Hope for Those Experiencing a Loss 

Over this past week I have been involved in a couple of funerals – presiding over one and preparing for another. For some pastors with larger congregations, that might be a typical week or even less busy than usual. However, in my case as a pastor of a small church it is definitely more unusual. And these weren’t just any deaths that occurred. They weren’t individuals I hardly knew or a distant relative of a church member. These were beloved friends with whom I had enjoyed a longtime relationship. Additionally, their passing was somewhat sudden and unexpected.

As we deal with loss, grief, and death, our faith in the Lord is always a great help to us. But the message of comfort and hope comes through even clearer as we observe what we have come to refer to as Holy Week. I don’t know that there is ever a good time to face the passing away of a friend or loved one. However, this week leading up to Easter is full of reminders of why we as followers of Jesus can view the end of life differently than others do. We may still understandably experience a great measure of sadness, but at the same time we can possess a heartfelt joy.

First of all, there is the cross and the significance of Jesus’ death. Jesus died for a reason. He willingly gave His life in order to provide a way for lost sinners to find forgiveness and cleansing. He sacrificed Himself so that instead of perishing, we could enjoy eternal life. He died on that cross so that we could live in intimate fellowship with God both now and forever. So His death that we commemorated this past week gives us the assurance that if our loved ones who have passed away had put their trust in Jesus as their Savior, they are okay. Actually, they are more than okay – they are with the Lord and in a much better situation than those of us who have been left behind to continue on in this life for now. We can have peace in our hearts knowing that when believers leave this life, they are going to be with the Lord.

Secondly, the resurrection of Jesus confirms those truths. It is one thing to claim that Jesus is the Son of God. We can say that He was more than a man, that His death was meaningful, and that it paved the way for His followers to get to heaven. However, we have hard evidence to back it up. The empty tomb. Jesus’ resurrection showed that He was who He claimed to be. It revealed that He had won the victory over the grave and death. It not only affirmed the fact that Jesus was alive, but that we would continue to live and be resurrected one day too.

Easter isn’t just about the historical event of Jesus being raised from the dead. It also speaks to our futures and the status of those whose deaths we grieve. They may be gone from us but they are still alive, just as Jesus is. They may be absent from the body but they are present with the Lord. Bodies may be lowered into a grave, but one day when Jesus returns, those bodies will be changed and resurrected. We will have glorious, spiritual bodies similar to His own. Jesus is alive and reigning as Lord over all. And one day we will go to reign with Him forever and ever.

We all experience the loss of loved ones at times. Whether it is during this season or some other time of the year, let the truths of Jesus’ death and resurrection give you comfort, hope, and even joy on those occasions. He is risen!

 

Your Sin Is Covered 

We are covered. If you live in parts of the South this time of year, you know what I am talking about. For several weeks, everything gets covered by a coating of pine pollen. Anything exposed to the outdoors ends up with a yellowish tint. The powdery substance can even make its way inside our homes as it is tracked in on shoes, blows through open doors, or finds its way into crevices around windows. If God had so chosen. I think He could have included pine pollen as one of the plagues on Egypt. It might not have been as effective as frogs or flies swarming everywhere, but it can certainly be irritating at times. You can feel it on your skin, can get it in your eyes, and can even taste it in your mouth occasionally.

We may not be grateful for the pine pollen that covers everything, but this season leading up to Easter also reminds us of another covering for which we should be thankful. The blood of Christ covers all our sins. “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity” (Psalm 32:1-2). What does it mean that our sins are covered? It suggests that our sins are hidden, that they are forgiven, and that they are no longer held against us. How does that happen? How can a just God forget about our sins? It is only due to what Jesus did for us in going to the cross and dying there as the sacrifice for our sins. The blood He shed through giving His life for us is the only thing that can sufficiently remedy our wrongdoing in the sight of a holy God. It is only through faith in Him that we can experience forgiveness and cleansing. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (I John 1:7).

And much like nothing left outdoors escapes being touched by the pine pollen, there is no sin that cannot be covered by the blood of Jesus. No matter what we may have done, no matter how awful the deed, the power of Christ’s sacrifice is enough to take care of it. There are actions we may have taken in the past which we deeply regret. We were guilty of hurting others and harming ourselves. Other people may have a hard time forgiving us. Even more, we may find it difficult to forgive ourselves. Nevertheless, there is forgiveness with the Lord. If we will repent of our sin and put our trust in Jesus, His blood can cover and cleanse whatever our transgression may have been. He can set us free from the guilt and condemnation. We can have peace with God and know that our hearts are right with Him.

