, O God, bring down the nations.
8 Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll — are they not in your record?
9 Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help. By this I will know that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise-
11 in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
12 I am under vows to you, O God; I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (New International Version)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Fear! Who doesn't face fear at some point? Many people live in fear almost constantly. My father, the last few years of his life on earth, worried constantly about the least little thing. Worry is a form of fear, a fear that eats away at you from the inside and shows itself physically in sleepless nights, shaking hands, tear filled eyes. Even the Bible seems preoccupied with fear, its authors using that word, along with others like terror, panic, and being afraid, enough times to almost make us ... well, afraid. But there are even more times when the simple words “no” or “not” are included. Phrases like “Be not afraid”, “Fear not” and “Have no fear” abound in wonderfully encouraging frequency.

Why can we take comfort and assurance in those words? The prophet Elisha may have put it best. When faced with a vast army of men, horses, and chariots, Elisha remarked, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” -- 2 Kings 6:16 (NKJV) And who is always with us? Who is always on our side? God, of course. And God is definitely more than any number that could be arrayed against us. How do we know this? The Apostle Paul told us so, in his letter to the church in Rome, chapter 8, verse 31: “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31b KJV)

Music has always played (pun fully intended) a huge role in my life. So I can personally take solace and delight that many songs address this issue of fear, and how to handle it. Are you familiar with the hymn "Spirit of the Living God"? The third verse goes like this:

Holy presence, love divine, cast out my fear.
Holy presence, love divine, cast out my fear.
Shield me, free me, call me, lead me.
Holy presence, love divine, cast out my fear.

And how about the contemporary Christian song by the Newsboys, with the chorus:

God is watching over you, as always;
You are loved whatever you go though;
He's right beside you.

Even some of our more contemporary leaders have addressed being afraid, although usually taking a more secular approach. In 1933, during the depths of our country's depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to reassure a worried, fearful nation. In his first inaugural address, he spoke the words that now most are so familiar with: “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.

Have you enjoyed all the college football bowl games, and the pros in their play-offs? Are you really looking forward to the Super Bowl? How many of you play or have played football? Football is a great sport. I know it's probably a “guy thing”, but where else can you go and beat up on someone for a couple hours, and not end up in jail? It doesn't matter that you are on one team facing another team, when it gets right down to crunch time, it is just you going up against one other person that is determined to stop you from what you are trying to do. Offense or defense, it is one man battling another. If you manage to get past the one, there will be another, usually, to take his place in the fight. If you are really good at what you do, seemingly unstoppable, they may throw two or three or more against you at a time. You get tired, bruised, maybe even bloodied, but still you keep pushing, you keep driving, you keep fighting. For in the end, if you are stronger and better than your opponent, you will win. But the second you begin to feel a little fear of your adversary, he has you where he wants you and you are defeated, you've lost.

Isn't that a great analogy of our mortal life? We constantly battle a horrific foe, a terrible opponent, one who is every bit as determined to stop us as we are to escape his clutches. Satan is our adversary and his minions form the team against us. Our family and close friends, our brothers and sisters in the church, all form our team, and a formidable team it is. But no matter how many we may have standing with us, Satan just always seems to have more coming against us. Still we keep driving, we keep fighting. But we MUST NOT show fear. And we should not fear, for we have a secret weapon on our side, we have a player Satan himself once tried to recruit but failed. We have Jesus Christ, the Son of God, against Whom no one and no thing can stand! We have the best coach imaginable, the Holy Spirit within us. And our owner is none other than God Himself. This, my friends, is an unbeatable team! There is absolutely no reason to fear Satan and his followers because they can never defeat us as long as we play on the same team as our star player Jesus, as long as we listen to our Coach, as long as we heed the words of our Owner. “Fear not, for I am with you!” (Genesis 26:24c ESV)

Some pastors try to motivate us by instilling “the fear of the Lord” in us, by preaching about all the pain and suffering we will receive if we are doomed to hell because we are such horrible sinners or don't believe in Christ. But that isn't really what Jesus told us, is it? Didn't He talk about love all the time? When asked by a Pharisee what is the greatest commandment, our Savior replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40 NIV) So you see, God doesn't necessarily want you to fear Him, He wants you to love Him. He wants you to love Him so much that you want to be with Him, and He with you, forever and ever, through all eternity. This is heaven: to be embraced within the love of God for eternity. So hell must be the opposite: the complete and utter absence of God's love forever.

John, the beloved of Christ, writes in his first letter: “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:16-19 NIV)

Why fear, when you are loved? Why fear, when you can love? In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul assures us, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (NKJV) And we are reminded by God Himself in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Other scripture that deal with fear and the strength and love of God abound.

From Proverbs, the instructions manual for humans: “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” -- Proverbs 29:25 (NIV)

In the 34th Psalm, verses 19 and 22 (NIV), David assures us: “19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all. 22 The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.” -- Psalm 34:19, 22 (NIV)

Peter, the strong, fiery fisherman, exhorts us: “6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” -- 1 Peter 5:6-11 (NIV)

Amen.

Of Mercy and Gratitude

[The following was submitted to the Ordination Board as a sample sermon.]

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

-- 1 Timothy 1:12-17 (NLT)

I find it so easy to relate to Paul, to see my life through his, perhaps because he laid his life completely open for us to read and inspect. He hid nothing from our eyes, exposing all his faults, bringing the skeletons in his closet into plain view in the living room. In his many letters, he listed his weaknesses, his doubts, his failings, his mistakes. And most importantly for all who call themselves Christian, Paul admitted his sins to all the generations to follow who would casually glance through his letters or pore over his words. How many of us would dare to note our transgressions in writing for anyone and everyone to see? Who among us would readily confess to blaspheming the name of our Christ, to persecuting His followers, sending them to prison and even to their deaths? Paul was a courageous man, a man of immeasurable strength of character, a man without fear. Yet you would never know it from his own admissions.

In his Book of the Acts of the Apostles, Luke describes Saul as a young Pharisee, one who watched over the cloaks of those who stoned Stephen. He tells how Saul showed great dedication and zeal while carrying out the plan of stopping this new Way dead in its tracks. Luke puts it quite succinctly: “But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.” (Acts 8:3 NIV) Saul was intent on destroying the Church, with a capital “C”. Not some building somewhere, not one isolated congregation off in the Gentile lands. No, Saul would have liked nothing better than to have been solely responsible for bringing down the Body of Christ left on earth, and trampling it into the dust of history.

