"The Way is on Its Way"

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-17

In the first century, followers of Jesus Christ were not known as Christians – they were called “followers of the Way”, reflecting on Christ’s words “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6-7). We need to remember that until the revolt in 77AD, these folks were still members of Judaism. After the revolt, they were forced out of the Jewish camp and took on their own identity.
Beginning with the Book of Acts, we read of growth in the Church, and some of the early problems in faith. The Council in Jerusalem attempted to deal with discrepancies as they arose, but due to the ever increasing distances to the new churches, communication was difficult at best. The letters of the New Testament, written for the most part by Paul, tell of some of the issues that had to be dealt with, but they are primarily an explanation of the details and depth of what we believe. Regardless of our denominational bent, these letters spell out the basics of faith for all who would call themselves Christian.

Today, we consider just a few verses from Paul’s letter to the church in Colosse - a city located in what is today’s Turkey.

Read Colossians 3:1-4

When we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, we put the ways of earth behind us. They no longer have a place in our lives, and the phrase that Jesus used to describe this event was being “born again”. (John 3:1-8) And since we can only live one life at a time, the old one has to go.
Baptism is a sign of this change, and is especially evident when the sacrament is by immersion. As the person enters the water, they are a child of the earth. As they are lowered beneath the surface of the water, it symbolizes death to the old way, and when they are lifted up from the water, it is a sign of rising up to a new life with Christ. Baptism by sprinkling or pouring signifies the same thing, but it isn’t quite as visually evident as with immersion.

This passage describes the new life that being “born again” in Christ brings about. Paul says that we set our hearts on the things of heaven, and no longer on the things of earth. This means that the things we hold most dear have changed – our lives are the proof that the things of earth no longer hold importance in our lives, that they are evil in the sight of Almighty God. In Matthew 15:18-19, Jesus give us a list of unGoldly acts, and He teaches that even our words and attitudes have to change if our new life is to be true.
This, we are told, is a precursor to our final resurrection in Christ, but is in no way in addition to giving our life to Christ. It comes as a result of our honest surrender to the way of Almighty God. And when we fully give ourselves to him, we will know his glory on that last day.

Read Colossians 3:5-11

Paul gives us a list of earthly ways that must go if we are to truly live our new life in Christ, and it mirrors the list that Jesus offered in Matthew 15. The point of this is that we must be intentional in scrapping our earthly nature, that it doesn’t just fade away on its own. When we accept Christ, our hearts change for the new, but our minds, most of the time, want to stay in the “old” – it’s what we are used to! And because of these things, because of our sin, “the wrath of God is on the way”. If there was no sin, there would be no judgment, but because sin is still rampant in this place, those who continue to treat the ways of earth as if they were acceptable are going to suffer for it.
And then, Paul adds an additional list of attitudes that must also be dealt with. These are the things that destroy relationships – not only with God, but with each other. He says that since we are a new creation in Christ, that since we have thrown off the old self and have put on the new, we also have to show this newness to others. The approach that we take in our relationships must be Christ-like – open, honest, loving, considerate, and even the words that we use must change. You can even say that we must “crucify” the old in us – that it must no longer live in us - if we are to live again in Christ.

And verse 11 tells us that everyone is welcome, and in that, everyone is also subject to judgment! There is nothing about our nationality, nor our cultural distinctions, nor our attitudes toward others, nor our position in life – there is nothing in us, except our own stubbornness and bullheaded attitude, that can possibly keep us from salvation in Jesus Christ.(Romans 8:37-39) The only criteria that will be weighed at the judgment will be whether we have a deep and true relationship with Christ, or not.

Read Colossians 3:12-14

And now we get to the other side of the coin – those attitudes that we must take on to fill the void created when we began to reject the ways of earth. As the “holy and dearly loved” children of God, we must be clothed in the ways of God – those ways that Jesus both exhibited and taught. Paul lists 8 ways that we must be clothed in our new community of faith, so let’s take a quick look at each.
Compassion – we must be sympathetic to the situations and conditions of others.
Kindness – we must help others who are in need.
Humility – we must see others in a better light than we see ourselves. And this does not diminish our self-worth, as some might think, but actually strengthens it.
Gentleness – this is about courtesy and consideration for the needs of others, putting their needs ahead of our own.
Patience – probably the hardest for most of us is the setting aside of our frustrations and anxieties, and making allowance for the shortcomings of others, as well as their less than stellar behavior.
Bearing with others – being accepting of others, regardless of their weaknesses, their faults, and their failures.
Forgiveness – Christ has offered to forgive us for our very great sinfulness, and we are to forgive others for their much smaller offences against us.
Love – Putting on love above all other virtues gives us insight into 1 Corinthians 13:13, where we read that love is the greatest of all virtues – it is the bond that makes all the rest possible, and holds them all together as one.

Read Colossians 3:15-17

This is a fitting passage for the Sunday after Christmas, for this is the Way that God brought to this world through the birth of Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, there is no peace, there is no love, there is no forgiveness, there is no acceptance, there is no patience, there is no gentleness, there is no humility, there is no kindness, there is no compassion, and there is no hope – there is only the ways of earth.

God was with Israel through 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, and the only thing they saw was a being who had caused them hardship. God was with the people through conquest after conquest in the Promised Land, and they only saw their own victories. God was with them during years of exile, and many became more like their conquerors than like the children of God. And, quite honestly, the Church of today is no different.

Are we truly united in the One and Living God? Hardly.
Do we follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus? Some try to, but many others have decided that his way is nothing short of nonsense, and make their own way paramount.
When we accept the baptism of Jesus, do we truly die to the ways of earth, or do we simply pay lip service to the ways of heaven?
Do we rejoice in knowing that we have been created in the image of Almighty God, or do we prefer to live in our own image?

Christmas, as I mentioned on Christmas Eve, can never be seen as a once a year event. The birth of Christ must be our awakening to new life every moment of every day of every year. We must be born anew every morning when we immerge from the darkness of earth’s night.

As we approach the New Year, may each of us strip off more and more of the things of earth, and take on more and more of the finest clothes that come to us from Jesus Christ. His way must be our way, for the Way of Christ will soon be established for all, whether they want it that way or not, and it will be much better for us if we choose his Way, instead of waiting for it to be forced upon us.

It will soon be his Way, and no other - so why wait? Be clothed in him today.

"Come and See" (Christmas Eve)

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

The gospels have a very interesting mix of calls to follow Jesus. In Matthew 11:28, we read “Come to me … and I will give you rest.”, but then in Matthew 19:14, he tells his disciples, in no uncertain terms, to stop pushing the children away, and let them come to him. In Matthew 4:19, he calls Simon and Andrew to be his disciples with an opportunity - “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And when he meets Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), he abruptly told him come down out of the tree, because he was going to stay at his house.
Sometime Jesus was gentle in his call, and other times he was quite blunt. But he was the most direct when he was speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees who should have already known been ready to welcome him, but instead, stood in direct and solid opposition to his teaching.

But as we read though the gospels, and notice those times when the masses were called to Jesus’ side, it was almost always as either an announcement or an invitation. When Philip told Nathaniel about the Lord, his final words were “Come and see.” (John 1:43-51) When the Samaritan woman told her neighbors about Jesus, she invited them with “Come and See.” (John 4:1-42)

When the angel Gabriel revealed God’s great plan to Mary, it was in a rather decisive way, but even at that, when the Virgin questioned how this could possibly happen, the angel gently revealed even more of God’s ways to her. Through it all, gentleness and compassion prevailed for this young girl.
And how were the shepherds told of the birth of Christ? When these poor ragged men just about passed out from fright, the angel comforted them, reassured them, and only then told them of the great news of Christ’s birth. But they were only told that a Savior had come in a very human way, and little else.
All praise and glory aside, they weren’t even invited to come and see! And yet, they did.

What is there about this story of Christmas that intrigues some, but never even comes close to touching others? Those who do finally come to believe, rightfully see the Birth of Christ as God’s offer of salvation, and not as a demand on his part We are invited to “come and see”, and never to commit in blind faith. In Matthew 28:16-20, in the passage we know as the Great Commission, the first call - to “make disciples” - doesn’t mean that we are to bring others, kicking and screaming, to salvation in Christ, but only to invite them to “come and see” and discover for themselves. The second part – that of baptism in the name of the Triune God – is about making a commitment, and it is only then that the third part – the teaching and learning what Christ is all about – occurs.

It all sounds so simple and straight forward, doesn’t it? So why do so many refuse to invite others to come to the Christ’s stable? Out of fear of rejection? That’s probably the biggest one, but I suspect that everyone has their own reason for hesitation, but in general, we all have been given the opportunity to choose between sharing Jesus with the ways of earth, and looking the other way. But still, many will choose the things of earth over the ways of heaven, and it just might be because of the way they hear about Jesus.
Have you ever known someone who got right in your face and told you that “If you don’t get right with Jesus, you’re going to hell!” While it may be true, who’s going to respond to an invitation like that? Even the question “How is your soul?” already implies that it isn’t in such a great state, and that other person is about to tell you just how bad it really is!

