Man of Sorrows

I just love the movie “O Brother Where Art Thou.” In it, the Soggy Bottom Boys sing a song called “Man of Sorrows.” I can so relate.

Most of us can relate, can we not? Why is it that this life is so full of sorrows? Why must we go through such hardships? Doesn’t our creator love us enough to keep us from these times? Man, that just gets down to the heart of the matter doesn’t it?

Depression is such a rampant problem in our society. Most of us are plagued by it from time to time. I myself struggle with it. Depression is not something new, though. Some of the greatest men in the history of the world suffered with it, including godly men such as Charles Spurgeon, who had depression so bad that often he could not even preach. It just must be a part of our human experience to suffer. Let’s be real with ourselves. Deep down, doesn’t that somehow and sometimes just make you want to question the loving nature of your creator? Think about these situations:

Job obviously suffered:

• If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales! It would surely outweigh the sand of the seas—no wonder my words have been impetuous. (Job 6:2-3)

David suffered on numerous occasions:

• Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? (Ps 6:2-3)
  Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. (Ps 31:9-10)

Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet:

• Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. (Jer 4:19)

Daniel was deeply distressed by the visions God gave him:

• I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, "I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I am helpless. How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe." (Dan 10:16-17)

Paul suffered on numerous occasions, had a thorn in his side, and grieved over his brothers:

• I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, (Rom 9:1-3)

In fact, all of the apostles were persecuted and according to tradition and church history most died horrific deaths. Different sources provide different accounts, but by all accounts they were almost all martyred.

Jesus himself was called THE man of sorrows:

• He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Is 53:3)

Just before his death, which itself was of great tribulation and suffering, Jesus faced great personal anguish and sorrow:

• An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:43-44)

Well-intended people may give lots of reasons why we face such difficulties. Like Job’s friends, they may suggest it is the result of our sin – and sometimes it may be. They might suggest that it is Satan attacking them – and like Paul’s thorn in the flesh – it may be. They might suggest that it is just the way things are – and wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, would agree that it may be… he said:

• Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. (Ecc 3:19)
• There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. (Ecc 8:14)

The truth is, we spend way too much time worrying about why such things happen and trying to lay blame for them on anything we can think of, including God. We will never be able to figure out why God allows things to happen the way he does. For example, why did Jesus allow John the Baptist to be beheaded in prison, but he sent an angel to rescue Peter from prison? Why did God rescue Paul from prison so many times only to leave him to remain in prison for several years and to ultimately lose his life in Rome? Solomon figured this out when he said

• So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. (Ecc 9:1)

We are going to go through hard times, but we must remember that God is in control:

• When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. (Ecc. 7:14)

Even Jesus himself warned us of such:

• "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (Jn 16:33)

As I write this, I am personally going through some of the darkest times of my life. Those around me have no idea exactly how difficult the times I am facing really are. There are so many people depending on me and I fear that I will let them all down. The troubles are greater than any I have ever experienced and the potential consequences are life-altering. I so relate to these words from Paul to the Corinthians

• We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (1 Cor 4:8-9)

Except that I wonder when I will be crushed. I often feel abandoned. And destruction often seems inevitable. Depression. Yes, I too am a man of sorrow. It is OK to question God. Jesus himself on the cross cried out “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?” So I too can ask the question: Why, God? I don’t understand. And yet, in my questioning, I cannot lose faith. It is not for me to understand so much as it is to trust. Trust in the Lord. Have faith. Stand firm. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. When all else fails, I still must say with David…

• Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Ps 20:16)

The best way to deal with these difficulties is to change the way we think about them. When facing such difficulties, we need to focus on God’s promises rather than on whatever fear has beset us. God is our fortress; he is our strength; he is our salvation.

• But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. (Ps 59:16)

Oddly enough… despite all the troubles I am facing and the fear I experience and the depression I know that I am feeling… I’ve been waking up every morning with praise songs in my head. Was I singing in my sleep? This morning, the “cafeteria lady” caught me whistling… I didn’t even know I was whistling. These are gifts from God, not my own doing.