But then an amazing thing happened. As Saul headed to Damascus with the goal of taking more Christians prisoner, Jesus came to Him in a blinding flash of light, asking “Why do you persecute Me?” (Acts 9:4b NIV) The next few days proved pivotal for Saul, as he came to know Jesus as the true and trustworthy risen Savior through Christ's words and actions, working through Saul and through others to effect the conversion. Paul emerged from the shattered and broken form of Saul. You might say that Paul was the resurrection of Saul, for through Christ he was reborn, his spiritual life revived from the dead of spirit, his once cold heart softened and revitalized, his closed mind opened to a new truth.

Like many of us today, Paul found it somewhat difficult to accept this beautiful gift of grace. God, in the person of the risen Jesus, could just as easily have struck Saul dead right where he stood on that dirt road to Damascus. The Lord could have ended a major source of persecution with one blow, even making an example of him to his companions. After all, they heard the voice of Jesus even though they could see no one and likely did not really understand the words, like a conversation barely audible from another room. But instead of striking him dead on the spot, Jesus had other plans for Paul, better plans.

Why did God spare him? Haven't we asked ourselves that question at one time or another, maybe in a slightly different form? I certainly have. I can think of at least three definite instances that I should not have survived. One in particular came behind the wheel of an out-of-control truck careening down the highway aimed directly at a flooded section covering about a half-mile over a stream. Each attempt I made to gain control, the rain-slick roadway thwarted. Finally, feeling the weight of my rig shifting to one side and knowing it was about to flip, I gave up. I lifted my hands from the steering wheel, raised them before me, and said “OK, God, it's all yours. There's nothing else I can do.” Since I am still standing you can pretty much assume that I lived through this little event. But you cannot guess what happened next. Did the truck flip and roll down the highway? Did the fuel spill and ignite? Were others injured due to my driving too fast under inclement conditions? Nope. None of the above. As soon as the words left my mouth, the truck righted itself. It stopped sliding and immediately straightened out on the road, slowing to a stop in the middle of the blacktop within yards of where the flooding began. No one was hurt, nothing was damaged. I gave my physical well-being to God and in that instant He spared me. Why?

I wish I could say that I dedicated my life to Jesus that day. Sadly, it just left me with more questions. Paul, though, faced no such indecision. Once he saw the light, figuratively and literally, he fully gave himself to the service of Christ and His Church. How I would like to have been a witness on the day when Paul first faced the Disciples to tell them of his conversion and commitment. Can you even imagine the tension that must have filled that assembly? The hunter of Christians now humbly standing before his prey. But with God's help, Paul convinced the leaders of the early Church of the honesty of his conversion and his commission to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Paul was also a man of unshakable faith. That truth is easily found in his letters. His amazement at God's mercy and grace comes across vividly in his words, in the stirrings of his heart placed on paper. “How generous and gracious our Lord was!”, he exclaims. “God had mercy on me”, he speaks softly, eyes downturn with the thoughts of just how much he had done against this very God who would forgive him. “I am the worst (sinner) of them all”, he admits, with a tear in his eye. I can almost see him shaking in barely contained grief and self-recrimination. Then his heads lifts slowly, a look of surprise and awe growing over his face. “But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me.” Almost as if trying to convince himself that it indeed happened, Paul affirms twice in this short passage that God showed him mercy. Why?

The risen Christ came to Saul on that fateful day, blinded him, and showed him the truth. Once broken, Paul could serve the Lord, just as the two small loaves of bread, once broken, served the Lord in feeding over five thousand people. On that rainy day when God took control of my truck and saved my life, I was shaken, and grateful, but not quite convinced. At that time, I really did not know the extent of my ignorance, did not really understand how Jesus could be my personal savior. That came many years later, when one lonely night, trembling in a darkness of my own making, my life a shambles around me, the light struck me much as it did Paul that day long ago, filling my soul with its radiance, giving me sight rather than blinding me. There on my knees I gave my physical and spiritual life completely to Christ. And suddenly the room seemed to brighten. A tremendous weight lifted from my heart. A moment before, my life had been careening out of control down a slippery highway. I bowed my head and said, “OK, God. I'm all yours.” Immediately the Lord took control and pulled me safely to His side. So like Paul, I stand in awe of our gracious and merciful God who could forgive even the worst of sinners like me. Like Paul, I can affirm to how Christ saved me. Why?

I believe Paul would understand my love for a wonderful Christian hymn, one that so clearly describes how he and I feel when we consider what God has done for us:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
'Twas blind, but now I see.

God in His mercy looked down and saw me in my wretched state, lost and wandering through life like a sheep without a shepherd. Blinded by the bright lights of the world of man, I could not see the truth of the Light of the Son of Man. Then, by His grace, God spared me. Why?

Paul answers this question I've asked so many times now. Why? “So that Christ Jesus could use me”. Paul believed without a shadow of a doubt that God saved him so that Christ could make use of him. While we know from reading of the many works of Paul in Luke's Book of Acts and can gather even more insight into his efforts for our Lord through his letters, he tells us clearly that the primary purpose he could serve for Jesus is as an “example of His great patience with even the worst sinners”. Like Paul. Like me. And what is the result of such an example? “Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in Him and receive eternal life.” How great is that! Isn't that the very best news we could ever spread? Even the worst sinners can believe in Jesus and receive eternal life! We are all sinners, all subject to the original sin and separation from God. Once we realize that God loves us enough to save even sinners like us, then we can show others by our very example that they too can be saved and receive the most wonderful gift of life eternal with our Savior.

