Wednesday, December 25, 2024

King Herod's attempt to Prevent the Birth of the Messiah


In his book, Science Speaks, Peter Stoner applies the modern science of probability to just eight prophecies regarding Christ. He says, "The chance that any man might have ...fulfilled all eight prophecies is one in 10 to the 17th. That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000." (one hundred quadrillion) Stoner suggests that "we take 10 to the 17th silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state 2 feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly... Blindfold a man and tell him he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up [that one marked silver dollar.] What chance would he have of getting the right one?" Stoner concludes, "Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing those eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man,...providing they wrote them in their own wisdom."
-Peter Stoner, Science Speaks.

What we’re going to see today are a great deal of fulfilled prophecies, events in Jesus life that fulfilled things that were written about him hundreds of years before his birth. But that is not our main purpose today, our main purpose today is to view the birth of Jesus from a unique perspective.

We’ve examined the saga of the birth of Jesus from several different perspectives. First, we looked at Mary and how the pregnancy affected her life. We then examined how Joseph was affected and how his life was changed forever. Then we looked at the shepherds who were working that night when Jesus was born, and they went and saw the birth of Jesus.

Now we come to the moment just after the birth of Jesus, when a whole new set of people are going to come into the picture.

Previously we’ve been talking about average everyday people, Mary and Joseph, and the shepherds. Now, we’re going to see how the political elites and the expert class of society respond to the birth of Jesus.

As per usual, we are wanting to see ourselves in these events. The goal of this series, Living Christmas, is to see how we would react, and how these events impact our lives today.

Starting in Matthew chapter 2, verse 1, it says, “2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

We see here Magi, it’s a word that means an astrologer, not an astronomer, but an astrologer, a magician, someone making a practice of studying signs in the stars at night.

There’s so much we don’t understand about the magi, we know they were most likely oriental, from the eastern part of the world, and they were experts in their field of study. We know they saw a special star that led them to believe the Jewish messiah had been born. And they followed this star to Israel and met with King Herod who was in charge of the nation at that time.

Next, verses 3-4:

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.”

King Herod is deeply troubled. The word spread across the capital city of Jerusalem about this coming of the wise men. Herod called together all the leaders of the Jewish faith, for a special meeting.

Verse 5-6:

5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”

King Herod discovers that the messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Really what we’re witnessing here, is the efforts of the enemy in the world.

We have an enemy whose name is the devil, or Satan, which means “the adversary.” While God is at work in our lives, guiding us, helping us, protecting us, and building us, we have an enemy who seeks to deceive us, tear us down, disrupt our lives, and cause problems. His ultimate goal, as the enemy of our souls is to bring us to hell with him.

Satan would be able to say “mission accomplished” if you were to end up in hell after judgment day. He and his demons successfully deceived you, to bring you into the place of suffering with them.

They know they are doomed already, they can’t escape God’s judgment, though they believe their last hope is the anti-christ who will one day be born upon the earth, so in their madness and hatred and envy, they seek to see us destroyed.

Do not let the enemy deceive you. Herod attempts to deceive the magi.

Verses 7-8, “7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

The enemy is stirring up King Herod against the birth of the newborn Jesus. He is stirring up an enemy with the purpose of creating a string of events in the world that will destroy Jesus before he can complete his mission.

Next, verse 9-10: 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.”

The magi follow the pathway of the Lord. The star leads them to exactly where they are supposed to be. 

Similarly you and I can allow the star to lead us. Which star do you mean? The star of the Holy Spirit. We can let the Spirit lead us to where we’re supposed to be. Through prayer, and careful study of the word, daily devotions, and quiet time with God, the pathway will be clear.

The result in our hearts will be like the Wisemen: Joy.

Verses 11-12: 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”

This is the reason why many believe that there were 3 magi. We don’t actually get a number of the magi. But we do know there were three gifts. So it would make a certain amount of sense to say that each magi would want to bring their own gift. But we don’t know for certain there were really just three. There may have been more in the delegation.

Much has been said and written about the meaning of the gifts. They certainly are rich with meaning.

The gold represents the fact that Jesus is King, the promised king of Israel.

The frankincense represents Jesus’ deity, he is the Lord, God in human form, and incense represents the fragrance of the prayers of the many who longed for the coming of Jesus.

The myrrh represents Jesus’ mortality, he is a human being, the son of man, and chosen one to be offered as sacrifice for the sins of the world.

The magi worshiped the newborn Jesus. Only the Lord God almighty should be worshiped. That’s who Jesus is, the Lord of glory, born into human flesh. The star leads them to exactly where they belong, at the feet of Jesus.

Similarly, in our lives, if we allow the Spirit to lead us, the Spirit will lead us to Jesus time and time again. The Spirit always works to lead us closer and closer to our dear friend and Lord Jesus. His love is amazing!

Notice that these events with the magi took place after the birth of Jesus. Often in our Hollywood depictions and paintings and videos of the birth of Jesus, it’s pictured that the shepherds and the magi were there on the same night, but that isn’t actually correct.

That is where the story of the magi ends, they find the baby Jesus, they worship, they give gifts, and then they depart.

For the second half of the account, we’re going to see what Joseph and Mary had to do, to avoid the plot of the enemy against the newborn Jesus.

Verses 13-15 say this: 13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Again, we see prophecy being fulfilled, first Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Second, Jesus lived in Egypt. This could only happen by God’s command.

Again, I want you to notice the interplay between the attempts of Satan, and the workings of God.

Often in our lives, we will be doing what God wants us to do, but the enemy will attack and try to cause a problem or controversy, so if we’re wise believers, we turn to God in the struggle and ask God for help. Then God delivers us from the clutches of the enemy, after we’ve suffered for a short while, and leads us to safety.

The same thing happens here. Joseph and Mary obey God, Jesus is born, Herod attacks, the Lord leads them to safety in Egypt.

Next, verses 16-18:

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”[d]

Again, we see prophecy fulfilled. From the scroll of Jeremiah, a horrible thing occurs, Herod has all the children under 2 murdered in the city of Bethlehem. The city of Bethlehem had about 300 people living in it, so were talking of dozens of kids under the age of 2, most likely 10-20 children killed. It could’ve been more, we’re not certain. But any child so young dying is unthinkable.

This is the enemy’s work. And we see it in the world everyday, murders, violence, misery, suffering, abuse, and neglect.

Yet we have to remember what happened to those children after they were killed by Herod. They woke up in heaven. Babies go to heaven if they die. How do I know that?

2 Samuel 12:23, David speaks of his child who died, and he says, “I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” Meaning, David knows that he will see his child again when he dies.

That’s why I tell people who have lost children, you will see that child again, in heaven. Even if your beset with guilt over an abortion from your past life. You will see that child again as well. You will see them in heaven.

How do I know that? My grandma Pat when she was dying, she saw a little girl waiting for her. My aunt told me about it. My grandma’s first daughter had been stillborn. Yet she would see her again.

Sometimes when we get angry about the injustice of the world, we want to get mad at God. But that isn’t right. We need to see the eternal picture. They are not gone. If they knew Jesus, or died before the age of accountability, we will see them again in heaven. The spiritual world is real, as real as the physical.

