Light Shining Into Darkness

John 1.1-18
At the beginning of Advent we shared from Isaiah 9.2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light, on those living in the land of the shadow of death a Light has dawned.

This passage in John 1 is the fulfillment of that prophetic vision Isaiah saw and wrote about. No wonder in I Peter 1.10 we are told "Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing...

Some call John 1 "the Genesis 1 of the New Testament. Both contain many times the word "light" and many references to life. John 1 in addition to speaking about the creation of the world speaks of the new creation through Jesus Christ, Paradise Regained. In this passage we see the Christmas Story on a deeper level- In Matthew and Luke we are told of Christ's Coming to earth. John tells us of Christ's Coming from heaven.

Light Shining Into the Darkness.
Jesus was born at night.
He was born during a dark time in world history.
Notice from this passage in John 1:

1. Christ's Life Is the Light Of Men. -v.4
He shines and the Truth is revealed.
He makes clear the meaning of human existence and its destiny.
To those whom do not know Christ this is a blur.

He sheds light on the issues, the real issues, of life.
Take for example, taking advantage of people. Jesus taught that we are to treat others in the same manner we would want to be treated. He elevated standards to the highest. He brought to a sinful world the holiness of God. He taught love in a way it had never been taught before. He is love.

One out of seven I am told, verses which record Jesus' words, are about money. The number one cause of marital break down today is rooted in stress over money.

Colossians 2.2-3
Christ... in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
What a great reserve of wealth is in Christ. His glorious riches.

2. Jesus Shines In The Darkest Places. -v.5
Read some books about Faith Missions and you'll see how God makes the darkness light. The slums of Bombay, The Church of China- look at what the LORD is doing in Africa!
He does it in our lives- we who have received it.

Psalm 18.28 David declared, "You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
Psalm 27.1 The LORD is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear?

In obscure places like Bethlehem the Light shines. The wise men followed the star in a similar way the children of Israel followed the Pillar of Fire in the desert.

3. On the Night Jesus Was Born, Light Came Into The World. -v.9
In the manger.
In the shepherd's fields.
In the Eastern Sky.
Into the hearts of all who open up to Him.
He is the true light.
The Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Him.

The Light has dawned

2,000 years ago

Celebrate His Love!

Christ's Cradle: The Manger

Luke 2.1-20

The preparations for the arrival of a new baby to a home are very interesting.

The room to be the nursery is painted and wall paper put up or some design, then sanitized. A new bed (crib) often arrives and is assembled. Hand sanitizers appear. Dipe wipes and baby toys are waiting for the arrival of the new life. When they arrive hospitals are squeaky clean and secure.

Christ Jesus was laid in a manger- no crib for a bed. This had great significance as did everything Jesus did and said when He was here on earth. The manger speaks of Christ.

1. The Manger Shows His Humility.

He is the Son of God. -Luke 1.35
He is the Son of Man. -Luke 1.31
The way He came into the world and the way He went out, the manger and the cross show His humility.

The manger was prophetic of how He would live. Matthew 8.20
"Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head. " Following Him means we have a loose hold on this world's goods.
It was indicative of how He would be treated. Isaiah 53.3 "He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of Sorrows, and familiar with suffering."

The manger shows us how we should follow His Life of humility.
Philippians 2.5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, in very nature God,
made Himself nothing-v.6
He humbled Himself-v.8
Became obedient to death- even death on a cross!

2. The Manger Shows His Concern for the Poor.

Jesus was born in a stable. He had the poorest of births.
Great commanders have won the affection of their troops by sharing their hardships and roughing it with them.

When Jesus began His ministry He read from Isaiah 61.1
The Spirit of the LORD is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the Good News to the poor. He began His ministry by this proclamation.
Mark 12.43 ... this poor widow... put more into the treasury than all the others... out of her poverty she put everything - all she had to live on.
Mark 14.7 The poor you will always have with you and you can help them anytime you want.

The Church, the Body of Christ, around the world is the greatest relief organization. The continents are full of places where professional people left a career here is the States and journeyed and lived and worked in a humble setting to serve humanity in the Name of Jesus Christ. A church here on Long Island, where my friend Kevin Henesy pastors, served 8,600 meals this past Thanksgiving. History is full of "silent heroes" - people who went to places in Christ's Name to give. (II Corinthians 8.9, 9.15)

3. The Manger Was in an Inn- Free to All.
Jeremiah 9.2 Oh that I had, in the desert, a lodging place for travelers. Travelers would find water, a stable, and a place to sleep. Some like in the account in Luke 10.34 took him to an inn were paying inns, or least some of their services were charged for. Others like our state run rest stops were free. The Romans had erected these all throughout the empire. Many around Jerusalem to accommodate the crowds at the feasts. Jesus was likely born in shepherd's cave. Freely give as you have freely received.

4. The Human Heart is Like the Manger.
Untidy, dirty. Christ will go where He is welcome. Where Meek souls will received Him still the dear Christ enters in.

The cradle for Christ was the manger

Open the heart to Christ and it becomes holy. The King of kings laid among the animals- outside in a feeding trough. It speaks of Christ and those who follow Him today. The Creator of all laid in a manger at His Birth, the birth by which universally all time is measured. The birth by which God provided the Sacrifice for our sins.

Greatness in His Kingdom is being a servant just like our King!

The People Walking In Darkness

Isaiah 9.1-7

Christmas is a season of lights. Songs have been written which include words such as:
Strings of street lights, even stop lights, blink a bright red and green...

or

Broadway lights beaming, skyscrapers gleaming, children are dreaming, Its Christmas in New York...

The lights on the candles on the Advent Wreath, Christmas Trees and outside are all part of the season.

Interestingly enough as far as daylight goes the weeks leading up to Christmas and following Christmas are the shortest and darkest of the year. Temperatures fall up to and after the celebration for a number of weeks.

This points to the fact that darkness can not only be physical but it can be emotional and spiritual. This holiday like no other can bring warm feelings and good memories and it can bring a person down to a low point emotionally. Losses in our lives can make life difficult to say the least. I was speaking to someone at a funeral this week and said that more than any other time of the year we have memories of this season burned into our minds. I may remember certain things about another time but Christmas is a file of cumulative memories... from a child, a teen and through adulthood. We relate more memories to the elders in our lives and when they are gone miss them more it seems at this time of the year.

The message of Isaiah, the prophet, in this 9th chapter, was directed to people in northern Israel, 700 BC. When the invading Assyrian armies came into Israel, they came through the north. The tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali were the first to get hit and therefore bore the brunt of the battles.

The people walking in darkness have seen a Great Light...

1. The Darkness -v.2
There was much death in this region due to war, way more than in other areas of the nation. Because of this gloom, distress abounded.

Sinful living can do this. Breaking God's law breaks down people. It breaks them down personally and relationally. Say a person is embezzling money from their employer. They have to conceal it. They have guilt. Down deep inside they wonder if and when they will be caught. This adds untold stress upon their bodies and minds. When found out they are fired and perhaps prosecuted. There is shock among those who trusted them.