Paul fully understood that serving our Lord would not be easy. In the opening verse of our message text he thanks Jesus for the strength he needs to do Christ's work. In this Paul assures us that Jesus knows just how difficult our assignments may be, so He gives us the endurance to persevere and complete our mission. When discussing the saga of Paul, the Book of Acts reads almost like an adventure novel. He faced the greatest adversities imaginable. Standing before the Disciples and elders for the very first time after his conversion might have left Paul nervous, sweating and shaking as he tried to explain how he could possibly now love and follow the very movement he had sought to destroy, but that may well have been the easiest challenge of his remaining years. He traveled all over the countryside on his missionary trips throughout Asia Minor. He was chased, scorned, beaten, shipwrecked, arrested, imprisoned, and executed. You can hear the exhaustion in his voice as he pens his later letters. Yet he seldom complained. He did note that he asked God three times to take away an affliction, his “thorn in the side”. But even that he considered a blessing, thanking God for allowing it. “Pray without ceasing”, Paul said. “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 NKJV) Yes, Paul needed an endless reservoir of strength to withstand all he faced for Christ's sake, to carry out the mission Jesus assigned him. And he never once forgot just where that strength came from, from what source he gained the courage to rise and face each new day: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

For all of this, with everything he has been through and seen, Paul praises God for filling him with the faith and love that comes directly from our Savior. He even tells us the reason why, because Jesus considered him trustworthy and appointed him to serve our Lord. Jesus has also appointed each of us, whether we realize it or not, to serve our Lord in some role. At the very least, we all share the responsibility of representing Jesus by loving each other as He loves us. For some, as it did for Paul, Christ's desires and expectations of us go far beyond this starting point. God has given each of us special gifts, certain talents. We can ignore them, we can employ them to our own benefit, or we can use them to advance the Kingdom of God. As in all areas, the choice is ours; free will is at work. Some have the gift of authentically relating to others, giving them comfort and peace in times of turmoil. Some are given the voice of angels, able to lift praises to God with beautiful singing or playing of musical instruments. Some are endowed with a creative flair, able to turn words into great works of art. Some share a gift of communication and can lift the hearts of man with powerful speeches. Some are drawn to the pulpit, answering the call of God to use the gifts they have so graciously been given, combined with the strength from Jesus, all to serve Him.

Everyone is given a gift, not to hold and treasure but to share with the world so that through us others might see the Light of Christ Jesus. We are given the strength to carry that gift even in the face of adversity, even when those with whom we most need to share it oppose us. And even though we are sinners, we have been deemed trustworthy and appointed by Him who came to serve God's will, to fulfill His commission. Oh, how generous and gracious our God is! He fills us with the faith and love that comes from Jesus our Christ. All honor and glory to God, forever and ever. Amen.

Ordination

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you.

-- John 15:15-16  (KJV)

On Sunday, December 6, 2009, I was ordained into the ministry of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at St. James Reformed Church in Mount Pleasant, NC. Presiding over the service was the Reverend John H. Bigelow, my sponsor and the Pastor of St. James. Delivering the message was the Reverend Dr. Steve Disher, Pastor of St. Paul's Reformed Church in Newton, NC, and Board member of the Evangelical Association of Reformed and Congregational Christian Churches. The following is a plain text version of the ordination paper I prepared and presented to the Ordination Board.

Ordination Paper Guidelines

The accompanying Ordination Paper should address the following points of discussion:

Introduction: A concise statement of your personal journey, Christian experience, and your call to the ministry. Explain why it is that you are pursuing ordination.

The World to which the Gospel Speaks: Your understanding of creation, nature, humanity, free will, sin and evil.

The Nature of the Gospel: What is the Good News? How do you understand the nature of revelation? How do you understand the authority of both the Old Testament and the New Testament?

How do you articulate the doctrines of the faith: God Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Providence, covenant, judgment and suffering, grace and salvation, hope and eschatology?

The Movement of the Gospel into the World: What is the mission of the Church? What is your understanding of the Church in its local, denominational, and ecumenical expressions? How do you understand the Lord’s Supper and Baptism? What are the social implications of your own history and beliefs and the Church’s mission? What are your primary religious, moral, and ethical concerns? Be explicit about your beliefs concerning ministry with both individuals and structures.

ORDINATION PAPER

For

Richard R. Moore

Prepared for

St. James Reformed Church

In the Beginning

Perhaps uncharacteristic of those who pursue the calling to enter pastoral ministry, my early childhood was not marked by devout training in nor adherence to a religious life. While my family occasionally attended Sunday services, it never seemed all that important, and would easily become a second option if another activity presented itself. Baptized in the Christian faith, I believed in God and knew about Jesus and heaven and hell, but the finer points eluded my grasp. The lack of emphasis placed upon the Church kept me blissfully ignorant, allowing me to enjoy a carefree childhood, oblivious to the concept of a personal Savior.

I first stepped onto the road I now travel in my early teens. The Pastor of the church I attended took particular notice of me, apparently seeing something in me that spurred him to ask if I would at least consider pursuing my higher education at a Divinity School. The last thing I thought about at that stage of my life was college, but I agreed when he offered to drive me to visit Bob Jones University, at his own expense. To say I felt unmoved would be an understatement. Two years later I chose Bible Studies as an elective in high school. My instructor seemed to see something in me that prompted him to ask if I had ever considered a life in the ministry. Yeah, right, me a minister. I should add at this point that I was somewhat of a handful as a youth, constantly getting myself into some sort of mischief or another. I did not exactly consider myself “preacher material”. I smiled politely at my instructor, grinning on the inside at the absurdity of the question, and finished the course with a solid “A”. During my senior year, my English teacher gave me a funny look, seeing something in me that caused her to wistfully say, “There's just something about you...”, as she tried to ignite my interest in creative writing. Her persuasions fell on deaf ears, for I had no desire to extend my education past high school.

Do you see a pattern in this brief history? It repeated over the years of my young adulthood, in lessening frequency, with other men and women of God seeming to see something within me that I did not see when studying the image in the mirror. I married, started a family, and lost my wife to cancer. I remarried too hastily and divorced nearly as quickly. I remarried once more, gained additions to my family, adopted an adult son, slowly drifted apart, and divorced yet again. Middle age settled in. Though accomplished in my career as a computer engineer, my life lay in ruins at my feet.

Slowly I began to realize that the lessons I failed to learn in childhood now haunted my days and stained my life. I knew of God and the Ten Commandments. I had read the Bible from cover to cover. I knew of Jesus and the straight and narrow path. But I did not know God, I did not know Jesus. I understood then just how far I had strayed from that path Jesus laid for us to follow. The laws of Moses had become nothing more than loose guidelines in my adherence to them. I had replaced God with the wonders of the world, the pleasures of the flesh. My sins were uncountable. And this Godless life I led had cost me dearly.

With this realization came a clarity of purpose, a determination to rebuild my life, but this time with God's help and a greater focus on Him. I prayed and gave my life to Him. I returned to the Bible, now to learn more about this man called Jesus. One night, with God's hand directing me, I finally looked up and saw the truth. I understood and accepted Jesus as the Christ, my Lord and personal Savior, and knew for certain that I could no longer live without Him. That night, now thoroughly humbled, I gave myself completely to Christ, His servant, to do as He might will.

