Reflections on the Season

As a boy, I remember always feeling like I was on the outside looking in; that I never truly belonged; that I was out of place. There are a variety of reasons for this. My isolation was a lonely feeling. Before long, I convinced myself that it was what I wanted, but it was only self deception. Man was created for companionship not isolation. Loneliness is a harbinger of a deeper hunger; stronger than just wanting to belong, it was the hunger to be loved and to feel love. One day Jesus spoke to my heart, breaking through the isolation and the walls I had built up to protect my heart from the hurt. I learned that He loved me and wanted me to belong to Him. He wanted me to live with Him forever. He wanted to heal the pain and the hurt and embrace me. There are many people who are hurting at this time of year. The holidays extenuate their loss and lonliness.  People tend to be more depressed more at this time of year.  Funeral homes report that their volume of business increases as well.  People feel as if they are on the outside looking in and wanting to belong. So how can we help as a church?  This year let us continue to strive… to excel in making it our goal to see that people come to know that Jesus cares and wants them to belong.  Let us insure that we care and want them to belong as we reach out. The Thanksgiving and Christmas season is more than knowing you belong... it is knowing you are loved.

Be Thankful...

We live in troubled times; times of bleak economic news; times of unrest and uncertainty; times that portend the possibility of greater pressures our family as well as the family of faith. Make no mistake; we are a divided nation, politically, idiologically and morally.  It seems that our nation is fighting for its very identity and soul.  And it seems that these troubled times portend a potential for greater pressures against those who hold to the name of Christ.  Yet these are not times unique to our generation alone. We are not facing anything that others before us have not faced in one form or another.

Our faith and confidence in Christ isn’t dependent upon the winds of change or unrest but upon the certainty of Christ’s love, sacrifice and victory. For this reason the Bible teaches us to rest in Him and to be thankful... in all things.  Have you considered that the New Testament writers wrote during times of difficulty and persecution to those who called themselves Christians? It wasn’t written during times of ease or peace, but in the crucible fires of persecution that tested their faith and commitment.  Our forefathers in the faith, both in the first century of Christianity and in the birthing of our nation,  suffered through economic hardships as well as physical persecutions.  Yet they were encouraged to be thankful and to bring honor, glory and praise to Almighty God.   So how do we go about that? We do so by remembering all we have in Christ, especially in His resurrection.  We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us and gave Himself for us.  We persevere in faith, knowing that there awaits a day when trials, tribulations, persectutions and oppression shall pass.  We look with expectancy and assurance that there is coming a day when He will return; when Peace will be established; when righteousness shall rule.  In the meantime, we give thanks... thanks for all we have in Christ and have been given in Him.  We give thanks... for the hopeful and absolute expectation of His coming...  We worship with praise and assurance in our hearts... We serve knowing that it is what He would have us do because He led the way... We pray for the coming day that all will be made right to His glory and praise.

Be Grateful and Wise

The old warrior leader, Joshua, challenged the people to make a choice as to whom they would serve. He had made his choice and reaffirmed it before the nation. “… as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Accepting Jesus as Savior, and committing to following Him in our daily life is a choice. To men like Peter, Paul and Bartimaeus, the choice to commit one’s life to following Jesus was reasonable in light of what Jesus has done for us. A life dedicated to following Jesus isn’t a life wasted, but rather a life invested. Making the commitment to following Jesus is the wise choice. It is the grateful choice. Jesus Christ purchased our salvation, redeeming and freeing us from sin, death and the grave. Paul cautions the Roman saints to use liberty as license to sin; use your liberty to follow the Lord.  Bartimaeus did all he could to get the attention of Jesus.  His voice rose above the crowd; their advice and angst in order to bring his petition before the Lord.  When Jesus asked what he wanted, Bartimaeus asked for life change.  Jesus responded, "Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole".   Blind Barimaeus had life change that day.  No more would he have to beg for a living.  For the first time, he could make choices that heretofore were not available to him.  What would he choose to do with his life not that he could see... not that he was normal? The Scriptures tell us.  "And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way."  This formerly blind man who had a new lease on life, made the grateful and wise choice.

Be Available

Available:  The word is defined as suitable or ready for use; of use or service; at hand: I used whatever tools were available. 2. readily obtainable; accessible: available resources...

