Living in the Light

Meteorologists tell us the darkest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere is December 21, the winter solstice. In my hometown we experience 14 hours and 56 minutes of darkness on that day. However, I do not consider December 21 the darkest day of the year. I consider January 2 to be the darkest day of the year. We experience 14 more minutes of sunlight on January 2 than on December 21, but darkness reigns on that day. Christmas is over, and Christmas lights have grown dark. I have always found Ohio winters to be hard, not because of the cold, but because of the darkness. I much prefer living in the light. I am not alone. That takes us to our scripture reading, Genesis 1:1-5.

Tradition tells us Moses wrote the Book of Genesis, along with Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Together, they are called the Pentateuch. They were written approximately 1,400 years before the birth of Christ. Genesis means “birth,” “genealogy,” or “history of origin.” It is the perfect title for the book because it summarizes the theme of the entire book. Our reading tells us how it all began. They are the opening words to the creation story.

According to the Bible, God created the world in six days, resting on the seventh. God is the main character in the Bible. In the Bible, God’s existence is never questioned, he always existed. In our reading, the original language, Hebrew, exposes Jesus was part of the creation because Jesus is divine. The first verse says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In verse two we learn darkness reigned until God acted. In other words, only chaos, disorder, danger and the unknown existed. In verse three, God introduces light. It is the opposite of darkness. Light brings order, safety and knowledge. In verses four and five, we are told God was pleased with the light, so he separated the dark and the light. The darkness was called “night” and the light “day.” I find it interesting everything began when light was brought into the story. This is certainly not the last time light is mentioned in the Bible.

The word light is used 272 times in the Bible. Sometimes, light means something that glows, like a campfire, firefly or a flashlight. Sometimes, it means more. In the Bible, light symbolizes God’s presence, purity, truth and spiritual illumination. In 1 John 1:5, God is described as light. In John 8:12, Jesus described himself as the “light of the world.” That verse says, “Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” I have been walking in that light for over fifty years. I feel sorry for people who are groping in the dark because life is hard for everyone.

When you live in the light of Christ, you are forgiven. Ephesians 1:7 says, “in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” Forgiveness in the Christian faith runs contrary to our world. According to the Bible, we are forgiven by God when we forgive others. That is the point of the parable of the unmerciful servant, Matthew 18:21-35. True peace with God is only possible when we forgive others. Who do you need to forgive?

When you live in the light, you have hope. Roman 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. According to a recent Harvard Youth Poll, 51% of young Americans feel hopeless. That is a sad figure because they live in a wonderful country. America is still the land of opportunity. However, with that opportunity comes responsibility. It was a wonderful day when I discovered it all didn’t depend on me. God has been taking care of me from the very beginning. Living in the light means I am not alone. God is with me, and God is with everyone who is living in the light. Those who chose to live in the darkness only see loneliness. Matthew 19:26 says, “With God all things are possible.”

When you live in the light of Christ, you have a purpose for living. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Discovering your divine purpose is vital. I am fortunate that my vocation and my purpose were one. For many they are not. God created you for a purpose. You were not born to be a consumer. You were not born to amass wealth. You were born to glorify God and work in his kingdom. What are you doing to glorify God?

When you live in the light, you have salvation. John 14:6 says, “Jesus answered, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” This is the unpleasant reality – no one gets out of the world alive. We are all terminal from birth. However, that is not the end. For those who live in the light there is more. One of the great promises in the Christian faith is salvation. When I leave this world, I will go home. In other words, I will be in heaven with fellow believers. Are you still questioning your salvation?

Years ago, I was visiting someone in the hospital. They were in the intensive care unit. On my way out of the ICU, I stuck my head into the family waiting room. You never know who you will find. On that day, I found a woman I knew. She was surrounded by her family. She gave me a hug and introduced me to her family. Everyone greeted me warmly, except one brother. He was having a hard time. They told me their other brother was a patient, and things weren’t going well. I asked them if I could pray with them. They all said, “Yes!” except for the struggling brother. He looked at me and said, “No! What the hell has your God done for me?” The family apologized for his harsh words, but I wasn’t upset. I felt sorry for the hurting man. He was struggling because he was living in the dark. He only saw chaos, disorder, danger and the unknown.

How many people do you know are living in spiritual darkness? I prefer living in the light because life is more tolerable. C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) once said, “I believe in Christ like I believe in the sun – not because I can see it, but because by it I can see everything else.”

Holes in the Darkness

At one time, Flagstaff, Maine was a delightful little town. The residents took pride in their community. That all changed in a single day. It was announced a dam would be constructed creating a massive reservoir. The entire area would benefit, but Flagstaff itself would be flooded. In the months prior to the flooding, all improvements and repairs in Flagstaff stopped. Week by week, the whole town became more bedraggled, more gone to seed, more woebegone. The entire community became an eyesore. The last mayor of Flagstaff explained the situation best, he said, “Where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present.” Hopeless people believe that is the story of our world. Why try to improve our world, if there is no hope? That takes us to our scripture reading, First Peter 1:3-9.

The exact date of First Peter is unknown, but it is later in Peter’s life. That means Peter has matured. He is no longer the wild impulsive disciple of Holy Week. He is now the foundation on which the church would be built. Our reading is the introductory words for the entire epistle. He is not writing to a specific congregation or individual; he is writing to the church in general. He writes that believers have one thing in common – suffering. The word “suffering” is found fifteen times in First Peter. Their temporary suffering demonstrates to the world that their faith is genuine. This epistle encourages those saints by reminding them of our living hope, the resurrected Jesus!