Next, in verses 19-20:

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

Again, another visit from an angel, in a dream. God will speak to us in dreams, if he chooses to. Expect the unexpected. You never know what God might be saying to you, or calling you to. Now you shouldn’t attempt to interpret omens, or astrology, or tarot cards, or practice divination. Those things are strictly prohibited by the Bible, we should not seek hidden or secret knowledge. The scroll of Deuteronomy says that, chapter 14. We end up receiving from demons that way, and it corrupts our spirit. And why would we need to consult rocks or trees when we go directly to the God who made it all?

I recall I once had a tarot reading done, before I was a Christian, and I asked the question if I would ever be ok in my life. That’s how broken I was. And sure enough the answer foretold what seemed to be accurate things. Because its communion with demons, demons know things about our destiny and future. But we shouldn’t consult those things, we should consult God instead. And God will show us the pathway ahead.

I was always curious about those things, that’s our hunger for the spiritual and supernatural, but let God fulfill that longing for the supernatural, don’t seek it in places you shouldn’t be looking. God will give you dreams, visions, spiritual gifts, mountaintop experiences, and amazing experiences of His glory and love and power.

Joseph obeys the command of God.

Lastly, verses 21-23:21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.”

Joseph fears returning to Judea, so instead he goes to Galilee, again, warned in a dream, he went to Galilee, in a town called Nazareth. And again, this fulfilled the prophesy of scripture that say Jesus would be called a Nazarene.

Everything in it’s right place. Every prophecy of the Old Testament fulfilled about the birth of Jesus. Only God could do that. The things written about Jesus were written hundreds of years before Jesus was even born. It’s miraculous.

It should cause us to believe. It should cause us to be amazed. It should cause us to worship Jesus along with the magi.

When you go through spiritual warfare and are attacked by the enemy, recognize the process that happened in the birth of Jesus.

The victory comes through God.

The victory comes under attack by the enemy.

We face pain and struggle from the enemy.

We cry out to God in the pain and struggle.

God provides a way of escape from the enemy’s clutches.

God leads us to a safe place for a season.

When the enemy’s defeat is complete, we come home

We find ourselves in a new season at the conclusion of the trial. (paradise)

In conclusion today, in our mess, down here on Earth, Jesus comes and gets close to us in it.

“Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king. He loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived. He wanted to know about their hardships. Often he dressed in the clothes of a working man or a beggar, and went to the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited thought that he was their ruler. One time he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate. He spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left. Later he visited the poor man again and disclosed his identity by saying, "I am your king!" The king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he didn't. Instead he said, "You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the course food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!" The King of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, gave himself to you and me. The Bible calls Him, "the unspeakable gift!"
-Source Unknown.




Friday, December 20, 2024

Shepherds seek the Newborn Jesus




What was it like on the night when Jesus was born? Shepherds and flocks of sheep in the hills. It’s at night, probably very dark. I wonder what kind of night it was? Was it particularly cold? Was there dew settled on the ground? Were the sheep loud that night or were they eerily silent? Was it like one of those nights that make you feel like a blanket of darkness is wrapped around you and you feel oddly safe in the failing light? I bet it was just like that. I bet there was a sense of anticipation in the air, like the moment before a storm, when everything is charged with energy and pressure.

Was there a wind blowing through the hills and valleys? Or was it totally still? Many were probably caught off guard completely, but I bet there was one or two who felt or knew deep down something special was about to happen. I’ve known people like that, they seem to have a sixth sense for how time and history play themselves out. Maybe there was a dreamer there that night. Maybe not.

The glory of God cuts forth into reality that night. And what’s the reaction of the shepherds? Total fear. They are so afraid. That’s the common reaction, fear and trembling at the incredible glory of God. They are shocked. I wonder what it was like. The glory of God is an interesting concept. It’s woven through the books of the Bible like a beautiful mystery. It seems to be the presence of God at least partially unvarnished.

Jesus came not in full glory, but in human form and there was nothing about him physically that distinguished him from other people. So the world didn’t recognize him. They couldn’t understand it. For many who did, they feared it, and they tried to kill him. But for others they celebrated his coming and welcomed it.

So the glory of God is the presence of God. God’s glory breaks into the night. Was it bright? What was it like? I’m not certain. I’ve witnessed parts of God’s glory, I think many of us have, when we hear a beautiful sermon, or during worship, or watching a beautiful sunset, or looking up at the moon at night, or hugging our children or husband or wife, but this expression of God’s glory seems to be a moment where God relays his own beauty to us. We feel a fuller expression of his own love for us.

Yet to experience the glory of God is to come face to face with God’s holiness, meaning the full just nature of God. It’s the realization of God’s perfection, how perfect he is in every way, how wonderfully just his system is.

This is both beautiful, and terrifying, because at that moment we both realize the incredible beauty of God’s perfect just nature and we also realize the incredible depths of how low we fall short and how filthy we are in own selfish attitudes and selfish ways of living and our own debased desires that seem to totally rule over us. When we see that glory of God we realize our accountability, and we realize God’s love for us and we also realize our own utter guilt before Him.

Baked into the gospel message there is both good news and bad news. Just like our own lives, it’s all about how we respond to it.

The good news is of course that Jesus came to save us. But is that enough to understand? Well, the big question remains, what is Jesus saving us from? That’s the bad news. The bad news of the gospel is, that we’re dead in our sins and trespasses and justly deserving of the wrath of God.

For me reading the bible early on, it was a hard book to read, because it tells you the hard part about yourself.

Good News, Jesus’ offers grace. Bad news, you have to admit you’re a sinner, and also be willing to stop sinning by the power of the Holy Spirit, to repent, and embrace a new way.

I know for me when examining the life of Jesus, I didn’t want the gospel at first because I knew I would have to change my behavior. I would have to stop living for myself first. I would have to live a different life in light of what Jesus had done.

That was bad news at first to me. But the good news is, Jesus offers a perfect way, where we find our true destiny, and we come to find who we truly are, and what we were always meant to be.

But it’s all about how we respond. For me what seemed mostly bad news, is now today something I understand as almost entirely good news.

But if you boil it down to it, it’s information. The gospel is information we receive and then decide what we’re going to do with it. We read this map, these directions saying, you’re a sinner, you deserve hell, you will go there without Jesus, but here’s what you do, come to Jesus and receive Him as your savior, and you’ll be born again and set on a course for a new world, a new paradise free from sin.

I’m worried today that some of you might be looking at the gospel, the map about how to receive Jesus and saying oh yes I agree with that. But you haven’t actually made Jesus Christ your personal savior and given your heart and your life to Him. You’re just agreeing that you like the idea of it.

It’s time to dive into the middle of this and give your entire life to Jesus, to cry out to Jesus to be your savior. Do it now. If you haven’t done that, stop listening and just spend the next few minutes crying out to Jesus who is here, to be your personal savior. Period.

So today, we’re going to examine the shepherds and how they connect with the messiah. We’ll look at their actions and how we can live a similar way. They faced both the fearful reality of God’s glory and the reality of a joyous hope.

