We have just returned home from our week with our children in Virginia where they surprised us and took us to the Outer Banks with them.  I have already shared with you some of the lessons that I learned while at the beach but I have one more thing that I thought that I would share with you.  There was one night in particular when the moon was full and it was reflecting off of the ocean.  It was beautiful!  It seemed so close and yet it was more than 226,330 miles away and it was at 99.4% illumination.  Even more interesting, the sun which it is reflecting was 93,894,440 miles away.  Think about those numbers for a minute.  If you were to drive a car at 70 mph 24 hours a day for 153 years without ever stopping you would still be 7 days of driving away from reaching the sun (there is a website where you can get all of this useless information).  I just drove about 2100 miles and that was more than enough for me. 

Back in May, Max Lucado shared something from one of his books about the moon.  Take a look at what he wrote:

“What does the moon do? She generates no light. Contrary to the lyrics of the song, this harvest moon cannot shine on. Apart from the sun, the moon is nothing more than a pitch-black, pockmarked rock. But properly positioned, the moon beams. Let her do what she was made to do, and a clod of dirt becomes a source of inspiration, yea, verily, romance. The moon reflects the greater light.  And she’s happy to do so! You never hear the moon complaining. She makes no waves about making waves. Let the cow jump over her or astronauts step on her; she never objects. Even though sunning is accepted while mooning is the butt of bad jokes, you won’t hear ol’ Cheeseface grumble. The moon is at peace in her place. And because she is, soft light touches a dark earth.”

If you think about it, the moon models our role as a Christian.  A Christian is a person who is Christ-like.  When you bear the name Christian you are bearing the name of Christ.  As a teenager I remember, like many of you, my father saying to me as I left the house “remember whose kid you are.”  Evidently there was something special about being a Kamphuis.  I had a reputation to uphold and a family to represent and my dad wanted me to remember that.  Why is it that many who profess the name of Jesus and claim to be a Christian forget who it is that they are representing when they are outside of the church doors?  It is in the public that we are called to represent Jesus.  It is in our conversations with other people whether it be on Facebook or Twitter or wherever it might be that we as Christians are to bear the name of Christ and remember who it is that we are representing.  How can you possibly claim to be a follower of Jesus and use some of the language that is used on the internet?  Remember whose kid you are.  Does that mean that we will not make mistakes and blow it from time to time?  Absolutely not!  But we must be more careful and sensitive to what we are saying and who is listening.  Listen to what Jesus says to you and to me, to Christians:  “You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they are to put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)  Did you get that?  You are the light of the world!!!!  God has set you apart for that, and it cannot be hidden.  If you bear the name of Christ, you will be noticed; for good or bad.  You cannot hide it nor should you.  In fact, you are to put the fact that you are a Christ-like one on display.  Why?  For your glory or good?  No!  To give light to others.  So that others might benefit.  When they see your good deeds do they glorify you and tell you how good you are?  NO!!!  It is so that they might praise God in heaven.  Glorifying God is not a certain set of words that are memorized or actions repeated.  It is a life that reflects the attributes of God.  It is a lifestyle that is consumed with putting the glory of God on display.  Like a city on a hill or a lamp set on a lamp stand, glorifying God entails us letting the light of the attributes of God shine before men so that others might take notice and join with us in glorifying God.  Like the moon, you are to reflect Jesus.

As I think about the moon, like Max Lucado said, it is a big rock that has no life to it.  We have evidence of that from astronauts who have been there.  It is covered with dust and sort of just sits there and yet it reflects the amazing power and light of the sun.  In some ways we are similar to the moon and in other ways we could not be more different.  We are not just a piece of rock covered in dust without life.  God has breathed life into us.  He has made us in His image.  We have every reason to reflect His image and yet we fall far short from time to time.  The moon was at 99.4% illumination the other might when I was looking at it.  That is pretty close to 100% which means it was positioned just about perfect to be full and illumined to its fullest ability.  There are times when there is a half moon or quarter moon.  Why is that?  It all has to do with how the moon is positioned in relationship to the sun.  Now think about the sun.  As magnificent and powerful as it is, it does not even come close to the beauty, glory, power and majesty of the Son.  God will be glorified. 

The Bible tells us that we have the privilege and responsibility to reflect that glory to those around us if we are going to bear the name of Christian.  How are you doing with that?  How are you positioning yourself to achieve 99.4% or even 100% illumination to those around you?  What would you think your illumination number is?  Does it matter to you?  Is it evident in the way you act and talk outside of the church doors or when you are away from other Christians?  Is it obvious to the people you work with that you are a Christian and that your desire is to reflect the glory of God? 

While the sun is a source of power and strength, and it is the moons source of light, I must tell you that there was something really special about that moonlit sky that night on the seaside pier.  Just to know that God was using that lifeless piece of rock covered in dust to give light was moving.  It was extremely bright against the dark night sky and yet it was not the source of light, it was the reflection.  What a privilege we have to reflect THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE SON, and my prayer is that we as a church, and as individuals, might be faithful and mindful to do so each and every day.  You will fail and fall out of alignment, but the source of light will never cease.  God is faithful in spite of our unfaithfulness. 

Go reflect the glory of God to those around you today.

As you are reading this devotional this morning, Robbi and I are making our way back to Illinois after a stop at her mom’s house in Ohio.  Some of you might know that our son lives in Virginia and our oldest granddaughter was supposed to graduate from 8th grade this past week.  We had planned to go out to be a part of that and to also celebrate a few birthdays at the same time, but when the Covid-19 pandemic hit all plans changed.  Our son asked us to still come out if we were comfortable with doing so, and then he informed us that he had rented a house in the Outer Banks for the week and would like us to join them.  It has been a great week of relaxation and being with our kids who we have not seen since Thanksgiving.  The beach has been beautiful but being with the kids is awesome.  Robbi and I are not used to this Eastern time zone stuff and we are finding out that our day typically ends before theirs. 

While here I have been able to spend a lot of time at the beach as the house that we are staying in is right on the beach.  I was talking to my granddaughter one day and the topic of the number of grains of sand in my hand came up.  How could we possibly count them?  How many were there in the beach that we were sitting on?  Mind boggling!!!  David mentions them in Psalm 139 when He speaks of God’s thoughts towards us.  He writes:  “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand…” (vv.17-18)  God thinks about you!  God thinks about me too!  Does that scare you or concern you?  The reality that God should think about us at all should be our treasure and pleasure.  And not only does He think about us, the sum of His thoughts is beyond our understanding and comprehension.  The Bible tells us that His thoughts outnumber the sands of the sea.  That would imply that someone knows the number of the sands of the sea, and being God inspired David to write this passage, it has to be Him.  God’s thoughts outnumber the sands of the sea.  The next time you go out the sandbox in the backyard, or if you should find yourself at the seashore think on that for a little bit. 