• The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. (Ps 28:7)
• Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." (Is 12:2)
• The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. (Ps 118:14)

We must always remember that it is God’s strength that carries us. We cannot carry on in our own strengths. If you knew what all I have been facing, you would say “how are you managing it?” I am not. If I had any idea what you were facing, I’m most certain I would be amazed and ask you the same question. Never forget that you are not alone…

• The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Ps 118:6)

And we must trust that he will answer us before we have reached the point where we can no longer bear it

• In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. (Ps 118:5)
• I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. (Ps 118:13)

But regardless of what happens, whether it is what we want or something that we could never imagine might happen to us, we must remember this:

• And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28)

This we must believe… We have no idea how immense the plan of God is. He knows far more than we can ever imagine and his omnipotence is such that even evil can be used by him for good. I think we forget that sometimes.

This life is nothing more than a vapor. We may have to suffer, possibly even face death, but our hope is not in this life. Our hope is in eternity. If nothing else, that should drive away whatever fears are besetting us:

• For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Rom 8:15-18)

Think about it… would you abandoned your children? Neither will he.

The Nails - Part II

How many days had Jonathan wandered looking for anyone? Had it been weeks? Months? Years? He certainly had lost count and had no conception of the passage of time. He wasn’t wearing a suit anymore, but had picked up some casual clothes somewhere along the way. He had given up trying to shave so now he had a full beard and his hair was shoulder length. Each day he awoke and spoke the names of those he loved – hoping that somehow by calling their name they would appear. At first, he had limited his chant to his immediate family – his wife and his children. But soon, he had expanded to his parents, his sister and two brothers, and his in-laws. Eventually, he was calling out the names of everyone he knew. It was as much a matter of maintaining his sanity as it was anything else. He wandered from city to city, calling out the names of those he knew and loved, but secretly hoping that he would find anyone at all. It was somewhat of a ritual, now, though because he had long since lost any hope of ever seeing anyone again. He hadn’t admitted it to himself yet, but Jonathan knew in his heart of hearts that he was totally alone in the world.

It was just about the time that Jonathan was ready to make that confession that he heard a sound in the distance. He was leaving the city limits of a small town in the Midwest and in the distance he could faintly but clearly hear the sound of a large, heavy hammer hitting a nail. Jonathan was both scared and excited as he ran toward the sound.

When he was about 150 yards away, Jonathan pulled up short because he finally saw what was causing the noise. From this distance he could see that there were three men there. One was lying down, with his arms spread wide. He was lying on something, but Jonathan could not tell from this distance what it was. Whatever it was, though, the other two men were nailing him down to it! He couldn’t believe his eyes, so he rubbed them to make sure he was not hallucinating. No, it was real. They were nailing his left hand down to whatever it was the man way lying on.

“STOP IT!” he yelled as he ran towards the three. They paid him no notice, but moved from the left hand to the right hand and continued hammering. As Jonathan quickly closed the gap, he yelled again “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP!” He did not even slow down as he plowed shoulder first into the man with the large hammer, sending the man sprawling across the ground and the hammer spiraling up into the air. Both the man and the hammer landed about 15 yards away. Jonathan himself tumbled as a result of the blow but quickly pulled himself up so that he could take a run at the second man, who was still holding the large nail to the third man’s wrists.

Suddenly Jonathan realized and wondered at the fact that the man was not fighting to free himself. As he walked up to the two, he stood in shock and awe as he realized what he was seeing. It was a classic crucifixion scene like he had seen played out so many times during Easter passion plays. This scene, however, was not a play and was not fake. The man lying on the cross was naked and was literally being nailed down, but he gave no resistance. His body was bruised, battered, and bloody as if he had been beaten. There was a crown of thorns in his head just like he had seen in the pictures. The man was clearly in agony. Jonathan didn’t recognize him, and he certainly did not look like the paintings of Jesus that he had seen all his life. He looked at the two men, who were dressed as Midwest farmers. The one he had tackled was standing up and retrieving the hammer.