From Luke chapter 2:8-20 “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

Average every day people. A dark night, full of stars, out in the country. They did not expect that anything special was about to happen, yet it did.

God often surprises us too, with unexpected turns in our lives. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. But, we embrace whatever God allows. We know it’s not all from God, we know we have an enemy, and we live in a sinful world. So God allows free will.

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.

The first response is fear. When we encounter God, it cuts very deep into our heart. And the holiness, the purity of God, scares us. Because we know we don’t live up to it.

There are several realities that exist. There is the reality we live in, the Earth realm. There is the kingdom of the air, this is where demons and angels battle each other. And there is the third heaven, which is where God is, as well as our deceased loved ones in Christ. Another reality is the realm of hell, where the lost dwell.

We see the third heaven breaching the Earth realm, which is a rare event, but it does happen from time to time.

The fear, turns to joy, because good news is being announced.

"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.” -Luke 2:11-12

They don’t even know that the king of the Earth was being born that very night. But they are told to go find this event and witness it. And they’re told, there will be a sign for you to know it’s the right place.

Similarly, God will give us signs in our lives. Nudges from the Lord, so we know things are from Him, or from the enemy. But we must be very prayerful over the events in our lives, so we do not become deceived by the enemy.

If I’m uncertain, I pray. And God begins to make it clear what is the next right thing.

"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.” -Luke 2:13-14

Can you imagine how God’s angels have longed for this moment? They’ve been in heaven with God for thousands of years, since the fall of Adam and Eve, longing for the coming of the messiah. And now it’s finally happened. They rejoice, and the shepherds get to see this grand moment of millions of angels praising God.

Notice we’ve gotten two words so far proclaimed over the shepherds, peace and joy. That’s what we find in the birth of Jesus for us, both peace and joy.

"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.” -Luke 2:15

Do the shepherds say, wow, what a show, alright let’s go back to watching the sheep? No! They set off on a journey. They leave their flocks and go to find the child. Similarly, we must do more than just hear the gospel message is church, we must set off on the adventure of obeying it.

"16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger." -Luke 2:16

As a result, verse 16, they find the new born king of the world. And it was just as God told them, the sign was fulfilled.

They approached quietly and saw the baby in the manger, and they knew, this is the right one. It’s a sign that verifies that what they’ve seen was from God.

God will verify things for you as well. Sometimes he will simply ask you to trust Him, other times he will verify it for you, particularly if it’s a very challenging situation.

"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." -Luke 2:17-18

The anointed message goes out, and people believe it. The word the shepherds are given goes out in power. When God calls us to speak, we can trust that it will be anointed by Him. Do you understand what that word means, anointed?

If I read a book, or talk to someone about politics, or tell someone a news story, it’s just words. I may be passionate about it, but it’s just words.

But, when I speak the word of God, there is an anointing, which anointing is oil, an oil that makes it more powerful. You’ll notice this, God’s word is accompanied by power. And that’s why its hard to ignore.

Have you ever been told something by someone who had an anointing? And you knew you were meant to hear it from them. All of it was meant to happen. And there was power behind their words?

I’ll tell you this, I have things I like to write about and preach about, but, when I really am preaching or writing about what God wants me to share about, well, there is an anointing on it that is strong.

Why choose shepherds? Shepherds were not well thought of back in ancient middle eastern times. They were usually poor, uneducated and country people. Yet God chose them to speak his message, and it went out with power.

Don’t be surprised if God chooses you, even if you don’t expect that he ever would. It’s shocking that God chose me, yet he did.

Yet I think verse 19 is the most important of all here. It says…

"19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." -Luke 2:19

I want you to do the same every Sunday at church, and every time you read the word of God, and every time you see God do something in your life.

Treasure up these things. Store these moments as milestones of your life. You see me do that when I talk about my story, I’ve been sober 12 years. I remember that milestone. I got married 9 months ago, I treasure that milestone. I remember when my grandpa Bernie died, and my grandma Monica, and my grandma Pat and grandpa George. I keep those memories, even if they are hard memories. They are milestones.

And secondly, ponder these things in your heart. I hope you do that after the sermon on Sunday, and just think about, what is heaven like? I wonder if it’s like stars, or gold, or love or sweet smells. I wonder what it means for Jesus to love me. What does it mean for me to repent of sins in my life? Ponder things in your heart.

Lastly, verse 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.” -Luke 2:20

Did they stop being shepherds that night? No. They went back to their lives. But they had been changed. And their lives would never be the same. They saw the birth of Jesus. They saw the glory of God, and went back glorifying God.

Similarly, we’ve seen Jesus come into our lives and change us.

I remember I was renting out rooms at my moms old house when I was staying there and I talked to a guy, he was a bro. He worked, went to the bar and chased girls. He was a bro. But I talked to him about having a spiritual experience, looking for God in everyday events, praying about things, and almost instantly he began to see in that way, and he began to tell me that he was sensing these things, nudges, memories, a sense of destiny in his life. I don’t have any idea if he kept pursuing it. But we can experience that every day. Whether we see millions of angels praising God in the sky or not. We can experience life as a constant daily dialogue with God, and we can be led by Him, to do great things, to do the next right thing, if we’ll let Him lead us. It’s better that way, I promise you.

But recognize the power of information. Recognize that there is a war of information going on in our world. And people out there have a vested interest in manipulating your opinions and how you see things. Guard against that, praying to God for discernment, a vital tool, God’s gift of discernment, ask for that spiritual gift, to discern carefully the real truth of the times we’re in. Because there are so many webs of lies in this world.

But if you can fight past the distractions of this world, you’ll begin to experience God each day, and you’ll want to spread his gospel everywhere. Just like the shepherds who obeyed God by telling everyone they saw. They took the information they received, verified it, then took the message to others. That is the same job we have today.

Jesus said, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Applications:

A. The Glory of God is God’s Presence – you can experience it in your life through prayer, worship, and solitude

B. The Gospel is God’s Grace – but it also requires us to repent and stop sinning (by the Spirit’s power)

C. Surprises will come in Life – sometimes good ones, sometimes hard ones

D. Nudges from God – God will give us nudges and sometimes “signs” as well to guide us

E. Responding with Actions is key – God wants us to respond in how we actually live

F. God wants us to Testify to what He did for us – share your testimony of how God has changed your life

Monday, December 9, 2024

Joseph's Decision: The Pathway of Faith vs. the Pathway of Rebellion



Do you like to write? I love to write. I wrote many different books, all of them while I was a non-believer. One story sticks out as something really unique. It was a story about the pursuit of wisdom. It was pictured as a young boy lost in a giant magical forest. And in it he was searching for the meaning of life.

The boy was chasing an owl, and the owl led him into the enchanted forest. The owl was representative of the search for esoteric knowledge. I had been involved in the new age movement, and I was in search of that esoteric, hidden knowledge. And I pursued it diligently.

But I was chasing down the wrong path. The word of God says there is a road that seems right to a man but in the end it leads to destruction.

What road are you traveling down now? You can be in church and still be pursuing the wrong pathway.