What do you suppose God’s thoughts are?  What are the thoughts of our Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, Father, Friend, and the One who loves us?  Thoughts of our pardon, our growth, our care,  His supplying, His educating, our sanctification, as well as our daily activities.  It should fill you with awe and wonder that the God who knows your every need has you on His mind day and night.  We are in a pretty good place, don’t you think?

Another passage that came to mind is found in Psalm 104:25 “There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number – living things both large and small.”  We experienced that this week.  My grandchildren introduced me to sand fleas which are these cute little bugs that burrow into the sand really fast.  They are cute until one of them gets angry and bites you.  We met up with countless ghost crabs and even saw a manta ray.   One of the coolest things was every morning we would go out into the ocean on a sandbar and two sets of dolphins were there to greet us every morning.  Every once in a while one of us would softly sing two notes “du dunt” and we would hear screams of “don’t do that!”  (“du dunt” is from Jaws).  In the evening as the full moon reflected off of the waters there was an intense mystery as to what lurked in the waters below.  To think that God knows everything that is going on under the waters too is mind-blowing.  Psalm 146:6 “He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them – the Lord, Who remains faithful forever.”   I would have to think that the activities of the sea would have to keep God pretty busy, and yet He knows us too and He remains faithful forever.  Man our God is HUGE!!!

Something else that was very interesting to me is the never ending waves that come to the ocean shoreline.  Night and day it never stops.  How does that happen?  Why does it happen?  I’m sure that some of you can give me a pretty good scientific or geological explanation, but never ending?  Who put it there?  I like to believe that it is the hand of God that stirs up the waves.  Psalm 89:9 “You rule over the surging sea..”  and Isaiah 51:15 “For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar – the Lord Almighty is His name.”  That sounds like a pretty good explanation to me.  I could not help but think of the story about Jesus and His disciples on a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee.  I have been to the Sea of Galilee and it is no where near as big as the Atlantic Ocean, but I was also on the Sea of Galilee when a sudden storm came up.  There is a valley that leads into the sea where the winds can be ferocious and storms come out of no where.  In Matthew 8 we are told about one of those storms.  Jesus is asleep in the boat when a storm hits and the waves are coming over the sides of the boat.  It was so bad that the disciples, many of whom were fishermen, were so concerned that they were afraid that they were going to drown.  That’s a bad storm, and Jesus is sleeping.  Think about that.  Was it His creation rocking Him to sleep?  Why wasn’t He afraid?  Because as we read in v.27 “Even the winds and the waves obey Him!”    Is it any wonder that we marvel at the sight of the ocean thinking about and knowing that God is sovereign over all of it?  Nothing is out of His sight!

It has been a great week at the beach with our children and grandchildren.  We will go our separate ways, each of us with our memories.  As we go our separate ways, what a comfort it is to know that God goes with us and before us knowing what today and tomorrow brings.  I am on His mind.  My wife is on His mind.  Our kids and grandchildren are on His mind.  You are on His mind.  Like the Psalmist says “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!  How vast is the sum of them!  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand…”  Another thing that I have learned is how really small and seemingly insignificant I really am, and yet God knows me, loves me, and cares for me.  I can relate so much better to what David writes in the Psalms.  I have to wonder if he might have been sitting on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea when he wrote some of these things.  Psalm 8:3-4 “When I consider your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him?”  Last night I sat on the dock while my son, daughter and grandkids walked the beach.  The moon was full and bright, the ocean waves repeatedly crashed to the shore, and I was overwhelmed with the truth that God was right there and He knows all of us.  I was awestruck with His power and majesty and “bigness”, and yet warmed by the fact that He knows me!

There are a lot of important things going on in our world and around us.  Things that consume many people and seem so important until you really think about them and take inventory.  As you know I like to read some of Max Lucado’s writings.  He seems to be able to give perspective on life through the grid of Scripture.  This past week he encouraged us to take a quiz and I want to encourage you to do the same.  Check it out:

Name the ten wealthiest men in the world.
Name the last ten Heisman trophy winners.
Name the last ten winners of the Miss America contest.
Name eight people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer prize.
How about the last ten Academy Award winners for best picture or the last decade’s worth of World Series winners?

How did you do? I didn’t do well either. With the exception of you trivia hounds, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday too well. Surprising how quickly we forget, isn’t it? And what I’ve mentioned above are no second-rate achievements. These are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.  Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one.

Think of three people you enjoy spending time with.
Name ten people who have taught you something worthwhile.
Name five friends who have helped you in a difficult time.
List a few teachers who have aided your journey through school.
Name half-a-dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.

Easier? It was for me, too. The lesson?  Take note of the people that God has put around you;  take note of all that He has done for you; take note of His handiwork and ask the question what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him?”  You don’t need to go to the beach to do this.  Walk outside into your backyard, look into the eyes of your children and grandchildren and contemplate the awesomeness and goodness of God.

I read something last week from Max Lucado that I would like to share with you:

 

Just look at the gifts He has given you: He has sent His angels to care for you, His Holy Spirit to dwell in you, His church to encourage you, and His Word to guide you. You have privileges only a fiancée could have. Anytime you speak, He listens; make a request and He responds. He will never let you be tempted too much or stumble too far. Let a tear appear on your cheek, and He is there to wipe it. Let a love sonnet appear on your lips, and He is there to hear it. As much as you want to see Him, He wants to see you more.  He is building a house for you, and with every swing of the hammer and cut of the saw, He’s dreaming of the day He carries you over the threshold.  (John 14:2–3)  “In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

 

Have you ever thought about what Jesus is really saying there?  Did you hear what Jesus is doing?  Do you realize how much Jesus loves you?  Look at what Max Lucado says prior to that verse:  “…His angels to care for you, His Holy Spirit to dwell in you, His church to encourage you, and His Word to guide you…He listens…He responds…He is there to hear it…He wants to see you more.”  Do you realize what Jesus has done for you?  Do you understand what He has promised?  Your response might be that you do understand all of that, but I really wonder sometimes if we do.  Let me give you an example of why I say that.

 

There are times when we cannot find the answers to the dilemma that we find ourselves in.  Perhaps you have been given a medical diagnosis that is not good and the future does not look to be good.  Perhaps you have a child in crisis.  Maybe it is a legal problem.  Maybe the money is not there for a serious need.  Maybe you are in a very difficult relationship with a spouse who is just impossible to live with.  Our natural instinct is to respond something like this:

 

“How did I get into this mess and what is the fastest way out?”

“How can I solve this problem as quickly as possible?”

