Promise Proclaimed

Have you heard a proclamation? Have you heard news that is so good that you had to hurry to tell friends and family about it? Have you witnessed something so unbelievable you couldn’t wait to tell someone else? Have you seen a miracle?

We have all heard a proclamation at some time or another. I’m not talking about a person making a statement, but an official proclamation. It may have been a local official making an official announcement about a new ordinance that will take affect soon. Or maybe the owner of the company you work for announced significant safety measures will be enforced.

Typically, a proclamation is an official announcement concerning a significant change that will be implemented soon. It will impact many people’s lives. Some proclamations will change our lives for the better and some will have little or no affect. We take some to heart and others we discard quickly.

John the Baptist was curious about Jesus and sent his disciples to ask Him if He was the one who had been foretold. Jesus’ reply is simple and yet, doesn’t answer the question directly. Jesus allowed John to come to his own conclusions based on the facts.

However, Jesus’ answer leaves no room for John to mistake the message. The miracles He had performed could not have been performed by the average man. The good news being proclaimed was the seal, if there was any doubt left, as to who He was. It was the fulfillment of prophecy.

The good news proclaimed was the forgiveness of sins and God’s plan being implemented. It was a new world order being put in place. Those who were being oppressed could now take comfort that help was on its way. There would be a release from the prison of this world. A promise of eternity with God was being made.

As we know, Jesus was not proclaiming that He was going to remove the Romans from Israel. He wasn’t going to sit on a throne like David or any other king. His message was one of hope, love, joy, and salvation. His message affected more than our mortal lives.

The message Jesus proclaimed to His listeners is still valid today. We can take hold of the promise He made for eternity. His promise continues to be proclaimed today. We wait for its final fulfillment at an unknown time in the future.

I pray we all hear the proclamation of Jesus. I pray we take hold of His promises. I pray each of us will contemplate the hope, love, joy, and salvation Jesus provides to us. Hear Jesus’ message. Store His promise in your heart. Proclaim the good news to others. 

Luke 7:22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.”

Our Place of Worship

Where do you worship God? Do you worship Him in your workplace? Do you worship Him in your classroom? Are you willing to worship Him in your home? Will you worship Him while running your errands? Have you stopped to think where Jesus worshiped?

I venture to assume most of us think of worship as an official event we participate in within a church building. Over the years we have become accustomed to this being our worship. It has become a human tradition that we hold on to dearly. Don’t misunderstand me, worshiping together in a church building is great.

Have you stopped to think about all the places Jesus worshiped? Do you know there are only a couple times in the gospels that mentions Jesus worshiping in a temple? If He didn’t worship within a building, where did He worship? Jesus worshiped on a mountain, in a garden, in people’s homes, and beside a river. He worshiped wherever He was.

If Jesus didn’t typically worship in a “house of worship,” why are we so hung up on that being our place of worship? Perhaps we will argue that the church has always worshiped in a church building. Au contraire my dear. The church has not always worshiped in church buildings. In fact, over that last several years, not to mention the early church, worshipers of God have been worshiping in numerous other places.

Speaking of the early church, there was no such thing as a church building for the first two or three hundred years. The early church was often on the run and worshiped in caves. They met in someone’s home. In fact, in large cities, the church met in multiple people’s homes in order to have enough space to accommodate everyone.

Please allow me to relate to you some places where I’ve worshiped. I’ve worshiped in homes, a campground, a park, a rest area, and the most memorable was on a mountain top. You see, we climbed a mountain in the Shenandoah Valley on a Sunday. I know, for some that would be sacrilege. Yet, a group from our church left early in the morning to make the drive, climb up the mountain over rocky outcroppings, and reach the top around noon. We all carried our lunches in backpacks and sat down to eat. Once we were done with our meal, we held a short worship service with singing, praying, and a short message. There is nothing so glorious as to worship God on a mountain top while looking down on the fall colors and even eagles flying below us. Absolutely majestic! The worship might very well be the most awesome worship those of us on that trip had ever experienced.