What approach did Philip use when he told Nathaniel about Jesus? He related his own personal experience with the Lord, and offered an invitation to his friend to experience Christ for himself.
What did the Samaritan woman say to her neighbors? She told them of her own encounter with Messiah, and invited them to come and see, and make up their own minds.
How did the man who was plagued by a “legion of demons” respond to his healing? He wanted to go with the Lord, but he was told to remain where he was, and to tell others about what the Christ had done for him. And he did – no indication that he berated the town people – just that he related his encounter with Jesus, and the people were amazed! (Mark 5:1-20)
And what about the shepherds? How did they respond to the angel’s unspoken invitation? They went to see for themselves, and then left to tell everyone they could about Messiah’s arrival, and when they had finished that, they returned to the stable to praise the Lord even more.

Have you noticed that, with the exception of Philip, these people were all, for lack of a better word, outcasts?
The woman was a Samaritan – a half Jew condemned by Jewish law – and had come to Jacob’s well in the middle of the day – the hottest and most uncomfortable time – so she could avoid the stares and gossip of others.
The demoniac – a gentile - was not only hated by the town’s people, but he was feared for the great strength and violence that had become a way of life for him.
And back to the shepherds – they were Jews, but because they were always covered in filth and blood and odor from caring for their sheep, they were considered unclean and unworthy. They weren’t even allowed into the temple to worship.

And yet, each and every one was called, either outwardly or by an inward spirit, to share their witness of what Almighty God had done for them. And the people who heard their testimony were amazed, not at just the story, but at how the Lord had reached out to, and blessed, even the most unworthy of all the nations.

And only the shepherds, as well as those they told, came to know the Lord at Christmas. Everyone else “came and saw” at other times. So it would seem that Christmas is not the only time for us to acknowledge and worship the Anointed One of God.

Christmas is not a “one day a year” experience, any more than Advent – our time of preparation for this celebration – is limited to one month before the holiday. Christmas must be a year round experience for us; Advent, our preparation for a life in Christ, must also be a lifelong event. And of course, I’m not referring to the secular version of this holiday season! Our life’s advent must be immersed in study and prayer and worship, and our 24 hours a day, 7 days a week of Christmas involves sharing our testimony of what Almighty God has done for us through our encounters with Jesus, and in the way we live our God-centered life.

But will everyone listen? Will everyone respond in the way we want them to? Of course not – just read the book of Acts, and you will see that the opposite is true. Some would believe, but most would not. Over and over again, we see Christ’s followers being abused and persecuted and ridiculed. Many would even lose their lives because of the hatred that others had against God’s message of hope and life. And the opposition continues today. But is that any reason to stop spreading the message of the glory that came to earth so long ago?

The message for all who claim the name of Christian must be one of invitation – that this is what God has done for me by faith in Jesus, so “come and discover” for yourself what the Lord wants to do for you. And standing silently by is not an option that has ever been presented to us. Remember the words uttered against the church in Laodicea – that they were only lukewarm in their faith, and God was about to “spit them out” of his mouth. (Revelation 3:14-22)

We can never be content in our faith; never be satisfied that we are completely right with God; never be convinced that just attending worship on Sunday is sufficient; never certain that some else will carry the message, so we don’t have to! We must always be striving to find new ways to celebrate Christmas by letting others know that they don’t have to take our testimony as the final proof of Jesus – that they can “come and see” for themselves, and that this will be all the evidence that they will ever need.

Will you come and see what the Lord wants to do for you?

"Right Side Up, Once Again!"

Scripture: Luke 1:46-55

What is the standard for deciding if something is upside down or right side up? When life is turned upside down, it means that it has been forced to be outside of the norm, that it is no longer correct, and right side up would imply that the current situation or standard is the right one, and that all is well within it.

When we think about it, “upside down” really means that our condition is, or is about to become, out of whack! The dictionary tells us that “upside down” means that our situation is in “great disorder”! But how do we know when life is either “upside down” or “right side up”?

Joan Chittister, a Benedictine nun ... explains that in ancient times, to be a Christian community meant to defy Roman imperialism, to stretch Judaism, to counter pagan values with Christian ones. Real discipleship meant the rejection of emperor worship, the foreswearing of animal sacrifice, the inclusion of Gentiles, the elimination of dietary laws, the acceptance of women and the supplanting of law with love, of nationalism with universalism.

Being disciples in the world today is no less challenging. For Chittister, it implies a commitment to be in our world what Jesus was for his - being a disciple means working to make life better for others, going beyond our lives to improve the lives of others. “To follow Jesus is to follow one who turns the world upside down,” says Chittister.

—Jeanne Morales, “The cost of discipleship,” St. Joan of Arc Web Site, Lenten Season 2003, Stjoan.com. This piece draws on and quotes from Joan Chittister’s speech “Discipleship for a Priestly People in a Priestless Period” from the Conference on Women’s Ordination, Dublin 2001.

But if I may be so bold, I think Chittister has it backwards. I believe that when Jesus came, he found the world in chaos – that it was already “upside down”. We had been created in God’s image – we were created in the right - but because of sin, we have caused this life to be anything but right, and Jesus’ only purpose was to come and set it right again – to turn this world “right side up”!

Read Luke 1:46-49

This passage is generally known as the “Magnificat” – that it is Mary’s song of praise to her God for the great work that he is doing through her. She begins with a song of praise, but even within this, she acknowledges that a drastic change is underway.
She says that the Lord is “mindful”, or that he truly cares, about the condition of his servants. But no one ever truly cares about their servants – not in that day and definitely not in this one. After all, the only purpose for a servant’s life is to care for the master, not the other way around! The Godly way has been perverted!
The next verse proclaims that, in the future, this humble, lowly girl will be known as “blessed”. But how could anyone be considered “blessed” if they have no money, or position, or authority, or the great admiration and respect of others? Mary had none of these, and yet the Lord had imparted a divine and glorious purpose for her life. Upside down or right side up?

Even in this song of praise, Mary – humble, cared for, and blessed – is saying for all who will hear, that the Lord God Jehovah is working a brand new way for this world, and that he is using the most unworthy, the most unwelcome, the most unusual means to accomplish it.

Read Luke 1:50-52

Take a moment and think about who receives mercy in our day. Is it those who are afraid of authority? Or is it shown to those who the authority thinks can do something for them? Isn’t secular mercy all about favoritism?
But Mary strongly declares that God will show mercy to all who come to him. The word “fear” in this context implies worship and honor, and not so much as terror. So God’s mercy is for those who will trust his way, and not necessarily for those who can do him a favor to elevate his position. And how could we possibly do that anyway?

The next change is about who is raised up and who is set aside. Secular society would honor those who act in authority, and not those who show humility. But it seems that God will “scatter” those who are proud in their life - and not only those who exhibit pride, but those who even think in a prideful way. And who will he raise up? You’ve got it – those who don’t! And this leads us to the next huge change in our lives.

Worldly authority will be brought down, and the humble will be raised up. Can a person have both – great authority and humility? Maybe, but personally, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone who actually had both! The world admires authority, they strive for authority, they honor authority, but who has ever honored humility? Only God, I guess!

Do you see how the Lord is “Making all things new”? (Revelation 21:1-5) He’s turning the ways of earth “on their ear”! And why would the Lord think that the old needs changing? Aren’t we doing pretty good just the way we are?

Apparently not! The worldly status quo has nothing to do whatsoever with the ways of God! And he will make the changes if we can’t.

Read Luke 1:53-55

More changes - the hungry will be fed with goodness, and the wealthy will be left wanting. When we work for the rewards of earth, we may get them, but unless we reverse our gaze and look to the things of heaven instead, the good things of God will remain out of reach. If eternal life is to be ours, something has to give.

In these last two verses, Mary is remembering that the Lord has been merciful to Israel, even though they may have forgotten that. And by faith in Christ Jesus, Almighty God’s promise to Israel that all, even the gentiles, will be welcomed and will be fulfilled. (Isaiah 11:10; Isaiah 60:1-3 NKJV) Mercy will no longer be limited in concept to Israel – it will be available to all who surrender their lives to servanthood in Jesus.

Remember the movie “The Bucket List”? Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play two men who are in the process of dying. And as a last hurrah, they prepare their “bucket lists” – that list of things they want to do before death overtakes them - before they “kick the bucket”.
They put all kinds of activities on paper, and as each is accomplished, it is crossed off. The entire point of the film is to do as many things as they can before they die, things that will bring them pleasure, or a sense of accomplishment, or anything else that will bring purpose to the lives that they, apparently, feel have been lacking. Nicholson was wealthy, Freeman was a successful mechanic, and they both had an emptiness that had never been filled.

But it wasn’t until the end of the movie that they both discovered what had been missing, and neither of them had written it on the “list”. It seems that they thought that their “buckets” needed to be carried open side up so that they could accumulate as much as possible. But as it turned out, our life’s “bucket” should be carried bottom up, so that we can pour out as many blessings on others as we possibly can. And they learned this, at least to a limited degree, before it was too late.