“What is this, what is going on?” Jonathan demanded.

The man holding the hammer simply walked back over to the cross. He did not, however, return to his hammering. Rather, he held the hammer out for Jonathan to take and simply said

“Finish it.”

Jonathan was horrified, but he held his composure, knocked the hammer out of the farmer’s hand, and simply said “No, this is insane.” Suddenly the two men were gone. Only Jonathan remained with the man lying on the wooden cross. The man looked at Jonathan and even though he was battered and disfigured, he could see clearly the love in his eyes.

“Jonathan.” His voice was strained through the pain, but when he said his name, Jonathan knew who he was. It was like a parent calling out a child’s name. But how could this be? How could this really be Jesus? Jonathan’s head swam and he thought he would faint, but when Jesus said his name again he recovered his senses.

“I don’t understand” he said. “What is happening?”

“You must complete the task, Jonathan. It is for you that I do this.”

“No… you can’t… not for me… I’m not worth it!”

“Yes, Jonathan, for you. Even though you are the only person in the whole world, I must die for you.” Tears began streaming down Jonathan’s face. “Now take up the hammer and finish it.”
Slowly, Jonathan reached down and picked up the hammer. He held it over his head and hesitated.

“No” he whispered again, but the loving eyes of Jesus said what his voice did not…

“Yes.”

Jonathan close his eyes and let the hammer fall. With the deafening sound of the hammer hitting the nail, Jonathan’s mind flashed to his childhood. He could see himself bullying little Sally from next door. Laughing as he pushed her down. The tears continued rolling down his face as he raised the hammer again. This time, when the hammer fell, he saw himself as a teenager in Algebra class, cheating on a test. Each and every time the hammer fell, he saw himself again and again in some act of disgrace or evil. Jonathan cringed at things that he had long since forgotten. To the world, Jonathan was a good man… but at the same time he was not a good man. So many hidden sins. So many secrets. So many memories. Arguments with his wife… little acts of indiscretion… compromises of his integrity.

As he moved from Jesus’ hands to his feet, Jonathan said weakly “I did this to you?”
Jesus did not respond.

By the time Jonathan completed nailing his feet, he was weeping uncontrollably. He walked over to the head of the cross and began lifting the cross. Jonathan strained as he raised the human-laden cross and set it into the hole in the ground especially prepared for that purpose. When the cross was fully raised, Jonathan approached Jesus and began kissing his bloodied feet. He was still weeping and as his face became covered with the blood from Jesus’ feet, he simply said “I’m sorry” and he collapsed into a sobbing mess at the foot of the cross, covering his face with his hands in shame and sorrow.

Jonathan had no idea how long he sat there. It may have been minutes or hours or even days, but it wasn’t until he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder that he uncovered his face from his hands and looked around. The cross was gone, but Jesus was standing next to him. Jesus reached down and gently lifted him to his feet. He was fully clothed in white linen. He seemed to glow and a gentle, loving smile was on his face.

“Jonathan,” he said, “do you love me?”

Jonathan wasn’t exactly sure why he was asking the question and suddenly he remembered a similar scene from the Bible… the gospel of John if he recalled correctly. The correct response if he was not mistaken was “Lord, you know I love you.” But as he started to say it, Jonathan noticed on the horizon a large crowd of people making their way toward the two. At this distance, he could not make out who they were, but they were definitely headed that way. Jonathan pointed towards the crowd and opened his mouth to ask about them, but he hesitated as Jesus said it again.

“Do you love me, Jonathan?”

The crowd was now growing closer. They were still generally too far away for him to distinguish faces for the most part, but out in front of all of them were four that he could clearly distinguish even at this distance. It was Gena and his three children. He wanted to rush to them, but he wanted to stay with Jesus. He was torn, but for the moment anyway, he stayed.

“Yes, Lord, I love you.”

Once more Jesus asked the question. “Jonathan, do you really love me. Do you love me more than these? Do you love me more than anything else in all the world?”