Now, back to our earlier question. Where do you worship? Does the place you currently find yourself make a difference to you? Will it keep you from worshiping? Folks, we are all worshiping differently than we did this time last year. Yet, we should not allow that to stop us from worshiping our God, the Creator of all things, regardless of our current situation.

I pray we all reflect on the places Jesus worshiped. I pray we accept that our houses of worship are a human tradition and not God’s. I pray each one of us will worship God wherever we are. Reflect on Jesus’ life for advent. Take a serious look at where He worshiped. Worship God where you are. Worship Him every day.

Matthew 5:1-2 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.

A Smoother Path

Do you find yourself looking for your pathway to be smoother? Are you looking for the yellow brick road? Would you love for the hills and valleys to disappear, revealing a smooth road for you to travel? Are you looking for obstacles to be removed?

We all experience ups and downs. We hit speed bumps. Sometimes we find we need to climb a hill, or a mountain, to get to our destination. We also find ourselves in valleys from time-to-time. Some of those valleys go rather deep.

We long for those hills and valleys to be less extreme. If we had our choice, it would be smooth sailing as we go through life. Our desire is to have a life with few disruptions, few unexpected expenses, few sicknesses.

There is one way to smooth out our road of life. When we lean on God, He smooths our rough edges and provides us with a peace that allows us to travel life’s highway smoother than we can on our own. God has promised to level the road for us, and He delivers on His promises.

Of course, God does expect us to obey Him. As we obey, as we listen for His guidance, God goes before us to level the road. It seems to be a simple formula. Obey and experience a better life. Yet, it is tough for us to give up our own desires to seek God’s desire for us.

As we wait for God, He provides for us, though in His time rather than ours. When we honor Him, He honors us. God has a way prepared for us that is better than we give Him credit for. It is better than we plan for ourselves. You may ask, “How can you say that?” God knows what will happen if we follow Him. He knows where we will go, what we will receive. He knows what His plan is for us. Unfortunately, we don’t. So, rather than trusting Him, we make our own plans, which typically fall well short of what God has planned for us.

I pray we all decide to ask God to smooth the road ahead of us. I pray we trust in God’s plan. I pray each of us will wait on God to experience a better life. Experience a smoother road. Ask God to guide you. Walk in God’s way. Honor Him. Trust Him.

Isaiah 26:7-8

The path of the righteous is level;

you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth

Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws,

we wait for you;

your name and renown

are the desire of our hearts.

A Message From An Eccentric

Do you know someone you or others consider eccentric? Do you consider yourself eccentric? Are outlandish clothes appealing to you? Or do you prefer fashionable clothing? Would you take someone seriously who looks very different from what you expect?

The vast majority of us have our own little ticks. Each one of us will do or like something that is not really in the norm. We experience something different and find we like it. It, then, becomes part of who we are. We take on this new and exciting eccentricity.

I’m sure there are some who will argue they have no eccentricities about them. Yet if we talk to others who know us, they can likely point out at least one strange thing about us. No, it isn’t strange to us, but it is to others. After all, we see strangeness in others. So, why should we expect there isn’t something strange about ourselves?

There was one who was dressed rather strangely who had a monumental task. Think about John the Baptist. A man who wore clothing made of camel’s hair and used a leather belt around his waist to keep it closed. Do you have a picture of him in your head? Does his hair stand out all wild and unkempt? Is he yelling out the coming of the Messiah? Are his eyes a bit on the wild side, bulging out of his head?

What about his food? He eats locusts and wild honey. Would you eat locusts? What if you were living in the wilderness and had to fend for yourself? How do you gather wild honey? Do you have to fight off the bees to gather it? You might have to tend to bee stings and welts as they try to keep you from stealing their honey.

Back to our earlier question. Would you listen to someone dressed like that and having a diet as such? Would you go out into the wilderness to hear what he has to say? Many did, including the Jewish leadership. His message was powerful and impactful. He drew crowds of both common and important people.

John’s message was one the Jewish people had long waited to hear. It had been roughly four hundred years since God had spoken to His people through a prophet. Here was John, dressed like a crazy man, fulfilling a long-awaited prophecy. In fact, he was asked if He was a prophet or Elijah. He told them he was not, and he was not the Messiah they were looking for. John told them to wait, the Messiah was coming.