Is there some wrongdoing from your past which is still haunting you? We may not be able to do anything about certain consequences that we may have to live with. However, something can be done about the guilt, and Jesus has already done it. That sin is covered. If you have truly repented and put your trust in Jesus, you are forgiven. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). If God has forgiven you, isn’t it time to forgive yourself?

We look forward to the rain showers this time of year that cleanse the air of that persistent pollen. Similarly, let’s receive the refreshing, cleansing power of God to take away our guilt and condemnation through faith in Jesus’ sacrifice for our sin. Let’s be grateful that His blood is still able to cover our sin today.  

 

Reminders from the Three Crosses 

Last Sunday morning I arrived at the church building to find a bag hanging on the door. It wasn’t one of those we have received in the past which contained advertisements or promotional materials. No, this bag contained what was apparently intended to be an anonymous gift. Inside was what looked like a nice handcrafted creation made from wood. It was three crosses attached to a base. It even had a small placard with the name of our church on it. As I checked out the video from our security cameras, I didn’t recognize the person who had left it there. I don’t know if this was a generous deed done solely for our church or if this individual was doing this for other churches too. If the person happens to be reading this, let me just say, “Thank you!” Your handiwork was on prominent display on a table just inside the church door that morning.

            The reminder of the three crosses is very appropriate during this season leading up to Easter. We rightfully focus on the middle cross, the one on which Jesus was crucified. We are grateful that He was willing to suffer and die as the sacrifice for our sins. However, let’s not forget about the other two crosses and what they represent. Those two criminals who were crucified on either side of Jesus can depict us and our attitude toward Him. We have all sinned and are guilty of death. Yet those two fellow-sufferers with Jesus displayed very different spirits when it came to their situation and their view of Him. Which one best represents us?

On the one side, you have the criminal who joined in with the crowd who were ridiculing Jesus. He mockingly encouraged Jesus to save Himself if He really was the Christ. But just in case there was any truth to Jesus’ claim, he added, “… and save us”. He was actually only concerned about himself. He showed no remorse about what he had done. He exhibited no true faith in Jesus.

That attitude still describes a number of people today. They reject Jesus and His claim to be the Son of God and the Savior of the world. He is Someone to make fun of. They may try to cover their bases at times just in case they are wrong, but they don’t really believe, don’t accept the truth, and aren’t seeking any kind of real relationship with Jesus. It is all about themselves and what they want. They choose to die in their sin rather than accept the free gift of life in Jesus.

On the other side of Jesus, there is likewise a criminal. He is just as guilty as the other person. However, this man is willing to confess that he is getting what he deserves. He is guilty and he knows it. Additionally, he recognizes that there is something different about Jesus. He sees that He hadn’t done anything deserving of death. He calls out to Jesus with some degree of faith, “Lord remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). And Jesus let the man know that his prayer had been heard and would be answered.

Have we responded to Jesus in a similar fashion? We all need to recognize our guilt before the sinless Son of God. We need to confess our sin and repent. We need to call out to the Lord and trust Him as the only One who can save us. It doesn’t require a seminary degree nor does it have to involve a host of complicated religious rites. This criminal shows us that we simply need to have a repentant spirit and reach out to Jesus in faith.

Which cross portrays you and your relationship to Jesus today?

 

Always Depend on the Lord’s Help 

Recently my wife and I went to see a couple of our young grandsons play soccer. On this Saturday morning in early March, we didn’t think much about protecting ourselves from the sun. The thought of applying sunscreen didn’t even enter my mind, and if it had, I would have rejected the idea as being unnecessary. After all, it was still officially wintertime. Additionally, the morning had begun quite cloudy and even slightly cool. However, as we sat out at the soccer field later, the sunshine burst through the overcast skies. I could feel the intense heat on my skin. I tried to move around and protect myself as best I could but still ended up with a slight sunburn.

Normally I am very cautious about applying sunscreen in order to avoid getting burned – maybe overly-cautious. Nevertheless on this occasion I was overconfident in my assessment of the situation and ended up paying the price for my miscalculation.

Sometimes we do the same thing in relation to the Lord. We are thankful that He is our protector and our strength. I love those verses in the Bible that remind us of that truth. “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped” (Psalm 28:7). We often depend on the Son to screen us from the spiritual and physical dangers around us. We pray, we lean on Him, and we expectantly look for His assistance. However, sometimes we are guilty of taking His protection for granted or else thinking this particular situation is such that we can handle it ourselves. We may not see our need to apply His promises of protection and help in these circumstances. It doesn’t look too tough. We think we have got this. But then we end up getting “burned”.

