Dear Friend

“Be still, and know that I am God…“  (Psalm 46:10)

• I came here today
• To our hiding place
• Once again you’re gone
• It’s always the same
•   
• Alone outside
• The air grows cold
• Winter breathes
• Frostbite on your soul
•   
• *
• The chill has frozen your tears
• Love still burns in the fireplace here
•    
• And our Time is slipping Away
•   
• Reminisce for a while
• Of how things used to be
• You used to call this home
• Do you remember me
•   
• Love still burns
• Like the fire inside
• Fall into my life
• Before you fall to your pride
•   
• *
• The chill has frozen your tears
• Love still burns in the fireplace here
•   
• The hour glass
• Empties so fast
• As I disappear
• In your rear-view mirror

Hide Away

 

Jesus said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations.” (Matt. 28:19) 

“But Jonah arose to flee…from the presence of the Lord.” (Jonah 1:3)

“And I was afraid and went and hid…” (Matt. 25:25)

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• Looking into Your eyes, I’m back on memory lane
• Flashback to the night when my life changed
• Knees pressed on the living room floor
• Amazing grace began its outpour
•  
• Ten years later, and I’m jumping the ship
• You’re calling me, but honestly, I’m scared of the script
• In the belly of a whale, keeping profile low
• I’m hearing Your voice, but still I don’t want to go
•  
• I was brought here for a reason.
• But you couldn’t tell it by the look in my eyes.
• I feel like I’m barely breathing.
• Is this really the life…I was meant to live?
•  
• What am I scared of? What am I hiding for?
• Can I find a way to breathe? Cause life is so much more?
• And I’m sleeping at the wheel, Oblivious to what’s outside.
• My headlights are gone, and all I do is hide.
•  
• Feasting with the King, but I’m hogging the plate
• Tuning out the beggars and ignoring their fate
• Jesus showed us the way, but I ain’t sharing the map
• People falling off the edge while I’m taking my nap
•  
• Exhausted from this nightmare inside
• People are suffocating from my pride
• The light turns green, but I’m colorblind
• Seem I’ve found a way to blindfold my mind
•  
• I was brought here for a reason.
• But you couldn’t tell it by the look in my eyes.
• I live like I’m barely breathing.
• Is this really the life…I was meant to live?
•  
• What am I scared of? What am I hiding for?
• Can I find a way to breathe? Cause life is so much more?
• And I’m sleeping at the wheel, Oblivious to what’s outside.
• My headlights are gone, and all I do is hide.
•  
• Is this really all I know what to do?
• I’ve hidden God in my heart, but then I hide Him from you.
• Amnesia’s taken over my mind,
• And I forget who I am as the clock unwinds.
• What’s my motive as I hide like this?
• I’ve barely even started, now I’m calling it quits.
• The end is near, and I’m living like tomorrow’s for sure,
• And so I kill the day as I hide away.

www.myspace.com/weakside

The Madams

Text:  Matthew 1:1-17

       It was Christmas time two years ago, in the middle of a snow-covered field, surrounded by candles, fireworks and falling snowflakes, whenI asked Elizabeth to be my bride.  Honestly, one of the reasons I was (and still am) so deeply attracted to her is because of her heart for the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree!  In the movie “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, Charlie goes on a quest to find a Christmas tree to provide “the proper mood” for the Nativity play that he’s directing.  Instead of choosing one of the beautiful trees, he zeros in on the scrawniest little tree on the lot…the one nobody else would have picked that Christmas.

       My bride has a heart for the forgotten and left-out.  From orphans to bench-warmers to Charlie Brown Christmas Trees (like the one currently decorated in our living roomJ), she is drawn toward “life’s overlooked.”

       Such is my desire of the sermon series this Christmas: to “preach the whole counsel of God” (Acts. 20:27) by sharing the Christmas stories in God’s Word that are rarely ever showcased in the store-front windows of our attention; nativity treasures that are often left unopened and unnoticed in the back store rooms.

       Our quest for the concealed treasures of Christmas begins in the opening pages of the New Testament: (Part two of the best-selling book in history).  The Author of this book chose to pique his readers’ attention by commencing with the miraculous beginning of the greatest story ever told? 

       This is precisely what the aspiring journalist is taught in his college courses:  It is imperative that the writer craft a dynamic beginning that engages the reader’s interest, creating a desire to read the story in its entirety. 

