Pastor's Blog

“Some people are such jerks!  Can you believe what that guy just did to me?  I wish some people would get their act together.  Why can’t they just grow up?”

Have you ever said or thought things like that?  I have.  All the time.  In fact when it comes down to it, there are very few people who live up to my expectations, and I’m probably the worst offender.

Jesus and His disciples were walking through the grain fields on a Sabbath day.  As they walked, the disciples were picking wheat and eating it. When the Pharisees saw it, they complained to Jesus that the disciples were breaking their law. Jesus went on to explain to these hypocrites that not only were the disciples perfectly okay in eating like this, but the ones who were really offensive to God were the Pharisees.  Jesus said to them, “But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.” (Mat 12:7)
Sometimes we, like the Pharisees, have the wrong expectations of people.  And like the Pharisees, we can even trick ourselves into thinking that God has the same expectations that we do.  Now don’t misunderstand me, God does have expectations of us.  But sometimes His expectations aren’t like ours.  Jesus said that a chief quality that God cherishes is mercy.  God has oceans of mercy to pour out on me.  And He would love it if I became so saturated with His mercy, that I in turn would be merciful to others.  Take a deep breath.  Forget about the “jerk” you’re wrestling with.  Reflect His mercy.

 

 

The things Jesus taught were so strange (Mat. 5).  A speaker can get into trouble with his audience if he doesn’t talk about things that people want to hear.  We all want “happiness”, and Jesus taught about the path to true “happiness”.  That’s what it means to be “blessed”.  It means to be happy.  But the path Jesus lay out for happiness was not the direction you’d expect Him to take.

I think you have to admit that secretly we’ve all wanted at some time to be “wealthy”.  Yet Jesus taught that true happiness comes from being “poor” in spirit.  We all want a life of “comfort and joy”, yet Jesus taught that true happiness would come to those who “mourn” because they will be the ones receiving God’s comfort.  I think that if you were honest with me, you’d have to admit that we all like to be the center of everyone’s attention.  Who doesn’t want everyone thinking they’re great?  Yet Jesus taught that true happiness would come to the “meek”, not the proud.  No one likes to be hungry, yet Jesus taught that true happiness would come to those who are “hungry” and “thirsty” for God’s righteousness.  I think there’s something in us that longs for “justice”, when the bad guys get what’s coming to them.  We love a good action flick where the fellow that’s been abused gets even.  Yet Jesus said true happiness comes to the one who is merciful.

Are you looking for true happiness?  It’s something that God wants for your life.  God wants to bless you.  But I’m beginning to wonder if I’ve really understood how to be truly happy.  I hope you don’t mind if I echo Tiny Tim from Dicken’s Christmas Carol: “God bless us, everyone.”  Really blessed.

“For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces” (Zec 11:16 NKJV).

Sometimes we learn the most from the bad examples in front of us.  The prophecy of Zechariah will one day be fulfilled by an individual known as the antichrist, but he also is a great example of what NOT to do in ministry.  Beloved, I believe that God wants to make us all into shepherds.  God has a ministry for each of us.  He has a flock that needs tending.  Learn the lessons of a good shepherd.

Ministry ought to be about caring for those who are cut off.  People are cut off from God because of their sin.  We often are cut off from each other because of things like unforgiveness.  A good shepherd cares about bringing restoration. A good shepherd seeks the young.  He cares for the little lambs.  He cares for those who are “new” to the faith.  Often it’s the “broken” ones that give us so much grief. But a good shepherd recognizes the brokenness and seeks to bring healing.  A good shepherd doesn’t ignore those that are healthy and standing, he feeds them.  When a shepherd butchers a sheep, the “fat” was the best part.  But the good shepherd doesn’t live to kill the sheep and take everything for himself.  In fact the good shepherd is the one that lays down his life for the sheep.

Do you know who your “flock” is?  Have you learned to shepherd your flock?

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold. (Prov 22:1 NKJV)
There seems to be in the heart of man a huge vacuum, a hole that longs to be filled.  We see it in people that we label as “needy” because they’re constantly looking for people to love them and help them out.  But in reality, we’re all pretty “needy”. Some people try to fill that hole with things.  Some are out at the mall right now looking for that special something that will make them feel better, at least for another minute or two.  Others are on the eternal quest for that next dollar. Someone once asked a wealthy man, “How much money do you need to be satisfied?”  His reply?  “Just a little more”.  We tell ourselves that a little more will be enough, but once we have it, we still aren’t satisfied.

