A FATHERS INFLUENCE PARTICULARLY ON SONS

A quick review of Israel’s development:

o   Slaves in Egypt

o   Delivered by Moses

o   Conquered Canaan with Joshua

o   Ruled by judges for at least 200 years

o   Period of the kings: Saul, David, Solomon

o   The kingdom divided into Israel (north) and Judah (south)

Faithful to God’s prediction, Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, became the king of Israel; however, eleven tribes rejected him and walked away.  They chose Jeroboam to be their king and Rehoboam continued to rule over just the tribe of Judah.

When reading through this period there is a troubling, recurring phrase. The following is in regards to Abijah, the son of Rehoboam.

“He continued to sin just like his father before him.”  [I Kings 15:3]

Now, Abijah had free will! His father had died and he became king. But, his father’s influence had been so strong – so influential – that Abijah simply followed in his father’s footsteps!  Unfortunately, Jeroboam’s example was a bad one!

The above verse end by lamenting:

“He [Rehoboam] was not true-hearted to GOD as his great grandfather David had been.”

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You may have seen pictures or scenes of a little boy trying to keep pace with his father’s footsteps or clomping about in his father’s shoes.

If a father is available, there is a natural alignment with the son because of the shared sexual identity.  Typically, this will continue into the young teen years.

I’ve spoken many times of the phenomenon that often takes place around puberty when a child begins to turn to the opposite-sex parent [if available].  I’ve assumed this to be a God-designed transition with the purpose of allowing the opposite-sex parent the opportunity to guide the child through the process of understanding and relating to the opposite sex.

If this is an accurate portrayal, then one can only imagine the impact that can result from having a father who:

§  Is largely absent [or simply not there due to divorce, death or other reasons]

§  Tends to think that parenting is part of the mother’s role

§  Is hyper-focused on career, hobbies and personal pursuits

§  Is angry, disconnected, distant and distracted

Much of the disfunction we see in American culture could very well be linked or explained by these realities.

God intended for children to be raised in a home with a mother and a father. Their roles are variant but essential! Their dual-engagement with children is vital!

We must remember that the image of God is reflected in both the male and the female:

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 

[Genesis 1:26-28  NASB]

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The example the father sets for his children is powerful and formative! If this role is magnified it can be massively influential. However, if it is ignored or abused, it can be gravely impactful in negative ways.

Counselors can help to rectify some of the damage done by an absent or distracted father, but the haunting longing for what should-have-been will travel with those children throughout their lives. Only God – the Heavenly Father – can bring total healing to those wounded hearts!

Heavenly Father:

We value the intimacy You imply by making Yourself known to us through this familiar term!

You created us!

You offer us redemption!

You love us persistently!

You give us gifts!

You know the number of the hairs on our heads.

You long for us to follow and honor You!

Bless and challenge the men who read this blog!

Help us to step up to the challenge of being godly men!

Lead us.

Guide us.

Use us.

Grow us into Your image!

 

Enable us to be difference-makers in our home and culture!

For Your Kingdom’s sake.

Amen!

CONSEQUENCES OF OUR SIN

^{[All quotes are from The Message Bible unless otherwise noted.]}

^{I Kings 11:1-5} King Solomon was obsessed with women. Pharaoh’s daughter was only the first of the many foreign women he loved—Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite. He took them from the surrounding pagan nations of which God had clearly warned Israel, “You must not marry them; they’ll seduce you into infatuations with their gods.” Solomon fell in love with them anyway, refusing to give them up. He had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines—a thousand women in all! And they did seduce him away from God. As Solomon grew older, his wives beguiled him with their alien gods and he became unfaithful—he didn’t stay true to his God as his father David had done. Solomon took up with Ashtoreth, the whore goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the horrible god of the Ammonites.

 

^6-8 Solomon openly defied God; he did not follow in his father David’s footsteps. He went on to build a sacred shrine to Chemosh, the horrible god of Moab, and to Molech, the horrible god of the Ammonites, on a hill just east of Jerusalem. He built similar shrines for all his foreign wives, who then polluted the countryside with the smoke and stench of their sacrifices.

 

^9-10 God was furious with Solomon for abandoning the God of Israel, the God who had twice appeared to him and had so clearly commanded him not to fool around with other gods. Solomon faithlessly disobeyed God’s orders.