The question cut to his soul. His time in solace had made Jonathan keenly aware of how much he loved his family. He would do anything for them. He looked up and could clearly make them out now, walking toward him. He could make out others as well. In fact, he knew them all. It was all those whose names he had been calling each day. Everyone in his sphere of influence was now coming his way. He was somewhat taken aback by how many there were, but he quickly realized that over the last days and weeks he had grown to love them all – even in their absence. Yes, he loved them all. But did he love them more than he loved Jesus? He realized now what Jesus had done for him. He never really realized it before. He never really comprehended that it was because of him that Jesus had to die. He was grateful for that. He was even more grateful that death had not contained him. It was true. He did love Jesus and he loved him more than all these. Jonathan turned from the approaching crowd and looked at Jesus.

“Yes, Lord… I love you even more than these.”

Jonathan’s family was only about 100 yards away now. Jesus looked deep into Jonathan’s eyes and replied… “Then feed my sheep.”

Jonathan sat up in bed with a gasp. His face was sweating – or was it tears? He looked over at the alarm clock, which was glowing a dim blue in the darkness of his bedroom. It was 3:30 a.m. His wife was sleeping peacefully at his side. Was it a dream? And yet it seemed so real. Could it have really happened? There was no denying that it at least felt real. He could remember the days and weeks and months of wandering aimlessly and alone, but now he was back in his bed as if nothing had ever happened.

A dream - that is what it was. It was a dream. But it was also real to him and he knew that he would never be the same as a result. He would be a better father and husband. He would be the spiritual leader of their family. He would not be defined by the office, but rather would be defined by the savior. He would stop running from his calling. He would teach his family and his friends the truths of scripture. He would take a stand.

Jonathan raised his hand up to wipe the sweat – or was it tears – from his face. Only then did he realize that he was grasping on to something tightly. So tightly in fact that his hands were white. Slowly, he opened his hand to reveal what was inside – two small miniature masonry nails.

It was a dream… right?

Note: Even if you were the only person on the Earth, Jesus would have still died for you!