And soon an old familiar pattern reemerged. First one then another and another, good people began to comment about something they could almost see within me, asking about my role in Christ's Church. It began to dawn on me, thanks to my renewed reading of the Scripture, that these seemingly random events all tied together in one source. What could all this be but a request from God, urgings by His Holy Spirit within me, compelling me in a direction He would have me take. He first asked when I was a child, and I ignored Him. Each time He prodded, I refused to budge. One evening with time to kill before a meeting, I picked up a little book from our church library, “The Christian Ministry” by Rev. C. W. Warlick. Reading while standing in front of the bookcase, Rev. Warlick grabbed my attention on page 19 when he asked, “And now, dear reader, this thought, you who have experienced His appearance, doubtless time and again, and who have heard His call to become His follower as a minister and as a witness, why the delay, why the indecision, why have you refused?” This book, written in 1910, spoke directly to me, and I had no answer. Maybe I just never understood the call. A few pages further on, Rev. Warlick continued, “Has Jesus never appeared to you, my reader, with the call to witness for Him behind the pulpit or in whatever sphere a minister may or does work?” Yes, I suppose He has in a way, but I ignored Him. “And if so, was there no motive on the part of Christ for appearing and laying before you the call?” God has a reason for everything, right? “Most assuredly there was, and the motive was simply this, to make you a minister of His salvation to others. What a glorious prospect!” Glorious indeed! I could ignore the call no longer, the time for hesitation long past. A little over two years ago, after our pastor and my own daughter echoed those words spoken so long before, I agreed to follow God's call, and enrolled in seminary classes. Like Moses and the children of Israel, I wandered aimlessly in a wilderness of my own making for over forty years before God led me to His river. In the darkness of my self-made misery, Jesus took pity. When presented with two small loaves of bread and five fishes that had moments before been lunch for a small boy, Jesus took the bread and, thanking the Father, broke it and fed over five thousand people. Just as He could not use the bread until He had broken it, He could not use me until I knelt broken at His feet.

My decision to enter seminary and seek the ministry did not come easily. Is this really what God would have me do? My answer comes from Jesus. He reassures me of this assignment when He says, “You did not choose Me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last.” (John 15:16a CEV) I know of no greater service I can offer God or my fellow man than to spread the good news, to plant the seed that will bear eternal fruit.

God Created the Heavens and the Earth

When I tired of the nomadic life of driving a truck, I entered college where I studied the sciences and engineering, graduating with honors as an Electrical Engineer. Some ask how I can reconcile my training in the scientific approach with the Biblical story of Creation. For me the answer is simple: science offers no sufficient argument nor plausible explanation as to how the known universe came into being. The Big Bang Theory posits that an infinitesimal point contained all the mass of the universe that was released in an instant to form the ever expanding cosmos. It does not explain, though, from where that mass within that small dot originated, nor what caused the explosion. Such an unlikely event is far less believable than an intelligent, omnipotent Creator breathing life into all that is by uttering the words, “Let there be light.” The very creation of the natural world, by any method, requires the existence of a Creator before the act of creation. Such a Creator existed before time began and will exist after time ends. This Creator is God, the one and only true God.

Mankind is a part of this natural world, another creation of God. He was very careful in the making of man for He loves us as a Father loves His child, creating us in His own image, that of His spiritual being. God created the angels as well, very special creatures whose sole purpose is to worship God and serve Him. Man is also a special being, given the very Spirit of God when He breathes life into us. But God gave us a trait, a feature, denied even to the angels. He gave us free will. He gave us the choice to love Him in return, to worship and serve Him as do the angels, or to not love Him. Why? Because He loves us. And what better way to see if someone truly loves you than to allow them to not love you if that is their choice. Our Father gives us that choice: to love Him or not, to serve Him or not.

Since we are given that choice, it only follows that some will indeed love and follow God while some will not. Those who do not follow God may well be likely to resist His will, even to rebel against Him. An angel named Lucifer once managed to break from his mold and to think that he could be as good, as powerful, as all-knowing as God. He convinced others of his kind to follow him. God expelled these misguided angels from heaven, but decided to use Lucifer to provide mankind with a further choice for our free will. Given reign over the physical world, Satan and his minions prowl the depths of humankind, fomenting trouble, wreaking havoc at every turn, whispering into ears promises of worldly treasures, tempting souls, drawing God's beloved children further and further from the path of righteousness. Evil exists, even in a world created by a loving God. God is outside of the world, not of the world. It was created by Him and given to man as our garden. Lucifer was given rule over this natural world so that man could have a true choice, and by choosing God could show our true devotion and love to our heavenly Father and Creator. A loving parent will teach their child to ride a bicycle, knowing full well that the child will fall off and be injured at some point, because the parent knows that is the only way for the child to learn, to grow. In the same way, our heavenly Father allows us to do things that surely make Him cringe, acts He knows we will be hurt by or use to hurt others, acts including the most horrible evils imaginable, because by experiencing these we can learn, and grow, and better come to love Him. But we need not fear for more than this earthly life. God is in full control. Evil will be punished, and those who love Him will be rewarded. The words of the Revelation to John may frighten some, but they offer encouragement and assurance to those who believe in Jesus.

I Bring You Good News of Great Joy

Satan wasted no time stalking God's most loved creation. The serpent whispered into Eve's ear, promising what he knew not to be true, tempting her to disobey the only thing God asked of them, goading her to take a bite of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, convincing her to give Adam a bite. At that fateful moment, a great chasm opened between God and His creation. Sin entered the world and left a canyon so wide, nothing man could do could ever span the gap. Satan tasted victory. Had he managed to deny this supposed all-powerful God the love of His creation? Did he drive an immovable wedge between God and mankind? Did he pull man from his heavenly Father for all time? No, not at all. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever will believe in Him will have everlasting life.

The original sin of Adam and Eve created a rift between man and God. No longer could man walk freely with God, nor talk with Him as with another man. No longer could they be in physical proximity as they were in the Garden. Man disobeyed God, and alone he could never repair the damage done. Ah, but God had a plan. For thousands of years man wandered through life, living and dying, sometimes steadfast in loving and obeying God's commands, more often not. Over the centuries, prophets of God spoke of a coming Messiah, one who would save us all and provide a way back to God. Then, when man least expected it, God sent His own Son into the world. Conceived by the Holy Spirit Himself and born unto a virgin, Mary, Jesus was both man and God, not a creation but one person of the Triune God.

