C. S. Lewis’ Three Surprises

Our scripture reading is from Second Kings. There was a time when First Kings and Second Kings were united and simply called Kings. It was divided into two literary pieces in about the year 400. The division comes chronologically. King Ahab, the northern king, reigned at the same time as Jehoshaphat, the southern king. Ahab is remembered as one of the worst kings because he encouraged the people to abandon God, Yahweh, and worship the false god, Baal.

Jezebel, which means wicked or shameless, was a Phoenician princess, daughter of King Tyre. In time, she would marry King Ahab. Together, they had three children, Ahaziah, Jehoram, and Athaliah. Jezebel wanted more than the perks that came with the crown; she wanted influence. She influenced her husband to commit the most heinous of sins. She encouraged Ahab to reject the one true God and worship Baal. Together, they encouraged their subjects to worship Baal. There is no other way to say it – Jezebel was a sinner, and her death was not pleasant. Our reading, 2 Kings 9:30-37, contains her unpleasant ending.

According to the text, Jezebel is in the city of Jezreel, an ancient fortress. She was locked in a power struggle with the new king of Israel, Jehu. He is coming to seize his power, but Jezebel will not surrender easily. Jezebel climbs a high tower to survey the situation. She calls out to the new king, but their words are few. In the end, she loses everything. She is thrown out of the tower and dies on impact. Jehu saw the ugliness, but he was unmoved. He knew it was pleasing to God. Our world has always been an ugly place.

The story of Jezebel’s death is a story about judgement. It was written to shock readers because the author wants to grab everyone’s attention. He wants to remind us of two things. First, he wanted to remind us that sin is serious business. Our world ignores the seriousness of sin and is consumed with love and grace. Second, he wants to remind us that someday we will be judged. We will be judged for the things we have done – sins of commission. We will also be judged for the things we should have done – sins of omission. How much human suffering have you ignored? Just like Jezebel, our day is coming. We will stand before God and be held accountable. The goal of the Christian faith is to get everyone into heaven. Sadly, not all will make it.

In this blog, I want to ask you five spiritual questions to make sure you are ready for your judgement day. These questions are not original. They came from Christian author Neil Cole (born 1960). You must answer these questions honestly.

What is the condition of your soul? In other words, are you at peace with God? According to Chapman University, 35% of Americans are afraid of death. It is important that you understand God’s plan of salvation. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of mankind. He is our only hope of salvation. Salvation cannot be earned; we are saved by grace. Do you understand God’s plan of salvation? What is the condition of your soul?

What sin do you need to confess? What dark part of your life do you need to bring into the light? Everyone has something. There isn’t a perfect person in this world. They say confession is good for the soul, and it is pleasing to God. What do you need to confess?

What have you held back from God that you need to surrender? God expects you to make him the top priority in your life. Any other relationship or possession must be second. That is hard for anyone who has loved ones. Is God your top priority? What or who is you holding back from God?

Is there anything that is dampening your zeal for Christ? In other words, are you excited about Jesus, or are you just mildly interested? There is a world of difference between being a fan of Jesus and a true disciple. Are you passionately in love with Jesus, or are you just mildly interested in Jesus? What is dampening your zeal for Christ?

Who have you talked with about Jesus this week? Are you more comfortable talking about Jesus, or politics? You should be able to tell people what Jesus means to you. You should be able to tell people what Jesus has done for you. You should be able to tell people how Jesus has changed your life. Who have you talked with about Jesus this week? I challenge you to not just answer those questions. I challenge you to ask the people in your life those spiritual questions. The goal is to get everyone into heaven. Heaven would not be the same without you!

C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) was a British writer, literary scholar and Anglican lay theologian. He once declared there are three surprises waiting for us in heaven. The first is who is there. Our job is not to judge others; our job is to love others. The second is who isn’t there. We are not saved by our good deeds. The third is that we are there. We are saved by grace and grace alone. Who is the first person you are going to look for when you get to heaven? The goal of the Christian faith is to get everyone in heaven. Sadly, some will be missing.

Divine Deafness

Our reading is Numbers 22:21-34. The Old Testament book of Numbers covers the 38-year period the Jews wandered in the wilderness after the establishment of the covenant at Sinai. Tradition tells us Moses wrote it. Yet, by the twenty-second chapter, Moses is dead, and the people are waiting to enter the Promised Land. That was a pivotal moment in their history.

The Jews were excited about their future, however other people in that area were not excited about their presence. The Jews were a new political force in that area of the world. Every nation responded to them in a different way. For example, the people of Moab only wished them harm. The king of the Moabites wanted the Jews to be cursed, and he wants the main character in our story, Balaam, to curse them. Balaam is caught in the middle between pleasing his king and pleasing God. As our reading begins, Balaam intends to deliver the curse, but God tries to stop him. Three times God sends an angel to Balaam. Each time, Balaam’s eyes are blind to the angel and deaf to his words. The unlikely hero in the story is Balaam’s donkey. According to the story, Balaam’s donkey sees the angel and tries to frustrate Balaam’s progress. Desperate to get Balaam’s attention, God opens the animal’s mouth, and the prophet listens. In the end, the curse is not delivered, and the prophet returns home.