Unforgiveness ruins relationships. It tears up families. This time of the year brings it to bear. Darkness comes to people living in sin. They live in darkness.

Depression comes to people more at Christmas time than any other time of the year. Those who are grieving grieve more this month. It is a time when being alone takes on greater force. It is also a time if funds are short to buy gifts more depression can come.

It is a time when if family lives in another part of the country or the world sadness comes. The distance seems longer. Separation from people we love whether through death or distance (physically or emotionally) can bring darkness and even depression.

2. The People -v.2
Zebulun and Naphtali were the area of Galilee.
The people in Isaiah's time who lived there lived in the land of the shadow of death. They walked in darkness. We may feel like that today.

The feelings that there is no way out, like our lives will always be like this, makes it hard to lay hold of hope. But this section of scripture is full of promises for those in darkness.

God is interested in people. He cares about groups of people and individuals. He knows about our life situations no matter how alone we feel.

These people had suffered much. - now He is promising to honor them with the Light and that He did! The power of Light is greater than the darkness!

3. The Light- v.2
Seen a great Light... a Light has dawned.
Hope. This was the dawning of the New and Everlasting Covenant.
The place where there had been so much death and darkness was about to be honored- given special glory.
The place of darkness was going to have a great light- the Light of the World.
This place of sorrow- deep sorrow was going to rejoice.
The place in the nation that suffered the greatest loss was going to be the host of Jesus' ministry on earth.

God keeps all His Promises. Let the Light within you shine this week. If you are walking in darkness may the reality of Christ's coming bring light into your heart.

May the dawn begin today in you.

A Wonderful Family Trait

Matthew 1.1-6
II Samuel 7.1-29
Luke 1.26-38

It is fascinating to watch certain family traits passed down from generation to generation. I have a picture of my dad and I from 1989 from a Father/Son Banquet. When it was developed (remember that- it was 22 years ago) it showed he and I seated in the exact same position, our feet in the identical position and our arms and hands as well. There was no mistaking that he was my father and I was his son.
Family traits are transmitted in DNA from generation to generation, both physical and emotional and even spiritual.

1. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a descendant of of David and had the same humble spirit. Luke 1.26-38

We read about David's response to the LORD telling him He was going to honor him by building him a house.

Mary, when greeted by the Angel Gabriel, was greatly troubled. This brought distress to Mary. She was agitated with alarm. She was stirred like a troubled sea within her soul. And yet she humbly submitted -v.38 I am the LORD's servant. May it be to me as you have said.

David, on receiving the Word of the LORD through Nathan the prophet, had a similar response.
II Samuel 7.18-21
Who am I?
What is my family, that You have brought me this far?
Is this You usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign LORD?

Go back to I Samuel 17 to his battle with Goliath.
He turned down the armor.
He went out with his shepherd's gear.
He said, "I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel."

You can see the humility in David and in Mary. She was more than a physical descendant of King David. She had the same humility when it came to the things of God.

When God sent Samuel the prophet to the home of Jesse to anoint one of his sons King over Israel, it was David, the 8th son, the baby of the family, the shepherd Whom God chose.
David was a man after God's own heart. - Acts 13.22

When God was ready to send His Son to earth, to be born of a virgin, He chose Mary, a humble servant, a young girl who was living in Nazareth.


2. Jesus Christ Humbles Himself. Philippians 2.5-8
In coming to earth from heaven.
In becoming a man. Christmas tells how it happened Matthew 1.18-
In making Himself nothing.
In taking on the very nature of a servant.
He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.

3. Follow Christ in Humbling Yourself. I John 2.6
Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.
By claiming to live in Him we are testifying that we are part of the Family of God, that God is our Father in heaven and we are a child of His. This is proof we are His children- the fruit of His Spirit- family resemblance.
We are to be like Christ in His humility. He despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows. The manger and the cross- how He came in and how He went out.
*Humble yourself in times of trouble. James 5.13
*Humble yourself in times of honor and victory. I Samuel 18.17-23
*Humble yourself when you are suffering I Peter 4.19, 5.6-7
Christ's humility- Men may fear a throne but there is no fear at a manger.

Living a life of humility pleases the LORD. He gives grace to the humble. It is such a wise way to live. It is the way of peace. It eliminates many problems that pride brings in. Most of all it is pleasing to the LORD.

David and Mary, humble servants of the LORD.

Jesus, God in the flesh, God's Son.

Giving Thanks To The LORD

Psalms 103.1-8, 105.1-3, 107.1-3

These are Psalms for Giving Thanks.

Some have referred to the Psalms as the hymnbook of the Bible. These songs take us places in our hearts and souls we may never venture into. They take is places on earth and in the heavens and to God's Throne.

The Psalms we read this week all had a key verse which presented the theme of the Psalm. Each of these give direction in making Thanksgiving what God intends it to be with His people.

1. Remember All His Benefits.- Psalm 103.2

David is communing with his own heart here. We should do that.

Our souls should be stirred when we think of Thanksgiving, giving God thanks.

Benefits= the dealings of One's own Hand. Remember all the good things that have come from the Hand of God. Everything good and perfect has come from Him! He is our Father in Heaven.

As a father has compassion on His children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.-v.13

We have so many blessings traceable to the Hand of God in Heaven. Are we individually conscious of His blessings?

This Psalm is a list of His benefits.

He has not withheld anything that would benefit us- v.5

Psalm 84.11 the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

I Timothy 6.17 God, Who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

His benefits begin with the forgiveness of sins and the restoration of our health for which we have to be thankful for the rest of this Psalm is filled with His benefits as is our lives!

Praise Him and thank Him for them.

2. Tell It Everywhere What He Has Done. Psalm 105.1

Sing of His Faithfulness-Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Publicly proclaim it.

Give God the glory due His Name.

This is the responsibility of those who have been redeemed.

Israel's history encourages us with the might and power that God showed His people in the Old Testament.

Under the New Covenant we have the blessings of the church in the New Testament through this day- Old covenant fulfilled- ended- New Covenant- an Everlasting Covenant.

This is why we exhorted in II Corinthians 9.15

Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift!

Our personal "History - His Story" - God's work in our lives - tell it!

Finally as we give thanks we are following in the steps of our LORD Jesus Christ.

John 6.11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks.

We can be very thankful that...

3. His Love Endures Forever. - Psalm 107.1-2

Endures= long duration, everlasting, perpetual, always, continuous, unending

Thinking about His love and talking about His love help safeguard us against ingratitude. A retrospect will help too.

Through homelessness, bondage, affliction, and storms. He brings us:

vs.4-8 From weariness to rest

vs.12-15 From darkness to light

vs.18-21 From sickness to health

vs.23-31 From danger to safety

We have abundant blessings today because we have Christ. Love Him with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength. Serve Him with gladness. Give to Him cheerfully. Give thanks to Him!

Eternal Blessings

Ruth 4.9-22

"From Tears to Great Joy"

Out of tragedy and loss God can bring great blessings.
Out of sorrow God can bring peace and joy.
Out of seemingly hopeless situations the LORD gives hope and eternal blessings.

One of the rewards of faithfulness and love for the LORD is seeing Him work in this way in your life.

