I always perk up and pay attention when something is mentioned in the sermon that then shows up in my quiet time, and this week was no exception.

In my Scripture reading this week, I came upon accounts of the Sadducees (and the other divisions Pastor Ben mentioned in his message) not once…not twice…but three times in Acts 4, 5 and 6!

As I read these chapters in Acts, I was struck with how each group (Sadducees, Pharisees, temple guards, elders, scribes, high priests, etc.) thought they were doing the right thing by arresting, trying to silence, and punishing Peter, John and other members of the early church. It took Gamaliel to remind them to “take care” in what they proposed to do (Acts 5:35). As the passage reads, Gamaliel told the Sadducees, Pharisees and other members of the Council to “let them [Peter, John, and the other apostles] alone” because if it what they were doing was of God, “you will not be able to overthrow them, or else you may even be found fighting against God” (Acts 5:38-39).

I wonder if that’s not good advice for us in the modern church. We can all be like the Sadducees sometimes. If we’re not careful—and washing ourselves in the Word—we can sometimes “fight against God” and His work. The Sadducees and Pharisees focused on finer points of the ceremonial law and literally fought against God when they criticized Christ for healing on the Sabbath. We can also fight against God by being critical. I’m not talking about being critical thinkers and confronting errors in theology or doctrine. I’m talking about having a critical spirit—attacking or finding fault in another person or ministry simply because you think the work should be done differently.

So what can we learn from the Sadducees and Pharisees?

First, a good principle might be to as Gamaliel stated “take care” with other ministries that might not function the way we think is best and “leave them alone.” MK Hellings gave us women good advice at the recent women’s retreat. With forgiveness, restoration, and reconciliation as the theme for the retreat, MK suggested that when we are disagree with someone or are offended by them, sometimes we just need to let it go. This seems to line up with the principle from Gamaliel. Some things just aren’t a big deal. If it’s not a grievous matter, trust that God will work it out. Rather than criticizing a fellow soldier of Christ, if you have the opportunity to encourage him or her, take it. I think I speak for most when I say they will appreciate it. There are plenty of fault finders out there. Don’t be one of them.

Second, if there are things that can’t be overlooked, go to the person. Communicate. Hear them out. See what they have to say. A good principle from the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People that I need to be reminded of often is “Seek first to understand, then be understood.” Acts 6:7 even states that after observing the way the church was growing and hearing the Word of God spread, “A great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.” When they took time to actually listen to Peter and John’s message, many of the priests and other religious sects “became obedient to the faith.” Direct communication can often kill indirect criticism and lead to greater understanding overall.

A long time ago, I learned in Sunday school that the Sadducees were “Sad, you see” because they didn’t believe in the Resurrection. It might be a stretch, but I think we can also learn from the Sadducees not to have a critical spirit. And having a critical spirit is really sad, you see…

We Are Never, Ever, Ever . . .
"We are never, ever, ever getting back together…" — Taylor Swift

"Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will perform for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again, ever. The Lord will fight for you, while you keep silent." — Exodus 14:13-14
 
Breakups can be tough. Just ask Taylor Swift.

For a while, our culture ran a joke that whenever Taylor broke up with someone, they'd end up immortalized in a song. One of those songs declares with absolute resolve that she is never, ever going back to someone she'd left behind.

I've only broken up with one person in my life. And I was so confident about it that I wrote in her yearbook, "You and your spouse will always be welcome in my home." That was Heather. The prophecy came true — I am welcome in my own home. God has a sense of humor, and I am deeply grateful for it and for my wife, Heather.
______________________________________________________________________

While visiting our son in the Netherlands, I had the chance to hear a sermon on Exodus 14 — Israel's crossing of the Red Sea. As I read along, something hit me I hadn't noticed before. Moses tells the frightened Israelites that the Egyptians they see that day, they will never see again, ever.

Sounds like something Taylor might have written.

But Moses isn't talking about an ex. He's talking about everything that enslaved them.

The New Testament treats the Exodus as a picture of the Christian life. In 1 Corinthians 10:1-4, Paul says they were all under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all baptized into Moses, and all ate and drank the same spiritual food and drink — "for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ."

The pattern maps directly onto our experience:

• Released from slavery through the blood of the Passover lamb → We are freed from sin through the blood of Christ.
• Baptized through the Red Sea → Our identification with Christ in death and resurrection.
• Wandering in the wilderness → The carnal Christian, alive but not free.
• Entering the Promised Land → The believer who, through faith, walks in God's rest.                                  

In this picture, Egypt — and the Egyptians pursuing them — represents the sin that once enslaved us. And God's promise at the Red Sea is staggering: you will never see them again, ever.

That's not just relief. That's finality.

Colossians 2:14 puts it this way: Christ "canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us, and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."

Micah says God "will tread our iniquities under foot" and "cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." (Micah 7:19)

The depths of the sea. Just like what swallowed Pharaoh's army.

Your sin has been dealt with. Completely. Finally. God is not going to bring it back up — He has removed it "as far as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12). If you have trusted Christ, you are eternally forgiven. The Egyptians are gone.

But here's where the story gets uncomfortable.

The Exodus generation knew they were free — and still spent forty years wandering in the desert. Paul continues in 1 Corinthians 10:5: "Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased; for their dead bodies were spread out in the wilderness."

God's grace had freed them through the blood of the Passover lamb. The Red Sea had swallowed their enemy. And yet they spent the rest of their lives craving the food they had in Egypt. Because of their unbelief, everyone over twenty years old — except Joshua and Caleb — died without ever entering the rest God had prepared for them (Numbers 14:29-30).

They were free. They just never lived like it.

Here's the point: if you have trusted Christ, your sin is gone. You don't have to go back. You don't have to keep rehearsing it, feeding it, or living under its weight. At the judgment seat of Christ, anything built from "wood, hay, or straw" will be burned away, and what remains will be rewarded (1 Corinthians 3:11-15) — but your standing before God is as secure as the foundation it’s built on, which is Jesus (1 Corinthians 3:11).

The question isn't whether you're forgiven. The question is whether you're wandering.

You have been set free from slavery. The Egyptians are at the bottom of the sea. So stop looking back at the shore — and start walking toward the rest that can only be found in Christ.

Are you wandering in the wilderness, or are you pursuing the rest God has promised? You don't have to go back. You were never meant to.

Recently while I was reading the very familiar account of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, verse 46 stood out to me.

To set the scene, the Israelite and Philistine armies were facing each other on opposite hills, lined up tor battle. Each day Goliath, a Philistine champion, stepped forward and challenged the Israelites, mocking God as he did so.

David, the youngest son of the family, was normally at home, caring for the family’s sheep, while his three older brothers were serving in the Israelite army. One day David’s father sent him to take some food to his brothers and their captain, see how they were doing, and report back to him.

When David heard Goliath taunt the Israelites and their God, he asked why none of the Israelites had put an end to Goliath’s taunts by killing him. He then offered to fight Goliath himself.

As David walked across the valley toward Goliath, Goliath mocked him. David replied, in verses 45–47, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!” (NLT)

Why was David upset with Goliath’s mocking? As verse 46 reveals, his concerns were not primarily for the Israelites’ well-being, nor for their victory over the Philistines (which were very serious matters), but for God’s honor. He wanted “all the world” to recognize who God was and give Him the honor that is rightfully due Him.

