Isaiah 32:16–17 (NIV) “ The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert, His righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; Its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.”
Philippians 4:7–9 (NIV) “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry stood up at the Virginia Convention, before the actual start of the Revolutionary War, and said these words: “It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace — but there is no peace.” We live in a time where there is no peace, even though people earnestly seek it. Our nation is divided. Both sides seek peace, but they fight for this peace in opposing ways. In fact, they fight in ways that destroy the peace of the other side. What do we do? How do we respond? First, we close our Facebook account and never restart it. Second, we embrace the only way true peace can be found. In all the rhetoric of these days, both sides agree on a fallacy. They believe that they can achieve true peace through government policies and social change. Unfortunately, as well intended as this is, it is false. True peace, the peace that transcends all understanding, only comes from a relationship with the Creator of the universe, which is found through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Until the One who is truly just changes someone’s life, bringing reconciliation and love where there was misunderstanding and hate, peace will never be attained. We can try all the policies and change we want, all the protests and counter-protests, all the opinion writings and posts, but none of those will affect a heart. Only God can do that. So, as we seek peace, no matter the side of the issue we are on, let us seek it in God and pray for changed hearts.
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Lamentations 3:22–23 (NIV): “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Thank you for that, Benjamin Franklin. You have immortalized that phrase, though you did steal it from Daniel Defoe and Christopher Bullock. Throughout these past three centuries, we have repeated that phrase for all occasions, showing the futility of planning, showing that the unexpected will happen, and showing that we should not get our hopes up. But, I have to admit, even wise Ben Franklin was wrong. There are a few things that are more certain than death and taxes….No, I am not referring to the certainty of rain whenever we go camping. Every morning the sun will rise. No matter how crazy life is—no matter how hopeless life seems—no matter how fearful the future threatens—the sun will rise in the morning. This is a promise. This is a certainty. This is a sign. You see, as the sun rises in the east, so God’s compassions, or His mercies, are new every morning. “Yesterday was hard,” you might say, “I don’t know how I can live today.” Yesterday is in the past. Today, is a new day. God is standing with His hand stretched to you saying: “Let Me walk through today with you. Let Me give you the strength you need for today.” Jesus died that we might have a relationship Him. Once we enter that relationship, we have all the benefits of having a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Those blessings include hope and strength from Him to live another day. Sunday was Mother's Day. After the sermon, two ladies approached me and asked if I had seen the new decor in the Ladies' Restroom. I hadn't. They said that I should look.
Now, you might think this was an odd comment, because I am a guy. But, there is a new sign in the Ladies' Restroom that is my sermon in a nutshell: "Live by Grace, Not Perfection." God is cool. He ties everything together, even when we are not trying to. Motherhood is hard. There is a temptation to be perfect. No one can be perfect. Instead, all are called to be faithful. Here are some articles that could provide some encouragement or practical ideas (I hope), as you continue to be faithful moms. "The Pressure to Be Perfect"--Published by HuffPost UK Life--Medium length, truthful--This is not a Christian article. However, the author gives convincing reasons to the pressure of perfection in our Western culture. Hopefully, this provide ammunition to fight the pressure of perfection. "I Am Not a Perfect Mother"--Published by HuffPost Life--Short, truthful--Again, this is not a Christian article. However, the author is transparent about her own struggle with perfection and about her desire to be faithful. "5 Tips for Being a Faithful (and Not Just Busy) Mom--Published by Crossway--Short, Christian--The author gives a big-picture idea of faithfulness, applicable to all situations. "7 Small Ways a Faithful Mother Can Make a Big Difference"--Published by The Better Mom--Short, Christian, Practical--This is a great article of practical ways a mom can be faithful in her daily life. "I am Not the Perfect Mom But I am the Mom God Knew My Kids Would Need (and That Is Enough)"--Published by Beautifully Rooted--Long, Christian, Must-read--The author is amazingly transparent about the difficulties of motherhood but truthfully explains God's expectations of mothers from Scripture. Matthew 25:40 (NIV): “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.’
It’s been an eternity since our church has been filled with worshipers. Well, I suppose it has only been a month and a half. It just seems like an eternity. Now, the day we have been waiting for has arrived. Restrictions are lifting. Life can finally get back to “normal.” I envision the next several weeks looking like a herd of cow-calf pairs being turned out into a new pasture after winter. The joy, the glee, the kicking of the heels. As restrictions lift, we have to ask: How is a follower of Christ to respond? How do we live our faith during these times? We still live in a time of danger. COVID-19 is still taking lives. We need to ask ourselves: What does it mean to love our neighbor? What does it mean to care for those around us, as we would care for Christ? Martin Luther lived during a cycle of the Bubonic plague, and he faced the question of how one lives during a national epidemic. He wrote: “I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance inflict and pollute others and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me however I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely as stated above. See this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.” So, as society opens back up, let us live our faith by being wise, not foolhardy. Living with those around us, exercising care. For as much as we care for their safety, so we do for Christ. Matthew 25:34–36 (NIV) “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. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat….I was sick and you looked after me.’”