“Why did this have to happen to me?”

“What did I do to deserve this?”

 

These are natural questions.  We have all been there.  We wonder “why me” instead of “why not me?”  Are you asking the right questions?  Read that first paragraph above and then answer these questions:  Do you really think that God has checked out on you?  Do you really think that your situation or predicament has somehow skipped by God’s attention?  No one enjoys difficulty.  None of us want a difficult life, but you know that there are times when God will allow more than you can handle.  Did you hear that?  People often say that God will never give you more than you can handle-NOT TRUE!!!  God WILL allow or give you more than you can handle, but His grace is there to carry you through.  HIS GRACE!  Not your intestinal fortitude.  Not your strength.  Not your smarts or wit or grit.  HIS GRACE!  While all of those might be natural questions that we might ask, maybe we should try asking different questions that might bring about a totally new way of looking at difficulties.  Maybe we might gain a new perspective and begin to create a different and new context for dealing with the tough times in our lives. 

 

The next time that you find yourself overwhelmed, try asking this question:  “How can God be glorified in this situation?”   Think about that for a minute.  Knowing that what you read in the first paragraph above is true about our God.  Knowing that He is in control of ALL things.  Knowing that He loves you.  Knowing that He will be glorified in ALL things.  Wouldn’t you think that He might be up to something that might include you, and Him receiving glory for Himself?  Do you remember last Sunday’s devotional when we asked the question What in the world is going on and we talked about the Israelite nation with the sea on one side, desert on the other, and the Egyptian army closing in on them?  The Israelites thought that they were doomed.  Even though the presence of God was evident in the cloud and pillar of fire, they thought that the Egyptians were either going to kill them right then and there or that they were headed back to slavery in Egypt.  Even though they had observed all that God did using the plagues in Egypt  to release them from slavery, even though they followed the presence of God in the cloud and pillar of fire, when confronted with the dilemma at hand, they asked the wrong question.  Don’t you suppose that if they had asked God the right question God might have said something like “Just watch this.”  “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them.  But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” (Exodus 14:4)  God deliberately orchestrates the Exodus events as an occasion to demonstrate His power over both His enemies and creation. 

 

Do you remember in John 9 when Jesus’ disciples meet a man who was blind from birth and they ask Jesus how did this happen to this man?  “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”(v.2)  “How did this man get into this situation?”  “Why did it happen?”  “What did he or his parents do to deserve this?”  Look at Jesus’ response:  “Neither this man nor his parents sinned…but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” (v.3)  Did you catch that ?  He was born blind!  God planned this years before knowing that on this day this man would meet Jesus and God would be glorified.  Two chapters later in John 11 Jesus receives word that His friend Lazarus is very sick but He does not go to him immediately.  In fact, He waits two more days.  That is sort of weird isn’t it?  If you received word that a loved one is very sick wouldn’t you drop everything and do your best to get to him as quickly as possible?  Not Jesus!  Jesus said:  “This sickness will not end in death.  No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” (v.4)   When Jesus finally makes it back to His friends home He is faced with the fact that Lazarus has already been in the tomb for four days.  In addition to that, Martha says to Jesus that if He had come when they asked Him to, Lazarus would not have died.  A few minutes later Jesus is met by Mary with the very same words “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”  Where were You?  Why didn’t You come when we asked You to?  Sound familiar?  “God, where are you?”  “Do You hear me?”  “Do You even care?”  Wrong questions!!!  Someone said:  “God doesn’t waste suffering.  If He leads us into impossible spots, He will deliver us in His own time, in His own way, and for His name’s sake.”

 

Psalm 115:1 “Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness.”  Matthew Henry said this:  “God sometimes raises difficulties in the way of His people, that He may have the glory of subduing them, and helping His people over them.”  There is no doubt about it that God does not always deliver us from our problems in the way that we might think best or in the way that we want Him to.  He does it His way and His way is always best, and it will always lead to worship.  Psalm 50:15 “…call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will glorify Me.” 

 

Got problems?  Make sure that you are asking the right questions!  As Christians, be careful how you respond to the affairs of this messed up world around us.  Are your responses and questions pointing people to Jesus?  Is God being glorified in the way that you act and react? 

This past Memorial Day weekend Robbi and I were able to spend some time with our children in Michigan as well as our youngest grandchild.  It was a great getaway even though it was only for a couple of days.  We had not held our grandson since January and he is no longer a baby for sure.  He is a really big boy and he is also a very happy boy and this pandemic means nothing to him.  It has not cramped his lifestyle; in fact, he has his mommy and daddy and aunt with him just about all of the time.  He does not lack for attention.  It took him some time to get used to grandpa but finally on the last morning that we were there, he sort of warmed up to me.  When we FaceTime with him he always likes to visit with grandma and grandpa but this in person stuff took a little bit of time for him to get comfortable.  When I finally was able to hold him and talk to him I was reminded of the times that I held his mother some 34 years ago.  She loved to be held and she had no problem warming up to anyone.  As she grew older she was our little mother.  Whenever Robbi and I would go out some where she would want to know where we were going, who we were going with and what time we would be home.  If we were a few minutes late, she would call and want to know where we were.  I think she was six years old at the time when all of this started and we would often times remind her that we were mom and dad and she was our little girl.  I cannot wait for our little Greyson to revisit this on her and her husband, and we will laugh. 

 

This weekend was a time of remembrance for most all of us, and I was reminded of how Robbi and I have prayed over and for all five of our children for almost 38 years.  From the day that each of them were born we prayed for each of their spouses not knowing who they were but trusting that God did.  We have three married children and all three of their spouses are answers to our prayers.  We now have five grandchildren and we are expecting little Olivia in

August from our daughter and her husband in Brooklyn, NY.  We pray for all five of our grandchildren regularly and we have already been praying for our granddaughter to come.  We have two daughters that are not yet married and we have been praying for their spouses for 26 years and 21 years each and we look forward to God answering those prayers too. 

 

I know that all of this sounds like a nice little bio of our family, but I tell you all of that to ask you this:  do you pray for your kids and grandkids?  I mean, do you REALLY pray for them?  As I held my grandson I began to think about what he will face in the years to come should Jesus not return soon.  As I look at what is going on in this world and even in our country I am disturbed and concerned about what he might face as he grows into his teenage and young adult years.  Think about where we were 20 years ago and how things have changed since then, and then fast forward to 2040 and imagine what that might be like.  What will our country be like?  What will our churches be like?  Will we even be able to continue to meet together like we do now?  Will the church be persecuted and if it is how will Christians respond?  If Jesus should tarry, my little grandson who I was holding in my hand as well as my four other grandchildren will be living in the midst of it.  That can be a little scary if you think about it.