       So begins the second half of the Bible: a miraculous conception, angels, dreams, prophecy, the Creator being born into His creation.  A fascinating, heart-grabbing introduction…if only it would have left out the first 17 verses!  However, instead of starting with this extraordinary story, we are given a 17-verse history lesson with a bunch of names, most of which are quite unfamiliar and unpronounceable!  A genealogy…could there possibly be a more uninteresting prologue to the New Testament?

       Actually, if we would just take the time to dissect this boring list of names, perhaps the Holy Spirit would open our eyes to the glorious wisdom of God that is here displayed.  He surely didn’t use all that printer’s ink for nothing.  In fact, J. Vernon McGee maintained that this family tree “is in many respects the most important document in the Scriptures.”[i]

       This sign in sheet provided the necessary bedrock for the nativity scene.  God had promised a select group of individuals that the promised Messiah would be a descendent of their family line: Adam (Gen. 3:15), Abraham (Gen. 22:18), Judah (Gen. 49:10), Jesse (Isa. 11:1), David (2 Sam. 11:12-3).  Unless His birth was grounded in an unshakable foundation of fulfilled prophecy, the legitimacy of His claims as the long-awaited Messiah would totally collapse, making the story of Christmas nothing more than an interesting part of history.

       But when you get past David and Abraham in the first two verses…four Charlie Brown Trees appear on the stage.  Girls!  The names of women were almost never recorded in Hebrew genealogies, and yet the lineage of Christ Jesus contains four such names!  Who were these four esteemed madams?  The great grandmothers of our Lord Jesus Christ were Tamar: the Canaanite prostitute (vs. 3, Gen. 38), Rahab: the harlot from Jericho (vs. 5, Joshua 2), Ruth: from the incest line of Moab (vs. 5, Gen. 19:30-7, Ruth 1), and Bathsheba: the adulterous Hittite wife (vs. 6, 2 Sam. 11).

       Not only are these four part of the foundation that solidifies this Christmas story…but they’re the backdrop that makes Jesus’ birth truly magnificent.  For such are the sinners whom our Lord Jesus came to save (Matt. 1:21).  He chose a family history that nobody else would have chosen!  Oh that we wouldn’t abandon these beautiful notes in our Christmas songs.

     Do you have a crummy past?  Perfect!  You are the reason that Jesus came on Christmas Day.  Have you made embarrassing choices…stupid mistakes?  Excellent!  Jesus was born to save people like you and me from our sins!  That’s the Real Gospel: “Unto you is born…a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)  Praise God!

“We Are The Reason“  by Avalon.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCuuVi6dnZw&feature=related

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[i] McGee, J. Vernon. “Thru the Bible.”  Vol. 4, Page 7

The Mailman

Text: Eph. 1:13-4; Acts  18:24 – 19:6

       Yesterday, my beautiful bride and I decked our home with all the fancies of the Christmas holiday!  Among the decorations is a nativity set that I purchased for Elizabeth while I was in Israel several years ago.  The wooden scene showcases all the “staple characters” of the Christmas story: Joseph and Mary, the baby Jesus, three wise men, a shepherd, some livestock and an angel carved into the stable.  Such is “the cast” that we sing about in our Christmas carols and relive in our Christmas plays.

       Yet, as you look deeper at the panorama of this beautiful Christmas scene, there are a number of characters in the background that appear to have fallen through the celebration cracks.  Perhaps this Christmas, we might allow the spotlight of God’s Word to illuminate a few of these unsung heroes.

       The greatest of these background characters is really not a background character at all.  As I read the Holy Christmas Story, four lead roles appear in my mind: Jesus, the Gift of Christmas; God the Father, the Giver; Believers, the recipients; and the Holy Spirit; the Mailman who brought this gift into the world. (Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:35)

       As Christians, what is this “Joy To The World” that we celebrate during the Christmas season?  Our joy is Jesus…that He, being human through Mary’s seed, could “walk in our shoes” and identify with our weakness.  Yet, through the perfect seed of God the Holy Spirit, Jesus was able to pay the price tag that sin demanded for our souls…the shedding of perfect and innocent blood.  It was through the Holy Spirit that Jesus was born without the legally-inherited sin of the human father, and therefore, He alone was able to purchase our freedom from sin.  Not only was He able, He was also willing!  (John 10:17-8)

       We celebrate Christmas because the “God-Man” was born into our world to be our Savior, and this was only made possible through the working of the Holy Spirit.  Some 2,000 years ago, the unsung Mailman delivered Jesus into the world through Mary!