The Nails - Part I

The Nails
Copyright 2009 Joel Dison

Jonathan stood perplexed on the sidewalk facing his large, suburban home. It’s well-manicured and professionally landscaped yard a testimony to the success Jonathan had experienced over the last few years as a financial advisor. It was not the product of his handiwork, of course, because his long hours at the office gave him precious little time to work in the yard. Rather, his wife, Gena, had long since hired a gardener for that task.
Jonathan was perplexed because he couldn’t remember driving home today. He remembered every detail of his busy day at the office, but then everything seemed to fade out until he found himself here, staring blankly at his house. He stood there limply holding his leather briefcase at his side. His medium-priced suit was wrinkled from his long day and his power tie hung loosely around his neck to reveal that the top button of his shirt had been unbuttoned. How did I get here he thought to himself.
Even as he stood there staring at his house, he somehow knew that the house was empty. He didn’t know why, but he knew there was no one at home. Usually when he came home, the house was busy with the carefree activities of his three children – all under the age of 12. Usually when he came home, his wife was busy cleaning, or cooking, or helping with homework, or something equally as domestic. Today, however, Jonathan was keenly aware that there was no stirring in the house.
Jonathan usually didn’t bother with that stuff. Typically when he came home, he would retire to the shelter of his study to recover from the pressures of the day. He didn’t know that Gena had long since discovered his secret hiding place where he kept a bottle of Wild Turkey. One drink a day. That’s all, just one, but he felt it was necessary to dull the pain. He knew his pastor would probably frown on him for it. In fact, as a deacon in his small Southern Baptist church, he was supposed to refrain from alcohol altogether. One drink a day though didn’t hurt anything, did it? After all, he wasn’t an alcoholic and he never got drunk. One drink, that’s all.
Jonathan was home earlier than normal today. It was normally dark when he came home – even during the long days of summer – but not today. Jonathan turned and shielded his hands as he looked at the sun. It was still two or three hours above the horizon. What time is it he thought as he looked down at his watch. He was even more perplexed as he saw that the face of his watch was blank. It contained no markings and no hands to indicate the time of day. Jonathan then scanned around the quaint suburban street and suddenly realized that none of the houses had any activity. Jonathan dropped his briefcase and slowly walked to the edge of the street. As he scanned the houses up and down the street, he noticed that they all seemed dark and silent. In fact, there was no one in the neighborhood at all. There were no cars passing by on the street. There were no kids playing in the yards. Not even the sprinklers were running. It then hit him that even the neighborhood pets were gone. Harold’s chocolate lab was usually wandering the neighborhood playing with the kids. Bob’s crazy chow was usually barking incessantly at anything and everything from behind his fenced prison. Nothing. Not even a bird… Where are the birds?
Jonathan turned back and looked at his Ford Excursion. He had been meaning to trade that monster in for one of the new hybrid jobs or even something a bit more practical like a small or mid-sized car, but had not gotten around to it yet. He bought it out of pride a few years back when all his buddies were buying the big SUVs. He had to buy the biggest and the baddest there was. Of course he didn’t really need it.
Not sure exactly what was going on, Jonathan decided that he needed to head back to the office to try and figure things out. That was Jonathan, all right… everything could be figured out by going to the office. It is where he typically went whenever he and Gena had a fight. There had been several times he even spent the night there. Today, however, he just needed to clear this fog in his head and find out why the world had suddenly gone empty. He walked over to the SUV and climbed up into the cockpit, but when he inserted the key and turned the ignition, nothing happened. That’s odd, he thought, the battery shouldn’t be dead. But when he then went to the garage and the same thing happened to his wife’s minivan, he knew something was wrong.
More confused than ever, now, Jonathan took to the street, walking right down the middle of it towards what he knew would be activity and civilization. His office was 20 miles away. He wouldn’t be able to walk all the way to his office, but there was a major shopping center about 5 miles away. For lack of anything better, he decided to head in that direction. At first he walked very casually, but then he came to the first major cross street. Looking up and down this major road, he realized that it, too, contained no activity. A dull fear was creeping into his head, so he turned down this road and began a slow, steady jog. By the time he reached state highway 10, full blown panic had set in. Where are all the people? Where are the cars?
By this time Jonathan was running at a full sprint. As he crested a small hill just prior to the local commerce and shopping center, he all but collapsed from over exertion and lack of breath. He stood there with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath as he looked down into the valley below. The shopping center was like a ghost town. No cars. No people. No nothings. There was a cool breeze blowing across the street and Jonathan startled as an empty cardboard box rolled past him coming from nowhere going to nowhere. It was the only movement he had seen since he awoke from his dazed state in front of his house.
Jonathan’s immediate thoughts were that his pastor was finally right… the rapture had come and he had been left behind. But wait a minute…. If the rapture had come, he wouldn’t be the only one left behind. There would be others. Where were the others? No, this wasn’t the rapture, this was something else. Surely he could find someone somewhere who could tell him what was going on.
Hours of wandering found Jonathan in the dark sitting under a tree at one of the town parks. He was tired, scared, confused, and could think of nothing but his family. Why had he ignored them so? Why had he spent so much time at the office? Right now he would give anything if they would just show themselves. Where could they be? Where could anyone be? Jonathan sat there remembering many things about his family. He was distraught, though, that most of those memories came with the realization that he had not been the father and husband that he should have been. How many birthdays had he missed because of a big project at work? How many school plays should he have attended but didn’t. He thought about the blonde receptionist at work that he so playfully flirted with on a daily basis. On more than one occasion, she had made it clear that he could take things to the next level. He never did, but he couldn’t help but admit to himself the fact that on several occasions he gave it very serious consideration. If the opportunity had truly presented itself, he probably would have caved in to the temptation. As he drifted off to sleep, he was softly sobbing to himself. He had never felt so alone – or so ashamed.