 

While all of that can be very concerning, I want to ask you: Do you pray for your kids and grandkids?  Robbi and I are so very grateful that everyone of our kids are living for Jesus and those who have children are raising their kids and pointing them to Jesus.  They are committed to bringing up their children under the teaching of the Word of God and living out their faith in front of them in their homes.  As I held my little grandson, I was overwhelmed with gratitude that God saved our five children, three in-laws, and a vibrant relationship with Jesus is characteristic of each of their lives.  There may very well be some of you who have children and grandchildren that are not living for the Lord.  Some of them may have nothing to do with Jesus and have no interest in the things of the Lord, and if that is you, I ache for you.  There is no greater joy than to know that you will spend eternity with your children and grandchildren in the presence of Jesus.  Do you pray for your kids and grandkids?

 

How do you pray for your kids and grandkids?  Do you pray for their safety?  Do you pray for their education?  Do you pray for their careers?  Do you pray for their marriages?  Do you pray for their souls?  Do you pray for their souls?  DO YOU PRAY FOR THEIR SOULS?  As I held my grandson and thought about my other grandchildren, I, like any parent or grandparent, want good for them.  I want them to have a good life.  I want them to have good jobs.  I want them to do well at whatever they decide to do in their lives.  What I want more than anything is for them to know Jesus.  While I enjoy spending weekends and vacations with them, I want to spend eternity with them more than anything.  Do you pray for your unsaved kids and grandkids?   Don’t ever assume that your kids and grandkids are saved because they were raised in a Christian home or went to SS or VBS when they were little.  Don’t take that chance!!!  So what do we do?

 

Moses is about to leave the children of Israel as they head off into the promised land.  He has spent more than 40 years with them as God led them out of slavery and prepared them for the land that He was about to give them.  They all saw the hand of God as He brought them across the Red Sea.  They saw God provide daily manna for them and quail for meat.  There was always enough.  They saw miracle after miracle and yet Moses reminded them to do something.  Deuteronomy 6 is the account of Moses telling parents and grandparents to remember, observe, teach, and impress what they have seen and been taught on their children and grandchildren.  Moses tells them to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (6:5-9)  What do you suppose that might have looked like?  Do you think they prayed?  Do you think grandpa and grandma prayed?  Do you think they talked about it?  He said to impress it on their kids and grandkids.  How would you do that?  What do you talk about when you are alone with your adult kids?  What do you talk to your grandkids about?  Moses says when you are sitting in the family room or on the porch talk about it.  When you take a walk what do you talk about?  When you go fishing, what do you talk about?   If you want to impress something on someone, you need to talk about the subject, and I cannot think of any subject more important than the salvation of your kids and grandkids.  As i read that passage, I have to believe that they probably had quotes and sayings and Bible verses everywhere in their houses and that is a good thing, but why did they have all of that stuff?  So that the kids would ask about them and you could talk about it.  Ask God to give you opportunities to talk to your loved ones about Jesus.  Tell them what Jesus has done for you.  Whether it be your kids, grandkids, parents, or spouse, ask God to do a work in their hearts and give you the opportunity to share what God has done in your life and heart. Do you pray for your kids and grandkids?

 

Finally, have you asked others to pray for your kids and grandkids?  Have you asked your church family to pray for your unsaved spouse or child?  If not, why not?  You will ask us to pray for their health or a job interview and we do it.   Why would you not ask your church family to pray for the people you dearly love, especially when it comes to their souls?   I hope and pray that we will have grandparents and parents who will call on their church to pray for the salvation of kids, grandkids, and spouses so that we can labor with you in prayer.  Give us the privilege of helping you get under the load of that burden and allow us to pray for you.  May God be glorified as we do this.  I look forward to what God might do if we as a church really pray for the salvation of loved ones.  Pray for your kids and grandkids!

Have those words crossed your lips lately?  Do you find yourself with questions upon questions upon questions?  Take a moment and think about all that is going on.  This might be scary to some of you because that is all that you can think about, but think through this with me for a minute.  Earthquakes in Nevada and regularly around the world; flooding in Michigan; tornados across the southern states; typhoons in the Indian & Pacific Oceans; the invasion of a killer wasp; tropical storm Arthur off the east coast of the US; wildfires continue to break out all around the world; the economy is on the verge of collapse; China talks and trade have broken down; and then there is this little thing called the Covid-19 virus that is all around the world.  What in the world is going on? 

 

A lot is going on!!!  My intention is not to work you up into a frenzy or panic where you are paralyzed and believe that we are all doomed.  I want to encourage you to take a look at a group of people who honestly believed that they were all going to die; no doubt about it.  Imagine the panic that must have been taking place in the lives of the Israelites as they are making their way out of Egypt and heading to the promised land.   Exodus 13:17 tells us that “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter…”  That is not a very promising start, is it?  Let’s take the longer route because we want to stay away from the Philistines.  Is God really God?  Why is it that we are already concerned about the Philistines? This is not a very good start!   Are they not going to be an obstacle in the days ahead?  Why doesn’t God just take them out now?  Verse 18 tells us that God led them by the desert road; another not so good idea, ya think?  God was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night which is a good thing but why the long road and why the desert road? 

 

God does not stop with the stuff that does not make sense.  In chapter 14 He starts the chapter by having Moses tell the Israelites that we are going to turn back.  How do you react when the map or GPS is incorrect and you have to back track?  God has a plan and He gives an explanation to Moses.  Listen to this:  “Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’  And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them.  But I will gain glory for Myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” (14:3-4)  I have a couple of observations here for us to consider.  First, I read where God gives Moses an explanation but I do not see where the Israelites are told of God’s plan.  Perhaps that is because if Moses did tell them they would have broken out into rebellion.  That was the concern in Exodus 13:17 so maybe the same applies here.  Secondly, God says that the Egyptians will know that He is the Lord but He does not mention the Israelites.  We would hope that the Israelites would too, but what takes place next might make you wonder about that.  Maybe the Israelites would need a little more time for that?