The people of Israel experienced that at times. They were so dependent on God when they approached the fortified city of Jericho. Those walls were an obstacle they couldn’t overcome in their own strength. But as they marched around those walls in faith and obedience to God, He knocked down those walls and opened the way for His people to win a great victory over their enemies. Nevertheless, it was immediately after that impressive incident that the Israelites faltered. When they faced their next battle, it didn’t appear to be very hard. Therefore they didn’t pray and trust God for help. They were so confident that they didn’t even send their full army to take care of the matter. They just sent a small representation of their troops to handle the situation. And what happened? They got burned. They lost.

Granted, there were factors involved in that situation the Israelites didn’t know about. One of their own people had sinned and brought God’s disfavor. However, if they had prayed and trusted God for help at the beginning, they would have discovered that problem instead of confidently marching ahead in their own strength resulting in a defeat.

Let’s not do the same thing. Let’s always try to keep in mind our dependence on the Lord. No matter how big or little the challenge may seem, we still need Him to be with us. Let’s not take His presence and protection for granted. We can’t see the full picture. We don’t know when the circumstances might unexpectantly change. We may not be aware of the tough temptation or powerful enemy hiding around the next corner. Let’s not get cocky about our ability to handle things on our own. We need to go through all of life with that constant awareness that is expressed in the old song, “I need Thee every hour.”

            Let’s be sure that we are trusting the Lord to be our shield and strength today.            

 

Don’t Wait for a Crisis to Obey God 

After my eye doctor’s office closed a while back, I had been intending for some time to find a new ophthalmologist. Even after having one recommended to me by a church member recently, I still hadn’t made the phone call to set it up. Then one day I suddenly noticed some unusual activity in my right eye. I was experiencing occasional streaks or flashes of light, along with a couple of those distracting “floaters”. A little research revealed that those could be symptoms of a torn or detached retina. That prospect motivated me to make the contact with the ophthalmologist that I had been putting off. When they heard my symptoms, they also sounded somewhat concerned and scheduled an appointment for the same day. Thankfully, it turned out not to be anything serious but just one of the typical incidents that can occur as we get older.

That is often how we deal with certain issues in our lives. We may be aware of a need but procrastinate about taking any action until there is a crisis. We tend to do the same thing in connection with spiritual needs and our relationship with God. We know, even if we have pushed it back to the far corner of our mind, that spiritual issues exist which need our attention. We often try to ignore it or forget about it. We assure ourselves that one day soon we will call on God or take whatever step may be required in order to start getting the matter resolved. But we keep waiting, making excuses, and holding off on taking action. However, then a crisis occurs. Maybe it involves sickness, a financial setback, the death of a loved one, or some other difficult or unexpected challenge. It might not even be solely a personal crisis, but an incident that affects our whole society, nation, or world in general – a pandemic, a war, an economic crisis. Suddenly we get motivated to reach out to God. We attend that church service we had been avoiding. We voice the prayer we should have said long before now. We start thinking more about eternity and about the condition of our souls.

On the one hand, it is good to take those actions when we are faced with an emergency, a sudden hardship, or some unexpected turning point in life. Maybe God is using that experience to shake us up and get us moving. However, we need to make sure that we are not just voicing “foxhole prayers” or taking insincere actions that we will forget about as soon as the crisis is over. I have witnessed too many incidents of people seeking God and His help with their problem only to forsake Him again when the issue gets resolved.

The best course of action is not to wait for the crisis before doing what needs to be done, especially when it comes to spiritual matters. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Corinthians 6:2). If we haven’t trusted Jesus as our Savior, receiving the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of eternal life, we shouldn’t risk putting that off another day. There is too much at stake, including our eternal destiny. However, even believers need to take this word of caution to heart. Let’s not ignore God when He is calling us to some step of obedience in following Him. Don’t keep putting it off. There are times to pray and wait for God’s direction and timing. But there are also times to act now and move forward in faith.

Let’s not wait for a crisis to give us the needed kick in the pants to get going. Let’s take whatever step we need to take today in following Jesus and His will for us.

 

Choosing to Face Our Fears 

During the recent Winter Olympics, I heard an odd fact about one of the German ski jumpers. It seems that he suffers from a severe fear of heights. While there are a number of people who share that particular phobia, there are probably not too many of them who choose to regularly hurl themselves off the edge of a high hill. The announcers said that this skier had a therapist whom he had to constantly consult in order to help him deal with his fear. It made me wonder how he first got into ski jumping in light of his condition. Why not pick some other sport to compete in? Even if he liked to ski, he could do cross-country or some other version in which he could keep himself closer to the ground. Whatever his motivation, he can be admired for facing his fears in order to pursue a sport that must be very important to him.