It is a story about communicating. God tried to communicate with Balaam three times without success. How many times has God tried to communicate with you without success? Could it be you are no different than Balaam? God is trying to communicate with us, but our ears are deaf. The problem is not God; the problem is us. According to the federal government, approximately 37.5 million Americans, or 15% of the population, is hearing impaired. This blog is not directed at the hearing impaired. It is directed at those who have perfect hearing yet fail to hear God. We fail to hear God for several reasons. Let me look at them.

When I was in college, I lived in a dormitory. In the basement there was a common room. It was a place to relax and visit. It was nothing fancy, there was a television set, ping pong table and some couches. One day I walked through and found another student sitting there deep in thought. I looked at him and said, “So what’s new?” He responded by saying, “I am dropping out of school; my mother has cancer. The doctor tells us she doesn’t have much time left.” I put my money in the pop machine and said to the same student, “So what are you doing this weekend?” He looked at me and said, “You didn’t hear me. My mother has cancer. She is going to die. I am dropping out of school.” I felt about two inches tall, and I listened to him for an hour.

Sometimes we don’t hear because we are preoccupied. Something else has our attention. It may be a problem you are facing. It may be something that happened in the recent past. It may be some future event. I know it is true because I fight preoccupation all the time. I have always fought with preoccupation. It is a form of selfishness. Our preoccupations deafen our ears. God tried to speak to Balaam three times. How many times has he tried to speak to you?

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Empire attacked the American Naval Base in Pearl Harbor. A short time later, the United States entered World War II. So much happened over the next few years. It is easy to glorify past victories, but it is hard to forget all the ugliness. Part of the ugliness was the creation of Japanese American internment camps. They were created by Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945). Executive Order 9066, which created those camps, was issued less than three months after Pearl Harbor. In time, approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans lived in those camps. 62% of the internees were United States citizens. Military historians tell us they were not created due to any military threat. They were created for one reason: racism! They were guilty of nothing but having Japanese ancestors. No matter how you spin it, it was ugly. Our world is still filled with prejudicial behavior, which frustrate us from hearing God.

Sociologists tell us three things about our prejudices. First, our prejudices reveal our insecurities. We are prejudiced against the groups who threaten us. Second, our prejudices give us a false sense of security. They make us feel like we are in control, yet that is not always true. Third, our prejudices are learned, we learn our prejudicial attitudes from others. Others are learning their prejudice attitudes from us – it is one of the things we teach our children.

Sometimes we don’t hear because we are preconditioned. How many prejudices do you hold? How preconditioned are you? God loves each one of us equally. God doesn’t play favorites. If you really want to hear God, then you must remove all your prejudices. Jonah, the reluctant prophet, refused to go to the Nineveh because he didn’t care for the people there. Some don’t listen because we are preconditioned. God tried to speak to Balaam three times. How many times has he tried to speak to you?

There is an old Jewish Proverb that says, “No one is more deaf than a man who won’t listen.” One of the most known Bible verses is John 3:16: God so loved the world he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. Everyone seems to know it. Everyone loves it because everyone wants to be loved by God and go to heaven. We don’t have the same feelings about Leviticus 27:30. It says, “Every tithe of the land is the Lord’s. It is holy to the Lord.” In other words, the first ten percent of your income goes to God. How many people do you know practice Leviticus 27:30. We like John 3:16 because we want to be loved. We dislike Leviticus 27:30 because we don’t want to give our money away. We only listen to the Bible verses we like.

Sometimes we don’t listen because we are predetermined. In other words, we hear the words, but we decide to reject them. How many times has your doctor told you to stop smoking and start exercising? How many times has your financial adviser told you to stop spending and start saving? Only 10% of church goer’s tithe. The church is filled with predetermined listeners. Some don’t listen because they are predetermined. God tried to speak to Balaam three times. How many times has he tried to speak to you?

American writer Earnest Hemingway (1899-1961) once said, “I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” The problem isn’t God; the problem is us. God tries to communicate with us in scripture, through the Holy Spirit, our dreams, prayers, meditation, and other believers, but we just aren’t listening. To get Balaam’s attention, God had to speak through his donkey. What does God have to do to get your attention?

What Frightens You?

Our reading is Daniel 6:6-23. By the sixth chapter of Daniel, much has already happened. Daniel, who was a Jew exiled in Babylon, had already correctly interpreted a series of dreams for the king, gaining his favor. That made Daniel some powerful enemies in high places. They wanted to eliminate Daniel, so they came up with a sinister plan. According to the plan, praying to anyone, except the king, was unlawful for a period of thirty days. They knew Daniel would break the law because he would only pray to the one true God. The plan worked to perfection and Daniel was found guilty. With no other option, the king ordered Daniel to be thrown into the lion’s den, a cruel form of execution. However, in the end, God protected Daniel.

The story of Daniel in the lion’s den teaches us about faith. Daniel was a man of faith. There is no sign of fear in this story. People of great faith live fearless lives; people who lack faith live fearful lives. If you want to discover the level of your faithfulness, then look at the way you live. Are you living fearlessly? Are you living fearfully? To discover how faithful you are, ask yourself three questions. Each one is rooted in our reading.