The pathway I was on seemed like a grand adventure for knowledge, but it was leading into darkness. And so it did.

But what was interesting is, as I wrote that story, and wrote it and rewrote it, God began to enter the story. A second character began to appear in the story, a butterfly. And the main character was torn between chasing the owl, and chasing the butterfly.

I was beginning to read the Bible, and study the gospel at that time during my life. God was entering the story and beginning to woe me toward the right pathway.

Soon I became a believer in Jesus, and that was the conclusion of the story, the pursuit of the esoteric knowledge of the owl had been overcome by the pursuit of gospel centered transformation exemplified by the butterfly.

It reminds me of someone from the Christmas story who faced a very difficult decision. Would he take the pathway of God, or the pathway of Satan?

Joseph is a bit of a mystery to us. We get a few mentions of him in scripture. We know he’s a carpenter. We know he lived in Nazareth. We know he was engaged to be wed to Mary. We know he planned to divorce her. And we know that he fell asleep and had a vision of an angel who told him he should marry her, because the child within her was from God.

Does all this seem wild and strange to you? I know I believe every word of it. But I do understand why it’s difficult for some people to comprehend.

I understand why it's hard to believe in Jesus. It's actually outside our common thinking processes as humans. At least it appears that way at first. It's mystical, supernatural, and it "feels" foreign to our thinking. That's by design actually, if you were taught in the public schools, a very secular mindset is programmed into you, developed by people like John Dewey. If religiously based philosophical ideas seem foreign to your mindset, yes, it's by design.

If we can begin to understand that, we can become to see that what we’re studying is historical fact, not fiction. It’s true, just as true as any other history we study. But we also understand it matters for our lives. Deep down we know, that these average people and the unlikely things that happened to them mean something huge for us. It’s our very hope and salvation on the line. It’s real. It’s real people, and real things happening to them.

Joseph was a normal guy, living his life, he believed in God, he worshiped God, he went to synagogue, but then his life changed forever when he encountered the supernatural.

It says in Matthew 1:18, “18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[d]: 
His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 

What’s the author attempting to lay out? How the birth of Jesus happened. That’s the goal, we’re not attempting a biography of Joseph, but he is part of the historical events unfolding.

An arranged marriage had been setup by Mary’s family with Joseph’s family. She is pledged to marry him. But, before they got actually got married, it was made clear that she was pregnant.

What would the initial assumption be? I’m sure initially both families thought she had an affair. Yet this would’ve been completely out of character for Mary, we know from the word that she was a godly young woman.

But we now see Joseph go into a time of wrestling in his own mind.

It says in verse 19, “ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[e] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.”

This is what I want to focus in on today. Joseph is struggling between two possible decisions, one, believe Mary is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Two, to believe that Mary has been unfaithful.

We know the truth sitting here today, but he didn’t. And I’m sure he entered a time of bitter internal debate.

Have you ever been in a situation of bitter internal debate?

This is a very common situation for human beings on the fallen Earth.

It’s sometimes portrayed in cartoons as an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other.

I think it’s much more complicated than that, yet it’s also quite simple. Every day we face situation after situation where we have choices to make.

Either I’m going to do what God wants me to do, or I’m going to do the opposite.

We make this decision every day. When we’re tempted to sin, we make this decision. When we plan for the future, we make this decision. When we feel the Holy Spirit conviction within, we make this decision.

Who will I follow? God’s kingdom plan, or my own agenda?

What happens in your mind when you enter into this wrestling? I know for me I’m dealing with fear of the unknown. I’m dealing with fear of letting go of something that I’m used.

I’m facing a doorway of sanctification, often times, something that if I’m bold, and brave, and I step through, I’m going to find a new level in my growth in the Lord. It’s always scary at first to let go of something we’re used to, but, when we do, when we’re brave, we come into a new level of blessing.

Or we slide back and the issue comes up again in the future. And we’re given a new opportunity again later. I call this the repeating loop, we get stuck in it when we refuse God's corrections habitually.

Joseph enters into consideration. Will I believe God or will I believe my eyes? His eyes are telling him, my fiancé has been unfaithful.

Let’s see what happens next.

Verse 20, “But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

This statement from the angel in the dream confirms everything Joseph had been told. Joseph received a confirmation from the Lord.

Now most of the time we will not have a dream or vision from God when it comes to understanding what God wants from us next.

Instead we take it to God in prayer, and God makes it clear what our course of action should be.

Sometimes I wish God would be more apparent with me. Sometimes he is. Often, God keeps it somewhat ambiguous. Why I wonder? I think it’s making room for free will. Every time God has asked me to do something, he leaves room for me to say no, and go my own way. God does not want to disrupt my free will. He wants me to freely choose Him, and then keep freely choosing Him each day, as life goes forward.

In this situation with Joseph, the confirmation is very clear and obvious. Sometimes with big decisions, God is more clear with me. This is what you must do, period. Other times it's much more ambiguous (which forces me to seek God on the issue fervently.)

The angel continues, verse 21, “ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[f] because he will save his people from their sins.”

God gives Joseph instructions. God also gives us instructions. God also tells Joseph the future, you can expect this son you will have to be named Jesus, and his mission will be to save your people from their sins.

In verses 22-23, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[g] (which means “God with us”).

We see great evidence of God’s love here. God’s love is made apparent to Joseph I think through God’s kindness in speaking it to him through the angel.

As we face difficult decisions in our lives, which we will again and again, believe me, it can feel a bit cold and bitter, and difficult. Another hard decision, another trial I’m going through, another temptation to overcome. Another person to minister to, yet I'm so tired...

If we have a transactional view of God, he gives salvation, I give sins, God is judge, do better, do better, do better, it will feel cold and empty and legalistic.

But so often, we miss the love of God, the overflowing fountain of His love in these situations. His love for us is constant. We can miss that. We can get stuck on the hardness of life, and the difficult decisions and the trials. Or, we can return again and again to the heart of God, and receive an outpouring of living water, His love poured into our hearts again and again.

If we receive that love of God, and walk in the joy of that love of God, and have our hearts filled daily with that glorious love of God, then when we face the critical moments, when we approach a doorway from God, a doorway that seems scary, mysterious, and difficult, we will boldly take hold of the door-handle and walk through bravely into the unknown. Our faith will overcome the fear, and we will grow in Christ, from glory to glory, breakthrough to breakthrough, becoming ALL He has called us to be. 

I’ve been needing that lately, in the chaos of bell ringing season, I need to slow down and receive His love. And then it all becomes so much easier, when I’m resting in His love.

His name shall be called Immanuel, which means “God is with us.” Remember that. He is with you and his love is constant. Like a tree planted by streams of water, though the storms come, the river is constant, it does not dry up. If you keep returning to God for His love, you will receive, and you will be like that tree planted by streams of living water.

Verse 24-25, “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.”

The situation is resolved, Joseph made the decision previously, but now comes the follow through. He does it. He lives it. He takes what he decided and puts it into action. He took Mary home as his wife.