That is the message that Mary’s Song brings to us today. It is purely a song of praise to Almighty God for all that he has done, and continues to do, within our lives. It’s interesting to note that by adding just three more letters to Magnificat, we get magnification. The Christian life magnifies God to others, just as Mary’s song does. The secular life can only magnify itself. That’s why the Way of Jesus is so difficult for many – it goes against everything that they have ever been taught, everything they have ever lived for, and everything they have believed to be true.

If Jesus had come to earth in a powerful and authoritative way, he would have been exactly what the world had wanted and expected. But by coming in the totally opposite way, in a way that reflected the message that Mary sang and that he had to convey, he would be the “right side up” example of what our lives must be about.

Jesus has set the standard for life in the right orientation, once again. Praise the Lord. May we all magnify his Holy and Precious Name!

"Oh - What to Do?"

Scripture: Luke 3:7-18

Have you ever had one of those days when you had to be decisive, but couldn’t make the right decision to save you? You’re on the way to a place you have never been to before, and you turn left instead of right, and travel 5 miles before you learn that you made a wrong turn? Or you’re at work, and you need the assistance of someone else, and you spend half the day calling the wrong office? Or you have a midterm college paper due tomorrow, and you can’t seem to get a single cohesive thought together in your mind?

There are days when you truly believe that you are headed in the right direction, but the starting line for your tomorrow just keeps moving further and further away!

From James Citrin’s book on business leadership:
French philosopher Paul Valery ... said, "The trouble with our times is that the future is not what it used to be." At a time when we can be certain only of continuous economic upheaval, geopolitical turmoil and technological change, effective leaders are those who manage uncertainty effectively. No single trait or action is responsible for a leader's success. Different styles are appropriate for different situations. Nevertheless, apart from matters of personal style, most great business leaders follow a consistent set of principles:

[Number one:] Live with integrity and lead by example.

Integrity is the internal sense of right and wrong that guides everything a successful person does. Living with integrity and leading by example build the kind of trust that is critical for high-performance organizations.

-James M. Citrin, "Six principles for leading during uncertain times," Business 2.0, January 31, 2002, business2.com.

This advice was being offered in a business context, but it is equally applicable in Christian faith. The difference between right and wrong is about as esoteric as life will ever get! So the Christian only has one other option – trust God, and let him set the pace!

Read Luke 3:7-9

The Baptist was fighting an uphill battle against legalism and shallow faith. The vast majority of Jews had come to lean so heavily upon their lineage and their status as “chosen people”, that their relationship with their great God Jehovah was all but extinct. And this self-serving approach to faith in the Hebrew tradition was carrying over into Christian faith as well.
Crowds of people were flocking to John for baptism, and while he isn’t questioning their decision, he is doubting the validity of their reason for coming. Are their motives as poisonous as the venom of vipers? Do they expect that baptism will counteract all their inadequacies? Do they think that once they are baptized, that they can continue to live “the old life” without fear? The people of today believe these things, and so did the crowds that were pursuing John.

His admonition to begin living a life that will produce “fruit of repentance” is a call to not only be baptized, but to completely change their concept of what pleases God. And their overriding dependency on “heritage” just isn’t going to cut it! They are warned that unless something changes very soon, God is going to raise up an entirely new line for salvation, and that they may be left in the dust, wondering what had just happened to their “chosen-ness”?

The New Interpreters’ Bible tells us that neither the ritual of baptism nor the rights of birth can ever be trusted as a substitute for repentance and Christian ethical reform.

Read Luke 3:10-14

These words aren’t just about a call to “good works” – they are about a complete change from the way it has always been. In Micah 6:8, the prophet asks a question, and then answers it for all who might stumble over the pointed truth that was there. He asks “What does the Lord require of you?”, and then offers the answer “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
John’s comments regarding sharing your excess with others, and acting honestly, and being satisfied with what the Lord has provided you with, satisfies Micah’s admonition to Israel. John is calling the people to care about the lives that others are living, and if you can make their life just a little easier - a little better - then do it. Notice that John isn’t calling the people, and us, to retreat from everyday society – he wants us to live differently within it.

But how do you even begin to make that kind of drastic change? Where do we get the wisdom to understand this new and strange, and even worrisome, truth?

That truth and that courage will only reside in the faith we receive from a life in Christ. John’s call to the crowd goes against everything that society, as well as the learned religious leaders, had ever taught them. Sound familiar? Attitudes in the early 1st century were no different than those in the 21st! In those days, it was all about getting as much for yourself as you could, and giving away the very least that you could get away with. And the “me-me-me” generation of today is just as morally bankrupt as the folks living 2,000 years ago! Is it any wonder that they – and we - don’t know how to live the righteous life that Jesus brings? John was inflicting, and conflicting, them with a completely new level of uncertainty that had begun to lead them to a true examination of life and faith.

Oswald Chambers, in [his] classic devotional, “My Utmost for His Highest”, cautioned Christians against thinking of uncertainty in this life as a bad thing. “The nature of the spiritual life,” said Chambers “is that we are certain in our uncertainty. ...”

“The spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, just uncertain of what he is going to do next. If our certainty is only in our beliefs, we develop a sense of self-righteousness, become overly critical, and are limited by the view that our beliefs are complete and settled.”

“But when we have the right relationship with God,” Chambers explained, “life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy. Jesus said, ‘…believe also in me’ (John 14:1), not, ‘Believe certain things about me.’ Leave everything to him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how he will come in — but you can be certain that he will come.”
- Homiletics OnLine

Recognition and acknowledgment of our uncertainty in faith will prod us to greater efforts to find the fullness of faith in Jesus Christ. Knowing that he came to redeem this hurting and sinful world from their sins is good. Knowing that he died on Calvary and rose to new life as a sign of eternal life for us is also important, but Jesus is about so much more than that, and if we are completely certain and comfortable in our limited aspects of faith, we may never arrive at a true and deep relationship with the Lord.

Read Luke 3:15-18

John began this discourse with words of condemnation, and when he had finally gotten the people’s attention, he began to offer them these far more important words of hope. He announces that, indeed, the Christ has come, but that he (John) isn’t the One. John’s baptism was one of repentance, which seems to be the central theme of all that he preached, but he says that Messiah will baptize in a far greater way.

So what does baptism “with the Holy Spirit and with fire” mean for us? In the context of Pentecost, it is the Holy Spirit that fills us with Godly truth and courage, and it is the “fire” of God that cleanses us of the failures of earth. Repentance is only the beginning of a life in Christ, and Jesus’ baptism with Spirit and Fire leads us toward the culmination of this life.
And the “threshing” that Messiah will accomplish is the separation of the things of heaven from the things of earth, and the attitudes and standards and hopes that this world offers are going to perish completely. And it is important for us to understand that this is God’s job, not ours, but that we must be open to his working this vital change in our lives.

This is the Good News of Christmas – that those who believe in Jesus Christ and seek to follow in his footsteps, that those who desire to be cleansed by his “refining fire”, that those who allow the Spirit of God to fill them and change them and use them to fulfill the desires of Almighty God, will begin to discover that their uncertainty in faith will begin to be satisfied, and that they – we – will finally know what God would have us do.

This, my friends, is the Hope of Christmas for all who will believe.

"Are You Ready?"

Scripture: Malachi 3:1-5

Preparation is such an involved thing. When I’ve had to pack for my seminary classes in Washington, DC, which, praise the Lord is now a thing of the past, I went over the various items that I needed to take several times. It was clothes, and my papers, and books, and computer, and printer, and paper, and my GPS, and a number of other things that would be important to have for those 3 days.
And vacations were even worse! Now there were two of us running through our mental checklists, and regardless of where we were going, or how long we were going to be gone, or even how prepared we thought we were, it seems like we always forgot something! I’ve even tried writing out the checklist, and while it helps, I still seem to miss something that I needed.

Packing our baggage in as complete a fashion as possible is never easy. And preparing for a life in Christ seems to be an even more daunting task - but should it be? The truth is that preparing for Jesus requires a lot more unpacking than it does packing!

Read Malachi 3:1

In Matthew 11:7-15, Jesus quotes this passage as a way to explain John the Baptist’s mission to Israel. He says that John is the long awaited arrival of Elijah, who, in Jewish understanding, is expected to return to usher in the coming of Messiah. But then, does anyone really believe God’s messengers? After all, the Lord uses the most unusual and strangest people to carry his lessons to the world! They just don’t look important enough to be Messiah’s heralds.

But the prophet says that there is a second messenger who is on his way – the “messenger of the covenant”. This, of course, is Jesus – the one who will explain the covenant of God, the one who will confirm the covenant, the one who guarantee the covenant, the one who will be the covenant for all who will accept it.