 

^11-13 God said to Solomon, “Since this is the way it is with you, that you have no intention of keeping faith with me and doing what I have commanded, I’m going to rip the kingdom from you and hand it over to someone else. But out of respect for your father David I won’t do it in your lifetime. It’s your son who will pay—I’ll rip it right out of his grasp. Even then I won’t take it all; I’ll leave him one tribe in honor of my servant David and out of respect for my chosen city Jerusalem.”

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Clearly, Solomon disregarded God and chose the pleasures of sinful behavior instead. He put his love for women above his love for God! He willfully disobeyed and disregarded the God of his father, David!

AND THERE WERE CONSEQUENCES!  The nation of Israel would be divided as a direct result of Solomon’s sinful behavior! Yet, out of respect for David, God promised that Solomon’s heir would retain control over one of the twelve tribes. 

This was God’s declaration, and the following chapters give the details of these promised results. 

Let’s be clear: God is willing to forgive sin! He is not willing that any should perish! [II Peter 3:9]

However, we must often deal with the consequences of our sin!

This fact has been evident from the very beginning!

When Eve and Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, God cast them out of the Garden – never to be allowed to return!

Now we can assume that forgiveness was an option, although we have no record of them ever pursuing it. But it is clear that the consequences of their sin were real and had a dynamic impact on the rest of their lives!

^{Genesis 3:22} …God expelled them from the Garden of Eden and sent them to work the ground, the same dirt out of which they’d been made. He threw them out of the garden and stationed angel-cherubim and a revolving sword of fire east of it, guarding the path to the Tree-of-Life.

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There are plenty of other examples of Biblical characters who had to suffer the consequences of their sin.

§  Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land because of his anger with the Israelites.

§  Samson’s remarkable, God-enabled strength allowed him to do incredible things, but his love for foreign women was his downfall and eventually brought about his premature death.

§  The children of Israel were chronic rebels and God eventually allowed them to be captured and carried away by the Assyrians and the Babylonians.

§  Peter denied knowing Jesus three times in a short period of time on the night of Jesus’ trial. Although forgiven, imagine the reaction Peter had for the rest of his life when he heard a rooster crow!

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However, even though we may frequently suffer the consequences of our sin, God has promised us resources to assist us with the friction that these consequences create.

Consider Hebrews 4:14-16 [NASB]

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Never underestimate the power of God’s mercy and grace!

Jesus was tempted just as we are! He understands the power of our opposition! And He does not leave us without resources!

RECEIVING MERCY

The Hebrew word for mercy, chesed, signifies lovingkindness and covenant loyalty. God’s mercy is not earned; it is freely given out of His lovingkindness, even when people are unworthy or faithless.

RECEIVING GRACE

God’s grace is fundamentally His benevolence, love, and mercy extended to people who do not deserve it [that's us!]. It is not earned by human effort or good works but is a free gift from God, reflecting His loving character and generosity (Ephesians 2:8-9).

NOW – the above verse from Hebrews tells us that “…we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.”

As a result of this,…let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

SUMMARY

Even when we have sinned and are dealing with the consequences of our sin, we can still have hope because of the immeasurable goodness of a God who sympathizes with our weakness and – in spite of our sinful thoughts, words, actions – stands ready to offer us His lovingkindness [mercy] and patience [grace] to enable us to recover and restore His kingship in our lives! 

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Thanks be to God for His lovingkindness and faithfulness in rescuing us from the powerful influence of sin in our lives!

 

God sees us!

God understands our weakness!

God forgives us!

God restores us!

 

AND,

God offers us mercy and grace as we deal with the consequences of the dreadful impact of our sinfulness!

 

MAY GOD’S NAME BE FOREVER PRAISED!

AMEN!

COMPROMISE

Before King David died, he made certain that Solomon was appointed as king in his place!

Solomon, at that point, was fully dedicated to the Lord God! He fulfilled the wishes of his father, David, and established his kingdom with the full acceptance of the people of Judah [southern kingdom, 2 tribes] and Israel [northern kingdom, 10 tribes – eventually known as Samaria].

Early in his rule, God gave him a dream in which He said: “What can I give you? Ask.”

Solomon’s response to God in this dream was beautiful:  I Kings 3:6-9 TM 

[All scripture quotes from The Message Bible unless otherwise noted]

“You were extravagantly generous in love with David my father, and he lived faithfully in your presence, his relationships were just and his heart right. And you have persisted in this great and generous love by giving him—and this very day!—a son to sit on his throne.