Jonathan startled himself awake. Expecting to find himself in his own bed, he quickly realized that he was still lying under the same tree in the park. His suit was now disgracefully wrinkled and dirty as well. Jonathan took off his coat and his tie and dropped them on the ground. He left them there as he walked away, once again in search of anyone.
Realizing that he was hungry, Jonathan walked into a convenience store and grabbed a package of donuts from the shelf and a carton of 2% milk from the refrigerator section. When he reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet, he realized that there was no one to take his money. Not knowing what else to do, he returned his wallet to his pocket and walked out the door.

Hidden Treasure

Here is a question for your consideration: What good is hidden treasure?

This past Saturday we had our annual Easter Egg Hunt at FBC Springville like so many other churches, communities, and families do every year. Why do we love hunting for Easter Eggs. I can remember all the various hunts that I went to as a kid. I remember the thrill as all the kids took off together into the vast treasure yard. I remember the joy of finding the hidden eggs that the other kids passed by. Of course in those days, the eggs were hard boiled and their coloring came from the fact that someone lovingly took the time to dye them. Your treasure was the fact that you got to eat the egg later. Now the eggs are brightly colored plastic and your treasure is the hopes of the prize that lies within.

The hunt! The find! The joy of the hidden treasure within! That thrill doesn’t really go away. Now we can even hunt virtual Easter Eggs on Facebook, and based on the hundreds of “soandso just found the whatchmacalit egg” notifications I’ve received over the last few weeks, there’s a lot of you out there who still like hunting Easter Eggs.This year, about 40 or so kids took off into the churchyard looking for approximately 800 eggs – each of which was filled with a candy treat, small change, or a special toy prize.

Yes, we all like finding the treasure… and the granddaddy of the Easter Egg treasure is the elusive GOLDEN EGG! This year, we put out 8 golden eggs. 1 for the babies, 2 for the preschoolers, and 5 for the older children. 6 of the golden eggs contained a “golden” dollar coin. 2 of the golden eggs contained a $5 bill! And I personally hid each of these 8 special eggs.Why so many? Doesn’t that devalue the mystique of the elusive golden egg? Maybe… and maybe I am just a pushover… but in all the years that I hunted Easter Eggs, I never ever found the golden egg. I guess I just know how disappointing it is to miss out.

Ironically, when the hunt was over, I decided I needed to make one last sweep around the church. I expected to find a few eggs here and there that the kids missed – but I didn’t… In performing a “general sweep” of the area I didn’t find one single egg – amazing how efficient those diminutive treasure hunters can be! Then I decided to double check the places where I had hidden the golden eggs. I don’t know why I looked because I honestly thought they all had been found. But there it was. One single golden egg with its precious treasure inside – neatly tucked away in its hiding place. And the real irony here is that when I hid that particular golden egg, I thought it was such an obvious hiding place that it would be the first golden egg found!

As I write this note, I am looking at this golden egg and wondering… what good purpose did this egg serve? Did it bring happiness to a child? No. Did it thrill a child? No. 40 kids and 800 eggs and this one remained hidden.

This egg makes me think about the wondrous treasure of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The joy that a little plastic, paint, and spare change bring is nothing compared to the real joy that comes through salvation in Jesus Christ. And yet like the golden Easter Egg, we don’t just hide it, we hide it so well that no one can find it. We have the golden egg, yet we tuck it neatly under a rock or a bush and we watch while the world scambles around looking for all the other brightly colored eggs – none of which have the true treasure. What good will all those other false treasures do them if they never find the truth!

Don’t let the gospel be like the golden egg that was never found. Don’t assume as I did with that one golden egg that those helpless little egg hunters will find it own their own. Proclaim it boldly so that all may find it!

Jesus said let your light shine before all men – don’t hide it under a bush! After all, everyone likes finding the treasure!

Knowing God's Will For Your Life

Wouldn't it be neat to have a WilloMeter? A neat, little device that would tell us what God's will is for any situation in our life? Well Romans 12:2 tells us that we can test and approve God's perfect will for our life at any time... well, almost at any time...