The Old Testament prophets were messengers of God; the apostles of the New Testament were messengers of God, Jesus is the Messenger of God, and with all of the heaven sent emissaries, only a few people would ever believe any of the words that were offered. I think that most folks believe either that they are good enough, and don’t need Jesus, or that there is still lots of time, and that there will be plenty of warning before Messiah’s arrival, so why worry about it now?
The problem is that the time is getting closer and closer, and the signs, even when they do come, won’t be believed, and yes, Jesus is still necessary! Malachi tells us that the Lord will arrive “suddenly”, in keeping with his parable of the bridesmaids (Matthew 25:1-13). And when Jesus does return, it will be too late to make any additional preparations.

We want the Lord to come, and come quickly at that, but are we truly ready for that glorious arrival?

Read Malachi 3:2-4

There are several issues associated with this reference to refining and cleansing.
First, refining, in general terms, is the process of removing impurities from various metallic ores. Depending on the metal, the ore is heated to a specific temperature that causes the metal to melt, allowing the impurities to float to the surface of the liquid. The impurities, or slag, can then be skimmed off, leaving the pure metal behind.
The second issue in this passage speaks of refining and cleansing by Messiah, and there are two times when this “refining” process occurs. The first is when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior. By grace through faith, (Ephesians 2:8-9) we are purified and made worthy to stand before the Throne of Judgment, but as we sin again and again, which we will all certainly do, and when we seek the Lord’s forgiveness for that sin, which we all must do, we will be refined of this sin, too. Brian Doekson wrote a contemporary song called Refiner’s Fire, and part of the song says:

“Purify my heart
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy
Purify my heart
Cleanse me from my sin
Deep within”

This is the plea of the repentant sinner – “cleanse me completely of my sin, Lord, and make me holy”.

The second time of refining occurs when the Lord makes his return known to all the world. This is the refining that Malachi is proclaiming. At that time, a final refining will occur, when all sin will be driven from the earth. The difference this time is that all evil and all who don’t believe will be removed from the kingdom, and any residual sin within those who do believe will also become a thing of the past.

The problem, as you can well imagine, is that refining is not a gentle process! The state of the raw material is changed – it becomes molten – and all that is not part of the pure metal separates and is removed. The heat is intense, and when the desired temperature is reached, the pure molten metal is transferred to a mold and is allowed to cool. It becomes something totally different, it is perfectly improved, and it will never be the same again.

When we are “refined” of our sinfulness, we will also experience a drastic change. Those things of life that we have always depended upon; those things that we have always enjoyed; those things that have given us direction for so many years - will no longer have any meaning or purpose for us. And that can be traumatic – or at least it was for me! But once we get through that initial cleansing, it begins to get a little easier each time we come back for refreshing.
And after the refining is complete, the gifts and offerings that are presented to the Lord will, once again, become acceptable in his sight.

Read Malachi 3:5

This is the final judgment, and we read that it is Jesus who will be doing the testifying. Remember that no one else – not us, not our friends, and not even Satan – will have a word to say at the Lord’s Judgment. Laws that have been broken are the Lord’s laws, and only God can properly and perfectly judge any wrong doing. He doesn’t need any help.
The issues listed as those that the Lord will testify against are sins that were most prevalent in the prophet’s day. The ones of our age may be a little different, but please, don’t think for a moment that because you may be clean of these, that you will pass thought unscathed! Personally, I doubt that anyone will get through this second refining without feeling the heat! But the promise is offered that anyone who believes need not fear, for the Refiner’s Fire will not destroy them – only the sin will be burned away.


So what does this have to do with Christmas? What does this have to do with today? When Jesus arrived, he became is the ultimate Messenger of God; he is the ultimate sign of the covenant; he will be the Refiner that verse 3 speaks of, and he will be the one who will judge all the impurities of earth – those things in our lives that will have to be removed if we wish to enter his kingdom. This is the baggage of earth, and it all must be unpacked. We have no eternal need of it, and even in this life, it only serves to weigh us down.

Author James Harnish writes:
I've begun to think that in one sense, the manger is a very small place. There isn't room in there for all the baggage we carry around with us.

There's no room at the manger for our pious pride and self-righteousness.

There's no room in the manger for our human power and prestige.

There's no room at the manger for the baggage of past failure and unforgiven sin.

There's no room at the manger for our prejudice, bigotry and hostile national pride.

There's no room for bitterness and greed.

There is no room at the manger for anything other than the absolute reality of who and what we really are: very human, very real, very fragile, very vulnerable human beings who desperately need the gift of love and grace which God so powerfully desires to give.
--James A. Harnish, "Do You Believe the Angels?" Tampa, Fla., 24 December 1994.

The reality of the manger is that there is only room for our dependency and trust in Jesus, and everything else must fall away. This is our preparation at Christmas, and it must continue every moment of every day of our lives, until the day when we stand before the Refiner and he completes the process of Sanctification for us.
Praise the Lord, for his goodness will prevail.

"He's Coming!"

Scripture: Jeremiah 33:12-22

Today, Advent begins. This is the time of preparation for Christmas; it is the day when we are reminded that God has made an unbreakable promise of salvation; it is the hour when we rejoice in the fact that Almighty God is good and loving beyond our wildest expectation; he has come to not only live with us but to live as one of us! Advent means “preparation” – a spiritual preparation to celebrate God’s presence in our lives.

But, you may ask, why should we have to prepare for something that we already know about? These next four weeks are an opportunity for personal reflection on the lives we have been living, and whether they are worthy to be offered in celebration of the Lord’s birth. After all, how do you get ready to celebrate your closest friend’s birthday? Would you think that any old gift will suffice? Would you decide to fix the easiest meal that you know of? Would 10 minutes be enough time to spend with your friend? Would you decide that you would rather spend the day with a different person?

Of course not – you would want to offer your friend the very best that you could give, and that requires time and preparation. Christmas is no different. And Jeremiah’s time was no different than ours. Jeremiah was a prophet to the people of Judah at a time when their lives were hanging by a very slender thread. The Babylonians were knocking at the door of Jerusalem. The Northern Kingdom had already been defeated by Assyria some 80 to 100 years before, and the day of Judah’s captivity was drawing near. Jeremiah had been called to minister to the nation, to remind the people of the errant lives they had been living, and to call them back to the way that the Lord God Jehovah had laid out for them.

But even in the midst of his prophecy of impending calamity, there were also words of hope and pardon. Today’s text is but one passage that promises restoration, even before defeat occurs at the hands of a brutal enemy.

Read Jeremiah 33:12-13

Desolation! The prophet describes a place where nothing lives – not humanity, not animals, not anything that could sustain life, even if it did live there. That’s what our lives are - without the Lord’s presence, that is. Without God’s word for our lives, life is tentative and temporary; it’s uncertain and without direction; it has no worthwhile substance. Oh, some will say that their careers are fulfilling, that their children give them a sense of worth, that 70 or 80 years of life is quite enough for them, but not a word about the Lord’s guidance, or that they are accomplishing anything of lasting value, or that they are living within God’s promise of eternal life.

Life can be a veritable wasteland, even if we think that things are going well. After all, if we don’t know what it is like to walk with the Lord, how can we adequately judge the quality of our life without him? But the prophet tells us that even in an existence that is devoid of true life, there can still be hope. He tells the nation that even though all may look hopeless right now, the Lord God Almighty has a plan that is already in place, and that it will not only restore all that they had, it will bring a life that is even better. What he is actually describing is healing for the nation. And healing is something that we have no control over.

If we cut our hand, we clean the wound and bandage it, but we are only assisting the healing process that the body has already begun. If a skilled doctor performs a heart transplant, the healing only begins when the body acclimates the new organ to the rest of the body. And forgiveness for our less than stellar lives is nothing less than a spiritual healing that only God, through his perfect design, can accomplish.

In this passage, Jeremiah is describing God’s healing plan for the nation.

Read Jeremiah 33:14-16

The plan is being laid out for the people. It will have nothing to do with human leadership or human wisdom, as human abilities are limited in vision and imperfect in performance. The One who will restore humanity to greatness will come from David’s line, but will also only come in the Lord’s true Presence. It is God who will initiate the “righteous Branch”, and not David or his descendants.

Two additional thoughts on these verses.
First, this isn’t a new start for Judah – it is the fulfillment of the promise God made to the people many years before. (Genesis 15:9-21) They would be numerous, they would be honored, and the promise - the covenant - would be in place “throughout the generations”. All of their problems, all of their failures, all of their sinful living could do nothing to prevent the covenant from playing out in God’s way and in his time.
Second, verses 15 and 16 appear to proclaim both Christ’s first coming as well as his second. Verse 15 tells of Jesus - the “righteous Branch” - who will bring justice and righteousness to the world, which is ours now, and verse 16 tells of salvation and safety, which won’t be completely ours until the Lord returns.

These two events are evidence of God’s promise to the nations - in Genesis 17:4, Abraham will be ancestor of a “multitude of nations”, not just Israel. The covenant is secure, it is in place, and it is working toward its glorious conclusion. And when we are told that we must keep the covenant (Genesis 17:9), it means that we are to keep faith in Christ, who represents the covenant.

