We Wait

Advent is the season of hopeful waiting.

Mary waited in expectation of her son.

Israel waited for their eternal King.

The Jews waited for their Messiah.

The angels waited to declare Jesus’ birth.

The world waited for their redeemer. 

Waiting does not come easy to any of us.

Waiting is something that must be taught.

Waiting is something that must be practiced.

Waiting is something that must be learned.

The promise of a gift gives us hope.

And yet we must still wait. 

We anticipate. 

We hope. 

We wait.

The Psalmist begins; “I waiting patiently for the Lord...”. This is a good reminder for us all - to wait and to wait patiently for the Lord. And yet, he concludes his Psalm; “...God, do not delay” (Psalm 40). 

What are you waiting on right now? 

Are you waiting in hopeful anticipation?

Are you waiting patiently for The Lord?

“Blessed are this who trusts - who hope - who wait - in The Lord” (Psalm 40:4).

There I Was

There I was, lying in an open field, surrounded by the freshly cut hay. I could feel the rough grass under my bare legs and the itch of dozons of insects crawling across my body. 

One question immediately came to mind; “How did I get here?”. 

I was fatigued and injured, unable to continue on my own. Although I couldn’t process the full reality of the situation and all of the decisions that led me to this moment, one thing was clear to me; I was dying. 

As I came in and out of consciousness, the scorching heat of the sun and the thick humidity of the day drained any energy that I had remaining. I attempted to roll over with no success. I fought to cry for help but nothing came out. 

So, in a brief moment of clarity I considered again; “How did I get here?”

I managed to open my eyes and caught a glimpse at the afternoon sky. Through a painful squint I saw death hovering above, waiting in anticipation for me to draw my final breath. 

As vultures circled above my limp, lifeless body. I was taken to a different vantage point. Experiencing an out of body moment, I watched as the vultures circled. Faster now, and swooping closer to the ground, they seemed to be in a competition for my flesh. 

My inevitable final breath would be their starter’s pistol. And so I fought all the more for another breath knowing that my next one might be my last one. 

How did my life come to this? How did I get here? 

I awoke from my nightmare, covered in a cold sweat and gasping for air. My eyes tore open and I was certain that I would see the vultures circling above my bed. 

And that question that was now written on my mind and flooded my heart with fear; “How did I get here?”.

Perhaps you can identify. A series of bad choices, a plethora of wrong decisions have landed you in a territory you are not familiar with. 

Maybe you have been here before. You are - physically, emotionally, spiritually - tired, injured, unable to carry on. 

You want to get up but you’re unable. You want to cry out for help but you can’t find the words. 

So now, with the vultures circling above - declaring your death to the world around - you wait to take your final breath. 

But God says to you the very same thing He said to me; “This is not the end.”

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ‭‭(Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

You may feel like you’re all alone in that field right now. You might feel like the next breath you take will be your last. The vultures may be circling over your relationship right now. You may feel like there is no hope for your finances. You might feel like a grim future awaits you.

Today, meditate on the promises of God. He has a plan for your life - a purpose that is to be fulfilled. He knows the plan He has for your life - He has not and will not forget it - He has not and will not forget you. His plan is one that will see you prosper - a plan that will bring you success. His plan is one that will bring hope to your darkest days and a future that you think is impossible. 

I encourage you - right now - to call out to the Lord. It may seem difficult to form the words. It may seem impossible from where you are laying right now. The simplest words are enough. He is waiting to hear you call. “Father God, help me.”

I urge you - right away - to get up. The vultures may be circling but this does not have to be the end. There may be signs of death but God can make all things new. 

There I was, lying in an open field, and I remembered God’s promise; “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

And I called out to the Lord. He met me where I was, helped me up, fought off the vultures of death, and revealed His plan for my life.

For I Know The Plans

2017 started and ended on Sundays. It's amazing to start and the end the year in worship and to have the privilege and honor to preach God's Word as "bookends" to the year.

Both messages will focus on the same theme - "HOPE" - and both messages will bring us back to the truth of Jeremiah 29:11-13; 

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

In this early hour of the final day of the year I sit and contemplate this passage and encourage you to do the same.

Various questions come to mind as I contemplate the words of this passage;

Do you trust that the Lord has a plan for you?
Do you trust that the Lord's plan is one that will prosper you?
Do you trust that the Lord's plan will bring you hope and a future?
Are you seeking the Lord?
Are you seeking the Lord with all your heart?
Are you finding the Lord?