Ruth is a story of famine, death and sorrow turning into fullness, new life and joy.

God many times overrules in the lives of men and women as He works out His eternal purposes.

There were blessings- eternal blessings coming upon Ruth, Boaz and Naomi from their Father in Heaven.

Look in verse eleven at

1. The Blessing Upon Ruth. v.11a
Ruth humbled herself- went to the fields to glean. God exalted her. The LORD placed this Moabitetess up with the woman who gave Jacob sons which would become the foundation for the nation of Israel!
Rachel was buried by Jacob in Bethlehem (Genesis 35.19) Now she is being likened to to the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.
built=bana= to give birth to sons.

God was bringing a Moabitetess into the genealogy, the ancestral line of David and of Jesus Christ.
Think of where He brought this widow from!

Psalm 68.6 God sets the lonely in families. We do not know what happened to Orpah, her sister-in-law. Ruth's choices brought her from a widow in a country that because her own to blessings eternal.

2. The Blessings Upon Boaz. - vs11b-13
vs.9-10 show the magnitude of this man, the like the Josephs of the God's Word.
The blessing upon Boaz rings of blessings eternal.

This word "famous" means to be called out and appointed to something special.

For his kindness God richly rewarded him- gave him a permanent honor of being David's greta grandfather and in the ancestral line of the Messiah!

Standing= might and strength like of an army- this was fulfilled too. Boaz went from being a single man to a happily married man. Married to a fine woman, to be the father of Obed and a place in the most important genealogy in this world and forever.

The LORD did not forget about Naomi...

3. The Blessings Upon Naomi vs.14-17
Kinsman Redeemer
being famous throughout Israel
being renewed and sustained in her old age.
A daughter-in-law who loves her/ better than 7 sons (better than the bonds of the law are the bonds of love)
Naomi cared for him- Naomi has a son!

Finally amidst all of this we see...

4. The Blessing Upon the Nation and the World and Eternity
Obedience, love loyalty go way beyond our own family circle- although it starts there!
An alien woman becomes the ancestress of the Messiah.
Ruth, the great grandmother of David, a king after God's Own heart. David definitely had some of Great Grandma's character. I can see that in some of my grandkids- with even their great great Nana. Who you are passes onto to future generations... those not even born yet.

Those fields of Baoz became the place where David watched the family's sheep, probably where the 23rd Psalm was inspired if not also written. These fields of Boaz were in the area where the shepherds watched their flocks when the announcement came that Jesus had been born Savior of the world! The world has a Savior!

Savior Like A Shepherd Lead Us!

A Prelude To Thanksgiving

Luke 17.11-19

Jesus was on His Way to Jerusalem. We read in Luke 9.51 "As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem." So on His way to die, on that final journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, He encounters these 10 lepers on the outskirts of a village.

His popularity had grown in the 3 1/2 years of ministry in Galilee and the surrounding area. People knew about Him. Lepers, especially, held Him in high regard and believed that He was indeed the Messiah. No on could heal a leper except Jesus. They were outcasts They still are. In the book about Bob Pierce, Let My Heart Be Broken With the Things That Break the Heart of God, Elmer Kilbourne, of the Oriental Mission Society, is quoted, "The worst part of leprosy is the social isolation connected with it... it happens all over the world, wherever there are lepers. Leprosy can arrested. In many cases it can be cured. But even though a man may survive it, once he has been driven from his home he can't go back. His relatives, friends and neighbors simply will not accept him. So he has to live with other lepers." In Israel provisions were made for a return in the law. Verse 13 "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

These lepers believed Jesus could help them. They were asking Him to come to their aid in their affliction. The fact He could heal lepers had spread among those afflicted with the disease. He was their only hope.

Now we see the healing here and the subsequent ingratitude. We see it as a horrible thing- this scarcity of Thanksgiving. If you are a person who likes to give to others you have no doubt encountered this issue giving complete when there is that appreciation expressed. When there they like the gift? Was it discarded?

Before we tackle the obvious here let's think about Thanksgiving for...

1. Blessings Seldom Thought Of. v.11
These are blessings we often take for granted.
For example, if you received a public school education being thankful for those who paid the taxes so you could go.

The disciples were walking with Jesus. We walk with Him. Sometime we need to be reminded of His Presence with us, particularly when things are going well!

How about your health? Give thanks you are able to be here this morning. I spoke to our nursery school kids in their chapel this week and we talked about being thankful for our country. With all its flaws, we have freedoms that the majority of the 7 billion people on the earth today do not enjoy. Blessings taken for granted, seldom thought of.

As we think about Thanksgiving...

2. Give Thanks for the Obvious. vs.14-16
Jesus was giving them instructions from Leviticus 14.1-3
The Samaritan man came back praising God in a loud voice and threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked Him.

Thanksgiving springs from humility- an acknowledgment that everything good in my life has come from the Hand of my Father in Heaven Who loves me. (James 1.17)

Often there is a continent of blessing in our lives and just an island of praise. Gigabytes of blessing and kilobytes of thanks.

These 10 men were all touched by God. They were healed. It is wrong to pray for blessings, receive them and fail to thank God for them.

Things right in front of us- v.15 when he saw he was healed... obvious blessings: food, shelter clothing.

Psalm 103.3 Praise the LORD, O My soul, and forget not all His benefits.
More, much more receive benefits and than thank Him for them.

Finally in this prelude to Thanksgiving we see in this passage...

3. A Lesson For All Who Serve. vs.17-19

This man by passed the priest and went to the Great High Priest. The percentage of people who appreciate the work of God through your life will be low. Look to Jesus for approval not to men for appreciation. So often some gets something from the LORD what they want and they never come back. Excitement overwhelms them and they forget to give thanks.

Blessed are those who do not expect much appreciation for they will not be disappointed.

However the rewards of serving Jesus are overwhelming! There is much to give Him thanks for as you serve.

Give Thanks to God for His Indescribable Gift!

The Leading of the LORD

Ruth 2.1-13

When the bottom falls out in life and in the best of times we need to follow the leading of the LORD. God's direction will always be in the parameters of His Word.

We live in a similar time nationally speaking to that of the Book of Ruth "in the days when the judges ruled." All is not lost. God still comes to the aid of His people, even in times of difficulty such as famine and economically hard times.

Ruth and Naomi were widows. This was a very difficult situation for them. More than ever they needed to follow the LORD's leading in their lives. They needed help from God of heaven and earth, the Righteous Judge, just as we do. There are two parables Jesus gave to show the love of our Father in Heaven when we pray. The Parable of the Unjust Judge (Luke 18) and the parable of the Friend At Midnight (Luke 11).

We see truths here in Ruth 2 about the LORD's leading.

1. We Aim To Do What Is Right. vs.1-3a
Seek to obey the LORD.
Submit to God's Authority in your life as a servant of His.
Ruth set a wonderful example of this.

Work- do all you can.

Humble yourself. Ruth was not ashamed to glean. This was for poor people. She put on no airs.
Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Humility demonstrated.
Aiming to do what is right with a right attitude. If our attitude is bad it is usually along the lines of the lack of humility. Be like Christ.