That is why First Peter is so important. Peter is telling us to live balanced lives, a balance between the temporary things of this world and the eternal things of God. Yes, the things of this world are important, but they can’t be everything. Many live as if this world is all that matters, blind to the things of God. The eternal things of God are important. Are you practicing today what you will be doing in heaven for eternity? That is why we, disciples of Jesus Christ, can still have hope in a world that is filled with hopelessness. The resurrected Jesus offers us hope in three ways.

The resurrected Jesus offers us peace, the world offers us worry. Peter tells us to set our eyes on heaven. If you are only studying the details of your life, you will be consumed with anxiety. Did you know the American Psychiatric Association reported in 2013 approximately 70% of Americans worry about keeping themselves safe? Approximately, half of Americans are worried about the future of their country.

How much time do you spend worrying? How many hours each night are you up worrying about some event in your life? Consider these facts with me. Research tells us:

40% of your worries will never happen

30% of your worries are in your past and cannot be changed

12% of your worries are criticism by others, mostly untrue

10% of your worries are about health issues, which get worse with stress

8% of your worries are real problems that will be faced

You need to develop an eternal prospective. American Walter Kelly (1873-1939) once said, “Worry is faith in the negative, trust in the unpleasant, assurance of disaster and belief in defeat…worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles.” The resurrected Jesus liberates us from our worries and offers us security and peace!

The resurrected Jesus gives us a purpose, the world only offers us empty days. There is more to life than just existing, being a consumer, paying bills, or being happy. You were uniquely designed to make a difference for God in this world. You are in this world for a reason. When we take our eyes off the resurrected Jesus, we forget why we exist.

Years ago, I officiated at a service at a local funeral home. I did not know the deceased personally, so I met with his family the night before the funeral. He never married and his parents had died years earlier, so I met with his brother and sister. With great pride, they told me about his working career. He had been retired for over twenty-five years, so I asked what he did in retirement. That question made them uncomfortable. They grew silent for a few seconds. Finally, his brother answered saying, “on the day he retired, he went home, turned on his tv, and drank a beer. That summarizes his entire retirement.” There was nothing else to say. The man did nothing for over twenty-five years, because he forgot the reason he was in this world – to glorify God. What is God calling you to do? The resurrected Jesus gives us purpose!

The resurrected Jesus offers us paradise, the world offers us only the temporary. Pastor John Hannah (born 1964) said, “Two things will surprise us when we get to heaven, who is there and who isn’t.” Verses three and four say, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you.” Peter understood we are terminal from birth.

In 1996 my father was dying. He was at home, so my sister and I took turns caring for him during his final days. It was a sad and awkward time. I was never close to my father. His physical care was hard, but relating to him was nearly impossible. There were long periods of silence. However, he said something in that broken state I will never forget. He looked at me and said, “I never thought it would end like this!” I didn’t say anything that day, but he was wrong. That wasn’t the end. It was just the beginning. His heart stopped beating several hours later, but he continued to live. It is not just true of him. It is true of every person of faith. Peter told us in the lesson for today, someday everyone of faith is going to go to heaven. And when we get to heaven all the worries and frustrations of this world will be nothing but a memory. God’s greatest desire is to be in heaven with you! The resurrected Jesus offers us paradise!Let me end with this story.

When writer Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was a little boy, he was sitting in his room looking out his window. He was watching a lamplighter lighting the streetlights below. His nurse came in and asked him what he was doing. He answered, “I am watching a man punch holes in the darkness.”

That is what the resurrected Jesus has done for us. Jesus has punched holes in our dark world. He offers us hope. Someday we are going to heaven, but we can start reaping the benefits now. He liberates us from our temporary worries and offers us a divine purpose. American public figure Clare Boothe Luce (1903-1987) once wrote, “There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless about them.” Jesus punched holes of light into our dark world!

Our Living Hope

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was a Scottish novelist who penned several classics, including Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. History tells us he was not a healthy child because he inherited his mother’s weak lungs. To assist him the family hired a nurse by the name of Alison Cunningham (1822-1913). As the story goes, one night as a boy Stevenson was sitting in his room looking out the window watching the lamp lighter lighting the streetlights below. Cunningham came in and asked him what he was doing. Stevenson answered, “I am watching a man punch holes in the darkness.” That is not just the story of a small boy. It is the story of the Christian faith. The resurrected Jesus changed everything. He punched holes in the darkness of our world and offers us hope. That takes us to the Bible.

Our reading is 1 Peter 1:3-9. Tradition tells us it was written by the apostle Peter. Clearly, he understood the significance of the resurrection of Jesus, the cornerstone of the Christian faith. The recipients of this letter were believers who were residing on earth, but whose true residence is in heaven. Technology has changed over time, but the human condition has not. Life has always been hard. Peter is telling them, and us, to keep their eyes on our living hope, Jesus, and cling to the promise of heaven. If you do so, then you will live a balanced life. May we never forget, the things of this world are important, but they are temporary. The things of God are eternal. Sadly, many in our time live unbalanced lives. They are heavy on the things of this world but light on the things of God. That explains why some live hopeless lives. English clergyman Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) once said, “Without Christ there is no hope.” Believers have a living hope. Non-believers have no hope. In this blog I am going to look at three ways the resurrected Jesus offers us hope.