While Jesus lived among us, He taught by example and by word. He healed those who suffered in body and in mind, performing miracles that would be unbelievable had they not been witnessed. He loved unconditionally. He expanded the boundaries of God's covenant community to include everyone, not just the children of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. He asked only that we know and love God as the one true God, and that we love each other just as we love ourselves, just as He loves us. Love is the common theme of His life, of His teachings. Jesus was and is and ever will be Love. And for His love, Jesus was cursed, beaten, crucified. He died at the hands of those He sought to save.

The message Jesus shared represented a dramatic shift from the status quo of the culture of that day. The laws, He noted, while important, take a secondary role to loving God and loving your fellow man. All those in a position of authority over us should be given due respect, for they were put in those positions by God. Great wealth may be a blessing from God, but He wishes for you to use those riches to help the less fortunate, and to take up the cross alongside Jesus and follow Him. It is more important to serve rather than to be served. The last shall be first, and the first shall be last. Radical ideas such as these could not be allowed to spread any further. This man Jesus must be stopped! And so the Son of Man was put to death.

Had Jesus simply died, our tale would have closed then and there. His followers would have eventually all died off as well. The Way would have disappeared in the fog of time. The word “Christian” would perhaps never have been coined, or would be nothing more than a footnote in history books if it had. But the page bearing “The End” has yet to be written. For although Jesus did indeed die and descend into the depths of Hell, He defeated death and rose from the grave on the third day just as He had promised! His victory is one we can all share in. That is what He intended, that is what He died for, so that death no longer need hold us in its grasp for ever. And He promised to be our Advocate, to stand beside us when we face our heavenly Father and on that Day of Judgment, to attest that we have been washed clean by His precious blood so that we might face God and live at His side for all eternity. Jesus kept His promise to defeat death and rebuild the Temple on the third day, so we can be assured He will also keep His promise to represent us before God. The great chasm opened by the original sin is spanned only by the cross of Jesus Christ, allowing man to again be with God.

But that is still not all of the story. In his old age, our Lord came to John in his exile, to the one Jesus loved, and gave him a message to share with all mankind from that time forward. The main thrust of the message was simple: Jesus would come again, and would take His followers home to live with Him in heaven. But the message carried a dire warning: Be prepared! The Revelation to John can be confusing and seemingly contradictory, yet the important point should not be missed. Those who believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, who follow Him and the path He prepared for us, will be given life eternal and also rewarded for their service to God. Those who have failed to do so by the time Jesus comes again will suffer through seven long years of great tribulations. God is ever faithful and merciful, even at this time for the world, so He still gives man another chance. Those who have not yet fallen into Satan's camp will have seven years to choose sides, seven years of demonstrations of God's power, and His wrath. In the end, Jesus will return to defeat Satan and his followers, both human and spiritual, meting punishments to the purveyors of evil and rewards to those who followed God where and as deserved. This is as God has promised, and God has always kept His promises.

The field of Theology called Christian Apologetics provides a set of rational arguments in defense of the Christian faith and the validity of the Scripture. One such argument addresses the truth of the New Testament by asserting that the people who read the passages recorded by the Gospel writers were alive during that period of time being described in the words, and may well have witnessed the actual events as they occurred. Had these events not been recorded accurately, these witnesses would quickly have exposed the likes of Matthew and Luke as liars, or worse. As we know, that did not happen. The Gospel was not challenged during its day. Also, the translations of the Bible have remained true to form over the centuries, from one handwritten copy to the next. One can find very few errors or changes in translations from the earliest known text of John to the present day massed produced New International Version Bibles. There are many more examples, but all lead to the fact that we can trust the New Testament as presenting a true and accurate history of the events and lives of that time. What we read is real, it all really happened. God came down to earth to save us all. Jesus is that Savior. And when He bodily returned to heaven to be with our Father, He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, to guide us through our lives just as Jesus guided the Disciples through theirs. This is the three persons of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Once we accept the truth of the New Testament, we can know with certainty that the texts of the Old Testament are just as accurate and valid. Jesus and His Disciples were practicing Jews. They knew the laws of Moses, they loved the poetry and prophesy of Isaiah, they understood the importance of the words of Ezra and Jeremiah and the warnings of Habakkuk, they looked ahead to the time described by Daniel. The Gospels often report Jesus quoting from the old texts, using the very words of the Jewish faith to teach them what they should already know. Paul frequently relates to Old Testament scripture in his letters. Since we know the New Testament accounts are accurate and true, and because those accounts attest to the truth of the older texts, we can also be assured of the validity of the Old Testament. All practicing Jews will speak to this truth as well. So the Christian Holy Bible, in both old and new parts, represents the true and inspired Word of God, recorded by man under the direction of God. Of this I have no doubt.

According to Your Faith

Two blind men came to Jesus, seeking to have their sight restored. Jesus asked, “Do you believe I can do this?” They responded, “Yes, Lord”. I imagine a warm smile spreading across His lips as Jesus touched their eyes and replied, “According to your faith, let it be to you.” And their eyes were opened.

Faith is defined in the dictionary as confidence in a person or thing, or a belief for which there is no proof. Paul defines faith as “being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV) Jesus said if you have faith even as small as a mustard seed, you can cause mountains to be moved (ref. Mark 11:22-24). Both the dictionary and the Bible point to the same conclusion: it is not the size of our faith, not some quantitative measure of how much we believe, all that matters is what we believe in, the subject of our faith. Paul knew our faith in God to be the foundation of our hopes, the certainty of our hearts, the truth of everything around us seen and unseen. Jesus knew that with God all things are possible, if we ground our faith on God.

My faith is rooted in God's Word, the Holy Bible. The best way to come to know God in His three persons is by knowing and studying His Word. This is how we build a relationship with anyone, by talking to them, asking questions, learning more about them. The same is true of God. The very word “theology” translates from the Greek as the study of God (actually, the study of the nature of god, but we know there is only One and He is God). My personal theology is centered upon growing my relationship with God, enriching the friendship between us. Just as God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, He is my Lord, my Savior, and my friend. I might add, He is my very best friend. Always faithful, I can count on Him at all times, for any need. When I am weakest, through Him I am strongest. I have put my life in His hands and I trust Him completely.