2. As This Is Done We Encounter God's Grace. vs.3b-10
We are in God's Grace many times unaware of it- v.3b
God leads us with His Grace. Think about where you are today.
My Nana was invited by a little neighbor girl to go to a mission in Brooklyn, as a young lady. she went after several times of not being able to go, on the last night of the special services. That little girl had come that Sunday afternoon and said, "Mrs. Biggs, this is the last night of the meetings." That night she asked Jesus to come into her heart. She walked in to God's Grace unaware that she was. God used that little girl.

Boaz- v.4 represents Christ Jesus Our Redeemer: Grace in his heart, blessing on his lips.
The law (Leviticus 19) allowed her to glean but only grace would say, "Stay here." -v.9
Ruth was amazed at God's Grace.- v.10

The LORD knows what words to speak to those who are weary and in need of hope. Grace brings us more than we can ask or imagine.
We ought to be astonished and amazed at the Grace of God and like Ruth have a great sense of unworthiness about it in our lives.

Following the Leading of the LORD...

3. Remember God is Watching Over You. vs.11-12
He sees the secret things that no one else sees. Develop that fellowship with Him. Secret things are an indicator of the health of our spiritual life.
*He knows and sees what you do in secret.
*He knows the details of sacrifices you are making, all the deeds of kindness.
v.12 May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under Whose Wings you have come to take refuge.

He will reward you openly for the worship and love you have shown Him in secret.

Follow the leading of the LORD. If your decisions have brought you to Moab, He will lead you back to Bethlehem.

Obey Him, seek Him and you will encounter His Grace.

Rejoice He is watching over you!

Responding to Adversity

Ruth 1.1-18

All of us will experience the winds of adversity in our lives.
We live in a fallen sinful world.

Here in the opening of Ruth we are given lessons on how not to respond to adversity. These are things we want to steer clear of when adversity comes to us.

In the Psalms we a re given insight into adversity and afflictions:
Psalm 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I obey Your Word.
Psalm 119.71-72 It was good (beneficial, rich, excellent) for me to be afflicted so that I might learn Your decrees. The law from Your Mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

Hymns and books and ministry have begun out of pain in a person's life. God has a school of brokenness from which few enroll and even fewer graduate. God wants very much people who will live in pain. He wants broken vessels.

Embracing the Cross of Christ is not easy. In fact it is very difficult. When it shows up in adversity or affliction our first inclination is to do every thing we can to avoid it. This is natural.

1. Do Not Lean On Your Own Understanding. vs.1-2
Do not try and figure things out. God is allowing this and His thoughts and ways are higher than ours and beyond our finding out. Do not be a detective in your own situation.
Do not move, flee Naomi and Elimelech abandoned the covenant land of Israel along with their sons. Don't exchange God's Promises for you "wisdom" or wit.

Those who go to the world or their own understanding for help are more likely to become a weeping widow like Naomi or a prodigal son. Failing to trust God brings great pain and misery to the soul.

Rather than lean on your own understanding, or move or flee or escape in any number of ways, look to the LORD. Seek Him! Adversity should drive us to call out to God.

As you seek the LORD you will eventually

2. Find God's Grace in Your Difficulties vs.3-6

The prodigal son got up and went back home to the Father's house.
He went back (in his mind and heart) as a hired servant,
Naomi journeyed back to Bethlehem.
She described her perspective in verses 16-21
What awaits a soul who returns to trust in the LORD, who returns to His plan in His Grace is beyond their wildest dreams and imagination.

These afflictions the Psalmist spoke of are not to be taken lightly. The can be a browbeating, bring about depression, result from being dealt harshly with. We all have been knocked for a loop at times. That is what he is describing. They also can bring about a gentleness in the soul, a humility and a submission to Christ. They hurt deeply but they cut into attitudes in us which are no like Christ. As we listen to what God is saying we become still and silent before Him.

In verse six we see that
Naomi heard.
She believed.
She acted by leaving Moab.

The way back is open. Humiliating but good, very good.

3. Love the LORD No Matter What Happens. vs.7-18
Many like Orpah or Demas (II Timothy 4.10) run well for a while than drop out because the world is still in their hearts.

Bethlehem may have been in Orpah's mind but Moab was in her heart. Remember Lot's wife. She looked back. Orpah looked back and went back.

Ruth is an example of faithfulness affliction, of love for the LORD in the face of adversity. The words of Job ring (2.10) Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? Good is the same word (towb) that the Psalmist uses in Psalm 119. The word for trouble in the opposite.
Ruth, David, Joseph, Daniel - all suffered. They entered into the fellowship of His suffering; The community, association, communion of those who experienced calamity and affliction but also the power of the resurrection.

Endure it. God will work through and in times of adversity to do in your heart what could not be done any other way. God works through life events. He works in us what is well pleasing in His sight.

Never Alone

Hebrews 13.1-6



A few years ago Gallup polled teenagers (ages 13- 15) on what they feared the most. Number seven on that list was being alone.


The 2000 film, Castaway, starring Tom Hanks depicted Chuck Noland who survives a plane crash and ends up on an uninhabited island. It was a graphic description of what being alone is like.


It is interesting to see how the Word of God focuses on those who have experienced periods of being alone. Take Moses and David as their work as the family's shepherd. Both spent large amounts of time alone. Even Jesus we know had times when He was alone. Yet they all had conversations with Heaven, with their Father in Heaven.



If Christ is in our hearts, we are never alone no matter what life may bring our way.


He is with us on


1. Our Whole Journey Genesis 28.15


Personally the LORD is with us. Individually.


Among others Jacob is an example of this.


This promise came during a difficult time for Jacob.


He certainly had more than his share of family problems. Some were self-inflicted. Others were from his mother's favoritism of him.


He set out on this journey for two reasons:


1- Esau was ready to kill him for stealing his birthright blessing.


2- His mother and father did not want him marrying a local Canaanite woman.



The LORD appeared to him with this promise of His Presence in all of Jacob's journey. This promise from Hebrews is for you today. The LORD has promised "Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you."



Not only has He promised that to us individually but also to the church collectively.


He will never leave nor forsake



2. Those Who Follow Him - Deuteronomy 31.6


Moses spoke these words to all Israel.


This promise is for the church today.



The LORD goes ahead of us. v.3


The LORD goes with us. v.6



We face great uncertainty as we go today as a church but God's promises are infinitely greater than the uncertainty we face.



Jesus said, "I will build My Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." As He went back into heaven He told His disciples (that includes us) that He would be with them always, to the very end of the age.

He will get us where He wants us and when His work is done we will be with Him in Glory.



He will never leave nor forsake



3. Those Who Lead God's People Joshua 1.5


That is a promise to the shepherds of God's flock today.

That is my personal testimony.

This is plea for prayer for all pastors.


He will never leave nor forsake



4. Those Who Need Encouragement As They Do His Will. I Chronicles 28.20


These words were spoken to Solomon by his father David. Solomon was the one who would take on the momentous task of building the temple for God.. He would lead the people of Israel in this.


God gives us the strength to finish what we began even in overwhelming situations.