 

“And now here I am: God, my God, you have made me, your servant, ruler of the kingdom in place of David my father. I’m too young for this, a mere child! I don’t know the ropes, hardly know the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of this job. And here I am, set down in the middle of the people you’ve chosen, a great people—far too many to ever count.

 

“Here’s what I want: Give me a God-listening heart so I can lead your people well, discerning the difference between good and evil. For who on their own is capable of leading your glorious people?”

God’s response was one of great pleasure:  [vs.10-14]

God, the Master, was delighted with Solomon’s response. And God said to him,

 

“Because you have asked for this and haven’t grasped after a long life, or riches, or the doom of your enemies, but you have asked for the ability to lead and govern well, I’ll give you what you’ve asked for—I’m giving you a wise and mature heart. There’s never been one like you before; and there’ll be no one after. As a bonus, I’m giving you both the wealth and glory you didn’t ask for—there’s not a king anywhere who will come up to your mark. And if you stay on course, keeping your eye on the life-map and the God-signs as your father David did, I’ll also give you a long life.”

 At the end of chapter four, Solomon’s wisdom is described in remarkable terms:  [vs.10-14]

God gave Solomon wisdom—the deepest of understanding and the largest of hearts. There was nothing beyond him, nothing he couldn’t handle. Solomon’s wisdom outclassed the vaunted wisdom of wise men of the East, outshone the famous wisdom of Egypt. He was wiser than anyone—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, wiser than Heman, wiser than Calcol and Darda the sons of Mahol. He became famous among all the surrounding nations. He created 3,000 proverbs; his songs added up to 1,005. He knew all about plants, from the huge cedar that grows in Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows in the cracks of a wall. He understood everything about animals and birds, reptiles and fish. Sent by kings from all over the earth who had heard of his reputation, people came from far and near to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.

All of this causes us to be quite impressed with this young leader!  But as I was reading through these passages this morning I noticed a verse that indicates a chink in Solomon’s character. 

Solomon loved God and continued to live in the God-honoring ways of David his father, except that he also worshiped at the local shrines, offering sacrifices and burning incense.  [3:3]

It’s a minor observation – hardly worth mentioning, right?

It may be an indication that Solomon was a people-pleaser. He didn’t want to offend any of the groups who believed in these shrines; so he participated in their worship, even to the extent of offering sacrifices and burning incense.

We’re immediately reminded of the first two commandments:  [Deuteronomy 5:7-9]

No other gods, only me.

 

No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am God, your God, and I’m a most jealous God.

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King Solomon began building the Temple in the fourth year of his reign and completed it in his eleventh year.  At that point, the [unknown] author of Kings made an astute observation about Solomon:  [I Kings 11:1-8]

King Solomon was obsessed with women. Pharaoh’s daughter was only the first of the many foreign women he loved—Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite. He took them from the surrounding pagan nations of which God had clearly warned Israel,

 

“You must not marry them; they’ll seduce you into infatuations with their gods.” Solomon fell in love with them anyway, refusing to give them up. He had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines—a thousand women in all! And they did seduce him away from God. As Solomon grew older, his wives beguiled him with their alien gods and he became unfaithful—he didn’t stay true to his God as his father David had done. Solomon took up with Ashtoreth, the whore goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the horrible god of the Ammonites.

 

Solomon openly defied God; he did not follow in his father David’s footsteps. He went on to build a sacred shrine to Chemosh, the horrible god of Moab, and to Molech, the horrible god of the Ammonites, on a hill just east of Jerusalem. He built similar shrines for all his foreign wives, who then polluted the countryside with the smoke and stench of their sacrifices.

 

Obviously, God saw all that Solomon had done and reacted:  [I Kings 11:9-13]

God was furious with Solomon for abandoning the God of Israel, the God who had twice appeared to him and had so clearly commanded him not to fool around with other gods. Solomon faithlessly disobeyed God’s orders.

 

God said to Solomon, “Since this is the way it is with you, that you have no intention of keeping faith with me and doing what I have commanded, I’m going to rip the kingdom from you and hand it over to someone else. But out of respect for your father David I won’t do it in your lifetime. It’s your son who will pay—I’ll rip it right out of his grasp. Even then I won’t take it all; I’ll leave him one tribe in honor of my servant David and out of respect for my chosen city Jerusalem.”

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COMPROMISE IS OUR ENEMY!

In the very beginning, Solomon harbored a small space for compromise. It grew and multiplied until it replaced his deep devotion to God!