But what if there were no Bible, how then could I know God? I would like to take an ages old approach and answer that question with a question of my own. How can someone look at the world around them and not know God? His creative talent is on display twice a day with each sunrise and sunset. His hand paints the leaves in fall, strews shells along the shore, puffs up the clouds in the sky. His breath stirs the gentle, warm evening's breeze or whips up the raging storm. His eyes flash with lightning, or twinkle in the night sky. He set in motion the timeless surf, and created the most fragile, delicate flower that lives but a day. He engineered the absolute wonder of the human eye, and of a baby's hand. Science teaches us that the most likely answer to any question is the one which requires the least assumption, that provides the simplest answer. Did all around us happen by accident, and then continuously evolve to what has been in effect for a few thousand years now? Or did God create it all? Which answer requires the least assumption, which is simpler? God.

Now, having faith rooted firmly in God and believing without a doubt His Word as recorded in the Old and New Testaments to be true and accurate, we can begin to understand why He would love us, and why His will must be carried out as He planned. His love is ever faithful, our ultimate well-being His primary concern. Because of this love He sacrificed His only Son. By His mercy and grace alone we are saved. Nothing we can ever do, nothing we can ever say, nothing we mortals alone can effect will ever pay our way to heaven. God alone is sufficient. It is through His Providence, His caring and guidance, that we can survive this life. It is by His grace and the covenant He forged with us through the blood of the Perfect Lamb, Jesus Christ our Lord, that we might be made clean enough to bow in His presence. We are allowed to suffer so that we might grow strong. We can feel loneliness so that we may never again want to be separated from God. We are broken and left hopeless so that we might realize our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. Our good works are worthless without our belief in Jesus as Christ. On Him rests our hope of salvation.

I hold to the Biblical standards of a minister as described by the Apostle Paul in his first letter to Timothy, chapters three through five. With all my heart and being I affirm our statement of faith as recorded in the Constitution and By-Laws of St. James Reformed Church and hold firmly to the mission of our local congregation and the greater Church community. I also affirm my understanding of and belief in the purpose, organization and statement of faith of the Evangelical Association, with which we are affiliated. The Apostles' Creed states my full belief from my heart, while the hymn “Amazing Grace” so clearly reflects my soul's amazement and thanks at the awesome mercy, love, and grace of our Savior, our Lord.

Feed My Lambs, Tend My Sheep

When Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection, He left His followers to continue His work as His Church, the body of Christ on earth. And here I draw a distinction between the “Church” as defined as the entire body of Christ and the “church” as an individual congregation or the building in which they worship. I believe that the fundamental role of the Church, as well as one reason I seek ordination, is best summed up in Romans 10:14-15 (here in the NLT): “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, 'How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!'” For people to come to accept Jesus as their personal Savior, they must first know of Him and His life. Paul, the original church planter, focused on this goal of spreading the Gospel, the Good News, of Jesus Christ. Jesus said that just as God the Father had sent Him into the world, so He was sending His Disciples into the world (ref. John 20:21). He also said that He was not sent from heaven to do His will, but the will of the One who sent Him, the will of the Father (ref. John 6:38). Now if Jesus sent His followers, including us, into the world to continue His work, and He Himself was sent to do His Father's will, then the mission of the Church is to do the Father's will, exemplified in the teachings and life of Christ as contained in the Gospels and explained in the many letters recorded in the Bible. This role is the same today as when Jesus first commissioned His Church.

One aspect of this mission is clear: to spread the good news that Jesus has paid the price of our salvation, that through Him and by the grace of our heavenly Father, we may have eternal life. This must be the primary focus, but more can be found in the Scriptures. Jesus described Himself as the Good Shepherd, even at one point instructing Peter, and by extension the entire Church, to “feed My lambs” and “tend My sheep”. Just as sheep without a shepherd, we would be lost without Jesus. (Mark also drew this analogy for us in his sixth chapter verse 34.) In that vein, the Church should also serve as a shepherd, seeking out those who may have strayed from the path and are lost, caring for those unable to care for themselves, standing guard against the inroads of the fiercest predator Satan.

Along those lines, the Church must help see to the needs of widows and orphans, among the most vulnerable of those not fully able to care for themselves. In Matthew 25:31-40, we are charged to feed the hungry, provide drink for the stranger, offer shelter and sustenance to the foreigner and traveler, clothe the naked, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned. “Tend My sheep”, our Lord instructs, “Feed My lambs.” This involves more than seeing after the physical needs, although that is a large part. Their spiritual needs must be seen to as well. Sometimes those two needs combine nicely, such as when someone just really needs a good hug, or a warm blanket. Both offer solace to the body and the soul. And when we tend to the physical needs of others, we are given the opportunity to share with them the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, to witness to them the difference He has made in our lives, even if only silently by our actions, to spread His love as He commissioned us to do. And the truly amazing thing about this is that we, the members of Christ's Church, gain as much if not more from these activities as do those we serve. God, in His awesome wisdom, provides reward for our efforts, and usually immediate reward. We feel good when we serve others, and that is wealth beyond measure.

Of necessity, the early church adhered to these principles. There being no state funded welfare system nor unemployment benefits, the church was expected to see to the needs of those who could not provide for themselves, and of those who spread the Gospel among them. Many of the early churches were small and met in homes or hidden in caves or other less visible locations, again out of need since early Christians were hunted as prey for the pleasure of Nero. So the Church has its roots in small groups. It is in this small group setting that I feel most comfortable and perhaps most effective at sharing God's word, whether through Bible studies with fellow believers or in jail ministries with those who want to believe or any other venue where two or more can gather in our Lord Jesus' name.

In my life I have witnessed lives ravaged by illness and death. I have seen families shattered by addictions to alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex. I have seen hungry children, barefoot, faces without a trace of hope. War and rumors of war walk the earth. We live in the end times, after Christ's resurrection but before the Tribulation and His second coming, as evidenced by Biblical predictions finding life in the world around us. We sit stunned by the latest atrocity on the evening news. Decaying morals, abounding disrespect for life, God's laws broken on all sides. There is so much that the Church can work on, and should be involved with, that we slide into a state of shock, nearly unable to move from the weight of all that needs to be done. With God's help, the Church can stand and tackle these problems. It must, for without the Church the world is lost. Individual churches cannot even contemplate taking on a project of this magnitude. But they can pick an area where they feel they can make an impact and begin there. The Church must leave the safety of the church walls and go into the greater community, where the need lives. That is not to say that it should neglect its own, for needs are great within the Christian community as well. A balance must be determined and met, so that God's hand can touch all those in need. That is the role of the Church: doing God's will.