In 1997, the airways were filled with the song “MMMBop.” It was sung by a group called Hanson. The group was comprised of three brothers: Isaac, Taylor and Zac. It came from their album, “Middle of Nowhere”. I loved MMMBop because if you knew the title, you knew all the lyrics. Even I could remember the words. I remember Hanson because they sang the national anthem at the first game of the World Series in Cleveland in 1997. At the time, everyone was crazy about Hanson and their song MMMBop. Hanson sold 16 million records worldwide. It is amazing how time changes things. In 1997, we saw Hanson everywhere. Today, Hanson is nowhere. According to the internet, the three brothers are married and have eleven children between them. Together, they brew craft beer called Hanson Brothers Beer. It is hard to go from international attention to nothing. Maybe Hanson can try to jump start their career on America’s Got Talent? This is question number one.

Are you afraid of being unpopular? Daniel was not afraid of unpopularity. The foundation of his life was God. He prayed to God three times a day and nothing was going to change his agenda, not even the law. Daniel was uncompromising, and his enemies used his inflexibility against him. That is a hard thing to do, because popularity is so seductive. Most need to feel important within our own circles of relationships. Our friends hold the same values and opinions as we do, so we feel accepted. That is important because many fear rejection and loneliness. How much are you willing to compromise to keep your friends? It is all a question of faith. Daniel was not afraid of being unpopular.

Years ago, I officiated at a funeral for a man named Dennis D. Buckley (1927-1951). I did not know Dennis; he died in 1951. His story was amazing. As a twenty-three-year-old, he was taken prisoner during the Korean War. He starved to death as a Prisoner of War. For decades, his remains stayed in North Korea, but during the 1990’s our country signed a treaty with the North Koreans. One of the things we received were the remains of fallen soldiers, and one was Dennis. It took our country several decades to identify Corporal Buckley’s remains. He was laid to rest in the national cemetery in Rittman, Ohio. I was humbled to do his service. No one could question Corporal Buckley’s patriotism. No one can say he didn’t sacrifice for his country. No one can say he didn’t love his country. His life spoke volumes about his priorities. This is question number two.

Are you afraid to sacrifice? Daniel was not afraid to sacrifice. He was willing to sacrifice everything, including his own life, for God. Sacrificing is not giving away what is left over. Sacrificing is giving something that you need. Our sacrifices are important, because they reveal what is important to us. How important is God to you? How much time are you willing to sacrifice for God? How much of your talent are you willing to sacrifice to serve God? How much of your money are you willing to sacrifice? The real question is how important is God to you? Our sacrifices reveal our priorities. It is all a question of faith. Daniel was not afraid to sacrifice.

Many consider Dietrick Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) to be one of the bravest men of the twentieth century. Born in 1906, Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor and theologian. He earned his PH.D. from the University of Berlin. Yet, he will always be remembered for his anti-Nazi stance during the Second World War. In 1939, Bonhoeffer accepted an invitation to be part of the faculty at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, but instead he returned to Germany to endure the hardship of war with his people. In 1941, the Nazis tried to silence him. In 1943, he got involved in a failed attempt to assassinate Adolph Hitler (1889-1945). He was arrested and imprisoned. On April 9, 1945, at the age of 39, Detrick Bonhoeffer was executed, a few weeks before the war ended. He could have lived his life out safely in America, but he returned to Germany because his faith wouldn’t let him play it safe. This is question number three.

Are you afraid of death? It is clear Daniel was not afraid to die. Did you know, according to National Geographic, the average male lion weighs 420 pounds? Did you know the average female lion weighs 280? Both male and female lions are approximately six feet long. They are big-time predators. They eat any kind of meat, including humans. When King Darius sent Daniel to the lion’s den, he expected Daniel to die. However, Daniel lived another day. There was no sign he was afraid of the lions, because he wasn’t afraid of death. Are you afraid of death? The mortality rate in the world is 100%. It has been reported that 42% of Americans fear death, another 7% say that don’t know how they feel about death. It is all a question of faith. Daniel wasn’t afraid of death.

Everybody is afraid of something. Did you know nearly 11% of Americans are afraid of zombies? That means, 11% of Americans actually believe in zombies. Let me ask you, what frightens you? Are you afraid of unpopularity? Are you afraid to sacrifice? Are you afraid of death? They are questions about the state of your faith. People of great faith live fearless lives; people who lack faith live fearful lives. It has been said, faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation.

Two Laws

According to our text, Luke 13:10-17, it is the Sabbath and Jesus is teaching in one of the synagogues. One of the congregants was a woman who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. Her spine was crooked. Jesus had pity on her and called her forward. After laying his hands on her, she straightened up and begins to praise God. Everyone should have been happy, but no. There have always been negative people. In this case it was a man who should have known better, the synagogue leader. Consider him the head administrator. He was not a member of the clergy, he was an active lay person, who was responsible for the synagogue’s finances and building. He protests the healing by saying, “There are six days to work. So come and be healed on one of those days, not on the Sabbath.” He completely missed the point and Jesus was indignant. The synagogue leader forgets people are more important than rules. Do you know of anyone who thinks rules are more important than people? There are many.