That reminded me of several other places in Scripture where God says the reason He acts is so others will know that He is God.

In Exodus, from Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush, through the plagues in Egypt and the Israelites’ deliverance at the Red Sea, God repeatedly says He’s acting so both the Israelites and the Egyptians will know that He is God. He continues to protect and provide for the Israelites during their journey to the Promised Land so they would know that He is God—and He is their God.

Later, as God speaks through the prophet Ezekiel, He repeatedly says the purpose of His actions is that people will know that He is God. And the same purpose appears in many other Scriptures.

With that in mind, I have to ask myself, “What are God’s purposes as He works in my life? Are they primarily for my benefit, or for His glory? Are His actions so I will know and recognize that He is God?

As we see, hear, and read the news, can we see God’s hand at work? Truly, as a finite human being I can’t know all God’s purposes, or what His plans are, but I can trust Him that His purposes are good, for His glory, and for my good.

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”         1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV)

A few days ago, my 10-year-old daughter showed me something that she had made: a cardboard cutout of a smartphone complete with all the apps that she would want (including the Faith Bible Church app). If you are around children for any amount of time, you know they tend to mimic adult behaviors and actions, whether good or bad. My daughter was very proud of her phone and loved playing with it, but it made me think about the apps she selected. Many were apps and websites she has seen my wife and I use. Children reflect what they see and many times, they find interest in the things we as parents also find interest in, including what apps we use on our phones.      
   
If our family and the people around us are going to follow our example, we need to make sure that we are being the example they need. Paul writes to the Corinthians, not to offer himself as the perfect example, but to point towards Jesus as our ultimate example to follow and model our lives after. Jesus is not just a “good teacher” to listen to every now and then, but, as believers, we are called to live out our identity in Him completely. An identity we can “put on” through the power of the Holy Spirit, becoming more like Jesus every day (Gal. 3:27, Eph. 4:24, 1 Pet. 2:21).

When we truly start following Jesus and looking like Him, incredible change happens. Our priorities and actions start to reflect our loving Savior as we grow to love others as Jesus loved (1 John 4:19). He is our example of how to joyfully love others and put them first. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, Jesus made us alive when we were dead (Eph 2:4-5) and in Christ we are new creations (2 Cor. 5:17) and we are called to reflect Him.

The Westminster Catechism reminds us that “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever”. Our purpose in life is to honor and glorify God in every part of our lives and in fulfilling that purpose, we find complete joy and satisfaction in Him (John 15:10-12). We glorify God by imitating Christ (Col. 1:27). Just like a child who reflect the interests and actions of their parents, we too should reflect the interests and actions of Jesus to the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:11-14).

Have you ever had the experience that God takes you somewhere you thought you would never go. It could be a location like Thailand or Lubumbashi, Congo (look it up). But more often, God might take us to an experience or to a person we might have thought of as unlikely or impossible. You might even say “I would never (fill in the blank)”. But when we are listening for God’s voice and asking his Spirit to guide us, it happens. God takes us to places we would never think to go, or want to go. That is what happened to Peter in Acts chapter 10. I read the passage last night and tried to put myself in Peter’s shoes. He was a devote Jew and in those early days of the Church, the first believers thought that salvation through Christ was first and foremost for the Jewish people. Peter was on a road trip to visit Jewish believers in Jesus on the Mediterranean coast.

God gave him a vision that it was OK to eat animals forbidden in the Old Testament law. “What God has made clean, do not call impure”. Peter wondered what it meant but found out right away when men arrived from another coastal city looking for him. They were not Jews and came representing Romans. Jews did not associate with non-Jews and especially not with Romans. But Peter had a strong sense that God wanted him to follow the men.

They arrived at the home of a Roman military man, a centurion. These were the people that executed Jesus on the cross. The Centurion explained that an angel had come to him and told him to send for Peter, by name at the very house where he was staying. This must have confirmed things even further for Peter. Then Peter shared the message of Jesus sacrifice and salvation through faith. To top it off, the Holy Spirit came to all of those that believed, they spoke in tongues and asked to be baptized. Peter must have thought, this was a place, an experience, and people he never thought he would go to.

The lesson here is that Peter was tuned in to where God might be leading. He was willing to reconsider his long held beliefs and convictions. He set aside his bias, perhaps bigotry, concerning the people God put before him. Then he shared the most precious information in the universe with people that he would have avoided at almost any cost the day before.

God can take any of us to a place we never expected. But when he takes you to experiences that challenge your convictions how will you react? First we need to be willing to question our own assumptions. We need to ask God to help us see the world through His eyes. Who knows, you might catch of vision of the future, of what should be, and then follow someone you don’t know into a ministry you never imagined possible.

Does your family have a funny saying or inside joke that others might not understand? Most families have funny things they say or actions they do that are not something others would “get”. A family might adopt a sort of inside joke based on a specific event they experienced together, or will use a unique word or phrase that just became a part of the family lexicon. One of ours was the phrase “useful engine”.

This came from a book (and later a children’s show), Thomas the Tank Engine. The central character, Thomas, is a cheeky blue tank engine with the number 1 painted on his side. The narrative follows his adventures and mishaps as he works on the North Western Railway under the management of Sir Topham Hatt. Thomas constantly strives to be a “really useful engine,” often taking on tasks beyond his small size, which leads to trouble but ultimately teaches lessons about friendship, teamwork, and responsibility. Thomas was a favorite character in our house for a season, and we ended up adopting “useful engine” as one of those family phrases that might cause people outside of our family to raise an eyebrow or think we were odd (not remembering that they too are bound to say silly things in their own families that we wouldn’t understand).

Thomas wanted to be useful. Don’t we all want that? Very young children want to be useful by helping their parents do easy chores. And that is where the phrase was most often applied in our home. But it’s not only children who want to be useful. Often women will want to be of use in the kitchen when at another’s home for dinner. Men might want to be useful to a friend by helping with a home repair project. Most of us want to be useful by contributing to society in a meaningful way. Whether it’s volunteering for an organization, helping out at a church event, or being involved in the civic life of our city or town, we as humans feel we have value when we are being useful to others in our family or community.

The Lord God created us to be useful and do good deeds. This purpose is built into our personhood:

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.” (BSB) The Good News Translation says, “God has made us what we are…”

In addition to doing general good deeds, the Bible tells us we have each been given something specific to do in order to be useful to the body of Christ:

1 Peter 4:10 says, “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.” (CSB)

Romans 12:4-5a explains that part of our usefulness comes from the fact that we are not all gifted in the same ways, “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body.”

This is great news! The inner drive to be useful is not only God-given, hard wired into our personhood, but it serves an important function in the Church. It’s there for a reason! So how do we make sure we’re useful to God?

The Scriptures are clear that in order to be useful to God our hearts need to be right.

1. Our usefulness should be done for the Lord, not for the praise of others.                 Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men” (HCSB)
2. We should be ready to be useful to the Lord.