He will never leave nor forsake


5. Those Who Need Help. Isaiah 41.17

In times of great difficulty, the LORD is with us.

Many ask during these times, "Where is God?" David prayed around this question in the Psalms. The fact was that the LORD was with him. We may feel forsaken but that is a feeling.

Martin Luther's quote is appropriate here:

Feelings come and feelings go and feelings are deceiving,
My anchor is the Word of God, naught else is worth believing.



The LORD has promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Let's move on with the fact that He is with us today!

The Two Mountains of the Covenants

Hebrews 12.18-29

One of the paradoxes of the Bible is that it is so perfume that the greatest minds could not search it depths and yet so simple a child could understand it.

The Word of God is built around what took place on two mountains: Mount Sinai and Mount Zion (Golgotha/Calvary in Jerusalem). It was on these two mountains that the Old and New/ Everlasting covenants were established. God spoke on both of these mountains.

1. Mount Sinai vs.18-21
Here are the Ten Commandments were given, the basis for civilized living.
It was a place of fear and terror.
Exodus 20.18-21
Deuteronomy 9.18-20

The instructions given on Mount Sinai set up a system of daily sacrifices. It was a system of continual sacrifices. Moses was the mediator. Aaron became High Priest.

Again the emotions of the people at that mountain were terror, fear and dread.

2. Mount Zion vs.22-24
Interesting how the LORD in His Word here brings us to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city Abraham was looking for. (11.10) In v.24 we see the way we get there is through Jesus, the mediator of the New Covenant.
The heavenly Jerusalem is unseen to us now. It is the City of the Living God. Heaven- His throne is there. In Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4 we are told of the worship there.
Here in this passage this morning we are told of thousands upon thousands angels in joyful assembly. The praise and worship is beyond anything we could ever imagine.
In 1990 it was my privilege to be part of the Long Island Billy Graham Crusade. One night in Nassau Coliseum I was walking across the floor with another pastor. We were involved in getting things ready for the evening's service. The 3,000 voice was singing "Blessed Assurance". The other pastor stopped me and said, "Listen for a moment". I think this is a foretaste of what heaven will be like!

In this heavenly Jerusalem stands the church- those whose names are written in heaven. So we have angels praising God and now the all who believed.
Jesus used this phrase (Luke 10.20) No wonder as we read this He told them to rejoice. Look at the eternal scene. In Philippians 4.3 Paul speaks of it as does John in Revelation 3.5 and other places.

Then there is the LORD, the righteous judge. We will be with him forever because of His death on the cross in the earthly Jerusalem. We inherit the heavenly Jerusalem because of what our Savior did in the Jerusalem that is here on earth (Galatians 4.21-27)

Under the Old Covenant, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the year of Jubilee was announced. The ancient Jews also looked at it as the day Adam sinned and Abraham was circumcised.

3. We have a Warning and Exhortations. vs.25-29
v.25 Listen (and obey) God's Word.
There is a great shaking coming. Sometimes He Divinely disturbs us- shakes us up so we will listen.
Let us be thankful even for the discipline- God is treating us as sons.
Let us be thankful for the fact that we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken., that our treasures are in heaven which we have laid up there.
Let us be thankful that we will be with the LORD forever, that we will live without tears, pain, sorrow or death. Hallelujah!
Let us worship the LORD acceptably with reverence and awe.
Awe of Him. Awe that He loves us!

The first mountain showed our need of Christ

On the second mountain He died to bring us to the Heavenly Jerusalem.

Enduring Opposition

Hebrews 12.1-11

We are exhorted to fix our eyes on Jesus in this scripture this morning. This is all important for running the race we are in. This means to turn the eyes away from other things and fix them on something. Many of these other things come under the umbrella of Money, Sex and Power.

In verse three we are told to Consider Him- think over, ponder specifically in reference to His "endurance in opposition to sinful men." He remained faithful to the Father. He could have called 10,000 angels to set Him free. He didn't flee when the crowds, the multitudes turned against Him. He bore bravely and calmly the horrible way He was treated.

1. Opposition Can We Wear Us Out And Cause Us To Lose Heart- v.3
The way to prevent this is not through "getting away from it all". It is not through some motivational program. Rather it is preventing by thinking over and pondering the example Jesus set for us.
He endured opposition.
*Don't look to be set free from opposition.
Life is a series of battles- all winnable through Christ who gives us strength.
*Don't fight- Stand firm!
That soldier Paul describes in Ephesians 6 did not charge, rather he stood his ground. He was admonished to stand firm.
There are many things which oppose our walk with the LORD- with keeping in step with Him.
1-Temptation to be great- All these will I give you if you will bow to down to me (Matthew 4.9)
2-The deceitfulness of riches
3-The illusion of pleasure
Your greatest pleasure as a follower of Jesus is in laying your life down at His feet and saying, "Here I am LORD, help yourself."
We are told how to look at opposition and difficulty.

2- Endure Hardship as Discipline- v.7
See opposition from sinful men, the temptations and the enticements as part of God's overall process and work to make us like Christ.
Discipline is a responsibility of Fatherhood.
Discipline is not just for disobedience, although it is that. It is for everything in life- work ethic, honesty, integrity, etc.
Discipline with money, time, etc.
None of us enjoys pain but sometimes, many times, we must endure it. And as we see in
verse 11:

3. Discipline is Not a Pleasant Experience Rather Painful- v.11
But the process of pain in a believer's life leads to glory. What answers to prayer in your life over the years do you recall the most? Many of these blessings were born out of pain.
The race we are in is marked out for us by Jesus and His life here on earth.
It leads us to where He is! Heaven!
He suffered. He endured opposition from sinful men.
In our lives opposition brings about "a harvest of righteousness for those who have been trained by it." The word "trained" is the Greek word gymnazo. It means to exercise in a vigorous way either the body or mind.

We are to look at opposition as a training to produce a harvest of the fruit of the Spirit. This harvest increases as the believer is pruned and shaped by the Father, Who is the Gardener.

Face opposition head on. Endure it. Realize it is painful but think about what it produces!

The Essence of Faith

Hebrews 11.1-6

As you carefully read this 11th chapter of Hebrews you will discover that it is about people who overcame difficulties through their trust in the LORD.

The pathway of faith is one of suffering. I remember when this "awakening" began in my own walk with the LORD. Somewhere over 20 years after I asked the LORD to come into my heart, as I listened to God's men and women share, something struck me. All of those who had an "anointing" on them were people who experienced great pain, sorrow or loss. It wasn't that they talked about it. I discovered it quietly more times than not.

We see this morning that this Hall of Faith contains people who endured and overcame.

Faith-

1. What It Is. -v.1

Faith is being sure of what we hope for.

Prior to this section on faith, the LORD had been speaking about Hope. Faith is firming up hope. For example the LORD told Abraham that he and Sarah would have a baby. Abraham hoped for that day. He was enable by God to become a father because he believed that God would do what He said. (v.11)

It is faith that keeps our hope firm in that Jesus is preparing a place in heaven for us. People who not believe throw doubts our way, sometimes we struggle inwardly with doubts but through faith we overcome them.

