2024

A friend of mine told me he saw a TV show that said Martin Luther was responsible for Christmas being on Dec. 25th.  I have a hard time believing that because I always understood that date was set way before the 1500’s.  I found a website named historytools.org that delves into the history of the date so I thought I would share some of the reasoning even though we never have and never will know the true date that Christ was born or died.  It’s like knowing when the world will end.  The actual date doesn’t matter.  What matters is that we celebrate the event, and we do.  I just enjoy reading these things for the entertainment value and not historical fact.  The last thing I want for a topic like this is people going around saying, “Well, Susan said…”

According to this history website, we celebrate on December 25th because of a complex relationship between historical, religious, and cultural factors that shaped it over the centuries.  The early Christians had to establish their identity to appeal to potential members from pagan backgrounds.  If they could incorporate some existing pagan festivals into Christian traditions, they would be more appealing to people already familiar with them.  You just want to dip your toe in the water and not fall in yourself.  It’s important to keep your beliefs without “drinking the kool-aid”.  (It was actually the cheaper Flavor-Aid, but I digress.)

One of the most important festivals was the Roman Saturnalia which took place from December 17th to the 23rd.  During the festival, social norms were relaxed and people engaged in feasting, gift-giving, and partying.  In addition, Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar in 45 BCE.  It replaced the earlier lunar calendar and established a solar year of 365.25 days.  This introduced leap year in order to keep sync with the seasons.  Under this calendar, the winter solstice fell on December 25th and is associated with the rebirth of the sun and promise of longer, warmer days to come.  For early Christians, the idea of the sun’s rebirth could easily be adapted to represent the birth of Christ, the “Sun of Righteousness” (Malachi 4:2).  By celebrating Christmas around these dates, the Church was able to tap into the popular appeal of these celebrations for their own use and with their own meaning.  As time went on, traditions would continue to evolve.

In the 4th century, politics had a hand at enforcing the date.  Emperor Constantine played a key role because he issued the Edict of Milan when granted tolerance to Christianity and ended Christian persecution.  Under his rule, Christianity took a more prominent role in public life including the building of churches and convening of church councils.  The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem held the first recorded celebration of Christmas on December 25, 336. 

Throughout the medieval period, Christmas continued to evolve and take on new traditions and customs. Many of these traditions were influenced by the pre-Christian winter festivals that had been appropriated and adapted by the Church.  One of the most significant was the rise of the Nativity scene which had its origins in the early Church but became particularly popular during the Middle Ages.  The first recorded Nativity scene was created by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1223 CE. According to tradition, he was inspired to create the scene after visiting the Holy Land to make the story of Christ‘s birth more accessible and meaningful to the wider population.  Over time, the Nativity scene became a staple of Christmas celebrations throughout Europe. Churches and communities would create elaborate displays featuring figures of Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, and various animals and shepherds. These scenes served as a focal point for Christmas worship and helped to reinforce the religious significance of the holiday.

Just over 500 years later, the Puritan government of England, which came to power in the mid-17th century, saw Christmas as a remnant of Catholicism and a time of excessive revelry and debauchery.  As such, they banned the celebration of Christmas in England and Scotland for a time.  Despite these challenges, the celebration of Christmas managed to survive and even thrive in many parts of the Protestant world.  Over time, the emphasis shifted away from religious observance and toward the idea of Christmas as a time for family gatherings, gift-giving, and general merriment.  

The 19th century saw a significant revival of interest in Christmas.  The rise of Romanticism emphasized the importance of tradition and the past.  One of the most significant figures in this time was the English writer, Charles Dickens.  "A Christmas Carol" helped to popularize many of the traditions and customs that we now associate with the holiday, such as the idea of Christmas as a time for family gatherings and charitable giving.  The commercialization of Christmas also began to take off in the 19th century. Department stores and other retailers began to promote the holiday as a time for shopping and gift-giving, and the first Christmas-themed advertisements began to appear in newspapers and magazines.  In no time at all, we had the Sears Christmas Wish Book.  Children of all ages used it as their personal shopping guides to what they couldn’t live without. 

Although we still celebrate the holiday with family, food, decorations, gifts, and laughter, it’s most important that we remember that we are celebrating a birthday.  When my children were young, we would pass out our gifts to each other on Christmas Day but nothing was touched until we sang “Happy Birthday” to Jesus.  It was His birthday but we got all the gifts, and they weren’t just underneath the tree.  It’s been that way every year and this year will be no different.  When my children and grandchildren get together to celebrate, we still start by singing “Happy Birthday”.  It’s my hope that it will be one tradition that will be passed down through the generations.  May God bless your family this Christmas season with love and a deeper faith in Him through His many gifts to the world.

Here we are again at the season of Advent in the church year.  Advent is designed to prepare us for the coming of Christ to earth.  Pastors pick different themes each year to preach about at this time to tie the weeks together.  Personally, I learn more if I read it all at once.  I usually forget from one week to the next so it's difficult for me to see how they flow.  For this reason, I thought I would explain it in a way that it's easier to see the order and also add in a theme of a physical link.

The word 'advent' comes from the Latin word 'adventus' which means 'arrival' or 'coming'.  As the story goes, in 1839, a Lutheran minister working at a children's mission in Germany, took a wagon wheel and placed 20 red candles around the outer ring and 4 white ones on the inner.  They lit a red candle each weekday and a white one on Sundays as a countdown to the celebration of Christ's birth.

The advent wreath itself is always a circle which represents the eternal nature of God with his never-ending love, mercy, and faithfulness, along with the unending cycle of seasons, etc.  It's made with evergreen branches to represent the everlasting life we have in Christ and there are lights which represent Christ being the light of the world.  These wreaths are not exclusive to churches.  They can also be set up in the home as a reminder of the season.  Sometimes, holly leaves are added to the evergreens.  They are prickly and represent the crown of thorns on Jesus' head at his crucifixion.  Berries, which are typically red, also point to Christ's sacrifice and bloodshed for our sins.  Pinecones, seeds, and nuts are sometimes added to the wreath as a symbol of new life.  There are four candles around the circle and sometimes a white one (Christ candle, lit Christmas morning) in the middle.  Three of the four candles are purple (or blue) which represents penance, preparation, and royalty.  The other candle is pink to represent joy.

The first candle to be lit is a purple one and is called the Hope or the Prophecy Candle.  We start by remembering that we are waiting for Christ to come.  He came first as the baby we celebrate but we also wait for His coming again.  It represents the hope that Jesus' birth would bring light to a world in sinful darkness.  The item represented here is salt.  Salt was very valuable during Jesus' day.  It helped with the preservation of meat and enhanced the taste of food.  During the first century, the people of Galilee would mix salt with dried dung because the chemical reaction would make the dung burn hotter and longer to cook their food over.  Yum.  As believers, God calls us to mix with sinful people and still keep our Christian identity.  We were not made to be isolated but we are also not to lose our faith by absorbing the values of the sinful world.

The second candle is also purple and is called the Peace or Bethlehem Candle.  True peace is not the absence of conflict but recognizing the presence of Christ in it.  It signifies Mary and Joseph's travel to Bethlehem as the prophecy foretold.  Through the birth of Jesus, we can find peace with God and with each other.  The item represented here is stone.  The Bible has hundreds of references to stone from building your house on a rock, to being a living stone, to the altars that were made of stone and even the stones that would cry out if we were silent and did not praise God.  Stones meant, "God's presence was here".  People traveling saw altars of stone and knew that God had been there for a reason.  Jesus started His humanity in a stone trough and ended it behind a stone in a tomb.

The third candle is pink and is the Joy or Shepherd's Candle.  The shepherds had just great joy and excitement over hearing that Christ had been born, they left everything and went to find Him.  It also represents the happiness and excitement of the world over the same news.  We get more and more excited the closer the day is.  The item represented here is oil.  Oil is not shown in most nativity scenes because it was a very basic and common element.  It was used for cooking, giving light, caring for wounds and anointing.  Joseph had a lamp with plenty of oil because he was prepared and knew who significant this event was.  Jesus had oil by his side at His birth because He is the bread of life (cooking), the Light of the world (light), the Great Physician (healing) and the Anointed One (anointing).  

The fourth candle is purple and is the Love or Angel's Candle.  The angels proclaimed, "Peace on earth and good will to men" which is the love of God for mankind for eternity.  The item represented here is straw.  Straw was used and then thrown away.  God did not tend for everything in our lives to be permanent.  Grass will wither and fade but God's Word will stand forever.  When the rock of our salvation lies amid things that don't last, miracles happen.  God gives us time and money (things that don't last) for us to make the most of and not waste.  

So there we have the journey: hope of what is to come, the trip to Bethlehem when the time was right, the excitement of the shepherds when they heard the news and the love that Christ's presence on earth gives to us to share with others.  When you put it all together, it makes perfect sense.

In the last blog, I dove into Jesus’ two natures; human and divine.  But that’s not all there is to knowing Him.  It’s not just who He is but what He does.  This might sound a little like a Confirmation Class but I thought it was interesting.  The work of Christ is called his office and it’s broken down into three parts; prophet, priest, and king.  Each of these was an important position for a person in ancient Israel and for each position, you had to be anointed.  Oil was poured on the head as a sign they were “set apart” for a specific service.  “Christ” is not a name but a Greek word that means “anointed one”.  The Hebrew word is “Messiah”.  Jesus was not anointed with oil but with the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38).

The first office is the Prophetic Office, or prophet (Matthew 13:57).  A prophet is not a fortune teller.  They bring the Word of God to humans as His representative.  This can be a little confusing because Jesus is also the Word of God.  He is the Word (John 1:1) and He is God.  The explanation for this starts back in Deuteronomy 18:15.  Under Moses’ leadership, a generation of Israelites heard the laws of God, His promises and covenant, and built Him a tabernacle.  One of the last promises Moses gave them was that God would raise up a prophet they should listen to.  God sent many prophets but none of them were up the Moses’ standard and ‘not quite good enough’ just didn’t cut it.  Then came Jesus (Hebrews 1:1-2).  (FYI - I wrote out so many passages last time, I’m giving you the choice this time to look them up or not.)  Because He is also God, He spoke the divine Word directly and they heard it straight from the ‘horse’s mouth’.  (See the ‘ ‘ marks?  It’s an idiom.  I’m not calling Christ a horse.) 

Then we have the Priestly Office (Hebrews 5:5-6).  While a prophet represents God to humanity, a priest represents humanity before God.  He goes to God with the gifts, sacrifices, and prayers in behalf of others.  Words like intercessor (Hebrews 7:25), sacrifice (Romans 3:25), offering (Romans 8:3), and Lamb of God (John 1:29) all reflect the priestly office of Jesus.  To receive the forgiveness of sin and salvation, we need the service of a priest.  The problem is that a sacrifice must be offered by someone and not have just anyone kill an animal.  A true priest must offer the sacrifice in the proper way in order for it to be valid.  So if Jesus was the sacrifice, who was the priest?  See if you can follow me here.  Jesus was both.  God said priests must come from the tribe of ….?  Levi.  Right.  But Jesus was a descendent of David and the tribe of Judah.  That doesn’t sound right but here’s where it gets interesting and we have Hebrews to explain it to us.  There was a great priest that lived before the tribe of Levi was established; a man named Melchizedek  (mel-KIZ-uh-deck) who served Abraham.  Because he lived before the tribe of Levi was assigned to be priests, his title of priest remained.  Jesus was a priest in the same way.  God said, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”  Because He existed from all eternity, He’s also exempt from the requirement for the tribe of Levi.  AND not only is Christ a legitimate priest, He is the supreme high priest.  We can look at it this way:

Other priests                                                                Jesus

served a short time and then died                                lives forever

sacrificed for their sin before sacrificing for others       had no sin to sacrifice for

served in a temple or tabernacle                                  serves in the heavenly temple 

sacrificed animals                                                         sacrificed Himself

sacrificed over and over                                               sacrificed once for all

Finally, we have the royal office of King.  Jesus was greeted as a king by Magi after His birth and all through His ministry was called the Son of David.  People sought an earthly king and sometimes his disciples did as well.  No one understood “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).  Inside this office is another trio, that is, distinct aspects to His reign: Kingdom of power, Kingdom of grace, Kingdom of glory.

In the Kingdom of power, Christ rules over all creation.  All things were made by Him and are therefore under His command.  Through the natural order, He causes the rain to fall on the just and unjust.  He upholds the universe and causes it to function for all.  He rules and guides through society, government, and human authority.  You get the idea.  ALL.

While the Kingdom of power extends over all people, in the Kingdom of grace, there are limitations.  This kingdom is made of those who have heard and believed the Gospel – the Church.  Jesus describes this kingdom as “the kingdom of heaven” or “the kingdom of God” (Matthew 13:44-45; Mark 10:15).  He rules this kingdom not by the Law but by the Gospel.  He creates and gathers this kingdom solely by his gracious work and will.  There is no coercion, only His free invitation.  The proclamation of the Gospel and the service of the sacraments are the tools in this kingdom.