     Titus 3:1 reminds us, “...to be ready to do what is good.”
3.  We make ourselves ready by cleansing ourselves from what is dishonorable.
     2 Timothy 2:21 says, “So if anyone cleanses himself of what is unfit, he will be a vessel        for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared for every good work.
4.   We remain useful by maintaining our flavor.
      Matthew 5:13 explains, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavor, how         can it be made salty again? It is no longer good (useful) for anything, except to be                   thrown out and trampled underfoot."  
      The Amplified Bible likens losing our salty flavor to losing our very purpose!
5.   We must remember that we are the light of the world.
       Matthew 5:15 further discusses usefulness in terms of being a lamp in a house.  A                lamp isn’t very useful if it’s hidden or concealed. Are we hiding the light of our faith?              In order to be useful to the Lord we need to be shining for the world to see!

As each of us strives to be “a really useful engine”, I pray we remember that we were created to do good works, and that we use the gifts we’ve been given to serve others uniquely in the body of Christ.

There is a quality about faith, especially in childhood or in new belief, that many find deeply comforting: it is steady, warm, and unquestioning. In these early stages, it feels natural to trust, to believe without hesitation, to carry certainty as though it were unbreakable. But life has a way of unsettling even the strongest confidence. Loss comes, prayers seem unanswered, and what once felt certain begins to shift. Questions arise where silence once lived, and doubt quietly takes its place beside belief.

At first, that doubt can feel like a threat, as if something essential is slipping away. Yet in those unsettled spaces, something deeper often begins to grow. Rather than turning away, people begin to lean into this new reality: thinking more carefully, searching the Scriptures more honestly, and engaging with faith in a way that is no longer passive. Like the disciple often remembered as “doubting Thomas,” who needed to see and touch Jesus before he could fully believe, doubt becomes less about rejection and more about longing. Faith becomes a desire for truth that is real and personal, not distant or assumed.

Over time, faith can return in a different form. It is no longer fragile or dependent on easy answers, but instead it is shaped by reflection, questions, and a lived experience. Doubt, once feared, reveals itself as part of the growth process, something that refines rather than destroys. In that realization, there is a quiet peace: the understanding that questioning does not weaken belief. Instead, it deepens it, making room for a faith in Christ that is more resilient, honest, and able to endure.

“Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wondrous for me to know… I had heard reports about you, but now my eyes have seen you.”
Job 42:3b, 5 (CSB)

I cannot even begin to imagine the suffering that Job went through. And to add to his suffering, Job’s wife and friends were worse than no help to him! Through all of Job’s suffering, it seemed that God was distant from him, that God did not care, or that God had provoked Job’s suffering. Job seriously questioned the Lord and wanted answers—which anyone could understand for a man in his position.

When God did respond to Job, Job did not get the answers that he had been asking for. But when God showed up, Job no longer needed answers.

Some of us face really difficult situations that are not fair, and that no one would want to face. It is OK to question God and express all of our feelings and emotions toward Him. But these afflictions, no matter how difficult, are temporary. I cannot wait for that day when our eyes get to see our God and Savior, when “God himself will be with [us] and will be [our] God” (Revelation 21:3b), when “He will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

I cannot wait for that day when He makes all things new!

One of the words that will be heard around the world this Sunday is “Hosanna”, not a word that we generally hear outside of Palm Sunday except in a few worship choruses.  It is a word that comes directly from the Hebrew into our usage, just as “Hallelujah” or “Yahweh”, meaning save now, help now, or save we pray thee.  The word was offered in praise on Jesus’ triumphal entry as the One prophetically promised in answer to this oft-prayed prayer.

It reminds me of the passage in Rom 4:20-21 that uses Abraham’s example of God’s promise serving as the anchor to his faith and belief in God’s promise.  Earlier in the passage (vv 17-18)), it says that “He believed in God—who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist.  He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what had been spoken (the promise).  He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God because—(and this is the definition of “belief”)—he was (1) fully convinced that what He had promised, (2) He was able to perform.”

The question to Jesus’ ability to perform was raised in Mk 9:22-24, by the father of a son possessed by a spirit whom the disciples were unable to drive out of the boy.  Questioned by Jesus, the father answered, “But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us (the Hosanna prayer!)  Jesus replied to him, “If You are able?  Everything is possible to the one who believes.”  There is nothing in God’s ability that is limited, which the father immediately understood and expressed, “I do believe!  Help my unbelief.”

There are three examples of unbelief that spring to mind.  One is given in Mt 13:58, where it says that Jesus “did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.”  In the parallel passage Mk 6:6, it gives Jesus’ reaction to their unbelief—“And He was amazed at their unbelief.”  The second example was when the disciples were in the boat with Jesus and He calmed the wind and waves.  The disciples’ fear and subsequent amazement that even the wind and waves obeyed Jesus pointed to their unbelief in the midst of the storm.  Finally, another time that Jesus rebuked the disciples’ unbelief and hardness of heart, was surprisingly, immediately prior to giving the Great Commission in Mk 16:14.

Unbelief is a struggle that we deal with as we grow in our faith.  If not rooted out, it leads to hardness of heart.  The real question to what we confront in our lives is—"Is God able to perform all that He has promised?”  If the answer is in the affirmative, which it is, our lives will be transformed because we will respond in a righteous manner.  Just as in Rom 4:22, where it says regarding Abraham, “that it was credited to him for righteousness.  But if we waver in unbelief, it will manifest itself in multiple ways—worry, complaining, lack of contentment, lack of thankfulness, anger, coveting, wrong priorities, etc.  To not believe allows deception to wreak its havoc.

But the encouragement is the truth that God is indeed able.  It is the truth that allows our Hosanna prayer for His saving, His help to be prayed this Palm Sunday in full expectation of His ability to perform all that He has promised us—Hallelujah!

2 Tim 1:2, “I know the One I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.”

Eph 3:20, “Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.”  This is in response to Paul’s prayer that the Ephesians “rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend the vastness of God’s love and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

2 Cor 9:8, “And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work."

Ph 3:21, “He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.”

Heb 2:18, “For since He Himself was tested and has suffered, He is able to help those who are tested.”  Heb 7:25, “He is always able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.”

Finally, in Jude 24, “Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless, and with great joy…”

Just a few of many occurrences of the phrase—“He (God) is able!”  He is able indeed.  And may we be enabled by the resurrection power that dwells in us.  Amen.

Hebrews 12:5-11 "The hard lessons we learn from disobedience"

Hebrews 12:5 "And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as children, My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked of him."

The most wonderful thing that can happen to a person is to be born into God's family. What a privilege to have the Holy Spirit living in our life as a true believer in our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that in order to be a member of God's family we must experience a second birth. One cannot just join some church and be in God's family. One must be born of heaven. The process of growing into spiritual maturity takes many years of growing in knowledge and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Many times some are guilty of falling into sin. This is often called backsliding. It is also called being out of fellowship with God. The pull of the world, the flesh, and the attacks of the devil are powerful. Many times people fail. Some fail miserably. Once a person is born into the family of God they are eternally secure. Nothing can separate them from the love and care of God. He will never leave them or cast them away. We belong to Him.