I pray we all allow for some eccentricities in each other’s lives. I pray we realize we are all unique, with different tastes. I pray each one of us is willing to hear God’s message from whomever it may come from. Don’t judge based on appearance. Relish in our differences. Listen for God’s message. Accept His message, no matter the source.

Mark 1:6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

Straight Paths

Are you looking for the right way to go? Do you long for direction in your life? Do you have a tough choice ahead of you and need good counsel? Would you like to know if you are going down the correct path for your life?

We all need guidance and direction from time-to-time. Our knowledge of the various paths can be very limited. Sometimes we think we know what we are getting into, only to find out after the fact there was much we didn’t know. It can be tough making decisions with only partial information.

There are many avenues for obtaining information. We can perform research through books or online. Although, we must be careful to gather information from creditable sources, whether online or in books. We can also interview or question people who have already gone down the path we are looking. Again, we must be careful to find creditable sources. Not everyone we talk to will be truthful about the pathway or the end result. We must remember, they are telling us about one perspective.

A prudent person will use all of the above listed avenues, do some critical thinking and compiling of information, and they will ask God for guidance. God will provide the necessary guidance when we ask. He will make it clear whether we are to follow a specific path or not.

Just like our Scripture today states, God will make our paths straight. Though we can blindly ask God to guide us, I believe He wants us to do a little leg work of our own as well. He wants us to weigh out the positives and negatives of our options and ask Him for guidance. He may very well tell us to go down the path that appears to have more negatives. Remember, He knows the outcome already. So, if He is clearly telling you to go down one path or another, trust Him.

Today’s Scripture doesn’t tell us to not have an understanding. It does say that we are not to lean on our understanding. What does it mean to lean? It means to put more weight on one thing over another. For instance, when we lean on a fence, we are putting our weight on it to relieve some of the weight on our feet. So, the Scripture is saying, don’t put more trust in your own understanding than you put in God’s.

I pray we all put our trust in God. I pray we lean more on God than we do ourselves. I pray each of us will do our research and ask God for guidance to make the best decisions. Do your research. Be careful to us creditable sources. Ask God for guidance. Trust God will point you down the best path.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.

To Tell The Truth

Have you ever wondered about the supernatural? Do you ever think about God being supernatural? Do you believe people can see visions? Have you ever heard someone prophecy? Do you believe God speaks to us today?

We are told in several places throughout the Bible that God is always with us. Many of us agree, but we quickly cast it aside. Oh, we’ll agree every time it is said, and we may even say it ourselves. Yet, I’m not convinced we truly believe it.

We have been promised the Spirit of God will be poured out on us. Prophets in the Old Testament testified it would happen. Jesus said He would send a Helper or Advocate to be with us. We see the testimony of how that took place on Pentecost with the Apostles. Yet, we still struggle with believing it deep in our hearts.

Perhaps it will take a personal experience to convince us. Sometimes, I think we all look for physical proof before we believe. Yet, that isn’t faith, is it? Faith is believing in something we can’t see (Hebrews 11:1).

I wonder if we aren’t just a little afraid of believing God’s Spirit is always with us. After all, if He is, He knows every thought, every action, every word we say. Yet we are also told of wondrous experiences we will have, if we believe and follow.

We are told that we will prophecy. I’m not convinced that means all of us will see the future. You see, one of the definitions of prophesying is to tell the truth about God. So, we will become a witness for Jesus. For many of us, that is a scary thought.

We are also told we will dream dreams and see visions. These may be about the future, but it is more likely they will reveal truth to us. God works in mysterious ways and one of them is through our dreams. He reveals His truth to us through these dreams or visions, just as He reveals His truth through the prophesying of others and in His Word. Perhaps some of us have had dreams or visions and have quickly cast them aside, afraid of what they may mean.

I pray we all accept the wonderful gift of God’s Spirit. I pray we accept that God is always with us through our faith in Him. I pray each one of us will be a witness for Jesus, prophesying His truth to others we encounter. Believe in the unseen. Have faith that God is always with you. Accept the gift of His Holy Spirit. Be a truth teller. Abandon your fear for the love of God.