Solomon was a man of great wealth, so he saw it all from a perspective most of us don’t have.  He realized that satisfaction didn’t come from more stuff. One of the things Solomon learned to treasure was the “name” he had.  Your “name” is what people think of you.  It’s the reputation you have among people who know you best.  Solomon realized that having a reputation of integrity, honesty, purity, and faithfulness was more precious than wealth.

Solomon also learned to treasure this thing called “loving favor”.  You could translate the words, “good grace”.  It’s being loved when you don’t deserve it.  It’s receiving kindness when you deserve punishment.  And it’s priceless.  But how do we get such a thing?  Beloved, you already have it.  May you find yourself overflowed with God’s grace.  It’s the best gift.

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time … (Jonah 3:1 NKJV)
He didn’t want to go in the first place.  He hated those evil Assyrians that lived in Nineveh.  They deserved God’s judgment.  And to think that God seemed reluctant to wipe them out! You know the story – the first time God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, he refused.  After spending a couple of days in a fish, Jonah gave in.  But as the story continues, I sense that Jonah was still quite reluctant to be a part of God’s mercy to the Assyrians.  In fact, when God showed mercy to Nineveh, Jonah had the gall to get mad at God!

Sometimes we agonize over whether we’re doing God’s work well enough.  Now don’t get me wrong, I think we ought to serve the Lord with excellence.  I don’t think we ought to give God our second best. But sometimes we get to thinking that the results of the work depend on how well we perform.  In reality, the results of the work depend on the power of the Word we speak, and the type of hearts that it comes in contact with (Mat. 13:23).  Our biggest part in God’s work seems to simply be available to go where God sends us.  Don’t forget that Jonah was a key part of one of the biggest revivals in the history of the world, and he wasn’t a very nice person.

Here’s the point:  Is God asking you to do something, go somewhere, or say something?  You may not sense the importance of what He’s asking you to do.  You may not think you’ve got the right words to say.  You may not think your heart is right.  Just do it.  Let God take care of the results.

Hosea was asked to do a difficult thing.  God wanted Hosea to marry a prostitute.  When they had kids, God had them named horrible things like “no mercy” and “not my people”.  Sin carries a horrible price.  Sin brings such pain.  But the story didn’t end there.  When Hosea’s wife started cheating on him, God taught Hosea to bring her back.  This would be a lesson of how God loves His people.  Even when they go astray and don’t trust Him, God loves His people. God’s love isn’t aimed at getting even; God’s love is aimed at restoration. As I look at the whole book, a couple of things stand out to me.

First, love has hard things to say.  Those middle chapters of Hosea where the people’s sins are spelled out are tough, but they’re also the truth. Before God can restore me, I need to face my problem.  Just because you love me doesn’t mean that there isn’t going to be a time when you need to tell me something difficult.  Love will say hard things.

Second, love doesn’t quit.  Love seeks out the lost one. “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him” (Hosea 14:4 NKJV). God hasn’t quit loving you.  He wants you close to Him.

Third, love heals.  The big sin of the nation was how they followed after idols.  But one day, having been changed by God’s love, they would say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?” (Hosea 14:8 NKJV).  You may not like everything I do, but if you’ll keep loving me, who knows what might happen?

Beloved, this how God loves us.  This is how we are to love one another.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Prov 1:7 NKJV)

Some Christians are knowledge junkies.  Maybe it’s because we place such an emphasis on things like knowing the Bible.  Sometimes knowledge is kind of fun.  It’s great to discover new truths.  It’s also nice to be confident of the truth.  But knowledge also has its problems.  Paul tells us that “knowledge puffs up” (1 Cor 8:1b).  If we’re not careful, knowledge can become a weapon, a way we hold power or authority over people.  Our attitude can become, “I can tell you what to do because I know more than you”.
Now if we’re going to put together a “who’s who” of smart guys, I imagine Solomon would be towards the top of anyone’s list.  Solomon was a true “renaissance man” nearly 2300 years before there was a Renaissance.  He studied biology, architecture, agriculture, philosophy, poetry, and music.  But Solomon found that the pursuit of knowledge itself was nothing but vanity, a waste of time (Eccl. 1:16-18). 