Hebrews 12:6 says "For whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourges every child whom he receives." As spiritual children of God, we are all corrected. We are all guilty of sin. We make mistakes. We are many times guilty of willful disobedience. How does God deal with us? As a loving father he corrects us. Depending on the degree of our disobedience his correction can be gentle or it can be severe. First of all he corrects us by convicting us of our wrong doing. He speaks to us through our conscience. He brings a deep sense of guilt. If we refuse to confess our sin and turn from it, he will begin the process of correction. The deeper the rebellion, the stronger the discipline. Hebrews 12:8 says but if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

It can be a very painful experience if we continue in our rebellion. I believe the most miserable person in the world is a true Christian out of fellowship with God. God will allow the joy and peace of God to be removed from our life. All the inward comforts of being a child of God can and will be removed. Many painful experiences may happen. It could be loss of job, health issues, set backs, financial reversals and other painful loss. If one lives in sin and can enjoy it, and is not corrected by God, he or she is not a child of God.

Why does God correct us? Because he loves us and wants the best for our life. He wants us to become a living testimony of God's grace. Hebrews 12:10 says "He corrects us that we might be partakers of his holiness."

The Joy of Telling the Good News!
There is no deeper joy for me than to talk to not-yet-saved folks about how to be saved. If I see a person sitting on a bench or at a table as I go about my day, I see a wonderful opportunity to tell them the Good News. If I am in a store and a salesperson approaches me to ask if I need a new phone, a shower remodeling, a water filter, or many other things, I am thrilled because it is a Gospel encounter, a Divine appointment.

I also am bold to approach sales-persons at stores who have set up at a table to sell their items. This being the season of Girl-scout cookies, when I see a table I buy a box so I can have a conversation with them. I have even tried on cologne from a sales-lady at a department store; I pray I will in turn be the fragrance of eternal life to her. She was trusting in her own goodness, but I pointed her to Jesus.

I remember the words of Jesus who taught us that we are to look up and see the harvest is ready. I also think on the teaching of Peter given him by the Holy Spirit, that God desires that not even one person perish but that all come to repentance. The Apostle Paul’s God-given teaching by example comes to mind, that we are to become all things to all men, that by all means we might save some.

Now when I approach folks or am approached by the folks mentioned above, I invite them to Faith Bible Church “just up the road.” I also give them the basics of how to be saved knowing this may be their very Day of Salvation. Sometimes the chat is a few minutes, and sometimes longer. Folks often will pray with me to put their faith in Jesus. As Jesus taught us, there is rejoicing in heaven when folks are saved, and puts a smile on my heart as well because what was lost is now found.

1Now the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon, and placed it beside Dagon. 3When the Ashdodites got up early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him back in his place.4But when they got up early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon and both palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the torso of Dagon was left.
1 Samuel 5:1–4 (NASB 2020)
 
12Therefore let the one who thinks he stands watch out that he does not fall.
1 Corinthians 10:12 (NASB 2020)

I enjoy watching the winter Olympics.  One of my favorite movies is Miracle, about the 1980s US Olympic Hockey Team. I especially like how it sets up some of the cultural depression of the late 70s with gas prices and the Iran hostage situation against the backdrop of hope.

Figure skating is always an intriguing event to me. The couples skating in particular is a great illustration of partnering together with coordination and precision to skate a challenging routine.  As we were watching some of the ice skating this year, however, something struck a nerve and bothered my spirit as they covered one of the skaters in greater detail.  His name is Ilia Malinin. He was favored to win the gold medal as he is a very talented athlete who often flawlessly performs jumps that involve four revolutions in the air known as “quads.”  What struck me, though, was how not only the announcers referred to him but also how he referred to himself.  In one of his interviews, footage showed him practicing. He was wearing a tee shirt that had his title on it – “Quad god”.

“Ooof”, I thought, “anyone setting themselves up as a god is doomed for failure.”  I thought of 1 Corinthians 10:12 – that Ilia was setting himself up for a fall.  Sure enough, he had a disastrous performance.  It was all over the news – but one article in particular caught Heather’s and my attention. It was the image that stayed with us. Head lowered. One knee on the ice. One hand bracing the fall. The posture looked almost like a bow. The headline read, “‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin finishes eighth in stunning Olympic upset.” The irony was difficult to miss. The one labeled “god” was on his face.

I immediately thought of 1 Samuel 5:1-4.  In it the Philistines placed God’s ark in a house of the false god Dagon. Dagon ended up repeatedly on his face bowing down before the Lord’s presence. False gods do that – they eventually (or sometimes immediately) find themselves prostrate and bowing down before the one true God.

Competing with God for His title never works out well.  Isaiah 48:11 says For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.  God does not share His glory. The pride that tempts us to be our own gods is as old as the Garden of Eden. We want autonomy. We don’t want to submit. We don’t want to serve. So we subtly put ourselves on a throne.

We may not be as brazen as wearing a shirt that says “god,” but we often live as though we are our own masters—free from submission to what God wants. That posture sets us up for a fall. Not because God is vindictive and eager to knock us down, but because when we compete with Him for the place only He should occupy, it destabilizes us. It throws us off balance. It feeds a false sense of control and pride.

I had mixed feelings watching Ilia fall. Part of me felt sadness for him. Part of me wondered whether this was a needed humbling. And part of me was reminded again: God is on His throne. It’s a little like the man who once said, “Not even God can sink the Titanic.”

Really?

May God help each of us submit more fully to His will—and learn to move with Him rather than against Him. May we learn, day by day, to dance in His grace.

Are there Scriptures that kind of frighten you? There are for me! Mark 6:5–6 (see also Matthew 13:58) contains a statement that I find kind of scary, and certainly very sad:

“And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.”

What’s going on here? The Sovereign Lord, who made all things, was hindered in doing miracles by people’s unbelief?

Early in Jesus’ ministry he was in his home town of Nazareth, where he had been brought up. (See Luke 4:16–30.) On the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue, where he read from Isaiah 61:1–2:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Jesus then told his listeners that he was fulfilling that Scripture right then—in their hearing. The people marveled at Jesus’ words, but they didn’t accept His claim. They knew who he was (or so they thought)—the son of Joseph, a local craftsman. How could he possibly be fulfilling the Scripture?

Jesus continued in his ministry for quite some time. He traveled throughout the land preaching, teaching, and performing many miracles. More and more people believed that he truly was the Messiah. There was plenty of evidence that he was.

But when he returned to his hometown of Nazareth, however, he found a different situation, which is described in Matthew 13:53–58 and Mark 6:1–6. Once again Jesus returned to the synagogue on the Sabbath Day; once again he taught; once again the people marveled at his words, and even referred to his miracles. But once again they took offense at him, because once again they didn’t think he was the Messiah. As a result, his visit to his hometown was summarized in those sad words: “And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.”

Now, let me be quick to affirm that God can do anything he wants to. So Jesus certainly could have worked miracles in Nazareth. But God will not force us to believe, or force himself on us. He wants genuine love, and genuine love isn’t forced. And apparently that genuine love and belief was missing in Nazareth. So Jesus didn’t work miracles there to the degree he had done in many other places.

We can be quick to shake our heads at those poor people of Nazareth, and “tsk-tsk” at them, but let’s stop a minute and ask ourselves, “Do I ever fail to see God work because I don’t really believe?” We can pray and ask God to do something, but doubt that he really will. Even if we say we believe he can, there can be a question in our minds as to whether he will. It’s right to correctly understand Jesus’ promises when we pray, and always pray with humility, desiring only that which is part of God’s will. But let’s be sure to ask in faith, without doubting either God’s love or his ability to act. Remember, Satan sows doubt, not faith.