First, the resurrected Jesus offers us security! For many years I struggled sleeping. I would fall asleep fast, but after a few hours I would wake up. It was in those silent, dark, lonely hours that I did my best worrying. I worried about everything. I worried about my responsibilities at church. I worried about money. I worried about various home projects. I worried about my loved one’s health. As a United Methodist minister, I worried about being moved and starting over again. I worried about the state of the country and the state of the world. I worried about underachieving and disappointing God. Nightly I would pray and ask God to help me. After a few minutes, I would find myself falling asleep. Like a young child resting in his mother’s arms, I felt secure. What is the source of your greatest problems? Experience has taught me our worries change nothing.

Consider these facts with me. Research tells us:

40% of your worries will never happen

30% of your worries are in your past, and cannot be changed

12% of worries are criticism by others, mostly untrue

10% of worries are about health issues, which gets worse with stress

8% of worries are real problems that will be faced

An Unknown author once said, “Worry is faith in the negative, trust in the unpleasant, assurance of disaster and belief in defeat…worry is wasting today’s time to clutter up tomorrow’s opportunities with yesterday’s troubles.” The resurrected Jesus liberates us from our worries and offers us security. God is bigger than our problems, and in the end, God will win. Jesus, our living hope, offers us security!

Second, the resurrected Jesus offers us purpose. In 2002, Rick Warren (born 1954) of the Saddleback Church in California released a book called the Purpose Driven Life. It was a massive hit. More than fifty million copies have been sold. Everyone seemed to read the book, because everyone wants their lives to have meaning. No one wants to just live and die. Everyone wants to know why they are in this world. Everyone knows there is more to life than just being busy. There is more to life than just being a consumer. There is more to life than just existing. There is more to life than just being happy and entertained. The Westminster Confession of Faith says the purpose of life is to glorify God. What are you doing with your life to glorify God? Your purpose may not be your vocation. Your purpose is at the intersection where your personal passion meets human need. Jesus, our living hope, offers us purpose!

The third and final word is heaven. The resurrected Jesus offers us eternity in paradise. Verses three and four say, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the

resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you.” Peter understood we are all

terminal from birth. Everyone is going to die someday, and it is God’s greatest desire to spend eternity with you! Pastor John Hannah (born 1964) said, “Two things will surprise us when we get to heaven, who is there and who isn’t.”

In 1996 my father was dying. He was at home, so my sister and I took turns caring for him during his final days. It was a sad and awkward time, because I was never close to my father. His physical care was hard, but relating to him was nearly impossible. There were long periods of silence. However, he said something in that broken state I will never forget. He looked at me and said, “I never thought it would end like this!” I didn’t say anything that day. I regretted my silence later. That wasn’t the end, it was just the beginning. His heart stopped beating several hours later, but he continued to live in heaven. It is not just true of him. It is true of every person of faith – someday everyone of faith is going to go to heaven. Jesus, our living hope, makes heaven possible! Let me end with this story.

As Vice President, George Bush (1924-1918) represented the U.S. at the funeral of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev (1906-1982). Bush was deeply moved by a silent protest carried out by Brezhnev’s widow, Viktoria (1928-1982). She stood motionless by the coffin until seconds before it was closed. Then, just as the soldiers touched the lid, Brezhnev’s wife performed an act of great courage and hope, a gesture that must surely rank as one of the most profound acts of civil disobedience ever committed – she reached down and made the sign of the cross on her husband’s chest. There, in the center of secular, atheistic power, the wife of the man who had run it all hoped that her husband was wrong. She knew what the communist world tried to ignore.

Jesus came to punch holes in the darkness. Jesus, our living hope, changed everything. Jesus came to offer us security. God is bigger than your worries. Jesus came to offer us purpose. You are in this world for a reason. Jesus came to offer us salvation. God wants to spend eternity with you. Billy Graham (1918-2018) once said, “Earth’s troubles fade in the light of heaven’s hope.” May we never forget Jesus is our living hope.

Life in Flagstaff, Maine

In Somerset County, Maine, is the community of Flagstaff. It was named after a flagstaff built by Benedict Arnold (1741-1801) in 1775. Today, Flagstaff is a ghost town. Her citizens left during the 1950’s when the Dead River was dammed, creating Flagstaff Lake. Historians tell us in the months prior to the flooding, all improvements, repairs and improvements in the whole town stopped. Why paint a house that was going to be flooded? Why repair something that was going to be wiped out? So, week by week, the whole town became more and more bedraggled, more gone to seed, more woebegone. Methodist preacher and teacher Halford Luccock (1885-1960) once said, “Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present.” That quote describes Flagstaff, Maine. Many believe it describes the world in which we live.

Like the residents of Flagstaff, Maine, many believe our world has no future. Just think about it for a moment. Our world is facing some tremendous problems. Population growth, illiteracy, and food and water shortages are common in many places. The United States is facing some tremendous problems. The news media is filled with stories about illegal immigration, drugs and affordable healthcare. The American family is facing some tremendous problems. 50% of American marriages end in divorce and 25% of American children are being raised in a home without a father being present. The greatest shortage facing our world, country and homes is hope. That is why knowing Jesus is so important. With him there is always hope. That takes us to our scripture reading.