I read this passage again this morning; 

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

And more questions strike me;

Have I trusted in the Lord's plan for my life this last year that I have been able to rest in His hope for me - His future for me?
Have I found that Lord is such a profound way that I know Him better at the close of the year than I did at the start of it?
Have I pointed to Jesus - helping others to find Him and His plan - His hope and future - for their lives?

Again, I read;

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

And I ask myself;

In 2018, how will I seek and find the Lord more passionately?

In 2018, how will I trust more in His plan for my life?
In 2018, how will I help others do the same?

As We Prepare To Start 2017

 

As we prepare to start 2017, let me offer Isaiah‬ ‭40:28-31‬;

Do you not know? 

Have you not heard? 

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. 

He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. 

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

If we go forth in our own strength, we will fail, and utterly fall; but having our hearts and our hope is in heaven, we will be carried above all difficulties, and able to lay hold of the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus.

As we prepare to start 2017, let us commit to placing our hope in God and being strengthened in Him and by Him. 

Since We Have Been Justified

Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because Godʼs love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

‭‭(Romans‬ ‭5:1-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

 

We have been justified - pardoned - acquitted - of our sinful acts - this means that we are declared blameless in God's sight.

This justification comes through faith - our confidence of and assurance -  in Jesus Christ. 

Because of this we have peace - unity and harmony - with God our Father. And why wouldn't we have peace with The Almighty God, knowing that He views us without blame? Furthermore we have peace with Jesus knowing that He has reconciled us with God. 

Now we stand unified with Jesus as our Savior - as the one that saves us from the penalty of sin - and Lord - as the one that leads our lives. 

Through Jesus - our Savior and Lord - we have access to God's marvelous, matchless grace. This grace in which we stand safely and securely in. 

So, given all of this, let us boast. We do not boast in our own selves or our own abilities. No, let us rejoice - with great joy - I say it again, rejoice - in Jesus Christ - in the hope of the glory of God. 

We have this hope only through Christ - and in what He has done for us. We have the hope - the great expectation - that we will one day soon stand before God and He will impart His glory on us. 

Yet, we not only rejoice in hope, we also rejoice in our current suffering. We are able to rejoice because we trust that our suffering - our trials, our hardships, our distress, our pressure, our trouble - produces perseverance. We learn not to give up or give in - even in the midst of suffering. This perseverance, then, produces spiritual maturity - because it drives us to a total dependence on God and a complete reliance on Him. 

In all of this, we will not - now or ever - be disappointed. How could we be disappointed? We are basking in God's eternal and unsurpassable love. And, God's Spirit is living in us bearing constant witness to His great love to us. 

Since we have been justified by faith, what else do we need? 

Hope

Hope has always been a dominant quality in the life of the Christian community. From the time of the resurrection of Jesus until today, individual Christians and the Christian community have been full of hope. In the face of fierce opposition and persecution, followers of Jesus never lost hope. Even when failure interrupted their journey, hope was the undercurrent that swept them to repentance, forgiveness, and companionship with the living Lord once more. The source of this resolute hope was never found in the surroundings or how things were going for the Church. Rather, hope was found in God and the assurance that God was at work in the Church and in the world. The disciples felt a calm confidence that God’s work and will would ultimately be completed and fulfilled. And they were assured that every Christian was invited into a partnership with God that moved toward the fulfillment of God’s grand design for all creation. Such assurance is fertile ground in which the seeds of hope can flourish and bear the fruit of faithful living. 

—Rueben P. Job, A Guide to Spiritual Discernment

 

The Answer

Have you ever been wrecked by the very words that come out of your mouth?

Today - as I was preparing for the message tomorrow morning - I spoke words that cut me to the heart and wrecked me at the moment I spoke them. In the midst of preaching (to myself I proclaimed, "How can we claim that Jesus is the answer for our world when we don't depend on him as the answer for our churches - our homes - our relationships?"

As I proceeded to fall to the ground and to pray through this very phrase, I was more and more convicted by the Holy Spirit.

As believers we make the claim that Hesus is the answer for our world - that He and He alone is the source of hope, healing, and joy that the world needs so desperately. And yet, we often find ourselves in the midst of difficult situations - worried, fearful, or searching for answers within our own control - and we leave Jesus out. 

Relationships are broken, souls are lost, illness plagues us daily, and we struggle with our emotions and yet we fail to go to Jesus and trust in His power and provisions. 

Let us renew our faith in and faithfulness to Jesus as our Savior and Lord. 