 

Pharaoh does exactly what God has planned for him to do and he took 600 of his best chariots along with all of the other chariots in Egypt and their officers and they pursued the Israelites.  The Bible tells us that they pursued them and overtook them as they were camped against the sea with the desert surrounding them.  Do you think they were worried?  Wouldn’t you have been worried too?  You already do.  How can you not worry when your outflow exceeds your income, and the creditors are calling?  How can you not worry when your employer has been forced to close its doors and you are left without a job along with millions of others who are in the same situation?  How can you not worry when your financial portfolio is collapsing?  How can you not worry when your loved one is facing cancer or you are waiting for test results?  How can you not worry when you have a troubled child?  How can you not worry when the safety of the people you love is at stake?  How do we do that?  How do we not worry?  I want to point out something to you from this story that I believe we can apply to whatever situation we might be facing.  The Israelites were in that place with the desert surrounding them, the sea on one side and the Egyptian army charging at them because God put them there.   God was the One who was leading them with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.  God was the One who said to take the longer route.  God was the One who said to take the desert road.  God was the one who told them to back track and then set camp.  Why didn’t they just keep moving?  God was also the One who hardened Pharaoh’s heart.  God has the Israelites right where He wants them and He said “…I will gain glory for myself…”!  Did you catch all of that?  God did it!!!  The unmistakable implication here in this passage is that God took responsibility for leading them into peril when He gave them step-by-step instructions and led them to a spot of apparent ruin.

 

The Lord occasionally does similar things like that to us and for us.  He is testing our faith, leading us into hardship, teaching us wisdom, and showing us His ways.  Our first reaction might be very similar to that of the Israelites where we are panic stricken and wanting to just die.  This story is not just a cool story for us to share with our children on a flannel-graph or picture book.  This is the real deal!  This is our lives at times.  God gave us this story so that He would gain glory when we are faced with something similar.  Remember this:  when you are in a difficult place, realize that God either placed you there or allowed you to be there, for reasons perhaps known only to God Himself for now.  If we do that, if you do that, if you remember that truth, your whole perspective will change the next time you find yourself in that terrifying place, because you realized that God has either placed you there or allowed you to be there.

 

I have some quotes and short sentences that are written in my Bible to remind me of the truths of this passage of Scripture and the character of God.  Maybe one of them might be an encouragement to you in these difficult days.

 

The same God who led you in will also lead you out.

 

“He knows the way He taketh, even if for a moment we do not.”  J.I.Packer

 

God’s will will never take you where His presence will not sustain you

 

To the child of God, there is no such thing as an accident.  He travels an appointed way.

 

If you find yourself in a difficult spot, remember you are there by God’s appointment, in His keeping, under His training, and for His time.

 

Murmuring is an attitude that says God is insufficient in our circumstances.

 

So what is the answer to the question?  What in the world is going on?  As you know, there is all kinds of stuff going on that we have absolutely no control over.  I have to believe that God is at work gaining glory for Himself.  Give Him the glory that He is due.  Praising Him + thanking Him + honoring Him + rejoicing in Him + resting in Him + trusting Him will bring Him GLORY!

GLORIFY GOD!

How many times have you heard that?  Be careful what you ask for.  There are times when we are exasperated and say some pretty silly things.  How many of you, when you were a child, said to your parents “I wish you weren’t my parents!”?  Perhaps something like this has come out of your mouth:  “I wish I never met you!”  Sometimes we ask God to do something that we would never otherwise ask if we were not in a particular state of mind.  We might ask Him why He put me in this place or why He even spared my life.  You do realize that when you ask God a question like that, or anytime you talk to God, you are praying. 

 

Think of some of the things that you might have asked God for.  There was this girl or guy that you dated in high school and you were so positive that this was “the one” for you for the rest of your life so you prayed and asked God to make that reality.  Years later, you run into him or her at a reunion and you find yourself thanking God for not answering that prayer, when in reality,  God did answer that prayer.  He had another plan.  I have heard a song by Garth Brooks that is about unanswered prayer.  It was centered around a story similar to the one that I just mentioned with a guy asking God to give her this special girl for his wife.  He finds himself meeting up with that girl years later with his wife at his side, and he thanks God for that unanswered prayer.  God did answer that prayer and His plan was so much better. 

 

There is a similar story that we find in the Bible in 1Kings 17 where we read the story of Elijah.  The first mention of Elijah is in this chapter and we find him confronting Ahab, the king of Israel. Because of the king’s wickedness God sends him to Ahab to announce that there will be no rain or dew on the land until Elijah says so.  Elijah drops the bomb on the wicked king and then God tells him to go and hide in the Kerith Ravine where he will drink from the brook and God will have the ravens feed him.  Doesn’t that sound like a pretty cool job?  Drop the bomb, go hide, and then wait in a place that was not a five star hotel or resort of any type.  Wouldn’t you think that if you obeyed God and did what He told you to do that the accomodations would’ve been just a little bit nicer?  On top of that, after a short time, the brook dries up.  Why?  Why would God do that?  Was this a surprise to God?  Did it catch God off guard?  Even though all of this happened to Elijah, the presence of God remained and God was faithful to provide for him.  Isn’t it interesting that when the brook dried up, God once again talks to Elijah.  Maybe things are going to get better?  God sends him to a widow that He has prepared for Elijah and when he meets her he discovers that she is almost out of flour, oil and water and is actually getting ready to prepare her last meal for her and her son so that they could then die.  The widow does what the prophet asks because after all, God has already prepared her heart to do so.  Think about that for a minute; you have a young son, you have next to nothing to eat, and this total stranger comes along and tells you to prepare something for him to eat FIRST!  God not only provided for Elijah, He also provided for the widow and her son and the supply did not run out. 

 

We are told in 1Kings 17:17 that the widows son becomes ill and dies.  Again, why would God do that?  She was faithful, she did what she was asked to do; why?  We are told in the following verse that she has an issue with Elijah and questions him.  God uses Elijah to bring the boy back to life  and they both rejoice in the provision of God.  In the following chapter the Word of God comes to Elijah and tells him to go to Ahab, and he does that with the help of Obadiah who was in charge of the kings palace and even though Obadiah was a devout believer he was concerned for his own life.  As a result, Elijah meets the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel where God makes Himself known to everyone by sending the consuming fire from heaven to all who were there including king Ahab.  When all of the people saw this the Bible tells us that they fell to the ground and cried “The Lord-He is God!  The Lord-He is God” and Elijah told them to put all of the prophets to death right then and there and they did.  Elijah went to king Ahab and told him to head back to his palace because there was a great storm coming that could prevent him from making the trip.  God made Elijah wait again as he sent his servant to look for storm clouds six times but there was nothing.  “The seventh time the servant reported, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” (18:44)  Ahab takes off back to the palace and the Bible tells us that “the power of the Lord came upon Elijah and tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.” (18:46)  This is a pretty cool story!  Read it!  Things are awesome and all is good, right? 