Did you know the Old Testament contains 613 laws? Three hundred and sixty-five are negative in nature. Two hundred and forty-eight are positive. You can classify those laws into three groups. There are self-evident laws, such as not to murder or steal. There are religious duty or traditional laws, such as keeping the Sabbath holy. There are random laws, which don’t fall into any category. In addition to the 613 laws, the Pharisees, experts on the law, created other laws to protect the original laws. You would think 613 laws would be enough. The problem is that the world is always creating more laws.

In the mid nineteenth century, the world started working on something called “international law”. Countless hours have been spent in the League of Nations and the United Nations trying to refine international law. It sounds simple but it is complex. How do you distill all the laws in our world and find common ground? Every culture looks at the world differently. International law has become a big deal because our world is growing smaller due to advances in transportation and communication. International law is important if we are ever going to have world peace.

Someone once said the United States, or any nation, is nothing more than a series of laws. On the fourth of July the United States turned 249 years old. In that time, our government has produced many laws. They are necessary to regulate behavior. They are not all bad; some laws are good. I am all for the law that says you can’t drive your car down the sidewalk. I am for the law that says you must pass through airport security before you get on a plane. I am for the law that says convicted sex offenders must register in their neighborhoods. I am for the laws that ban any form of discrimination. I am not so sure about the Ohio law that says it is illegal to fish for whales on Sunday. However, I am for the law that does not permit dueling. You would think between international law and national law, we would have enough laws. But wait, there are more!

Every organization has its own laws. The church is no exception. Every denomination has laws. In the church, we call laws “rules”. They do the same thing. I worked in the United Methodist Church for many years. The United Methodist Book of Discipline is filled with rules or laws. These are a few. Every financial account within the local congregation must be audited annually. Drinking alcohol and gambling are prohibited within a United Methodist Church building. At my ordination, I had to promise to be itinerant. In other words, I must go where the bishop sends me. I stayed at my last church twenty-eight years, so I guess I broke that law. The United Methodist Book of Discipline is filled with rules United Methodists are required to follow. You would think that there would be enough rules, but wait, there are more!

Every local church has rules. How many rules can you name within your church? Most rules are based on common sense. If you are going to use the kitchen, then clean the kitchen. If you are going to use a cup, then wash your cup. The last one out of the building at the end of the day must turn off all the lights and lock all the doors. If you want to be refunded for any church expenses, then you must have a receipt. There are some churches who have more rules than people.

One of the reasons I love Jesus is that he only had two laws. I can remember them. First, you are to love God with all your heart, mind and soul. In other words, you are to love God completely. (Matthew 22:36-40) Second, you are to love your neighbor as yourself. (John 13:34-35) Church work is not hard; we make it hard. In the life of the church, all we must do is love God completely and love one another. Everything else we do is optional. Everything else is distracting. Everything else can be eliminated. In the scripture lesson for today, Jesus broke a law, but he helped a suffering woman. Jesus knew what was important.

When I went to my last church, I inherited a mid-week program by the name of Youth Club. The concept was simple. On Wednesday, the children would come and gather for a lesson and dinner. Those who ran it did a wonderful job. Everyone, regardless of age, had fun. One day the youngest class was out in the narthex, standing near the glass looking into the courtyard. They were all fixated on the courtyard, because the Christmas decorations had just been put up. The plastic Christmas figurines were on display. The group had their noses pressed against the window. It was like one of those Norman Rockwell scenes. The teacher tried to hold them back because there was a rule about touching the glass. The glass had to be spotless. I have never been a fan of rules. I said, “Let them go! That is why they make glass cleaner!” Then I got a better idea.

Why not let the class out into the courtyard and experience the figurines for themselves. The children were just the right size, because they were the same size as the images. I walked to the door to open it, when the teacher told me to stop. She said, “Russ, you are new. We have a rule. No one is allowed to go into the courtyard, especially at Christmas. Those figures are sacred.” I thought, those figures are plastic. To be completely honest, those figures were tacky. I said to the teacher, “Aren’t we supposed to be introducing our children to Jesus?” She said, “Yes!” I said, “So let’s do it.” I opened the door, and the children flooded into the cool fresh air. They didn’t go crazy. They were controlled, like they were walking on sacred ground. One of the students stood by the camel and grew still. One student hugged Joseph. One went eye to eye with a shepherd and smiled. One touched Mary’s face with his fingertips. One kid picked up Jesus and kissed him. He looked at his friend next to him and said, “This is Jesus!” Then, ever so gently, he passed Jesus to him. One by one they took turns holding Jesus. Those children knew at their young age there was something special about those plastic figurines, because there was something sacred about Jesus. There always has been and there always will be.

Jesus went to the synagogue and had pity on a bent over woman. He healed her and everyone should have been happy, but no. There was one unhappy fellow, the synagogue leader. He was unhappy because Jesus broke a law. He healed on the Sabbath. He forgot people are more important than laws. The only two rules that really matter in the life of the church: we are to love God completely and we are to love one another. Those laws are mandatory. All the other laws are optional. German Lutheran theologian Dietrick Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) said, “Church is only the church when it exists for others.”