We are in the sixteenth chapter of Acts, verses nineteen through thirty-one. Do you remember the story? Paul healed the fortune-telling slave girl from an evil spirit. Everyone should have been happy, but that just didn’t happen. Everyone was upset. Those who wanted to see into the future were upset because their window into the future was gone. The owners of the slave girl were upset because they had lost an income stream. In the end, everyone turned against Paul and Silas. After being stripped and flogged, they are imprisoned. I can’t describe to you the misery of their surroundings. Whatever words I use to describe it falls short of their reality. They are completely dependent on God. However, with God all things are possible.

About midnight, Paul and Silas are singing and praying. God must have heard them, because a great earthquake rocked the entire prison. According to the text, the prison doors opened, and all the chains and fetters fell off the prisoners. The jailor was responsible for the incarcerated, and he assumed everyone ran away. He considered committing suicide. It was a good thing he reconsidered, because all the prisoners remained, including Paul and Silas. In the morning, he looked at them and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They answered, “Believe in Jesus.” It is a great story with two sides. There is an eternal spiritual side and a temporary practical side.

The spiritual eternal side cannot be ignored. There are fourteen earthquakes mentioned in the New Testament, including the earthquake mentioned at Jesus’s resurrection. Earthquakes in the Bible always illustrate God’s power. The jailor had just experienced God’s power and was humbled by the experience. All his earthly pride was wiped away and he felt insignificant. In this humbled state he asks the question, “What must I do to be saved?” I have never met a person who didn’t want to live for eternity. Despite all our shortcomings, we believe that heaven is waiting for us and our loved ones. It would be a horrible thing to lose a loved one and question their salvation.

Years ago, I officiated at a funeral of a nineteen-year-old. His life ended before it got started. The story was tragic. The only thing he had done in life was get into trouble. He made one poor decision after another. On the night he died, he made one last poor decision. It was 3:00 in the morning and he was drunk. He was walking down the middle of a busy road, when he was hit by a drunk driver. Everyone who came to his funeral was young. It was their first taste of death. One by one they passed by his closed casket. A young woman wanted to speak at his service. The family granted her request, and she ended her emotional words by saying, “I hope he found a way to get into heaven.” I have never forgotten her hopeless words.

Have you ever wondered about the salvation of one of your loved ones? There are no secret entrances to get into heaven. There is no side door. There is no back door. The only way to get into heaven is by believing in Jesus. He is our only hope of salvation. His blood washes us white as snow. That is the eternal, spiritual side to the story. Yet, there is another side to this story.

This is a temporary practical side to the story. God is always present and with God there is always hope. In the story, the incarcerated had no hope, until God intervened on their behalf. That theme isn’t just found in this story. It is found throughout the New Testament. It is the theme of our faith. People of faith understand it clearly. God can turn victims into victors. However, people who lack faith remain victims, like the residents of Flagstaff, Maine. Do the people in your life consider you a hopeful, optimistic person? Do the people in your life consider you a person of faith? Never forget, with God there is always hope. This is the story of the most hopeless time in my life.

When I was in seminary, there was one series of classes that I feared more than the rest – New Testament Greek. I was required to take three classes in New Testament Greek to graduate: Greek I, Greek II and a class in Greek grammar. I found Greek I to be challenging. I found Greek II to be impossible. Part of my problem was my life at that time; it was complex.

As the final exam approached, I knew it wasn’t going to be pretty. It would be the first class I ever failed. The standards were high for that class. There was only one test and you had to get an 80%. That simply wasn’t going to happen and my future hinged on that test. If I didn’t get an 80%, I wouldn’t get my degree, which meant I wouldn’t be ordained. It was one of the most stressful moments in my life. With no other options, I asked the professor for more time to study. He agreed and said I could take it at 8:00 on a Friday morning, because his grades were due at noon. I took that extra time to go back to the beginning of the class and retaught myself Greek. At first it was easy, but then it grew hard. The situation seemed hopeless. I remember the night before I took the test sitting in the library completely alone. Everyone else had gone home because the semester was over. Depressed, I sat there. In my heart, I knew it, I had no hope of passing. I remember at 8:00 in the evening I started to panic. I felt like my future was over before it began. Trying to control my emotions, I knelt by my study carrel and began to pray. My prayer was simple. “Please, God help me. I can’t do this alone. I need you. If you have called me into the ministry, then help me.” For another ninety minutes nothing changed. There is no other way to say it. I was living in Flagstaff, Maine, hopeless. I waited for the announcement that the library was closing. It was at that moment that God acted on my behalf. Like God rolled back the great stone on Easter morning, God rolled back the great stone to my brain. Suddenly, everything clicked. Greek is one of those things you either get or you don’t. For the first time, I got it! Overcome with emotions, I prayed a word of thanksgiving.

The next morning, I was there early to take the test so I wouldn’t have time to forget what I had studied. Once completed, I waited for the professor to grade it. I needed an 80% to pass the class. I would like to report I got a 100%, but I won’t lie to you. I got an 81% and it was the most magnificent 81% in the history of the church! I knew the truth. I didn’t get the 81% because I worked hard, I got an 81% because God was with me. Without God, I would have failed. Without God, there is no hope. However, with God, there is always hope. Can I ask you a question?