 

Elijah is by himself and he receives a message from Ahab’s wife, Jezebel that reads like this:  “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” (19:2 speaking of the prophets of Baal)  Jezebel just had to throw water on the high that Elijah was riding.  She vows to kill him by tomorrow.  Elijah has just witnessed first hand God feeding him twice a day using ravens, the faith of a widow woman, endless flour and oil, the death and resurrection of her son, boldness to go before Ahab, the fire of God falling from heaven, the death of all of the prophets of Baal, the rising of the storm cloud out of the sea at his word, and the ability to run before the chariot of Ahab all the way from Mt Carmel to Jezreel which is believed to be somewhere between 17 and 30 miles.  Think about that!  Elijah has lived a life that had the hand of God all over it and now this:  1Kings 19:3-4 “Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.  When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert.  He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die.  ‘I have had enough Lord’ he said.  ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’”  Think about that!  Elijah has gone from an unbelievable high to the point where he is asking God to kill him in a very short time.  Have you been there?  What happened?  What got you to that point?  What got Elijah to that point? 

 

I’m sure that Elijah was tired.  He just finished running a marathon a couple of days earlier.  He was physically tired.  He was emotionally tired.  Imagine the up’s and down’s as he was on Mt Carmel and saw all that God had done knowing full well that all of the prophets and the king wanted him dead.  He called for rain and his servant had to go six times and come back with a report that there was nothing.  That was stressful I’m sure.  I would like to think that the answer can be found in his prayer to God when he says “I am no better than my ancestors.”  For whatever reason, Elijah thought that this might be about him.  What God was doing through Elijah was not based on what Elijah brought to the table.  I think that Elijah might have been thinking that.  He said “I have had enough.”  It was not about Elijah!  Isn’t it interesting that the apostle Paul reminds us that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. (2Cor 12:9).

 

Elijah wanted to die and even asked God to kill him.  Aren’t you glad that God does not give us what we ask for?  Take a look with me at how God ultimately answered this prayer.  2Kings 2 tells us that Elijah was walking along with Elisha at his side and they were talking when “…suddenly a chariot of fire and horses appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.”  Hmmmm.  What do you think?  Dying under a broom tree in the middle of the desert or being taken up into heaven by a chariot of fire?  That was a far cry from what Elijah asked for.  He wanted to die and he ended up not seeing death.  Why do we always think that we know what is best?  Why do we think that God needs our help in directing our lives?  Why is it that we forget what He has already done for us?  We all do it!  Just look at the way that we pray.  We might say not my will but Your will be done, but do we really mean it?  May God help us to look back on the landscapes of our lives and see His hand at work and then thank Him.  That would be the best way to start your prayer; thank Him.  And then, Be careful what you ask for!

On Friday at noon I had the opportunity to sit in on an on-line round table discussion about pastoring in the pandemic.  There were pastors from six different churches around the country and from various sizes of churches.  Some of them had large staffs with large congregations, others with smaller staffs, and one with no staff.  As they began to talk it became obvious to me that they all had one thing in common; the responsibility of caring for the flock without being able to gather the sheep.  Our times together are hopefully profitable to the sheep, but they are also extremely profitable for the pastor too.  Pastors have the God given responsibility to care for the people that God has entrusted to their care, and if that responsibility is taken with the seriousness that is intended, the inability to be able to meet together can be very challenging to a pastor.  I am grateful for flock that God has given to me, but I am also extremely thankful for the covenant that we as a church have made to care for one another.  The church must continue to be the church.  How can the church do that when they cannot do the very thing that makes them the local church in the first place, and that is to assemble? 

 

I want to draw your attention to our church covenant that you have committed to if you are a member of NWBC.  It gives us a clear directive as to how we as a congregation are to operate in times like this.  We have covenanted together to do several things for the good of each other and the glory of God.  There is no better time for us to live this out in its fullness than now, so take a new look at what you have committed to do.

 

Having been led, as we believe by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, we do now in the presence of God and this church most solemnly and joyfully enter into the Covenant with one another as one body in Christ.  We engage therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit:

 

These Biblical obligations reflect my commitment as a member of NWBC. Should I fall into a pattern of neglect regarding this covenant, I expect to, and will receive corrective discipline from my fellow members for the sake of restoration and the name of Jesus. (Matthew 18:15-18)

 

Membership does not involve an expectation to live perfectly. Rather, it is a commitment to worship and minister together in a body of believers where members covenant together to hold each other accountable and to encourage one another to pursue obedience to what Scripture teaches.

You have just read our church covenant.  Do you remember that?  I think that it is good for us to once again consider what exactly it is that we have committed to do.

 

First of all, the Covenant defines and outlines my commitment to others.  Even though we cannot meet together because of the pandemic, it does not mean that we are no longer obligated to each other.  We are still called to be the hands or feet to the body.  How do we do that?  You have covenanted to pray for one another.  That means everyone.  Do you pray for each other?  Not just your friends and family, but everyone with whom you have made a covenant.  Take the prayer list that is sent to you twice a week and pray over the people on it.  Take the directory and scroll through and and pray for each other.  Look around the auditorium at where everyone sits (if you can remember) and pray for the faces that you see.  Especially at this time, during this pandemic we need to pray for one another.  There are some who are alone and see no one.  Maybe you cannot see them, but you can drop them a note or make a phone call.  Some people need to be encouraged.  Some people are on the verge of depression.  You covenanted to come alongside of them and help them carry their individual burdens. 

 

Secondly, the Covenant assures me of others’ commitment to me.  I do not only need to be reminded of my commitment to others but I also need to be reminded of their commitment to me.  You are not the Lone Ranger.  God did not intend you to operate and live life that way.  God designed everyone of us in His likeness and image and God desired to have communion with man.  You are not alone.  Sure, you might be isolated, but you are not alone.  There are so many ways to be able to communicate with others today.  Are you interested?  Do not deprive someone else the opportunity of being able to fulfill their covenant to you and the privilege to use their spiritual gift.  If you are struggling in this pandemic, our church covenant gives you the freedom to call on other members to come to your side and encourage you with the Word of God.  Don’t ever forget that you bound yourself to others and they bound themselves to you.

 

Thirdly, if we live out our commitment as outlined in the Covenant, God will be glorified.  Is that not what we are to be about?  Remember that people are watching and what they see ought to point them to Jesus.  The Bible tells us that the world will know that we are the disciples of Jesus by the way that we love one another.  What better place to put that on display than in the local church.  I know that our ladies are meeting on Thursday nights for fellowship and a brief study to encourage one another.  What a perfect opportunity for them to invite a friend or neighbor to join the Zoom meeting and observe.  What a perfect time to reach out to that neighbor that you have never really talked to.  Keep your 6’ distance, but at least say “hi”.  Ask them how they are dealing with all that is happening.  You never know how God might use what you do for their good and His glory.  Give it a try.

Take your covenant seriously!