Faith is being certain of what we do not see.
Faith is not sight. We walk by faith not by sight. We believe God's Word. We believe God is with us. Like Abraham, the father of the faithful, we believe God will do what He says. Belief in God and His Word is faith. The LORD is faithful to all His Promises.
which is explained in verse three...

2. What Is Is In- v.3

Faith cannot truly exist apart from God.
This verse takes us all the way back to the beginning. Genesis 1.1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

God spoke the worlds into existence. I cannot intellectually wrap my puny mind around that fact- it is beyond my limited understanding. David in Psalm 139 spoke of God's mind in creating him and said in verse six such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Faith overcomes the challenge of truth to my intellect. My faith in God and in His Word enables me to understand that God spoke in creation and things existed at His command. Read Genesis 1 Let there be light... and it was so and there was evening and morning the first day... and on.

In Matthew 8.5-13 we see the faith of the Roman Centurion. He understood Hebrews 11.3 before it was written. "Just say the word..."

God speaks. It happens. Creation, Abraham and Sarah (Hannah, Mary)

The essence of faith...

3. What It Is For - v.6

believe He exists- Faith is first in God- believing- He exists. Faith in God's existence from everlasting to everlasting, from Genesis to Revelation, faith in Who He is.

And He rewards those who diligently seek Him.
Here is the struggle- the belief and the journey. Faith is not freedom from obstacles but God giving us the ability to overcome them.

Let's take Joseph v.21 Joseph's sons- Genesis 41.46, 50-52 Joseph had experienced great suffering after those dreams God gave him. Unbelievable almost what Joseph went through- yet he had faith. He was sure of what He hoped for and certain He did not see- which is why when Mrs. Potiphar tried to seduce him- he said this in Genesis 39.6-10. He overcame by faith in what God had said. The patience of hope. Faith tested personal experience to help others.

The essence of faith

Have faith in God

Drawing Near To God

Hebrews 10.19-25
James 4.8 Come near to God and He will come near to you.

Because of what Jesus did by dying on the cross, by offering Himself in Jerusalem we are called to draw near to Him.

In Jerusalem just down the hill from Golgotha stood the Temple. In the Temple was the Holy Place separated by the veil where the Holy of Holies stood. Only once a year and then only the High Priest could enter that Most Holy Place. It was a place of fear and dread (Exodus 28.35)

Christ Jesus opened up the way for us- the new and living way. At the moment He died the curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. (Matthew 27.50-51)

This portion of Hebrews that we have read this morning is full of exhortations. Based upon the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross we are called to draw near to the LORD God. In these verses we are told how to do it.

1. Hold unswervingly to the Hope we profess. -v.23

Our Hope is Christ coming for us soon.
We will be with the LORD forever.
Our Only Hope is Jesus! Because of what Jesus did it is built on nothing less than Jesus' Blood and Righteousness.
Keep this Hope secure, make it firm, make it your possession. He will come.
Life can pull us in a different direction: its worries, riches and pleasures.
We are told that the LORD is faithful to what He has promised, indeed faithful to all His Promises. Therefore read God's Word to get those promises in your heart and mind. Meditate upon them This will tighten your grip on Hope.
Keep yourself from becoming polluted by the world. James 1.27

2. Consider how we may spur one another on to Love and Good Deeds. -v.24
Give each other a "jab".

This is not (to use a term of the 70's and 80's) to put someone on a guilt trip or shame them or embarrass them into serving. It is rather a loving incite to do good and love deeply.

These good deeds expressed through love bring glory to God. Its not about getting credit or applause but to be like Jesus. It is doing it out of a heart of love.

Paul writes to the church at Philippi "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2.3-4) He writes to the Ephesians about this also in 4.29 of that letter.

3. Keep on meeting together and encourage each other as the Day of Christ's Appearing approaches. -v.24
Some have fallen away from the fellowship. Don't let that happen to you!
They are in the habit of doing something else when the church gathers. As we meet this morning they are doing something else. Even if you are reading this and you are in the habit of not meeting with the church, go find a good church (no church is perfect on earth) and get back to fellowship- you need it! The church needs you! Decide now that enough of this habit! Get back to it!

* Let's keep on meeting together- go after those who are on the edge
Jude 23- snatch others from the fire and save them.
*Let's keep on encouraging one another
parakleo- Paraklete- the Holy Spirit's work. Let the Spirit work through you to call, comfort, exhort, beg, strengthen.
*Let's look to the skies for He's Coming Again!

Draw Near to God

*Hold firmly to the Hope we profess.
*Think about ways to lovingly irritate others to love and good works.
*Keep on meeting together, encourage each other as our redemption draws near!

Facing The Judgment

Hebrews 9.23-28

There is a judgement at the time of death. When the spirit leaves the body it either goes to be with the LORD or into outer darkness. Paul wrote that to be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD. He wrote to the Philippians 1.21-24 For to me to live is Christ and die to is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I chose? I do not know. I am torn between the two; I desire to depart and be with Christ which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body,

Luke 16.19-31 The rich man and Lazarus tells us of the judgment at the time of death. It speaks clearly of 2 places.

There is a Judgment Day coming. When my daughter Theresa called me from work 10 years ago this morning right around this time and said, "Dad, did you hear what happened? The World Trade Centers have been hit with planes and both the towers have come down." I responded, "This could be it. The LORD could be coming for us any minute." Later that morning when my friends Joe InFranco and Rudy Migliore came to my house for our weekly prayer meeting, Joe asked for my Bible and read Revelation 18 and being a student and teacher of that book replied, "Not yet."

There is a time for judgment coming when time is swallowed up into eternity. Revelation 20 describes that day and event.

What we believe determines what we do/ how we behave which will all be brought out into the light at the judgment.

1. Everyone will appear before Christ on that Day. II Corinthians 5.10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

I Corinthians 3.11-13 Fire will test the quality of each man's work.
Water in Noah's time- Fire in our time. I called and prayed with Pastor Dan Eddings this morning. He is my parents' pastor. Their church is a total loss as well as the first floor of the parsonage from the floods this week. I spoke about the rainbow after Noah came out of the ark. There will be rainbows for him and that church- God's Promises! Pray for them.

Back to the fire- (water and fire have incredible good and we need them but also can be very destructive). Our life's work for the LORD will be tested. Only what is done for Christ will last Rewards will be given to those whose work lasts. Others who believe will be saved but their work burned.

The are mentions of rewards or references to them in the Word of God.
Matthew 6.20 Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
I Peter 5.4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
II Timothy 4.8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the Righteous Judge will award me on that day- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His Appearing.
Your giving and praying and service to Christ will have a bearing on eternity and your experience of heaven. Give yourselves fully to the work of the LORD!

2. Jesus describes the scene of the Day of Judgment.

Matthew 25.14-30 Investing the things God has entrusted to us with in His Kingdom.
31-46 The two groups at the judgment

Psalm 96.11-13 He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His Truth.