 We need to be available for God. Too often we allow our fear or personal agenda and focus to make us unavailable to God’s call and service. We excuse ourselves from committing ourselves to a course of service and action for God because we aren’t ready to make such a decision or move. It could be business or family or perhaps even fear that keeps us from being available to God. (See Matthew 8).  God seeks those willing to answer His call; those who make themselves fit and available for service to Him. Too often, negative thinking or the influences of Satan cause us to doubt; to think we think we are not worthy or prepared. God has called all who have committed their faith to Him to also make themselves available to serve. There are many opportunities to serve. Perhaps you’ve already heard the call. Have you made yourself available?

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Isaiah 6:8

Redeemed to Serve

We deal with words that sometimes roll easily off of our tongues. We give them little thought or reflection of the ramification or definitions of those words. Take the word “redeemed”. Too often we think of it in terms of liberty. But to be redeemed means that we’ve been purchased by the one who redeemed us. Paul reminded the Corinthian saints about that very thing. Peter too reminds his readers that they have been redeemed not by gold, silver or precious stones, but by the blood of Jesus. Too often, we feel that our redemption means we can live as we want. We make choices without more than a token thought about God’s Word or will. We treat redemption like emancipation. But that which is redeemed is the purchased possession of the one who redeemed it. We are not our own. We are freed and redeemed from sin and are now the servants of God. We are to fulfill His will and purpose.  This is exactly what God told Moses to speak to Israel and to Pharaoh.  Let my people go that they may serve me.  Exodus 8:1 

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Corinthians 6:20

Communicable Loyalty

That which ought to define us as Christians is our commitment to Jesus Christ.  This isn't a verbal commitment but one that is proven throughout life by our actions.  One man stated that it isn't your profession, but rather your pursuit of Jesus that makes all of the difference.  Our commitment to Jesus should be such that no matter what we face, our resolve and loyalty will remain the same.  The world is full of fair weather friends.  We need to emulate the loyalty and faith of David and and of Ittai, a gentile from Gath who pledged his loyalty in life or in death.  His commitment to David and his loyal friendship was communicable; it was catching.  In spite of the dire circumstances, such loyalty and devotion shines.  We live in a troubled time.  The world seems to be slipping further from the things of God.  Animosity against things Christian is mounting.  The world economies and societies seem to be imploding.  Yet even in times of trial, the Christian ought to reaffirm his commitment and loyalty to Christ.  Let us say to Jesus the words that Ittai of Gath said to David "...Whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be."

Dependent on God

In our nation today, there is a cry on one side for independence from the intrusiveness of government. Others promote interdependence while still others call for total dependence. Each side positions itself; spouting the advantages of their position while postulating the disadvantages of the others. What results is the visceral and vitriolic war of words between pundits. As Americans we cherish our independence. Yet God wants us to be dependent upon Him. Too often we find that we are straining and yearning for independence when what is needed is dependency; to be specific dependency on God and not upon human governments or ideologies. Churches become stagnant pools of religious activity and proclivities that suit more the whims of those attending than that which God desires. The air becomes stale; filled with the redundancies of religious rhetoric rather than the Spirit’s movement in their midst. God used Isaiah and Jeremiah to speak to the nation of Israel about these issues. Can it be that we are seeking to displace our dependence upon God with independence or interdependence? Are we forsaking the Fountain of Living Waters for the stale waters of leaking cisterns? It’s Food for thought. 

For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

Jeremiah 2:13

Just what is faith? Is it a blind leap into the unknown, a course of action that flies in the face of evidences that seems to indicate that it is an unreasonable course of action? No. Faith in Jesus Christ is not built upon fallacies but reasonable and cognizant conclusions that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. He fulfills the prophecies of Scripture with such precision as to leave no doubt. He did die on the cross as taught not just in Scripture, but recorded by secular as well as Christian historians, both modern and ancient. In the Bible record, Jesus predicted his resurrection following His crucifixion. The witness of the Bible states that this happened. Secular historians also record that an event took place that shook the world and caused the rapid expansion of Christianity. Faith is a commitment placed in something or someone. It is a trust. We come to place faith when we believe that we have enough upon which to place that trust in a thing or in a person. The evidences concerning Jesus are such that many an agnostic and atheist, upon a fair and thorough examination of the facts and evidences; comes to conclude that Jesus is all the Bible says He is and all He claimed to be. He is Lord!