“A New Year, and a New Start”

Scripture: Titus 2:1-15

Well, Christmas is over, and a new year is just a few hours away. Some see this season as an opportunity to let bygones be bygones, and to welcome in a whole new approach to life – they call these “resolutions”. (Covenants are better than resolutions, though!) But desiring a change in your life, however that may be accomplished, is almost always the right decision! 2017 has been an interesting year for us all – new opportunities to embrace, but also memories of painful situations and struggles that we would just as soon leave behind. The good has been good, but that is what was – what about the “to come”?

The truth is, we are more comfortable with what is, regardless of what “it” may be, than is the unknown that awaits us. But tomorrow holds excitement; it holds out a handful of possibilities. So why not embrace it and look forward to what it may bring? Carefully, of course! We need to have a vision of tomorrow, and how to enter it in a right way, to know what to leave behind in yesterday, and what to claim as the new way for tomorrow.

Read Titus 2:1-5

Titus was one of those new people who would be instrumental in spreading the word of Jesus Christ throughout the world. And was he ever “new” – he was a Greek gentile who had learned of Christ’s great promise from Paul, and now he had been sent to Crete to share what he knew about Jesus with other new “possibilities” in Christ. (Galatians 2:1-3, Titus 1:5) His charge was to teach “sound doctrine” to this new congregation of the Church. Notice that it wasn’t to be his idea of what the church should be about, and it wasn’t to be his thoughts on what Christian doctrine should entail – it was to be based in the truths that Christ taught, and not those that the world advocates for.

This entire book outlines the truths that he is to be introducing to the people of Crete. Interestingly, Paul begins this chapter of instructions to Titus with what he is to teach to the “older men”, or elders of the community. These would be the living examples that others would follow, and who would, one day, become leaders of the Church. The changes that Christian ideals would work in their lives would easily spread to the rest of the community. Consider some of the things that they were to learn – temperance, or a sober life; that they should be worthy of respect, and not simply respectful of others; they should exhibit self-control in both their words and actions; they must be rigorous in faith, love and endurance. These last three work so well together – they call us to live in Christ’s way and not in ours, to be loving and not condemning, and to never give up on the first two!

The older women are second, because they will have the greatest influence with the younger women. This concept of older people being good examples for the younger has been lost in our society. Respect and honor has somehow been transferred to the younger generation, and our elders tend to be conveniently relegated to nursing homes and elder communities. The young of this day are, typically, reluctant to be influenced by old ideas, until, that is, they come to the realization that their ways don’t always work as well as they initially thought they would.

So what are the young women to learn from the older ones? Seemingly, their list of items are very similar to the men’s! To live in reverence, or faith; to avoid gossip and lies about others, or, more specifically, to be respectful of others; to be temperate – to avoid all sorts of excesses; to teach goodness, self-control, and to be industrious in all they do. They are to be respectful within their families, and a uniting influence for them all.

But even more than this, the attributes that each of these influential people are to adopt are very similar to those that the Jewish priests were called to exhibit. Paul seems to be advocating for both men and women to be leaders and influencers within the Christian church! And why not? They had influence within their families as well as society in general, so their involvement as leaders in the church was a natural extension of the life they were already living – they would just be doing it in a new way and for a new purpose.

Read Titus 2:6-10

But the teaching wasn’t to be restricted to only the elders – Titus was called to also teach younger men, as well as the slaves, which was a radical departure from the norm! The young had always learned from the elder members of their family, and slaves simply did what they were told to do. There was nothing that an outsider should, or could, teach them.

And yet, this was a new day and a new way for them all. Gentiles not only being welcomed into the faith, but actually becoming leaders and teachers for the Church; men and women being called to similar responsibilities; even slaves were being taught Christian principles and were expected to live them out just as their masters were.

The Church wasn’t just a new faith expression – it was becoming a new way of life. It was setting the old, worldly and human ways aside, and it would call the world to live Jesus’ words in John 3:17 – that he came, not to condemn, but to save. And even God’s law that had been given to Israel a millennia before, wasn’t to be torn down – the ways of Jesus were the fulfilling, the perfecting of the law (Matthew 5:17-20). He came to make all things new (Revelation 21:5). It wasn’t that the Church was throwing everything out and bringing in different ways and beliefs – it was reestablishing the truth of God that had always been.

Read Titus 4:11-15

And Paul concludes this chapter with the purpose behind the teachings that Titus is to offer to the people of Crete. And these items, while a major part of what is to be taught, do not come from living the righteous life, but rather are the reason for living in righteousness. It is a concise summary of what the gospel message is all about. 1) Christ has come to bring us the salvation that only God can convey. 2) Our response to Christ’s salvation must be our rejection of ungodly ways and the perverse ways of earth. 3) We learn to live the ways that Titus is to teach – to live with self-control, in righteous and Godly ways, in the here and now. 4) This life is our gift to God for the redeeming grace that we receive from Calvary, and 5) it all comes together in the hope that we have been given for the Christ’s return and the eternal life that faith in him will bring.

And Paul’s final word to Titus is that he is to teach and encourage the people in Christ’s ways, and to rebuke the ways and false teachings that would justify the conduct of earth. And not only is he given the charge to serve the Lord in this way, but he is granted the authority of God to do so!

This is the newness of Christ at work in our lives. No longer is salvation for Israel alone, but is offered for the entire world by faith in Jesus Christ. God’s favor no longer resides in adherence to the law, but in acceptance of the grace that is inherent to all who believe. The love of God in Christ no longer is reserved for those who live in perfection (which no one can actually do any way!). It is now bestowed on those who live faithfully. And finally, authority to share the gospel message does not come by position or rank or heritage or human decision – it comes to all who the Lord chooses to receive it. And who does God choose for this blessing? It rests upon all who will witness faithfully to what the Lord has given them.

Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” And yet, the lives we live, and the testimony that we share, is the very evidence that world seeks. Oh, it’s true, that the world can still accept or reject anything that they deem unfit, but the Church must continue to be the proof of Christ for each and every one.

The new year, and the possibilities that it brings, is nearly upon us, and the opportunities and the authority that Christ conveys, are within our call. The authority to proclaim the truth of Christ is ours. A vision of salvation is ours to share with the world, and not just with each other. And above it all is our responsibility to be the Church for the world, in this place and in this time.

It is a new year, and with it comes a new start for each of us. Whatever we have done, or haven’t done, in the past is inconsequential – the only issue for us today is how we intend to live from here on. 2018 is a year that is filled with hope and promise, if only we will accept it.

Happy New Year, and may it bring a sense of newness to your life.

“Rejoice!” (Christmas Eve worship)

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

If you ask folks what Christmas means for them, you will hear answers like 1) it’s a time to get family together, or 2) it’s a time for giving to others, or 3) it’s a time for parties with friends, maybe 4) it’s a time to shop ‘til you drop!, and for some, unfortunately 5) it’s a time of too much work, to much cost, and too many memories that hurt. Christmas has become a time for presents, and trees, and meals, and decorations that are better than the ones our neighbors put up. And, oh yes, I think that it might have something to do with Jesus?

Christmas has, for most of the world, been secularized to the point that all the joy that it should possess has been wrung out until the holiday is so dry and purposeless that it seldom ever bears a resemblance to that holy night so long ago.

So what should Christmas be about?

Read Luke 2:1-20

There had been many prophecies regarding this day, but very few were joyful. Micah 5:2 proclaimed that Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, a small suburb of royal Jerusalem, and not in the holy city itself. Isaiah 7:14 said that Messiah would be born to a virgin – as if anyone in their right mind would believe that story! Of course, Isaiah also prophesized that “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2) He also said that Messiah would have glory – in Isaiah 9:6-7 we read that he will come as a child, but that he would have all power within his grasp. “He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” And it didn’t end there – the good words continued on. But most of the words that the prophets offered were dire and painful – (Isaiah 53) he would be rejected by his own people, he would be betrayed (Psalm 41:9), he would be tried and condemned, and wouldn’t even defend himself (Isaiah 53:7-8), and that he would be crucified and die at the hands of sinners (Psalm 22:16-18), but Israel managed to forget most of the negative, and only focused on the majestic and royal.

And in their misdirected thinking, they would miss out on the most joyful period in their history. They missed out on experiencing the very promise of deliverance that they had watched for during the previous centuries. Why did most people fail to see the most incredible entry that this world had ever known? Simply because it didn’t match their expectations and beliefs.

But the coming of the Son of God was truly an overwhelmingly joyful event, even while struggle and opposition threatened to destroy God’s plan. Take Mary as an example.

Here is a young, unmarried, common, and poor girl, promised for marriage to a local man, who receives a visit from the angel Gabriel with a message for her from the great Yahweh Himself. This girl, a youth who was without any personal resources or royal lineage or glorious future for herself, had been chosen to give birth to the Messiah. Today, an unmarried and pregnant teenager may not seem so unusual, but in that day and in that society, this was a sign of adultery, and the punishment was death by stoning – no exception. And yet, Mary received this honor with grace and joy.