Within the Christian community we have those who believe, who attend church services regularly, who contribute to the church monetarily. By all outward appearances, these are good Christians, following the Way our Lord set out. But some are missing something, they fail to truly understand what Christ would have them do. They sometimes put other pursuits before God, such as the opportunity to attend an event rather than worship together with their brothers and sisters. They think of themselves and their families first, and others, if at all, much later. They prefer to be served, unless they can receive recognition for serving. Their corporate prayers shake the rafters so that everyone can hear how pious they are. Their hearts do not fully belong to God. Yet it is not our place to judge. We cannot know God's heart other than what He has given us insight to with His Holy Word. If they truly believe, their place in heaven is assured. But if they truly believe, how closely would they try to live their lives as Christ taught, as He lived His? How closely would they listen to what He said and strive to follow His example? I worry that many may find themselves like Bruce Barnes, the fictional assistant pastor of the New Hope Village Church in the “Left Behind” series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Left behind after the Rapture, Bruce realized that even though he thought all along that he was a good Christian, he just didn't get it, he did not truly understand. How many of our friends sitting in the pew beside us Sunday mornings might be left behind if Christ called us home today? How many of our neighbors might awaken to find their spouse or children missing? How many might the Church miss simply because they aren't our kind of people or don't dress very well or smell funny?

It concerns me when parts of the Church seem to forget what Jesus taught and preached. They fail to remember how He expanded the faith community to include all manner of people. Throughout history the Church has grappled with issues of admission, questioning whether Gentiles, women, people of color, or homosexuals should be allowed in the sanctuary to worship. Why is it alright to greet and welcome the unmarried couple living together to attend worship, but not the African-American? Why are the terminally ill shunned and forgotten after saying a few prayers over them? Where is it written that everyone stepping into a Sunday service must be wearing fancy clothes? Jesus did not command us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves as long as our neighbor is just like us. He did not say to clothe only the working man and his family, to feed only those who are temporarily down on their luck. Jesus put no conditions on who we are to love, no restrictions on how we are to serve. Christ did not seem to expect much real justice in this world, social or otherwise. Look at how He was treated as a clue to that. But He does expect much of us in our interactions with others. Do we live up to those expectations?

I love my Lord and Savior with all my heart and soul. A great passion burns within me to serve Him in any way He leads me. Jesus said “Follow Me”, and I intend to do so for my remaining days.

Grace to All Who Love Our Lord

My being ordained into the ministry of our Lord would serve two purposes. For one, it would show that my brothers and sisters in Christ deem me worthy and competent to represent our Savior as a shepherd of His flock, that I will rise capable to the responsibilities of the position, that I love God and that I love them. This aspect of ordination would be personally satisfying and tremendously humbling. But of greater importance in my mind, ordination will be my signature on a promise I made to God a few years ago. When I gave my life to Jesus, I promised to serve Him to the best of my abilities, in any way He saw fit to use me, for whatever purpose and to what end He desired. Ordination will be the seal on that promise, and will mark my commitment to my personal covenant with our Lord. God made a covenant with mankind, paid for by the sacrifice of His Son, sealed with the blood of Jesus. I cannot begin to fathom so great a love. But I can show God my love for Him. Ordained, I can perform functions in His name to honor Him, to remember His devotion and sacrifice, certain rites not allowed a lay leader. Whether ordained or not, I will keep my promise, for I love my Savior. When I gave my life to Jesus, a deep, calming peace washed over me. When I committed to seeking the pastoral ministry, I sensed a smile upon His face. Maybe it was just wishful thinking. But I fully believe this is the path my Lord wishes and intends for me to walk. Where Jesus leads me, I will follow.

Amen.

Trust in the Lord

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

-- Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

I just don't know what's going on here. I don't understand why this is happening. What have we done to deserve this? What could possibly have brought this on? I just don't understand!

I feel pretty safe in saying that almost every person in this wide world has stated words to this effect, uttering them from the darkness of our anguish and despair. "How could this possibly be happening?!", we scream, perhaps silently, perhaps to the wind and rain that hides our tears. Even when we know from the very heart of our faith that Satan has brought this evil event about, not God, we turn to God in our sorrow and seek the answer to that toughest of questions: "Why?"

Solomon, son of David, is portrayed as being exceedingly wise. As King of Israel, he has great wealth and power, but it is his wisdom for which he is best known far and wide, so much so that even the Queen of Sheba visited and brought gifts just for the opportunity of meeting this most wise man. Solomon, like so many prominent figures in the Bible, was not without his faults and his sin ultimately led to the rending of the united kingdom of Israel into two: the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Long before then, though, Solomon realized the tremendous task ahead of him, the daunting responsibility of ruling over all the children of Israel, so he prayed to God and asked for discernment. "'And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?'” (1 Kings 3:8-9 NLT) In response to this plea for help, one that acknowledges humility from arguably the wealthiest and most powerful man in the land, we are told that "The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom." (1 Kings 3:10 NLT), and so granted the request.

Yet even Solomon, perhaps because of his God-given wisdom, recognized that we cannot depend solely upon our own understanding. One aspect of this is that there are certain things in this life that we simply will not be able to understand, certain events will occur that just make no sense. Some people will seem to reap undeserved rewards while others will suffer needlessly, or so it would seem to us. Crises will come when least expected, as will signs of grace and kindness from strangers. It quite easily may be that most of what goes on in this life will lie well beyond our ability to grasp and understand. Solomon says that's OK, don't depend on being able to understand. But he also warns us not to even try. He not only tells us we will not be able to comprehend the true meaning behind most of what goes on around us, he tells he we should not even try. Instead, we are to trust in God, assured that He knows the meaning behind every event that occurs. We are to turn to God in prayer and ask what He would have us do, how we should respond to whatever happens. And when we do so, He will show us the path to take. How? Jesus explains: "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'" (John 8:11-13 NIV)

Depending on where you are in your life, that "explanation" may be either confusing or an oversimplification. If you are not sure about this man named Jesus, and certainly not ready to call Him God, then saying that by following Jesus we can find how God would have us react to a given situation might easily come across as being overly simple-minded, an easy way out of explaining a great mystery. Or it might simply confuse you, especially if you question the existence of God in the first place. In that case, this could be considered a circular argument with no true answer. At the other extreme, if you are firmly on the path Jesus laid for us, then you realize that the best way to discern what God would have you do is by prayerfully studying that very path and how Jesus prepared it for us. Since most of us are probably somewhere in the middle, we can strive to determine God's will for us by carefully reading the Bible to see how others have responded when life overtook them.