How much time do you spend in Flagstaff, Maine? How much time do you spend in a sea of hopelessness, wallowing in self-pity? I cannot tell you all your prayers will be answered with a yes, but I can tell you in the end God wins. With God, all things are possible. God knows what is best. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) once said, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

You are Not Alone

They say in the third century a man was anticipating his own death. In the last few days of his life, he penned these words to a friend:

It’s a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered a quiet and holy people who learned a great secret. They have found a joy which is a thousand times better than any of the pleasures of this sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their own souls. They have overcome the world. These people are Christians – and I am one of them. I hope you are one of us!

That ancient Christian understood the true meaning of Christian joy. The question is, do you understand the true meaning of Christian joy?

We find ourselves in the very first chapter of Matthew, verses eighteen through twenty-five. The disciple and former tax collector is very clear; he is blunt in his proclamation. This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. He then goes on to give us the information we have covered in the past. It has become redundant. Jesus’s mother, Mary, was pledged, or engaged, to a man named Joseph. They never had sex, but she was pregnant. The father of this unwanted child is God, Himself. The child came through the Holy Spirit. Our scientific world has a hard time with the virgin birth. Joseph, Mary’s fiancé, had a hard time too. The scriptures tell us he planned to end their relationship quietly. However, it never happened, because of a dream. In that dream, an angel tells Joseph to take Mary as his wife and name the baby Jesus.

Names are important in the Bible. The name Jesus is related to the Hebrew name Joshua, which means “to save.” To underscore the significance of Jesus’s name, Matthew quotes the Old Testament prophet Isaiah. To be more exact, he quotes Isaiah 7:14, The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel. Matthew gives us the meaning of Immanuel. It means “God with us.” If you combine those two names, Jesus, and Immanuel, then you discover Jesus’s mission: The Savior is always with us. That is a great part of the Good News. Life may not always be easy, but the Savior is always with us. That piece of Good News should comfort you. There has never been a moment in your life when you were orphaned. The Savior, or God, has always been with you. Biblical joy does not mean happy laughter, biblical joy means comfort and contentment. The Apostle Paul understood the meaning of Christian joy. He wrote to the Philippians while incarcerated in Rome, rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say rejoice. …The Lord is at hand.

When I was in the Cleveland area, I had an inactive parishioner. I do not remember her name, but I do remember the day she called me. She wanted to talk to me about some problem in her life. I told her I wasn’t a counselor, but I would be glad to be her friend. On the day of her appointment, she came. With emotional words, she told me about her problem. When the emotions had passed, she thanked me for listening and told me how much that church meant to her. Those words surprised me because she was inactive. So, I asked her why. “If this church means so much to you, why don’t you attend worship?” Her response almost made me laugh out loud. She said, and I quote, “I don’t come to church because I don’t want to be the only one with problems.” I almost said, but I didn’t, “Are you serious?” One of the things I learned in the ministry is, everyone has problems, including me. There is no shortage of problems in this world and there is no shortage of problems within the life of the church. If you think you are the only one with problems, then you are simply a fool. No one escapes the storms of life. One of the reasons we come to church is to remind ourselves that God is always with us. That reminder helps us survive one more day. Let me ask you this question: have you ever had a problem? Let me answer it for you. The answer is YES!

Have you ever had a health problem? Sometimes, it is yourself. Sometimes, it is a family member or a loved one. Sometimes, it is a neighbor or co-worker. For years, I stood before my congregations and asked for prayer requests. The one problem we feel comfortable articulating is health issues. Weekly, I heard about health issues. I heard about hips and knees. I heard about bypass surgeries. I heard about every form of cancer, and I learned about conditions and diseases that were completely new to me. For years, my churches prayed for those people, and everyone was afraid they would be next. Have you ever wondered what is going to get you? After all, no one gets out of this world alive. Have you ever had a health problem? I cannot eliminate your health problems, but I can remind you, you are not alone. God is with you and God is bigger than your health problem. Let me ask you another question:

Have you ever had a problem with anxiety or depression? Did you know over 19.1% of Americans deal with anxiety? 9.5% of Americans suffer from depression. It is important to take your pills, because approximately 46,000 Americans commit suicide annually. Those figures came from John Hopkins Medicine. Do you know of anyone who is crippled by anxiety or depression? Are you crippled by anxiety or depression? I can’t eliminate your anxiety and depression problem, but I can remind you, you are not alone. God is with you, and God is bigger than your anxiety and depression. Let me ask you one more question:

Have you ever had an economic problem? Let me state the obvious – life is expensive! Did you know, according to the Federal Reserve, the average American household is $103,358 in debt and has a household income of only $67,521? How far in debt are you? Money makes a wonderful slave, but a horrible master. I can’t eliminate your economic problems, but I can remind you, you are not alone. God is with you, and God is bigger than your economic problem. Let me ask you another question:

Have you ever had an addiction problem? According to the Washington Post, alcoholism is on the rise. Did you know one in eight Americans is an alcoholic? They also tell us that 25 million Americans use drugs illegally. Has your family been affected by an addiction? Have you been affected by an addiction? I can’t help you with your addiction problem. There are some things you must do for yourself. However, I can remind you, you are not alone. God is with you, and God is bigger than your addiction issue.