Joel 2:28 “And afterward,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your old men will dream dreams,

your young men will see visions.

Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days.”

Be A Messenger

Have you ever sought to be a messenger for someone? Have you thought about the importance of the messenger? Would it depend on who the message was sent from and to? Do you think that would elevate the status of the messenger?

I’m sure many of us have no inclination to be a messenger. In fact, we have probably, at some or another, been the messenger carrying messages back and forth between two friends who are now former friends of each other. Perhaps we have experienced a worse situation, carrying messages between our parents.

Our experiences with messengers in today’s world prevents us from holding them in high esteem. Of course, at no time has the messenger been held higher than the person sending the message or the person receiving the message.

Throughout history, there has been many messengers. Some of them are more well known than others. I’m reminded of a book I once read titled “A Message to Garcia” by Elbert Hubbard. It was on the Commandant’s Reading List when I was a Marine. It is a very short book, about 65 pages. It makes an inspiring point about the courage and drive of the messenger to deliver a message that could have dire consequences, if not delivered.

Prior to the invention of telephones and radios, the military relied heavily on messengers. They were important during the battles of the Old Testament. They were important during Rome’s conquest of many nations. They were important during our own Civil War.

One particular messenger in the Bible had an amazing task. He was not only to be a messenger, but he was to prepare the way for the Lord. He wasn’t merely proclaiming what God wanted, he was telling people that Jesus was on His way. He was to prepare the hearts and minds of the Jews to accept Jesus as the Messiah.

Can you imagine having that kind of responsibility? He was to carry out what the prophets Isaiah and Malachi had foretold hundreds of years earlier. Not only that, he knew the prophecy and knew the Jewish leaders and priests knew the prophecy. How was an ordinary man supposed to carry out such an important prophecy?

As we know, John the Baptist did carry out his assigned task. He certainly garnered the attention of the Pharisees and Sadducees. He also captured the attention of the Jewish people and baptized them for the forgiveness of their sins.

I pray we all become messengers. I pray we take up the task of carrying God’s message. I pray each one of us will carry the message of Jesus in our heart and share it with others. Be a messenger. Carry God’s message. Tell others about Jesus. Fulfill your calling.

Malachi 3:1 “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LordAlmighty.

Return To God

Have you strayed from God? Do you feel as though you are wondering aimlessly? Are you considering returning to Him? Are you wondering if He has forgotten you? Do you want to cry out to ask Him?

There are some of us who have strayed from God, perhaps for several years, and we have returned. There are some who have strayed and have yet to return. Straying is not that uncommon. In fact, we know it is one of the problems facing the church today.

The church is not the only one to face this issue. Israel faced it on multiple occasions throughout their history. God had provided for them on many occasions, sometimes on a daily basis. Still, they grumbled and walked away from God.

Too often we read their history and wonder how they could disobey God. Yet, we read hundreds and even thousands of years of their history within just a few minutes without the perspective of living their lives on a daily basis. As we live our lives daily, what will be our excuse a hundred years from now when someone reads our history?

It is in our daily lives, our moment-by-moment decisions, that we leave God behind. We decide that “just this one time won’t hurt” and take a step away from Him. We think, “I’ll make it up later” assuming we have years to make up for doing something we shouldn’t, and believing God has a scale that balances our good versus the bad.

Yet, we would be wrong in either case. It is by God’s grace that He accepts us. Our desire to cry out to Him is just what we need. Much as the Israelites cried out when they realized they were wrong we need to cry out to God.

Some of us may feel as though God has left us, abandoned us. We want to cry out to ask why. If we feel that way, we should cry out. Ask God to come back into our lives. When we cry out to God with an earnest heart, He will answer. God waits patiently for us.

I pray we all cry out to God during this advent season. I pray we ask Him to remember our needs and fulfill them. I pray each one of us will remember to take God with us each day. Cry out to God. Ask God to come into your life. Carry Him with you each day. Ask Him to guide your decisions.

Lamentations 5:19-22

You, Lord, reign forever;

your throne endures from generation to generation.

Why do you always forget us?