In Luke 1:46-55, we read of her song of praise. It begins with these words - “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Might One has done great things for me – holy is his name.” She believed, she accepted, and she rejoiced that she had been chosen by her God to be his blessed servant.

And then there was her intended, Joseph. An honorable man who loved this young woman dearly. He had begun preparing for their life together, creating a home, and developing a trade to support her and the family they would have together! But she told him that she was pregnant through the most unbelievable story he had ever heard. She should be stoned for her sin, and yet, his love for her never wavered. He decided to quietly break their engagement, and allow her to live, somewhere, alone.
But God’s plan didn’t include their separation – Joseph was to continue to love her, and to discover his love for the Child, and to care for them both throughout his life. So the Lord sent his angel with a second message for him. He was to let go of his fear, for the child who was growing within Mary was, indeed, a gift by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph was to love them both, and when the child was born, he was to take responsibility as the boy’s father, giving him the name Jesus. (Matthew 1:18-22)

He had struggled – with fear for his wife-to-be, and, undoubtedly, a little for himself; the unsettled sense of her apparent betrayal in their relationship and their commitment to each other; knowledge of what the law demanded and how unfair it seemed to be. And in spite of it all, Joseph’s love for Mary and the great expectation that he had for their life together, survived and triumphed through the glorious gift that Yahweh had given them. He, too, believed, and accepted, and rejoiced, that together they had been chosen as God’s special servants.

Shepherds, too, would be scared half to death, and yet this same joy caused them to leave their sheep behind to go to find their Savior. (Luke 2:8-20) Magi from many miles away would marvel at the signs that proclaimed the Savior’s birth, and then led them for many days so that they, too, could worship at the Christ Child’s side. (Matthew 2:1-12) And nothing – not King Herod’s hatred, not the Pharisees’ misplaced dependence on their interpretation of the law, not the ignorance and hard hearted lives that resided in the people – nothing could interrupt God’s plan or the joy that believers experienced.

On Friday, we had about 30 folks who took a bus trip to Lancaster, PA to visit Sight and Sound – a Christian company that presents the most incredible stage shows you will ever see. We attended their production of “The Miracle of Christmas”, and every one of us was blown away. The acting, the music, the choreography, the staging, the live animals – everything contributed to this wonderful story of God’s personal entry into the lives of humanity. For me, the most powerful moment was when the innkeeper’s wife reluctantly helped to deliver the Christ Child in the stable. When the child was born, she picked the baby up, marveling at this new life, and quickly coming to the realization that this child was different than the other babies she had known.
It was his eyes, she said, that struck her first, and slowly, the truth of this birth began to filter into both her and her husband’s lives, and suddenly, they realized that this child that she was holding in her arms was the long awaited Messiah! But then, reality began to set in – she was holding God’s own in her arms, and yet, she was a sinner – unworthy of such an act. What might the Lord do to her for this arrogant act? She begins to quickly walk back to Mary, prepared to give the child back to his mother, saying “I’m unworthy, a sinner – I must not even touch this child!” And Mary replies “But you’re wrong – you are the reason he has come!”

At that, I began to choke up, remembering that the Child of Bethlehem had also come into this world to save that unworthy sinner named Bill Prentice. We sometimes say that Christ came for the salvation of the world, but the truth is that he came to save each and every individual person of the world, not to just offer some general “Y’all come” to humanity. And each and every one of us must be like Joseph and Mary – to set our own fears, and reluctances, and prejudices, and failures, and misconceptions aside, so that the joy and truth of Christmas might rise up in our life to bring us the greatest blessing that we will even know!

And just as Christ’s offer of salvation to us is individual, so must our acceptance of his offer. It isn’t what our parents have done, it has nothing to do with what our husband or wife has done – it is whether we are willing to set our fears, our misunderstandings, our sin aside in favor of welcoming Messiah into our life, too. If you have never had the opportunity to discover the fullness of Christmas joy, tonight is the night. If you have never given your life to Christ, or wish to renew and refresh your joy in him, I would be honored to lead you in a prayer of surrender to the Lord’s way.

Lord of heaven and Lord of my life, I have avoided you for much too long. I know that I have sinned. I know that I am unworthy to reach out to you. I know that I’m unworthy to even ask, but Lord, I need you today. I will no longer close the door when you call, and I gratefully accept your gift of salvation.
I praise you Lord for coming to earth to save me. I believe that you are the Son of God who died on the cross of Calvary to free me from my sin, and who rose to new life, promising me that same new life. I believe that your words are true, and that by the power of your Spirit, I can live the life you have created for me.
Come into my life and my heart, Lord Jesus, and be my Savior today. Amen.

May you know the joy that sustained that young couple of Nazareth over 2000 years ago, and may the glory of Christ bath you during this Christmas season.

“The Restoring Light”

Scripture: John 1:6-14

John’s Gospel begins as no other does – it begins with the time that was before all time, with that which existed before anything else did, with the Life that is the source of all life. It speaks about the Light that came to dispel the darkness, and the truth that the darkness couldn’t understand. John begins his book of Good News, not with the Hope itself, but rather with the source and proclamation of that Hope.

This gospel will speak of the power of God that came to earth in flesh, and how it came to bless and enrich the lives of humanity. And today’s text doesn’t begin with the coming of that blessing, or with our need of that power, or even how this Godly flesh can enrich us. It begins with the one who would introduce this Hope to the people of Israel, and ultimately to all of earth. It begins with “another” who was sent by God.

Read John 1:6-9

This book treats John differently than do the other 3 gospels – it doesn’t speak of his human relationship to Jesus, it doesn’t refer to him as a baptizer, it doesn’t even call him a prophet – it reveals John solely as a witness to the Light that has come into the world.

The reason for any witness has one, and only one purpose – and that is to publically proclaim the truth. Whether in a court room, or in service to the Lord, it is seldom our own idea – we are called, summoned, to reveal the truth to others. We can always refuse to cooperate in either court or faith, but there will always be consequences to our denial of the call.

The prophets of the Old Testament were called to proclaim, and they did. The world, in general, didn’t want to hear those words, and tried to suppress them with every means at their disposal, but the “called of God” remained faithful to the Lord’s desire, which would turn the world against them. That has been the case since the beginning of time, and the world will hate the Truth until the end of all time. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, but that narrowness of thought still exists, none-the-less.

But regardless of what the world may think or do, the Light of God will continue to shine and illuminate all that is, and will, at the same time, reveal all that is not. Our gospel tells us that John was not the light itself, but came to show us the way to the light of God’s truth. What an incredible opportunity – to be God’s witness to the people of earth! The call to witness to Divine truth is a gift unlike any other, but how many times do people see it as an obligation instead of a joy? Certainly, it is a great responsibility, but being a witness to the Lord’s presence and activity should be the cause for ecstasy, for elation, to experience the thrill of this lifetime! That was John’s attitude to his call, and it should be ours, too.

The call to share the Light and Word and Truth of God with the people of earth should be the greatest joy that we will ever know.

Read John 1:10-13

The darkness that tries to suppress the light will never, can never, overcome it. Darkness may surround the light, it may make it difficult for us to find the light, it may even think that it is more powerful than the light, but nothing – nothing - is greater than the Light. Light dispels the darkness and it will never be the other way around - the dark of earth can never stand against the light of Almighty God.
But the darkness is blinding! It makes us believe that nothing else exists. It obscures the truth, and as we venture further and further into its gloom, it is so easy to believe that this is all that there is. That is when a “witness to the light” becomes so important for the blinded of earth. That is where we find John.

God had created the world, but when he came into the world, the created order that owed him so much had become so engrained in their own brand of truth, their own depth of darkness, that when the Truth of God finally arrived, they thought that it was Satan’s deception. Even those who had been chosen by God to be a blessing to the rest of the world refused him. In Genesis 22:15-18, the angel of the Lord tells Abraham “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” God’s blessing comes to us through obedience to his commands.

And because of the imposing darkness, Israel fell away from obedience. Jesus himself would one day tell a parable about what this disobedience would bring (Matthew 21:33-42). Those who refuse the Lord’s way will be left where they are - in the darkness - but the light of God will bath the faithful. The people had to be shown the way back – but by who? Who, indeed! It would, first, be by the Lord’s chosen witness John, and later by the disciples, and now by the Church!

John, and all who will witness to the glory of Jesus Christ, will be the ones who point the way toward the light and the truth of God. And why should the people of earth believe them? Because those who would accept that redirection for their lives will come to know, not just the name and way of God, but will live within the heart of God. The gospel writer tells us that when we receive the Light, we become “children of God” – not children in a human way, not like God’s children, but truly and fully His children in a way that only God can. Later in John’s gospel, Jesus will have a conversation with a Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus, where He will tell us even more about this new relationship as a child of God, and how it comes into our lives. (John 3:1-21)

Read John 1:14

The Word, the “Logos”, Messiah, the Christ, would leave glory and take on the fleshly covering of earth. He would become, not only like us, but would become one of and with us. Those who believe in this truth - this Light of God, and who will follow and proclaim this truth throughout the world of darkness, will come to know his glory for themselves.