We’re all susceptible to this kind of undermining! We weaken the foundations of our love for God and devotion to His ways by holding on to certain practices or beliefs. At first, they don’t seem so bad. It may be ‘just our little secret’.  But, over time, they grow and begin to take on greater power and influence in our lives.

The end result can be tragic – THE LOSS OF OUR FAITH AND THE DISCREDITING OF OUR WITNESS!

Compromise has no place in a Christian’s life! Our dedication to God and His ways must be absolute! God will only accept first place in our lives! He must be on the throne!

If compromise has been part of your life, you are not deceiving God! He knows!

We must confess these secret desires or practices and terminate them!

We must daily declare our loyalty to God by devoting ourselves fully to His ways! 

Perhaps without realizing it, this wise man – Solomon – passed on devastating circumstances to his heirs.  The degeneration of his faith precipitated the utter failure and godlessness of the next generation! We must be diligent to pass on faithfulness, integrity and devotion to our follow-up generations!  Their destiny depends on our consistency!

IS YOUR NEW LIFE EVIDENT?

Debbie and I live on a wooded hillside overlooking two ponds. Our home is surrounded by trees of many kinds, but mostly pines. It is a constant job picking up branches and raking pine cones and needles! But the upside is that I feel like I wake up every morning in the Appalachian Mountains! We love it – in spite of the constant yard work!

Every spring I notice the new growth on our pines. It’s a sprig of light green at the end of every branch! It starts out about a half-inch long and then gradually grows with the spring to become an extension of the branch for the new year! The bright, light green stands in contrast to the darker green of the rest of the tree! The new life is clearly evident - even on our oldest pines which are my age!  

 

This has recently caused me to wonder about my own life. Having reached the mid-70’s, is there still new growth evident in my life? After meditating on this for several weeks, I’ve concluded that with us, it may be a matter of choice.

I suppose there are a number of options we can choose as we age. When/if we step out of the workforce, we may cease to grow in knowledge and experience. It is common to feel ‘put-out-to-pasture’ for retirees. The drive to continue learning and giving can diminish.

I can speak to a tendency to withdraw and isolate – made even stronger when handicaps such as mobility, health, hearing or vision challenges persist. But still – the choice remains.

If we ask the question: ‘Does God initiate new growth in our lives with every new year?’ – the answer likely varies.

My bias is that He does!

However, we must accept and respond to the growth opportunities that He provides and initiates!

Allow me to illustrate:

When I was a young pastor, I tried to be faithful to visit my elderly parishioners – especially shut-ins.

 

I had vowed to take good care of this group because my own grandmother had been ignored by the church as she grew older and unable to attend regularly! She purchased a wooden communion cup holder from Rex Humbard Ministries. When he served Holy Communion on television, she prepared her own communion and took it with him!

 

I didn’t want my older members to be forgotten!

 

But visiting them was sometimes hard. Many had lived hard lives with many disappointments. They were tired and overcome with physical challenges and sorrows. They were discouraged, alone and forgotten.

 

So many times, I heard the comment: “Pastor, I don’t know why the Lord doesn’t just take me home?”

 

Being young and filled with hope and expectation, these were hard words to hear. Repeatedly, I expressed my opinion to them with a simple statement that I believed to be true: “If the Lord wanted you to be home with Him – He’d have taken you! Since He’s left you here, it must mean that He still has work for you to do.”  And then I'd encourage them to look around to see what they could do to serve Him.

 

I meant it as a challenge, of course, but I don’t recall that it ever made a difference in the lives of my older members.

Life has a way of rounding out our experiences. Now, I’m that older person! My hearing capacity is about 25% what it was when I was the young pastor! This makes social settings confusing and stressful for me! I admit that I often simply choose to avoid these uncomfortable situations.

My comfort place is my study. I pray,  read, write and send out notes from that space. I occasionally am asked to speak at a few select churches. I enjoy these opportunities, but my anxiety level escalates significantly as a result. 

So, all of this contemplation leaves me with the initial question: “Is there indication of new life evident in Hal Haire?”

It’s a personal question, I realize that. I know what I want the answer to be. After years of recruiting, training and deploying leaders, I want the answer to be a hearty ‘YES!” And I’d like that new growth to be evident to others – just as the new growth on our pine trees is so clearly evident!

I want to keep growing and learning. I want to stay in the mainstream. I have a desire to stay relevant and engaged. I want to be an available resource to my God! I want to remain deployable!  I’ve never charmed to the thought of being predictable!  I’ve been a catalyst throughout the years of my active ministry; I want to maintain that role throughout my life!