Solomon wrote that learning the fear of God was where true knowledge begins.  What does it mean to “fear God”?  It means to reverence God.  It involves the realization of how small I am and how BIG God is.  It’s knowing that God is the one who controls whether I wind up in heaven or in hell.  It involves me realizing that every breath I take I owe to God’s work in my life.  It’s taking God’s requirements for me seriously.  It’s making my intimacy with God my first priority.  It’s not placing a priority on how much I know, but on how well I know Him.  That’s what “smart” is all about.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psa 133:1)  It seems to me that there aren’t a lot of things I dread as much as spending time with people I don’t get along with.  While I want to stay away from people like that, I think God’s heart is for me to learn how to work past our struggles and have unity despite our differences.  I’m beginning to think it’s a part of growing up.

It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. (Psa 133:2)  The anointing oil dripping down the priest’s head is a picture of the work of the Holy Spirit.  The work of the Spirit is magnified when we work towards unity.  And nothing quenches the Spirit as much as division.

It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing; life forevermore. (Psa 133:3)  The snow and rain from Mount Hermon are the source of water that flows into the Jordan River and waters the land of Israel.  Even the land of Zion, the place of blessing, is watered by the dew of Hermon.  We may think that nothing could be better than the blessings that come from God’s presence in Zion, yet even those blessings are refreshed and watered from the blessings that come from unity.  The best God has for us is multiplied in unity.

Are you facing an opportunity to spend time with difficult people?  Oh how important it is that we learn to be gracious, patient, merciful, kind, and loving toward those around us.  We may feel justified as we say an unkind word or respond in anger.  But God wants us to grow towards the things that make for unity.  It’s the heart of God.
 

Your word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it. (Psa 119:140 NKJV)
The Psalmist gives us one of his many reasons for loving God’s Word.  The Hebrew word translated “pure” is a goldsmith’s term used to describe metal that has been refined, having all the impurities removed.  It describes something that has been “tested” and proven to be true. In our nation, we have a governmental agency that “tests” new drugs before allowing the public to use them.  When a doctor prescribes something for my blood pressure, I want something that has been proven safe and effective.  Am I looking for help in life?  Am I looking for answers?  God’s Word has been proven safe and effective.  Some of the saints of yesteryear would write the initials “T” and “P” in the margins of their Bible next to the passages they had “tested” and “proved”.  You too will love God’s Word if you’ll put it to the test.

There’s another thing about God’s “pure” Word that I love as well.  When I wash the dishes, I have found that the dishes come out cleaner if I use pure, clean water.  When I turn on the shower, I expect pure water, not sewer water to come out. My point is that cleansing only takes place when you’ve got something pure to wash in.  Now I don’t know about you, but I find that just living in America can easily fill your mind with filthy thoughts.  TV may be a fun way to spend an hour, but sometimes I feel like I’ve just bathed in sewer water.  God has a better way to wash us.  God’s Word can clean the dirtiest of minds.  The more of God’s Word I get into my brain, the cleaner my thoughts. I just love that, don’t you?

They were tumultuous times for the disciples.  Jesus had been betrayed by one of their own.  They saw Jesus condemned and then crucified among thieves.  Three days later Jesus rose from the dead and began to make appearances over the next forty days. But after Jesus ascended into heaven, they were alone again as they waited for the Holy Spirit’s power.  During this time the disciples came to a conclusion that they needed to replace Judas with a new twelfth apostle.  How did they come to that decision?

The disciples documented the decision with an obscure verse taken from Psalm 109:8, “Let his days be few, and let another take his office.” At first glance, the verse seems like some random rationalization for their decision, until you read the entire Psalm.  I imagine one of the disciples reading through the Psalms and being shocked by what he came across in Psalm 109.  David describes betrayal, “In return for my love they are my accusers” (vs. 4).  David calls for judgment on the betrayer (vs. 7).  David describes having a crowd looking at him and shaking their heads (verse 25, Mat. 27:29).  I wonder if that was when the light went on in the disciple’s head.  David was talking about what Jesus had been through those last six weeks!  And then verse 8 stood out, “let another take his office”.  And with that, the apostles knew they needed to replace Judas.

Beloved, God’s Word is alive.  It is able to speak to me and my situation.  God wants to guide me.  God wants to answer my questions.  I just need to pray, read, and listen.