The third is the Kingdom of glory which refers to the eternal reign of our Savior in heaven.  This kingdom will be manifest on earth when He returns to judge the nations.  While we wait for this day, He rules now in heaven with the saints that have gone before us and the rest of the heavenly host.  We’re not part of it yet but it is a reality now.

These three kingdoms are separate from each other but are ruled by one king, Christ.  Christ is above all things (kingdom of glory), over all things (kingdom of power) and uses the power for His church (kingdom of grace).  Because of Him alone, the true kingdom of God is not a place but is within each of us. 

In my opinion, one of the most difficult things to do in a church is decide what Bible Study to choose.  I’ve taught many over the years and even though the best part about it is the teaching, the most difficult is to decide what to teach.  In a class, you have those that have been a Christian and church attender for 60+ years, you have those that are new to the faith, and you have those that just want to pass the time because their spouse made them go.  Each person has a unique religious education and desire to learn.  We have to simplify the teachings to be comprehended but not so simple that people are bored and lose interest.  Jesus dealt with this as well.  He had all manner of people follow Him and listen to His teachings.  When Jesus said things outright, some believed but others rejected.  When He told parables, He was happy to explain them but only to people that wanted to really understand. 

He has left the Bible for us today to fully understand Him, or, at least as much as we are able.  Through the centuries, people have tried to describe Christ in a way that fits Him into a human way of thought.  They take verses from the Bible and twist them to make them understandable.  Take the example of the two natures of Christ.  We’ll first look at how some humans have explained it.

Ebionism – 100% human, 0% divine   This is a sect of people that wanted to keep Christianity as close to Judaism as possible.  To support the teaching of only one God, they attributed Jesus to be a prophet with supernatural gifts but not God.  He became “the Christ” at His baptism when the Spirit came upon Him so He was essentially adopted by God.  Because they deny his deity, they also deny His saving work.

Arianism – 100% human, partly divine   Arius was a 4th century bishop that believed that only the Father was uncreated and eternal.  The Father made or created the Son who then created the rest of the world.  Jesus is higher than all creation but a lesser god than the Father.

Apollinarianism – partly human, 100% divine   Apollinarius was another 4th century bishop best known for his teaching about the incarnation (birth) of Christ.  He taught that Jesus assumed genuine humanity but not a complete human nature.  He agrees that the Word became flesh (John 1:14), but concluded that his body was human but his mind was divine.  He had the human body but not the feelings, thoughts, or experiences.

Docetism – 0% human, 100% divine   Docetism comes from the Greek word dokeo which means “to appear” or “to seem”.  Recognizing the work and power of Christ, they easily believed He is God but were uncomfortable with him in the material world.  They were influenced by Gnosticism (NOS-tuh-ciz-um) which taught that all spiritual things were good and all physical things were evil (probably because of sin in the world).  God would never live in an evil body so to save humanity, He sent Jesus who appeared to be human but was never flesh and blood.  Again, in taking away the human sacrifice, suffering, and death of Jesus, they also deny salvation.  While they don’t remain active today, we see their teachings echoed in religions like “Christian Science” and those that maintain that physical existence is an illusion. 

Now we look at how God explains it (as I learned in a Bible class in Immanuel Lutheran Church in Giddings).

There is only one God, not three, and glory and worship belong to Him alone.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  (Deuteronomy 6:4)

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.  (Isaiah 44:6)

I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. (Isaiah 42:8)

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”  Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  (Mark 12:28-29)

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!  (James 2:19)

The Father is God.

For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.  (Isaiah 63:16)

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.  (Matthew 6:6)

Jesus is God.  Because He came to earth and became human, it needed to be emphasized by more passages than the Father that He was also God.

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (God with us)  (Matthew 1:23)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (John 1:1)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.  (John 1:14)

I and the Father are one.  (John 10:30)

And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.  (John 17:5)

This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, (Psalm 110) “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’  (Acts 2:32-35)

The Holy Spirit is God.  He is not just an invisible force but has an active role as God.

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”  (Acts 5:1-4)

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.  (1 Corinthians 2:10)

even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.  (John 14:17)

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.  (John 4:24)

All three are one God.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  (Matthew 28:18-19)

I remember as a child I often prayed to the Holy Spirit.  I felt sorry for Him because all the adult prayers started with "Dear Heavenly Father" and all of the prayers they led children in started with "Dear Jesus".  Very rarely did anyone pray to the Holy Spirit so I made it a point to, so He wouldn't get His feelings hurt.  Child reasoning.  So, as adults or children can we understand the trinity?  No.  The best we can do is repeat the Athanasian Creed every year on Trinity Sunday.  That’s as clearly as it’s ever been put into words but it’s still difficult to really comprehend.  Even though God repeats these facts, some things are not meant for us to understand now.  That doesn’t mean we get to change it to make it easier to understand.  It means we just need to believe.

Sometimes I see a clear direction for my blogs and other times, I need to search for them.  This time, I’m searching.  I look at recent events and try to turn them into a way to grow my faith.  It starts with my husband telling me how upset his co-workers were going to be because #5 Georgia beat the #1 Texas Longhorns.  He loves it when the big guy gets taken down by the underdog.  His favorite of all time is when a car speeds by him and three miles down the road, that same car is pulled over by a police car.  What a rush he gets from that.  I personally have my own way of rooting for underdogs.  I happen to own two romance books (because they’re extremely rare) where the fat girl gets the good-looking guy.  Didn’t know those existed, did you?

Then I saw a couple of articles on the web.  One was about TV commercials from the 70’s we’ll never forget.  Here we go!...  Plop, plop, fizz, fizz…..  Easy one to finish, right?  Try some more.  My bologna has a first name…  I’m a pepper, you’re a pepper, he’s a pepper…  I am stuck on Band-aid brand cause… I can’t believe I ate the whole thing…(Alka-Seltzer). 

Of course, we also have songs that bring to memory a specific movie every time we hear it.  “Eye of the Tiger” – Rocky, “Unchained Melody” – Ghost, Bohemian Rhapsody – Wayne’s World, “Twist and Shout” – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, “Day-O” – Beetlejuice, and “Old Time Rock and Roll” – Risky Business (Yes, the one where Tom Cruise dances around in his underwear.  He might have had a shirt on as well…not sure.)

Anyway, regardless of our personal, nostalgic decade, things sometimes just stick with us.  Many things have momentary relevance, but how can billions of people with billions of opinions, preferences, etc. find common ground?  I think one problem is that many in this world were brought up in the church but considered it to be of momentary relevance and nothing more because it didn’t stick with them.  Kind of an “I did my time” thing, but not needed for day-to-day life now. 

Today we only worry about what is done to us and how we can get revenge for being wronged.  We are so full of self-importance, there’s no room to consider others because everything we deserve is fair.  Uh-oh.  I said the “f” word.  There’s a parable in Matthew 13 that has meaning for me here.  Verse 25 reads, “But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares (weeds) among the wheat, and went his way.”  I believe that’s where our heads are now.  We are asleep because we are focused on ourselves.  The devil uses this time to plant weeds in our lives.  Weeds of self-importance, arrogance, pride, etc.  Like the parable, we can’t get rid of these weeds in our minds completely.  We must let them grow with our faith and one day, our faith will result in God granting us eternal life while our weeds are thrown in the fire.  There are no weeds in heaven.  That’s certainly fair.

Sometimes though, I think history needs to repeat itself.  Remember the story of Joseph in Genesis 42-45?  His brothers sold him into slavery and through much hardship, eventually, he was put in a position of great power.  When his brothers came to buy food, he could have easily gotten revenge for how they mistreated him and all he had gone through.  It’s not fair that he was his father’s favorite.  It’s not fair that his brothers tried to kill him.  Despite this and how deep the wound was, Joseph forgave them.  It’s one of the most difficult things to do but a wise person once said, “Forgiveness is when you set a prisoner free – and then you realize the prisoner is yourself.”  We lock ourselves in a prison and are so comfortable that even when the door is open, we don’t want to leave.  But true forgiveness takes away the wrongs and the revenge as if they were never there and our hearts are now open receive God’s love and share it with those around us.

There is a story of Native American tradition that makes a similar point.  A boy comes to his grandfather, filled with anger at another child who has done him an injustice.  “Let me tell you a story,” says the grandfather.  “I too, at times, have felt great hatred for those who have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do.  But hatred wears you down and does nothing to hurt your enemy.  It’s like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die.  I have struggled with these feelings many times.”  He continues, “It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one is good and does no harm.  He lives in harmony with all around him and takes no offense when no offense is intended.  He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.  But the other wolf, ah, that is a different matter!  That one is full of anger.  The smallest irritation will set him into a fit of rage.  He fights everyone, all the time, for no good reason.  He cannot think clearly because his anger and hatred are so overwhelming.  It is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them wish to dominate my spirit.”  The boy’s eyes have now grown wide, “Which one wins, Grandfather?”  The grandfather solemnly replies: “The one I feed.”

Joseph had those two wolves in him just like we do, but he knew that hatred in your heart only hurts yourself.  Releasing the wolf of vengeance into the wild is never easy because something about our nature enjoys seeing others punished for their mistakes; not us of course, but certainly others.  For the sake of harmony and peace with not only those around us, but also ourselves, we need to give that wolf his walking papers.  So, what have I learned?  I always knew feelings of hate and revenge were bad but never really understood that they hurt only me.  Our sinful nature wants the other person to hurt like I do but that’s not going to happen.  I need to turn it all over to Jesus and let the hate dissolve from me so I can better be the person God, and I, want to be.

Some people may think I see God acting in places where He would not be or places where He could not care less.  I can’t say for certain one way or the other but I don’t think coincidences are always that; just a coincidence.  I’ve been attracted to the thought of working in the church for as long as I can remember.  I even applied once but was turned down because, little did I know then, it wasn’t the right time.  I went into accounting to bide my time for 30+ years until the time was right.  I’ve been employed at a church now for longer than I’ve ever held a position with any other company.  Sounds good, right? 

I sometimes think Paul and I had a lot in common.  For a long time, we antagonized people - me by sending invoices and calling for credit and collections and him for killing Christians, torturing disciples and slaughtering innocents for worshipping God.  Po-tay-to, po-tah-to, right?  After a time, we received the calling God had been preparing us for; to work for Him.  God understood that Paul acted ignorantly because of his unbelief.  This past experience with sin is partly what made him so successful at his new position.  He was struck blind by God for his “come to Jesus meeting” and his life turned around.  I’d be the first to say that people really never change, but in this case, Paul made a complete turn-around to play for the right team.  Because of his past sin, he can now appreciate God’s mercy and grace even more.  This has a great impact on his teachings from this point on.  God showed him mercy because God chose to and not for anything Paul had done.  It’s easy for us to itemize our faults rather than number our strengths but God’s love and grace help tremendously. 

As far as my story goes, these past many years have been very enjoyable but the present time, not so much.  The church is not saved from troubles or dissention and I admit that I frequently tried to help by bringing another perspective to those around me.  The problem with this is that it never worked because I forgot the cardinal rule of employment…I work for them.  Having the type of heart that wants to fix things for everyone, I realize this may not have been the best fit for me for employment.  However, I’m here now so I need to learn what God is trying to teach me by this experience.  I was scheduled to have surgery a year ago but the doctor wanted to hold off.  About four months ago, the church I work for had a major upset and the congregation split.  As things are about to come to a head, my surgery is approved and I’m off for a week to heal.  During this week, I’ve had a lot of time to think about my position, my calling, my gifts, etc. and I believe I’m able to find peace among it all.  Everything will come to a pinnacle right before I return.  This has allowed me to step away from the drama that both sides of the argument see fit to load on me.  Thanks to all of this, I am able to return with a new perspective.  Yes, the church is like your family, unless you work for them.  I need to remember first and foremost that this is a job and it is not my church.  The members and council are taking actions they believe are right and it is my place to just do my work and not have an opinion.  I am Switzerland.  The members of the church have the responsibility to see that God’s work is done here and they are the ones that should take charge of the duties needed.  If I see myself as having to do things for them, I am keeping them from fulfilling their potential in God’s work. 

The important thing to remember no matter where you are is that our past does not dictate our future.  We are not victims of our resumes because our past does not have the final word.  Not for Paul, not for myself, not for John Newton.  (After serving for the English Navy, John Newton was a slave boat captain for some time.  After a tragic accident (John’s “come to Jesus meeting”), his life turned around and he wrote the hymn, “Amazing Grace”.)  God will put us where we are needed.  Depending on our stubbornness, it might take more drama to get some of us there than others.  Regardless if we are in the workforce or not, we can be a representative for God because being off the payroll doesn’t mean we’re off the job.

Did I write a blog for this week?  No.

Do I feel guilty about that?  Yes.