Have you ever had a relationship problem? Albert Einstein (1874-1955) once said it best: Physics is easy, relationships are complex! How many complex relationships do you have in your life? How many family members won’t you talk to this Christmas? How many children will have two Christmas dinners, one with dad and the other with mom? Did you know 50% of first marriages will end in divorce. According to Petrilla Previtera, 67% of second marriages will end in divorce. It is not supposed to be this way. I can’t eliminate your relationship problems, but I can remind you, you are not alone. God is with you, and God is bigger than your relationship problems.Let me ask you another question:

Have you ever had a problem with religion? There are five major world religions: Christianity, Islam, Judaism. Buddhism, and Hinduism. There are 1.1 billion people in our world who have no religion. They are agnostic or atheists. According to Statista, only 31.6% of the world’s population is Christian. That means we are in the minority. How many people do you know who are not Christian? If you believe Jesus is your only hope of salvation, then how do you view those individuals’ salvation? Aren’t you glad you aren’t the judge? I can’t eliminate your religion problems, but I can remind you, you are not alone. God is with you, and God is bigger than your religion problem.Let me ask you another question:

Have you ever had a problem with death? Did you know approximately 150,000 people die daily in the world? You must know someone who has died recently. Grieving is a part of life. Have you ever stayed up at night worrying about your own death? I can’t eliminate your death problem, but I can remind you, you are not alone. God is with you, and God is bigger than death.As disciples of Jesus Christ, we embrace the name Jesus, our Emmanuel. Every time we utter his name, we are reminded our Savior is always with us! The problems of our lives are temporary, but our Savior is eternal!

They tell me, in Columbus, Ohio, there was a teacher by the name of Phyllis Martin. She has many stories from her years of teaching, but one story stands out. It was the day a storm came to her school. The clouds were black, and the wind was violent. Everyone, both teachers and students, were glued to the windows, until the signal was given that a tornado was nearby. Frightened, the teachers and students filed into the school basement. They lined the walls and listened to the storm outside their building. The tension was thick and some of the children began to cry. The principal tried a sing-along to distract the children, but it failed. The storm kept raging. It was then Phyllis Martin did something you aren’t supposed to do in a public school. She grabbed the little girl’s hand next to her and said, “Cathy, God is bigger than this storm. Let’s pray that God protects us!” She prayed with Cathy and the sound of her voice resonated throughout the entire basement. Soon everyone was praying, and the crying stopped. A couple of minutes later, the storm passed, and everyone was at peace. They knew everything was going to be fine.

It is a great story, but it is not just a story about a teacher in Columbus, Ohio. It is our story. Our lives are full of storms, but God is bigger than the storm. In the face of the storms, we stay calm, because we are disciples of Jesus Christ. We know we are not alone. God is with us, and God is bigger than any storm. Jesus’s name was his mission statement. The Savior is with us! That is the heart of Christian joy. Pope Francis (born 1936) once said, “Christmas is joy, religious joy, an inner joy of light and peace.”

Hope Matters!

I love this story. There were identical twins, who were nothing alike. One was a hope-filled optimist, the other was a dark pessimist. Their parents were so concerned about their sons, they took them to the family doctor. She came up with a plan. She said, “On Christmas day, give the pessimist a brand-new bicycle and give the optimist a box of manure.” The parents agreed to the plan. On Christmas morning, the pessimist got a brand-new state of the art bicycle. When he saw it, he said, “Oh great, I’ll probably crash and break my leg.” When the optimist opened his box of manure, he was a little confused at first, then he started to smile. He ran outside and said, “With that much manure there must be a pony!” Don’t tell me attitude isn’t important. Have you noticed our world seems to have a surplus of pessimists and a shortage of optimists? That is because there seems to be a shortage of hope.

You really can’t blame people. Our world is filled with so many problems. Years ago, I asked my google search engine: what are the greatest problems facing our world? These are the answers I received. They came from the World Economic Forum.

Climate change
Large scale conflict/wars
Inequality (income, discrimination)
Poverty
Religious conflicts
Government corruption
Food and water security
Lack of education
Safety
Lack of economic opportunity

That is a depressing list. So, I asked my google search engine another question:

What are the greatest problems facing America? These are the answers I received. They came from the Gallup Research Group.

Poor leadership
Healthcare
The economy
Immigration
National unity
Unemployment and underemployment
Racism
Terrorism
Ethics and morals
North Korea

I find those lists to be depressing. Each one of those problems is massive and complex. When I look at that list, I find myself becoming a pessimist, a little less hopeful. Clare Boothe Luce (1903-1987) was an American author, politician, and U.S. Ambassador. She once said, “There are no hopeless situations; there are only people who have grown hopeless.” As a Christian people we should always have hope because we have God. That takes us to our scripture lesson.

Our scripture reading, Matthew 1:18-21, begins very matter-of-factly: This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. I’ll bet you have heard the story in the past. His mother was named Mary and was pledged to a man named Joseph. Mary was a young woman, probably a teenager, from the town of Nazareth. Joseph was older, a carpenter by trade, from the town of Bethlehem. There is no reason to think their marriage was not arranged by their families. This is where the confusion begins. To clarify the text, replace the word “pledged”, with the word “engaged”. In traditional America, couples date, get engaged, then marry. There is nothing legally binding about a contemporary engagement. Not so, in their time. In their time, the engagement period was legally binding. For a one-year period, the couple was married in every way, except sexually. Mary and Joseph had never had sex, which makes her pregnancy hard to explain. Unlike in our time, in their time morals were a big deal.