If we want to know God's will for our life, then there are three steps that we must take...
1. Acknowledge the mercy of God
2. Surrender our will to His will
3. Allow God to change our thinking

These three steps are outlined in Romans 12:1-2 and explored further in the sermon available at the link below...

Knowing God's Will
http://www.box.net/shared/sj1r1mchnk

The Promise of the Messiah

As we celebrate Christmas, we must not forget why we celebrate - the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We all need the messiah. And since the very first time man sinned, God promised a way for us to be reconcilled to him.

All of scripture points to the source of that reconcilliation - Jesus Christ. Everything recorded in scripture is ultimately about Jesus. Every book in the Old Testament anticipates his Advent. Every book in the New Testament is a witness to his first Advent and anticipates his second Advent.

Ultimately, it's all about Jesus.
To hear more, click on the link below to hear today's sermon.

The Promise of the Messiah
http://www.box.net/shared/4xi6lyyf3h

A Return Letter to the Apostle Paul Regarding Romans

Dear Paul,


I want to thank you for your obedience to Almighty God in following the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as you composed your letter to the church at Romans. I have read your letter on many occasions and no matter how many times I read it, I find myself amazed not only at your insight into the mysteries of the gospel, but also at how much I have to learn about the same. Each time I read it, my emotions range from shame (at my own sinfulness) to elation (at the redemption I’ve received) to frustration (at my failed Christian walk) to inspiration (toward proper Christian living). Nowhere else in scripture have I found such a triadic formula of monumental spiritual principles as I find in Romans. This triadic formula includes the life-saving Truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to save my soul combined with the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit to facilitate personal transformation in my life here on earth combined with the life-inspiring practical guidance towards everyday Christian living. Your letter fully describes the Christian walk from salvation through sanctification and for that I am truly grateful – to God be the Glory.

I must say that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is simple. I myself believed on the name of Jesus as a small child and thus placed my trust in him for salvation to eternal life. As a child, however, I did not understand the depth of the mysteries of that gospel. Indeed, I did not learn that until much later - after I read your letter – in fact, not until after I had read your letter many times, because it contains that much depth of truth. When I placed my faith in Jesus Christ, I knew that I was a sinner. I knew that all men had sinned and needed Christ. However, your letter has shown me the truth about just how lost I really was. Your letter has taught me how truly unrighteous I am in my sinfulness, how I have willingly turned away from God, and how the traditions of my parents – to whom I give praise to God for taking me to church nine months before I was even born – provided me no excuses or special treatment. I stand before Almighty God alone, unable to obtain for myself righteousness. I am “guilty” before the Judge of my own sinfulness, but Christ has declared me “not guilty” through the justification that comes from the shedding of his blood.


As a result, your letter has taught me the true meaning of righteousness. It has reminded me that by placing my faith in Jesus, I am dependent solely upon him – through faith – for His righteousness. I have to admit that there was a time, even after placing my faith in Christ, that I was proud of my religious heritage. I had a fundamentalist, immature, condescending view of those who had not placed their faith in Christ. Your letter reminds me that I have nothing to boast of except the cross of Christ. I am no different than any other sinner. I deserve death. I deserve the wrath of God – but Praise be to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ that my righteousness comes through him – and not through my own merits!
Your letter has also taught me more about the meaning of faith. Faith is more than just mental assent. In his letter, James reminds us of that fact when he says that even the demons believe in God. I have heard many pundits claim that your view of faith is at odds with James’ view of faith. When I read your letter to the Romans, I do not see that. As such, I must disagree with those pundits. Your letter clearly establishes that the righteousness we receive through our faith in the blood of Jesus Christ obligates us to remain obedient so that we maintain that righteousness. It is not a salvation by works, but it is an obligation to remain holy. If I read your letter accurately, you believe we bear a responsibility to maintain our righteousness through the way in which we lead our lives. I must admit to you, however, that I fail miserably at this task. As you mention in your letter, I too find myself at war with my own intentions. No matter how righteous I try to be, I fail. No matter how much good I try to do, I always find myself doing evil. It is enough to drive me absolutely insane. It is scary to think that I am powerless to maintain the righteousness for I am obligated to maintain. It is enough to fear that perhaps my justification will be revoked.