It’s kind of like an alcoholic who decides to get sober. The decision is great, but the test comes in the actions. 30 days later, did he actually stay sober? Joseph takes Mary home to be his wife. She gave birth to their son, and they named him Jesus, just as they were commanded.

I can think of no greater joy than standing before God on judgment day, and seeing the screen with the replay of my life, and God saying: "Well done good and faithful servant. Here I told you to do this, and then you did it, and here I told you to do that and you did it. 

In my walk with God in planet Earth I want to follow a simple pattern: I want to hear what God says, love God enough to decide to do it, and then go do it.

We are all always answering a question, and making a choice every single day, to either align ourselves with God's master design or to rebel. And to rebel is insanity. There is no escape from God. There is no victory over his power. There is nowhere to go. It's madness.

CS. Lewis said to depart from God’s will is to go into nowhere. It doesn’t exist. It’s nothing.

The entire construct of our current fallen reality seems set up to pose the question to us over and over. Life or death? Obedience or rebellion? And we make the choice everyday.

8 billion people, the question before all of us, what choice shall we make?

There’s a scripture which talks about the upbringing of Jesus, and it says this, “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.”
-Luke 2:52

I think if we learn to keep walking through the doorways God puts before us, we begin to develop a pattern over the months and years of obedience, and from that we begin to grow and grow, increasing year by year, in wisdom, and stature and in favor with God and people. It develops into a snowball rolling downhill, growing and growing, and flourishing as a believer, all in the love of God.

Similarly, when one makes a pattern out of rebellion, and I’ve done both of these pathways, so I know, you go from bad to worse, you become more and more wicked, more and more broken, and more and more sinful.

Let’s choose the pathway of life. When we look to the example of Joseph, we see a choice to trust God. Joseph simply did what God commanded. It took a divine confirmation, but Joseph acted on it. And that is astonishing. It’s not the normal. It’s the exception to the rule. He married the pregnant woman. He cared for her. He raised Jesus as his own son. 

What ever happened to Joseph? We don't really know. In the gospels we see mention of Mary, Jesus’ mom throughout the gospels. But no mention of Joseph. Many believe he died somehow during Jesus’ upbringing. 

How does your own story compare to the obedience of Joseph? Are you one who is prone to obey God quietly? Or are you more like one who comes kicking and screaming? Or do you quietly disobey God, and hope no one notices? We all make our choice everyday, rebellion or obedience. What is your choice?

Let’s go to our applications. We’re going to look at five ways we can cultivate a mindset of choosing life in Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father.

1. Receive God’s love each day – engage with God and simply receive that outflow of love

2. Guard your Heart – know that the world system is attempting to deceive you in the wrong direction, seek Godly wisdom

3. Make the Hard Choices – dare to walk through the door of the unknown when God calls you to

4. If you make the wrong choice, don’t give up – turn back immediately to God, ask His forgiveness and keep going

5. Living by the leading of the Holy Spirit – In the big things and small things: Lord, what can I do for you today? What's the right choice in this situation?

In conclusion today, be like Joseph, who entered the time of wrestling, but overcame. He knew he was loved. He encountered God. And He obeyed the truth when it was given to him. As a result, Joseph received the blessing, and Jesus was born. 



Monday, November 25, 2024

Getting Ready for Judgment Day: Watching and Preparing for the most Important Day of your Life


Have you ever known a prepper? I’ve known one or two in my life. Did you know that in the United States there are millions of preppers, estimates are anywhere from 20-25 million people in the USA are actively prepping themselves and their families for disasters in the future.

In 2023 the New York post reported that Mark Zuckerberg creator of Facebook was building a 260 million dollar bunker in Hawaii.

Millions prepare in different ways for disasters. And they are watchful of the times in which we live.

They watch carefully the news coming out of Ukraine with the conflict there. They are watchful of government power, after 9/11 and the conflict in Afghanistan and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic. They watch carefully, and they prepare carefully.

We’re looking at two concepts this Sunday, watchfulness and preparing. They are concepts closely linked, so I think it’s fitting we study them together.

What does it mean to be watchful? It’s cautiously viewing ourselves, viewing God’s agenda, and the workings of the world system.

What does it mean to prepare? It means cautiously preparing for the conclusion of your life, which is the judgment seat of Christ.

Some theologians would say oh no we Christians won’t appear at that judgment we’ll be at a separate judgment of rewards. That’s incorrect.

2nd Corinthians 5:10 says, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

Whether good or bad, we will all face the judgment seat of Christ, to either be rewarded or condemned.

But we’ll get into that more later.

For these two concepts of watchfulness and preparation, we will turn to Matthew chapter 25.

We’ll be looking at both the parable of the wise and foolish virgins and the parable of the sheep and the goats.

We also will touch briefly on the parable placed between both of these, in the middle of Matthew 25, which is the parable of the talents, because I think all three are linked.

So we have a lot of ground to cover today, so I’m going to move somewhat quickly through these scriptures.

The first says this, (Matthew 25:1-13), “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.”

Stop there. First three words, “At that time…” At what time? If you flip back to Matthew 24, you see the entire chapter Jesus is talking about the end times, when his second coming arrives.

So we’re going to see this entire chapter of Matthew 25 is going to be using three different parables to explain what it will be like when Jesus returns and we meet Him face to face.

Way back at the beginning we started with the parable of the prodigal son, which was about how to get into the kingdom of God, the doorway, how it works, mercy and grace of God. Today we’re all the way at the end, what’s it like when your life on Earth concludes and you go and meet King Jesus for judgment.

It makes sense then that Jesus gives the picture of ten virgins coming out to meet the bridegroom.

The bridegroom is Jesus. He is our husband in the body of Christ, and we are like the ten virgins, pure, holy, made new by Him, and ready for His return.

But next it says, “2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.”

Five are wise, five are foolish. Which do we want to be like? The wise ones. It says they took extra oil in jars along with their lamps. Yet still the bridegroom was late in arriving, and they all fell asleep.


It reminds me of the night Jesus was betrayed. He told his disciples to watch and pray, but they all fell asleep. And in the end only one of the twelve stayed with him through his crucifixion.

Next, verse 6-9: 6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

We see next that the foolish virgins were not appropriately watchful of the times they were living in. They did not store up extra oil. They were not properly prepared for the coming of the Master.

What do the lamps and the oil represent?


The lamp represents the faith of the believer, and the oil represents the power of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. How close are you with God in the Spirit? How much have you built your life around Jesus? Have you stored up extra oil? Or would the darkness of the end times leave your oil running out and your lamp going out?

Next in verses 10-13, “10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

I believe this parable is also prophetic and points to the end times. 5 were foolish, 5 were wise. I believe this parable is telling us prophetically that 50% of the body of Christ will not be ready when Jesus returns. And they will suffer loss.

Jesus says therefore keep watch, because you don’t know when…

But what does Jesus mean by watchfulness? It certainly does mean being watchful of the world around us. And it certainly does mean being watchful for the return of Jesus. Yet what is often missed in the concept of watchfulness is Jesus is calling us to be watchful of ourselves.