Joseph is in a hopeless situation. If he marries Mary, he brings disgrace to his own name. If he breaks off the engagement, he places Mary in danger. If the law was carried out, she could be stoned to death. God places everyone in this story in an awkward situation. Yet, Joseph finds light in this dark situation and models for us how to remain hopeful. So, what did Joseph do, that we need to do, to remain hopeful?

First, Joseph did his best daily! Do not minimize that statement. Doing your best is very important. Doing your best is not easy or exciting, but it is exhausting. Doing your best will never grab the headlines, but it is vital. I have experienced that in my life. I served my last church for twenty-eight years. Those who were looking for perfection were often disappointed. It is impossible to excel in every aspect of the ministry. However, I can honestly say, I did my best every day. There is nothing in the Bible that indicates Joseph did not do his best. He didn’t shortchange anyone in his life. Mary got his best, he did not look down on her as a second-class citizen. Jesus got his best, it is not easy raising someone else’s child, especially, the son of God. The people in his life got his best, he paid his taxes and observed the traditions of his religion. Joseph was a good man, but like all men he made mistakes too. He was not perfect, but he did his best daily! It took me a long time to learn, our best is often good enough. Are you giving the people in your life your best every day? Joseph did his best daily!

Second, Joseph trusted God with the future! Do you remember the story? The unnamed angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him to do two things. Joseph did both things. First, in the face of a scoffing society, he discredited his own name and took Mary as his wife. Second, when the baby boy was born, he didn’t name him Joseph, he named him Jesus. It is important that you know that the name Jesus means “to deliver” or “rescue.” The scripture says his name is Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. That doesn’t mean a lot to our generation because we see ourselves as good people, who can save ourselves by our good works. That is not the story in Jesus’s generation. They saw themselves as sinners, who would be lost without hope. They longed for a Savior because they longed for hope.

It is still true today; hope is extremely important. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Hope is extremely practical. Hope moves us forward. Hope energizes us. Hope lightens our darkness. Hope increases our faith. Hope is both infectious and healing. Hope stabilizes and purifies. Be like Joseph, do your best today and trust God with the future.

Do you remember the name Terry Anderson (born 1947)? He was the Chief Middle East Correspondent for the Associated Press. He was kidnapped in Beirut on March 16, 1985. His kidnappers held him hostage for nearly seven years. It was an extremely difficult time, and he showed incredible strength. Once released, he was interviewed countless times and was asked countless questions. Someone asked him the question; did you ever lose hope? He answered with these words, “I had some blue moments. However, I will always be thankful for my Bible. I read it every day. It is a book of hope. It taught me so much about hope. It taught me to do the best I could do on that day and trust God with the future.”

Maybe that is why there is a shortage of hope in our society. We spend too much time worrying about perfection and not enough time doing our best and trusting God with the future. Learn from Joseph’s example. I’ll bet you can do the same. American Baptist evangelist Rick Warren (born 1954) once said, “What gives me the most hope every day is God’s grace; knowing that his grace is going to give me the strength for whatever I face, knowing that nothing is a surprise to God.”

Mr. Potter’s World

In 1946, Frank Capra (1893-1991) released the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. Made for approximately $3 million dollars, he both produced and directed the film. It was. The storyline revolves around George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart (1908-1997). He wants to see the world but is shackled by responsibility to his hometown, Bedford Falls. Today, it is one of the most loved movies in America. It is a Christmas classic that is viewed annually by many. I have watched it countless times. How many times have you watched It’s a Wonderful Life?

I love the scene in the movie when Mr. Potter, played by Lionel Barrymore (1878-1954), offers George a job. For years, Potter has frustrated the people of Bedford Falls for personal gain. He is the perfect villain. The scene begins with Mr. Potter offering George some thinly veiled complements. George is a young man with high potential. The only logical thing to do is increase his income by going to work for Potter. At first, George is tempted by the offer. Then, he shakes Potter’s hand and everything changes. George begins to consider the consequences of his new position. With strong words for Potter, George races out of the office. You can feel his frustration. In just a few seconds, George goes from living on the mountaintop to living in the valley. In other words, he goes from living with hope to living without hope. In the end, he does what is best for others. Have you ever felt like George Bailey? At one time you had hope, but now your hopes are dead. They died from a terminal case of responsibility.

The reason It’s a Wonderful Life is so popular is we can relate to George Bailey. We live in a Mr. Potter world, and we all play the part of George Bailey. We are trying to stay hopeful about the future, but it is hard. The news is filled with nothing but hopelessness. The theme of every story depressing. The word that is used repeatedly is strife. There is strife between the political parties. There is strife between ethnic factions and strife among nations. There is strife between the economic classes. Our world is filled with strife and hopeless, hunger, pollution, and violence. Crime seems to be spreading to every community, so our prisons are filled. Our hospitals are filled with both the physically and mentally ill. How many people do you know are addicted to drugs or alcohol? Third World Nations are hopelessly in debt to the world banks. There seems to be a shortage of hope. Hopelessness has permeated our society. The by-product of our hopeless world is negative people. How many negative people do you know? The Dalai Lama (born 1935) once said, “I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus on the brightness. I do not judge the universe.”