The Great Cloud

Our reading is Hebrews 11:29-12:1-2. For many years, Apostle Paul’s authorship was not questioned. Now his authorship is questioned. The issue is not about the theology of the author; these words and Paul’s writings are in harmony. The question comes from the style of writing. The author’s use of the Greek language and Paul’s use of the Greek language are completely different. Regardless, the Hebrews was canonized in the 4^th century and has much to offer us. It was written to first century Jewish Christians; it is thick in Old Testament theology. What links us to those first century Christians is life itself. The next line is vital for you to understand.

The author wrote this letter to a Jewish Christian congregation resigning from the Christian faith. The question that haunts this entire epistle is: why are they leaving? They are not resigning from the faith because of persecution or heresy, neither is reported in this letter. They are not resigning from the faith because the budget was too large, or the building is decaying. Neither a financial spreadsheet nor a trustee report is included in this letter. They are leaving for one reason – they are tired. They are tired of worshipping an all-powerful God who does nothing to eliminate their hardships. They are tired of good people dying young. They are tired of bad people profiting. They are tired of being part of an impotent church. They are tired, so they are resigning from the faith and walking away. Do you know of anyone who has resigned from the church? The author of this epistle is begging those first century Christians to stay.

In Hebrews 12:1, the author reminds this departing church they are not alone. They are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Who are these witnesses? Some are fellow believers, who pray for them regularly. Some are the spiritual greats from the past, the apostles and the martyrs of the early church. Some are people who once filled their lives, family members and friends, but have now died. Each one of them was encouraging them to stay. After all, where do you go from church? You go nowhere. We are no different from that early church. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses too. Our great cloud of witness offers us three things.

First, the great cloud of witnesses offers us companionship. Never underestimate the power of companionship. Part of that community are your fellow church members. Part of that companionship are the saints from the past. The great cloud of witnesses offers us companionship!

Years ago, I watched a documentary on Russian prisons. The star of the documentary was a Russian prisoner, who was a convicted drug dealer. They walked through a normal day in his incarcerated life. It was a dark existence. We saw the food he ate. We saw the bed in which he slept. We saw his normal routine. However, that day was different. It was visitor’s day. They only had visitors once every two months. He was excited because his father was coming to visit him. Through an English translator, he said the worst thing about being in a Russian prison is the loneliness. He didn’t trust his fellow prisoners, so he didn’t have any friends. He was alone and afraid. He said, “If he had one friend in here my experience would be completely different.” How would your life change if you had to live in complete isolation? The fear of loneliness is alive and well in our world. The great cloud of witnesses offers us companionship!

Second, the great cloud of witnesses reminds us of what is important. What are the most important things in your life? Who are the most important people in your life? How important is your church to you? How important is your relationship with Jesus Christ?

As I prepared to write this blog, I googled the question, what are people’s priorities? Countless websites appeared, each one about the same. For some reason I opened an article from a website called Aisle of Life. This is their list of correct priorities:

Health
Family
Relationships
Learning
Career
Finances
Leisure/Free Time
Values
Time Alone
Helping Others
God

I cannot disagree with anything on their list, but I will admit number eleven shocked me. The scripture says God should be your top priority because it effects every aspect of your life. We are to spend time with God and develop a personal relationship with him. The great cloud of witnesses would agree. There is nothing more important in life than God. He is the only one who will matter to you in one hundred years. What is the most important thing in your life? The great cloud of witnesses reminds us of what is important!

Third, the great cloud of witnesses challenges us to continue living out the faith. In the text the people are resigning from the faith. Do you know any church dropouts? They believe they can forge a relationship with Jesus on their own. Good luck! It doesn’t work that way. Discipleship is to be lived out in community. Who holds you spiritually accountable? Who corrects your theology when it is wrong? The great cloud of witnesses challenges us to live out the faith.

In 1968, the summer Olympics were held in Mexico City. One of the featured events in any Olympics is the marathon. The winner of that year’s marathon was an Ethiopian, Mamo Wolde (1932-2002). The crowd cheered as he crossed the finish line. An hour later the last marathon runner crossed the finish line. He wore the colors of his nation, Tanzania. His name was John Steven Aquari (born 1938). He limped to the finish line and was assisted at a first aid station. His leg was bandaged and bloody. He had taken a bad fall early in the race. Now, it was all he could do to limp his way around the track. The crowd stood and applauded as he completed that last lap. When he finally crossed the finish line, one man dared ask the question all were wondering. “You are badly injured. Why didn’t you quit? Why didn’t you give up?” Aquari responded, “My country did not send me seven thousand miles to start this race. My country sent me to finish.”

It isn’t just true of marathon runners, it is true of us! Have you ever fallen in the marathon of life? Perhaps this is a better question, how many times have you fallen in your life? At that moment in your life, you had to decide. Were you going to stay down and quit, or were you going to get up and finish the race? The great cloud of witnesses surrounding you won’t let you quit. They are saying, “Get up!” It is not how you start the race that matters. The only thing that matters is how you finish! Swiss theologian and Catholic priest Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988) once said, “What you are is God’s gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.”