We have become the called to be his witness to the world. And just like John, even though we aren’t the light that we testify to, even though we may not have a total understanding of what the Light can be for us, we are to carry it, and shine it, and share it with those who are hopelessly lost in the darkness of unbelief. Christmas is the time when we refocus our lives on that call, on our witness, and on how that light came to be in this place.

This Christmas season is a time to refresh the joy that may have begun to ebb from our lives, and to find the “Merry” of Christmas once again. May each of us find that child-like joy in Christ.

“Who Would You Be in the Lord?”

Scripture: 2 Peter 3:8-15

Jesus’ coming has always been misunderstood. And it doesn’t matter if we are talking about the first coming or the second – there have always been those who tried to make it out to be something completely different than God ever intended it to be. In Jesus’ day, there were those who had their own expectations of Messiah – that he would be an all-powerful Warrior King; that he would immediately destroy all of Israel’s enemies; that Israel would finally receive the glory and honor that had been promised. (1 Samuel 2:10). And in their ignorance, they completely missed the coming of God’s Truth.

And there is just as much misunderstanding over His second coming. Some claim that it is a fairy tale (even though it isn’t); others believe that they know the exact day and time (they don’t, of course!); still others believe that at His coming, everyone will be restored and welcomed into the grace and glory of the King (but they won’t); and even though there are a number of passages in scripture that address Christ’s Return, no one can possibly imagine what that day will actually be like.

Peter’s second letter to the Church was a warning about the false teachers of that day, and how their lies could only lead the people away from the truth of Christ. His advice was to look to the word of the true prophets for all they needed to know about the Lord, and to trust in nothing else.

Read 2 Peter 3:8-9

Some of the false teachers were claiming that the “coming” was a lie, because the time had passed them by. The general belief had been that Christ would come during that first generation of believers, and since most of them had already died, the lie that Christ would never come began to spread. The one truth that they had missed was that God’s “time” and God’s “soon” have nothing to do with our definitions of either word. Peter offers a clarification on the matter, but it is also one that makes little sense in worldly terms. How could a day and a thousand years possibly be the same?

The truth behind Peter’s explanation is this: God is timeless. The Lord was before time ever existed, and will be after time, along with every other aspect of creation, ceases to be. Time, quite simply, is a human measurement of change in the created order, but if aging, and renewing and birth and death don’t exist, neither can time. For the Lord God Almighty, time is completely irrelevant! So what could “soon” possibly mean to the Lord?

The word simply establishes a point of reference – that Christ’s return is on its way and will occur at some point in our future. It means that the first “day of arrival came at God’s initiating, not the world’s, and the second precious and long awaited “day” will arrive when all is ready for Christ to reappear. And what is the purpose of this delay? It means that God is being patient until all is ready, and so must we. He has a plan that we may not understand, but we must believe that it is for the opportunity of salvation for all - and not by our actions, but by faith. (Habakkuk 2:13-14)

Read 2 Peter 3:10-13

Scripture is full of hints as to the signs that Christ’s return is imminent. The entire 24th chapter of Matthew’s gospel addresses this issue, and apparently the “false teachers” – those in Peter’s day as well as those in ours - either never read it, or they choose to ignore it. Either way, the day of the Lord’s return is on its way, whether the people of earth wish to admit it or not! And Peter gives a few more clues for the doubters, and what does he tell them?

1. No one will ever know the day and time before it occurs. Jesus wants us to be ready now, and not to wait until the last minute. And why is that? Because we are to be involved in his ministry while we wait for that glorious day.

2. Everything that we know will be destroyed. No more sun or moon or stars. No more land or seas or planets. No more lies, or hatred or anything else, for that matter. The Lord’s rebuilding will be absolute and complete.

3. But until that day arrives, we wait – not with fear and inactivity, but in great anticipation and active ministry.

And Peter asks the question that we all have probably considered at some point and time in our lives – what do we do while we wait? And Peter’s answer is about as specific as Jesus’ would have been – “live holy and Godly lives”. Since creation is going to be destroyed, which in turn will open the way for the Judgment of imperfection to begin, we need to begin cleansing our own lives. Holy and Godly lives are incompatible with earthly life – they cannot exist side by side. So the one way that Peter calls us to live, is that which is not of this world. The Church has been called and set aside for Christian love and ministry, not for the world’s brand of social justice.

During this time of waiting, the Church is supposed to be spreading the word of Almighty God, and not the false ways of earth. And when we are faithful servants of the Lord Jesus, and when we share his gospel of salvation with the people of earth, eternal life will come sooner than later for the “full number of the Gentiles” that Romans 11:25 speaks about. And that will be the only thing that can hasten the Day of the Lord’s return. That day will be characterized by the destruction of the heavens and earth by the purifying, the cleansing fire of God, which will clear the way for the coming of righteousness and holiness for both our home and our lives. The hope of Christ’s return will become a reality.

The false teaching of earth cannot stop the Lord’s coming, but if we buy into those lies, it will, without question, put that glorious day off until all does come to fruition.

Read 2 Peter 2:14-15

In our faith and expectation, we work in an attempt to be “found”. This brings the opportunity for a choice on our part. Peter is telling us that we can either be found faithful by God on his return, or we can continue to be lost in the lies and ways of earth. It would seem that “free will” will fight against us right up until the last moment before Jesus. And the disciple lays it all out for us – the return of the Lord will be a complete surprise, so we need to be prepared for His return now. And how are we to be when he finds us? Spotless, blameless, and at peace with God.

And in case you are wondering just how you will ever get to that place in life, we can't! The truth is that, for now, committed faith in Christ, and showing the love that comes from following his commandments, will be sufficient – at least until the day of cleansing comes through the fire of God. And then we will discover the spotlessness, and blamelessness, and peacefulness that only God can provide.

Who and how must we be as we wait upon the day of Christ? Patiently faithful! No more and no less. Patient, because we believe in that day and all that it will bring. Faithful, because the lies that some tell can only lead us away from the glory that is on its way.

Can we be any different than the one God created us, and calls us, to be?

“Come, and Come Quickly!”

Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-9

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. While the word “advent” symbolizes the first “arrival” of Jesus Christ, it can also refer to the long awaited arrival – the second coming – of Christ. But why would the arrival of Christ – both the first and the second – be so important for us? Why is this season to be a special and intentional period of worship?

In the next few weeks leading up to Christmas, we will consider the day that is to come – what it will be like and how we are to wait for its coming. We will see what we can discover about the One who is on His way, how we will know that it is truly Him, and what He will be bringing with him. But today, we consider the need for not only Christ’s coming, but more importantly, for God’s presence in our lives.

This season is a time of great anticipation, and rightly so. The Lord is on His way to bless us in ways that we can’t even imagine. But why should we need God in such a personal and intimate way? Isn’t the mere fact that God IS sufficient?

Read Isaiah 64:1-3

The prophet is remembering how their great Jehovah had been with them in bygone days. He remembered how the Lord had become visible and personal to the people during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, and he knew that the nation needed that intimate Divine Presence once again. God had provided the way for Israel to cross the sea, even while he held the army of Egypt at bay. (Exodus 14:10-31) He revealed Himself and His word to Moses, for the benefit of the people, on Mount Sinai. (Exodus 19:20-20:21) He led them for 40 years in a Cloud by day, and a Pillar of fire at night. (Exodus 13:21-22) The power of God was made real to the people throughout the journey, even when the people were disobedient.

And now, the people were facing calamity once again, and they needed to know that their Lord was still with them. But now, God is being asked to reveal Himself, not only to the people, but also to their enemies. Isaiah knows that no one can stand against the mighty name of their Jehovah God, and if their tormenters could just see who is on the side of Israel, they would fall before Him.

If the prophet only knew. The revealing of Almighty God to the world had always been in the Divine plan, but Israel would have to experience another few centuries of struggle before that day would actually come. God would come to them again, but not in symbolic ways, such as in fire and cloud and wind – he would come in human flesh – He would arrive as one of them.

And by coming in this way, not only could He be known, but He could make the Father known, too. (John 14:6-7) God would no longer be impersonal; He would no longer be remote; He could no longer be misunderstood – He could only be ignored! Emmanuel – “God with us” – is heaven’s answer to Isaiah’s plea “O that you would rend the heavens and come down”!

Read Isaiah 64:4-6

God works for those who wait for him – which is unshakable evidence that no one has ever seen a god quite like Him. And in that proclamation, the relationship that God is creating for us begins to develop. Who receives the benefit of the Lord’s work? Is it everyone? Does the entire world benefit from that “rending" of heaven's fabric?