My brain is processing information slower than ever these days.  Add to that, the fact that my world is a little out of control at the moment and that's not a recipe for anything worthwhile.  I'm still making time for God in prayer and worship but the world is throwing so much at me that I can't hear what God is telling me to focus on right now.  I've got to get two weeks of work done in one week because I'm out next week for surgery, and the A/C went out at home, and I may be losing one of my jobs, and, and, and.  I'm not stressed or upset, I'm just trying to remember everything I need to do because my responsibilities are important to me and my memory has many holes like swiss cheese.  I'm sure you can relate.  It happens to everyone from time to time.  What I'm trying to say is that I'm not going to be pressured into writing something that I don't feel strongly about.  My motto lately is "I'm doing the best I can".  Even though that should always be my motto, I need to continually remind myself that it's enough.

The phrase “dug yourself into a hole” means that you’ve found yourself in a difficult situation.  It may be a result of your actions or someone else’s.  This recently happened to me and I freely admit it, instead of turning fully to God, I turned myself into a whiney crybaby.  The first thing I do when I’m down, is kick myself some more.  It’s embarrassing to admit because I should know better.  I’ve written about this in various forms so many times, I don’t think I’m trying to convince you; I’m trying to convince me.  Between the devil, the world, and my human nature, it's a tough battle.  Like Paul said, “I am the worst sinner of all” (1 Timothy 1:15).

There are laws about holes, regardless of whether they are literal or figurative. 

Rule 1: Stop digging.  Rationalizing your situation often only makes it worse.  Unfortunately, it’s my nature to stop digging only because I’m looking for a bigger shovel.  When you find yourself in a hole, whatever you’re doing at the time is only making things worse.  However, sometimes you never realize you’re in the hole until you’ve been there awhile. 

Rule 2: Don’t dig a hole for others.  I’m sure many people do this but it’s not something I try to achieve.  The Bible speaks about this one frequently.  “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall also he reap.” (Galatians 6:7).  “Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.” (Proverbs 26:27).  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Luke 6:31).  And we can’t forget about Haman who constructed a gallows for Mordecai and ended up being hung on it himself (Esther 8:7).  The list goes on.

Rule 3: Ask for help.  Psalm 130 begins, “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!”.  Crying out to God is different than what we are used to.  Society has put such importance on individualism and independence that any cry for help is tolerated about as much as a teenager wanting a bigger allowance.  The Psalm continues with, “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?”.  We could probably number our shortcomings, but we could never get them all.  If God kept track, He would get every, single, one.  We need God to save us from ourselves.

Rule 4: Wait with hope.  This is incredibly hard for some and almost impossible for others.  We’re not talking about pushing the UP button on the elevator and waiting…and then pushing it four more times to hurry it up.  We want God’s help NOW.  But why?  Because when we wait, we have time to think.  We wonder about what we should have, could have, would have done differently.  We get into our own heads and then just get into more trouble.  When you call on God for help, give Him time to answer.  God will do what He does, when He does.  It may be that things will work out better than you thought if you wait a week or month or two. 

Remember the story of the old donkey that fell in a well.  The old man couldn’t get him out so he thought it would be best to bury him alive.  (Reminds me of what Joseph told his brothers, “You meant evil against me but God meant it for good.” Genesis 50:20))  The dirt thrown on the donkey was meant to bury it but it brought about its salvation instead.  The donkey made three choices: STOP being influenced by others and take control of its life; SHAKE OFF negativity, feelings of being overwhelmed, etc.; STEP UP to the challenge and confront what was happening.  With each step, he became more determined.  If the donkey had just stood there, he would have died.  Life throws dirt on us and negative comments or circumstances can make us feel we are buried alive.  Eventually it affects our health and can only get worse unless things change.  The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results.  We must change in order for our situation to change.

There are several ways to keep things from bothering you: 1.  Don’t complain.  By doing so, you draw attention to the issue and make it bigger than it needs to be and you make yourself a victim.  If you can’t change it, accept it and leave it alone.  2.  Don’t let it morph.  It’s easy to rationalize something to make it personal and more hurtful than it needs to be.  “Someone ate the last cookie” turns into “no one considers my feelings”.  3.  Shift focus.  Instead of focusing on the action, focus on the people that have problems and bad days, just like you.  4.  Let go of expectations.  The best we can expect from a sinful world is a less-sinful world.  Quit trying to write the ending of the story and let the Author and Perfector of our faith (Jesus – Hebrews 12:2) take care of it.

It's so easy to say these things, but just like trying to forgive yourself, it’s so much more difficult to actually do them.  When you’re in a hole, you feel alone, no one knows you’re there, no one cares, you’re surrounded by walls of dirt, you can’t move and there’s no way out.  Look up.  There it is!!

This one’s not a faith revelation but a self-revelation.  It’s your choice to continue or not.

Snickers had some cute commercials about attitude.  Famous celebrities would be taking part in everyday tasks or jobs but their friends and co-workers would hand them a Snickers.  Why?  They were whiny, angry, irritable, etc. and all it took was one Snicker bar to turn them back into their loveable selves.  I can relate to that.  There are times when my attitude toward life seems to take a 180 degree turn for no reason… just ask my mom about my years of being 16 & 17.  I didn’t do “sweet 16”.  I was a monster that entire year, but the day I turned 17, I was a completely different person.  Darn hormones…. 

I’ve often heard the expression for someone turning 30 or 40 or any number with a zero after it, that they were starting a new chapter in life.  I don’t know about that.  10 years is a pretty long chapter.  At my recent birthday, my sister (who loves me because she has to) gave me a shirt with “Chapter 60” on the back.  After some thought, I realized each chapter lasted a year and not a decade.  That must mean in the story of your life, each verse in that chapter should be something you learned about yourself or a positive change that you made that year.  I might keep track of verses this year and see how many I end up with (so far I’m up to 3).

It's strange how you can hear something 30-40 times but it just takes once to make a difference in your life.  My gift from said-sister was a framed paper.  She asked my friends and family to give a reason why they love me.  Because I turned 60, there were 60 reasons.  What really surprised me was that if those people had told me to my face, which they have many times, I really wouldn’t have believed them.  But having it written down, touched me in a way I never knew before and I saw myself in an entirely new light.  I didn’t just see the outside but also the inside that I never realized was there.  From now on, when I hear the words, they’ll mean more to me than just words.  So how do I relate this to my relationship with God?  It’s the opposite, surprisingly, or is it? 

God showed us how much He loves us through His Son.  He also wrote it down: I love you, I will never leave you, ask me for help and I will help you, I want you to be with me forever, etc.  God wrote it for everyone but I know that He especially means it for me when I see it in day-to-day events in my life (how He protects and helps me).  Friends and family say it to many people but I know they especially mean it for me when it’s written down on something just for me. 

Because we’re different, we relate to God in different ways.  It’s like Paul told the church in Ephesus, “So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Understand what the Lord wants you to do. Be filled with the Spirit, singing Psalms and spiritual songs, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."  No matter what manner you use to see God, see Him.  Not everyone understands that.  The Bible does have all the answers, but we need to know which questions to ask.  The questions we often think are most important, really aren’t.

The chapters in our lives are up to us.  We can fill them full or we can do as little as possible to coast through.  They are made up of things that people say or do around us, new things we learn, fears we charge toward instead of away from and everything else that makes us who we are.  Our experiences make up our book of life and if God’s a part of your story, the best part is that at the end of the book, it starts a whole new beginning. 

I’m a big animal lover and love not quite all animals, but you don’t want to hear that story.  I once read an article on Biblical Truths about Animals.  It was interesting in a way that made you think differently about how you view animals in our world but more especially, how God views them.

We all know in Genesis that God created the animals before He created man.  Mankind is unique when compared with creation because we are the only ones created in His image and possess an eternal soul.  BUT that doesn’t mean that the rest of creation has no value for God, or us.  In Genesis 7:15, we are told that animals also possess the breath of life from God.  Did you ever catch that fact before?  I know I didn’t.  Here are ten Biblical truths about animals.

1.  God communicates with animals.  There are a couple of references to this that are the most popular.  First, the animals went into the ark with Noah.  It doesn’t say he rounded them up.  God communicated and they responded.  The other is when Elijah fled from Ahab.  God commanded the ravens to bring him food, which they did (1 Kings 17:4-6). 

2.  God cares about the well-being of animals.  Matthew 10:29-31 is well-known story of how a sparrow does not fall to the ground without God knowing; likewise, the hairs of our head are numbered.  The little sparrow is important to God also.  God is emotionally invested in it enough to be moved by its death.  Then we have the story of Jonah.  When Nineveh repented, God reminded Jonah that not only 120,000 people had been spared but also many animals.  They mattered too.  Finally, God doesn’t just sit back and watch nature take over.  In Psalm 104:14, we are told that God “causes” the grass to grow for livestock. 

3.  God enjoys animals.  In Psalm 104:18-30, there’s a long description of God’s interaction with all kinds of animals.  It then says, “Let the Lord be glad in His works.”  He enjoys interacting with them.

4.  Animals reveal God’s sovereignty.  God pointed to creation to help Job understand His authority over all.  God provides for them, appointed them their place in creation, and is more powerful than the behemoth and leviathan because of the simple fact that He created them. 

5.  Animals bring praise and glory to God.  By their very existence, they point to God as creator because they are as much a part of creation as anything else.  They point to God as love because God loves life so much He created an endless variety.  They point to God as a designer because there is a relationship between all of creation. And they point to God as an artist by being a living display of natural beauty.

6.  Animals are reasoning creatures.  God revealed animal intelligence through the donkey of Balaam in Numbers 22:21-33.  The donkey saw the angel of the Lord and acted accordingly.  In addition, who hasn’t seen animals run from danger?  They must understand something of life in order to know they have to flee to protect themselves.

7.  Animals have a great awareness of spiritual reality.  Back to the story of Balaam and the donkey; it does not say the angel revealed his presence to the donkey.  Angels are only viewed by humans when they want to reveal themselves.  This doesn’t appear to be the case with animals.  Moses recognized the need to say that the Lord empowered the donkey to speak.  It doesn’t say God enabled the donkey to see the angel. 

8.  Animals have the capacity to enjoy life.  Psalm 104:26 – God formed the sea creature Leviathan “to play” in the sea.  Job 39:13 – the ostrich flaps its wings “joyously”.  Job 40:20 – the beasts of the field “play” in their surroundings.

9.  Animals teach us about justice.  God created animals “for their innocence”.  They don’t have morals but just do what they do.  That’s why we’re offended by cruelty to animals and why evil people make it a point to torture them.  An innate sense within us is repulsed by people violating their innocence and vulnerability.  Then there are the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament.  Rebelling against God is sin and holiness demands a penalty.  Innocent animals had to pay our penalty until Jesus took on that role Himself.

10.  Animals belong to God.  When God commanded mankind to rule over animals, He did not relinquish ownership with it.  The animals are subject to humans but still belong to God.  We must care for them as stewards in God’s place because they are His.

We don’t know what the future will hold, but personally, because animals were a part of God’s original creation, and He enjoys them so much, I’m assuming animals are also a part of the new earth as well.  Animals are much more complex than we thought them to be.  They not only enrich our lives but point us to the creator of all things.  They are not only worthy of our respect but rightfully demand it.

Creature of habit, predictable, etc.  These are words to describe me.  It doesn’t take much to get me thrown off my routine.  I enjoy my nice, safe world and am not the type to go looking for an adrenaline rush with risky and daring behavior.  You know the type: swimming with sharks, base jumping, bungee jumping, cliff camping, telling your mother-in-law what you really think of her cooking…  These are all terrifying activities to get your blood really pumping.  These days, all of these adrenaline junkies have cameras and thanks to social networking, they are out of control, literally.  One particularly popular activity is called “rooftopping”.  You climb to the top of a skyscraper and take a picture downwards; not of the view, but of yourself on the edge.  They do this to put the pictures on YouTube and Instagram to get followers and popularity.  The only problem is that many of them also fall to their deaths in their reach for fame because it’s not as exciting if you’re wearing a parachute. 

It makes me wonder what kind of postings the disciples would have had.  After all, they went through some harrowing times following Jesus around.  Jesus was a risk-taker, there’s no denying it.  He knew when a crowd would get rowdy and demand more miracles, when demons would get nasty, when church leaders would try to trick Him and conspire against Him, etc.  These are situations that sane, safety-loving people tend to avoid.  Jesus never avoided them, He ran to them and embraced them.  If you followed Him, you did it also, like it or not.  Instagram pictures the disciples posted would most likely be of people walking around that were dead 20 minutes before, crowds looking for someone to solve all their problems, smiling faces of those just cured from leprosy (or anything else), mystical mountaintop encounters, and religious cliques grouped together to plot against all of you.  Fear and uncertainty had to have overwhelmed them from time to time.  I know uncertainty certainly overwhelms me on occasion.