And let’s not fall into the trap of putting limits in our mind on what God can do. Some years ago the church we were attending was raising funds for a project, and the leaders asked the congregation to pray about the matter, and act in faith on God’s prompting. Andy, one of my friends who was a dear brother in the Lord, had a problem with this idea. He was an accountant and knew how to keep track of finances. He knew what his budget and salary were, and felt that every dollar was already allocated. There weren’t any extra dollars he could give for the project. He couldn’t imagine that his financial situation could change.

Andy failed to consider God’s creativity—that God wasn’t limited to his salary, but would provide the “extra” amount he’d impressed on Andy that he should commit to giving. Sadly, Andy missed out on the opportunity to see God work in an unexpected way due to his unbelief.

In contrast, I’ve seen God move and provide in ways that were completely unexpected. I’ve experienced remarkable—even miraculous—acts of God—and heard testimonies from other people who have also witnessed God’s hand at work. Does that mean I always pray in complete faith? If only that were true! But I do frequently remind myself to check my motives, and ask God to accomplish his will.

I hope that’s true of you as well.

Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.  Psalm 119:37 (ESV)
 
In December of 2022, a computer science researcher entered a humorous prompt into a newly released program called ChatGPT. His request was simple:

WRITE A BIBLICAL VERSE IN THE STYLE OF THE KING JAMES BIBLE, EXPLAINING HOW TO REMOVE A PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH FROM A VCR.

The prompt (and ChatGPT’s hilarious response) went viral, and ChatGPT soon became synonymous with Artificial Intelligence (AI). As a classroom teacher, I see how every level of education is currently wrestling with these programs and trying to figure out how to handle them. As incredible and useful as these new tools are, we (both students and teachers) are now faced with a growing temptation to outsource our creative and intellectual abilities to a computer program.

These AI programs aren’t going away; they will likely eventually be integrated into almost every environment. As believers, we have to be careful not to ‘outsource’ our relationships with the Lord. I don’t know about you, but there can be plenty of distractions in my spiritual life. It can be easier to let someone else “do the work”. For me, I can move too quickly to commentaries before I spend much time studying God’s Word for myself or listening to Christian podcasts or articles instead of praying first. Just like AI programs, these can be great resources, but doing this is getting lazy in my relationship with Jesus and not spending quality time with Him.

In Psalm 119, the psalmist asks God: “Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.” He knows that only in the Lord do we have life, true life. Even good things can become worthless if they’re used incorrectly. Paul in Philippians writes how even the things in his past that appear good he now considers “rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him” and prays that he might know Jesus instead (Phil. 3:8-10).

Helen Lemmel, an English-born musician who became blind due to illness, put it perfectly when she wrote:

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.”

When we spend time with Jesus and “turn our eyes upon [Him]”, those distractions (technological or otherwise) really do have a way of growing "strangely dim." Getting to know Jesus through the help of the Spirit will help those lesser things we used to rely on lose their shine. As David writes to the Lord in Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy.” We find true joy in our relationship with Jesus and we won’t be able to settle for substitutes (Rom. 15:13).

As we spend time with Jesus this week, let’s pray, like the psalmist, that the Lord would turn our eyes away from worthless things (Ps. 119:37) and help us turn our eyes on Him. We know that Jesus is our true source of joy and real life is walking in His ways. I am thankful for technology that can do incredible things and that it allows us to have access to so many wonderful Biblical resources, but that doesn’t remove the need for Christians to think and pray; it creates more of a need for it.
 

I laughed last week when Mike put up the slide demonstrating static cling when he was discussing Psalm 119, verses 25-32. I also have been the victim of negative clinging. There is a rug in my office that if I sit on the floor, white fuzz clings to my pants, and I end up resembling an animal shedding a winter coat of fur on its bottom half. Not a great look.
This, of course, is an example of the negative kind of clinging. However, what really stuck out to me from the sermon came later in verses 30-31. David writes, “I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed your ordinances before me. I cling  [emphasis mine] to your testimonies.” This calls to mind a more positive version of the word clinging. While clinging does mean “to stick” or “adhere,” it also means “to follow close, to be joined together.” I did some research and found the same word is used in the past tense in the book of Ruth to describe Ruth’s devotion to Naomi--“Ruth clung to her” (Ruth 1:31).

I’ve clung to people. In fact, when Mike was in the Air Force, he often deployed for weeks at a time, and I can honestly say that during those times, when he called me on the telephone, I clung to his every word. He would often encourage me in my parenting (we had 3 kids under the age of 4 and I was often exhausted and discouraged), he’d tell me how much he loved me and our family, and he’d remind me that he was coming back. If I missed a call because we weren’t home (landlines were the worst, am I right?), I would often break down in tears because I didn’t know when or if he’d be able to call me back. Hearing from him regularly helped me avoid feeling discouraged or hopeless. His words helped me cope when the kids were sick or something had broken--like the time I was home with a sick, two-week-old baby and our icemaker flooded our kitchen the morning after he left for a five week trip!

I clung to my phone calls with Mike. This is the kind of clinging I think the author was speaking of when he wrote about clinging to the testimonies of God. We can cling to God’s word because it is perfect (Psalm 18:30). It makes wise the simple (Psalm 19:7). It is trustworthy and reliable (Proverbs 30:5). God’s words are a source of strength and encouragement (Romans 15:4). It cleanses and renews us (Ephesians 5:26).  And just like Mike would remind me that he wouldn’t be gone forever, God’s testimonies remind us that Jesus isn’t going to be gone forever either—He is coming back (John 14:3)!

To sum up, I think being clingy gets a bad rap sometimes. It’s okay to be clingy if you’re clinging to the right object. And Psalm 33:4 says, “For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in faithfulness.”

Consider this blog license to cling.

In my recent studies of Colossians, especially the “Christ Hymn” in 1:15–20, I’ve been reminded just how many names, titles, and descriptions we use to talk about Jesus.

For starters, there’s his name: Jesus. It’s the name given to him at birth. We often say it means “God is salvation” or “the Lord saves,” and that’s true, but it really wasn’t until his death and resurrection that the full weight of that name came into focus. He is Jesus, the one who saves, because saving is what he actually does.

Then there’s the title Christ. We say “Jesus Christ” so naturally that it’s easy to forget how loaded that title really is. Even his own disciples struggled to understand it. Peter famously declares, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16), but even then they didn’t yet grasp that this Christ would be a suffering Messiah. A crucified Christ wasn’t what anyone expected, yet that’s exactly how Paul would later describe him: “Christ crucified” (1 Cor 1:23). A Jesus who saves, and a Christ who is crucified, that’s already a lot packed into one name and one title.

When Paul writes to the Colossians, he says he’s sharing a mystery with them, things about Jesus that hadn’t been fully known before but were now being revealed. This Jesus, who is the Christ, is also Lord of all (Col 1:3). That raises an important question for us: Do we know him as the one who saves us, the one who suffered for us, and the one who now reigns over us as Lord? That’s a lot already, and Paul isn’t finished yet.

In the opening lines of the Christ Hymn, Jesus is called “the Son” and “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15). Those phrases point directly to his divinity, God made visible, God in the flesh. As such, he’s also described as the Creator and Sustainer of all things (Col 1:16–17). That alone is enough to make you stop and catch your breath, but again, that’s still not the whole picture.