That is the key here for the wise and foolish virgins. Both the foolish and wise virgins fall asleep as they wait for the Master. The difference is the foolish have not stored up extra oil, and the wise have. It was not a question of watching for Jesus. It was a question of how well the virgins had been watchful of themselves.

Be watchful of yourself. Be watchful of your own walk with Jesus. Make an honest and sober evaluation of yourself: Where am I at spiritually? Am I all in for Jesus? Am I clothed and ready for service? Is my lamp burning? And have I stored up extra oil?

We’re to be watchful, prepared, ready at all times, in a soldier’s position with our armor on and ready, our weapon at our side. We should store up extra oil of the Spirit so we’re ready when the master returns.

Like the parable of the two sons, the challenge is action. You may be thinking, “OK great I need to store up extra oil. How do I do that?” I think it’s two things, one, in an honest self-evaluation, would I say that I’m “on fire for the Lord?” Or am I more lukewarm?


Secondly, if I’m indeed on fire for the Lord, is there a load of extra wood stacked up next to this internal fire? Are my spiritual practices active in a such a way that one would say I have an abundance of faith? Or am I operating at minimal levels?

I’ve got a prayer, bible, and church life, but are all three of those areas minimally functioning?

Our faith is fed by our relationship with God, and if we’re not actively engaging with God on a daily basis, the faith fire will die down.

If we’re feeding our faith with rich relationship with God, we will be like the wise virgins, who have extra oil stored up for the deep darkness before the Master returns.

As a believer, I want to challenge you to be watchful in three main ways:

1. Be watchful of yourself. The word of God tells us to judge ourselves (1 Cor 11:31). Soberly evaluate your walk with God, and how you can take it to the next level.

2. Be watchful of God’s kingdom agenda. Through prayer, prophetic ministries, study of the word, and so on, be watchful of what God is doing in the world. Where is he at work? What is on God’s heart? And then follow that.

3. Be watchful of the world system. Watch politics, conflicts, culture war, government surveillance, new technologies, medical ethics, and other areas of the world. Essentially, watch what the spirit of the air is up to. Be actively praying against Satan’s agenda, and the new world orders march forward. We have power in Christ to frustrate, slow down, stop, and even reverse the enemy’s schemes.

Briefly, take a look at the parable of the talents in v.14-30. Consider also, that if God gives us gifts, whether talents we have in our heart, or resources we have outside ourselves, we’re expected to show ourselves faithful by using those gift and talents wisely to bless others.

In verse 23 we get the famous scripture: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Good, this servant is pure in Christ, living out that purity, and they have been faithful with what God gave them. That spells victory on judgment day.

Next, Matthew 25:31-46 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”

The first parable had to do with what will happen just prior to Jesus’ return, the virgins coming out to meet him. Now this parable has to do with what happens after Jesus returns, and we stand before him at his throne.

There are two categories here, sheep and goats.

Think about what sheep and goats are like. Sheep provide a harvest of wool, and are followers of the shepherd.

I know I’m generalizing here, but goats are a bit more resistant, they don’t follow, they resist, and go their own way. And they don’t provide a harvest the same way a sheep does.

While the first parable dealt with internal watchfulness, living closely with the Holy Spirit, this parable deals with external practice of our faith. Taking practical actions to produce a harvest.

In verses 34-36: 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Think back to the preppers we talked about. They do two things. They are watchful, they are constantly viewing the news, checking the stock market, and making sure they have the right knowledge for survival.

But if they only did that, they would be watchful, but not prepared. To be prepared means they buy freeze dried food supplies, have a generator, weapons, ammo, a supply of gas, water filters, and other supplies for an emergency situation.

Similarly, we as Christians can be watchful of ourselves, and the world, but if we don’t take any actions, we won’t be prepared.

How does a Christian prepare? By storing up ammo and canned food and anti-biotics and anti-radiation pills? No, we as Christians get prepared in a much different way.

We get prepared by feeding the hungry, giving someone a jacket, praying with someone who is sick, visiting someone in prison, inviting in a homeless person, and sharing the gospel with the unsaved.

In verses 37-40: “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Every time you serve someone who can’t serve you back, you are getting ready for judgment day. Your faith is being expressed in acts of service.

But let’s see what Jesus says to those on the other side, verses 41-45:

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’”

There are two destinations here, in verse 46 it says, “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Either heaven or hell. And it’s contingent on two main factors: Did we store up extra oil? And did we live out our faith in practical actions to those in need?

The goal is that when we meet Jesus face to face, he would see our faith in Him, that was tested through the fire, and see that it manifested itself in practical service. It manifested in providing food, drink, housing, clothing, and visitation to those are who in need.

The kingdom system worked! God changed us, we responded by walking boldly in that change, and the victory is completed.

The end result is Jesus rewards us.

Or the other outcome is also possible. We received the great gift, but we didn’t live it out, we grew lazy, we didn’t really serve, it was just words, it didn’t manifest in actions, and in the end, we’re condemned with the world, because we did not provide food, drink, housing, clothing, and visitation. We heard the message, but we didn’t apply it. And in the end, it brings destruction.

The choice is ours. Will we walk in the blessing? Or will we slip back into our old ways?

Watchfulness, and preparation. Observe carefully your life and who you are, and also observe what is happening out there in the world. Then, having watched, prepare your life for His return. Prepare yourself to be judged by Jesus. Make sure your sins are washed in the blood of the lamb, and your faith is being lived out in practical ways. God loves you. He wants you. So Jesus will help you every step of the way, every moment, to be who he’s called you to be. Watch and prepare. Jesus is coming soon!

Applications:
A. Pray and ask God for help to store up oil for the journey to heaven. Read Richard Foster’s ‘Celebration of Discipline.’

B. Study the work of The Salvation Army in practical ministry, along with other prominent Christian charities, and mimic their activities.

C. Consider your growth process in Christ, does your fruit match what Christ describes in this parable? Write down an action plan for the future.

Discussion Questions
1. What does it mean to be watchful today?

2. What practical ways can we store up extra oil as we await the return of Jesus?

3. Make a sober evaluation of your current walk with God. How “on fire” are you?

4. When you look at your life, do you fulfill the mandates to provide for those in need?

5. Describe what you think it will be like at the judgment seat of Christ.


Saturday, November 16, 2024

Overcoming Stigma: The Labels of Others vs. Your True Name


I recall as things got difficult in my family in my teens, and my parents drew closer to divorce, I found myself struggling more and more. I began acting out, and making bad decisions. I began experimenting with drinking and drugs. I began going to drinking parties and hanging with the wrong crowd. Around the age of eighteen I got into trouble. I got arrested for drug charges, and soon after drinking related charges. In my extended family, on my moms side particularly, I was now labeled as the problem child, the one who couldn't behave. I had become bad, the black sheep. And it became generally accepted that I could no longer do anything special with my life. The best I could hope for was to work a back room job and accept my label as the troublemaker.

When I became a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, I began sensing that God was calling me to full time ministry as a minister. This simply did not compute with my family. I had a rap sheet, I had a list of charges, I had done evil things. How could I possibly be a minister? But, I decided I wasn't going to wear the label of the bad one. I had been given a new name by my savior Jesus. I was called redeemed. Many in my family I think are still in shock. They can't believe or accept that I'm a pastor today. 