Jesus found Himself in a few instances where the best way out was to disappear. (John 8:57-59; 12:36)  In both cases, although He answered the questions about His divinity, it wasn’t what people wanted to hear.  In that case, the best course of action was to just disappear to give them time to think about what He said or give up because they’d never truly understand.  As you read through the New Testament, it’s often evident that the disciples had great faith when they were on solid ground and there was no danger nearby.  However, when danger approached, their faith left.  They were focused so often on their circumstances and not who they were with.

Remember the story of the storm with Jesus sleeping in the boat?  The disciples panicked even though He was right there with them.  His reply was, “Why are you afraid?  Have you no faith?”  He makes it clear that our faith must not be on the ground that we stand on, but in the person standing next to them.  Our faith should not be contingent upon our circumstances.  As long as Jesus is with us, we will be alright. 

Jesus still leads us to dangerous places sometimes where we are surrounded by enemies and He urges us to pray for them.  He puts us in situations where we must think about what it means to be faithful with our money and possessions.  He’s with us at work and urges us to show empathy to our unbelieving friends.  “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.”  He grabs our hands and pulls us into awareness of our own horrible sins and our need for divine forgiveness.  Remember what He told the disciples when He recruited them..."Follow Me".  Not, "pack a bag, we're going traveling", not, "Follow Me if your free right now".  Follow Me.  Period.  That means, trust Me, depend on Me, believe in Me.  What we must first and foremost remember is that our scary places need not be found in dark alleyways or above skyscrapers, they can be with a loved one that just found out they have cancer; coming to terms with a child that goes against what they were taught; being fired from a job or evicted from a home; etc.  When your heart is racing and your fears are many and your risk is tremendous…“Why are you afraid?  Have you no faith?”  God will not take His people where He will not reside with His people.  “Behold, I am with you ALWAYS, to the end of the age.” 

Jesus was a risk-taker, and when we follow Him, we become one somewhat as well, regardless if we want to or not.  When temptation comes, we will be tempted to look at our feet and what is below us.  The ground will always give us some reason to fear.  We should lift our eyes to who is right in front of us because we follow; our salvation; the God that defeated death forever with an empty tomb.  Now that’s a cool picture. 

Pop quiz…Can you name all of the 7 dwarfs?  The ingredients in a Big Mac?  The kids on the Brady Bunch?  Santa’s reindeer?  What about the Ten Commandments or all of the books of the Old Testament?  We live in a world of lists.  There’s no avoiding them.  In 2007, one thousand people were polled on their recall of the Big Mac ingredients vs. the Ten Commandments.  Care to guess the result?  Eighty percent of Americans knew the Big Mac had two all-beef patties while just over fifty percent knew, “Thou shalt not kill”, was a commandment.

So, the Ten Commandments.  What does this mean?  Basically, God asked for a prenup.  It was God’s first official words to a new nation.  They identify God, tell us about the character of His followers, and establishes a relationship between the two.  He’s saying, “Here’s our arrangement, our covenant.  I promise to uphold my end and here’s what I expect from you.”  He had just freed them from slavery so the Egyptians were no longer a threat.  It was time to sit down for a “Come to Jesus” meeting.  God said, “Alright, here’s the deal.  I freed you, I saved your lives, pay attention.  Rule #1 – You shall have no other gods before Me.”… and so forth.  This was nothing new to the Israelites.  Look back in Genesis; it’s all there.  It isn’t that we don’t know better, we just don’t do better.  These commandments are God’s way of communicating His love, hopes and protection for us.  We don’t get any extra credit for following them since Jesus did that for us.  Instead, we have the knowledge that if we try to follow them, we are people of faith.

“But they’re too hard to keep.”  Really?  Over time we were given the opportunity to make laws to “keep people safe”, and what did we come up with?  (Yes, these are actual state laws…)  It is illegal: to wake a sleeping bear for a selfie; for a donkey to sleep in a bathtub; to eat chicken with tableware; to be ugly in public; to be a cannibal.  In addition, you CANNOT exceed the speed limit for horses, have a picnic in a cemetery, or get false teeth for a woman without her husband’s permission.  Oh, and my personal favorite; it’s against the law for pickles to not bounce.  Really??  How can we be put in charge of anything?  It’s embarrassing.

In May, 2024, Louisiana passed a law that a poster with the Ten Commandments be posted in every public school classroom.  While this seems like a good idea, it will likely be considered by most people as a waste of time.  If children don’t hear about God from their parents, how big of an impression will a poster make?  Probably about as much as that, “Hang in there” poster from the 70’s.  Kids aren’t stupid.  How can we punish them for cheating on exams when they see their parents cheat on each other; cheat on their taxes; steal things from hotels and work; etc.?  And not just the parents; politicians and presidents cheat and lie and because we expect it of them, we’re OK with it. 

A poll was once taken among people 15-35 years of age.  Most were unable to name more than two commandments and weren’t happy to hear about some of the ones they didn’t know.  The Ten Commandments are not a moral charm that will ward off evil, curb the crime rate, eliminate school shootings and teenage pregnancy.  Instead, if they are taught in the home and practiced by all, it’s beneficial to the health of not only families, but also schools, communities, and nations.  Posting them is not enough.  We have to live them as well.

We need to live the Ten Commandments.  What does this mean?  We should fear and love God so that we go beyond the topical meaning and delve deeper.  Just because I didn’t hold up a liquor store or shoot anyone doesn’t mean I didn’t break a commandment.

1st – Who do I turn to for emotional support?  Who do I trust for financial security?

2nd – How often do I curse?  Do I pray often and sincerely?

3rd – How often does my mind wander during church?  Do I pray for my pastor?

4th – Do I obey all the posted speed laws and pay my taxes?  Have I been ashamed of or disrespected my parents, employer, or authorities?

5th – Do I hate or am I angry with anyone?  Do I hold a grudge?  Have I not helped someone that needed it?

6th – Am I guilt of lust, indecency or viewing pornography?

7th – Have I made an illegal copies of printed material, audio/video tapes, or computer programs?  Do I care for what I have and return what I borrow?

8th – Do I gossip about the mistakes of others?  Do I judge someone without all of the facts?  Have I said everything in the best possible way?

9th – Do I envy people that have more than I do?  Do I neglect my family or church and do what I want to do?

10th – Am I unhappy with what God has given me (spouse, job, etc.)?

Did I hit a little closer to home?  How often to you associate going over the speed limit with breaking a commandment?  It’s something to consider before asking for forgiveness in your next prayer.  It always helps to know what you’re asking forgiveness for.

Isn’t life complicated enough without having to look for more things to confuse us??  Apparently not.  Example 1: My friend asked me the other day if I knew that a tomato was a fruit and not a vegetable.  I did and told her that last year, there was even a front page story about it in the newspaper…must have been a slow news day.”  I then asked her if she knew that raspberries, blackberries and strawberries are not berries at all, despite the name.  If you want to eat a berry, you have to eat a watermelon, banana, or eggplant. 

Example 2:  Have you seen the internet lately?  “15 facts about the Bible that are actually true.”  “21 Beliefs about the Bible that are actually false.”  “15 Christian practices that don’t align with the Bible.” 

Example 3: Mr. Petersen taught me in elementary school that you never put a comma before the word ‘and’ in a sentence.  Spell-check disagrees with Mr. Petersen.  Pluto used to be a planet and still is, if you ask me. 

Example 4:  The gene-pool decides if you are male or female.  You play the cards you’re dealt.  You don’t need to wake up every morning and decide what gender you want to be that day. 

Example 5:  Women used to ‘belong in the kitchen’ but now 75% of the chefs are men.  High heeled shoes were originally worn by male aristocrats until women got hold of them in the 1800’s. 

Example 6:  Eggs are good for you…no, wait, they’re bad….no, they’re good again….no, only the whites are good…no, wait…  “AARRRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!”  Why can’t people just leave well enough alone?  I can’t swim but it wouldn’t take much to convince this world that I was once a Navy Seal.

In a world that’s so confusing, it’s no wonder we can’t understand God.  He’s too simple because He’s the same now as He was eons ago and will be eons from now.  We feel like we must make up rules and regulations to understand Him because that’s all we know.  In reality, all God said was, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No man comes to the Father but through Me.”  Simple.  But no, that’s too easy for our way of thinking.  Surely it can’t be just that.  We have to make it more complicated.  God knew we’d make things so complicated for ourselves that we’d never make it to heaven on our own.  But, more on that next week. 

This attribute of God is called the “immutability of God.”  He does not change.  Ever.  Period.  “And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind” (1 Samuel 15:29).  Samuel had to set King Saul straight here.  Saul only partially obeyed God’s instructions and then thought God would lighten the punishment for doing it partly right.  God always takes His Word most seriously.  He will follow through with His judgment for sin and He will also follow through with His plans for salvation.  Only He is immutable (unable to change or be changed).  This trait was also used to prove that Jesus is God.  In Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.” 

Some might say, “But sometimes God changes His mind or relents.”  That seems to be the case in some instances when you take passages out of context.  You have to take in the whole story.  Let’s look at a few.

1.        Jonah.  You know the story.  God told him to tell the city of Nineveh that they would be overthrown in forty days.  They were ‘scared-straight’ so to speak.  “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He relented and did not bring on them the destruction He had threatened.” (Jonah 3:10).  In relenting here, God did not change His mind but stayed consistent with His character and His Word.  “If that nation against which I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it.” (Jeremiah 18:8)  This was the hope of the king of Nineveh, that God would be immovable in His Word.

2.       The Jews were God’s people first and then He changed His mind and added the Gentiles.  Umm..no.  In Romans 9-11, Paul tells how all of history is part of God’s eternal plan, including the failure of the Jews and salvation of the Gentiles.  Early in His ministry, Jesus reminded the Jews that God’s purpose to bless Gentiles as well was included in the covenant with Abraham back in Genesis 12. 

3.       In Acts 2:22-27, Peter proclaims that Jesus’ resurrection from the dead was not only an historical fact, but also a fulfillment of the Scriptures, AND further proof of God’s immutability.  He said “it was impossible” for Jesus to NOT rise from the dead.  Acts 2:27 and Psalm 16:10 proclaim the same thing, “nor allow thy holy one to undergo decay”.  Decay is a downward change in state.  Since God cannot change, He cannot decay.  Lazarus tomb may have had a stench after three days but Jesus’ tomb did not because again, He… cannot… decay. 

God’s Word is never out of date or irrelevant to our lives.  Fellowship with Him, trust in His Word, living by faith, etc. are the same realities for us today as they were for the people mentioned in the Bible.  This is an amazing comfort to me because it means I can’t get in any trouble that God hasn’t dealt with before.  Regardless of my mistakes, He’ll help me and not say, “Huh, this is a new one on me.”  God’s immutability is an assurance for us as well as a standard we can rely on.  We are the ones who need to change and turn TO Him.  The wickedness in our hearts tells us that because God wants us all to go to heaven, there will be no judgment keeping us away.  The truth is that sometimes God’s judgment doesn’t come in a form recognized as such.  We can’t out-think God.  Consider this, God never forgets, BUT, He never learns either.  He knew 8,000 years ago you’d be reading this right now.  MIC DROP!

One word you hear often in the church is the word, “Covenant”.  I’ve often asked Pastors to explain these in a way that I could understand.  Every time I ask, I get a terrified look and the phrase, “Well, there are many books that explain covenants.”  When I ask for a title, I hear, “I’ll get back to you.”  I don’t hold this against them in the least.  I think it’s one of those topics that could be discussed for a lifetime.  I don’t need a lifetime, just a general idea, which means it’s time to go hunting for answers.  Please don’t take the following as “gospel”.  It did not come from a pastor but was the result of my hunt.  I cannot swear to its validity (except for the Bible passages that are referenced).  That said, the word “covenant” comes from the Latin word, “convenire”, which means to “come together” or “to agree”. 

A covenant in the Bible refers to a partnership/agreement between God and man.  This word is not used specifically in Genesis 1, but the details are similar.  God invited Adam and Eve to represent His rule on Earth.  They could enjoy His blessings if they continued to trust Him.  The “terms of the agreement” included not eating of the forbidden tree.  At first test, FAIL.  The rest of the Bible therefore, is how God repaired this broken relationship with mankind and the use of covenants play a central role in this plan.  They are not mere contracts but sacred agreements that reflect the commitment, faithfulness, and love of God towards His people as well as the call for obedience from humanity.

Noahic Covenant – After Adam and Eve are exiled, things went from bad to worse.  Cain kills in cold blood; Lamech brags about out-doing Cain’s death toll; chapter 5 repeats “and he died” eight times to show how death reigned over humanity; chapter 6 tells about the strange advancement of evil and the whole world is in chaos.  To fix things, God makes a formal relationship with Noah and all living creatures, promising to never again flood the entire earth.  His covenant with Noah is unconditional and his promise is accompanied by a rainbow to remind future generations of this covenant.

