Ponder These Things

"And all those who heard it marveled at those

things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things and pondered

them in her heart."

     Luke 2:19 (NKJV)

Christmas comes and goes in a rush, but the Bible invites us to ponder the truths of the season in our hearts long after Christmas is over for the year.  Mary heard what the angel Gabriel said about her coming Son, what the shepherds proclaimed they had heard and seen about the baby Jesus, and also the prophecy of Simeon and Anna's testimony about the Messiah, and she "kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." 

Although Scripture doesn't tell us exactly how much Mary comprehended then, she must have realized the importance of this Child and His role in God's plan. Surely, these things stayed with her as she watched Jesus grow and then die in accordance with that plan. And no doubt, these things had a big impact on her faith and walk with God.

What take-aways from Christmas are you pondering in your heart?  God's amazing love, the humility and obedience of Jesus, His self-sacrifice by coming to earth for us?  The joy and peace we know because Jesus is our Immanuel, God with us?  Not only should we treasure these precious truths, but they should cause us to walk with Him in greater devotion because Jesus is our example.

Thursday Devotional - Christmas Peace?

Did you have a peaceful Christmas yesterday? I don’t think the first Christmas was peaceful. Ours started out peaceful, but it didn’t end peaceful.

James had an asthma attack that started just before bed and lasted many hours before he could finally calm down and sleep. Joe and I tried numerous things (inhaler/nebulizer/motrin/wedge under his mattress/chest massages/vapor rub/hot water to drink/standing on the front porch in the cold, etc.). Some of it would seem to help, but a few minutes later he was gasping for breath and coughing non-stop all over again. I kept praying for wisdom. Many times I told God I didn’t know what else to do and asked if we needed to go to the ER. I felt we had tried all we knew, but then He’d give one of us something else to try. Finally, after 3 different wedges, a final glass of hot water, and scratching his head, James started breathing well enough to fall asleep and stay asleep for several hours.

It was hard not to be afraid, but I knew God was with us and would give us direction. It made me think of the following promises of Jesus:

John 14:27    ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 16:33    ³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Whether you had what you would define as a peaceful Christmas, we can all claim the peace God offers. Most importantly, He offers eternal spiritual peace. He also offers emotional peace, when we look to Him for direction. He is Immanuel – God with us!

Alice

The Life of Christ

Luke 23:44-49

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.  Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”  When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.  But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

As we approach Christmas day, we think about the birth of Christ.  It is a joyous time of year.  However, as we read through the book of Luke, as I have been using this month, we are now at the point of Christs death.  While the birth of Christ is a joyous time, it really has little meaning if the rest of the life of Christ is not included. It was Christ’s death and resurrection that really gives us the hope for our future.

During this time that we are celebrating the first breath of the baby Jesus, I want to encourage us to not forget the last breath of Christ as well. 

Father God, thank you for sending your son to earth to save us.  It is during this time that we celebrate the birth of this precious baby, who was sent to us through a miraculous birth.  Not one of us wants to think about the death of someone when they are born, however it is not through the birth of Christ alone that we have hope.  It is through the life of Christ, his death and his resurrection that gives us the forgiveness and the hope for our own future.  Help us today to remember the entire life of Christ this week.

Life Verses

"Nevertheless, I am continually with You;

You hold me by my right hand,

You will guide me with Your counsel,

And afterward receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but You?

And there is none upon earth

That I desire besides You.

My flesh and my heart fail,

But God is the strength of my heart

And my portion forever."

    Psalm 73:23-26 (NKJV)

I attended Hannah's funeral this week at my local church.  I never met her because she was home-bound for several years before she died, but I got to know her a bit by reading her autobiography.  She lived an interesting but difficult life as a refugee in Nazi Germany and then as an immigrant in the U.S. but God brought her through it all.  According to Hannah's wishes, the above verses were the basis for the sermon at her funeral.  Pastor explained that these verses were given to her during her training as a deaconess nurse and they became her life verses.

A number of different passages of Scripture are extra special to me and these life verses of Hannah's are now included. Their wonderful promises really spoke to my heart.  During our lives, God is continually with us and guides us with His counsel. Then when we die, He receives us to glory.  What more could we desire than Him?

I have such peace knowing that when I fail, when my flesh is weak, God is the strength of my heart and He never fails.  He is all that I need, my portion forever---He provides for me in this life and in the life to come.  It's all God's doing.  I just trust Him and receive by faith everything from His gracious hand.  

What a blessing to look back on your life and see God's hand at work in all your seasons, to know that God has been with you each step of the way, and that His faithfulness has been confirmed again and again. 