       Paul understood the need of the Holy Spirit, and he wasn’t about to let this need go unaddressed in his letter to the Ephesians.  In fact, he mentions the Holy Spirit in every chapter of his epistle.[i]  This was such a “hot topic” for Paul that the ground-breaking of his 3-year ministry to the Ephesians would be to make sure they received the Holy Spirit.  When he arrived in Ephesus in Acts 19, the first question he asked the Ephesians was in regards to the Holy Spirit: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (19:2)

       What is it about the Holy Spirit that was so fundamentally vital to Paul’s ministry?  Simply put: the greatest need in the world is for people to see Jesus, and it is only through the Holy Spirit that this can truly happen.  The Holy Spirit was sent to take the things of Jesus and make them real to us. (1 Cor. 2:9-16)  When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He sent His Spirit to come and dwell within us.  If you believe on the Name of Jesus Christ, then you have the promise that the Spirit of Jesus literally LIVES INSIDE YOU!  (1 Cor. 3:16)

       He lives to teach us the things of Jesus (John 14:26); to give us the help & comfort of Jesus (John 16:7); to convict us of the sin that separates us from Jesus (John 16:8); to guide us in the truth of Jesus (John 16:13-4); to pray for us in our weakness (Rom. 8:26-7); to fill us with the joy, peace, hope and power of Jesus (Rom. 15:13); and, as a spirit, He has the power to dwell in every believer (Psalm 139:7-8) fulfilling the promise of Jesus that He will be “with you always…” A promise that Jesus, in the flesh, could not have fulfilled.  (John 16:7)

       This Christmas season is a perfect time to examine your life.  Have you asked Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord?  Have you been experiencing the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in your life, making you look more like Jesus?  God’s greatest gift at Christmas so many years ago was the gift of His Only Begotten Son, through the Holy Spirit.  Now Jesus’ greatest gift to us is the gift of His Holy Spirit to live inside of us so that we don’t have to go through life alone.  And Jesus continues to hold this gift out for you… It’s yours for the taking today.  But tomorrow may be too late.  “Now is the day of salvation!” (2 Cor. 6:2)  This is one gift that shouldn’t wait for Christmas!  Receive it today.

 

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[i] 1:13-4; 2:18, 22; 3:5, 16; 4:4, 30; 5:9, 18; 6:17

Thanks For Giving and Forgiving

Text: Ephesians 1:13, Philippians 4:4-8 

        Last week Jeremiah was kidnapped by his wife and hauled off to Minnesota where he was subsequently held hostage at the Metrodome (during which time the Vikings happened to be playing). 

       Upon arrival, he was escorted into row 19 (right above the end zone) and confined to chair #16 for a period of the 3 hours.  Not to worry though, as he eventually escaped, disguised as a Vikings fan, and sweet-talked his bride into taking him back home to Nebraska!  (Incidently, I ”stumbled across” the game’s highlights at http://www.vikings.com/media-vault/videos/Full-Highlights-Vikings-27-Lions-10/e3a607c8-15c4-43f2-be04-bda97697f117 )

       On the long road trip to the Viking country, I tuned in to a Christian radio station.  I must admit, I’ve never been much for listening to the news.  This time, however, since I knew it would be coming from a Christian perspective, I decided to catch up on “the latest” as the station switched from music to a news break.

       Here’s the gist of the information I attained.  First, I learned that President Obama is a horrible person and is benefiting our nation in no way whatsoever.  Then I heard the complaints of a Christian lady who had been “called names” for evangelizing at a homosexuality rally.  That was followed by a news piece about the Muslims taking over the country with their religious privileges while Christians are being treated unjustly.  End of newscast. 

       All in all, it left me feeling encouraged and closer to Jesus.  I thought the news brief truly exemplified the ideals of the Apostle Paul.  Just listen to his words in Philippians 4:4-8:

       “Mope around in the happenings of this world always.  Again, I will say, mope around.  Let your frustrations be known to all men.  Problems are at hand.  Be joyful for nothing, but in everything by gossip and murmuring, with complaining, let your woes be made known to everyone.  And the confusion of this world, which surpasses all joy, will warp your hearts and minds through everything you read, hear and see. 