So, today, I’m waiting before the Lord of my life inviting Him to show me the new things He is calling me to. What new knowledge does He want to initiate? What fresh direction does He desire me to move into? What new arena might I become involved with that would allow me to increase His influence?

I hope that whenever you look my way, some of that bright new green will always be reflected! And I pray this to be true for you, as well!

GENERATIONAL DISTANCING FROM GOD!

It’s not an exciting title, but perhaps it created enough curiosity to get you to open this blog?

[All scripture references will be from The Message Bible unless otherwise noted.]

Now the biblical book of Judges is not one that is frequently turned to or highlighted. It tells of the period of time from the death of Joshua until the rise of the line of kings in Israel and Judah [approximately 1380 – 1015 B.C. – therefore, about 365 years]. Samuel was the final judge of Israel and it was he who anointed both Saul and David as kings of Israel.

Our Bibles make an astute observation in Judges 3 that is frequently overlooked. With the death of Joshua and the relatively complete conquering of the former inhabitants of Canaan – the Promised Land – the Holy Spirit seems to want us to know something specific about the new breed of the children of Israel. [Or perhaps we should call them the children of the children of the children of Israel?]

Read it for yourself – see if it doesn’t remind you of our current plight. [Judges 2:11-16]

The People of Israel [who had no direct memory of Moses or Joshua] did evil in God’s sight: they served Baal-gods; they deserted God, the God of their parents who had led them out of Egypt; they took up with other gods, gods of the peoples around them. They actually worshiped them! And oh, how they angered God as they worshiped god Baal and goddess Astarte! God’s anger was hot against Israel: He handed them off to plunderers who stripped them; he sold them cheap to enemies on all sides. They were helpless before their enemies. Every time they walked out the door God was with them—but for evil, just as God had said, just as he had sworn he would do. They were in a bad way.

 

But then God raised up judges who saved them from their plunderers. But they wouldn’t listen to their judges;…

 

THE FIRST GENERATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL

Numbers 14:22-23

God said, “I forgive them, honoring your words. But as I live and as the Glory of God fills the whole Earth—not a single person of those who saw my Glory, saw the miracle signs I did in Egypt and the wilderness, and who have tested me over and over and over again, turning a deaf ear to me—not one of them will set eyes on the land I so solemnly promised to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with such repeated contempt will see it.

Consequently, this first generation was sent back into the wilderness to wander around meaninglessly until every last one of them died except for Moses, Joshua and Caleb.

[v.25] …for right now change course and head back into the wilderness following the route to the Red Sea.

 

THE SECOND GENERATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL

This was the group that actually did cross the Jordan River under the leadership of Joshua. They progressively conquered the people groups who were living in Canaan and inherited their houses, much of their property and even their crops – just as God had promised!

Joshua 1:10-11

Then Joshua gave orders to the people’s leaders: ‘Go through the camp and give this order to the people: “Pack your bags. In three days you will cross this Jordan River to enter and take the land GOD, your God, is giving you to possess.”’

Although they experienced set-backs, they did indeed conquer much of the Promised Land. Before Joshua died, he designated specific boundaries for each of the twelve tribes to possess. Partly because of disobedience and a lack of faith, not all of the foreign peoples were eliminated from the new land.

God becomes exasperated with this generation and finally pronounces  [Judges 2:3]:

[God speaking] So now I’m telling you that I won’t drive them out before you. They’ll trip you up and their gods will become a trap.

Judges 2:10

Eventually that generation died and was buried…

THE THIRD GENERATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL

Also Judges 2:10

…Then another generation grew up that didn’t know anything of God or the work He had done for Israel.

Now read carefully the very next words [Judges 2:11-12]:

[Implied: “This] People of Israel did evil in GOD’s sight: they served Baal-gods; they deserted GOD, the God of their parents who had led them out of Egypt; they took up with other gods, the gods of the peoples around them. They actually worshipped them!

A few verses later we read:

[vs.14-15] They were in a bad way. But then God raised up judges who saved them…But they wouldn’t listen to their judges; they prostituted themselves to other gods – worshipped them! They lost no time leaving the road walked by their parents, the road of obedience to GOD’s commands. They refused to have anything to do with it.

Consequently, a pattern was developed that would reenact itself over and over for the next 300 years!