Thank God for the Salvation Army that set aside my rap sheet and believed that God had really changed me into a whole new person. Over the years some of my family began to rally around me. They accepted the new name God had given me. My grandma and grandpa, then my aunt, then my uncle, one by one they excitedly joined in the celebration around the new name God had given me.

But I know how stigma can influence someone. You start to believe that the stigma is true. You start to wear it as your own. I have a friend who also made some big mistakes. He seemed to choose to accept the stigma of his family as a bad one, and embraced the idea that he couldn't do anything special now that he'd made a mistake. Slowly though I think he's beginning to break from that mold, he's been attending a church in town and embracing his new identity in Christ.

The worst stigmas I've noticed that relegate people to the worst neglect are "loser" and "meaningless." I remember in junior high and high school, many students were bullied, and I mean many. These children were abused by other children, bullied mercilessly and labeled as "losers." At my high school there was even a table where "all the losers sat." I always feared being labeled in such a way. It seemed like a nightmare. I also recall how Christians were persecuted at the school. There was this one Christian girl who carried her Bible around at school and bullies would terrorize her. I thought those targeted as "losers" had it bad, this Christian girl was bullied without mercy. Back then I was grateful I didn't bring my Bible to school. Today I wish I had stood up for her.

The second stigma is "meaningless." This is not a particular specific name spoken over someone. But instead it's a cloud of ideas communicated in Hollywood, the music industry, popular culture, the materialistic philosophy, videogames, entertainment, academia, and society in general, which communicates to hundreds of millions of people that life has no ultimate purpose, and the universe is in the end, a meaningless howling void. Why does a woman objectify herself, go to bars, and go home with different guys? She's accepted the label that her life is ultimately meaningless. 

Why does a guy watch porn, play videogames all day, and work a job he hates? He's accepted a notion in our society that life is meaningless. It troubles me to no end, that for millions their destiny has been stolen from them. That woman at the bar, that guy at home playing videogames, they have a purpose, they have a calling, they have a hill to die on, a love and value to share in the world, but they've believed the lie that nothing matters in the end. So they pursue empty pleasures and shallow endeavors. 

Why not sleep around, do drugs, play videogames, and commit suicide at 27 when life doesn't matter? I once lived by that philosophy. And I wanted to die, I was so very empty and miserable. But Jesus Christ saved me. And he spoke life over me. He removed that concept of "meaningless" and replace it with "meaningful" and "mission." I have a new mission today, I have a love to share, and a hill to die on for Christ. Praise the Lord.

Friday, November 15, 2024

Forgiveness: How to Forgive when it's Hard



I remember growing up I was very close friends with my cousin Travis. We were best buddies. We would hang out together almost every day sometimes. We loved to play Madden. We’d play season after season of Madden. Other games as well. We would have sleep overs, talk for hours, and talk about the universe and why things were the way they were.

But, Travis and I would sometimes get in an argument. And it would be intense. Then we would be mad at each other for months, even years. This happened several times. And it was always so hard. But, each time, eventually, we would meet up again, and all would be forgiven. It didn’t matter anymore. We had forgiven each other. And it was like it never happened.

There would be a joy in the reconciliation that took place. And that joy would replace all the hurt that had taken place previously.

When we forgive, it brings joy and freedom.

A second example of forgiveness,

"When the first missionaries came to Alberta, Canada, they were savagely opposed by a young chief of the Cree Indians named Maskepetoon. But he responded to the gospel and accepted Christ. Shortly afterward, a member of the Blackfoot tribe killed his father. Maskepetoon rode into the village where the murderer lived and demanded that he be brought before him. Confronting the guilty man, he said, "You have killed my father, so now you must be my father. You shall ride my best horse and wear my best clothes." In utter amazement and remorse his enemy exclaimed, "My son, now you have killed me!" He meant, of course, that the hate in his own heart had been completely erased by the forgiveness and kindness of the Indian chief." -Today in the Word, November 10, 1993.

A third example of forgiveness, goes to the streets of new York in the 1970s, there was a street war for territory between the mau maus and the bishops, rival gangs. Pastor David Wilkerson went to the streets believing God had called him to preach the gospel to the gang members there.

Wilkerson stormed into the court room and was thrown out, but became known for this, and eventually made contact with the gang leaders, in particular, Nicky Cruz the leader of the mau maus.

Wilkerson held an event where both gangs came. But during the event, Wilkerson preached about forgiveness, and Nicky Cruz understood the message. He was changed in that moment. God’s grace in Christ made him new. And all his anger and bitterness became forgiveness and love.

Today we’re talking about forgiveness. We’ll be in Matthew chapter 18, and the scripture we’re looking at starts in verse 21.

But first let’s take a look at the context of our scripture today.

Jesus is talking about how to deal with a Christian brother or sister who sins against us.

It says this: v.15-20: “15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

This scripture tells us how to deal with another believer who sins against us. We go directly to them to try to work it out. If that doesn’t work, we bring someone with us, if that doesn’t work, we tell the body of believers about it, if that doesn’t help, then we treat them as a stranger.

So, often the question comes up in forgiveness, do I have to stay around someone who is abusive to me? The answer is no. I don’t have to maintain a relationship with a believer who is sinning against me repeatedly, as long as I go directly to them and ask them to change what they are doing. As long as I go through this process, then I have grounds to break fellowship with that person.

But the rest of what we’re looking at today is all about what goes on inside of our heart. Externally, we may break fellowship under certain circumstances, but just as important, it’s about how we respond within.

Now let’s get into our main teaching for today.

Peter is listening to Jesus talking about all this, and he asks Jesus a follow up question.

Verses 21-22: “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

How does God’s kingdom work? And how can we live by it’s guideposts? Today we find another guide post that is vital. If we’re forgiven by Jesus and all our sins are gone, then we are in turn commanded to forgive others who sin against us.

The question is: How many times should I forgive someone who sins against me? Up to seven times?

Jesus next goes into a parable to explain how the machinery of God’s kingdom system works in regard to the justice of forgiveness.

Jesus says, v. 23-25, “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.”

In the parable we have a King who has many servants who owe him money. One man is brought forward who owes a massive amount. He owes 10,000 bags of gold. Many theologians estimate in today’s money, we’d be talking anywhere from 7 to 13 billion dollars. A massive debt, unthinkably huge.

OK, why is Jesus talking about gold and debts? What is he trying to explain? Jesus is explaining that our sins are a debt before God that are extremely huge. The debt of sin is incredibly huge, it’s punishment is massive, the punishment is everlasting death... A fate so terrible we can’t even imagine it’s implications.

Why is sin so terrible? Let’s try to understand why: One sin, by Adam and Eve, led to a world full of sin today, murder, suicide, lying, stealing, drug addiction, domestic violence, gang violence, money laundering, sexual abuse, pedophilia, world wars, and worse.

All from one sin. Why is sin so terrible? Because sin leads to more sin.