       Finally, my fellow nit-pickers, whatever things are suspicious, whatever things are corrupt in our government or with our president, whatever things are maddening about our culture, whatever things are dirty about the media, whatever things really bug us about certain people, if there is any unfairness and if there is any negativity – think about these things.” (New Sad Version)

       What a great outlook on life!  With this kind of attitude…it’s no wonder the Ephesian people came flocking to Jesus.  (Please notice the mass sarcasm.) 

       The apostle spent three years here in the city of Ephesus.  He was up against the goddess Diana, probably the most worshipped deity in Asia (maybe even the entire Roman world) during Paul’s life.  Diana was variously known as the moon goddess, the goddess of hunting and the fertility goddess.  Ephesus was the center of “Diana worship.”  Her temple was famed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.  It was a common saying that “the sun in its course sees nothing more magnificent than Diana’s temple.”  People came from everywhere to worship there, resulting in a lucrative business for the vendors of “Diana products”.  The financial success was such that Ephesus had a reputation for being the richest city in the world at one time. 

       At its peek, it had a population of over half a million.  It was a cultural “trend-setter” similar to Los Angeles, filled to the brim with idolatry, prostitution and the practice of magic.  In other words, there wasn’t a plethora of “Coffee Shop Bible Study Groups” to get connected with.

       So what did Paul do to lead people to Jesus?  He simply complained the whole time about all the corruption in their religion; he bashed their system of government, and he whined that he wasn’t being treated fairly.  (More sarcasm.)

       Actually, Paul had a different approach to his ministry.  Paul’s tactic was to “let the word of Christ dwell in [him] richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another…” and to “let [his] speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt…” (Col. 3:16; 4:6)  Paul knew that negative speech doesn’t attract people to Jesus. 

       The Bible says that the Ephesian natives came to trust in Jesus after hearing the good news about the One Who died to be their savior!  (Eph. 1:13)  God gave His only begotten Son as the means to forgiving our sin. (John 3:16)  People don’t need to hear about current events or your personal opinions on politics…people need to hear about Jesus.  Oh, that a watching world would see a heart of thanksgiving and peace when they look at us.  May we be prayerfully intentional about having a true Philippians 4 attitude so people might see the peace of Jesus in us.

“Give Me Jesus” by Jeremy Camp  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dca0P7w9ZQ

“People Need the Lord” by Steve Green http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AibBR6j2g54

( Photo by Eric Koch – www.erickochphoto.com )

Shine

“You are the light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.“  (Matthew 5:14, 16)

• There’s a world dying of a hunger
• A world crying for a Savior
• A world nearing an end
• There’s a world searching for love
• A world in desperate need of
• A true best friend
•   
• You could be a light in your world
• You could be the one to change somebody’s life
• If you could only see the difference you could make
• When you let Jesus be your light
• And then you’ll shine
•    
• And when you get to Heaven
• And you’re standing before the throne
• You’ll see a familiar face
• That you met along life’s road
• He’ll smile at you and say “Thank you for showing me the way”
• “You see I wanted what I saw living in your life”
• “And that’s why I’m here today”
•    
• You were the light in my world
• You were the one who changed my life
• If you could only see
• The difference you made in me
• When you let Jesus be light
• I saw you shine
•    
• Like a star shining in the sky
• Like the moon at night
• Shines for the ship lost at sea
• Like a candle burning in the dark
• Let it burn in your heart
• For all the world to see
•    
• Will you be a light in your world
• Will you be the one to change somebody’s life
• If you could only see the difference you could make
• When you let Jesus be your light
• And then you’ll shine