Camp Gideon Follow-up Report

The following report was written by my wife Kathryn on our recent trip to Christian Camp Gideon in Estonia.

If you would like to see and feel God at work in the lives of His people you need to come to Christian Camp Gideon in Estonia. From sunup to sundown children and youth are hearing about the joy and promise of the Christian faith and experiencing God’s grace, God’s love, and God’s power. The volunteers (who this year included six Americans) offer opportunities to learn the basics of Christianity, as well as how to live as a Christian disciple in today’s world.

The theme of the two weeks of camp was sports, and the campers were able to play soccer, volleyball, floorball, dodgeball, kickball and baseball. Mixed into their day of sports were sessions in identifying and using their gifts to the glory of God, Bible study, learning about the ministry of Jesus, our Savior, and evening praise and worship.

A couple from Iowa and Russ and I donated a total of $4,000 to Camp Gideon which was sent over prior to our arrival. It is being put toward a heating system which will make Camp Gideon usable year-round. An additional $5,000 was raised, of which you were a part. $4000 paid for a security fence which we saw built, and $1000 was given to the orphanage we support who were very thankful.

For the first time we visited a very moving memorial to the citizens – a total of 39,000 – who were murdered or died because of relocation efforts of Estonians to Siberia during Stalin’s reign of terror after he seized the Baltic states prior to World War II. 250,000 people were displaced during the crisis. Pastor Artur’s parents were a part of that relocation and survived. The memorial highlighted a very dark chapter in Estonian history.

Helping at camp were 40 Ukrainians who fled their country as a result of the war. Some have started a new life in Estonia, some hope to return to Ukraine when the war is over.

The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” One significant thing, among many others, that we do at Camp Gideon is plant seeds. They are seeds of faith. With every prayer uttered, every Bible verse read and discussed, every lesson about who God is, every skit created and performed, a seed is planted. That seed will be watered and fed by others who influence these children and teens in the Christian life along the way. Who knows what the result will be – we cannot be sure of anything, except the promise that God will claim them as His own and use them in bringing about His kingdom.

Thank you for believing in this ministry and for financially supporting it. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for not becoming weary in doing good.

Winners and Losers

Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993), who served the Marble Collegiate Church in New York City for 52 years, was walking down the streets of Hong Kong. He came across a tattoo shop. In the window were examples of the various tattoos available. There was a wide variety, but one stuck out. It was just three words: BORN TO LOSE. That tattoo shocked Peale, so he entered the shop. He asked the tattoo artist, “Do people actually buy that tattoo, BORN TO LOSE?” He replied, “Yes, sometimes.” Peale couldn’t believe it. The tattoo artist saw his shock and replied in broken English, “Before tattoo on body, tattoo on mind.” Could it be you feel like a loser? The world has a way of making us feel like losers. The Christian faith reminds we are winners. That takes us to our scripture reading.

Our reading is First Peter 2:4-12. The exact date is unknown, but it is later in Peter’s life. No longer the wild impulsive disciple of Holy Week, Peter has matured. He is now the foundation on which the church would be built. He is writing to the general church, so he addresses life’s most basic issues. In a firm and loving way, he tells them to keep living the faith. That has never been easy. In the first century, the church was facing Christian persecution. In our generation, the threat is no longer external, it is internal. The world is constantly encouraging us to compromise the faith. Peter tells us not to compromise, we must always keep our eyes fixed on heaven. In our reading, Peter reminds us we must do three things.

First, you must love life. Look at the words Peter uses to describe his original readers. They are not harsh words; they are affirming words. Verses nine and ten say, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” Those are God’s words to you. Do you believe them? Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl (1905-1997) once said, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing, his attitude.”

United Methodist clergyman and author James W. Moore (1938-2019) told the story of a woman who went to a doctor. It wasn’t her first visit, she went every time she felt down. She asked the doctor for a new pill to make her feel better. The doctor asked her to step into the back. The storage room was filled with empty bottles. The doctor looked at the woman and said, “Each one of these bottles is like every day in your life – you have a choice. Are you going to fill your days with medicine that will bring hope and healing to the people in your life? Or are you going to fill your days with poison that will bring death.” What is your choice? Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Do you love life?

Second, you must love others. It is woven through the fabric of the New Testament. It was why Peter wrote this epistle. He is encouraging others in the faith. If he wouldn’t have cared, then a single word would not have been written. I hope your attitude is not like Prussian King Fredrick the Great (1712-1786). He once said, “The more I get to know people, the more I love my dog.”

Peter Arnett (Born 1934) was a CNN television commentator and reporter. He tells of a time he was in Israel, in a small town on the West Bank, when a bomb exploded. A man holding a wounded girl came running up to him. He pleaded with Arnett to take her to a hospital. As a member of the press, he would be able to get through security. Arnett, the man and the girl jumped into his car and rushed to the hospital. The whole time the man was pleading with him to hurry, to go faster, heartbroken at the thought that the little girl might die. Sadly, the little girl’s injuries were too great, and she died on the operating table. When the doctor came out to give them the sad news the man collapsed in tears. Peter Arnett was lost for words. “I don’t know what to say. I can’t imagine what you must be going through. I’ve never lost a child.” It was then that the man said, “Oh, mister! That girl was not my daughter. I’m an Israeli settler. She was a Palestinian. But there comes a time when each of us must realize that every child, regardless of that child’s background, is a daughter or a son. There must come a time when we realize that we are all family.”