Let us depend on Jesu as the answer and as our answer. 

Blood and Witness

Satan - evil and death - is eternally defeated through the blood of The Lamb - Jesus Christ - and through the word of our testimony about Jesus Christ.

Our Savior - Jesus Christ - has already done His part, now He is calling you to do yours. 

Let us triumph over Satan - over evil and death - daily through the word of our testimony. 

Your words of witness make a difference - an eternal one. 

One Year Ago

I sit here this morning - praying - reflecting - praising God for His hand at work. 

One year ago the Free Methodist Church in Robinson, Illinois celebrated its 60th anniversary. I had the privilege of pastoring the church at the time and I remember my sermon that morning; "A Hope and A Future". 

I preached from Jeremiah 10 that morning;

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord..."

A hope and a future! 

My message to the people that morning was that 60 years is something to be celebrated, however God was just getting started. 

In March of this year the Free Methodist Church in Robinson sent out one of their own and planted a Free Methodist Church in Charleston, Illinois. New Hope Worship Center is taking off and making an impact in the name of Christ in this new city. Although New Hope was not even a concept a year ago, God led us to this and is still leading in this today. 

A hope and a future!

This morning the Free Methodist Church in Robinson welcomes a new pastor to take leadership. As I pray for the Free Methodist Church in Robinson, I am confident that God has a great future in store in them and through them. 

A hope and a future!

God is good...all the time! 

Unity Through The Holy Spirit

Romans 15:5-6,13

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow  Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

As The Church - established in Christ - we must find endurance, encouragement, hope, joy, peace, trust, and power. This can only be accomplished through unity and this unity is only possible through the Holy Spirit. 

Therefore, let us - as The Church of Jesus Christ pursue the unity of the Holy Spirit - so that we may glorify God with one heart and one mind and one voice. 

All I Want For Christmas Is Jesus

This past Sunday we began new series. It was unable to be recorded. Below are some of the sermon notes from the first sermon in this exciting series.

I often find it odd that We spend a season celebrating what we are most thankful for and then we immediately follow it with a season concentrating on what else we want - what else we still need.

“What do you want for Christmas?” This is, perhaps, the most frequently asked question at Christmastime.

Personally, I never have a good answer for this question, ether because I don’t know what I want or because I don’t want to ask someone for it. And it is frustrating to hear “I don’t know”

“What do you want for Christmas?” My mother-in-law asked me this question, to which I responded “I don’t know”.

“What do you want for Christmas?” Children ask their parents this question. To this day when we ask mom she will say “to have all of my family to be healthy and to be together”. This answer is even more frustrating than “I don’t know” because I can't provide this for my mom.

But it is sometimes that things that we want – and need – the most that we don’t ask for, we won’t ask for, we don’t even talk about them. Most of us have a need that we rarely recognize. Most of us have a need that we seldom express - a need we would never state on our Christmas list - even though it’s all that we really want and all that we really desire

What do you want for Christmas? What do you really need? Joy?  Peace?  Love? Hope?

Over the next month we will take part in a series together; "All I Want For Christmas Is…" Throughout this series we will continue to ask the question: "What do you want for Christmas?” And we will continue to come back to Isaiah 61 - the mission statement of Jesus - the purpose of why He came to earth.

Isaiah 61:1-3a: The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

All I want for Christmas is Jesus.

·       Jesus is our Joy

o   Good news for the poor and the afflicted

·       Jesus is our Peace

o   Healing for the brokenhearted and troubled

·       Jesus is our Love and our Salvation

o   Freedom for the captives and a pardon for all prisoners

·       Jesus is our Hope

o   The time of the Lord’s favor has come for us

Where all other gifts fall short, Jesus fulfills. This year He can bring you joy, peace, love, and peace

It’s time that we take our focus off of the hurry, the greed, the chaos, and the rush of Christmas – that’s not Christmas anyway! It’s time we stop asking and wishing for gifts that break down, spoil, rust, and disappoint us. It’s time we focus on the true gift of Christmas – Jesus Christ. Who reigns eternally and fulfills our every desire and need.

All I want for Christmas is Jesus. Jesus is our peace. Jesus is our love. Jesus is our salvation. Jesus is our hope. Now and for all of eternity

This Christmas let us look for opportunities to speak Jesus into lives - to speak Jesus into our own life and to speak Jesus into the lives of others.

A Life of Freedom

The escaped prisoner is still on the loose (see previous post for more information) and he is reported to still be in the Robinson area.