www.myspace.com/weakside

One Shot

One Shot, Let’s Roll 

• Music and Lyrics by              Jeremiah Knoop        
• ><>
• From the 2004 Record “Free”  by WeakSide
• ><>
• www.myspace.com/weakside
• ><>
• We walk the road with least resistance
• We watch the battle rage from a distance
• As our brothers and sisters die
• Opportunities pass by and it doesn’t even seem to faze us
• Shouldn’t that amaze us
• For the Christian status we try to be spiritually polite
• So let’s talk about a holy war
• Why do we excuse ourselves from the fight
• Are our Christian lives so fake, don’t we know what’s at stake
• My take, we’re just that lazy
• Isn’t that crazy
•  
• There’s a purpose to this life, that’s exactly what I’m saying
• So why aint love on the table of the things you’ve been displaying
• In your life and in your soul
• You need to understand that time is on the go
• Get into the field, get out of your comfort zone
• Understand I’m not alone in the words I’m saying
• I’m praying that somebody we’ll get the guts to show our faith
• And live for what we know
•  
• We’ve got one time, one shot, no backs, let’s roll
• We’re on a mission with no time to relax, let’s go
• There’s a world dying right before our eyes
• Why are we standing still
• Are we crazy or blind, don’t we care if they’re left behind
• All I know is we’ve got one shot, let’s roll
•  
• This time, this place, it’s the human race that we’re deserting
• Are our hearts so callused, cold, that we can’t see the hurting
• When the final curtain falls, and you’ve failed to answer the call
• What’s it really matter if you’re a world hero
• When you haven’t left ground zero
•  
• “Be anything” is the American dream come true
• Have we forgotten the rest of the world has a dream too
• You sit there in your personal high chair, acting like you don’t care
• About the suffering life
• Have you forgotten all He sacrificed?  Hello?
•  
• We were lost sheep, freedom wasn’t cheap
• Still here we are, ’cause of His scars
• Spite opposition, He had a mission
• Freed us from the past, gave us hope at last
• He showed us of our reason to live
• Count the cost, take up the cross, let the world know He lives
• But are we listening?  Hello?

Laboring Wheat-in & Weed Out

Text:  Ephesians 1:10 / Matthew 9:36-38

       Have you heard the joke about the magical tractor?  It was driving down the road and suddenly turned into a field!

       It goes without saying that the tractors in the fields today look like dinosaurs compared to the old Farmall B that I learned to drive.  I often wonder what my grandpa would say of our modern farm equipment if he were still alive today.  The only animals to be seen in the fields today are the 500+ horses inside the tractor’s engine.  

       At a recent farming extravaganza, I climbed into the carpeted cab of a $300,000 combine complete with air conditioning, heater, stereo radio, a large rotational windscreen wiper, electrically adjustable rear view mirrors, tilt telescopic steering wheel, overhead cooling compartments for your Pepsi, cup holders for your Starbucks, courtesy lights, tinted glass and many other highly fascinating features.  Optional perks even included an auto pilot, allowing the combine to steer automatically, reducing driver fatigue!  This field monster, with its’16 row corn head, has the ability to harvest 80 bushels of corn every minute; slightly different than “the good ol’ days.”

       While the means and the methods of farming have changed over the years, the rules are still the same: plant the seeds, harvest the crops.  The farmer, regardless of his tractor’s horsepower, invests his time, energy and money into this one end: harvest, “the gathering season” with the hopes of reaping an abundant crop.

       Jesus tells us of another gathering season that is immeasurable more important than corn or beans: the gathering season of people.  “He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful’” (Matt 9:37).  This is the mystery of the will of Jesus, “that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ.”  Just as a candy dispenser produces the allotted amount of candy, so Jesus is in the process of dispensing (distributing) time to each person according to the good pleasure of the Father.  It is during this dispensation of time, before the bottom of the hour-glass is full, that Jesus is in the process of harvesting (gathering together) people into the Kingdom of Heaven.

       The good news is that we get to be a part of this great harvesting season!  Before the doors are shut forever, there is still time to get into the field and share the love of Jesus with those who don’t yet know Him.  While the door is still open, may we be faithful with the time we have been given, allowing God to use us in this great harvest of souls.  Soon “the fullness of times” will come, and the gathering season will be over.  “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2b).  We have been given no guarantee of tomorrow.  “Come quickly now, before they close the door.” 

       Jesus is gathering all things that are in Christ.  All persons (regardless of their race, nationality, social class, church denomination)…everyone that is found in Jesus, covered by His blood, is being gathered into the kingdom of heaven at the proper time.  Notice that his harvest is not all-inclusive.  One day the Lord of the harvest will separate the wheat from the weeds.  Every person who reaches the door of eternity, not covered in Christ, will be gathered together and cast into hell.  (Matt. 13:24-43).  Harsh truth…but truth just the same.

       For the child of God, the harvest is a beautiful, exciting time.  For those of us who are still in the field, we anticipate the day when the Lord of the Harvest will finally gather us together will all of those who have gone before us.  “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be.  When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory.”  The Lord of the harvest never tires in his laboring, week-in, week-out…wheat-in, weed-out.  And He desires to use you; for “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:37).