Maybe that is why we love Christmas? To the believer, Christmas is more than decorations, gifts, cards, and parties. It is more than community spirit, volunteerism, and family. Christmas is about the incarnation of God. American historian Kenneth Scott Latourette (1884-1968) once said, “The primary source of the appeal of Christianity is Jesus – His incarnation, His life, His crucifixion, and His Resurrection.” Without Jesus, we would be living in a hopeless Mr. Potter world. Jesus changed everything and still offers the world hope. In the blog, I want to talk about the three forms of hope Jesus offers.

In Mr. Potter’s world there is only loneliness. Since the birth of Jesus, the world has the opportunity of having a companionship with God. Jesus was more than a baby. Jesus was the incarnation of God. He left the perfection of heaven and entered our imperfect world. He left the perfection of heaven to slum it with people like us. The question that has haunted the generations is, “Why?” This is the answer. God loves us and wants to relate to the human condition. There has never been a moment in your life when you were alone. God is always present. Jesus came to offer us companionship.

In 2012, America’s northeast was hit by Hurricane Sandy. It was a category three hurricane. For years, homes and community stood in that area. In a matter of a few hours everything was destroyed. It took years to rebuild those homes and communities. Many from around the country went to the New York City area to help. Some that needed help were firefighters who went to New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina destroyed the gulf coast in 2005. Some of the New Orleans firefighters traveled to the north to lend a hand and return the favor. They interviewed one of the men. He said there is a bond among fire fighters around the country. According to him, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy forged a special bond between the firefighters of New York and New Orleans. One New York fire fighter simply said, “It’s nice to know we are not alone.” We are not alone. Jesus came to offer us companionship.

In Mr. Potter’s world there is ignorance. Since the birth of Jesus, the world can live in wisdom. In the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey struggled financially, but he was a rich man when it came to relationships. The same thing can be said about Jesus. When it came to personal finances, Jesus was a failure. He only owned the clothes on his back and traveled within a small geographic area. However, when it came to relationships, he was successful. Jesus showed us how to live. The wise know the key to happiness in life comes from our relationships. How rich are you?

During my time in the ministry, I would take the summer months and look at a single Old Testament character. One summer we looked at Ruth. She was the great-grandmother to King David. Do you remember her story? There was a great famine in the land of Judah, and many were forced out of their homes. One man who was forced to leave was named Elimelech. He was married to a woman named Naomi. They had two sons. The four of them settled in Moab. It was only natural that the sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. You can’t blame them. You know what they say about Moabite women! In time, all the males in the story die so the women are forced to live alone. Women had no rights in those days. They had nothing, so Naomi encourages her daughters-in-law to return home. Orpah does and says, “Goodbye.” However, Ruth remains devoted to Naomi. She does not stay with her for some legalistic reason. She stays out of love. This Old Testament character teachers us a New Testament principle. The most valuable thing in our lives is our relationships. Jesus came to offer us companionship. Jesus came to offer us wisdom.

In a Mr. Potter’s world there is discord. Since the birth of Jesus, we can at peace with God. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior in December 1974. The one emotion I felt that day was peace. Since that time, I have lived at peace with God and no longer fear death. The apostle Paul said it best in Romans 5:1, “Since we have been justified by faith, we live at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”.

In 1555, Nicholas Ridley (1500-1555) was the Bishop of London. He was burned at the stake because for his faith. On the night before his execution, his brother offered to remain with him in the prison chamber. Nicholas declined the offer. He wanted to go to bed early because he wanted a good night’s rest. He said, “Tomorrow, I am going to meet my Savior.” Those words reveal the truth. He was completely comfortable with his death and completely at peace with God. How at peace are you with God? How did you sleep last night? Jesus came to offer us companionship. Jesus came to offer us wisdom. Jesus came to offer us peace.

Christmas is just a few weeks away. This will be the first year in forty years, I will not be leading worship on Christmas Eve. It is an odd feeling. In the past, I led as many as three worship services on Christmas Eve, but the one I enjoyed the most was the last one, the 11:00 Christmas Eve candlelight service. I looked forward to it annually. The crowds were gone, and I could relax. I was comfortable with my message because I had already preached it twice. I just listened to the words of the sacred texts, the second chapter of Luke and the first chapter of John. I have heard those words our entire life. Every time those words move me. I am so humbled God entered this world.

Between now and Christmas, I would challenge you to simply read the Biblical story of Jesus’ birth. The Christmas narrative is so large it can’t be described by one author. Each one of the writers handles it in this own way. For some reason, Mark does not even mention the birth of Jesus. He is silent on the topic. John looks at the birth of Jesus in a logical way. You remember the verse. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was God.” Luke, the common man’s Gospel, tries to include the actions of that sacred night, including common people. He tells us about the no vacancy sign at the inn. He tells us about the manger. He tells us about the shepherds and the angels. Matthew, the Jewish Gospel, tells us about Jesus’ genealogy, the coming of the Magi and the Holy families escape to Egypt. There are so many parts to the story, so you must read all four Gospels, so you get the whole picture.

Don’t read them to preach it or teach it. Read the words for the edification of your own soul. I guarantee they will move you because your soul will be enriched. Be thankful you don’t life in Mr. Potter’s hopeless world. Be thankful you live in a hopeful world dominated by Jesus Christ. Christmas reminds us of our divine companionship. Christmas reminds us to value our relationships. Christmas reminds us of our divine peace. Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933) once said, “Christmas is not a time or a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world.”