My wife and I went driving around town this afternoon. As we did I could not help but notice the absence of people - especially children; very few people walking down the sidewalk, no one playing at the park, very few people out in their yards.

It occurs to me - as I sit in my living room, all of our doors and windows closed, not allowing our children to go outside - that many are acting as prisoners in their homes today. Many are sitting behind closed - some locked - doors in fear and apprehension of what could be.

The same is true for many as they live their lives in fear; so many are lacking the knowledge, so many are lacking the hope, so many are lacking the freedom that can be found in Christ.

And those of us that have the knowledge, understand the hope, and have experienced the freedom that is found on Jesus need to be sharing His truth with those  who are so desperately in need.

No one needs to live a life of fear!

No one needs to live a life of hopelessness!

No one needs to live a life of imprisonment!

 

Jesus has set us free!

Let us get out and share His truth with the world.

Being Children of God

1 Peter 1:13-16 states; "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy."


There are several words that stand out as we read 1 Peter 1:13-16, but one stands out the most – "CHILDREN" – we are God’s children. Think about this remarkable truth for a moment;  It is God’s desire that we be His children.

 But, God has a broader desire than that we simply be His children.  So He gives us several adjectives in 1 Peter to tell us what kind of children He desires for us to be.

• Obedient children; Following His commands and directives for our lives – because they are what are best for us.
•  Prepared children; Prepared for action today and prepared for heaven tomorrow.
• Active children; Active in the body of Christ.
• Self-controlled children; Self-controlled and disciplined
• Hopeful children; Hopeful and faithful that Jesus Christ will return and all glory will be given to Him. 
• Alert children; Informed in the wills and ways of God - Alert and conscience of the evil in this world
• Called children; Called by God and set apart for a special purpose.
• Holy children; Without holiness no one will see God. 

Light: the way out of the cave

Years ago my friend and I went spelunking, that is, exploring a cave. We planned it out the day before and prepared with a map in hand and two flashlights.


Once inside the cave we began to follow the bright orange arrows that pointed the way in and out of the cave. Once we reached the back of the cave we turned around and began following the arrows back to the opening of the cave (there only one in and out of this particular cave).

I would venture to say that we both felt an emptiness in our stomachs when the bright orange arrows pointed to a dead end somewhere near the middle of the cave. This realization was followed shortly by the realization that we had left the map of the cave in the car, and promptly by the failure of both flashlights.
Soon we found ourselves running into dead ends within the cave at every turn. As we pressed on we grew more tired and more frustrated. It seemed as if everything that we did resulted in us getting lost even further.

Although we knew that there was only one way in and out of this cave, we knew that we must do something or else we may grow too tired, too cold, and too hungry inside of this cave. We began to pound on the walls of the cave, listening for a hollow echo. It did not take too long before we saw a faint glimmer of light coming from the crack in one of the cave walls. Needless to say, we did not stop hammering away at that wall until we had broken through.

That crack in the wall of the cave was our hope, it was what we had been searching for. The light coming in was our salvation. Because, after we broke through we not only saw the light of the sun, we felt the warmth of the summer air, and I saw my dad coming toward the mouth of the cave with water, a rope, and a light. He was only minutes away from entering the cave to come and find us. Thankfully, we were able to find our way our before he had to locate us himself, not to mention the police and rescue workers and their helicopter.

It is much the same with us as we live here on earth. So many are searching for the Light, they are looking for their salvation from this cold, dark, weary place. So many people have been putting in so much of their energy and time looking for the "way out", looking for the "light". Jesus said in John 8:12: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” What's more, Jesus said in Matthew 5:14 that anyone that follows Him are "the light of the world."

If you are a follower of Christ it is your responsibility, your privilege, and your honor to share this light, the light that is Jesus Christ with all those around you. If you are not yet a follower of "The Light", take this glimpse of the hope and don't give up, pursue it, research it, and don't give up until you experience the light of Jesus Christ for yourself.

Psalm 23

The 23rd Psalm is a beautiful reminder of who our God is and all the strength, comfort, encouragement, shelter, rest, love, mercy, discipline, forgiveness, guidance, grace, and hope that He gives to our lives.

The danger in a Psalm such as this, one that we become overly familiar with, is that we allow it to become common to us, and thus, it loses meaning in our lives and of our God.

I invite you to read the following Scripture, the 23rd Psalm, pausing to reflect on the words used and the meaning of these words. A journal entry prayer written by King David;

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."