Why do you forsake us so long?

Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; 

renew our days as of old

unless you have utterly rejected us

and are angry with us beyond measure.

Thanks Be To God

As we celebrate our Thanksgiving holiday this year, many of us celebrate it very different than we have in years past. Many of us celebrate as an individual family unit rather than with our larger, extended family. Though there are many traveling across our country, many are not.

We have all been affected by a microscopic virus, whether we have been infected by it or not. Our celebrations seem to be a bit muted this year. We try to raise our hopes and attitudes. We make valiant attempts at putting on a smile and brush away our frustration. Yet, there is hope for all of us. We have reasons to be thankful.

We may experience some downs over the next few months as we continue to wade our way through the mire and muck of a pandemic. But those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior have already received a kingdom made by God. We may not see it now, but it is better than all those beautifully wrapped packages on Christmas morning waiting for us.

We have a choice to make. We can complain about being couped up and restrained from being with our extended family. Or we can give thanks to God for His rich blessings. We can choose to be miserable or be thankful and joyful. Guess which one will make us feel better.

You guessed it. When we are thankful, rather than complaining, we feel better, our attitude is better, we’re a joy to be around, and we please God. So, let’s be thankful for what we have and who we have in our life. Take stock in how you have been blessed and give thanks to God for all of it.

Though our family will not join in a large gathering today, I am thankful for a family to spend the day with. You see, I’ve spent several Thanksgiving Day’s without family. I know what it is like to spend Thanksgiving in an apartment or a house by yourself. So, I’m feeling extremely blessed during this time of restraint to have a family to be with. My heart goes out to those who do not.

I am thankful for the technology available to us. Because of it, I can continue to post messages to the members of the three churches I serve. I can provide a special video message to them. I can continue to serve them through online worship services. I can continue to host prayer request calls and pray with them. In 1918, they didn’t have these tools nor options during that pandemic.

Today, be thankful for all you have. Be thankful for the family you have. Be thankful you can use technology to reach out to one another. Most of all, give thanks to God for providing all of it. Know that He does love each one of us and He will bring us through these difficulties.

Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Caring For All

How well do you take care of your brothers and sisters? Are you caring for them with love? Are you being hospitable to people you don’t know? Are you caring for those who are being mistreated and suffering from injustice?

Many of us will care for our brothers and sisters. We care for our immediate family. We may care for some of our extended family, but there are usually some extended family members we don’t really like. Some family members are blood relatives, and some become relatives through marriage.

Most of us will care for those who are mistreated, as long as it is something we agree with. Yet, if our family or cultural environment doesn’t agree it is an injustice, we usually won’t go against the tide. We fail to look at it through the eyes of God, through Scripture.

Rarely will we include prisoners in our thoughts and prayers. Our standing assumption is they are in prison for a valid reason and don’t deserve our sympathy. Yet, God can work in prisons as well. He can change lives for the better.

The only time we may take care of a stranger is at a distance through various charity organizations. We wouldn’t dare to invite a stranger into our home. Yet, we see in today’s Scripture that some have entertained angels by doing so. Now, this doesn’t mean we should invite every stranger into our home. It is highly likely there will be a tugging at our heart when it is the right person to invite.

Now, here is the catch about brothers and sisters. It is not just physical family members we are to take care of. The brothers and sisters the writer of Hebrews is talking about are our Christian brothers and sisters. Much like our physical families, there are some we don’t really like. Yet we are told to pray for them and care for them all the same. This is the love of God showing itself through us.

Our love and care are to extend to everyone we know, and we encounter. We are to see all people through the eyes of Jesus, who cares for everyone. We like to put caveats on that love. We like to say, “But God, if you knew what this person did.” God does know and loves them anyway. He continues to pursue them, and He may just use us to do so.

I pray we all love everyone we encounter with the love of God. I pray we keep our Christian brothers and sisters in our prayers. I pray each of us will show more love and care each day, and perhaps entertain angels. Love one another. Pray for one another. Be hospitable to all. Pray for those in prison. Stand up for those suffering from injustice. Be thankful at all times.

Hebrews 13:1-3 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.