Not exactly. The prophet tells us that it is those who “gladly do right”, and remember “Godly ways”. Notice that it isn’t just doing right that pleases the Lord – it’s gladly doing right. It isn’t solely the act, but the attitude that we have while doing it! And it isn’t just doing good things – it’s doing them in and through God’s never ending and never changing way.

The world gets confused over these issues, and tries to do their things in their ways! And in our failure to follow the Lord - and His call - and His ways, the prophet tells us that we sin. And we also read that sin angers God! Those things that we do can make the greatest power in all the universe, can make the God of Creation, can make the very One who is being asked to leave heaven and come to help us, angry! Why would anyone intentionally do that?
Quite honestly, it doesn’t happen through an honest and intelligent decision – it can only occur in either the denial that our choices are wrong, or in the mistaken thought that God is wrong – both of which are sadly lacking in wisdom!

And just in case we miss his point, Isaiah goes deeper in his discussion of how sinfulness affects us. In our sin, he says, our lives have no meaning – even when we do good things. Isaiah says we are “unclean”, like “filthy rags”. I have a number of old, retired hand towels that I use to clean my hands after working outside, and to clean tools that get oily or covered in dirt. Once upon a time, they were nice, attractive towels that had purpose in the house, but now, they don’t even go inside to be washed – I do that in a bucket out in the yard! And you might think that once they are clean, they can become useful again to my wife as towels in the house. Think again! They are no longer worthy of any dignified use. The only future those towels have is once they are no longer of any use to me, they will go in the trash.

And the filth in our lives, our sinfulness, if it remains, will destroy any hope that we might have in the One who throws open the gates of heaven for us.

Read Isaiah 64:7-9

There is no hope for this world, unless the God of Glory responds to Isaiah’s plea. And He did. The Lord our God is no longer hidden; is no longer angry; is no longer condemning. Our lives condemn us, but by faith and obedience in the God who left heaven to come down in flesh, we will not only be redeemed, but those old, filthy rags that we call “life” will be taken away, and will be replaced with glorious robes of righteous love. (Zechariah 3:1-9)

That is what Christ is for the world. The One who left glory, and honor, and praise behind, the One who caused the gates of heaven to be flung wide open, the One who welcomes all – not through their own good works, not by their social justice, not by their personal wisdom, not by their love of the world and its ways, and not through justification of the life they live. The gates have been opened wide for those who live as the prophet Micah describes – who “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly” with the Lord. (Micah 6:8) Salvation isn’t found in what we do for the world – it’s found in how we live for and in Jesus.

Isaiah plead for Christ to come, and after He came and suffered for our sins, He then returned to His glory, calling us to carry on His ministry and word for the world. But Christmas, with its celebration of that coming, isn’t the last word for us. There will be another coming – one that will change everything, one that will make everything new, one that will fully answer Isaiah’s plea – to rend the heavens and come through that tear to be with us. He will make the mountains tremble, He will burn up the rubble of earth, the nations will tremble at His name, and He will reveal Himself and His truth to the entire world – to His friends and foes alike.

Are each of us prepared to wait in the Lord’s way – faithful to His word and joyful in His call?

Come Lord Jesus, and may the day of Your return come soon!

“Faithful – Once and Always”

Scripture: Luke 12:41-48

Jesus had just told a parable about being ready for service – it was a story about men who were waiting for their master to return from a wedding feast. They are to be ready to welcome him home, regardless of the hour, and while the parable itself isn’t actually a part of today’s text, it might be well to hear it to set the stage for our lesson.

Read Luke 12:37-40

The parable tells us that we are to be ready for the divine Master’s return to earth, regardless of when that may be. And in our text for today, Jesus tells us, not just that we must wait in readiness, but how we are to wait, and what being ready is all about.

Read Luke 12:41-44

Peter asks Jesus who the parable is intended for, and as usual, Jesus gives a totally unexpected, and seemingly unrelated, answer. And as the explanation unfolds, we discover that the answer is being given - that this story isn’t for any one person or even any group in particular. The parable is for both the Church and those who are still in the world.

And as Jesus continues, He begins to add more detail to the story, and the initial situation of a wedding is replaced with a focus on the staff at the Master’s home. And our initial thoughts that the parable is about the servants, we discover that it is more about the manager of the household than it is about those under his authority.
So more specifically, who is this parable about? The manager represents the leadership of the church, and not just those who are recognized as leaders, but all who others look to for guidance – small group leaders, Bible study leaders, lay speakers, Sunday School teachers, pastors, and others who are seen as examples and teachers of how to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

The manager’s responsibility, apparently, is not only to ensure that those under his authority do their work properly, but more importantly, to see that they receive that which nourishes and sustains them in their service. And the Church leaders of both Jesus’ day and our day has the same responsibility. In Matthew 7:7-12, the Lord tells about knowing the difference between goodness and evil when we deal with others we care about. It that passage, He asks “who among you, if your son asks for bread, would give him a stone, or if a fish, would give him a snake?” Jesus is telling us that wisdom resides within us all, but we have the ability to choose between good and evil, and if we truly care about those who are under our responsibility, we will always choose the good.
That’s what Christian leaders are expected to do – to share the Lord’s best with others, and not to interject too much of ourselves into the mix. We wait patiently for the Master’s return, and are to keep serving those we have been given, in the Master’s way, until the time arrives.

Read Luke 12:45-46

And if we choose to think only of ourselves, and set the Master’s way aside, we will have chosen badly. The manager got tired of waiting, and may have even begun to doubt that the day of return would ever come! And instead of continuing to exercise the responsibilities given to him, he begins to go his own way.

He beats those in his charge, instead of caring for their needs. We aren’t told whether the servants had done something wrong, and we don’t even know if they had refused to follow the orders that the manager gave them – the truth of the matter is though, that the story has nothing to do with the servants’ disobedience – it’s about the manager’s disobedience. He has denied the charge given to him by his master, and has set himself up as an ersatz master.

His authority is no longer based in the master, it is only through his own misplaced and mishandled imagination. His ability to manage has evaporated, replaced only by his own distorted sense of what is right and wrong.

Some church leaders have fallen into this very trap. They feel that the Master’s coming has taken so long that His orders, His word, and His authority have all faded, so they think they have to make a substitution, one that is based solely in their own desires and standards. Drunkenness is a metaphor for confusion, for the inability to reason properly, for our failure to choose well. Are any of us living a “drunken” life in faith?

If we are, it’s a big mistake. The Master is still on his way, and His plan hasn’t changed one iota. And those who are being abused with lies, those who are no longer being fed from the Master’s storeroom, those who are being starved for the Master’s love and protection, will one day be avenged. The drunken manager will receive two punishments – the first is being cut into pieces, a sign of divided loyalties, and the second, that of rejection into the condemnation of unbelievers. This is not good news!

But you may be wondering why the one who failed without knowing or intent was also punished – it doesn’t seem fair, does it. But the truth is that God’s Law is absolute, and divine reality, divine truth is completely different than the earthly version. In God’s way, failure to follow His way, whether knowingly or not, is still a failure, but mercy demands different penalties. And so it will be.

Read Luke 12:47-48

The story’s interpretation now turns decidedly toward the Church. Verses 47 & 48a are about those who choose poorly in this life. Those who know the Lord’s Will but ignore it, will receive the harshest of penalties, and those who fail without knowing will still be chastised, but nowhere nearly as severe as the others.

But for those who continue to labor within the Master’s Will and Plan and Commandments, reward will be glorious. The New International Bible Commentary offers this thought – “God will seek much from those to whom much has been given. Leaders to whom the church has given responsibility will, therefore, be held to a higher standard of expectation.” (James 3:1)

But the rewards, just as the punishments, will be based in multiple levels, and in this text two are mentioned – first, those who have been given much, and second, those who have been entrusted with much. So what’s the difference?

The word “given” implies a gift, a blessing. It’s something we simply receive without expectations or demands attached to it. It’s like a birthday or Christmas present – it is given to us without a quid pro quo (or at least it should!), without a comparable exchange. While it is given to us to possess, and even though it has no demands attached to it, we still need to be grateful, and we respond in gratitude to the giver, but a comparable response is not required.

However, the word “trusted” implies a great deal more. The manager in our parable for today was “trusted” with the responsibility of guiding those he was given authority over. The result of a “trust” requires a response. But not just any response – it must be one that is expected by the one who has “trusted” us. It may allow some personal leeway in the execution of that trust, but it must closely follow the way and intent of the Giver.

In the Church, we are “given” and “trusted” all the time. By faith in Jesus Christ, we are given the gift of eternal life. For the new Christian, it requires nothing in return – we don’t have to earn it, and there is nothing that we can give back to the Life Giver. However, as we mature in the faith, we begin to be trusted with more and more. This is referred to as the Lord’s call on our lives, or the granting of “gifts of the Spirit”. As we read through those verses in scripture that list some of these gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-13), we discover that each one involves not only an ability, but action, and with it, responsibility to use the gift in God’s way. And as we respond to each “gift of the Spirit”, our actions must concur with the Giver’s way and call.