Abrahamic Covenant – Evil continues to ruin the world so God’s rescue plan continues as He makes a covenant with Abraham.  He promises Abraham a huge family that will inherit a piece of land in Canaan and bring a blessing to all of humanity.  Like the rainbow, this covenant is also accompanied by an outward sign.  God commands the men to be circumcised.  This symbol will set Abraham’s family apart and show that their fertility and future lay in God’s hands.  This time, God and Abraham both have a part to play in the covenant.

As a side note, I can’t leave this yet without an explanation of Genesis 15:17 because it’s fascinating!  At this time in the world, when two people made a covenant with each other, they would cut a large animal, like a cow, in half and they would walk together between the two halves while reciting their part of the agreement.  It basically meant, “If I go back on my word, may what happened to this cow, happen to me.”  In this verse, God had Abraham arrange the animal halves.  When the sun went down, Abraham saw a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch pass between the pieces.  In this, God is finalizing the agreement between Himself and His people through Abram.  What’s fascinating is that Abram does not pass through the halves – only God does through the symbolism of the pot and flame.  The promise God has made here is entirely dependent on His will and His work. 

Mosaic Covenant – Abraham’s offspring multiply rapidly which threatens the new Egyptian Pharaoh’s ego.  God sends Moses to bring His people out and lead them toward the land promised to Abraham.  As the representative for Israel, Moses ascends Mt. Sinai to hear the terms of God’s new covenant with the people.  God promises to make Israel a holy kingdom of priests to spread His blessing to all nations.  If they obeyed the laws given to them (10 Commandments), they would receive His blessings, if not, His curses.  Their allegiance to God would be reflected in the way they live.

Davidic Covenant – The people enter Canaan and demand a king to be like other nations and already losing sight of their promise to God.  David eventually becomes king and restores order.  God responds by making a covenant with David.  He promises to make David’s name great and raise a descendant from his line whose throne and kingdom will last forever.  The people must remain faithful to God by keeping the laws.  Despite their failures, God keeps His promise of a descendent.

Listed this way, it’s easier to see how the covenants build on each other: world preserved (Noah), initiated redemption (Abraham), established Israel (Moses), promised eternal shepherd-king (David), and fulfilled them all through Jesus.  They serve as a roadmap for God’s people, continually guiding them towards righteous living and a deeper relationship with the divine.  Through the Bible there are covenants made between individuals (1 Samuel 23), between kings and nations (1 Kings 5), etc.  Entering into covenants was a major part of what it meant to live in the ancient Near East, so God used a structure they were already familiar with.

New Covenant – Jesus is the new covenant because He succeeded where everyone else failed.  He is the offspring of Abraham who trusted God to the point of death and became a blessing to all nations.  He leads us out of bondage to sin and perfectly follows the laws of God.  He is the royal son of David who combined God’s Kingdom to one people through His life, death, and resurrection and now sits at God’s right hand forever as the one, true King.  We see His position proclaimed: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:20); “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” (Hebrews 9:15). 

So, that’s the way I understand covenants in the Bible and I hope it helps you better understand or better yet, urges you to research it for yourself because there’s so much more that can be said. 

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when I say, “bread”?  Olive Garden’s breadsticks?  Croissants?  Grandma’s homemade bread or hot, buttery, yeast rolls?  I’m getting hungry.  Maybe you think of the qualities…bread has positive values like fiber, iron, B vitamins, etc.; it fills you up, gives you a boost of energy and helps with digestion.  It also has a few negative qualities like leading to weight gain, a spike in blood sugar or digestive issues if you’re allergic to gluten, and it often contains unhealthy additives.  Regardless, I’d bet your first thought is not “Jesus”. 

Dieticians tell us that bread provides the foundation for a healthy diet but much more is needed.  Jesus calls Himself bread, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35) but the Bible also says, “Man does not live by bread alone” (Deuteronomy 8:3).  So we need more than Jesus?  Yes, actually, we do.  Dieticians and Jesus are telling us the same thing.

First, we cannot live on bread alone.  Jesus never intended to be all we ever need.  (That one sentence kinda rocked my world because I grew up hearing the opposite.)  Faith in Him is the foundation for spiritual health but we need a “complete meal”.  From early on, Christians met together for fellowship and worship to encourage and provide for each other in love and good deeds.  Second, we cannot be healthy by eating NO bread of life.  It’s possible to be a spiritual person (not Christian) without the bread of life but it’s not productive or healthy.  Third, sometimes we eat so much junk food that the bread of life stops being our basis for a healthy diet.  We don’t deliberately avoid bread but fill up on empty calories so there’s no room for nutrition.  We can give lip service to our faith but if we don’t bother with things like praying, Bible reading, giving to the church and participating in Sacraments, we’re not getting any healthier.

Remember the bread that rained down from heaven for the Israelites in the desert?  The word, “manna” means “What is it?”  The word then became the name for the bread sent from heaven.  They were told to collect only enough for that day.  Any extra would rot.  We need to trust Jesus, every day, for our needs like it says in the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread.”  In other words, all that we need to support this body and life.  We can’t spend two days reading the Bible and then think we’re good until next month.  It doesn’t work that way.  

In John 6, beginning at verse 22, we read that people came across the sea to search for Jesus.  They were respectful but He knew they only looked for Him because He fed them the day before and not because of His teachings.  How many people only attend church for what it can do for them?  Some things never change.  He also tells them to not work for the food that perishes.  This doesn’t mean we should not work for our daily needs; instead, it refers to wealth, honor, glory, and other things of this world that we make our chief care and concern.  What good does your money do for you in the end?  Nothing. 

Christ is the bread for our soul in that He nourishes and supports our spiritual life like bread does for our physical life.  He is our peace, our righteousness, our Redeemer, our mediator before God and by these things do we live.  Jesus is our solid foundation that we build our lives with others on.  On that note, I heard a joke the other day.  Q: Did you know that Jesus is divine?  Pause   And we are di-branches.   (This is the part where you giggle.)

One problem this world always has had (because Adam and Eve were the first to get evicted) and will forever have, is the homeless.  You know what I’m talking about.  They’re on so many street corners and alleys and under bridges and overpass roads and you feel a little pang of guilt deep in your stomach every time you see one.  After all, Jesus said, “Give to everyone who begs from you…” (Luke 6:30).  So what should you do?  Believe it or not, there are dozens of books that have been written on how to help the homeless.  These methods apparently don’t work because we still have homeless…and 9 out of 10 of them have a dog.

First, you should not take the above passage out of context.  It’s right in the middle of a section on loving your enemies and how they should be treated.  We need to remember that people in the first century AD were in much more desperate need than those who claim to be needy today.  The needy people of Jesus’ day had no way to earn money, no welfare system, no assets.  “Charity” today often means giving whatever relieves feelings of guilt or responsibility in the easiest and quickest way.  What most of these people need is time to work with them to correct the problems that made them this way.  This is time-consuming, usually requires a great personal investment, and is how to truly love one’s neighbor. 

Police officers deal with these people often and have more practical ways that we can help.  They have been quoted as saying, “There are fantastic, non-profit organizations that can better discern the needs and provide quality services for the homeless population; services such as food, clothing, shelter, financial assistance, job placement, domestic violence assistance, and addiction recovery.  The majority of homeless utilize these services and have a chance of overcoming their situation.  However, there are others referred to as ‘chronically homeless’, who refuse to improve their situation.  They are usually the ones on the street corners and alleyways.  They often struggle with substance abuse, mental disorders, or both, and giving them money just furthers their addiction.  The repercussions of their abuse negatively affect the community through unsanitary conditions, increase in infectious diseases, and criminal activity.  By giving them money, you could be preventing them from seeking assistance from an agency that could help them long-term.”

OK, but what about the other Bible passages?  “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” (1 John 3:17)  Who is really ‘in need’ and how do we know?  Discernment must be practiced because some of these “beggars” have been seen getting into cars at the end of the day and driving to their home.  I’ve personally seen them with professional nail jobs.

“The poor you will always have with you…” (Matthew 26:11)  We will never eliminate poverty.  We cannot meet all the needs of every poor person. 

“For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.’” (2 Thessalonians 3:10)  If someone is given the opportunity to work and refuses, we are not helping them by giving them something for nothing.  We rob them of the dignity and self-esteem that comes from earning the bread you eat.

“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from wineskins until they are drunk…” (Habakkuk 2:15)  It’s wrong to contribute to the addictions of another.

“Therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:10)  The needy in church should be given priority.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)  The ultimate goal of giving to the needy is that Jesus Christ is exalted and the hurting come to know Him as Savior and Lord.  He is the bread of life. 

There is no blanket rule that covers every situation and there’s no one, right answer.  Each person should consider the following for themselves: 1. Followers of Christ should be generous with their resources.  2. Christians should also be wise stewards of their money.  3. Another option is to trust the judgment of credible organizations that specialize in helping the poor and donate your money to them. 

Sometimes youth groups will make care packages for the homeless in gallon Ziploc bags.  You keep a few in your car and give them out as needed.  I have shared a few of these myself in the past.  The important thing to remember is what NOT to put in them: hand sanitizer and mouthwash (they have an alcohol content which is not good for addicts); gum, nuts, or anything difficult to chew (many don’t have enough teeth or have dental issues); cans without a pop-top; or cash (other than a few quarters for a laundromat).

It's not just the homeless or beggars on the street.  God calls us to help each other out in ways that you might have never seen or thought of before.  (See 6/28/19’s post)  It’s a dangerous, sinful world we live in and we can’t know another person’s heart or their whole story.  If we did, it would make us their judge and that’s not Christian either.  We need to prayerfully ask God to use us and then be open to whatever God wants us to do for those in need.

Because it’s Mother’s Day weekend, that means naturally, that this blog is about balloons!  Balloons have existed in various forms for a long time.  Recently balloon art conventions have been growing in popularity.  A few years ago, my sister and I took a hot air balloon ride and it was a memory of a lifetime.  Admit it, if you were in a room where hundreds of colored balloons were dropped on you, you couldn’t help but smile no matter what your age, gender, etc.  Balloons are cost effective and very colorful so they get your attention.  Maybe that’s why car dealers use them so much.  Their temporary nature makes them feel special but they can be fragile and require care.  This can add to their appeal as being unique.  There are many other plus factors to them but I digress from my point. 

The topic is moms.  Mothers hold onto their children like a child holds a string of a balloon.  They let the child rise and go with the wind, to an extent, and at the same time they watch for dangers like sharp tree limbs or anything pointed that could harm.  They keep a tight hold on the string so the child does not float away to unknown parts.  The time will come when they must release the balloon (easier said than done), but once children become adults, they must be freed to follow the air currents they choose to follow.  (Are you still with me here?)

When we think of God, our heavenly Father, we often picture him in a hot air balloon because He’s always hovering over us, quietly, watching our every move….like Santa Claus.  He is judgmental and training a spotlight on us to point out every mistake.  Of course, that thought is backwards because He’s actually just like mom, holding our string from below us and giving a tug every now and then.  He doesn’t micromanage our lives.  Instead, there will be a tug on the string every now and then; just the lightest of tugs, so you remember that He’s still there.  Sometimes the tug is harder because you’re in trouble or temptation and He needs to remind you to not wander off because you have a relationship with Him but He will NEVER let go.

As a child, you loved doing things with mom.  It felt special when she put you in charge of something or needed you for a specific job.  Even though you exasperated her on many an occasion, you were never away from her love.  Likewise, nothing can separate us from God’s love.  He also needs us for specific jobs.  One of these is to share His love with those around us.  Sound familiar?  “Play nice together…share with your brother…take your sister with you…” – Mom. 

Relationships are very complex.  The older you get, the more you understand what God, and mom, were trying to get through your head because it does, yes, take years to do so.  When you’re tied to that string as a child, you want nothing else than to be free.  When mom lets go, you want nothing else than for her to grab it again so you know she’s always close by WHEN, not if, she’s needed.  Thanks MOM!

PS – a balloonist joke:

A man is flying in a hot-air balloon and realizes that he's lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts:

"Excuse me - can you tell me where I am?"

The man replies: "Sure - you're in a hot-air balloon, hovering 30 feet above this field."

"You must work in Information Technology," the balloonist says.

"I do," the man replies. "How did you know?"

"Well," says the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but it's of no use to anyone."

The man below says, "You must work in business."

"I do," the balloonist replies, "How did you know?"

"Well," says the man, "you don't know where you are, or where you're going, but you expect me to be able to help. You're in the same position you were before we met, but now it's my fault."

Spring break is over.  Easter is over.  What do we have to look forward to next?  Summer vacation!  Vacation means packing; what to pack, how much to pack, how heavy to pack, the list goes on.  Will the hotel have a washer/dryer?  Remember to put some socks, underwear, and all necessary medications in your carry-on.  How many shoes do we need to take?  What can I buy when I get there?  There’s a definite art to it.  While these questions are all important, we need to stop every once in awhile and assess our other luggage that we carry around every day; baggage we were never meant to carry.