A few days ago I read a devotional that was centered around the passage of Scripture found in Matthew 14.  Jesus has just finished feeding 5000 men plus the women and children with only five loaves of bread and two fish.  His disciples were amazed as they each gathered up a basket full after every person there ate and was satisfied.  One basket for each one of them to hold, carry, look at and think about what had just happened.  The Bible tells us that immediately afterward He sent the disciples off in the boat onto the Sea of Galilee while He dismissed the crowd and then went up on the mountainside to pray.  At evening time, the disciples found themselves a good ways from shore and in the middle of an unexpected storm.  Unexpected by the disciples but not Jesus, because remember that Jesus controls the storms as we read in Matthew 8:26-27.  If you think through both of those passages, Jesus sent His disciples into the storm.  Why would He do something like that?  Matthew 14:22 tells us that “Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side…”  If Jesus made them go and if Jesus controls the wind and the waves, then Jesus must be up to something here in Matthew 14.

 

When the disciples see someone coming to them walking on the water we are told in v.26 that “…they were terrified…” and that they cried out in fear and screamed “It’s a ghost”.  What were they expecting?  It is obvious that they were NOT expecting Jesus.  Not in this way and not at this time.  Why is that?  I don’t really know, but what I do know is that we are not a whole lot different today.  We expect Him at Christmas when we are singing all of the Christmas songs.  We expect Him to come when we wake up on Easter Sunday morning and celebrate His resurrection and sing the amazing hymns of the season.  We expect Him to meet us in our prayer meetings.  We expect Him to meet with us in our times of devotion and Bible reading.  Quite honestly all of that is good and we might very well experience Him at those special times.  But, in the middle of the storm?  Really?  We expect to find Jesus in morning devotionals and meditations, but we never expect to see him in a divorce or a foreclosure. We do not expect to see Him in sickness, unexpected illness, or even death.  We never expect to see him in a storm.  We don’t even look for Him in a storm, and yet it is in the storm that He can be seen more clearly than ever.  It is in the storm that God should have our keenest attention because we are many times desperate, and yet we do not expect Him to show Himself.  He remains faithful even when we are not. 

 

The passage goes on to say in v.27 that “Jesus immediately said to them:  Take courage!  It is I.  Don’t be afraid.”   Jesus says I am here.  I am the One who controls the wind and the waves and I am here.  I am the One who is very much aware of what you need and I am here.  Jesus sent them into the storm and Jesus also went into the storm to be with them. 

 

Maybe it is not a storm that you find yourself in.  Maybe like Joshua, you are about to embark on a whole new world with a whole new mission and a whole new method.  Joshua knew that the people of Israel were still heading to the promised land because that has been the mission all along in spite of 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.  God comes to Joshua and reinforces the promise that He had made to Moses.  After all, Joshua is one of two people who have been waiting for this and hearing the promises about it for 40 years.  He has had to wait and “be still and know that He is God…”  God gets straight to the point with Joshua when He says:  “Moses my servant is dead.  Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River…” (Joshua 1:2).    Joshua, you and all of these people, the same people who are the children of those who complained and grumbled, are going to once again cross a body of water and enter into the land of promise.  Moses will not be here this time; it’s just you and Me, so get ready.  That was a pretty significant job change.  He is now the boss, the leader, the family patriarch, the man in charge, and it all falls on him.  Been there, done that?  It’s scary.  Even though you have watched it being done for years, it now falls to you.  Maybe it is a new job that includes significant change.  Maybe you had a father around and would always go to him to just talk.  You know what to do, but it sure is nice to have the affirmation of dad, and now dad is gone.  What do we do?  What was Joshua to do?  God gave him an answer:  “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you.  Be strong and courageous…” (Joshua 1:5-6).  That is a pretty good place to be! 

 

Most all of you know about our daughter who lives in Brooklyn NYC and how she is 28 weeks pregnant and has gotten the Covid-19 virus.  She has had to spend some time in the hospital because she has been pretty sick.  The last place that most all of us would want to be is in a NYC hospital in the midst of this pandemic.  Robbi and I have come to realize that there is no better place for her to be than in that hospital firmly held in the hands of God.  Not easy for us as parents!  We want to go to help, but honestly is there something more that we can do than what God is already doing for her?  Can we even come close?

 

These are crazy times for all of us.  This is a whole new lifestyle that we are having to live.  Masks, Clorox Wipes, hand sanitizer, hand soap, social distancing, no more handshakes, no more hugs, not being able to hold your grandchildren, staying at home, and it goes on and on and on.  Some of you have taken more showers in a day than you previously took in a week because we are doing whatever we can to avoid something that we cannot see.  What is it that you are looking for?  Sadly, I think that what most people are not looking for, including Christians, is to see Jesus walking on the water, above the storms, above the pandemic, above the mess, and saying:  “Take courage.  It is I.  Do not be afraid.”  The same Jesus that walked on the water is the Jesus who reigns over and above this pandemic.  The very same One!!!   Take courage!  It is Him!  Do not be afraid! 

 

I want to encourage you with a couple of passages of Scripture.  When you have time, take your Bible and read all of the passages that I have referred to earlier and I also want to encourage you to take some time to read Isaiah 45.  Look at what it says in vv. 6-7 “…I am the Lord and there is no other.  I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I the Lord, do all these things.”  Did you hear that?  He creates light, but He also creates darkness.  We like the light, but the darkness can be scary.  He brings prosperity and we like that.  People have built enormous ministries based on that, but the passage goes on to say that He creates disaster too.  Prosperity is good but disaster is bad.  God creates them all and the cool thing about it is that everything He creates, He does so to bring glory to Himself.  He has a reason and purpose for everything!  EVERYTHING!!  EVERYTHING!!!  Look for the hand of God in everything!

 

When you face these storms of life, Take courage!  It is Him!  Do not be afraid! 

Have you ever thought about what it must have been like to be Jesus’ mother?  More than likely, she never had to spank Him because He never did anything wrong.  What’s worse is as His mother, He was always right.  There was probably never an argument, but if there was, mom was never right.  Worse yet was being his brother and always being compared to Jesus.  Jesus got all A’s in school and His brothers struggled.  Homework was never work for Jesus because He wrote the book and you had to study for everything.  Imagine what that must have been like. 

 

Well today is Mother’s Day and first of all I want to wish all of you mothers a Happy Mother’s Day.  Some of you might not be a mother but every one of you has a mother, so regardless, this is a day that everyone can celebrate in one way or another.  I was looking in Scripture to see if I could find how Jesus might have celebrated Mother’s Day.  The Bible only gives us three passages where we read of Jesus having a conversation with His mother, so I decided to see what we could glean from that.