When we give our lives to Christ, and receive his gift of eternal life, we give our thanks and praise, and in that, our reward will be incredible. But when we are trusted with His gifts, in addition to His eternity, and when we execute those gifts in the way the Lord’s word tells us to, the rewards will dwarf even the joy and glory of the given Life. Remember the parables of Talents and Minas? Some will be faithful with the gifts they receive, and others will not, and each will be rewarded, or punished, beyond all expectation. (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27)

So the question for each of us, as we approach the beginning of this year’s Advent, is this – first, how do we show our gratitude to the Lord Jesus for the gift of eternal life that we now have, and second, how faithful are we to His call and in the Spiritual gifts that we have been trusted with? Those who have been gifted are the leaders of the Church, and these are the ones who have the greatest responsibility for faithful service.

Leaders, and that is a very broad based term, use them carefully and prayerfully.

“Who Do We Give Our Thanks To?” (Thanksgiving Eve)

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

The issue isn’t always about whether we give thanks or not – more times than not, it is about how and why we give thanks, and to whom it is given. In Luke 18:9-14 – the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector - the Pharisee was grateful that he wasn’t like other people, in particular, the tax collector who had also come to pray and give his offering. The tax collector, on the other hand, approached the Lord in a completely different way – he was humble and contrite and repentant, embarrassed to even come before God that day.

How about us? Why are we thankful? How do we express our thanks? And who do we offer our thankfulness to?

Read Luke 17:11-14

Lepers were the ultimate outcasts. They weren’t allowed to live in any city or village – they were required to remain completely away from all other people. And if, for some reason, they had to walk near others, they had to warn others that they were coming by constantly crying out “Unclean! Unclean!”. Lepers had practically nothing to be thankful for.

This passage also tells us that Jesus was traveling along the border between the Galilee and Samaria. Samaritans were ostracized almost as completely as the Lepers were. While the lepers were unclean in a physical way, Samaritans were unclean spiritually.

Lepers and Samaritans were both feared and hated by the Jews.

So the Lepers couldn’t even come near Jesus to seek his healing, but as we all know, distance was never a problem for the Lord. And this great healing was more than a simple miracle – it was a demonstration of the depth and breadth and power of God’s kingdom. And in a not-so-common way, Jesus doesn’t even pronounce the healing – he simply tells them to go and show themselves to the priest. In Israel, if a leper was healed, which didn’t happen all that often, their cleanliness had to be certified by a temple priest before they could return to inclusion in the community.

This story is also about authority. The 10 cry out to the Lord “Jesus, Master ..” Scripture seldom reports a non-disciple referring to Jesus as Master, but these lepers do. They may have been excluded from the community of Israel, but they had never been excluded from the community of God. They knew who Jesus was, and they showed him the proper respect. And what did they ask of the Lord? Pity, mercy. Not from the priests, not from the Pharisees, not from their former friends and relatives, not from society, but from the Almighty “Master”. They sought God’s power and presence and mercy for their wretched and miserable lives.

Read Luke 17:15-19

They left for the temple, trusting that they would be healed by the time they arrived a week or so later. And as they went, it happened. Can you imagine the joy that swept over them, to realize that their bodies had suddenly been renewed and restored? I expect that the rest of the trip was going to be quite an event!

But one of them, in his joy, was also reminded of why he was healed – it was by his trust in the authority and power of the one he had called “Master”. He “saw” that he had been healed, but what was he to do about it? Follow the others? Seek the proclamation of the priests? Rejoice that he could become an active member of his family and friends once again?

His “seeing” was similar to that of the Good Samaritan. Remember that not only did he see the injured man, but so did the priest and the Levite! And what did each do about the “seeing” that they had? Two decided to do nothing, and only one was prepared to act in a positive and Godly way.

The man in our story “saw” in that same way – a way that the other 9 apparently did not. What was the difference? Some only “see” the physical, the worldly side of life, while others are able to sense the greater event – the presence and working of God in this life, and the opportunity to become part of that glory and mystery.

And the man turns around, no longer intent on being restored to the community through the priests, but now intent on celebrating God and the work that has occurred in his life. And long before he arrives back where Jesus was, he immediately begins praising the One who had worked this incredible and blessed change in him.

He comes to Jesus, and throws himself at the Lord’s feet. In most of the gospel stories, this is a sign of seeking God’s mercy, but here, it is a sign of honor to the One who showed the mercy. And we also discover that this man was a Samaritan – rejected for who he was by society, but loved mercifully by God in Christ.

And then there are the 3 questions that Christ asks which form the lesson for us on this Thanksgiving Eve.
1. “Were not all ten cleansed?” All of the lepers were healed, but only one seemed to have the insight to recognize the source of the healing.

2. “Where are the other nine?” Aren’t they going to praise God for the mercy shown to them? Are they so caught up in their good fortune that their only thought is to get the priests’ blessing so they can become part of society once again?

3. “Was no one found to return to give praise to God except this foreigner?” The only one who sang praises was the Samaritan - the one who Israel had denied, who enjoyed no respect or privilege from them, who would never receive acceptance from Israel or her priests, but is loved dearly by his Almighty God.

And the healing, Jesus says, is because of the man’s faith.

The Samaritan shows us that we must never presume to be worthy of the Lord’s mercy, but that when we seek it, and when we receive it, our response should be unbridled, unlimited, undying praise and joy for our merciful and awesome God.

May it be so with us.

“A Parable on Loving God AND Neighbor”

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Our parable today begins with these words – “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.” One occasion? This was just one of many times - they were constantly testing Jesus! These experts – the Pharisees – were, indeed, experts in the law, as well they should be. They, and their predecessors had taken the Law that the Lord handed down to Moses at Sinai, and had expanded it with their personal thoughts and details until it was nearly unrecognizable!

And at every opportunity, they challenged Jesus as to why he was so intent on changing everything that they had come to depend upon for over a thousand years. But their dependency was on their own interpretation of what God wanted from them, and not on God’s desire itself. And their test today would be oriented toward their understanding of the law, with the intent being whether Jesus would acknowledge their authority in this matter, or if he would continue on his rampage against their truths.

But as we know so well, Jesus was never tied to their agenda!

Read Luke 10:25-28

And the test question is this – “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” In Matthew and Mark’s gospels, the question is regarding the greatest commandment, but this one is more to the point – in that, the Pharisees believed that strict adherence to the law was required if you desired to live eternally. And Jesus plays to the legalist’s perspective by saying – “You know. What does the law say?” And the Pharisee bites when he responds with the two greatest commandments in all of Israel – Love the Lord your God with every ounce of your being, and love your neighbor as you would be loved.

For Israel, every commandment was founded on these two. As a matter of fact, the first – Loving the Lord their God – was so important that they were called to literally tie those words to their hands and foreheads, and to write them on the doorposts of their homes and on the gates into their property. They were to love these words to the point that they would teach them to their children, and discuss them with others wherever they were. (Deuteronomy 6:3-9) Nothing was to be withheld from their God.

The Pharisee knew the written law, but did he truly know the truth behind it? Did he know and live the depth of love that God deserved from him? Did he show that love to others? Did he love his neighbor as completely as he wanted to be loved? Did he understand that loving God and loving neighbor were interrelated? Did he know that “love” was more than simple adherence to some legalistic concept or demand?

Read Luke 10:29-35

For Israel, much of the law was about how the people related to others – Jews to Jews, Jews to Gentiles, Jews to Samaritans, men to women, the people to the priests and vice versa. It was all about individual and unique boundaries for each category. But what about their relationship with God? Notice that the parable, at first glance, is all about human relationships, and doesn’t specifically address our relationship with Almighty God. So let’s take a look at both the depth and the shallowness of love that becomes evident in this story, and how it may define the need to love the Lord.

1 – the “Victim” - an unidentified, non-specific, unfortunate and innocent man who falls among thieves, and who is stripped of any love that he may have left home with that morning.
2 – the “religious” officials – a priest on an undefined mission, and a Levite, who is also journeying to an unknown destination. These two should be the epitome of love for the people, but instead, even though they see the dying man and recognize his great need, intentionally avoid even coming in contact with him, and leave him to his dying.
3 – An “outcast”, a “sinner”, a “racially mixed” and “unclean” man who, as far as Israel was concerned, was about as worthless as anyone could possibly be. This was a man who was not only unloved by his countrymen, but was actually hated for who he was.

Jesus, in his usual mode of turning the tables on normalcy, upsets all of the expectations that the Pharisees had as he began the story. The Victim not only doesn’t die, he also receives one of the greatest gifts of love. The Religious Men are shown to be uncaring scoundrels. And the Outcast become the hero and the Loving Neighbor in the parable. Preconceived notions, traditional stereotypes, and personal boundaries have all been smashed – all in the name of true neighborly ways.