Among this luggage might be suitcases full of resentment, duffel bags of regret, backpacks of guilt, trunks of animosity, etc.  Exactly how much does a grudge for an unforgiven act weigh?  Getting rid of all this excess luggage is a good way to lose weight.  As it says in Colossians 3, because we are God’s chosen ones, we should put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.  It’s hard to clothe yourself with kindness and patience if you’re holding a suitcase full of revenge.  This is when you need your WWJD bracelet.  Paul tells us how to accomplish this by, “forgiving each other as the Lord has forgiven you.” 

Forgiveness is not an option, neither is it something we “owe” each other.  It is not something that we can give someone until we receive it from God first.  So where do we go to get God’s forgiveness?  The cross?  No.  There’s no forgiveness there.  Does that surprise you?  It did me.  Christ achieved forgiveness of sins on the cross but He did not distribute it to us from there.  Remember the Last Supper?  He said, “…”Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”  His blood was shed for our forgiveness but He gave it to us in the sacrament.  The distribution of it takes place continually, from the beginning of time to the end of the world.  It is distributed through the Word and in the Gospel where it is preached along with the Sacrament.  God knew that we would be sinful so He said from the beginning how He would fix that.  The fact that He said it, make it a reality before Jesus even came to earth. 

The forgiveness itself is not found in the bread or wine, in the body or blood, but the Words “given and shed for you”.  In this sacrament, we find comfort from God’s forgiveness and can then forgive others from our heart. 

This then makes the forgiving of others an act of worshiping God and praising Him.  Forgiving others is not the same as forgetting but instead, we choose to not actively remember.  We don’t say, “It’s OK”, but instead, “I’m OK and I am willing to let you and God deal with what you did wrong.”  There might still be pain, but with God’s help, we can let go of their involvement in our pain and let Him help us heal and move forward.  This is the preferred way to let God help you ‘lose your luggage’.

I’ve had a few long blogs lately so I thought I’d make this one a bit shorter.  How did you like it? 

I’ve realized over the years that many Bible passages seem easy to understand but you can’t truly understand them until you break them down.  For example, Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  It’s a shame we only mention this passage during Advent and at Christmas because it means so much to us every day of our lives.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.  This did not come from the New Testament after the record of Jesus’ birth, instead, it was Isaiah and approximately 700 years before the incarnation.  So why does he say, “child is born, son is given”?  God promised to send a Savior back in Genesis 3.  If God says it, it’s so much a certainty that it’s like it already happened. 

And the government shall be upon his shoulder.  Jesus will not only wear the badge on His shoulder (the key of the house of David – Isaiah 22:22), but also bear the burden of it.  He will ‘set His shoulder to it’ and not complain like Moses did of being given too much to handle.  Isaiah goes on to speak more about the government in the next verses as well.  It has been established and will be upheld with justice and righteousness and last to eternity.  People of Bible times expected Him to rule over earthly kingdoms but for right now, His kingdom is invisible in that He rules over those who trust and obey Him as Lord. 

And His name shall be called.  His people will know Him and worship Him by these names; submit to Him, and depend on Him.  Jesus is known by many names throughout the Bible because we need as many adjectives as possible to help our human minds understand the vastness of our God and Lord. 

Wonderful counselor.  He is ‘wonderful’ partly because He is both God and man and partly because He is incomprehensible to us on earth.  This same word, wonderful, is used in Judges 13:18 when Samson’s father asked the angel of the Lord (Jesus) what His name was.  He responded, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?” (i.e. beyond your understanding).  His love is the wonder of saints and angels.  He is the counselor because He was intimately acquainted with the counsels of God from eternity.  Through Him, God gives us counsel.  In ancient Israel, a counselor was portrayed as a wise king, such as Solomon, that gave guidance to his people.  He is qualified in ways that no human is.  In Christ is “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).  He knows what we are going through and is the best one to ask for advice.

Mighty God.  As He has wisdom, so also He has strength to go through with His undertakings.  He is able to save all of mankind; a work that no one less than the power of God could have accomplished.  “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)  He brought order out of chaos at the time of creation and He will bring order again at the Last Day.

Everlasting Father.  This phrase means, “Father of Eternity”.  The Father gives Him an incontestable right to govern the world because He made it.  We are told this in Hebrews 1:10. Nothing is too difficult for the Creator and Sustainer of everything.  We have governments that live to create things more confusing and complicated.  Jesus, however, is simple and uncomplicated because He rules from beginning to end as the Father of Eternity.

Prince of Peace.  As King, He offers peace from God (Romans 1:7) to all who receive His grace; brings peace with God (Romans 5:1) to those who have faith in Him; and the peace of God (Philippians 4:7) to those who walk with Him.  Did you catch those?  Receive His grace, faith in Him, walk with Him.  We often let things like that slip by.  Does this sound familiar?  Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace…” , among men, right?  No.  “peace among those with whom He is pleased!”  Other works of God are for His glory but the redemption of the world is for His glory in the highest.  This peace was given to us by Christ because if God is at peace with we who worship Him, all peace results from it; peace of conscience, peace with our fellow man, etc. 

There are so many Bible passages we take for granted and don’t focus on.  When you take a little time to dig in further, they can portray much more meaning than you ever dreamed.

A short time ago, the Pastor at my church did a short seminar on the power of prayer.  Part of that seminar was a homework assignment followed by an interview of our prayer habits and progress.  During that interview, he asked me, “In your prayers, do you ask for forgiveness of your sins?”  I admit, my jaw kind of dropped on that.  I know I should, but I truthfully answered, “No.”  Don’t get me wrong, it’s not because I don’t think I sin, my reasoning was that I sin so much, there was no way for me to keep track and even if I could, I still wouldn’t get them all.  God knows what I did, and He knows I’m sorry about it.  I didn’t know a good way to put that in words.  After all, the church service always includes the words, “I, a poor miserable sinner…”.  But, that shouldn’t exclude me from including it in my daily prayers.  I need to verbally recognize that I sin daily and need God’s forgiveness.  That’s where my hiccup is.  Over the years, my sinfulness gets to be so overwhelming that my mind begins to believe the situation is hopeless.  I’ve been sinning every day for over 21,000 days.  Like I said, hopeless.  How can God believe that I’m really sorry if I just keep doing it?  This was a real problem.

Then I read a couple of writings by Martin Luther that completely changed my outlook.  It was if God said, “I know you’re stressing over this…read this.”  The first is in John 8:1-20, we read the story of the adulterous woman that was brought before Jesus to be stoned for her sin.  Jesus said, let the person that is without sin cast the first stone.  Everyone left.  He then forgave the woman and told her to go and sin no more.  (Yes, technically she did continue sinning because she was a sinful human and we can’t stop.  He was telling her to quit doing what she was doing and try to do better.)

Martin Luther said:   

“The kingdom of Christ is not one of condemnation.  I am not here to condemn you, but to remit the sins of those who, like you, are where death, the devil, evil consciences, accusers, and judges have come to plague them.  The slogan in My kingdom is: I forgive you your sin; for in My kingdom no one is without forgiveness of sins.  Therefore you, too, must have forgiveness.  My kingdom must not be in disorder.  All who enter it and dwell in it must be sinners.  But as sinners they cannot live without the forgiveness of sins.”  If I am a sinner, the matter is not ended there, the sins must be forgiven.  Thus none but sinners come into this kingdom.  But do not let this prompt you to say: “Well, we will remain in sin.”  No, you must learn to feel and recognize your sin. 

These Pharisees did not have to become sinners; they were sinners already, and they became even greater sinners when Christ uncovered their sins with the words: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”  A sinner is a person who feels his sin.  The Pharisees, these rogues, were not sinners; but they became sinners when Christ said: “Let him who is without sin, etc.”  Now they became sinners.  But they despaired and slunk away.  In their arrogance they hid their sin and would not await Christ’s second statement: “Neither do I condemn you.”  Thus only those sinners belong in the kingdom of Christ who recognize their sin, feel it, and then catch hold of the Word of Christ spoken here: “I do not condemn you.”  These people constitute the membership of Christ’s kingdom.  He admits no saint; He blows them all away; He expels from the church all who lay claim to holiness.  If sinners enter, they do not remain sinners.  He spreads His cloak over their sins and says: “If you have sinned, I remit your sins and cover them.”  To be sure, sin is there.  But the Lord in this kingdom closes His eyes to it, covers it, forgives it, and does not impute it to the sinner.  So a living saint and member of Christ stands here, made out of an adulteress who had been infested with sin but whose sin is now forgiven and covered.  Even if sinners are knaves and criminals, their sins will be forgiven, as long as they feel them, repent of them, and ask God for forgiveness.  If you have tasted the Law and sin, and if you know the ache of sin, then look here, and see how sweet, in comparison, the grace of God is, the grace which is offered to us in the Gospel.  This is the absolution which the adulteress receives here from the Lord Christ.”

The second writing of Luther is one that I’m summarizing for the sake of time.

After man becomes aware of his sin, he must watch that sin does not remain in his conscience.  This would lead to despair.  Just as our knowledge of sin flowed from Christ and was acknowledged by us, so we must pour this sin back on him and free our conscience of it.  Beware that you don’t do as others and torture your heart with your sins and then run from one good deed to another to do penance for them.

You cast your sins on Christ when you firmly believe that his wounds and sufferings are your sins, to be borne and paid for by Him. (Is. 53:6, 1 Peter 2:24)  We must stake everything on these and similar verses.  The more your conscience torments you, the more you must cling to them or you will never have peace of mind.  If we look at sin in our heart and allow sin to remain in our conscience, it will be too strong for us and live forever.  But if we see it resting on Christ and overcome by His resurrection and believe it, it is dead and nullified.  Sin cannot remain on Christ because it is swallowed up by His resurrection.  Now He has no wounds, no pain, no sign of sin.  (Rom. 4:25)

It’s like being born with a disease.  The disease of sin.  It’s incurable while on earth but that doesn’t mean we don’t keep trying to cure it.  It is impossible for us to understand how Jesus would love us enough to take every bad thought, lie, sin, etc. as a whip across His back in our place.  God tells us, “I know you’re stuck with this condition of sinfulness.  I can fix it if you admit it and ask for help but you’ve got to take that step.  If you don’t, you’re trying to handle it on your own and you can’t.”  We are God’s children.  As stubborn children, we have the never-ending attitude of, “I do it myself!” and, as stubborn children, we’re wrong.

I’ve been asked many times, “Where do you come up with your blog ideas?”  I explain that the ideas are God’s and that I do my best to share them with the world.  God talks to me but not in words.  I don’t ‘hear voices’.  He tells me what I need to know in a way that even I can understand it.  After all, it doesn’t do any good to speak to someone in words they don’t understand.  Explain an internal combustion engine to an infant and then hand them a wrench.  They just put it in their mouth. 

Let me explain what happened to me this past week.  I haven’t been able to breathe well for about a year now.  I need minor surgery but it won’t happen for another month or two.  Until then, I have two nose sprays.  One morning, I ran out of one and decided it wasn’t making that much of a difference and was expensive so I just wouldn’t buy another even though the doctor said to use it twice a day.  That afternoon, I saw a woman that I only see for maybe 30 seconds at a time, twice a year.  She started commenting on how everyone was sick.  Out of the blue, she says, “Now, Flonase, you have to use that twice a day, you can’t stop.”  I hadn’t told her that I use Flonase and just that morning had decided to stop.  Was that God talking to me through her?  I had no idea.  It was quite the coincidence.  How do you know when something is a coincidence and when God is intervening in your life?  (By the way, if anyone has an answer to that question, I’m listening…)

This was still in the back of my mind the next day when I got another message.  I came home from work and watched a sitcom.  This was a new episode that contained a devout, Christian woman that left the church (for various reasons).  She was watching a televangelist proclaim how God would reward you and give you back 10-fold if you sent the televangelist some money.  She immediately wrote a check for $50 and sent it in.  That was an entire week’s worth of groceries for them and her husband was furious.  He and her mother both told her she was being scammed. 

The next day, there was a check in the mail for $800.  Sure, it was their tax refund, but in her mind, it solidified the fact that if you give a little, you will receive mountains because God wants us to be happy.  Her family was still angry but she yelled at them, “Don’t you think I know a ‘sign’ when I see one?”   She stormed outside to her prayer garden and thanked God for acknowledging the fact that He wanted her to be happy.  While she is praying, a bird flies by and poops in her eye.  She cleans it out and tries to go somewhere in her car but it won’t start so she kicks the tire and ends up breaking a toe.  Still not convinced, she rises from the sofa and gets hit in the butt by a stray firecracker that comes through the open window.  In the next scene, she is telling her pastor that she’s coming back to church.

So what did I get from that?  Does God want me to keep using Flonase?  I have no idea, but I’m going to.  For a woman that continually reads the Bible, you would think the woman in the sitcom would realize there’s nothing in there that says God wants us to be happy by being rich with material possessions.  (Yes, I know it’s only a TV show.)  God loves us but we only know what He wants by reading what He told us and not how we interpret it for our benefit. 