[vs.17-19] When God was setting up judges for them, he would be right there with the judge: He would save them from their enemies’ oppression as long as the judge was alive, for God was moved to compassion when he heard their groaning because of those who afflicted and beat them. But when the judge died, the people went right back to their old ways—but even worse than their parents!—running after other gods, serving and worshiping them. Stubborn as mules, they didn’t drop a single evil practice.

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Here we see a clear representation of the deterioration of a culture that began as wholly dependent on God and progressively became distant and even oppositional toward Him!

I doubt that you need me to notice the similarities to what we are currently observing in the United States of America!

History clearly documents that many of the initial developments in America were motivated by a desire to worship freely without restriction or persecution.

America’s history clearly identifies three ‘Great Awakenings’.

The First Great Awakening began in the 1730s and lasted until about 1740. A major catalyst for this period was the preaching of Jonathan Edwards: “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God!”

The Second Great Awakening was a religious revival that occurred in the United States beginning in the late eighteenth century and lasting until the middle of the nineteenth century. Charles Finney was a charismatic preacher who advocated for personal conversion. His form included extended meetings, emotional appeals, and public prayer for sinners.

This period was also known for the westward expansion’s spirituality led by the Methodist and Baptist circuit-rider preachers and their gatherings called ‘camp meetings’.

The Third Great Awakening in the 1850s–1900s was characterized by new denominations and active missionary work. This revival produced influential leaders such as Dwight L. Moody.

Some contend that the 1960’s and ‘70’s represent a fourth great awakening, but this thought is not widely adopted. However, this period is recognized for three contributions:

1.   The Jesus Movement of the late 1960’s and the teaching of Pastor Chuck Smith.

2.   The development of innovation in worship styles.

3.   Mainline Protestant denominations weakened sharply in membership and influence! Independent, non-denominational churches proliferated and grew with significance!

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I just read yesterday [April 14, 2026] of a spiritual renewal on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh where hundreds of college students were responding to an invitation to pray and make Christ their Lord!  This movement actually began in 1967 and has had an impact on other universities such as Notre Dame. It’s heartbreaking that many will denigrate this breakthrough because it was generated and led by the Charismatic Catholic Renewal.

Having been touched by this group while pursuing my M.A. Counseling at Franciscan University, I can report that some of my most meaningful worship experiences took place in that environment and among the friends I made there! I can also quickly name a number of Catholic friends and family members whose lives were genuinely transformed as a result of this movement.

Can a broken and sorely divided Church come together to fan the flame of a universal turning to God?  Will rigidity, petty jealousies, envy, and legalistic opinions prevent us from encouraging what we clearly observe as a spiritual awakening?

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Ever loving, always seeking, quick to forgive God:

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

 

Few would deny that we desperately need a nationwide spiritual awakening in America!

 

PLEASE help us not to miss it because it is initiated by a religious group other than our own!

 

Times are desperate and we see our culture being decimated by politics, variant views of social reform, disrespect for law and order, and a large younger populace who have been shorted by a failure to cultivate morality and respect for all life!

 

A spiritual renewal is EXACTLY what we need!

Help us not to miss it because it didn’t originate in groups that we are familiar with or part of.

 

Grant us the ability to recognize the work of Your Holy Spirit and fan the flame aggressively in every way that we can!  May this wave of the Spirit alter the course of our nation for the foreseeable future!

 

AND MAY YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH – AS IT IS IN HEAVEN!

SABBATH EVE SURPRISE

Two figures stood at different points at a fair distance watching the drama unfold. With tears in their eyes, they watched the crucifixion with disbelief that someone so unique, so divine, so good could be treated with such disrespect!  They knew the evil proceedings that produced this horrendous scene had been concocted out of fear and resentment. They knew that evil manipulations hidden behind gross misunderstandings and cravings for power had driven these deliberations. The Sanhedrin never met in the middle of the night!

Each of these men had cast their vote to dismiss these fabricated charges, but they stood independently alone. The case now moved to Pilate who tried repeatedly to dismiss the charges against Jesus! His own home was tense due to the dreams and warnings of his wife!

Rarely had these men seen the determined resolve of the chief priests and their cohorts as they worked up the crowd to call for Barrabas’ release. All this took place while a bloodied, bruised and broken Jesus stood draped with mockery robes over his bloody back and a thorny crown pressed harshly on His head!

These two men – in their Pharisaic robes – each followed the crowd through the streets full of on-lookers. They kept their distance and watched from afar, not even aware of one another’s presence or common sympathies.  From secluded spots a distance away, they watched as He carried His cross. When He stumbled and fell, they yearned to be there to help Him with His burden. They felt the relief when a stranger was drafted to help Him and carry His cross!