The “Day” and promise of Almighty God is on its way. Can we truly say that we are ready?

Read Jeremiah 33:17-22

This passage is interesting, in that while we know that Jesus was a direct descendent of David, the prophecy that the priestly tribe of Levi will always have someone to present sacrifices to God seems a little vague. After all, Jesus was of the tribe of Judah! But the book of Hebrews repeatedly tells us that Jesus is our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14, etal), so while the lineage of David will remain intact, the lineage of the high priest, which had always come through the priestly ranks of Levi, is going to change.

The second issue is that the Lord’s covenant will never be broken until the difference and separation between day and night no longer exists. And when that time comes, the covenant with both the line of David and the tribe of Levi will no longer stand. David and Levi will only have a place in the Divine Promise until the Promise is complete.

The “righteous branch of David” is going to make all things new! (Revelation 21:5) Newness and new ways have always been evidenced in the ways and words of Jesus, but now we know what his coming will mean to us – that it will change everything – that it will be renewing!

But that doesn’t mean that we can defer our “renewal” until he returns. (Matthew 25:1-13) His first coming initiated that entire process of newness and new birth, but most of us are unclear on how to even begin to fully immerse ourselves in this new way of Jesus. We’re still human, we’re still fallible, we’re still sinful beings whose wisdom and focus is constantly getting blurred by the things of earth.

Rachel Remen, an author and teacher, wrote:
The most important questions don't seem to have ready answers, but the questions themselves have healing power when they are shared. An answer is an invitation to stop thinking about something, to stop wondering. Life has no such stopping places. Life is a process whose every event is connected to the moment that just went by. An unanswered question is a fine traveling companion. It sharpens your eye for the road.
--Rachel Naomi Remen, Kitchen Table Wisdom (Penguin, 2006).

It appears that some questions may be OK for now. We know that Jesus is the incarnate Son of God, and that he died that we might live in him. But what about Matthew 5:48, when Jesus tells us to be perfect just as God is perfect? What about John 14:6, when Jesus tells us that he is the only way to the Father? If we don’t live the perfect life, it would seem that we are in trouble!

In case you hadn’t noticed we aren’t perfect – not by a long shot! But by faith in Christ we will be made worthy in life, even though we are imperfect in our actions. Yes, I know, there isn’t a lot of worldly logic in these words, but then Jesus isn’t worldly or logical! Faith isn’t about logic, or perfection, or understanding, or even completeness. It’s about believing that Jesus came to start us on his way, and will come again to lead us to the final goal. Today is about beginning our preparation for that marvelous walk with him, and the walk begins now, even though we are not completely prepared.

Remen’s thought, that the unanswered questions of this life sharpen our eye for the road ahead, is pretty good advice. Never stop asking questions, and never stop seeking their answers. That is how we prepare for the wonderful day that awaits us.

Never stop asking, and never stop wondering, and never stop preparing! The Lord is on his way, you know!

"Don't Worry - Just Give Thanks" (Thansgiving Eve)

Scripture: Matthew 6:25-33

In 1988, Bobby McFerrin released a song titled “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. Essentially, the song advances the thought that no matter what happens in your life, you can be happy by just ignoring all your troubles. The song says that if you worry, it will just make you sadder, and will make everyone else sad with you.
The song was quite popular and actually made it to the top of the charts, but quite honestly, it has nothing whatsoever to do with the reality of life. When our lives are heading down hill, we can’t, and in most cases probably shouldn’t, ignore the issues, and happiness will always continue to be illusive.

But in our text today, Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, also tells us not to worry, but in this case, he says not to worry about the necessities of life. So let’s go to scripture, and see what the Lord has to tell us about life and worry.

Read Matthew 6:25-27

First, note that Jesus doesn’t say that we should just leave everything up to him! Some would love to read this passage as “You don’t have to work or earn a living or buy food or care for yourself or own property and possessions – God will do it all!” That attitude is the last thing we should learn from these words! But this is about those who base their entire life in their work and the accumulation of “things”.
He offers an analogy based in wildlife and the provision of their needs. Have you ever seen a bird or wild animal that didn’t gather seeds, or hunt for their food? They wouldn’t last long if they did. But do they have to have employment to earn a living? Do they have to plant seeds to raise a crop? Do they have to build bridges and roads and skyscrapers to advance their culture and provide for their families?
Of course they don’t – God has provided them with all the abilities and instincts that they could possibly need to not only survive, but to thrive. And the Lord tells us that he has given us all of the abilities and instincts that we need, too.

Do we need a million dollar home to live in? Do we need to work 7 days a week to establish position and authority in our jobs? Do we need to attend the finest university, to obtain the most prestigious degree so that we can succeed in this life? Do we need to be chair of every committee we serve on and president of every organization we belong to?
Of course not – life should be far more than this. Life isn’t about creating a name for ourselves, or about looking to the things of earth to bring us happiness – it’s about discovering a sense of worth that is personal and fulfilling. Remember Jesus Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21)? The man was totally focused on raising more crops, and gaining more wealth, and decided to build bigger barns, so he could store more of his crops, and then feel safe and secure in all that he had accumulated. Then he said “I can take life easy; and eat, drink and be merry.”
But God told him that his plans and efforts and wealth would all be wasted, because he was going to die that night. So much for happiness!

Read Matthew 6:28-33

What is wealth? What is beauty? What is success? What brings us true joy? The Lord talks about the flowers that grow wild in nature, and the beauty that they exhibit. In the spring, the slope behind our house becomes covered with wild flowers. I used to keep it mowed down, thinking that a neat slope looked far better than one covered in weeds. But one year, I didn’t get it mowed early enough, and was amazed at the color and beauty that those “weeds” brought to my life and to our home. Today, I’m not so quick to create my own “beauty”, and have avoided destroying the glory that God has put before me. I’ve saved myself some work, and in doing so, have discovered some of the beauty that my Lord has placed in my life.

God knows what the true beauty of this life is all about, and he wants us to give him a chance to show it off.

From Homiletics:
Some years ago, during the depression, a government agent traveled through the Tennessee Mountains making small allotments to impoverished farmers for seed, stock or needed improvements.
He found one woman who lived alone, scratching out a bare living on two acres of barren ground. “If the government should allot you $200, what would you do with it?” he asked her.

The woman thought a moment. Her cabin had no floor, its windows were covered with tar paper, light came through the broken walls.
Finally, she looked up and said, “Reckon I’d give it to the poor.”

From The 30th Anniversary Reader’s Digest Reader, The Vanishing
American, F. Emerson Andrews in the Atlantic Monthly, Doubleday
& Company, Inc., Garden City, NY 1951.

That woman knew what wealth and glory and beauty were all about, and while her life wasn’t one “happy” moment after another, she did have joy, and success, and all the wonders that the Lord had provided her.

Jesus finishes this passage with his advice on where and how to discover true beauty and joy. It all comes by seeking the kingdom of God and receiving his righteousness. But where do we find that?
Back in Matthew 5:6, we read that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. And in Matthew 5:10, Jesus says that those who are persecuted for righteousness sake will be blessed, and the kingdom will be theirs. But what is it and where do we get it?

In Romans 1:16-17, we read that righteousness will be revealed by faith and trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Righteousness, and the joy that it brings, is never found in the things we create or say or do – it is exposed by believing in the Good News of God as revealed in his Son Jesus Christ. Nothing more than that is required on our part – just faith. And when we consider the generous nature of Almighty God, and trust in his generous gifts, what could possibly be left to worry about?

McFerrin thought that worry obscured our efforts to find happiness, but the truth is that happiness isn’t all that it’s made out to be. Joy is what we should be striving for – joy that comes in the knowledge that, by faith in Christ Jesus, we will have all that we will ever need – both now and forever.

So tomorrow, as you gather around the dinner table with family and friends, don’t worry about all the things you don’t have, and give thanks instead - and not for what you have gained in this life, but for what you seek, and what you know that the Lord has, and will continue to provide for the rest of your life.

"Seeking the Righteous Life"

Scripture: Matthew 7:1-29

As we have been working our way thought Jesus’ powerful sermon, we have experienced many commandments, some of which were new to the people, and others that were simply clarifications of what God had been telling them all along. But every single one had the same intent – to strengthen the relationship between humanity and Almighty God.
The bond that the Lord had created at the beginning of time had not only suffered, it had been damaged over and over again through the neglect of humanity. Fortunately for us, God wasn’t about to let it become irreparably broken, so he took pains to repair it as often as we caused it great harm.

But in strengthening our covenant with the Lord, it meant that the grasp that we have on our humanness and our worldly ways, would have to be weakened. And even though that wouldn’t be easy for us, it will become eternally worthwhile.

Today’s text teaches us about the worthiness of keeping a strong connection with the Lord.