Paul explains this in chapter 2 of 1 Corinthians: “My message and my preaching were not wise and persuasive words, but a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. … The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.  For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them?  In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”  We must have true faith in order to understand what God is telling us but that faith is not constant because we are continually assaulted with the sinfulness around us.  In Mark 8, Jesus reminds the disciples that they saw Him feed 5,000 people with five loaves and 4,000 people with seven loaves and each time they picked up basketfuls of leftovers.  Jesus asks them, “Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?...Do you still not understand?”  (Anyone else would be saying, “DUH??”)

No, we are human and we continue to see what ‘we’ want to see.  I heard someone once tell his wife, “We’re barely holding on, go pray for some God-money.”  He believed that if his wife prayed harder and went to church more, God would bless them with more money to make bills.  God, the Almighty Creator and Savior of the universe, is NOT an ATM.  It reminds me of when my husband and I were only married 5 years or so.  We were living paycheck to paycheck and just barely squeaking by.  We agreed that no matter how tight money got, we would give our donation to church weekly.  We got through that period but to this day, I have no idea how.  We had money for groceries, gas to go to work, daycare for the baby, and money to pay the mortgage and utilities, but no extra.  We could make the bare necessities but that was it, and that was enough for us.  I tried looking at the numbers several times and it should not have worked out.  We should have been in the red every month, but we weren’t. 

God tells us what He wants: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37, 39)  Quit being greedy and thinking God wants you to be rich.  God wants your complete love for Him; not fancy clothes, cars, and diamonds for you.  To answer my original question about coincidence versus God intervening in your life, I think that if it is to God’s glory, it’s God’s actions.  He has to continually remind us to love Him and remember Him and trust Him because we are so distracted by the sin and ritz of this world.  God loves us and just wants us to love Him back.

The final parable speaks of the Last Day when Christ will come and separate the just from the unjust.  He’s the perfect choice to do the job because He is fully human, like us, but also fully God.  I love where it says, “All nations will be gathered before Him…”.  That’s ALL people from the beginning of time until the Last Day from ALL nations, ALL over the world…billions upon billions, and each will be placed in one of two groups.  And you thought the lines at Disney World were long.  The Bible refers to the two groups as sheep and goats.  There’s really nothing wrong with goats or really good about lambs.  Both can be stubborn, both give milk, and both can be hard to tell apart.  Generally, in the Bible, sheep are descriptive of the faithful (Psalm 23, Jeremiah 23, John 10:28-29) and the goats are usually the unfaithful because more often than not, they are contrary and aggressive (Deut. 8:5, Proverbs 30:31).  Back in those days, any goats in a herd of sheep would often stray off and sheep would follow, dividing the flock.

Here’s where I think it gets interesting.  Like actual goats and sheep, we will not have a clue which group we will join until Jesus puts us there.  Note that both groups are equally clueless as to when, exactly, they saw the Lord hungry, thirsty, etc.  This separation also stresses the importance that sins of omission (what you should have done but didn’t) are just as important as sins of commission (what you know you did wrong).  What we don’t do can be just as much a reflection of our commitment to God – or lack of – as what we do.  The separation will be done before works are even discussed because your works will not get you into heaven.  James 2:18 says, “Show me thy faith by thy works.”  Our good works are not a passkey into heaven but the result of our faith wanting to show our love for God through helping our neighbor.  Christ has a high regard for works of charity and is pleased with kindness done to others for His sake. 

God wants everyone to be saved.  It says so in verse 34, “…take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”  Unfortunately, God’s not going to get His wish because there are many that refuse His gift; hence the two groups.  This next part is important.  He tells the righteous their kingdom was prepared for them since the beginning of the world.  He doesn’t address the wicked, “Inherit the punishment prepared for you…”.  Instead, He says, “Depart from me…into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”  God never meant for humans to go to hell, that was solely the destiny of Satan and his followers.  From the very beginning, God’s intentions were that all humanity would live in eternal fellowship with Him.  No one was predestined for hell; so for those that go there, is their own choice.  You choose Satan over God, you get eternity sharing Satan’s punishment.

We start with the sheep.  The Good Shepherd who once spoke with tenderness and care now is the King who speaks with authority and power.  He first pronounces them ‘blessed by the Father’.  We are cursed by the world but blessed by God.  He then tells us to come to Him.  We can boldly approach the throne of glory because it was prepared for us, personally, by God.  Jesus will judge the world with the same rule He uses to govern it; how we show our faith by our works.  First by self-denial and separating yourself from the sinful world by; second, showing love to each other out of; third, a love for God.  Christ is among us in the world more than we know.  Our acts of love for each other often don’t seem grand enough to be considered by God but none will be overlooked; not even a cup of cold water. 

Then it’s the goats’ turn.  They are told to depart from God ‘ye cursed’.  They turned a deaf ear to Him in life so they cannot be with Him for eternity.  No blessing for them but the cursed life they brought on themselves.  To be sent into the eternal fire prepared for them.  Not some little flame, nor to be just ‘passed through’, but an everlasting fire kept burning by the wrath of an eternal God originally intended for just the devil and his angels.  Note that the righteous saw both sides of the judgment, hungry were fed and the thirsty given drink, etc. while the unjust saw only the situations and didn’t consider the consequences (hungry, thirsty, sick, etc.).  They cut it short because they know their guilt and can’t bear to repeat the charge.  Jesus explains that when others around them were in need, they were taken up so much with their pleasure and so hesitant to part with their money, they did not minister to others as they should have.  Those that showed no mercy will be judged without mercy.  Jesus wasn’t shown mercy when He went through these struggles either.  He was hungry when tempted in the wilderness, thirsty on the cross, a stranger because His hometown rejected Him, naked because the soldiers stripped Him bare before crucifying Him, and sick because He bore our sins and infirmities.  He was never in prison, but He was in the custody of guards that beat Him before His death.  He didn’t want any help through this.  He had to endure it all for us so we could show that mercy to others around us.

So, have you figured out the common thread to these three parables yet?  I admit that I didn’t see the connection until it was explained.  The New Testament has 260 chapters and over 300 references to Jesus’ second coming.  While we are waiting, how should we live?  Jesus returned to heaven and what we do until He comes back makes all the difference and is the purpose behind these parables.  Do we grow lazy and let our faith get weak or hide the talents given to us to use or not show mercy to the less fortunate?  The first parable deals with our inward character (how we watch in readiness for His return), the second, with our outward exertion (how we work toward it while we watch), and third, with our responsibility while here.  The time is now everyone.  If you haven’t thought about it yet, the clock’s ticking.

“People aren’t coming to church anymore.”  “The churches are getting emptier and emptier.”  “What is happening to our churches?”  The Bible says, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5) My friends, we are in the last days and have been for a while now.  Those types of people are growing in numbers by leaps and bounds.  Christians with faith are becoming the minority more and more each year.  Sure, the churches led by televangelists are filling stadiums; but are they churches?  They are anxious to take your money because the more you give them, the more God will bless your life…so they say.  That’s not what a church is about.  I don’t have the answers, but I do like to think about what my answer would be if it came up in conversation.

I Googled: “reasons people don’t go to church”.  17,300,000 results.  I only picked a few.  You’re welcome.

Their stmt: “There are things Christianity can’t explain: quantum field theory, ultralight bikes, why my I-Phone stopped working.”

My reply: So if the Bible can’t tell you how to get your neighbor’s dog to quit barking, you scrap it as no use at all?  Scripture never claimed to speak about all things in all circumstances, but it does claim to speak with authority and without error concerning the things it addresses.  The things it addresses just happen to be the only things of real importance; like how to care for your soul and not just your body.

Their stmt:  “Churches are not religions, they are political institutions.  We should judge things by their function, not presentation.  If it has a bank account, it is not a religion.”

My reply:  Guess they never heard of the separation of church and state.  I want to live where they are.  “Churches should not have bank accounts” so the electricity and utilities are free, supplies and repairs are free, people work for free.  They don’t need to be paid because when they go to the store, they just say, ‘I’m not paying for these groceries because I work for the church.  I don’t have to pay taxes or bills for my home because I work for the church.’  By the way, the church HAS a function: to teach the Word of God, administer the Sacraments, send out missionaries and help the poor.  Check, check, check, and check.

Their stmt:  “People fear the unknown. Scientists haven’t figured out the answer yet, so they’ll (Christians) believe anything that gives them piece of mind.  They aren’t persecuted for it because millions of other people believe the same thing.  The church is just a coping mechanism that became real to them.” 

My reply:  This is just sad because we know what their ‘unknown’ is and scientists are very slowly figuring it out as well.  We know what’s waiting for us after we die.  It sounds like they are the ones that are clueless and looking for a coping mechanism like waiting for someone else to verify the answers for them.  We don’t need human verification.

Their stmt: “Jesus was a martyred victim.  The Apostles were liars.  The Bible is a history/myth collection, a propaganda book.  Hidden in it is the true story of the victims of Rome; a guide to surviving imperialism written by the oldest slaves who could write.” 

My reply:  Hello history majors, tell us how you really feel.  By the way, science and archeology have ALSO proven all of that to be hogwash.  I wish I had an imagination like that occasionally.

It’s never-ending… “The whole idea that God is everywhere and creates all things is literally impossible.”  “Christians claim to follow God, but they discriminate and exploit even though Jesus called people to love each other.  What I see among Christians is self-aggrandizement.”  (Wow.  Someone got a new thesaurus for Christmas.)  People automatically assume that if you are Christian, you are homophobic, transphobic, misogynist, racist, conservative, and against anything progressive. 

What NONE of these people, or the million others like them, understand, is that we are Christian: we are not Jesus, we are not perfect.  There’s a difference.  We don’t walk around with bright halos, giving all our money away to everyone that asks for a hand-out and letting people walk all over us.  We are sinful human beings, just like them.  The only difference is that we have faith in a loving God who forgives us despite our egregious sin. (Yes, I also know a big word or two.)  People like those above are also the first ones to run to a church when they need gas money or can’t pay their rent or light bill.  I’ve heard it dozens of times, “But the church is supposed to help people, Jesus said so.”  Sigh…. They have “…eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear” (Romans 11:8) Unfortunately, there’s no talking to them because their minds are closed to the truth, and they only believe the parts of the Bible that it is convenient to quote ‘at that time’.  There are other cards in that deck, people.  Play one of them sometime.

So how did it get this bad?  There is nothing new under the sun.  It’s been this way since Bible times.  However, we are likely to be seeing changes in things recently for several reasons. 

·         Society values individualism over tradition.  With social media and the internet, you can tell the world anything and be popular.  What a rush to the ego. 

·         The rise of secular humanism – you can lead a morally upright life, value kindness and ethics without being tied to a church.  Going to church is an outdated thing our grandparents did.

·         Disappointed by Religious Institutions.  Churches have problems like everywhere else and when you see moral guides falling short, it’s tough to hang in there.

·         Chasing material success.  We want everything and we want it now.  We don’t have time for spiritual pursuits and get no personal, instant gratification from going to a worship service.

·         Celebrity influence.  We live in a complex world and copy the decisions of others that we respect so we don’t have to think for ourselves.  Advertisers use this method because they don’t need to persuade us that a product is good, only that millions of others think so.

·         Parents are putting extracurricular activities ahead of church in their children’s lives.  “No, we weren’t at church because Junior had a basketball tournament or Sally had cheerleading camp.  They can’t be in confirmation or Youth Group because it interferes with their dozens of other extracurricular activities.  Playing sports is more important than God.”  Just because there’s no immediate consequences for this doesn’t mean the children won’t suffer for it eventually, and possibly eternally.

There are a hundred more reasons, but you get the idea.  It seems like an insurmountable problem, doesn’t it?  Sometimes thinking about it is so depressing, I don’t know if I should laugh, or cry, or sit in a corner and suck my thumb.  When I begin to be overwhelmed, I google Christian Youth Group conventions to be inspired by how many young people are participating and giving us hope for the future; I watch “We Believe” by the Newsboys.  Talk about music filling your heart.  It beats "I'm a believer" by the Monkees.  The task overall is certainly too much for one person alone or even a small congregation.  It would take a miracle.  Fortunately, I know a God who’s an expert at miracles.  Let us pray…

A tradition is a mode of thought or behavior followed by people continuously from generation to generation.  Traditions rule us unconsciously almost every day of our lives.  Christmas and Easter traditions are individualized by families, food traditions (ex: grandma’s dressing is made every Thanksgiving; sausage and raisin bread on Christmas Eve; black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day, etc.), clothing traditions (ex: no white after Labor Day – this isn’t in effect any more by the way), celebrations (ex: blowing out candles on birthday cake and singing, father/daughter dance and wedding march at weddings, etc.), the list goes on and on.  (As a side note: I thought my husband and I followed many traditions in our wedding but we missed a popular one from Germany.  The night before the wedding, the bride and groom have an informal gathering with friends, family and neighbors.  They break china and porcelain dishes to bits – NO GLASS because that’s bad luck.  This tradition is called “Polterabend”, which means ‘eve of making a racket’.  In addition to preventing bad spirits, it represents that while dishes may break, the marriage never will.  Once the smashing is over, the bride and groom clean up the mess as a symbol of how they will need to work together for the rest of their lives.  Awwww….)  There are many traditions in the church also which often have the appearance of wisdom.  This is appropriate BUT our human reason often translates these ‘church works’ into ‘actions needed to make us right with God’. 