Later in the hymn, Paul calls him the “head of the body, that is, the church” (Col 1:18). At first glance, that might sound like a step down from being divine Creator, but it really isn’t. To be the head of the church is to be the author and perfecter of our salvation. The one through whom all things were created is also the one who reconciles all things back to God. In that sense, he’s not only the Creator, he’s also the Re-Creator, actively bringing his good creation to its intended fulfillment.

Paul sums up this mystery with a stunning phrase: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27). The way I see it, this Jesus, who is the Christ, who has become our Lord, is also the divine, incarnate God who created all things and is now at work re-creating all things. And that includes me. It includes my own ongoing transformation into his likeness and glory. That’s why “Christ living in you” really is the hope of glory.

So, in a nutshell, Jesus truly is everything to us. When we slow down and unpack the names, titles, and descriptions Scripture gives us, we start to see just how true that claim really is. He really, truly is everything.

Praise be to God!!!

More than anything, my mom wanted my brother and me to know how much we were loved. She would hug us and tell us all the time how much she loved us. Every text and email ended with hearts and “LYVVVVM!” I know her prayers were infused with this plea:  that her children would know how loved we are. When she died in October, the one who loved me longest simply vanished. The grief has been profound. A gaping hole was left in my life that I hadn’t known she filled.

But a remarkable thing has happened! In the flowing tears and in the anguish of loss, God has not only been comforting and bringing peace to my heart; He has been showing me in breathtaking new ways how deeply, how fully, He loves us. He’s pulling back the veil that’s been over my eyes, shrouding my life in a lack of understanding His profound love. His love is so, so deep! 

One of my favorite things to share in a sympathy card is these words of a hymn:

Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus—
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free—
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me
Is the current of His love—
Leading onward, leading homeward
To His glorious rest above.

But I don’t know if I ever really got it. It was more like wistful thoughts along the lines of, “That would be nice if He did love us that much.” But the more I study His word to us, all the things He wants to communicate to us, His love is right there!

He describes Himself as, “Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with UNFAILING LOVE and faithfulness. I LAVISH unfailing love to a thousand generations…” (Ex. 34:6-7a)

The psalmist describes Him, “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and ABOUNDING IN LOVING DEVOTION.” (Ps. 145:8)

We are encouraged to, “Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his STEADFAST LOVE endures forever!” (Ps. 106:1)

“The LOVE of God has been POURED OUT within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us”, indwelling us and giving us hope. (Rom 5:5)

In fact, John was not exaggerating when he wrote the simple sentence, “God is love.” (1 Jn. 4:16) He cannot do anything other than love us because that is His nature; He can’t act in opposition to His essence. I don’t know about you, but I’ve needed to understand this my whole life. It’s strange that it took the death of my mom, the one who prayed fervently that we would know we are loved, for her prayer to be answered.

I’ll close with one verse to a hymn that speaks eloquently of God’s unfathomable love, “The Love of God”:

Could we with ink the ocean fill
and were the skies of parchment made,
were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill
and ev’ry man a scribe by trade,
to write the love of God above
would drain the ocean dry;
nor could the scroll contain the whole,
tho' stretched from sky to sky.

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure:
the saints’ and angels’ song!

May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Eph. 3:18-19)                       

                                         

I want to thank Eric Fields for his excellent Sunday school lessons this winter as we have looked at two of Paul’s prison epistles, Philippians and Colossians. Until recently, my favorite Book of the New Testament was Galatians. A clear presentation of God’s grace doing for us what I could never do myself. After this short study of Colossians, I’m now challenged by the significance of the Church.

Paul’s letters often start with a declaration of Jesus deity and authority so having this beautiful summary in Colossians 1:13-18 is consistent but the content of Paul’s praise is overwhelming:
             
In vs 1;16-18, Paul tells us that 1) Jesus was God; He created everything that ever was. 2) Jesus is God; Jesus is sustaining everything He ever made. And finally, 3) Jesus will continue to be God to the end when everything is subject to Him - that is our eternal hope.

But what caught my attention in Eric’s study was that Jesus is the head of the church. In the past I’ve downplayed, skipped over, or not understood that truth as I should. Jesus is the head of an important entity that He has dedicated to a task. Jesus is the head of the body of believers that represent Him on earth - the Church.

Dr. John Dyer developed a Y’all Bible version that is now available on YouVersion free to download. This version of the Bible translates every “you” into the singular or plural version of “you” based on the translation of the original language. For every plural use of you, Dr. Dyer used Y’all.

As you read through the rest of Colossians, the majority of the time Paul says “you”, it is properly translated y’all. Each time you read y’all, that is a statement, command, or a promise to the believers (plural) at Colossi. And by inference, these are not personal promises (although some are repeated elsewhere in Scripture to individuals) but these promises to the church at Colossi in chapter 1 include:
- Jesus delivered us from the dominion of darkness (1:13)
- Jesus reconciled y’all in the body of his flesh to present y’all blameless (1:22)
- God was pleased to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the ethnic groups, which is Christ in y’all, the hope of glory (1:27)

Jesus loves you individually. But there is a mystery that God has revealed for these last days. Jesus loves the world and He does so through the church - Christ in y’all, the hope of glory.

Please pray for Faith Bible Church. Pray that in 2026 we can reveal, in word and deed, the mystery that Jesus is, was, and will be our hope of glory. Happy New Year!

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways.”

This is the Lord’s declaration.

“For as heaven is higher than earth,
so my ways are higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Isaiah 55:8–9, CSB

As I was working through Genesis and thinking about Joseph’s life, Joseph had everything going for him growing up. He was from a wealthy family, he was his father’s favorite son, and he was born of his father’s treasured wife. All that changed when Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery and he was taken to Egypt. I wonder if I would have stayed the course in faith, in spite of the terrible change in circumstances that Joseph experienced. Then things were looking up as Joseph faithfully worked for Potiphar, and Joseph was promoted to a position of great responsibility. But then Potiphar’s wife made false accusations that sent him to prison. While in prison, Joseph remained faithful, and then God ultimately made him second in command to Pharaoh, which led to the rescue of both Israel and Egypt.

Or think about Abraham. God sent Abraham away from his homeland with a promise of a land and of numerous offspring. But Abraham spent many years in the wilderness and did not get to see the full realization of all God’s promises during his lifetime. Yet Abraham remained faithful.

Or think about David. After being anointed by Samuel, David served Saul faithfully. Yet in spite of David’s service to a madman, David found himself running for his very life from Saul for a long time. Yet David too remained faithful.

Or even think about the timing of when God sent Jesus to save all mankind through his death and resurrection. There were many generations where people had to look forward in faith to God’s salvation in spite of their present circumstances.

It is so easy for me to have a short view of things when facing circumstances that are not of my choosing. It is easy for me to say, “Woe is me!” or wonder if God really has me in His hands. But as I see God’s plan unfold through the Bible, I can take the long view of things. “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28, CSB).” This reminds me to remain faithful to Him, to trust Him, to rest in Him and not be anxious, and to obey Him even when that does not seem like the most favorable option at the time.

Praise God that His ways are higher than our ways and that He will work all things—even the difficult circumstances—together for our good!