Read Matthew 7:1-6

Let’s take a minute to consider what these verses do say, as well as what they do not say. First, they tell us that if we are critical or condemning of others, then we must expect the same standard at our Judgment. Second, they do not say that we are to ignore the sinful failings of this world. Judging others, and being discerning in the things they do, are two completely different issues. Judgment implies either the acquittal of a charge that has been leveled against us, or the determination of guilt and punishment for that infraction. Judgment for sin, in either case, is God’s prerogative. We have no standing in the Divine Court – not in defense and not even in accusation.
In Zechariah 3, we read of the high priest Joshua who was standing before the Seat of Judgment. With him was both the Lord and the Satan, but God was the only one who spoke any words. Satan was muffled, and Joshua never even offered a thought in his own defense. Jesus, the Angel of God, was the only voice that would be heard that day.

And when we attempt to offer a decision as to a person’s guilt or innocence, we are, in essence, taking the authority to judge away from God, and when we judge others in an un-Godly way, the sentence that will be handed down to us will be just as harsh as ours was on the other person.

But what about our being discerning (ie. understanding and aware) as to what God’s commandments tell us (Matthew 28:16-20)? What about our call to hold each other accountable to the things we say and do (Hebrews 3:13-14)? Hebrews 3 tells us that we must encourage each other so that no heart will ever become hardened because of sin. Notice that scripture doesn't say condemn - it says "encourage"!

Be discerning of whether the things that we and others are doing are righteous or not, but never become judgmental of the people themselves.
And the concluding verse tells us to protect the word of God. Wild dogs will rip and tear anything that they can get ahold of, and pigs will trample anything that gets in their way into the mud. The “sacred”, or the Divine Word, must be cared for, keeping it from either being ignored, or trampled or destroyed. And this commandment is not only about keeping it safe from others, but also about keeping it safe within our own lives – and, quite honestly, that may be the harder of the two tasks!.

Read Matthew 7:7-12

These first 2 verses tell us to be “asking”, “seeking” and “knocking” for all of our needs. First, it is about remaining faithfully dependent on God for all our needs, and not to try to become self-sufficient in this life - Jesus would have us commit to being perseverant in our “asking”, “seeking” and “knocking”. “Never Give Up!” is a more current mantra, and it, too, encourages us to never pray just once about some issue, but to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Second, this is about God’s faithfulness. The Lord reminds us that God will always give good things to those who seek his provision for their lives.
And third, we are called to do these very things for others. As the Lord has cared for our lives, do the same for those who we know are in need. Matthew 25:35-46 tells us that when we care for the needs of others, it is the same as doing them for Jesus!

And we are enabled to do this through the power of prayer - prayer that cements all of our asking, all of our seeking, and all of our knocking, in a way that will bring glory to our Lord. This is the significance of the Golden Rule, that it is not only required in the Law, but that it also is a means of our Faith.

Read 7:13-23

In John 10:1-18, Jesus offers an analogy regarding the relationship between that of a shepherd and his sheep, and the relationship between him and us. He tells of the shepherd who would lie down in the opening to the fold every night, and anyone or anything who tried to enter the fold would have to encounter the protective vengeance of the shepherd. And, of course, this relates to the “Gate of Heaven”, which is also secured by Jesus. Unless he grants entrance by faith in him, there is no hope of heaven.
And the way that leads to the Narrow Gate is not especially broad either – it is the way of Jesus, which is very narrow by worldly standards (John 14:6). If we seek a broader and alternative way for our life, or if we even teach others that there is another way, we are nothing more than butchers and thieves.
Do you know of someone who believes that any and every way is just as good as any other? There are many out there who do, and regardless of the apparent truthfulness of their words, these are the “wolves” that Jesus speaks about. Let them know – by discernment, not judgement! – that there is only one true way, and that is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and no other!

But how do we know if they are speaking truthful words or not? Some of the greatest lies of all time seemed to ring true at the moment! Whether they sound good or not, test them against the power and authority of scripture, for the Word is always true and dependable, and is the “good fruit” that we are to look for. If it doesn’t match, then its goodness must be in question.

And no matter what we might say or do, even if we claim to offer them in the name of the Lord, until we have truly surrendered our life to Christ, nothing else is going to count when we stand mute before the throne of Almighty God. There is no justification, no explanation, no excuse, no hope for glory, except by faith in Jesus.

Read Matthew 7:24-27

There is a contemporary song that has gained popularity with young Christians titled “Jesus is the Rock”, and the repeating verse in the refrain says “Jesus is the Rock and he rolls my blues away!” The point of the song is that Jesus is such a powerful and solid and dependable support for our lives, that there is nothing in this life that can deter him from leading us through the most terrible of times. That’s the promise of Jesus, the promise of the Rock of heaven and earth.
This passage also tells us that not only is he the only foundation that can help us withstand every storm, but that every other claim of support will be washed away, taking with it the hopes of all who falsely trusted.

“Jesus is [truly] the Rock” that will never fail us and will never fall away from us, and with him at our side, we can discover that even the greatest sorrow and the greatest assault that can ever come against us will be turned aside and we will know for certain the joy of Christ. (Romans 5:1-5)

Read Matthew 7:28-29

In chapter 5, we read that Jesus had only sat down to teach his disciples, but now we read that the crowds of people were there, too. The “crowds aren’t identified, and they aren’t numbered, so we can assume that these folks represent the people of the world who need to hear the gospel message. The Church of today must also understand that we, too, are to carry this message to the same people who now live in the 21st century.

The disciples are silent – it is only the crowd that expresses such amazement over the authority and power that is so prevalent in Jesus’ words. But how do we respond to the Lord’s teaching? Do we stand in awe of what we have learned during these past 7 weeks, or will we simply remain silent?
With all due respect, silence is not an option for those who claim the name of Christian! And we must always remember that the actions of our lives speak even louder than the words we utter – but use words, just the same! Live the teachings of Jesus' Sermon; share the teachings of his Sermon; rejoice that the Lord has given this word for our lives, and that he trusts us to carry his message throughout the world.

These are words not only for Jesus’ time, but for our time, and for all time until the Lord returns. Learn them, live them, love them, and discover the fullness of his authority and promise that is within them for each of us, and when we do, we will discover that the righteous life is not such a distant hope.

"Holy Living"

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-18

This week, we continue to study Jesus’ words from his Sermon on the Mount. By now, you may have tumbled to the fact that everything that Jesus has ever taught is about how to live a Godly life. Whether it is about the Lord’s response toward our attitude in life, or how we use the resources that that he has placed at our disposal, or how we act and relate toward others, Jesus wants us to understand just what a Godly life not only requires on our part, but also what it can bring to our life.
Today, we delve into 3 more aspects of Godly living – prayer, forgiveness, and fasting. And as I’m sure you know, each one is about far more than simply engaging in each of these acts – it is about why we do them, how we do them, and where God and we intersect within them. In essence, it is about the purpose and depth of our search for holiness.

From Jerry Bridges, an evangelical Christian author:
Many Christians have what we might call a "cultural holiness." They adapt to the character and behavior pattern of Christians around them. As the Christian culture around them is more or less holy, so these Christians are more or less holy. But God has not called us to be like those around us. He has called us to be like himself. Holiness is nothing less than conformity to the character of God.
-Jerry Bridges.

The “holy life” is about setting the behavior and standards and attitudes of the world behind us, and beginning to set our focus on serving God in the way of God.

Read Matthew 6:5-8

Jesus is saying that prayer, for prayer’s sake, is not enough. He wants us to consider whether our prayers are a conversation with God, or simply our talking at God. Prayer, if it is to be effective and authentic, must be two way.
Through the years, there have been times when I have been asked the question “Are you listening to me?” When I was growing up, it was usually my mother who asked the question, and since I didn’t take her inquiry to heart, it would have to be asked again in later years - by my wife. And I suspect that the Lord has uttered those same words to me time and time again, because I haven’t always listened to him, either!

In this passage, Jesus isn’t demeaning prayer per se, but is calling us to consider our prayer as a type of worship, with both of us listening to each other. In worship, our lives are turned from our normal inward focus – from being self-centered – to an outward focus, or becoming God-centered. The same must be true of prayer.
Jesus’ comments toward hypocritical prayer, just as with last week’s look at hypocritical giving to the poor, is not against public prayer, but rather about our attitude in prayer. There are a number of acronyms that can help us consider our approach to prayer – the one I like to use is the word A-C-T-S. The letters stand for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. If you think about these 4 descriptives, the first three are directed solely toward the Lord and his goodness, and it isn’t until we get to the fourth that we begin to offer our personal requests and needs. It puts the primary emphasis on God, and places our self in a secondary position.

Jesus also offers the thought that our prayers should be keep secret. I believe that this isn’t so much a condemnation of public and corporate prayer (which I believe is vital for the life of the Church), but more about the “why” of our prayer. If we are tempted to seek glory for ourselves when we talk at God, then let’s remove that temptation, and keep the conversation purely between us and the Lord, and offer our prayers in complete isolation.
But aren’t we supposed to encourage and support others by praying with and for each other? Aren’t we to join with others in prayer every time we gather as the Church, wherever and whenever that may be? Aren’t we to celebrate the Lord’s presence and glory, not only when we are alone, but whenever two or more gather together? Of course we are, but we are also called to put the Lord first in our prayer, and through that, to bring honor and glory to his name.