The year was AD 197. I wasn’t alive back then. I assume you were not either. Though, when I was a kid, I was sure my grandparents were older than Methuselah. Anyway, in AD 197, a man bent over a desk, scratching a quill over some parchment. Two things were happening in his country which spurred his desire to write this book. 1) Christians suffered as their natural rights as citizens of the Roman Empire were taken away. 2) Many types of diseases plagued the empire. These two facts do not seem to be connected. But, the man, whose name was Tertullian, saw a connection. His book, Apologia, defended the rights of Christians. He argued that Rome needed Christians, because Christians were the only ones who cared for the sick. He said: “It is our care for the helpless, our practice of lovingkindness, that brands us in the eyes of many. Of our opponents. ‘See,’ they say, ‘how they love one another.’” Christians, to their physical danger, were caring for the sick in their community. They delivered meals, brought medication, spent time in conversation and pray, sang songs, did housework. Those who were not of the faith did not take care of the sick and the elderly. Tertullian’s point: If Christians were being marginalized and bullied, all the good that they did for society would cease. We, as people of faith, are called to follow the example of Jesus Christ and the early church. He cared for the sick in Judea, being physically present with those society shut out. He looked out for the poor and showed love to the unloved. In times of crisis, we are all tempted to either become stress paralyzed or, on the other extreme, to dismiss the crisis. Instead of waffling between the extremes, let us do good so that those around us can say “See how they love one another.” Psalm 116:15 (NIV): Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants.
I can remember where I was when I received the call, but I don’t remember what I was doing. Probably cleaning my room. My cell phone rang. The caller id listed the name of a college friend who rarely called me. Intrigued, I answered the phone. Joe greeted me with somber tones and said that he had bad news. One of my best friends had died of hypothermia from a boating accident. She was 21. She was healthy. She loved Jesus. The rest of the day is a blur to me, filled with tears and few words. I remember going on a silent walk with my dad. He knew that I could not be alone, though I did not know how to put my grief into words. Too young. We were all too young for this tragedy. The death of a family member or a friend is one of the hardest circumstances for a human to experience. As we grow older, we face death more and more. We become acclimated to it, but the pain never lessens. We all deal with grief differently. Some people cry; others are stoic. Some people desire company; others wish to be alone. Some people focus on work; others sit in silence. No matter the symptom, we all deal with grief. The question is: what brings us through it? Faith. We who know Jesus know that there is life after death. We know that Jesus died and rose again so that death would not be the end for those who have placed their faith in Jesus for their salvation. Those who die in Christ go to be with him in paradise. They are waiting for us who believe to join them in a place where there is no more death, no more sickness, no more sin, no more decay, no more tears. Faith. So, when we face death, we do grieve. But, we do not grieve like those who have no hope, as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:13. We have hope. We know, because of Jesus, we will see our loved ones again. The pain of loss that we experience (sometimes for the rest of our lives) will be healed one day when we are united in the presence of our Savior. Psalm 127:3–5 (NIV): “Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
As a member of 4-H for nine years, I participated in many projects, including photography, model aircraft, model watercraft, pie-baking, and others. If anyone asks about my favorite, I have to answer: archery. Now, though archery was my favorite project, it was not my best project. I could never hit a target consistently. Maybe I should reword that sentence: I could never consistently hit the target. I placed a hay bale in our yard behind our house and tacked a target to it. Every day, I practiced placing an arrow on my string. Every day, I practiced pulling the string back to my cheek. Every day, I practiced sighting down the arrow. Every day, I practiced releasing. Every day, I never hit a bull’s eye. But, some days I hit the target! No matter the outcome, I was out there shooting target each day. My parents and my leaders drilled into my head: “Practice makes perfect.” In my case, “practice makes permanent” was more likely. I did not become a warrior, in any shape or form. A warrior can shoot an arrow straight, true, and consistent, hitting his mark every time. A warrior realizes his purpose and passes that purpose onto his arrow. The Psalmist says that children are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. A child is supposed to be trained and prepared for the day when he or she will be released into the world. A child on that day should be able to be shot straight and true, because of the parent’s training. On that day, the parent should let that child go, because they both have been preparing for all their lives for the arrow to be released. However, often as parents and children, we desire to go fishing with arrows, instead of warring with arrows. A fisherman ties a string to his arrow so that he can pull his arrow back to him. That is not the right image. A parent is a warrior, preparing his child to be released and then releasing. Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV): “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