3. Perfect Love Casts Our the Fear of Hell. I John 4.15-18

Love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgement... There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out dear, because fear has to do with punishment.
Aim at loving God with everything, total, complete, full surrender to Him. The hope of the Second Coming has a purifying effect. Perfect Love gives us blessed assurance of our salvation. It gives us peace. It puts confidence in our hearts about the Day of Judgment so we say, "Even so come LORD Jesus!"

With Christ in our hearts we face the judgment with peace. We face the future with confidence. We have assurance that the judgment for us will bring in God's Promises and fulfill the Hope we have. Our faith will become sight!

Maranatha!

The Mystery of Heaven

Hebrews 8.1-6

We have many questions about heaven:
Will we know each other there? What will we do when we get there?
Will we remember things that happened here on earth?

We are told about this wonderful place we call heaven in the Word of God. I believe however we will feel something like Queen Sheba when she heard Solomon's wisdom and exclaimed in I Kings 10.7 "Indeed, not even the half was told to me."

One of the mysteries and wonders will be what we are told of in verse five. There is a tabernacle in heaven. Now we understand why all the detail repeated over and over again in Exodus and Leviticus when it came to the tabernacle that was built under Moses.

God's Word has "appetizers" about heaven. Psalm 34.8 Taste and see that the LORD is good.

I John 3.1-3 What we will be has not yet been made known.

Oh What a Foretaste of Glory Divine!

1. The Tabernacle Moses Built was a copy of the One in Heaven. -v.5
A copy- a sketch plan. a reflection, a silhouette (Remember when they did that of us in school?)
The heavenly sanctuary is:
of heaven
continuous
the real thing
accessible to everyone
4.10 Anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work as God did from His.
10.19 we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus
was made without human hands.
9.24 For Christ did not enter a man made sanctuary that only was a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's Presence.
This heavenly sanctuary has no sacrifices because Christ Jesus provided Himself, the Lamb of God, fulfilling the need for the blood of animals to be shed. He appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Revelation 5.6 ... a Lamb as though it had been slain...

The Lamb of God willingly laid down His life for us, providing salvation, sanctification and glorification.

2. At the Present Time We See Through a Glass Dimly.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully even as I am fully known. - I Corinthians 13.12
We walk by faith not by sight- II Corinthians 5.7
There is a great deal we do not know about heaven and even life here on earth for that matter. There is mystery in all of our lives, some greater than others but we all have unanswered prayers and the question of why.
Daniel and Paul, the apostle used this word mystery. It is used a number of times by John in Revelation.
A few examples:
Ephesians 5.32 This is profound mystery- but I am talking about Christ and the Church.
I Timothy 3.16 Beyond all question the mystery of godliness is great.

3. We are Exhorted in the Things We Do Understand.
Hebrews 4.16 Let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace so we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 12.2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.
Hebrews 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.
I Corinthians 15.58 Therefore my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the LORD, because you know that your labor in the LORD is not in vain.

We will be rewarded one day. One day in heaven for eternity. It is more than we can imagine. The place Christ is preparing for us is beyond our ability here to take in. Be faithful, serve Him out of a heart of love - pour out your love for Him. Keep your eyes fixed on Him!

What The Bible Says About Storms

Job 40.6 Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm

Everyone is talking about it, the TV and Facebook are filled with news about it, the stores here on Long Island and up and down the eastern seaboard are busy because of it. Hurricane Irene is coming to town!

People suddenly are praying. That is a good thing. Yesterday the sun was shining and it will come out on the other side of this massive system. However for the next 18 hours or so here on Long Island's South Shore we will experience heavy rain, high winds and the things that come with it.

Most of us have candles out and ready, water stored, ice chests prepared in case we lose electricity.

The Bible speaks about storms in many places. Jesus calmed one. Actually spoke to it. The literal Greek phrase was "Be muzzled!" Immediately it was calm. I am certain He could do the same with Irene. Most of the time the LORD brings us through the storm rather than stopping it. Sometimes He calms the storm for us but most of the time He calms us in the storm and until it is passed.

This was true of Job. God spoke to him from the storm. Right out of it! He rides upon the wings of the wind. When I want to be alone with God I look for that quiet place like the garden of Eden. Sometimes He comes in the cool of the day and talks to me and other times He speaks out of less favorable conditions like illness and death and hurricanes.

Job went through storms- he lost everything except his integrity. He lost his children, his wealth, his health, his wife and his friends. It is amazing that Job did not lose his mind! Lesser men would have cursed God and died. He proclaimed, "I know that my Redeemer lives!!!" The man knew his God, but better than that: The man's God knew the man. He spoke out of the storms of Job's life. He will speak out of ours.

If you are going through a storm other than Irene as you read this, He is there if you call upon Him. Whoever calls upon the Name of the LORD will be saved!

Some are facing financial storms. The signs are all around. We had an earthquake on the east coast this week. People we shaken up. Now a hurricane. But if you are deeply in debt or not meeting your bills each day is stormy and shaky. Our economy is shaking and quaking. People are in need of help. Our help comes from the LORD the Maker of Heaven and Earth.

Some are facing relational storms. Marriages are stressed. People have had communication breakdowns. Never before has there been so much anger within families. Christ can bring peace. He can make you a peacemaker.

Others are facing emotional storms. Perhaps you are in this midst of the horrible experience of depression. Darkness in the day. Feelings of hopelessness. Feeling tired after a full night's sleep or not being able to sleep. The LORD speaks out of this storm. Some of the best loved hymns were written out of times of darkness and despair. Listen to what the LORD is saying in this storm tonight.

Some are facing storms about their future as well as their past. If Satan can make you grieve over yesterday and worry about tomorrow then he has robbed you of today. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Maybe you are worried about tomorrow or next year. Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. We can change nothing by worrying. God will take care of you! He can help you overcome anxiety about the future.

Let Him speak to you from the storm! He will do wonderful things in the midst of it. He is faithful to all His Promises!

The Power of an Indestuctible Life

Hebrews 7.1-19

You have heard people say this (perhaps you have said it or at least thought of it), "I have to get away from it all," or "I just want to go to a deserted island where no one can find me."

People look for peace in escape. Advertisers use this to their advantage. Vacations packages are sold based on it. Back in the 1970's there was a commercial which had the words, "Take me away Calgon." Peace is not found in escape- not true lasting peace.

People look for peace in evasion. Some poor souls go through great lengths to avoid certain people. If they see them coming they will go another way. If they hear they are going to be at a certain event they will not attend themselves. There may be no confrontation in that approach but there is also no peace. The loss of a loved one can be handled that way. The "experts" in grief counseling call it postponing grief. It is very unhealthy. People that say, "I am going on with my life," after such a loss or really saying, "I can't handle this!" People handle illness like this at times. They don't face the inevitable. Some of the anti aging techniques used today ignore gravity. They evade the truth!

Melchizedek is called the King of Peace. That is one of the meanings of his name. v.3 like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.

When Jesus was dying on the cross, His life not look indestructible. When He shed His blood it didn't look like He would be alive forevermore (Revelation 1.18) but He is and He holds the keys of death and of hell. He said in John 8.58 Before Abraham was born I am and now He is seated at the right hand of God and He always lives to intercede for us (Hebrews 7.25)

In Genesis 14 and again in the scripture in Hebrews we read this morning we are told of the meeting of Abraham and this Melchizedek. There is much more I would love to know about this mysterious King-Priest from Jerusalem but this is what we are told.