The Samaritan did everything that the righteous men didn’t do. He saw the man, and stopped to help him, putting his own plans and destination on hold. He cleaned and bandaged his wounds. He lifted the bloody man onto his own donkey, and took him to a nearby inn. And while this could be seen as meeting all expectations, it didn’t end here. The man, even though he may have had pressing business elsewhere, remained with the injured man all night long, caring for him and making sure that he was going to survive. And even this wasn’t enough – the next morning, he paid for the night, and gave the innkeeper money to pay for the man’s care until he was able to continue on toward Jericho, and he even offers to pay more if the innkeeper’s expenses are greater to get the man back on his feet!

The Samaritan places no expectations and few responsibilities on the owner of the inn except to ensure that the man is cared for. He places no condemnation on the righteous leaders who failed in their duty to care for those in need. And he refused to surrender to the prevailing attitudes among the Jews regarding Samaritans and Gentiles. He didn’t even seek recognition for the great service he had performed to the wounded man. He simply did what the Lord led him to know was right.

Ephesians 3:16-19 – (excerpt) – “I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ”
The Samaritan had a firm grasp on that incredible love.

Read Luke 10:36-37

Jesus, again, turns the intent back onto the Pharisee. “Which of the three do you think was the neighbor..?” What could the lawyer say? There was only one possible choice, and the other two couldn’t even be considered as runners up! But the man was a Samaritan, unworthy of any credit and honor! So he simply replies that it was the man who “showed mercy”.

And this is the very definition of a neighbor – they show unqualified, unlimited, unrestricted mercy to all - ALL. And this is what faith in Christ demands. And this is the relationship that the Lord wanted Israel to accept - one that was based in faith, and not just in legalistically based actions.

In a recent open letter to a TV evangelist, Greg Garrett – an author, professor, and Episcopal pastor - described this very issue to a “T”. He wrote:

You and other prosperity gospel preachers advance a vision of God that is transactional: if you do this, then God will do that. He has to, in fact. Because a verse here or there in the Bible says so, however little it reflects God's actual redemptive work in the world.

And I'm here to tell you, sir, in the same language I use with anyone who imagines we can be in a transactional relationship with God, that this isn't what Christian faith is. Praying the right prayer often enough to get what you want, believing really hard in Jesus to get what you want are not true to the Christian story, or to logic. To imagine that you, or your followers, or the person out in the bookstore or TV land who is exposed to your message somehow influences the God of the Universe, the Creator of All That Is, by his or her personal actions is not belief in God.

[This is simply a] belief in magic. Put your hands together, say a few faithful words and the Universe will give you what you ask.

--Greg Garrett, "An open letter to Joel Osteen," Patheos.com, June 1, 2011. patheos.com. Retrieved December 14, 2016.

Live faith, not acts. Live in Jesus’ way, not in the law’s. Live in loving mercy, not out of self-justification.

“Go and do likewise.”, and both God AND your neighbor will know your love.

“A Parable on Using God’s Gifts”

Scripture: Luke 16:1-13

Today’s parable is one of the most controversial of Jesus’ ministry. Even the translation of the title would indicate differences of thought – some refer to this as “The Parable of the Shrewd Manager”, while others call the parable “the Dishonest Manager”. But personally, I don’t think the point is made in the title, regardless of how it is translated. The point of Jesus’ parables is always to show us what it means to be his disciple.

So what is today’s parable about? What are we to learn from it? The story is about a master’s expectations of his servants, and a servant’s obligation in his or her life of service. The story primarily revolves around 2 men – a rich man and the manager of his estate, or in other words, an absentee landlord and the servant who was charged with the administration of his wealth.

It’s rather difficult to put the lesson of this story into the context of today, as we seldom experience this arrangement – at least not in our own country. So we will simply examine the story to discern the truth that Jesus is conveying.

Read Luke 16:1-2

A manager’s responsibility is always to the owner’s desires. So our first question is “how was the manager wasting (or squandering, depending on the translation) his master’s possessions”? At first glance, it would seem that he wasn’t actually stealing from the rich man – he just wasn’t managing in a way that the master approved of. It is interesting to note that in the previous chapter, Jesus tells the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), in which the son also “squanders” the inheritance that he had demanded from his father.

So in this context, the manager is administering the property in a reckless way – one that has no beneficial purpose, and puts the owner in a less than positive light with his other servants, as well as with his peers throughout the region. The problem for us is that Jesus doesn’t give any information as to what standard the manager should have been following, nor are we told what he did to violate the trust. Regardless, the difference must have been rather significant, for the manager was required to explain his actions, after which he would be removed from his job for incompetency.

The manager who had held a very respected and responsible position as a servant, was probably not being fired, but rather was being demoted to a very low and subservient position.

Read Luke 16:3-4

The servant had gotten used to a pretty cushy job, which was about to vanish from his life. But what would be waiting for him? Would it be common, every day labor, which in that day would typically be working in the fields, or would he have an even more demeaning job, which would pay practically nothing, and he would have to beg to just get by? Neither option appealed to him – he didn’t have the physical ability to do the first, and he was too proud to resort to the second.

But he must have had some intelligence if he had been assigned to manage the estate, so he comes up with a plan to ensure that he would be cared for. He would do a favor for the others who he had a working relationship with, so that they would feel an obligation to help him out. Deceitful? Perhaps, but let’s see how it works out.

Read Luke 16:5-7

In those days, rental for the use of property wasn’t paid monetarily – it was given in produce. And judging by the amount of oil and wheat that was owed, these must have been very successful tenants that the manager had been dealing with. But what right did the manager have in reducing his master’s income? Was he, after all, cheating his employer? Or was the issue totally different?
Is it possible that the master had decided to tack on interest for unpaid debt, which, by the way, was forbidden by the law (Deuteronomy 23:19-20), and the manager was just righting a wrong? Or was the steward eliminating his own commission from the debt that was owed? Or could it even be possible that the manager was finally treating the tenants exactly the way that his master would have, by reducing the standard rental price to a more manageable level?

We don’t know for sure, as Jesus never offers an explanation of this story. But the next few verses may give us some insight into Jesus’ intent.

Read Luke 16:8-13

With this reading, we begin to see that the parable has a purpose other than relating the events surrounding the manager’s attempt to improve his lot in life. “The master commended the dishonest manager…” He had been entrusted with the master’s property and income, and had, indeed, reduced his income without authorization. But he was also complimented “… because he had acted shrewdly.” Apparently, the master approved of the manager’s actions.

Originally, we read that the manager “wasted” the master’s possessions – he had expended them for no good purpose. But now, realizing that he had been given, not only authority, but responsibility for these gifts, he was using them for a specific and beneficial purpose. His actions would cast a good light on the master, as he, unknowingly, has reduced the rental agreement for the tenants, and it guarantees that the manager will have friendships to help him through the lean times. And that is truly a shrewd and effective transaction – everyone involved comes out ahead!

But then in verse 9, an additional thought is revealed – that we are to use our worldly wealth to gain friends and to help them during this lifetime, with the express purpose of using it up so that we can enter the kingdom without all that excess baggage! Jesus is telling us that the riches of earth – those that we see as God’s blessings - are simply there for us to use in a wise and “shrewd” way – ways that actually become a benefit - and not to just squander them on meaningless things!

The Lord implies that the way we use, and share, our worldly possessions is more of a test than anything else. Do we use them for our own selfish pleasures, or do we use them in a Godly and appropriate way? Remember the parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11-27) and the parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)? The servants who faithful used the master’s wealth (which represents our worldly wealth) were granted authority over true and heavenly riches of God, but the ones who failed to use them in a beneficial and appropriate way lost everything!

Where is our loyalty? Is it in the gifts that come to us from the world, or in the riches that can only come from our Almighty and All Gracious God? Jesus tells us that we can only show loyalty to one or the other, and that we need to choose wisely.

How do we use the gifts of earth that have come into our possession? Is it in pleasurable but wasteful ways, or do we use them for valid and constructive purposes? Do we use our worldly possessions and human abilities for our own benefit, or do we look to bring a benefit, a gain, a blessing to someone else’s life? Do our lives serve to raise another person up in this life, or is our entire focus on what we can get and try to keep (Luke 12:16-21)?

How will you respond when the Lord asks you about the use of your worldly possessions? He is watching, you know!

“A Parable of the Called”

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16

Today, we begin a series on Jesus’ teachings – those things we call “parables”. Parables aren’t, of course, stories of actual events – rather, they are allegories that define or offer a message of Godly truth. They aren’t always easy to understand, or at least they aren’t when considered within our present day cultural basis. But the people of Jesus’ day knew exactly what he was telling them, because they lived the lives that he offered up as examples.

Today’s parable is not as much about God and his ideals as it is about our human view of what is fair and what is not. Take a moment and consider what society tells us about being fair toward others. Cultural truth seems to have taken a 90 degree turn a while back, and the world view doesn’t seem to match God’s view any more. Truth has become a relative term, with everyone being granted the right to put their own set of rules of life in place, and those who disagree with them, regardless of their right to personal truth, is violating someone else’s principles.