For this reason, I am grateful that your letter sympathizes with my fears and then shatters them by reminding me of the security I have in Christ. We have nothing to fear for there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ! Your letter reminds me that I don’t have to try to be righteous on my own – that is living in the flesh. Instead, I live by the Holy Spirit because I have the Holy Spirit living in me. That Holy Spirit has sealed me so that I can never be condemned. That Holy Spirit guides me to a life that is characterized by Holiness. That Holy Spirit is the source of the transforming power of sanctification within my life. It is through the power of the Spirit that I maintain a righteous life. This, too is by faith, not by my own merits.


Paul, if you don’t mind, may I take a short side-bar here? Because we can get so discouraged in our Christian walk, I realize how important it was for you to detail the security we have in Christ. However, the manner in which you did so brought up the issue of predestination. It’s not that I don’t believe in predestination – I cannot read scripture and deny that predestination in some form is taught in scripture. However, I don’t understand why, not just in your letter to the Romans, but also in your letter to the Ephesians and elsewhere, that you present the concepts of predestination and election in a way that has created such a great deal of controversy in our churches. Couldn’t you have been just a bit clearer? What exactly did you mean by predestination and election? The truth is, we can’t seem to agree on this? Some say one thing; others say another thing; and of course each one is adamant that they are right and everyone else is wrong. As a result, some of our churches have split over this issue. God forgive us. Oddly enough, predestination wasn’t even the point in this letter here, was it? Indeed, I can’t see where you ever speak of predestination as “the” point in any of your writings. For example, if I understand your usage of the term here, you just wanted us to know that if God, from eternity past, calls us to salvation, then nothing can take that away from us. I get your point. God is Sovereign. He can do anything he wants. It is completely within his power to create or destroy at his own discretion.


Your point, however, was not predestination, but rather salvation by faith. That has always been God’s Sovereign plan. According to your own words here in this letter to the Romans, his plan was for humans to send other humans to preach the gospel. His plan was that through that preaching people will hear the message of the truth of the gospel – and because the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, then salvation is available to the entire world. Your plan was for man to place his faith in Jesus Christ – for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. It looks to me like man has a responsibility here – to call upon the name of the Lord! Nevertheless, we can’t seem to agree on this thing we have called the doctrine of election or the doctrine of predestination. I hope that both you and our Lord Jesus Christ will forgive us for the division that our inability to come to agreement has created.


It is odd that something in your letter would create such division, because you spend a great deal of time in your letter teaching us about the importance of unity in the church. Your letter teaches us to bear with each other – that the weak should bear with the strong. It is shameful that we are so arrogant that we all think we are the strong and they are the weak. Our petty doctrinal differences are of no consequence compared to the need for unity in the church. Your letter is clear about that. It teaches us very practical ways of maintaining that unity. We are to serve one another. We are to use our gifts in service to God. We are to be patient with each other. We are to submit to our authorities.


If I were to be honest, I would have to say that sometimes we spend so much time on the doctrinal truths that you laid out in the first half of the letter that we forget about the practical truths in the second half of the letter. When I read your letter to the Romans properly – the way that God intended – then I can clearly see that we cannot focus on one to the exclusion of the other. We cannot focus on doctrine without also focusing on personal transformation through the Holy Spirit and on practical Christian living by serving our brethren. Likewise, we cannot focus on personal transformation without that transformation being grounded in the truth of doctrine and for the purpose of serving mankind. Finally, we cannot put so much focus on changing the world that we forget why (or rather for whom) we are changing it. It is all about the gospel. The gospel saves me. The gospel changes me. The gospel encourages and helps me serve others so that they too may be saved. All three fit together and are masterfully laid out in this letter to the Romans.


You have produced an amazing work here, Paul. Yes, I realize that it was God through the Holy Spirit, but you were the willing vessel! Thank you for your obedience. Thank you for your example. Thank God for his faithfulness.


Your fellow servant

Joel