One of the great challenges in life is staying in love with people. There are many unlikeable people. It would be easy to dismiss and ignore them. We can’t do it because Jesus told us, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) Do you love others?

Third, you must love Jesus. First Peter 2:6 says, “For in scripture it says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’” Jesus is the cornerstone of whom Peter speaks. That means, Jesus must be the foundation on which we build our lives. The world tells us we are losers because we never have enough. The Gospel tells us we are winners because God sacrificed it all for us.

I love the story of the man who collected old books. He met an acquaintance who had just thrown away a Bible that had been stored in the attic of his ancestral home for generations. “I couldn’t read it,” the friend explained. “Somebody named Guten-something had printed it.” “Not Gutenberg!” the book lover exclaimed in horror. “That Bible was one of the first books ever printed. Why, a copy just sold for over millions of dollars!” His friend was unimpressed. “Mine wouldn’t have brought a dollar. Some fellow named Martin Luther (1483-1546) had scribbled all over it in German.” You see that is the story of our lives.

Did you know, according to sesamecare.com, 85% of Americans deal with a low self-esteem at some point in their lives. In other words, 85% of Americans feel like a loser at some point in their lives. The world tells us our values come from who we are. The Christian faith tells us we have value because of whose we are. It is an incredible story. The God of the universe came into the world and took human form. He lived the perfect life, but he was executed as a common criminal. He suffered and died. Why? Because you are so valuable to Him! It has been said, we are created by God, chosen by God, redeemed by God, and valued by God. Never forget, you are a winner!

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!

Help!

Our reading is John 6:1-13. It is one of the rare stories in the Bible because it is found in all four Gospels. This is John’s version. Different from the other accounts, John emphasizes Jesus’s divine identity and the spiritual significance of the event. According to our text a great crowd had gathered around Jesus. He had become as famous as a miracle worker. Jesus had brought wholeness and health to the limited and the sick. The crowd came to see a miracle, but Jesus wanted them to experience more. To be seen and heard by all, Jesus and his disciples sat on a mountainside. From that perched position Jesus saw the vastness of the crowd. Wanting to challenge the disciples, he looked at Phillip and said, “Where shall we buy bread for all these people to eat?” Phillip does the math and admits the funds are not available. It would take eight months to buy enough bread. He was right, yet he was wrong. Money was only one option. By the end of the day, everyone was satisfied, and the power of God was obvious.

This story reminds us of two things. First, with God all things are possible. How else can you explain how Jesus took five barley loaves and two small fish and fed 5,000 people? It must be from God. Second, it reminds us that Jesus cared not just about the spiritual needs of people; Jesus cared for their physical needs as well. He could have sent them away hungry, and no one would have cared. However, that was not Jesus’s way. He cared about the basic physical needs of others. The question is: how concerned are you about the physical needs of others? Our world is crying out in pain; are you going to respond? To answer that question, I am going to ask you three uncomfortable questions. This is question number one.

Do you see others like Jesus? When Jesus looked out and saw the 5,000, he just didn’t see people, he saw their need. He saw they were hungry. Jesus knew they had to be fed because they didn’t have resources to feed themselves. Jesus cared about their temporary physical needs. Do you see the needs of others, or do you look the other way? Many would have said, “They are fools! They should have known better, they should have packed their own lunch!” Do you see things like Jesus? Do you see the needs of others? This is question number two.

Do you feel other people’s pain like Jesus? It is my experience we are more comfortable with the divine side of Jesus and less comfortable with his humanity. We struggle with the humanity of Jesus. Matthew 9:36 describes Jesus’s compassion. It says, Jesus had compassion on the crowds who were “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus had compassion on the 5,000 because they were hungry. Never underestimate the compassion of Jesus. Wikipedia, the online dictionary and encyclopedia, defines compassion as the response to the suffering of others that motivates some to help. Do you feel other people’s pain like Jesus? Perhaps this is a better question, how compassionate are you? Do you look at people, or do you look through people? This is question number three.

Do you do things like Jesus? The Master had the power to feed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus used his power to respond to their need. We do not have the power to feed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. However, we do have the power to do something. What are you doing to help others? What is the Holy Spirit calling you to do? Do you do things like Jesus?

When I was in college, I remember studying the case of Kitty Genovese (1935-1964). She lived in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York City. She was a bar manager. On March 13, 1964, she was murdered by a man named Winston Moseley (1936-2016). He stabbed her with a knife, piercing her lung. She was buried at the Lakeview Cemetery in New Canaan, Connecticut. She was a victim of femicide. As shocking as that crime was, the reaction, or the lack of reaction, of her neighbors was even worse. Investigators discovered many heard her cry out, but no one responded. They simply didn’t respond to her cries for help, they didn’t want to be bothered. They were guilty of a sin of omission. In the science of sociology, it has been called the by-standers effect or diffusion of responsibility. I would like to say it is an isolated case, but it happens all the time. Can I state the obvious?