Take Paul, for instance. Saul was a Pharisee, and a great persecutor of the early church. He sought out Christians and hauled them off to be tried, many to be put to death. Then Jesus came to him on the road to Damascus and turned his life completely around, even gave him a new name. From that point on, Paul began a life of suffering. He was scorned, shipwrecked, beaten, imprisoned, and finally executed, all because of his belief in Jesus Christ. Apparently, Paul could have avoided most, if not all, of this pain had he simply rejected Jesus as the Messiah, the Risen Savior. Instead, he praised God at every turn, even thanking him for the suffering he endured. The best example of this is given in Paul's second letter to the church in Corinth: "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV) There's one clue to know God's response to our seeking His will: when we are weak, He is strong. His loving grace is all we need to get us through this life and on to the rewards of the next. When we are suffering, the power and might of Jesus Christ are resting upon us, protecting us, strengthening us. Paul relates this as a seeming contradiction, yet when we are at our weakest point, that is when God is with us the most, and that is when we are strongest.

Of course the surest way for us to see what Jesus thinks we should do when circumstances overtake us is to study the lessons He taught in the form of parables. The Parable of the Weeds, as related in Matthew 13:24-30, is not just about agriculture or gardening. It tells us what we can look forward to later on. Consider a follower of Christ to be the wheat in the story. The weeds represent those who do not believe, and those who follow Satan. They grow together, alongside each other. At times, it may even look like the weeds are getting more than their share of the riches of the field. But in the end, after the harvest, the wheat is taken into the Master's barn while the weeds are collected, tied into bundles, and burned. That serves as a vivid picture of what awaits us in heaven, or in the lake of fire. So even though it can at times appear that those who break all the rules, who ridicule God, or who pretend to believe in Christ yet act in ways contrary to how Christ would have us act may be getting the better things in life, their gain is short-lived and their penalty is eternal life in torment and agony. But those who truly believe and follow Christ in their belief will be safe and secure for eternity, sharing a home with God.

Consider the short Parable of the Hidden Treasure in the field, and its twin, the Parable of the Pearl. In both cases, a man found a treasure of immense, incomparable worth. So great and wonderful was the treasure, he went and sold everything he had just so he could purchase it and make it his own. The treasure is heaven, an eternity with God. Jesus wants you to know that your reward for believing in Him and following Him will be so great, you should be willing to give up anything and everything in this life in order to secure it. If you must suffer for your belief, it will well be worth the cost. Sell everything you own? Once a rich man approached Jesus, asking what he could do to gain eternal life. He told Jesus he had always followed all the laws of Moses and believed in God. Jesus responded that there was one thing the man lacked, one thing he needed. He must sell all he owns and give it to the poor, then "take up the cross, and follow Me." (Mark 10:17-22) No matter how great we may think the cost is in this life to take up the cross and follow Jesus, the reward for doing so is beyond our wildest imaginings.

Or the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, as recorded in Matthew 18:21-35. The servant owes the king a large sum of money. He begs for more time, promising to pay the king back. The king, in his mercy and compassion, forgives the servant his debt, wiping the slate clean. On his way out, the servant comes across another servant who owes him some small sum. He demands payment. When the second man falls at the first's feet, begging for more time and promising to repay, the first servant is unforgiving and will hear none of it. He has the second man thrown into prison until he can pay. Others witnessed this little episode and reported it to their king, knowing how merciful he had treated the first servant. Upon hearing this story, the king raged at the one whose debt he had forgiven, wondering why he had not forgiven the small debt owned him. In his anger, he had the man turned over to the jailers to be tortured until he repaid his own debt. With this little tale, Jesus tells us that when we are wronged, we should forgive those who have harmed us, just as our Master and King forgives us. If we fail to follow this example, we can expect to pay a much higher price later.

Or look to the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), that teaches us, among other things, to accept others with open arms when they return to us, no matter what they may have done to us before, just as our Father accepts us with open arms even though we have sinned against him. Or the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), that instructs us to help those in need and to not judge others because of their race or background or heritage or for any outward reason, but to look to their heart and their belief. Or think of what Jesus said at the big party the Pharisee put on and invited Jesus to attend (Luke 14:1-24). Noting people maneuvering for the best seats, He cautioned them to take those further back and the less comfortable seats, so that they not be asked to move by the Lord of the house unless it be to a better place. He also suggested the host not just invite those who would return the favor by inviting him to their feasts, but to also invite those who could never repay. This is a picture of us, of how we can never repay God for the invitation to heaven He offers. It is only through His love and grace and mercy that we may enter His gates. Jesus paid the price for us that we could never be able to pay.

As a final lesson, consider the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16). The landowner needed men to work in his vineyard. He went out early in the morning and hired some, offering one denarius for the day's labors. Three other times during the day, including up to the eleventh hour, or near the end of the work day with but one hour to go, he went out and hired more hands, offering each the same wage of one denarius. When the day was finally done and it came time to pay, those hired first noticed that the landowner paid the last people hired, those who worked merely an hour, the same wage they were being paid! They were upset that they had worked all day for one denarius while others only worked an hour. The landowner replied that he had paid them what he promised, the rate they had agreed to work for. What he paid the other workers was no one's business but his own. Jesus summed this story up by saying, "So the last will be first, and the first will be last." (Matthew 20:16 (NIV)). But there's more to this message, and it is of critical importance that we understand it. Jesus is saying that no matter when in our lives we come to recognize Him as the Son of God and our Redeemer, no matter how late in life we come to believe in Him, we will receive the same gift of salvation and eternal life as everyone else who believes. If we have doubted for so long, if we have questioned whether God exists or that Jesus is His Son, once we accept that Truth we are assured of our promised wage. Heaven is ours.

Please do not ever forget that good works, and good intentions, alone will not give us a pass into heaven. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6 (NKJV)) Jesus paid the price of admission for us. All we need do is believe in Him. But we show our belief by our acts, our deeds. We admit our belief by following His example. We learn to do so by studying His word and how He and those close to Him reacted to events in their lives. Thank God for His wonderful Word, our users manual for those things in life we simply cannot understand.

Amen.