But Christians know that our truths are seldom on track, and that Jesus is the only Truth that we can depend on to never change. (John 14:6) Today’s parable addresses that very problem – the conflict between our concept of what is right and wrong, versus the way of truth that Jesus has put in motion.

Read Matthew 20:1-2

Jesus begins with the thought that this story, and the Godly message that is inherent within it, will give us a glimpse into the ways of heaven. As we read through these verses, though, we will discover that it is actually more about the differences that exist between the ways of earth and those of God. This will be a parable that is intended to make people think about the way they live, as well as the way in which they see and treat others.

The story is about the owner of a vineyard who has some work that must be done, so he goes to the local gathering place, possibly the gate to the town, and offers work to a few men. He offers them the standard wage for a day’s work, and apparently, they accept it.

A denarius was not a lot of money – it would be barely enough to provide for a family’s most basis needs, but at least it was something. They were being hired in the morning for one day’s labor, and they would be paid at the end of that day – no guarantee that the job would continue, no hopes for a raise the next time they are hired, no benefits, and probably not even a “well done” at the end of the day. All they were being promised was a single day’s minimum, if not substandard, wage. And it was enough to make them say “yes” to the offer.

Read Matthew 20:3-5a

By mid-morning, the landowner goes back to town and offers a few more men a job. But this raises a question – why weren’t these men hired earlier – there certainly was more work to do? Were they weaker, less impressive, shorter in stature, older, younger? It’s also interesting that the owner goes to town for some unknown, or at least unstated, reason – and when he goes, he sees some men just standing around idle, and gives them a job. He doesn’t ask if they want to work – he tells them to get to work.

And this time, notice what he offers to pay them! It isn’t a specific amount – it is “whatever is right”. In whose mind? Based on what standard? And could they trust this bossy man to give them anything at all? We don’t know, but this second group of men goes, just the same.

Think about the relationship that must exist, between the landowner and these men. He must be well known for either his fairness or his authority and power. Either way, he is obeyed without question, and the men who had no job accept whatever is being offered, at whatever wage will be given at the end of the day.

Read Matthew 20:5b-7

For some other unexplained reason, the owner is making the rounds every three hours or so, and at both noon and mid-afternoon, hires more men, again with no contracted amount of pay. And then, at an hour before quitting time, he finds one more group who still aren’t working, and he strikes up a conversation with them.

But this time, it isn’t so much about offering them a job as it is about their lack thereof. “Why are you just standing around?” the man asks. It’s almost as though he is chastising them for not being gainfully employed! As it turns out, though, they would have liked to have been hired, but were overlooked by every other employer for the entire day.

Remember that an entire day’s pay was hardly enough to get by on, and here it was, nearly at the end of the day, and still no job at all. How much could they possibly earn for only an hour’s work? Would the money even be worth giving such a small amount of their time and energy?

But the landowner wasn’t about to accept any excuse for unemployment, and sends them to work – without any promise, or even indication, that they would receive anything for their hour’s work. They did as they were told, even without any promise of compensation.

Read Matthew 20:8-16

At the end of the day, the foreman is told to organize the workers into groups relative to the amount of time they spent working, with the newest additions at the front of the line. And here is where the parable takes on an unexpected, and even strange twist – the ones who only worked for an hour receive a full day’s wage, but the rest only get a day’s wage, too! Isn’t compensation supposed to be based on your personal contribution to the overall effort? Apparently, logic and conventional wisdom has just flown right out the window!

So what is actually fair now? What happened to the law? What happened to the societal standards for fair compensation? When we are called to serve and labor, what should we expect in return? In the parable, the first group – the ones who gave a full day’s work for the promised wage – received exactly what they had been promised, but they thought that their pay should be made in relation to what the others received. But here is when the focus of the story changes.

The parable had been about the ways of earth until now, but at this point, the story shifts to a new standard for our lives. The old “truths” no longer hold, for a new Way has entered into the world, and that Way is Jesus. Isaiah 55:6-9 reminds us that the new call to serve is a newness for all – even for the sinner - that all might accept this new call on their lives, and that it has nothing to do whatsoever with what we have always called “fair”. God’s ways are so much greater and truer than ours that we can’t even make a comparison between them – we are to simply accept the new call, and trust the Caller, without any reluctance or hesitation. It is no longer about what we will get for our service, but rather about what we are being called to give and do.

Jesus is telling us that this is a new day, with new ways, new truths, new standards, and new opportunities. 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” The call is new, the promise is new, the Master is new, and by accepting his call to serve in his way, we, too, will be made new.

Do you hear the Lord calling you? He is, you know. Answer his call - to walk with him and serve him - in his new way, and rejoice in the fact that the reward for faithfulness is the passion and love that comes from Almighty God, and it is the same for everyone who becomes that “new creation” in Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord for his “true fairness” that is offered to all who will accept him.

“Seek Intently”

Scripture: Job 5:1-27

During this month, we have been considering some of the attributes, as well as the struggles that may be associated with each, that a Christian should strive to adhere to.
First, we discussed how important the gospel message is for each of our lives, and how it can remold us into the image of Christ.
The next step was one that leads us to trust in all that scripture and the Holy Spirit calls us to be as disciples of Jesus Christ. And last week, we considered the need to find joy in Christ, even as we are traveling though some difficult, and even oppressive, times in life.

Today, we consider God’s call on our lives to actually seek out the Lord and his ways, and not to simply sit back and wait for him to “show up”. Our test is from the book of Job, and the words come from one of his “friends” who tried to prove to Job that the torment and loss that he was experiencing was all because he had failed the Lord in some way.

This man, Eliphaz the Temanite, would be the first of 4 who would approach Job in an attempt to get him to confess whatever it was that he had done to “anger” God, and to repent of that sin. At first, he admits that Job had done a great many good things throughout his life, but then, his attitude changes, when he says "Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed?” (Job 4:7) He was saying “Job, you must have done something wrong! Confess it and move on.” And later in chapter 4, and continuing through the beginning of chapter 5, he claims that he has received some secret message, presumably from the Lord, that condemns Job. (Job 4:12-21)

But even as Job sits there, listening to these words that actually have no relevance whatsoever to his life, he begins to hear words that he did need to hear, words that would strengthen his trust in the Lord, and would remind him to never give up seeking the Lord’s understanding for his life.

Read Job 5:8-16

So far, Eliphaz has been talking about the sinfulness that resides in the human spirit, and it is that very nature that causes us to travel far afield from the Lord’s presence. But now, he begins to focus on the divine nature, that which is far greater than our own, the one who is more capable to rescue us from sin than we can ever know, the one who will always stand ready to protect us from the wiles and ways of the wicked, and the only one who can expose the lies that the supposedly “wise” tell about us.

Eliphaz shares these thoughts with Job, presumably to bring his “disoriented and lost” friend back into God’s mercy and into the holy reality that still waits patiently for him. But for Job, I believe, it is more of a reinforcement of his lifelong belief that God has always been there for him. Job was a man who looked to the Lord for guidance in his life, and was constantly seeking him out for help in all aspects of his life.

Eliphaz is trying to call his afflicted friend back to the hope and promise of God, even though Job has never lost the divine hope that has sustained him throughout his life, and which would continue to see him through this time of torment.

Read Job 5:17-27

Eliphaz offers sage advice to Job, but we have to be careful about taking each of these situations literally. Instead, read verse 17 as the focus that the rest should be taken in. Does God actually wound us? No, but we are “wounded” in many different ways when we stop walking in the Lord’s way. And during those less than faithful times, the Lord allows us the leeway to give our own ways a try, and as we all know, our way never seems to work out as well as we had hoped! (Amen?)
And the troubles that we find ourselves in aren’t the Lord’s fault – they are the result of our own follies. God allows us to fail in life, while, at the same time, offering us the opportunity to get right with him once again - this is the Lord’s unique form of discipline.

Discipline, itself, is more than simply a form of punishment – it is the truest form of love, and most effective form of correction. The Lord wants us to understand just how destructive our personal planning and decision making really is. But even while we are making that discovery, he is still with us, holding out hope, prepared to welcome us back into the greatest way - the one that only exists in him.

When we are “wounded”, whether in physical, or emotional, or relational, or spiritual ways, he will bring healing to our brokenness - when we let him.
No matter how often we find ourselves immersed in misfortune and hardship, he will be there to rescue us - as soon as we come to his truth for our lives.
When starved for nourishment in our life, especially the spiritual and emotional kind, he is the Life that is offered in a generous and compassioned way – a way that we don’t always recognize as the answer for the issue we are dealing with.
When we are hated and verbally abused, he frees us from the fear of those attacks.

Whenever we look to him for guidance, we will experience the blessing and peace of all creation, and will come to know the divine assurance that is the source of all peace and comfort. Even the specter of death will become a sign of fulfillment in God’s presence, and our fear, and trembling, and that sense of finality will become thoughts that no longer exist within us.