Yet honestly I think that's secondary. The real reason sin its so terrible is because it's something that exists in an endless darkness outside the will of God. And anything outside of God's will is injustice. To become one with injustice (sin), is always infinitely wrong.

Conversely, heaven gets better and better everyday, because it’s based on perfection, no sin, and without sin, everything always gets better. But that’s also why hell gets worse and worse everyday, because when any sin is present, sin produces more sin, like a virus that spreads, sin is endless.

God simply applies to eternity what we began in our time window on this Earth. If we had embraced sin, our lives were slowly crumbling becoming worse and worse. God seals that off for eternity. Your permanent reality, punishment, torment, will reflect that forever. And the process continues infinitely, even beyond the second judgment and into the lake of fire. 

If we embraced righteousness, received Christ, we had begun a process of sanctification, whereby we are slowly conformed into the image of Christ. If we embraced that process, it continues beyond this life, into eternity. God magnifies what we began here on Earth into eternity. 

Our lives are just a blink of an eye, one day we will go before our master to settle accounts. And there will be no tricks on that day, there is only truth. Were your sins forgiven by Jesus? Or were they not?

And result is as real as us sitting here today, eternal paradise or eternal punishment. Better and better forever, or worse and worse forever.

Let’s see what happens next in the parable:

Verses 26-27: “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.”

The master took pity on the servant. The servant pleaded for mercy. He asked for time to pay it back. But the master doesn’t even make him pay back this massive debt, he cancels the debt completely. Amazing grace.

This is what happens when we ask Jesus to forgive our sins. Jesus forgives all our sins. And we’re set free. The debt we owed to God is cancelled.

None of us understand just how important it is that Jesus died for our sins. We don’t get it fully. We kind of understand it. But I think three seconds into judgment day, we’ll know just how infinitely valuable it was that Jesus died for us.

Next, verses 28-29: “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

The value of this debt is about $11,700. A significant sum of money, but nothing compared to the billions this servant had owed to the master.

This scenario is replaying exactly what happened between the master and the servant, except the servant is owed much less by his fellow servant. And the servant has just been forgiven a massive amount.

What will he do? Each of you immediately think, well, he was just forgiven a massive amount, surely he will be merciful to this man who owes him something much less.

Verses 30-31: “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.”

The servant refused to be merciful, but had the man thrown in prison. Other servants saw what happened and reported it back to the master.

What’s going on here? What is Jesus referring to? This entire scenario is about forgiveness.

We owed a massive debt to God because of our sins. Our punishment would’ve been enduring permanent hell. But Jesus died on the cross to pay our debt for us. He endured the suffering we should’ve endured, so we could be forgiven.

So now that we’ve been redeemed, Jesus commands us to forgive people who hurt us. We’re commanded to be merciful to people who owe us a debt due to sin. We are to consider that debt paid in full.

But let’s go to the other extreme. What if we don’t? What if we live our lives refusing to forgive others? What if we hold up hatred and anger and bitterness toward the people around us?

Let’s see what the master says.

Verses 32-35: “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

The key phrase here is: "Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had mercy on you?"

When we have someone we need to forgive of their sins against us, it’s hard. Very hard. Why? It hurts. And we’re angry. Even ruined by what they did.

But we have to remember that what they did is small compared to what Jesus did for us.

Who do you need to forgive today? It’s time to find freedom. I want you to pray right now, and offer them forgiveness in your heart. And you will be free from the bitterness. You will be free from the hatred. You will be free from the pain. It’s time to give it to God and put it in His courtroom. 

What does this do? Does this mean that they are now pure as snow? No it doesn’t.

Sometimes in the judicial system a lower court will send the case to a higher court, and even sometimes to the Supreme Court, which is the US’s highest court. When you choose to forgive, you are actually sending the case to a higher court. You are sending the case to God’s court.

When you refuse to try to punish someone for what they did to you, and you forgive them, that functionally puts it in God’s court room. And God will do justice.

For most situations, we can pray and forgive them before God, and God takes over the case.

But notice it says we must forgive “from the heart.” I think many times I would try to forgive someone, I was forgiving them from the head. But it must be in the heart. In the heart we hold bitterness and anger, not in the head. So the forgiveness must come from the heart.

Forgiveness is a miracle. At first it feels impossible, but when you invite God into the situation, you come into a scenario that is called “overthrow.” God overthrows in you the hate and fear and bitterness, through a miraculous act, as you pray, and cry out, and seek God’s help to forgive. In the overflow, love and mercy replaces unforgiveness. Overthrow is beautiful. Ask God now.

Out of the bitter burning hot coals of unforgiveness, comes the flood of the Holy Spirit, amazing grace like living waters pouring over the hot coals, extinguishing the inferno and bringing a flood of peace. 

What about very difficult hurts? For some very severe scenarios, where the unforgiveness is strong, there is a second option. In a scenario where it’s very firmly implanted, here is the prescription: Pray for that person once a night for two weeks. 

And you pray for them to receive all the good things you want in life. And as you pray that prayer each night, the prayer begins to change your heart. And you can no longer hate that person after praying for them for two weeks. Then, the forgiveness will be much easier.

For some scenarios you may also need to speak to that person directly to find resolution to the situation, but do so only prayerfully as God leads you to.

In conclusion, how important is forgiveness to the disciple of Jesus? It is literally a salvation issue. In the kingdom of God system grace and forgiveness are huge. The disciple has received a full pardon for their sins. Yet Jesus immediately requires a similar attitude from the disciple toward others.

By an act of sacrificial mercy, the King has pardoned our sins. And it cost the King his own blood. Now, the King requires our response to sins against us to be sacrificial in nature as well.

Can we see the point? If our sins are forgiven by God, how can we hold up unforgiveness, hold someone in a prison of our anger because they hurt us in some way? It’s hypocrisy to hold up unforgiveness toward someone. God has forgiven us, so we must forgive those who have done unforgivable things to us.

We’re to show the kind of mercy that God has shown us. But it goes further than that, we’re also supposed to show grace. In other areas of the scripture we’re told to bless those who curse us, and pray for those who persecute us. Forgiveness is one thing, it’s a miracle, but to pour out grace to one who has harmed us? That’s glorious.

This is not a suggestion, but a command. We’re warned that God will not forgive some of our sins if we refuse to forgive others their sins.

The Blessing: The blessing is that God has given us total forgiveness of our sins and we rejoice in that freedom.

The Challenge: The challenge is that we find no option in scripture to refuse forgiveness toward those who have hurt us. We must forgive them.

Next Steps:
A. Make a list of the people you need to forgive. Go through the list and pray for God’s help, then declare your choice to forgive them out loud.

B. Journal some of the worst sins that you’ve committed, then rip up and throw away the list as a reminder that Jesus has removed your sins.

C. Go to someone from your past who you sinned against (as God leads) and ask for their forgiveness and offer to make amends for what you did wrong.

Discussion Questions:
1. How does it feel to know your sins are forgiven by God?

2. Why is forgiveness so hard?

3. Describe a time when someone forgave you for a wrong.

4. If we’re stuck in hatred or unforgiveness how can we escape that prison?

5. What does it mean to show both forgiveness and grace to someone who wronged you?