Thursday Devotional - Our 2019 Christmas Letter/Pictures

John 1:1-4     In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

I pray you are experiencing life in Him this Christmas! This summer we as a family worked on memorizing the first part of John 1. We made it through verse 8, but I had hoped to make it through verse 12! 😉  

James (7) is in first grade. He is progressing in gymnastics and has used his gym time to intentionally talk about God with his gym buddies and coach! He started piano lessons with me, partially because he already plucked out familiar songs by ear. At his own initiative, James was baptized in September by Joe, which was joyful.

Sarah (5) is in young fives each morning. She is also progressing in gymnastics. She loves to dance and sing with or without music. She learned how to ride a “two-wheeler” as she called it (when James gave her a rough push!). She faithfully prays for the needs in our extended family.

We went on a family vacation with Joe’s family to Myrtle Beach back-to-back with my family vacation to Colorado Springs. It was a first airplane flight for the kids, and everyone on the plane knew it! Joe and I got altitude sickness climbing Pikes Peak with my sister and 2 brothers-in-law. We both turned around at over 11,000 ft. (10 miles up). God helped us survive sleet and lightening on the way down!

May we all look to Christ for Joy this Christmas!

Alice

Christmas Preparations

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord;

A highway for our God.

Every valley shall be exalted

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked places shall be made straight

And the rough places smooth;

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,

And all flesh shall see it together;

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’”

     Isaiah 40:3-5 (NKJV)

Christmas plans are in full swing with decorating, baking, gift buying, planning and attending parties, concerts and special church services.  But Scripture speaks of a more important kind of preparation for Christmas.

John the Baptist was called to prepare the way for the Lord, to get the people ready to receive Jesus as their Savior.  That kind of preparation is needed today as well. The hustle and bustle of this season affects just about everyone and yet how many understand the real meaning of Christmas?  How many actually know Jesus as Immanuel, God with us?  

People may avoid the controversy with a non-offending Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings, but the fact is that Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas. This past Sunday, our pastor challenged us to ask at least one person during this Christmas season what Jesus means to him or her.  Whatever the response, it is an opportunity to speak of our gracious Savior and the reason for the hope and joy we have at this time and all year long.

We can help prepare the way for the birth of our dear Lord by sharing His light and His love, especially with those who are in darkness.  And pray that their hearts are prepared to receive Him.

Thursday Devotional (for 11/14/19) - Prayer for Boldness and Power

After Peter and John were released from prison, do you think they stopped talking about Jesus, as the religious leaders commanded them to do? And what do you think they prayed about?

Acts 4:23-24 and 29-31 ²³ On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴ When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them… ²⁹ Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. ³⁰ Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

³¹ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

I found it interesting that Peter and John didn’t pray for protection. Rather, they prayed for boldness and power for the sake of God’s reputation!!!

A couple weeks ago I was nervous for an outside meeting. I prayed for boldness to lovingly speak the truth, even if other people didn’t agree. I anticipated differences of opinions. It was hard not to think about my own reputation and what other people thought of me.

Where else do you and I need to focus on God and His reputation rather than our own? Let’s pray for boldness and power so His name is praised!!!  

Alice

Thursday Devotional (for 11/21/19) - Harsh or a Second Chance?

Acts 5:1-2      Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. ² With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Ananias and Sapphira did more than lie and act stingy. They wanted glory for themselves (see this passage in light of the end of chapter 4). It was about them and not God. Peter confronted Ananias and he immediately died. Then…

Acts 5:7-11    ⁷ About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”

⁹ Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”

¹⁰ At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹ Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

Does this seem harsh? When first reading it, it may. However, notice how Peter gives Sapphira a second chance. He gives her an opportunity to repent and tell the truth.    

Recently, I gave one of my kids an opportunity to tell their story a second time, with accurate facts. In “fixing” their story, the consequence was different than it would have been. We again talked about how lying and any sin is ultimately against God and nothing gets by Him!

What sin do you and I need to acknowledge, repent of, and turn from? Who is the sin really against? Who else is affected? How can God’s presence and power help so you and I can continue to grow? You and I can fearlessly ask God to reveal sin because He will forgive. He also offers a way out, help to turn from it, and help to replace it.

Alice

Thursday Devotional (for 12/5/19) - God's Purposes in Persecution

We saw Peter and John released from prison a few weeks back, but it didn’t take long for the religious leaders to arrest them again.

Acts 5:12, 14, 17-21             ¹² The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade… ¹⁴ Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number…

¹⁷ Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. ¹⁸ They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. ¹⁹ But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. ²⁰ “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”

²¹ At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

God could have prevented them from getting arrested in the first place, but He had a purpose in allowing it. His power and presence was seen and felt as His angel released them. Then, the testimony of the apostles in the temple courts was that much more powerful! The rest of chapter 5 also reveals many other purposes God had for their arrest.