Pastor Mike asked us if we have experienced total darkness.  I have. I did a college internship at Eastman Kodak in Rochester, NY. I was given the responsibility of testing a newly designed machine made to age 35mm motion picture film. What they were trying to accomplish was by applying heat, humidity and time for up to 3 hours to duplicate in days or weeks the results of the condition of the same film type that had been in storage vaults for years. This machine produced all the conditions internally within its closed system, but the new, unexposed film had to be installed in total darkness--not the red light of the developing lab but TOTAL darkness. The film case was light-tight and could only be opened in the room with all lights off.

I had to manually open the case, find the end of the film, attach the leader in the machine to the end of the 1000-foot reel of film by stapling the ends together, make sure the film went into the machine properly and start the process in total darkness. When the lead end of the film was nearly finished coming out of the machine at the prescribed time, it was cut off the leader and attached to an empty reel for capture. There was another 2-minute period while the film was still processing, another leader was attached to the trail end of the film and run completely through the machine to complete the process and provide a leader for the next roll. All this was done in the dark! I had to train on how to operate in the dark moving from end to end of the machine and most of all where to place the tools used so that I could find them. Misplacing necessary items meant possibly a failed test and a day’s work could be ruined.

The training had to be done in the light to practice and visualize the location of all aspects of the procedures necessary to complete the task. We have been given the Scriptures and teachers to instruct us on how to operate when it is “dark.”

If I lie down, I say, 'When will I arise?', and the night stretches on and I toss and turn restlessly until the day dawns.  Job 7:4 NET

Trouble can take our eyes off biblical truth and on to self.

We must learn and utilize the power of God in our every day lives in good times and in our trials. It is hard to learn during a trial. That is when it is time to recall and activate the promises that you have learned.

The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to the one who seeks him. It is good to wait patiently for deliverance from the Lord.  Lam 3:25-26 NET

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of
his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you
out of darkness into his marvelous light.  1 Peter 2:9 NET

By the power of the Spirit, we can confidently take our next steps (Ps. 119:105).

Most families are quirky – at least in some ways. It’s what makes their family special, or unique. Some of these oddities especially appear when in the car. Some families try to see license plates from all 50 states. Some play games, like “20 questions”, “I Spy”, or the  “alphabet game”, where people try to sequentially see all 26 letters in the alphabet. Some listen to audio books, or sing and dance to their favorite music stream.

And then there’s my family.

While we have indulged in all of the above activities, we have a “special” tradition for December—one that outsiders might consider charming… or chaotic… or the reason they would choose to take separate cars if we were driving somewhere together. Anytime we spot a house with Christmas lights, the first person to yell, “It’s Christmas!” gets a point. There are no official scorecards, no trophies, and no running leaderboard. That doesn’t stop the competition (in our competitive family) from reaching Olympic levels of intensity.

By mid-December, our vehicle sounds like a heated auction where the only acceptable bid is shouting “IT’S CHRISTMAS!” at the top of your lungs. An inflatable “Bumble” (from Rudolph) can set off a chain reaction as long as it’s lit. A twinkling tree in a front window is enough to make everyone sit forward like sprinters waiting for the starting gun. And if we turn onto a particularly festive street, all civility breaks down. It makes daytime drives boring and sad in comparison – when the front yards’ inflatable snowmen aren’t inflated it looks like a Christmas graveyard of snowmen melted into puddles.

Our tradition may not be normal—but it’s ours. And honestly, it’s fun.

But all this light-spotting has a way of pointing me toward something deeper. Years ago, when I was flying regularly, I always loved the view at night—especially in December. Runways outlined with crisp white lights, taxiways glowing with calm blue, and neighborhoods beneath the aircraft twinkling like patchwork constellations of decorations. From the air, Christmas lights take on a whole new beauty. You see not just a house or two, but the entire sweep of brightness breaking into the darkness.

That big-picture view reminds me of a far greater Light—one not made of LEDs or strands of light wrapped around trees, but One who entered the world to bring true illumination. John says it plainly: “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man” (John 1:9).

Jesus didn’t just appear; He entered our darkness. The Light of the world took on flesh and blood as a baby. He came so we could see God—not in shadows or guesses or distant impressions, but clearly. Personally. Beautifully.

And Scripture tells us that when we truly see Him, something happens in us: Seeing Him transforms us.
 
Paul writes that as we behold His glory, we are “transformed from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Little by little as we look to Christ, His character shapes ours. His light pushes back our darkness. His beauty transforms our lives.  One day (and I’m still pulling for the rapture to happen soon) when we see Him face to face, “we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). The sight of Jesus will complete what the Spirit has already begun.

So yes, our family may shout “It’s Christmas!” at every lit-up Rudolph or Frosty, but all those bright dots on dark streets—whether viewed from a vehicle or from 10,000 feet in the air—are just small reminders of the One true Light who came for us.

As we enter this Advent season, may your heart be filled with the wonder of His grace. May you see Him more clearly—His love, His character, His mercy, His truth. May that clear vision spark the kind of awe and transformation that only the Light of Christ can bring. Because in the truest sense, because of Him… it really is Christmas.

Have you tried something new or had an idea of how you might serve in ministry but when you tried to get started, the way forward was blocked? I read Acts 16 today and it says that Paul and Silas were blocked from ministry. They tried another place and the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. This got me to thinking, what was the blockage? Paul had already endured opposition, persecution, death threats and even stoning on this missionary journey. So it does not make sense that the blockage was persecution. Maybe a bridge was out, the roads were closed, or the buses were not running. Verse 6-7 say that Jesus and Holy Spirit kept them from going where they thought should. But how did Paul get these messages? It seems like he and Silas had a plan, tried to make it work, but something got in the way. Considering Paul’s boldness in both past and future opportunities from this point, the issue was certainly not that Paul was afraid to preach the gospel in the face of opposition. But something kept Paul and Silas from their intended plan and they instinctively saw God at work in it. 1 John 4:1 says “do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God”. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says to "Test everything; hold fast to what is good”. Both of these verses give us insight into discerning how to proceed in life and in ministry. We must critically evaluate the opportunities we have and the plans we make, holding them up to the light of Scripture. We must ask ourselves, and God, if the situation aligns with God’s character and his Word. And when the opportunity or ministry really seems to align but still we cannot make progress. Maybe God is telling us to try another way. Paul seems to have made a fairly quick decision to change routes and head for Troas. There, he had a clear calling of what he should do next. My observation is that we keep moving in ministry, always testing to see that we are aligned with God’s guidance, and when things stop or start to slow down, be ready to adjust course.

Recently, there were political protests and rallies around the country whose name caught my attention—the “No Kings” protests.  At its root, the protest is against authority, a “you can’t tell me what to do, I’ll do what I want” resistance to the political agenda that is currently in office.  But when you dig further, it isn’t that they really want “No Kings”, they want kings of their own choosing (usually themselves!) and the ability to control things to get the outcomes they desire, even to the point of restricting others and placing limits on them, just as they are protesting the limits that they are experiencing.

Thinking about this, I remembered that biblically, this isn’t a new thing. In the last five chapters of Judges (17-21), we see a very similar situation.  In these chapters, there’s a common refrain—“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted”—at the beginning (17:6) as well as the very last verse of Judges (21:25).  Also, the observation “In those days there was no king in Israel” is repeated in 18:1 and 19:1.  As you read through these chapters, you encounter several odd and even some shocking behaviors, but all share the common thread, “everyone did whatever he wanted.”