God of Mystery: A Real Page Turner

 Text: Ephesians 1:7-10     

     The doorbell rings.  Another cluster of mysterious creatures has just landed on our doorstep, and they desire that which I possess… candy.  Under the cover of darknes, everything from beautiful princesses and butterflies to walking mummies and skeletons  paraded across our front porch last night in quest to fill their pumpkin buckets with enough sweets to last them through elementary school!  

        They even threatened to trick us in some way if we would not cooperate.  (We had a gut feeling the threat was coming, so we pulled out the big guns… full size candy bars!  Although one of these years, I’d like to see the little 3 year-old bumblebee actually produce on her threat =)  

       Ours’ wasn’t the only home invaded by sugar-seekers last night.  All across America, the streets were lined with children and parents participating in the second-most popular holiday in our country.  What was simply a mediocre celebration several decades ago has now become a multi-billion dollar industry, trailing only to Christmas.  Crazy, right!

       Perhaps the reason lies within its mysterious nature.  Humans are deeply intrigued with mystery.  Hence, the genre that is always on the best-seller’s list for fiction books…mystery.

       What is a mystery?  Webster defines it as “A profound secret; something kept cautiously concealed, and therefore exciting curiosity or wonder.”

       Perhaps, this is why there are so many scientists, astronomers and biologists: the universe is overflowing with mystery.  How big is the universe?  What Causes Gravity?  What makes up a strand of DNA?  What happens inside an earthquake?  In response to an article published in “The Scientist”, Dr. Raam Shanthi said, “One thing is certain; [only a true] scientist [could ever] experience the sheer joy that comes with unraveling a mystery of nature, of solving a problem.”[i] 

       Webster gives another definition for a mystery: “Any thing in the character or attributes of God…which is not revealed to man.”  Our God is Mysterious: His eternal existence, His omnipresence, His sovereignty, His ability to listen intently to every true prayer being prayed simultaneously.  Just spend some time contemplating the mystery of God in Job 11:7-12!

       The Bible tells us that there are many things about God that we won’t ever fully understand until we see Him face to face. (1 Cor. 13:12)  I don’t fully understand the mysteries of God…And that’s the whole point!  God surpasses understanding.  That’s what makes Him God.  Charles Spurgeon said, “Give the Lord credit for knowing things you don’t understand.”  Just because you don’t understand something, doesn’t mean it isn’t real.  The concept of electricity shatters my tiny brain, but I still believe in it.  Where would our modern world be without it?  Likewise, simply because you can’t see something, doesn’t mean it’s not there.  I can’t see the sound waves amidst the wind, but I know they exist.

       It seems logical to me that the God who created this mysterious world, might also be beyond our ability to fully understand!  Still, the majority reach the exact opposite conclusion: “I don’t understand the Creator, therefore He must not exist.”  Sad.

       Although much of God is a mystery, His best secrets are meant to be known.[ii]  Paul said that Jesus has “made known to us” the greatest mysteries of life: the mystery of His Will (Eph 1:9), of the Messiah (Eph 3:4), of Grace (1 Pet. 1:10-2), of the Church (Eph 3:9-10), of the Gospel (Eph 6:19).  However, these mysteries are revealed to those who are faithful in searching them out.  Study the clues (Eph 3:4), asked questions (1 John 5:14-5), search (Jer. 29:13), meditate (Ps. 1:2), dig and pry (Ps 119).

       This is why I became a pastor.  I discovered God for myself, and the mysteries that God revealed to me rocked my world!  Through study, meditation and prayer God was faithful in showing me “great and mighty things, which [I did] not know.” (Jer. 33:3)  Mysteries that were long-hidden from the world, God had found pleasure in revealing to us today if we are willing to search them out. 

       Our inability to fully understand the Creator is a stumbling block to so many.  The mystery of God fuels a disbelief, but when God is subsequently removed from the picture, all of life becomes a mystery with a horrific ending.  Joseph Parker said: “There is a mystery about religion, but there is ten thousand times more mystery without it.  There is mystery with the Bible, but there is nothing but mystery without it.”  Without God, we have surveys dealing with the “Top 10 Greatest Mysteries“ in science that include questions like, “How did the universe begin? How did life arise on earth? And how does evolution really work?”;[iii]  Questions that are hopeless without a loving Creator.