Upon arrival at ‘the skull’ things moved quickly as the soldiers nailed three men to their crosses and then dropped them into the pre-dug holes with a violent thud – Jesus hung between two common thieves who called out to Him in derision.

Our on-lookers watched as the women and a few of His followers stood at the foot of the cross. They longed to hear the exchanges taking place – especially between Jesus and His mother!

Shocked at the cruelty of the crowd who had once welcomed Him gladly and with great expectation, these two Pharisees wept and prayed from their unique, obscured vantage points.

Joseph was from a wealthy family and had risen to his religious position as a result. As the months unfolded he had secretly pledged himself to be a follower of this man. The authenticity of Jesus’ words and actions had won him over. He was deeply grieved at this turn of events

The other Pharisee was Nicodemus.  He was a rabbi himself who had met secretly with Jesus to seek to better understand His message. He clearly recognized that Jesus could only do the things He did by having a special connection to God!

Two Pharisees.  Two members of the Sanhedrin. Two who had been convinced that He was indeed the Messiah! Two bold men who did not fail to act when necessary.

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One would have thought that Jesus’ disciples would be the ones to take him down from the cross.  If not them, then perhaps the very women who stood by Him to the end would try to find a way to get Him down. We do know that they watched from a distance and took note of the location of His tomb so that they could bring spices to anoint Him at the end of the Sabbath!

But of all the oddities, who would have expected two Pharisees to collaborate and care for the body of Jesus?

Joseph of Arimathea used his connections to plead with Pilate for permission to care for the body of Jesus in a rush before the beginning of the Sabbath. The soldiers had broken the legs of the two criminals to speed their death. They didn’t have to break the legs of Jesus; He had already surrendered His spirit to God!

Imagine Joseph – aided by Nicodemus – putting up a ladder and wrapping a cloth under the arms of Jesus, who was then gently lowered to the ground.

Were they wearing their Pharisaic garb? They were surely bloodied in this process!

Once they had Jesus’ body on the ground, they would have covered His nakedness and wrapped Him. Did they use a cart to get Him to the tomb? How far away was it? Did others help [the scripture only mentions these two]?

They had to hurry! Dusk signaled the beginning of the Sabbath!

Remarkably, Nicodemus had thought ahead and had gathered nearly one-hundred pounds of a mixture of myrrh and aloes to embalm Jesus as they wrapped Him for burial!

After significant effort in rolling the giant stone into place at the entrance to the tomb, these two exhausted Pharisees completed their labor of love!

These religious leaders were not aware that they were being watched in this process. Mark’s gospel tells us that “Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.” [15:47]

John tells us that “Mary Magdalene came early (Sunday morning) to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb…” [20:1].

How did she find the tomb in the dark? She followed her nose! Nearly 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes led her directly to the place where He had laid!

Minutes later, the risen Lord would stand before her and honor all women forever by making His first resurrection appearance to a woman – whom He had earlier delivered from seven demons!

DID JESUS GET DISCOURAGED?

This question came to my mind while reading Luke 9.

Rather than test your recall, let me review some of the events in this chapter:

Ø Vs.12-17

After a period of teaching a crowd of over 5,000, Jesus suggests releasing them so that they can find shelter and food. His apostles respond: “We’re out in the middle of nowhere” [v.12  All quotes from The Message Bible unless otherwise noted].  Jesus responds: “You feed them.” They report that all they could round up was five loaves of bread and a couple of fish.  You know the rest of the story!  Do you suppose that Jesus was a bit disappointed in His apostles? 

Ø V.22

For the first time, Jesus tells His apostles: “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the religious leaders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and on the third day be raised up alive”  CRICKETS!  No questions! No shock!  Do you suppose that Jesus was a bit disappointed in His apostles?

Ø Vs.28-36

Jesus took Peter, James and John up to the top of a mountain. As Jesus prayed, “the appearance of His face changed and His clothes became blinding white.” Then Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with Jesus about what was soon going to happen in Jerusalem!  During this conversation, the apostles were asleep – probably a trancelike state – but as they came to, “they saw Jesus in His glory and the two men standing with Him.” Impulsive Peter immediately spoke up: “Master, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  Do you suppose that Jesus was a bit disappointed with His apostles?