Our world is crying out for help but very few are responding. It is not a matter of physical deafness. It is a matter of lack of caring. Do you care about the needy in our world, or are you too preoccupied with yourself? Are you more concerned about the happiness of your family pet, or are you more concerned about human beings who are in need? Jesus cared about people and responded. You must care and respond as well because you are a disciple of Jesus Christ. American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, minister and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) once said, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

Remembering William Borden

Sincerity is defined as the quality of being free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy. Sincere people are trusted. Along with patience and compassion, sincerity is one of those qualities we wish we had more of – and wish other people had more of, too. People who show sincerity are seen as being serious, kind and truthful. Sincerity is vital as you live out the Christian faith, and is vital in understanding our scripture lesson, John 10:22-30.

According to the text, Jesus is in Jerusalem during the Festival of Dedication, a time to remember the dedication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in 165 BC. For those unfamiliar with the Hebrew calendar, John tells us it was during the winter months. Jesus was walking in Solomon’s Colonnade, a roof structure like a Greek stoa, when he was surrounded by a group of Jews. They asked him the question everyone has been asking: are you the Messiah? Jesus goes on to tell them the answer to their question is not found in his words, the answer to their question is found in his deeds. Those words resonate in our society today, because our world still believes actions speak louder than words. After all, we believe talk is cheap. That leads us to an interesting question: if you didn’t speak a single word about Jesus, would the people in your life know you are a disciple?

Everyone knew, and no one questioned the sincerity of William Borden (1887-1913), when he graduated from The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania in 1904. His father made a fortune in the Colorado silver mines, so William was a sixteen-year-old millionaire. However, his mother had the greatest influence on his life. She took him to the Chicago Avenue Church, later Moody Church, where he accepted Jesus. His graduation gift from his parents was a chaperoned trip around the world. Traveling through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, gave Borden a burden for the world’s hurting people. Writing home, he said, “I’m going to give my life to prepare for the mission field.” When he made this decision, he wrote in the back of his Bible two words: NO RESERVES. In other words, he was totally committed to serving God. There would be no reserves for him. How committed are you to serving God?

David Livingstone (1813-1873) was totally committed. He was a Scottish physician, pioneer missionary with the London Missionary Society, and an African explorer. His passion for Africa made him famous. Once he received a letter while in Africa that contained this question: “Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to send other men to join you.” Livingstone wrote back, “If you have men who will come only if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.” David Livingstone and William Borden were totally committed. How committed are you? The first two words William Borden wrote in his Bible were NO RESERVES!

In 1905, Borden enrolled at Yale University. During his first semester, he began to pray and study the Bible with a friend. A short time later, a third student joined them. By the end of his first year, 150 freshmen had become interested in meeting for weekly prayer and Bible study. By the time he was a senior, 1,000 out of the 1,300 students at Yale were meeting in groups like these. It was his goal to win every soul at Yale University for Jesus. That wasn’t enough for Borden. Off Yale’s campus, he went to the darkest parts of New Haven, Connecticut helping those individuals’ society had forgotten. Turning down high paying job offers, Borden entered two more words in his Bible: NO RETREATS. In other words, he was always finding new ways to serve God.

In my retirement, I supply preach. In other words, I go to churches when the pastor is away or unable to preach. I enjoy meeting new people and experiencing new churches. Most of the churches I preach at have the same story. They had a glorious past but are facing a questionable future. At some point, they stopped advancing; they are frozen in time. The crowd of the past has been replaced by a select few, who are committed to traditional worship. They haven’t gotten involved in missions in years because they are consumed by their own needs. The only energy present is the energy needed to maintain the basic church functions. The world is changing, yet they refuse to change. They all know the truth: the end is near and when the door is locked for the last time, no one will miss them. William was never satisfied doing the same old thing. He was always finding a new way to serve God. When was the last time your church tried a new ministry? When was the last time you tried something new to serve God? The second two-words William Borden wrote in his Bible were NO RETREATS!

After graduating from Yale in 1909, Borden prepared for the mission field at Princeton Seminary. At the age of twenty-two, Borden became the director of the National Bible Institute in New York City as well as the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. His goal was to evangelize the Muslims in China. On his way to China, he stopped in Egypt to study Arabic. It was there that his bright future grew dark. He was diagnosed with spinal meningitis and died at the age of 24. To the world it really didn’t seem fair. However, William Borden trusted God. The only one he was trying to please was God. Who are you trying to please? I have said it a million times – the only things that really matters are those things that will matter in one hundred years. What is going to matter to you in one hundred years? The only thing that is going to matter to you in one hundred years is Jesus! Are you living for Jesus, or are you living for someone or something else? During his illness he wrote two more words in the back of his Bible, NO REGRETS.

How can you question the sincerity of William Borden? If he hadn’t spoken a word, his life spoke volumes. He was completed committed to serving God. He was always finding a new way to serve God. He completed trust God. No one could question his sincerity. Can the same thing be said about you? Jesus wasn’t wrong – actions do speak louder than words. Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) once said, “Preach the Gospel, but only use words when absolutely necessary.”