My son, James, asked many of the boys in his gymnastics class the other day if they knew God. No one responded positively. They either said God didn’t exist or just made a silly comment (including one of the coaches saying God was just like sand). Like James, I haven’t been arrested for my faith, but I’ve certainly been laughed at and opposed.

Maybe some of you have truly been persecuted for talking about Jesus. Or, maybe our biggest challenges are being bold in the face of laughter and opposition. We have access to God’s unstoppable power! How will you and I trust His power and recognize His presence in spite of opposition, challenges, hardship, and distractions? We don’t need to look at persecution or opposition as a negative thing. God works His purposes through it. Like the apostles, we’re called to obey.

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Rejoice in Persecution?

God miraculously freed the apostles from prison so they could continue telling people about their new life in Christ. However, they were persecuted even worse the next time.

Acts 5:27-33   ²⁷ The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. ²⁸ “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

²⁹ Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! ³⁰ The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. ³¹ God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. ³² We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

³³ When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 

As the Sanhedrin met to decide their punishment, they decided to have the apostles flogged instead of killed (vs. 34-40). The Sanhedrin gave the apostles orders again to not to speak about Jesus.

God had specifically told the apostles to go back to the temple to share the good news. They could have wondered why God would allow their arrest again (with flogging this time) after they obediently did exactly what He told them to do. However, instead of questioning God or getting mad at Him, they rejoiced.

Acts 5: 41-42 ⁴¹ The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. ⁴² Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Do you and I rejoice when we face difficulties with something God has specifically asked us to do? I know I don’t. I do pray for help, express my confusion to God and ask for eyes to see how He might use the difficulty (such as with being told we had to move the “See You at the Pole” offsite earlier this year).

Like the apostles, let’s obediently and joyfully persevere in what God has asked us to do, no matter what persecution, opposition or challenge comes our way. He can help us rejoice through it and see the blessings!  

Alice

God in the Unseen

“We do not look at the things which

are seen, but at the things which are not seen.

For the things which are seen are temporary, but

the things which are not seen are eternal.”

     2 Corinth. 4:18 (NKJV)

I had the pleasure of hearing the other day from a missionary who was temporarily back in Minnesota.  She has served for a number of years in the Middle East and it was so encouraging to hear her testimony from that part of the world.  She shared the above passage of Scripture to remind us how God is at work. 

So much of our world is in turmoil today, with violence and protests happening in so many places, with countless numbers of people fleeing war-torn countries, seeking refuge from their troubles. If we view the world from our natural eyes, we may wonder where God is in all the suffering and injustice. It can be overwhelming and discouraging to see all this chaos and despair on the news, yet in the midst of it all, God is reaching people and meeting them in their need.  We serve a great God, whose purposes are not being thwarted by evil and wickedness.  The mainstream secular media doesn’t report that so we may need to seek out Christian sources to hear these stories. 

God is sovereign and He is working out His plan to save and redeem among the headlines and in the heartache of people.  God is using missionaries and new Christians in these often hostile countries to tell others about Jesus, the Gospel is spreading, prayers are being answered, awakenings are happening, people are finding peace in souls and healing for their trauma. 

We look at the things that are not seen, at the eternal because that is where faith resides, that is where God is at work.  Amen.

Life of Christ Challenge

Today I want to do something different.  I’d like to challenge you to start reading a chapter in the book of Luke each day.  We are already a day behind so this will take you through Christmas.  If you start December 1st with reading a book in Luke each day, by Christmas Eve, you will have read the full account of Christ’s life here on earth.  How much more meaningful would Christmas then be? 

Today, being December 2nd, I’d like to share Luke 2:

Luke 2 

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), ²⁴ and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation,
³¹     which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶ There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. ³⁸ Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

³⁹ When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. ⁴² When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰ But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Satisfaction in Obedience

“In the meantime, His disciples urged Him, saying, ‘Rabbi, eat.’

But He said to them, ‘I have food to eat of which you do not know.’

Therefore, the disciples said to one another, ‘Has anyone

brought Him anything to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food

is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.’”

     John 4:31-34 (NKJV)

As we’ve just finished celebrating Thanksgiving, with its emphasis on food as well as thanks, I was struck by the above passage. I’ve read it before but it really jumped out at me this week.  Jesus considered obedience to the Father’s will and doing His work as His food.  One of my study Bibles indicates about this passage that when Jesus talked with the Samaritan woman (John 4:7-26), He was performing the Father’s will and thereby received greater sustenance and satisfaction than mere physical food could offer Him.  I don’t know about you, but that is very convicting to me.

God places heavy emphasis on obedience, stating that “to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22, NKJV)  Of course, no matter how hard we try, we will never exhibit perfect obedience as Jesus did. But that should be our heart’s desire, to obey our Lord.  We can find true and lasting satisfaction in seeking to do His will more than any delicious Thanksgiving leftovers can provide.