Ø Vs.37-43

“When they came down off the mountain the next day, a big crowd was there to meet them.”  A man had brought his demon-possessed son to be delivered, but the apostles had been unable to care for him. Jesus is CLEARLY disappointed with His apostles!  The emboldened demon created a fuss through the boy, but Jesus delivered him instantly! 

Ø V. 44

Jesus again speaks of His impending future: The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into human hands.” But, “They didn’t get what He was saying.”  Do you suppose that Jesus was a bit disappointed with His apostles?

Ø V.46

In the next verse we learn that “They started arguing over which of them would be most famous. Do you suppose that Jesus was a bit disappointed with His apostles?

Ø Vs.49-50

Immediately after this, “John spoke up, ‘Master, we saw a man using Your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn’t of our group.’ Jesus said, ‘Don’t stop him. If he’s not an enemy, he’s an ally.’” Do you suppose that Jesus was a bit disappointed with His apostles?

Ø Vs.51-56

As they continued their journey toward Jerusalem – through Samaria – the locals refused them any measure of hospitality. “When the disciples James and John learned of it, they said, ‘Master, do You want us to call a bolt of lightning down out of the sky and incinerate them?’ Jesus turned on them: ‘Of course not!’”  Do you suppose that Jesus was a bit disappointed with His apostles?

Ø Vs.57-62

Along their trip to Jerusalem, three men approached Jesus at different times.

o   The first volunteered to go along with them wherever they went. Jesus informed him that they did not travel in luxury!

o   The next man that came along received the same call that Peter, Andrew, James and John had received: [Jesus speaking] “Follow Me.” But when the man asked for a few days to go and bury his father, Jesus responded: “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God” [v.60 NASB].

o   The third man stepped forward and said: “I’m ready to follow You, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home.”  [NASB]: “But Jesus said to him, No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”  Do you suppose that Jesus was a bit disappointed with His apostles?

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This was clearly a rough day for Jesus filled with lots of disappointments!

Yet, in the very next chapter, the Master selected seventy and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he intended to go [10:1].

He gave them instructions:

ü Pray!

ü Be careful!

ü Travel light!

ü Don’t loiter!

ü Grant peace to those who offer you lodging!

ü Eat what they set before you!

ü Heal anyone who is sick!

ü If a town rejects you – move on!

ü Don’t be discouraged!  “The one who rejects you, rejects me” [v.16].

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Scholars and leaders who sought to encapsulate our purpose under God, stated clearly in The Westminster Shorter Catechism that MAN’S CHIEF END IS TO GLORIFY GOD AND ENJOY HIM FOREVER!

We did not come into being on our own!

And we are NOT simply the progeny of our parents!

God set all things in motion and observes each of us being formed in our mother’s wombs! 

Does God have a purpose for each of our lives?

Yes! God has a purpose for each life. The Bible teaches that every person is uniquely designed for a reason, and God’s purpose is not limited to a career or ministry but includes spiritual growth, relationships, and personal impact.

Jeremiah 1:5 [GW] states:

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I set you apart.”

Ephesians 2:10 [NIV]

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

GOD’S PURPOSE IS TO CONFORM US TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST, AND TO FULFILL HIS WILL IN OUR LIVES!

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How are you doing at this? 

Do you suppose that Jesus has been disappointed in you?

Are you diligent about pursuing God’s purpose for your life?

Are you consulting with Him daily about how He might like to direct your path?

Are you taking advantage of the situations He may be placing you in to extend His purposes into another person’s life?

Let’s face it! We could all do better. Let’s pray about it:

King of the Universe: Father, Son and Holy Spirit:

I easily forget that You formed me in my mother’s womb!

I wander frequently, thinking that I’m a free agent who controls my own destiny!

But my freedom is to be directed by You!

I do have a free will, but I also have surrendered my life into Your hands!

I want to be of service to You!

Your path is the best path for me to take!

Honoring You will lead me to the deepest satisfaction and joy!

 

You are the Potter.

I am the clay!

My life is in Your hands!

 

You will:

Make me lie down in green pastures,

lead me beside the still waters,

restore my soul,

guide me in paths of righteousness,

always be with me,

comfort me,

prepare a table before me -  even in the presence of my enemies,

anoint my head with oil,

cause my cup to overflow,

characterize my life by goodness and unfailing kindness,

AND

You will welcome me ultimately into the house of the Lord FOREVER!

 

Because of ALL THIS,

I once again surrender myself to You and Your purposes!

Have Your own way, Lord!

Amen.