 

The first passage is found in Luke 2:41-52  where Joseph, Mary, Jesus, and possibly His siblings are making the trip to Jerusalem as they did every year to celebrate the Passover.  Jesus was 12 years old at the time and He more than likely was able to participate in all of the events of that celebration.  It was not uncommon for the family to make that journey with other families and for the kids to intermingle with each other during the trip.  The celebration was over and Joseph and Mary are making their way back home thinking that Jesus was with them.  They have traveled for a day when they realize that Jesus is not with them.  Can you imagine the panic?  Have you been there?  We have.  Robbi and I after church each Sunday would take our five children and meet up with friends who had six children who were all similar in age at a restaurant and have lunch together.  Often times some of our kids would ride with them and some of their kids would ride with us.  One particular Sunday we were all seated at the restaurant when we realized that one of our kids was missing.  Ashton, our NYC daughter, loved to visit with other kids and she also loved to play the piano and we realized that she was probably left at the church.  It was not the next day, however when we returned to the church no one was there and there was a note on the door that said “We have your daughter.”  Another family had taken her home with them and you can imagine the embarrassment when we pulled up to their house to get Ashton.  I allowed Robbi the privilege to go to their door to ask for our daughter (Haha).  It happens and it even happened to Jesus’ mom.  A 12 year old missing in action.

 

Mary and Joseph begin to look for Jesus among friends and relatives but could not find Him.  They make there way back to Jerusalem and after three days they find Him.  Can you imagine the horror?  There is Jesus sitting in the temple courts among the teachers listening to them and asking questions.  When His parents saw Him they were astonished and Mary said to Him:  “Son, why have You treated us like this?  Your father and I have been anxiously searching for You.”  Imagine what they must have been feeling.  Anger and relief at the same time.  Then Jesus answers her with this:   “Why were you searching for Me?…Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”  As a mom, how would you respond to an answer like that from your 12 year-old child?  Jesus tells her My Father has Me on assignment and that is what I am doing.  What did Joseph think?  The priority of Jesus is to be about His Father’s business in the matter of salvation.  The Bible tells us that they did not understand what He was saying to them.  It goes on to tell us that Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.  Jesus’ mother pondered all these things in her heart and we hear nothing more of that occasion.  This is the second time that we read of Mary pondering and treasuring things in her heart about her little boy.  What was she thinking here?  What was she thinking in Luke 2:19 after being visited by the shepherds after Jesus’ birth?  We don’t know.  We read nothing more about Jesus from the time He is 12 years old until His early 30’s. 

 

The next time that we read of Jesus having a conversation with His mother is found in John 2 at the wedding feast in Cana.  The wine runs out and Mary goes to Jesus and says: “They have no more wine.”  Why did she go to Jesus?  Why not Joseph?  Why was it Mary’s concern?  She turns to Jesus; Why?  Could it be that she wanted Him to show Himself as God?  Doubtful.  Could it be that she wanted Him to do a miracle?  No, because there were no miracles yet.  Why then?  We don’t know, but look at Jesus’ response:  “Dear woman, why do you involve Me? …My time has not yet come.”  WOW!!!  Is that any way to talk to your mother?  Why “woman” and not “Mom”?  It almost sounds disrespectful.  I have to believe that Jesus is beginning to make space between “mom” and “woman” because of His purpose.  She birthed Him, she taught Him, but now the distance.  She is His mother and He is her Son, but He is about His Father’s business.  There is no inside track here for Mary.  If you look back at Luke 2:47 “…My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” you see that Mary, in her magnificat, when filled with the Spirit speaks of the baby in her womb as her Savior.  The last recorded words of Mary in the Gospels is found in John 2:5 when she says to the servants:  “Do whatever He tells you.”  Mary must now do the same.

 

Our next conversation between Jesus and His mother is found in one of the most touching scenes in history.  This is a one way conversation where Mary says nothing but Jesus is talking straight to her.  John 19:23-27 tells us that Jesus has been crucified between two criminals and as He hangs there we read vv.25 “Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother…”.  What was Mary thinking?  Maybe something like it is not right that my child should die before me.  Some of you have been there.  Her boy is hanging on the cross after having been severely beaten and flogged with His mom and others including John standing there and He turns to His mother and says “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to John He says “Here is your mother.”  Jesus is asking John to take care of His mother and not Mary to take care of John.  This does not provide for a continuing role for Mary.  The Roman Catholic church promotes an ongoing role for Mary but Jesus shows her as a woman in need.  Once again He calls her “woman” showing that she cannot presume on her maternal position.  She is a “woman” in need of a Savior.

 

I want to now take you to a passage where there is no conversation but it does involve Jesus and His mother.  In Mark 3:31-35 we find Jesus teaching when someone sent by Jesus’ mother and brothers comes to Him and tells Him that they are waiting outside and are looking for Him.  Jesus’ response could take you back when you read Him say:  “Who are My mother and My brothers?”  (v.33)  The passage goes on to tell us that Jesus looks at those seated around Him and says:  “Here are My mother and My brothers!  Whoever does God’s will is My brother and sister and mother.”  Jesus is saying here is my family.  Everyone who does the will of My Father is My family. 

 

If you look back to Mark 3:21 it indicates that His mother and brothers did not know who He really was.  People are gathering around Jesus and His disciples so much so that they were not  even able to eat.  They want to protect Him and decide that they are going to take charge of Him because “He is out of His mind.”  They have decided that Jesus is not right.  There is something wrong with Him and they are going to intervene.  Is that not what has happened to some of you?  You become a Christian and you make the decision to follow Jesus and be baptized and people begin to think that you are nuts or out of your mind.  You are asked questions like “Why isn’t the way you were raised good enough?”  “Who do you think you are that makes you so special?”  Your duty, my duty, our duty to God takes precedence over everything else!  Family loyalty takes 2nd place to to your relationship to God.  Think about that.  Every day we say things like “there is nothing more important than family” and I know what you mean.  Family is good.  Most families bring joy and happiness and we tend to believe that there is nothing better.  Let me ask you this:  Do you belong to the family of God?  Is my relationship to Jesus institutional or supernatural?  Does God really take precedence?  Really? 

 

I want to leave you with a passage that might confuse you and maybe even disturb you a little bit, and that is not my intention at all.  I want you to spend some time to think about what Jesus is saying here in Matthew 10:34-37 in light of all that we have already talked about.  “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.  For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’  “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”   Jesus is serious about being about His Father’s business.  We are all in need of the Savior, and that included Jesus’ mother and brothers.  Their position in the family of God was more important than them being His mother and brother.

 

I wonder what Jesus would have thought about Mother’s Day?  As much as He loved His mother, and I have no doubt that He did, His priority was His Heavenly Father’s business, and that was to point His mother to her need of the Savior.

 

Happy Mother’s Day!  Call your momma if you can and tell her about what God has done for you.

 

We miss all of you and cannot wait to be together again soon!

Jerry & Robbi