       The reality that I was created by a mysterious God means that I get to spend my entire life getting to know Him!  And the more that I search, the more I discover “what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.” (Eph. 1:19)

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[i] http://www.the-scientist.com/news/home/53547/

[ii] Mark 4:11; Rom 11:25, 16:25; 1 Cor 2:6-10; 15:51; Col 1:26-7; 2:2; 4:3; 1 Tim 3:9, 16

[iii] http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/090507-top10-greatest-mysteries-1.html

First Baby Dedication

  Allow me another short story!

       Sunday, October 18, 2009

            It has been said that “Good leaders inspire confidence.”  As a pastor, I believe this to be true.  In order for others to feel comfortable in my leadership, it is vitally important that I exhibit confidence in my pastoral role.  For example: let’s say that I was asked to perform a baby dedication.  Regardless of the instantaneous fear that such a request might generate in every fiber of my being, it would be my responsibility to confidently assure the parents that I would love to hold their fragile, screaming child in front of a congregation filled with extended family and friends in a service of dedication.

            Hi.  My name is Jeremiah.  I’ve been a pastor now for three months.  And I am petrified of babies!  There is even a medical term for my condition; it’s called pedophobia: an abnormal and persistent fear of babies and children.  Now, I’ve never actually had a doctor confirm that I suffer from this particular phobia, but at least it puts a face to the monster that haunts my mind.

            I am certain, however, that I do in fact suffer from arachnophobia, which is an irrational fear of spiders.  Just the other day my bride casually informed me of a small spider that was traveling up my sweetshirt, and I was instantly thrashing around our living room like a man in an electric chair.  My clothes were frantically strewn all over the floor in a matter of seconds, and the eight-legged intruder was reduced to a fossil in the heel of my foot.  But that has very little to do with pastoral ministry, so I carry this burden in silence.

            However, fear of babies has a great deal to do with pastoral ministry when a wonderful family in the church asks you to dedicate their precious baby girl to the Lord!  Babies are so cute from a reasonable distance, but when they invade my little safety bubble…it is just generally not a positive experience.

            New research is proving that “humans, when frightened, emit a particular odor that turns fear contagious.”  In other words, babies can sense the terror in the eyes of a petrified pastor.  This sense of panic is then transferred into the eyes of the child, resulting in a wave of audible energy released through the vocal chords in the form of a blood-curling scream.  Very few of the babies, who have found themselves unfortunately abandoned in my arms, have ever allowed me to hold them for more than three or four seconds before initiating their panic alarm.  I try to sooth their fear by smiling and playing peek-a-boo, but that never fails to make matters even worse.

            The Sunday morning came when I was expected to lead the family in a dedication service for their beautiful baby girl, Laretta Grace.  With the swell of out-of-town friends and family, our attendance had more than doubled, which wasn’t doing any favors for my already-frayed nerves.  At the conclusion of the Sunday morning message, having stalled the inevitable as long as possible, I invited the family to come to the front…with their little girl (since she was an important part of the whole dedication thing). 

            Along with the family came her four brothers, all in elementary school…  I had managed a handful of introductory words from the story of Hannah when the 2 year-old brother started harping away on the piano keys.  A perfect mood setter for the nervous pastor.  After a delightful prelude of two fists pounding out a collection of various notes, he was taken captive by his aunt and held hostage in the front pew.  (And here’s the kicker…everybody else thinks it’s cute!) 

            I finished the little devotional and began to lead the family through the vows when a eerily-familiar tune began to beat through the air waves once again.  Ah yes…piano child has escaped and is now seeking to add some background music.  This is all going so well.

            Now the moment comes when the father is to hand the baby over to the pastor as he prays for the child.  And (dreams do come true) the little girl was sound asleep!  In other words, she was not susceptible to the fear coursing through the pastor’s veins at this particular instant.  Clutching her like a football, I confidently prayed for little Laretta’s future.  These were the words heard by the congregation.  What they didn’t hear was the nonverbal chants of a pastor on the homestretch; “don’t drop the baby, don’t drop the baby.”

            I finished the prayer, we sang “Jesus Loves Me”, and the service was over!  There was no screaming and no leaking on the pastor.  Baby and pastor were both in one piece.

            The reason for this story?  I prayed vigorously that God would bring glory to Himself despite my fear, and He answered prayer.  Should this encourage your heart, then God has just received His glory!  Praise God.

(Published by permission of the Davis Family)