His last thought on this matter is that prayer should be offered in a way that is natural for us. Lengthy and verbose prayers will only serve to show how great our grasp of the language is, and can, at times, be misconstrued as bragging about all that we have done, and not necessarily that most of them have been failures! Martin Luther was known for his excessive confession of practically every miniscule sin he had ever committed – with his confessional going on for hours at a time. Our prayers should be complete and loving, not long-winded!

I would like to suggest that before every prayer that each of us offers, whether it is at church, or at home, or at some public gathering, we consciously consider the fact that our conversation with God is, in all actuality, a form of worship, and then and only then, to begin to pray accordingly.

Read Matthew 6:9-15

On the surface, these verses also seem to be about the depth and focus of prayer, which they certainly are. But let’s use our acronym ACTS for just a moment. The first two verses of the prayer are intended solely to offer praise and glory to God. The next verse – “Give us today our daily bread.”, is the beginning of 3 verses of petition, with the last 2 focusing on forgiveness and prevention of our sinful choices.
The first petition, the one for “our daily bread”, raises the image of the heavenly sustenance (manna) that Israel received during their 40 years of wilderness life. It came each and every morning, it never lasted beyond that day except on the Sabbath, and it never failed to provide the daily nutritional needs of the people. The point of this is that we are to seek the Lord’s presence and guidance each and every day, and to never assume that the opportunities and blessings that it brings will last beyond today.
This then connects to the thoughts on forgiveness. Forgiveness for our wayward lives is something that we also need each and every day, and we can never trust that God will make everything right at the Judgment, whether we ask for it or not!

Our request for forgiveness must be honest and focused, and when we realize that we have sinned, we don’t wait quietly for a couple of days, hoping that the Lord will have forgotten what we did! That’s not going to happen! We go to him immediately, seeking his grace and mercy for our lives.

We are also told to pray that even the temptation to sin might be taken from us, because avoiding sin is far better than having to seek forgiveness for doing it. This part of the prayer also seems to imply that God might lead us to be tempted, just as Jesus was after his baptism. I believe that it isn’t that God will be the temptation for us to sin, but that his leading will, in some instances, cause us to be in a place or situation that can be sinfully tempting in a worldly sense. Jesus is calling us to pray that temptation, regardless of where we may go in his name, will never even cause us to be tempted to sin, and in doing that, that we will be delivered from the clutches of Satan.

This prayer definitely has overtones of the Final Judgment, but whether it is for the end times, or each and every day of our lives, the importance of seeking forgiveness, as well as our being delivered from the temptation to sin, is just as essential for our lives.

And even though it isn’t included as an integral part of the prayer, Jesus offers an additional thought on our forgiveness of others. Interesting, isn’t it? He doesn’t say that if we forgive others, that God will also forgive them. He says that however we forgive others, that is how God will forgive us.
In Matthew 18:23-35, Jesus tells the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, in which a servant is released from a very large debt to his Master, but is unwilling to forgive a much smaller amount that another servant owes him. As a result, the Master’s forgiveness is rescinded, and the first servant is required to pay his original penalty in full. And the Lord says this is how we will also be treated if we do not forgive others.
It seems, then, that our forgiveness is dependent on how we treat the sins of others! It sounds strangely similar to Jesus’ call to love our enemies! (Matthew 5:43-45)

Read Matthew 6:16-18

Fasting is intended to be a spiritual cleansing of our soul, just as medical fasting does the same thing for our bodies. Fasting can be seen as a form of preparatory worship and prayer, but in this instance, it truly should be done privately. Of course, that doesn’t mean that we do it in solitary confinement! Isaiah 58, which I will leave to your personal study, addresses the issue of holy fasting verses fasting that only glorifies ourselves. He even gives instructions that reflect Matthew 25:35-40 – that even in our time of fasting, we are to care for the needs of others, without letting them know, however, that we are abstaining from satisfying our own personal needs.
That is what will bring honor and glory to Almighty God.

And it is our Godly, holy, righteous faith that will always bring glory to the Lord, and it is by our holy living - living in the way that Jesus lived - that will strengthen our faith, and grow our trust in Christ.
May your life become one great and glorious means of worship.

"Stewardship"

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-4; 19-24

As we continue in our examination of Jesus’ Sermon, we come to the passage that I have chosen to call “Stewardship”. Now I know what you’re thinking – “Oh no – he’s going to give us the “money pitch”! But actually, I’m not – today we will be looking far beyond just money and into what the Church should be about.

Homiletics reports, regarding Leonard Sweet’s book “Soul Tsunamu”:
“God is the giver. The believer is the receiver.” Sweet writes that most stewardship programs have a theology of “giving.” He believes that Christians must return to Scripture for a theological understanding of God as “giver.” This, he says, will redefine one’s relationship with God.
The philosophy goes back to the basic truth that God is the giver and the believer is the receiver. Christians love God because God first loved them. The good things of life are available to enjoy because of God’s gracious giving. Sweet writes, “In a theology of receiving, the first question is not ‘How much do I give to God [out] of what is mine’ but ‘How much of God’s do I keep for myself?’”

Sweet further develops this idea by contrasting a traditional emphasis on stewardship, which he says is poorly understood, with an emphasis upon trusteeship. “The fundamental question of anyone who is a trustee of an estate is not ‘How much do I give away of what is mine’ but ‘How much of this estate do I receive for myself so that the estate might grow and prosper and do good?’”
The language of trusteeship is the language of receiving first, and only after the receiving question is settled does it become the language of giving.

In Psalm 50:7-15, we read that the animals of the forest, the birds of the air, the cattle of a thousand hills, and everything that moves in the fields are all God’s. And yet, we have been given responsibility for them all. In Genesis 2:19-20, we read that God has created all life, including animals and birds, but he gives the Man authority to “name” each one. The word “name”, in this context, implies authority over, but not just the right to do whatever we wish, but that we have been appointed as “trustees” to care for and administer the Lord’s creation.

So stewardship for us, in combining Sweet’s theological ideals with the scriptures, is that we have been appointed as managers of the Lord’s creation, with the right to keep some of these resources for our own use.

With that, let’s turn to our text for the day.

Read Matthew 6:1-4

In Jesus’ teaching for today, his emphasis seems to be on money, but try to remember that money is simply an analogy for the things of earth. The Lord’s lesson is about our “trusteeship”, our “managerial responsibilities”, our stewardship over all that he has given us.
And in our text, Jesus doesn’t say anything about how much we should give to those in need – he is talking strictly about our attitude in giving. This takes us back to Leonard Sweet’s thoughts – namely do we think “How much am I willing to give to God?”, or do we think “How much of God’s do I keep for myself?” In Jesus’ teaching, he is telling us that those “hypocrites” are thinking along the line of the first question, when they should have been considering the second.
When we think of our offering as “our giving to God out of what we have”, and want others to know just how much that may be, Jesus says that the honor given to us by others will be our reward, and that on the Judgment Day, we may very well miss out on his eternal reward!
And one more thought on the issue of secrecy – it isn’t so much that no one else can ever know what you have returned to the Lord, it’s actually more about our attitude in the offering. Do we brag about our gift, or are we humble in the giving?

Read Matthew 6:19-21

This is about our priorities in managing the resources that the Lord has entrusted to our care. It all comes back to Sweet’s questions on who actually owns the resources? If we see our resources as ours to do with as we see fit, we are, in essence, “storing up treasures on earth”. And if we readily acknowledge that they are all God’s to begin with, and return a portion of that glory to his honor, these very same resources become “the treasure of heaven.”
So the question for us now is “Are we returning true honor and glory to the Lord, or are we a bit sparing in showing him our gratitude”?

Read Matthew 6:22-24

In the understanding of today, the eye allows light and vision to come into our lives, but in the context of Jesus’ day, the eye was seen as that which reveals all that is at work within our lives. If our life is about bringing honor to Almighty God, then the eye projects a “light” to the world – we become an example of Christian living to others, if you will. But if our life is all about ourselves, then we are told that there is no “light”, that there is only darkness within us. And, of course, “darkness” of the soul refers to our sinfulness.
Once again, it’s our attitude toward God and his great gifts to each of us – are they ours, have we produced them, or have they simply been on loan to us from the Lord?

And then the Lord concluded this section with his thoughts on serving two Masters, and he says that we can’t! We can’t serve, or bring glory and honor, to both God AND the things of earth, for if we do, we will never be able to love them both. And from personal experience, we will nearly always wind up loving the secular, and will turn away from the divine.

