The Greatest News Of All

“Take the year 1809. The international scene was tumultuous. Napoleon was sweeping through Austria; blood was flowing freely. Nobody then cared about babies. But the world was overlooking some terribly significant births. 

“For example, William Gladstone was born that year. He was destined to become one of England's finest statesman. That same year, Alfred Tennyson was born to an obscure minister and his wife. The child would one day greatly affect the literary world in a marked manner. On the American continent, Oliver Wendell Holmes was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. And not far away in Boston, Edgar Allan Poe began his eventful, albeit tragic, life. It was also in that same year that a physician named Darwin and his wife named their child Charles Robert. And that same year produced the cries of a newborn infant in a rugged log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. The baby's name? Abraham Lincoln.

“If there had been news broadcasts at that time, I'm certain these words would have been heard: "The destiny of the world is being shaped on an Austrian battlefield today." But history was actually being shaped in the cradles of England and America. Similarly, everyone thought taxation was the big news when Jesus was born. But a young Jewish woman cradled the biggest news of all: the birth of the Savior.”*    

“In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:8–11).

This is truly the greatest news of all. One was born Who would deliver us from our sins.  Praise God for a Savior!

God loves you!

Mike

*Adapted from Charles Swindoll; sermonillustrations.com

Patience Isn't Indifference

“We often confuse God’s timing with ours. A country newspaper had been running a series of articles on the value of church attendance. One day, a letter to the editor was received in the newspaper office. It read, “Print this if you dare. I have been trying an experiment. I have a field of corn which I plowed on Sunday. I planted it on Sunday. I did all the cultivating on Sunday. I gathered the harvest on Sunday and hauled it to my barn on Sunday. I find that my harvest this October is just as great as any of my neighbors’ who went to church on Sunday. So where was God all this time?” The editor printed the letter, but added his reply at the bottom. “Your mistake was in thinking that God always settles his accounts in October.”

“That’s often our mistake as well, isn’t it — thinking that God should act when and how we want him to act, according to our timetable rather than his. The fact that our vision is limited, finite, unable to see the end from the beginning, somehow escapes our mind. So we complain; we get frustrated; we accuse God of being indifferent to us; we do not live by faith” (Larry R. Kalajainen, Extraordinary Faith for Ordinary Time; via Sermons.com newsletter).*

Some believe that if God doesn't immediately punish disobedience and indifference, He never will.  But there could be a reason for His withholding of judgment.  There were mockers in Peter’s day who castigated Jesus for not coming in their generation as He promised (2 Peter 3:3-4; Matthew 16:27-28; 24.34).  After all, it had been 35 years or so and He hadn’t returned yet.  The reason for the delay according to Peter was to provide an opportunity for repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  But don’t doubt God’s resolve just because He is patient.  Jesus did come again in judgment through the agency of the Roman army and judged Jerusalem and the temple, all within the window of that generation just as he promised.

God loves you!

Mike

*Michael Duduit, preaching.com

Take Courage

“And as a great dissension was developing, the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them and ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.” When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul” (Acts 23:10–12).

Things hadn’t been going well for Paul and they were about to get worse.  He had traveled to Jerusalem to worship and deliver financial aid to the church in the area.  But he ends up being falsely accused of anti-Jewish teaching and of desecrating the temple.  His opponents drag him away with the goal of putting him to death but he is rescued by a contingent of Roman soldiers.  Once removed from immediate danger, the apostle is given an opportunity to address his accusers.  That goes pretty well until he brings up going to the Gentiles and then the riot begins anew.  Eventually, the Roman commander assembles the Sanhedrin and sets Paul before them, hoping to get an answer to what the fuss was all about.  That gathering immediately devolves into more chaos as revealed in the verses above.

Wow! Talk about a rough day!  If Jesus loved Paul, surely He would rescue him out of the struggle.  But he doesn’t.  Instead, He calls him to be courageous in the midst of the difficulty.  Rescue doesn’t always take the form of escape.  Sometimes it looks like courageously leaning on the One Who has overcome the world (John 16:33).  When we are battered by the storms of life, it would be good to remember the words of the Master to his disciples on a stormy night long ago: “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).

God loves you!

Mike

Speaking Clearly

“A college senior took his new girlfriend to a football game. The young couple found their seats in the crowded stadium and were watching the action. A substitute running back was put into the game, and as he was running onto the field to take his position, the boy said to his girlfriend, “Take a good look at this guy. I expect him to be our best man next year.” His girlfriend snuggled closer and said to the surprised young man, “That’s the strangest way I ever heard of for a guy to propose to a girl. But never mind—I accept!” (from Cybersalt Digest newsletter).*

Misunderstandings happen, don’t they? Often they are the product of unclear speech. This was part of the problem in the church at Corinth in the first century. At that time, the group was arguing among themselves over spiritual gifts. Speaking in tongues was one of the gifts prized by some in the church. But that was problematic for the apostle. Speaking in tongues was, by nature, narrowly focused and mysterious rather than broadly edifying (14:2-4). Another problem was that, without an interpreter, speaking in tongues was unclear speech to most. Notice how Paul addressed the clarity issue. “But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching? Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? So also you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air” (1 Corinthians 14:6–9).