One of these church traditions is fasting.  Granted, we don’t do it that often anymore.  They were quite fond of it in the Bible but with all our potluck dinners, fasting is not in our vocabulary.  Fasting is meant to be viewed as a spiritual exercise brought about by fear (respect) of God and faith.  It restrains our flesh to help us avoid our appetites overcoming us and making us fat and lazy.  It should never be viewed as something that must be done to achieve righteousness (being ‘right’ with God).  It is an approved discipline to prepare for partaking in the Holy Supper but, the only preparation that is absolutely necessary for communion is to admit that you are a sinful human being and have faith in the words, “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins”. 

There were many controversies in the church over traditions and practices.  Romans 14 summarizes some of the problems that came about when Jews converted to Christianity.  They had grown up on a specific diet and held certain festival days as holy their entire lives and so couldn’t just ‘turn off’ their previous beliefs.  God declared that ALL foods were good and Jesus’ resurrection made festivals like Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles a thing no longer necessary.  Some Christians followed the new rules but others couldn’t just ‘do a 180’ so easily.  In these passages, they are both urged to treat each other with respect and not to judge because each does it to worship God in their way.  Traditions should give us comfort when we need it the most but it should never be placed above the beliefs and happiness of people affected.  This is much different from the Pharisees and leaders in the church at that time that invented new ceremonies and fasts daily that must be performed to receive God’s grace.  Over and over in the church, bishops imposed numerous traditions on the people while ‘the teachings of righteousness through Christ’ was put on the back burner. 

Paul emphasizes this to the Colossians when he tells them that their past traditions (i.e. not touching a dead body or not eating anything offered to an idol) were only shadows.  A shadow is just a reflection of something real.  In this case, the ‘something real’ was Christ.  Because Christ kept the laws perfectly, we can worship God in spirit and truth and not by ritual observances. 

One of the most important things to remember in retaining our traditions is WHY we do it.  Many traditions in the early church came from imitating the actions of saints and apostles when they should have come from the teachings of the apostles.  I’ll say it again, Christ’s death and resurrection fulfilled ALL of the laws so that at the revelation of the gospel, all Mosaic ceremonies could be omitted.  This means we no longer had to keep the Sabbath and all the laws that went with it.  Instead, the church declared Sundays (the day of the week Christ rose from the dead) to be the day of the week we gather to worship.  Must you only worship on Sunday?  No.  It was done so people would know when they should assemble for worship.  There are likewise many traditions that make up our services.  Liturgical services are often viewed as a way to create a sense of order, harmony, and reverence through prayers, readings, and hymns.  Contemporary worship involves a more modern style of music, technology and visual aids.  There is a more relaxed atmosphere and focus more on a personal experience with God rather than a strict ritual.  Private worship allows us to worship the Lord in a unique way.  It doesn’t have to be a specific time, date, or place but should be a source of comfort, inspiration, and enlightenment.  It should deepen your relationship with God.  (This DOES NOT include worshipping at St. Mattress as some of my family members call it.)  The final way is worship in service to others.  Putting our faith into action is mentioned as worship several times in the Bible:  “I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me something to drink…”. (Matthew 25:35-40); “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…” (James 1:27); “As we serve others, we reflect the character of Christ, who came not to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45).

Worship should never be a performance, something you’re pretending to do or putting on.  It has to be an overflow of your heart.  It’s about getting close to God and letting Him get close to you by sharing His Words and body and blood with you to forgive and strengthen you for the outside world.  Both Word and Sacraments are gifts given to God’s church on earth and we should take advantage of them as often as possible. 

In my first pregnancy, there were several times when my condition was deemed “dangerous”.  I had to be monitored closely and made several trips in and out of the hospital.  Needless to say, I was stressing, so I asked my pastor at the time for words of comfort.  All he had to say was, “Say the Serenity Prayer”.  Really?  That’s it?  You know what it says…it’s pretty basic and what I immediately deemed as ‘no help what-so-ever’.  I’ve only recently found out there’s so much more to it.  So Pastor ….(unnamed), here’s what I wish you would have told me. 

The original prayer, written by Reinhold Neibuhr reads: “O God and Heavenly Father, grant to us the serenity of mind to accept that which cannot be changed, courage to change that which can be changed, and wisdom to know the one from the other through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.”  The official prayer is much longer and there is so much more to it than what first meets the eye. 

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.  Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever and ever in the next.  Amen.”  

One of the best parts of this prayer is the beginning.  It starts out correctly – “God”.  He is the first and only place we can go when we need help.  He directs us as it says in Proverbs 20:24 so when we get far off-track, guess who’s at fault?  True serenity (calm & peace in mind and heart) comes from focusing on Him rather than the crazy, sinful world around us.  Sure, we can sometimes find partial serenity in ocean waves, sunsets, waterfalls, staring at the stars, etc. but those all come from Jesus as well.  In fact, the stars should be in awe of us as the angels are, for in all of nature’s beauty, only humans were given God’s breath of life.  Isaiah 26:3 says, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”  The trust we have in God must be always maintained because through it, we receive the peace that sees us through the rough times.

Once we have that trust, we are to focus on acceptance.  Not acceptance of God; but letting go of things that are not in our control.  As someone once said, “Worry is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum.”  Worrying does not solve any problems.  It does nothing more than raise our anxiety so that our imagination spins out of control.  That’s when it takes control of you rather than the other way around.  We need to face the fact that there are some things that cannot be changed (Titus 3:9).  We cannot change the past, predict the future or the weather, etc. so worrying about unchangeable things only results in confusion and stress.

Next, is courage, which means having the strength, wisdom, and determination to do what is within your control.  For example, your boss’ words or actions make you angry enough to complain about it to others.  This keeps you focused on what you can’t control – his/her behavior.  You can’t control their actions, but you can control your response to them.  By not taking any action, you are allowing your life to be dictated by circumstances and others.  If you get cancer or any medical issue for seemingly no reason (i.e. it doesn’t run in your family), you are not responsible for the problem, but you are responsible for dealing with it and searching for a solution for yourself.  It may be God’s will that we battle an illness but the power to deal with it and overcome also comes from God.  There’s nothing wrong with asking God to help with courage.  An alcoholic raised in a family of alcoholics may believe their situation is hopeless.  Technically, it is because we cannot control our sinful urges under our own power alone.  We need the Holy Spirit’s help.  No situation is hopeless for God, because for Him, all things are possible.  God may not have the same solution that you had in mind, but you know His will be the right one.

With God’s help, we receive wisdom we need to address our issues and know what is and is not in our control.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”  (Proverbs 3:5-6) Our wisdom is often clouded by anxiety, pre-conceived ideas, or black-and-white thinking.  For example, using the words ‘never’ and ‘always’.  These two words should be avoided as often as possible.  One way to help wisdom is to be able to look at the situation from a third-party perspective or stepping back to see the entire picture.  Because our ego, or thousands of small details, so often get in the way of what we believe we can change, they need to be set aside in order to see the truth. 

I recently read an excellent example of this in a Journalism 101 class.  The class was to write the lead of the following newspaper story: “Kenneth L. Peters, the principal of Beverly Hills High School, announced today that the entire high school faculty will travel to Sacramento next Thursday for a colloquium in new teaching methods.  Among the speakers will be an anthropologist, college president and California governor.”  All of the leads submitted by the students, re-ordered the facts and condensed them into a single sentence, “The high school faculty will be educated in new teaching methods next Thursday in Sacramento, blah, blah, blah.”  Everyone in the class failed, because the real lead was, “There will be no school next Thursday.”  It’s not always easy to see the forest because of all the trees in the way.  What you deem to be a priority will greatly affect your wisdom when making decisions.  Putting God first can help clear out the unnecessary fluff and focus your vision where it needs to be.  I could not change my situation of medical problems with my pregnancy, but I could pray and get God’s guidance on breaking down the treatments into something I could accept and/or manage.  Let go of your attempt at control and let God take over for you.

The month of January takes its name from one of the first the Roman gods, Janus, a two-faced being, with one face looking forward and the other looking back.  His job was to guard crossing places and thresholds, beginnings and endings, and act as intermediary between gods and mortals.  In other words, he was the god of doors, gates, and transitions.  January is a transition month -- a vantage point from which we can still see back into the past year and yet can also face forward and look expectantly at the year that lies ahead.  But what are the pros and cons of each option?

The act of looking back is not always a bad thing.  What makes it bad is what you focus on, and how that affects you moving forward.  Looking back at the past year and remembering good times with family and friends can bring you closer together and help you feel as if you are part of something “bigger” in the world.  Looking back and focusing on what you didn’t want to happen is not so good.  So you didn’t win the lottery; you didn’t get that job you wanted; you didn’t lose 20 pounds.  Focusing on ‘non-accomplishments’ can also hurt your spiritual life if you’re not very careful.  (Note that I didn’t call them ‘failures’.  It’s not a failure until you quit trying.)  “It’s God’s fault that I didn’t get what I prayed for.”  “God doesn’t care about me if He won’t give me what I really want.”  Pity party – table for 1.  Time to go to Ephesians 1 - I’ll summarize.  God chose YOU before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.  In His love, he predestined you to be adopted, through Jesus Christ, as His child and heir.  He let you know His will and when you believed, you were marked with the Holy Spirit, guaranteeing your inheritance.  Does that sound like a God that doesn’t care about you?  Holding on to the good that God did for you last year is baggage you want to keep.  It will help you get through troubling times in the future and in general, make you a happier person. 

But be careful of that well-used phrase, “Those were the good old days.”  That’s actually paraphrased from Ecclesiastes 7:10 and immediately followed with, “That’s a stupid thing to say.”  (again, paraphrased).  Why?  It’s pointless to complain about the bad times we live in now.  We’d do better to complain about the evil in men’s hearts that got us here in the first place.  It also negates the good things that God is doing in your life right now.  God has always been good and men have always been sinful (bad).  In some ways, the past may have been better but only because we can see the entire picture looking back.  In other ways, now is better.  Regardless if you look back to last year or as far back as your childhood, no one generation is perfect.  We don’t have to impress how life was for us on today’s kids.  Everyone should enjoy their own time.  Remember the happiness you had and keep it going to make this generation’s time something they’ll remember 30 years from now.

Looking forward would be more exciting if we didn’t also have the baggage from last year that comes with it.  We still have the same bills, mortgage, and disagreement with that cousin/neighbor/whoever.  We are told many times in the Bible to not look back.  This does not mean Job’s wife turning into salt.  That’s physically ‘looking back’.  Instead, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.” (Isaiah 43:18).  This is an easy passage to take out of context.  It’s a form of throw-back to when Gideon was called in Judges 6:12-16.  His first question to God was, “Where are all the wonderful things God did for our fathers?  He brought us out of Egypt and then turned us over to the Midians.”  God was promising the Israelites that He would do greater things for them than He did in the past.  They should not focus on past actions, looking for repeats, because times and situations are different.

Then there are the people that said they’d follow Jesus, but first I need to….  That didn’t cut it either because Jesus’ reply was, “…No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62).  But you say, “Hang on, Elisha was plowing and Elijah let him go back and kiss his parents goodbye.” (1 Kings 19:19-21)  That was different.  They were prophets, and here was Jesus in physical form.  The ministry of the gospel is preferable to the prophets so it was allowed then, but not here.  Here we have a man in Luke 9:61 that wanted to say goodbye to those at home first.  Why?  Did he think he would die and wanted to get his affairs in order?  Did he hope that they would tell him not to go?  He already told them goodbye when he left that morning, why do it again?  He was focused more on what he had back there than what lay ahead with Jesus.  That’s not really looking ahead. 

Paul said it best in Philippians 3:13-14, “…But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  When he says “forgetting”, he means to not dwell on it to the point that it interferes with your current progress or efforts.  Next, he’s referring to looking back at memories or failures or temptations, or anything that might take his focus on the call of Christ.  He pictures it as running a race and the heavenly prize of eternal life with Christ is at the finish line.  A runner knows that our bodies tend to move automatically to where our eyes are directed.  If you keep turning around, it will slow your progress or stop it altogether.  Even holding on to bitter emotions can slow you down.  Nothing good comes from being locked in the past.  God doesn’t hold those sins against us so we shouldn’t either.  They won’t get us to heaven any faster.