My father-in-law and I were swapping stories over dinner one day at Mama’s and Nana’s Cafe. The conversation turned to cattle as it usually does. He shared some new humorous tales about his recently sold open cows. Then, he looked at me and said, “You know, cattle never go where you want them to.” This is true. I’ve experienced this, as I am sure many of you have. The sun had been up for only a few hours when my father-in-law and his help (including me) finally split the cow/calf pairs for weaning. The calves would stay near the home place while we hauled the cows to a different pasture. We had carefully set up the cattle fence so that the cows could walk easily through the funnel to the waiting trailers. However, we experienced one problem. A big problem. The cows did not want to walk through the funnel to the trailers. They tried to ram the fence. They tried to intimidate us so that they could run by our rattle paddles. They would rather suffer yelling and pain (and the possibility of being shipped to the sale barn) rather than walk through that narrow funnel into the trailers. The narrow path provided a better situation. It provided better food, a chance for maturity and growth, and less pain in the future. But, the narrow path provided pain at the moment. It provided uncertainty at the moment. The narrow path demanded that the cows give up their independence in exchange for all of the blessings. In the moment, cattle would rather take the broad path that leads to destruction rather than the narrow path that leads to life. We are a lot like cattle. God provided a path to blessing and eternal life. He told us to walk down it. He told us to follow Jesus. A simple task. However, for some reason, we would rather go anywhere but that path. We would rather take the path that brings ultimate pain and destruction rather than walk down the path that brings life. Which path are you on? Hebrews 11:1 (NIV): Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Faith. It is such a little word, but it has so much significance. We have all had some hard years recently. Many articles have been written about community hurts these past five years. But, the hurts grow deeper. Every family has pain that is not recorded in a newspaper. Every family experiences sickness, heartache, financial difficulties, marriage problems, parenting problems—The list goes on and on. What can carry us through all of the hurt, pain, and turmoil in our life? In a word: Faith. I do not have the space to record the pain that I have experienced in my life. All I can say is, I am grateful for my faith in Jesus Christ. He has given me hope through hardship, courage through calamity, and endurance through every struggle. He has given me purpose and resolve. Without Him, I would be lost. Faith. Faith can carry anyone through any situation. However, any situation can shake our faith. We all have questions about our faith. We have questions about Scripture. We have questions about how Scripture applies to specific situations in our life. The great thing about Christianity is we can ask questions without fear. Our God is big enough to take any question we ask through any situation. In the back of our sanctuary, we have a bowl labeled: Ask the Pastor. Anyone can place any question in that bowl pertaining to theology, to the Bible, and to how one should live as a Christian in specific instances. Once a year, I devote a whole service to answering the questions in the bowl. I offer this to you, as the reader. If you have any questions about faith, the Bible, or how Scripture applies to specific situations in our life, mail them to me. I will answer them in this column to the best of my ability, during my rotation. Or, if space does not permit, I will respond by mail. All questions will remain confidential. I look forward to pursuing this journey of faith with you, so that we can all grow in confidence and assurance. Post two from the excess of “Ask the Pastor” Sunday.
The question is: Based on 1 John 2:20, what is “unction” and “know all things”. I must note first that the wordings are from the King James translation: 1 John 2:20 (KJV 1900) 20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. Here is the same verse in the NIV: 1 John 2:20 (NIV) 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I will handle this question in two parts: 1) The word “unction” and 2) the phrase “know all things”. First, John uses the word “unction” or “anointing” again in a few verses: 1 John 2:26–27 (NIV) 26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. The word in question (unction/anointing) is related to the word that Paul uses in 2 Corinthians: 2 Corinthians 1:21–22 (NIV) 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. John uses the noun form, while Paul uses the verb form. Historically, the noun was used for anointing oil for special occasions, like when a man was anointed king. The Greek translation of the Old Testament (The Septuagint) uses the word to the anointing of the coming Messiah. Paul takes this concept and applies it to us. You see, when saved, God refashions us into the likeness of Christ, the Anointed One. Paul says that God has set his seal on us, the Holy Spirit, showing that God has guaranteed the Saved in their membership in Christ until the we are perfected. John takes this term for Christ’s anointing and applies it to us as well, showing that, based upon our relationship with God and our special status as his people, we can have the clarity of faith and judgment and the assurance in life and decision that only comes from God. Second, the phrase “know all things” or “all of you know the truth” needs some cultural background. False Christians in John’s day used two special words to describe their experience: “knowledge” and “unction” (anointing). They claimed to have a special unction (anointing) from God which gave them a unique knowledge, above other so-called believers. They were “illuminated” and therefore living on a much higher level than anybody else. But John points out that all true Christians know God and have received the Spirit of God! They all have the same anointing. Because they have believed the truth, they can recognize a lie when they meet it. Since we all have the same access to God, we can all understand Scripture. This ties in with what Jesus said before he was crucified: John 14:25–27 (NIV) 25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. What are all the things we know? We know what Jesus taught. We know the things that are recorded for us in his Word. |
Peter SamplePastor of Calvary Bible Church, Neligh, NE. Missionary with RHMA. Husband to Maggie. Father to Grace, David, and Daniel. Saved by Jesus Christ Archives
April 2023
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