Give thanks for that?

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

As we enter the week of Thanksgiving, we tend to start thinking about what we are thankful for.  You may see people thinking about this throughout November.  Maybe posting a daily post of one thing they are thankful for.  I know this has been me through the years.  I started thinking about this as reading in I Thessalonians.  We are not called to give thanks once a year or even one month a year.  We are called to give thanks in all circumstances. 

So, did you give thanks for that ticket you got?  Did you give thanks when you were disciplined for something?  How about when someone you loved was taken away from you? 

Times like these are harder to give thanks, yet we are called to give thanks in ALL circumstances. 

We are going to have some horrible times in our lives where we are still called to rejoice, pray and give thanks.  This is a challenge for sure.  Today, I want to challenge you to be more aware of ways that you can give thanks in all circumstances.

Contentment in Christ

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into this world, and

it is certain we can carry nothing out. And

having food and clothing, with these we shall

be content.”

      1 Timothy 6:6-8 (NKJV)

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we’re reminded to give thanks to God for His countless blessings in our lives.  And gratitude is certainly the attitude of heart we should consistently have, not only on Thanksgiving.  But it seems to me that contentment goes hand in hand with gratitude.  For while we thank God, how often are we truly satisfied with what we currently have?  There always seems to be more on our list of what we want or think we need. 

To paraphrase Charles Spurgeon, if we aren’t content with that we have, we will not be satisfied if it were doubled.  True contentment is in our mind, not in the extent of our possessions. That’s why contentment may be hard for us to gain and maintain, especially in our culture when we are daily bombarded with ads and media and other promotions of materialism.  We want the latest and newest things, or maybe it’s a change of circumstances we desire, thinking the grass is always greener somewhere else.

We don’t need to worry about our physical needs because God supplies us “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19, NKJV)  For most of us, however, our wants go beyond necessities and are really luxuries, things that are pleasurable and make our lives more fun and comfortable.  There is nothing wrong in having possessions or riches as long as we don’t have a love of money. (1 Timothy 6:10)  But we should be honest and acknowledge that our self-indulgent desire for more is really a sign of discontentment and dissatisfaction with what God has already so graciously provided for us.

When we find ourselves in that condition, we can confess our wrong attitude and ask God to cultivate true contentment in our hearts.  That comes when we remember that we have all that we need in Christ. 

Hate your parents

Luke 14:26

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”

The Sunday School lesson for my Jr High group this week used this verse.  The theme this week was our relationships with our parents.  Hate your parents?  Yes, we are told we must hate our parents to be a disciple of Christ.  Now does this really mean hate them the way that we think about hating someone?  No. 

Of course, what we were talking about here is that you cannot put your parents before Christ.  Christ must be above all our other relationship if we want to truly follow him. 

Think about the relationships that you have.  Do you ever put one of those relationships before Christ?  I know that I have a time or two.  As we go into the Holiday Season, it’s easy to get busy and push away from God, saying that we are just too busy right now.  I challenge you to think about this in the coming weeks.

Rest in Peace?

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever,

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so . . .

Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,

Bound in affliction and irons—

Because they rebelled against the words of God,

And despised the counsel of the Most High,

Therefore He brought down their heart with labor;

They fell down, and there was none to help.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

And He saved them out of their distresses.

He brought them out darkness and the shadow of death,

And broke their chains in pieces.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,

And for His wonderful works to the children of men!”

    Psalm 107: 1-2, 10-15 (NKJV)

An employee in the MSP cafeteria died unexpectedly the other day and there has been an outpouring of

commendation about her, remembering her warm smile and cheerful manner, and relating stories of her kindness. Many of the comments included the phrase “Rest in peace.”  Certainly, if she was a believer, I would rejoice that she is resting in peace with Jesus now.  Of course, only God knows for sure.  But apart from a personal faith in Him, her eternal state is not hopeful---regardless of how nice of a person she was and how well-liked.

Interestingly, in Sunday school this past week, the pastor spoke about grief.  He said that it’s common for people to talk about a person who dies as going to a “better place” or “resting in peace” because it’s too uncomfortable to talk or even think about the alternative.  But hell is a reality.  Fortunately, throughout the Bible, we see illustrations of God using grief for redemptive purposes, and pastor spoke of evangelistic conversations he has had when spending time with those who were grieving.

Death and funerals often bring opportunities to talk to the surviving family and friends about faith, maybe not right away but after the reality of the loss has set in.  We who are the redeemed of the Lord should speak of His abundant grace and rich mercy in saving us.  And when anyone cries out to the Lord, He will save them too and bring them out of darkness and the shadow of death.  That’s an amazing truth to share with someone who is grieving and bring them real comfort and hope.