The gospel is vital and, like Paul, we should always endeavor to “...make it clear in the way I ought to speak” (Colossians 4:4).

God loves you!

Mike

*preaching.com 

The Slow Extraction Option

As the patient sat down in the dentist’s chair complaining of his aching tooth, he asked, “Doc, how long will it take to pull this thing?” “Oh, don’t worry,” said the dentist. “I can have it out in less than ten minutes.” “And how much is this going to cost?” the patient asked. “A tooth extraction is about $150,” the dentist answered. “$150 for ten minutes work?” the patient said. “That’s a bit steep, isn’t it?” The dentist replied, “Well, I can extract it very slowly if you’d prefer.”*

Rooting out persistent sin in our lives can be a difficult process. Old habits, especially sinful ones, die hard. Like any addiction, it can be hard to kick the habit. But that is the task to which we are called as disciples of Christ.  With reference to our sinful practices, we are to “...lay aside the old self…” (Ephesians 4.22).  We are to “...put them all aside…” (Colossians 3:8-9; cf. James 1:21; 1 Peter 2:1). In even stronger language, those who belong to Christ are called to “...crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).

That can be tough. Due to the difficulty involved as well as our attachment to sinful pleasures, sometimes we opt for the slow extraction option.  But giving up sin gradually is dangerous. One thing it does is give the devil extra opportunities to entrap us in his webs of deceit (Ephesians 4:27; 2 Corinthians 2:11). Believe me, he doesn’t need the help or encouragement! Not dealing decisively with sin is like intentionally leaving a stumbling block in our path. Jesus vividly advocated for not messing around with things that can trip us up (Matthew 18:8–9).

Sin is not to be trifled with. “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death” (James 1:14–15). Don’t choose slow extraction.

God loves you!

Mike

*preaching.com

Refusing To Listen

““And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!”” (Acts 22:21-22).

Perhaps you have witnessed a young child who has reached his or her listening threshold.  They may have stuck a finger in each ear and began loudly chanting, “na, na, na, na, na…”  Depending on the right circumstances, you may have even chuckled at such behavior.  But this kind of conduct is not nearly so funny when practiced by an adult.

In Acts 21, the apostle Paul has traveled to Jerusalem and ends up being falsely accused of preaching against his fellow Jews and the Law as well as desecrating the Temple.  All in a day’s work for the Pharisee-turned-missionary, huh?  Anyway, the angry Jerusalem crowd grabbed Paul with the intent to put him to death.  Their plans were thwarted when Roman soldiers rescued him.  As they take him away to the barracks, Paul is granted an opportunity to address the mob.  He begins his defense by recounting his earlier history as a Christian persecutor.  He then shares his conversion story which occurred as he traveled to Damascus.  I’m convinced that he eventually hoped to share the gospel with the crowd, but he didn't get the chance.  As he spoke of God’s intent to send him “...far away to the Gentiles,” the mob erupted again.  They were through listening.  If they had just listened a bit more, they would have heard the truth that could have saved them.

Don’t be too quick to turn your ears off.  Yes, someone may be telling us something we’ve never heard before or something difficult.  But it may be exactly what we need to hear.  And we would never know if we plug our ears in anger or frustration.  Quick judgments without hearing all the facts could be cutting us off from what God may be trying to say to us through others.

God loves you!

Mike 

Relics

A September article by Debbie Lord on the kiro7.com website carried this title: “St. Jude relic: The arm belonging to the cousin of Jesus to be on tour in the U.S..”*

According to quoted sources, “...Jude’s arm was placed in a wooden reliquary shaped like a priest’s hand giving a blessing. A reliquary is a special receptacle for body parts or personal items of those deemed to be saints and martyrs....” One church official associated with the supposed relic shares the purpose of the tour: “Regarded as the patron saint of lost causes and desperate situations, the visit provides an opportunity for individuals to experience intimacy with someone who dwells in Heaven and beholds God face-to-face” and “It allows devotees to receive his blessing and entrust him with their petitions.”

I won’t wade into the debate over whether this is an actual body part from an actual relative of Christ other than to say I have my doubts.  But for the sake of discussion, let’s just assume for a moment that it is what some claim it to be.  In that case, I would ask myself some questions.  Why would I, as a disciple of Christ, have any interest in a part of a dead body, whether it came from a saint or not?  Why would I need to seek “...to experience intimacy with someone who dwells in heaven and behold God face-to-face…” with anyone other than Jesus Christ?  He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).  There is salvation in no One else (Acts 4:12).  Why would I seek Jude’s blessing and entrust him with my petitions?  While I’m sure that Jude blessed many during his lifetime, the only blessings I need to receive come from My Savior.  God has blessed me with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).  Jesus Christ is the only mediator needed between humanity and God (1 Timothy 2:5).  I can entrust my petitions to Him.

God loves you!

Mike

*https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/st-jude-relic-arm-belonging-cousin-jesus-be-tour-us/L3PTPSMBZ5F5LEV6LNU66RPJMU/?fbclid=IwAR1B-gWZcdeWcu0ShnywK1UkF7U-m_UyDS0bOUsIR0bxIl6ko_pmA9xq5Rk