We are all called upon to confront our fears at times. However, often it involves dealing with challenges that we cannot avoid, such as sickness, financial struggles, death, and other common experiences in life. We don’t really have a choice about whether or not we go through the ordeal. It is simply a matter of how we do it – often having to choose between fear or faith. But what about when we do have a choice? That ski jumper wasn’t being forced to jump off those hills. He chose that activity for himself. There was something that took such priority in his life that he was willing to put himself through the experience of having to encounter that which he was so afraid of. Do we ever find ourselves in that position?

Sometimes God calls us to do things that bring us on a collision course with one of the fears in our lives. One of my greatest challenges was when I became aware that the Lord was calling me to be a preacher. I suffered from another one of those common phobias – the fear of public speaking. I would go to any lengths in school to avoid having to give any kind of oral report. I would rather have written five lengthy essays than to have to stand before a group to deliver one brief oral presentation. Yet I knew what God was wanting me to do. It was a struggle, but my love for the Lord and my desire to please Him ultimately led me to choose to follow His will rather than let my fears direct my path. And I can say that after over forty years of speaking almost every Sunday in a public setting that God has been faithful to enable me to do what He called me to do. The fear, or at least the preference not to speak publicly or to choose writing over speaking, may still be there. However, the Lord is with me and helps me to face my fears.

As we seek to faithfully follow the Lord, we will come face-to-face with other fears at times – the fear of rejection, the fear of losing friends, the fear of what other people think of us, and many others. In some cases, we could avoid putting ourselves in those positions if we unwisely chose to keep quiet about our faith, not insist on doing the right thing, compromise on truth, or not be committed to living a godly life. However, if we are going to please the Lord, we have to do what He calls us to, climb that hill, take the leap of obedience to God, and face those fears.

Hopefully, following God’s will and purpose for us is such a priority in our lives that we are willing to confront whatever it is we may fear.     

 

God Does Not Contradict Himself 

My wife’s recent interaction with our cable provider reinforced the notorious reputation such businesses have for making it difficult for their customers to make changes in their service. First my wife explored our options online and attempted to handle the matter herself on the company’s website. However, after several mixed messages we were left uncertain whether the desired transaction had been completed or not. The next day, she spoke to a representative in person at their local store. There she was presented with totally different information from what she had received from the website. Finally, she chatted with another person online, ending up with a resolution, but one that was still different from the previous ones we had been given. It is confusing and frustrating when different sources from the same company are telling you different things.

Thankfully, the Lord is consistent and unchanging when it comes to truth. Although we do have different sources of divine revelation, they all faithfully coincide and support one another. The original manuscripts of the Bible are a unique, divinely-inspired, authoritative revelation of God’s will. However, Jesus – the Son of God and the express image of His Father – states that He did not come to destroy God’s Word but to fulfill it. Nothing He said or did contradicted that written revelation. Additionally, we as believers have the Holy Spirit to teach us and to guide us into all truth. Nevertheless, the Spirit will not ever direct us to do anything that goes against what Jesus taught or the commands given to us in the Bible. Sometimes there may seem to be contradictions due to our not having a clear understanding of God’s Word or of the actions of Jesus. Or we might mistake our own thoughts or feelings for the voice or promptings of the Holy Spirit. But we can be confident that God and His faithful representatives do not mislead us, make mistakes, or contradict one another. If God, His Word, or the Holy Spirit tell us something, we can believe it.

Unfortunately, there are fallible humans who profess to be representatives of God who may, unintentionally or purposefully, misguide us about God and His will. In some cases, they will discredit some of these divine sources, such as ignoring some of Jesus’ words or actions that don’t fit their agenda, or claiming that the Bible is a manmade document full of errors and outdated ideas, or ignoring any idea of a Spirit from God living in us and speaking to us. Or they pit one of these sources against another, giving more prominence to whichever one goes along best with their own ideas. While God doesn’t contradict Himself, there are those who misrepresent Him who can confuse and mislead people.

How do we know whom to listen to? Prayerfully read and study God’s Word yourself. Know it well so that you can recognize the counterfeit versions when they show up. Look at what Jesus said and did. Don’t readily accept somebody else’s idea of what Jesus would say or do today. Get to know Him and His will yourself. And learn to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit from all the other voices vying for your attention, including your own. The more we listen and yield to Him, the easier it will be for us to recognize His voice.

Let’s not be too quick to accept what someone says simply because they claim to represent God. Test the spirits to see if they truly are of God. God will not contradict Himself, whether through His Word, His Son, the Holy Spirit, or any other reliable source of revelation. He is not a cable company representative. He is the God of truth we can count on.