To say that we have “no king” and to believe that we can be in control is a repudiation of God’s sovereignty.  It’s the kind of thinking and behavior that we expect from those who hold the world’s values, such as the nations that surrounded Israel in Judges; however, it wasn’t the nations surrounding Israel that Judges is speaking of—it is Israel itself, the people of God and their relationship to God.  Nor is it limited to the Old Testament. As Paul expresses in Rom 6:15-23, all of us are under the control and thus serving, one of two options (and there are only two!)  Either we’re enslaved to sin, obeying its desires, or we become slaves to God, walking in righteous obedience to Him.

Unfortunately, Israel continued pursuing their own desires—eventually desiring a king but still not their true king.  In 1 Sam 8, is the story of Israel demanding a king from Samuel.  The situation was precipitated by Samuel’s age and the behavior of his sons—they didn’t walk in his ways, they turned toward dishonest gain, took bribes and perverted justice.  “Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have…”  Samuel considered their demand sinful, so he prayed to the Lord.  But the Lord told him, ‘Listen to the people and everything they say to you.  They have not rejected you—they have rejected Me as their king.”  Samuel then, at God’s instruction, explained the implications and realities that their request would result in.  But in v 19, “The people refused to listen to Samuel.  No! they said.  We must have a king over us.  Then we’ll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles.”

The problem is that sin has a peculiar way of using deception to make us think that we’re serving God when we are actually serving our own desires.  In Jer 2:5-37, Jeremiah graphically points this out.  God’s perspective is that Israel was following worthless idols and becoming worthless themselves (v 5), causing God to exclaim, “Has any nation ever exchanged its gods? … Yet My people have exchanged their Glory (God) for useless idols (v 11).  Rather than being “horrified at this, shocked and utterly appalled” at the enormity of their apostasy, as Jeremiah was, they were unaware of their offense, in which they acted even more faithlessly than the nations around them. They had abandoned the Lord--in spite of being set free from captivity by God, they “insisted, I will not serve!” (v 20)
God’s perspective was that they had sinned by following other gods (which weren’t really gods) but Israel disagreed, and protested, offering their own viewpoint—in v 23, “I am not defiled, I have not followed the Baals.” And later, in verse 35, “I am innocent… I have not sinned.”  In their minds, they were still worshipping God (ritually) but their hearts were far from Him.

Isaiah presents a similar picture in chapter 53, placing the responsibility for Jesus’ suffering and death directly on all of us.  But we see it as God’s doing—“but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down and afflicted by God, v 4.”  Isaiah immediately corrects this perception, “but He was pierced because of our transgressions and crushed because of our iniquities, v 5.”  Why?  Because, “we all went astray like sheep, we all have turned to our own way.”  Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?  Not only in Judges but also 1 Pet 2:24-25, “For you were like sheep going astray.”  Yet, in spite of all this—our rebellion—“He submitted Himself to death and was counted among the rebels, yet He bore the sin of many and interceded for the rebels (v 12.)”  See also 2 Cor 5:21.

The Reality—There is a King!

Is 43:15, “I am Yahweh, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.”  Is 44:6, “This is what the Lord, the King of Israel and its Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts, says:  I am the first and I am the last.  There is no God but Me… vv 8-9, You are My witnesses?  Is there any God but Me?  There is no other Rock; I do not know any.  All who make idols are nothing and what they treasure does not profit…”

God is after a people who set themselves to seek His righteousness—that seek the treasure that does profit.  That’s the entire point of the gospel.  We were going our own way and it wasn’t going to end well.  But our King also is our Redeemer—“who existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.  Instead, He emptied Himself… (Ph 2:6-11)  He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness (1 Pet 2:24-25). He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him 2 Cor 5:21).”

“For this reason, God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow…”  Let us bow our knees in humble obedience to His desires, His plans, following in Jesus’ steps—speaking His words and doing His works as Jesus did in submission to His Father.  We have a King—JESUS!

Recently Pastor Mike preached from Mark 13. At the beginning of that chapter Jesus’ disciples commented to Him about the magnificent temple complex. He replied that the buildings would be completely demolished—in fact, not one stone would be left on top of another. That happened in A.D. 70 when the Roman army invaded Jerusalem. (I understand it was rumored that gold was hidden in the walls, so the Roman soldiers tore the walls apart, looking for the gold.)

That magnificent complex, which had been erected by King Herod, was the latest in a series of temples beginning with the one that had been built centuries earlier by King Solomon. Solomon’s temple, in turn, replaced the tabernacle erected under the leadership of Moses, following directions given to him by God. One thing I find fascinating about the tabernacle is that, according to Hebrews 8:2-5, it was only a copy of the “true tabernacle” in Heaven. Further, the priests who served in it, and the system of worship in which they served, was an illustration of the current ministry of Jesus, the Great High Priest, now in Heaven.

The thesis of the book of Hebrews is that Jesus’ priesthood is superior to the Old Testament priesthood. Under that priesthood, people came to God through the priests. That priesthood, which was temporary and limited, pointed to the eternal priesthood of Jesus that was to come (and now has!). Jesus’ priesthood now extends to us as believers, and opens the way for us to come to God directly.

According to 1 Cor. 6:19-20, as believers our bodies are “the temple of the Holy Spirit," and 1 Peter 2:5-9 describes us as “living stones” being built into a spiritual house and a “royal priesthood” to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” So rather than a physical temple, we each are “temples” here on earth. And as “believer-priests,” we each can approach God directly through our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, in whose priesthood we share by serving God and others. And all this is possible because Jesus “is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.” (Heb. 7:25).

What a privilege—and responsibility—we have as “believer-priests”! May we not take lightly all that God has done for us, and serve Him whole-heartedly, sharing His Good News with others, calling them out of darkness!

Do you tend to skim through familiar, often-quoted Bible passages? I confess that sometimes I do. But when I came to "the love chapter" (Ch. 13) in 1 Corinthians recently, I marked vs. 4-7 for my morning devotional.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

I usually think of this passage in terms of loving my husband and those near to me. But what if I apply it to loving my "enemy", perceived and real? Sometimes the person I perceive to be my enemy is simply a grumpy cashier or the pushy young salesman in Costco. Or even a thoughtless person in a Zoom meeting who discounts my ideas. Other times, my enemy is real, such as an abuser. But in all cases, I need to remember that if I don’t love others I am nothing. (vs.2) That’s pretty harsh. But Paul is clear when he says, “If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.”

To further aid in understanding what love looks like, what if we use the positive antonyms of the negative words and phrases? So instead of “is not irritable,” we say, “is pleasant”.

Loving my enemy then looks like this:
Love is…
patient
kind
content
modest
humble
polite
yielding
pleasant
forgiving
merciful
just
persevering
pursuing
hopeful
enduring.

WOW. Wow!

This describes Jesus, doesn’t it? Oh, how I want it to describe me too!

Father, help me to see Jesus this way, and help me to walk this way with Him. I pray that You will show me when I am failing to love. Empower me by Your Holy Spirit to be patient and kind. Help me to be content, modest, humble, and polite. Remind me to be yielding instead of insisting on my own way. May I be pleasant and always forgiving. Enable me to be merciful and just. And grow in me the ability to be persevering, pursuing, hopeful, and enduring through every circumstance.