And this may be the greatest aspect of healing that God can bring to our lives – that of destroying our fear and anxiety over the world’s painful ways. Job had that assurance and strength in his life, even in the face of all that Satan was bringing against him.

God is a power unlike anything else in all creation, and the abilities that Satan has, and the troubles that trust in the world can bring, are nothing compared to what the Lord is prepared to work on our behalf. God’s way isn’t one that eliminates all the trials and wickedness that come against us – his way is one of helping us to endure and survive those hardships.

In Isaiah 9:4 we read “.. you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.” This was written just 2 verses before the prophecy of Jesus’ birth (Isaiah 9:6-7), and Matthew 11:29-30 calls us to take on Christ’s yoke as a replacement for the world’s broken burden. So what does a yoke say to us who have never worked with a yoke, let alone have never even seen one!?

A yoke, as you may know, is a devise that harnesses animals, usually oxen, to a plow, or wagon, or some other heavy load. The Isaiah passage, then, is about our having to pull a burden that exceeds our strength and stamina. For Israel, it was about the slavery they experienced in Egypt, as well as the ways they had created when they denied God and began worshipping the idols and gods of Canaan.
But on the other hand, the yoke that Matthew was describing was connected to the same troublesome earthly burdens, but it was no longer our own weakness that was subjected to the terrible loads of life. It was God’s plan for humanity that allows us to be yoked with Christ by faith, to be paired up with the One who can carry all burdens, but who will help us with the ones that we are saddled with. And as Matthew 11:30 tells us, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

It is ours to seek the faith that is sufficient to overcome all of our problems - that by faith in Jesus Christ, the effect that the burdens of life can have on us will be reduced to nothing more than minor inconveniences! Christ doesn’t destroy our problems, but by faith and trust in him, they will be lighted to the point that we can easily deal with them. Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”

This may possibly be our greatest obligation when we choose to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Seeking and understanding his ways, seeking his truths for our life, seeking the living path that God has created for us, seeking and receiving the yoke that Christ has prepared for us and is already wearing in great anticipation of our arrival.

And we must always remember that the first move toward a relationship is ours. In Matthew 7:7-12, Jesus tells us that if we “Ask”, we will receive, if we “seek”, we will find it, and if we “knock” at the door of his presence, he will lovingly open it for us and welcome us in. But in every instance, we are the ones who must first ask, and seek, and knock.
And then, we can let him break the yoke that the world has placed on our shoulders, and invite him to remove it, piece by piece, until we are truly free of that burdensome influence.

Are you ready to be free in Christ, or does the world’s yoke still have a death grip on your life? Jesus is the answer, you know.

“Rejoice Faithfully”

Scripture: 1 Samuel 1 (selected)

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul offers some sound advice for our life in faith. He wrote “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”. And while we all would probably agree with this, I’m certain that we all would also admit that it is nearly impossible to do it consistently! Have you ever tried to have a joyful heart during the most trying of circumstances? Are you in an attitude of prayer every moment of every day? How often do you actually give the Lord your grateful acknowledgment, regardless of the circumstances?

God knows, and I think that even Paul knew, that “always” never quite happens for us. But the point of Paul’s call is that whenever possible, our heart, mind and soul should truly be in this very state of thankful communion with the Almighty. And even though Paul doesn’t say it here, when we make a commitment to the Lord, regardless of what it may be, we had better be prepared to back it up with our actions.

Our text today is about a woman who lived in nearly constant oppression, and struggled deeply with why God would allow this to continue for so many years. She may not have been able to “rejoice always” during this time, but she never lost her faith and trust in Yahweh.

The woman’s name was Hannah, and she was unable to bear children.

Read 1 Samuel 1:1-2

The story of Hannah takes place 300 years after Israel finally entered the Promised Land and roughly 1,000 years before Christ’s birth. It was a time when a woman’s self-worth was centered on how many children she could bear for her husband, and more importantly, how many boys she gave birth to. Peninnah was honored, Hannah was a failure, but this didn’t mean that their husband, Elkanah, played favorites. He cared deeply for both women, but there was nothing that he could do for Hannah, except love her dearly. The prevailing thought was that God had, for some unknown reason, made her barren. Elkanah would give double portions of meat to Hannah as a sign of compassion and love for her, but this may have only served to fuel the antagonism that existed between the women.

Peninnah never gave Hannah a moment’s rest whenever Elkanah wasn’t around – she was constantly ridiculing her, and making her feel like a second class wife.

This story is about a broken family, and the unenviable position that Hannah found herself in. But in spite of her very great trial, Hannah would never give up hope that the Lord would, one day, and for some specific purpose, grant her a child.

Read 1 Samuel 1:9-17

Shiloh was the location of the Tabernacle and the Ark – the place where God lived with Israel. The entire family had come there to worship and sacrifice to Jehovah God, and I suspect that Hannah thought that the presence of the Lord would be a place of safety and hope. So in her great sense of loss and abandonment, she had come to the conclusion that her barrenness had something to do with God’s desire for her life. And she made the decision to offer the Lord the only thing she could possibly give him – if God would grant her the blessing of a child, she would commit her first born son to the Lord and to his service.

Think about the faithful heart that this woman must have had. For her entire life, she had been unable to gain the very thing that would have given her the greatest joy and personal worth, and here she is, willingly offering her first male child to the One who was thought to be the reason she couldn’t have children in the first place. Now it’s true that God isn’t in the deal making business, but there are times that we are allowed to go through a time of trial so that we can grow into the next phase of our life in faith.

What would you be willing to give to the Lord – not just offer as a loan for some short period of time, but to give it in a permanent and loving way forever? Would you be willing, if God granted your request, to give up the only thing you have ever wanted but could never have?

Maybe Paul was on to something when he wrote “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks”. This is exactly what Hannah was doing. She definitely had a prayerful heart, and even though she was anything but happy over her situation, she knew that her Lord cared for her. And she makes a thank offering to God of not just something that she could easily afford to give away, but of the very thing she had been praying for for years.

Hannah’s joy wouldn’t be solely in giving birth, but rather in knowing that her God loved her enough to overturn this life of barren existence. And we can also see this as a symbol of Israel’s relationship with Almighty God. Israel was yet to have a king, even while the nations that surrounded her did. The people of God were to place their allegiance and trust and hope in the authority of their Almighty , not in the presence of an earthly king. It wouldn’t be long before Israel would, indeed, ask for and receive a human king, but even at that, the king was to be committed to listening to, and following in, the way of God. By reason of this story of Hannah and her undying faith in God, Israel was being told that the only true way to live was through allegiance to the great Jehovah.

Through Hannah’s story, we discover that our faith has nothing to do with the way that people, who are in our lives, treat us, and that it isn’t even based in the religious authorities who are called to lead us. Faith is a one-on-one relationship between each of us and God alone. It is about the trust that we are called to show to the Lord; it requires our surrender to his authority; it involves a love that goes beyond description or definition; it is demonstrated by belief in the power of prayer; it is the belief that God has no limits, and that He wants to use that great power for our good. That is where Hannah was, it was where Israel should have been, and it is where each of us must be today.

But this isn’t the last lesson that Hannah has for us.

Read 1 Samuel 1:24-28

After they had returned home from Shiloh, Elkanah laid with Hannah, and she conceived. But now comes the test – would the woman keep her vow that the boy would be given – not just dedicated, but given – to service in the Lord, or would she decide that she just couldn’t give up the wonderful gift of this first child? Scripture doesn’t seem to indicate, or even imply, that there was any hesitation on Hannah’s part, so I think we can safely assume that Paul’s constant joyfulness and thanksgiving was at play in this moment of her life.

So our last lesson for today is this – what is it that you desperately need, or want, more than anything else in the world, and if you ask the Lord, and if He grants your request, are you willing to return it for service in the name of Jesus Christ?

If it is freedom from some addiction, will you allow the Lord to use your story, as embarrassing as it may be, to free others from the darkness that envelopes their lives?
If it is healing from a deadly illness, will you commit your life to serving Almighty God in his way, and not your own?
If it is relief from an oppressive burden that is destroying your life, will you lead others to the source of relief for their lives?
If it is your search for answers to the questions of this life and beyond, what will you do with those answers?

Are you prepared to live with a joyful heart that, regardless of what this life entails, brings honor to Jesus Christ?
Are you ready to live a prayerful existence, to always stay in connection with God?
Will you show your gratitude to God for his presence in your life, and give your thanks to him in all matters?

You may notice that I’m leaving you with a lot of questions today, and allowing you to make your own connection between Hannah’s story, as well as that of Israel’s history, and relate it to the story that God has prepared for you. Jeremiah 29:11-13 is far more than just a promise – it is a call that the Lord has placed on your life, and a promise that is founded in his faithfulness. (READ) It’s a plan that we must never say “no” to.

The Lord was faithful in his plan to care for Hanna’s needs, and she was joyfully faithful in return. Won’t you give the Lord a chance to work that same power of faithfulness in your life? Today?