1. The Tithe is the LORD's. vs.1-10
Abraham gave 10% of the spoils of this battle to Melchizedek, priest of God.
Genesis 14.21-24
The tithe is a tangible acknowledgment of God in your life. Abraham's victory over the kings he fought against was a miracle. He knew it. He knew God provided it. He had to acknowledge God.

Abraham tithed before the law was given- 400 years before!

1-Melchizedek brought out bread and wine.- Genesis 14.18
The connection to the LORD's Supper here centuries before Christ came.
2-Melchizedek blessed Abraham- vs.19-20a
3-Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything. -v.20b

Look at Jesus' words about money Matthew 6.19-21, 24

2. The Priesthood of Melchizedek is Unique. vs.11-17
*It is royal priesthood because Melchizedek was a king.
I Peter 2.9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a people belonging to God.
Christ is our Great High Priest- all believers serve as priests.
*Melchizedek and Jesus' priesthood is different from the Old Covenant.
The Old- Aaron and his descendants- it died out, but before it did it was fulfilled by Jesus.
The New and Eternal- like Melchizedek, Jesus is a priest forever.
Neither Melchizedek nor Jesus were Levites or descendants of Aaron.

3. Our Hope is in Christ vs.18-19
John 11.25 I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me will live, even though He dies.
He gives us everlasting life. John 5.24-26
He comforts us. Job 19.25 I know that my Redeemer lives
He satisfies John 4.10

You can live by the power of His Endless Life- the power of the Resurrection!
John 14.19 Because I live you also will live.

The power of an indestructible life is ours in Christ!

The Anchor For The Soul

Hebrews 6.13-20

I love the terms used to describe Christ Jesus: Son of God, Son of Man
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
Bread of Life, Rock, Ancient of Days, Lily of the Valley, Morning Star
That Great Shepherd of the Sheep, Alpha and Omega

Here in the Scripture this morning He is described as an anchor for the soul. We need to hear this today.

1. In Times Like There We Have Hope. v.16-20
Thankfully our anchor isn't in the economy. Wall Street's performance this week gave investors high blood pressure and other stress related maladies.
Our anchor isn't tied to how well things are going because as the old hymn says, "I don't borrow from it sunshine for its skies may turn to gray."
Our anchor isn't tied to anything other than Jesus Christ. We've anchored our soul in the Haven of Rest!

Bread, a group from the 70's did a song called London Bridge (it could have been written for today):
I know the times are to bear,
Its hard to find someone to really care.
The changes taking place are everywhere,
The centuries past have nothing to compare.

The greatest changes the world has ever experienced since Creation are taking place right now- rapid fire change.

It is easy to sense the loss of stability as the world spins out of control.
We have hope because we have an anchor for the soul.

A hymn of years ago could have been written for today!:
In times like these we need a Savior.
In times like these we need an anchor.
I'm very sure. I'm very sure.
My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.
This Rock is Jesus, Yes He's the One.
This Rock is Jesus, God's only Son.
I'm very sure. I'm very sure.
My anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.

Life apart from Christ the Solid Rock, the Anchor for the soul, is full of uncertainties. It is outside the plan and purpose of God.

2. We Have Fled To Him! -v.18
Proverbs 18.10 The Name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and they are saved.
This word "run" means to swiftly dart, to move quickly, to hurry
The word, fled, means to seek safety by flighty, to escape safely out of danger.
We are in the shelter of His wings. He protects us.

An anchor is not seen when it is at work but it is felt and the effects it produces are very visible.

3. This Anchor For The Soul Is Firm and Secure.- v.19-20
It takes hold of the unseen and eternal- the Holy of Holies.
Our Great High Priest is in the heavens. Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Priesthood and sacrificial system.

He is our Anchor:
*In the Day of Trouble
Psalm 27.5 For in the day of trouble, He will keep me safe in His dwelling. Evil times, bad things coming, pain, misery, fiery trials
*In the Day of Adversity
Proverbs 17.17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Straits, distress... When all around my soul gives way
*In the Day of Death
I Corinthians 15.55 O death where is your victory?
The loss of a loved one. For believers in Jesus Christ: "Death is not the extinguishing of the light.
It is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come."

We have an Anchor for the Soul!

Rest in Him Today!

A Balanced Spiritual Diet

Hebrews 5.11-14

One of the most popular topics today is in one word, "diet". With our sedimentary life style weight loss has become a huge industry. A great deal of money and energy is spent on trying to keep fit these days.

Diet is much more than weight loss. It is the whole of what we ingest. What is true in the physical area is true in the spiritual realm. We need a balanced diet.

When I grew up in the church we emphasized a lot of what we should avoid spiritually. That is important too. We did not put nearly enough emphasis on what we should take in for a balanced spiritual diet.

God's Word instructs us as to what this is. There are specific physical foods mentioned a number of times in the scriptures which correlate to spiritual nourishment.

1. Milk I Peter 2.2-3
*No beverage contains so many nutrients.
*Young children need it for bone mass and skeletal development.
*It is easy to digest. It doesn't tax the digestive system.

Spiritually milk is the basics of the faith.
We need to continue to take it in. Human beings are the only animals/mammals which continue to take in milk after full development.

We are to be childlike in our faith. The Word of God has milk. We are to crave it like new born babes. Long for the time in God's Word each day. Pursue it with love and hide it in your heart.

Now we know that children do not stay on an all milk diet. They begin to desire solid food. Milk no longer satisfies alone. They still need milk but they also need:

2. Meat I Corinthians 3.1-2
As teeth begin to develop, children want something they can sink their teeth into, something more than just milk.
As we mature as believers we long for the vast wealth of God's Word to make us strong.
Both the Corinthians and the Hebrews had arrested spiritual development. The Corinthians were bickering with jealousy in their hearts over which minister of the gospel was the best and over spiritual gifts. Sins within can cut off the desire for solid food. There are so many spiritual analogies here but we cannot get into all of them. Sins like jealousy and envy and bitterness affect us physically, particularly in our bone health and our digestive system. Godliness with contentment is great gain. I Timothy 6.6

We need meat (Solid food) to develop - Peter tells us to first rid ourselves of things that prevent spiritual development. (I Peter 2.1) Think about envy. If I am focused on what someone else has I can't give my full attention to becoming like Christ. I can't digest meat/solid food. There is an immaturity to all these inner sins... we see it with children (I have more sprinkles on my ice cream than you!) but when we grow up it is so unbecoming!

We need milk, we need meat and we also need

3. Manna John 6.30-40
Daily provision for food for the body. Daily provision for spiritual food for each day: "Give us this day our daily bread."
This has to do with a Person to person relationship- personal insight. Christ= the Anointed One, The Truth, The Way, The Life. I had an experience of this nature this week- The Gardens of Jesus last hours: Gethsemane, The Garden Tomb, Paradise: The Struggle, Suffering, Pleasure for Eternity.

Milk, Meat Manna- Let's Eat!