Now a few other thoughts that may have come from Jesus’ teaching – first, how much is a tithe? A tithe is that which we return to God to help the kingdom grow and thrive. For many, we believe that this amounts to 10% of all we have. But I have found only one reference in scripture that equates a tithe to 10% (Leviticus 27:30-33). And 10% isn’t a bad place to start, but can we truly place a set amount on the gratitude we show to the Lord for all that he has given us? How much is enough? How much time do we give for the growth in the Kingdom? How often will we use our God given abilities to help those who are in need? How much or our finances is the right amount to dedicate to the growth and strength of the church?
How much is enough to give sufficient glory to God for all he has given for us?


Second, stewardship of the Lord’s resources is not just about how much money we put in the plate each Sunday morning. It is about our generous gift to God for all that we have received – our time, our abilities, our family, our passion and compassion, our health (even when our life hasn’t been exactly perfect!), and yes, our finances, too.
There’s an old saying that “You can’t out give God.” But have any of us really tried?

Yesterday at the regional Church Conference, our District Superintendent Dave Kofahl presented an excellent message, with the theme being “Refresh: Reclaiming Our Wesleyan Heritage”. Now his message wasn’t specifically about stewardship, but it was about the attitude we have in faith. (Remember Sweet's thoughts?) He told us that our Christian faith must have both an inlet and an outlet, and he offered a comparison between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea.

The Sea of Galilee is a living and vibrant body of water. It has provided food for countless millions of people, as well as employment for many, for thousands of years. It has a fresh water inlet from the Northern Jordan River, and it has an outlet for water to flow south through the Jordan itself. On the other hand, the Dead Sea, being 1,500 feet below sea level, has no outlet, and even though water continues to flow in, evaporation continues to make it more and more salty with each passing year. While the ocean has a salinity of 2-3 %, the Dead Sea is in the 25-30 % range, and as such, is dead - nothing can live in it. As a matter of fact, there are signs at the beach warning everyone about the hazards of ingesting the liquid, or even of getting the water in your eyes! It has become worse than stagnant simply because it has no outlet.

Jesus is the source of our faith, and showing him honor by giving back to his glory, is the outlet. And that honor is given every time we “refresh” the church. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, we read “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
How “fresh” and “new” are each of us? Are we prepared to honestly say YES to bringing honor and growth to the Kingdom by faith and following in Christ? Do we truly want to be refreshed and return to our Wesleyan heritage, or do we just expect others to do that, while we sit and watch?

"Right Living, #2"

Scripture: Matthew 5:33-48

We have been considering the teachings that Jesus offered in his Sermon on the Mount for the past four weeks. It would be the Lord’s first major teaching since his baptism, his 40 days of temptation in the wilderness, and the beginning of his calling of the 12. Today we continue our study of Jesus instruction on what it means to live the righteous life.

Read Matthew 5:33-37

This was rather radical teaching, even for Jesus, as it had no basis whatsoever in Judaic law. As a matter of fact, both Judaism and the Gentile world used oaths and vows extensively in asking their God, or gods, to verify the truthfulness of their words. If an oath was uttered, the words must be taken as true. If a vow was offered, the promise had to be kept. Even in our own legal system, statements offered under oath, such as in a court room or during a deposition, are legally requiring truth, and if they aren’t, a crime has been committed.

But with Jesus’ words, he is saying that anyone who claims to be his follower must always tell the truth, and if they say that they will do something, it must be done. He is initiating an entirely new standard in faith. And why not? When we commit our lives to Christ Jesus, we are also dedicating our lives, our actions, and our words to his glory, and to living our life in his way. The words and acts of Jesus are always true – after all, how could God be anything BUT true and honest?
But what about those times when absolute truth might be harmful, that it is anything but “loving your neighbor”? When I was in the Navy, stationed on a ship that was home ported in Norfolk, I dated a girl who lived in Delaware. One weekend, she prepared a very nice dinner for us, and as I sat down at the table, I noticed that there was a glass of red juice at our places. I thought “Oh, we’re having tomato juice – I really like tomato juice.” But as the liquid passed through my lips and onto my taste buds, I suddenly realized that it wasn’t tomato. I then thought “This isn’t tomato juice!” - of course it was V-8, which I didn’t care for all that much - and if the thought had just remained in my mind instead of traveling down to my lips, I would have been OK. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as well as I had hoped, and I’m afraid that even though I was completely truthful in my comments about the juice, my words did absolutely nothing to endear me to Peggy that evening.
These situations require some tact, and even though Jesus has called us to truthfulness, I think he might want us to avoid being brutal in these situations, if you know what I mean!

I think the point that the Lord is making, though, it this – if you lie to make yourself look better, it’s a sin. If you say that you will do something, do everything in your power to be faithful to that promise. Of course, there will be those times that you forget to follow through, or that you say something that you believed was true, but wasn’t. Those times require apologies to the person you may have harmed, but if your falsehood was intentional, you have violated the Lord’s trust.

When you say “Yes”, or when you say “No”, let it be even better than any oath or vow you could ever make, for that is what the Lord is calling us to do. Love is unconditional.

Read Matthew 5:38-42

Remember last week’s thoughts on anger and revenge? These verses for today highlight Jesus’ thoughts on “getting even”. Remember that his words are about personal vendettas, and not about accountability for our actions. Every society and every faith expression has laws regarding what constitutes acceptable behavior, and most include consequences for violating those laws. That is not what Jesus is talking about – he’s addressing our personal response to issues of life.

In this instance, Jesus is actually telling his followers that the law, by itself, is totally inadequate, and if you truly wish to follow him, you are expected to act in a completely different manner. He offers 5 situations, three of which are oppressive conditions, while the other two are more acts of social justice.

1. The first example, that of being struck on your cheek, is more about an insult than it is a violent attack. And Jesus says that not only should we never seek revenge, but that we are to allow the other person to hit us a second time. This would not only demonstrate courage on our part, but it would also be a loving act not to retaliate.
2. If they take your shirt, give them your coat, too. The law in Jesus time demanded that, legally, a person’s cloak could never be taken in a court judgment. The cloak was the outer garment that a person wrapped themselves up in at night to keep warm, and without that garment, they could easily freeze to death. But Jesus says, either directly or figuratively, that we are to give beyond what we are required to give, as an example of “loving your neighbor.
3. If required to give one mile, then give two. In Jesus’ day, Roman soldiers and officials could demand that citizens of an occupied nation assist them by showing the way, or by carrying their luggage, for up to a mile. Jesus says to give them even more, and not try to get out of giving what is demanded.

The next two are a little different, in that these are truly acts of kindness, and not based on the demands of others.
4. If you’re approached by someone in need – whether a beggar, or a neighbor, or a relative – give them whatever you can to help them. I don’t believe that the Lord expects us to give everything that we have, leaving ourselves destitute, but to give whatever we can, even sacrificially, to benefit others.
5. Borrowing was another issue. Every seven years was declared to be a Year of Jubilee, when debts would be forgiven. For most lenders, the last couple of years before the Jubilee would be a time when loans were almost never given, because the lender would receive little in repayment. But Jesus is saying that we are to lend regardless of when the request is made, and regardless of what we will receive in return.

Hard teaching, but Jesus never said that the way of God would be easy!

Read Matthew 5:43-48

Now we get to the one on “loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you.” In Leviticus 19:18, Israel was called to "love their neighbor as their self". In this context, “neighbor” was intended, or at least was understood to mean a fellow Israelite – someone who was like you. But Jesus takes it up a step – that we are to love all people, not just who we like, or those who live as we live. Just because we see someone as an outsider, as a sinner, as an undesirable, as one of “them”, it is no reason not to show them compassion and love.

Remember Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, and the question “who is my neighbor”? (Luke 10:25-37) Remember the Pharisees’ question to the disciples “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’? (Matthew 9:9-13)
It turns out that from God’s perspective, our “neighbor” is even a half breed, who we know is a lousy sinner, and who is worthless, or even one who is collaborating with the enemy! And as followers of Jesus Christ, we must love even the most unlovable person we will ever meet or hear about.
From Jesus’ perspective, love is a universal trait that we must accept and share with the world.

Does anyone think that they will ever live all of these teachings perfectly? To our benefit, there is one other Christian teaching that isn’t mentioned here that will help us. For those times when we sin and miss the mark set by Jesus, 1 John 1:9-10 calls us to confess our failures to God, and we will be forgiven. The 6 teachings that we have considered during these last two weeks are difficult to follow, and we will always need the Lord’s strength and forgiveness in our lives.
Controlling our anger to keep it from consuming us – maintaining control of our thoughts about the opposite sex – ensuring that our marriage is a holy and God blessed institution – to be honest and forthright in all we say and all we promise to do – to lovingly give to others and never seek revenge for the things they do – and to love others, even those who abuse us and hate us and oppress us.

When we fail to heed the instructions and teaching of our Lord Jesus, he wants us to confess our sin and seek his mercy. In Matthew 9:13, Jesus says that he desires mercy above all other things – that means that the mercy he offers for each of us is at the top of his list of gifts, and he wants it at the top of ours, too.

Give his way a chance, and discover what he will give in return.