OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS WORSHIP IN CHINA

The crowd gathered slowly at the IF [International Fellowship held in an ‘approved Chinese church’].  The worship began at 10:10 AM.  By the end of the service there were probably fifty present (good in light of the fact that many had gone home for Christmas).  Debbie and I were the only Americans in the service!  The make-up was probably 1/3 Africans, 1/3 Europeans, and 1/3 Chinese and other nationalities. 

A new friend of Debbie’s introduced a young, Chinese man, Charlie, to the congregation.  She had met him in a restaurant.  He asked if she was a Christian.  She said yes.  He told her he wanted to become a Christian!  We celebrated his new birth in Christ!  Pastor Francois anointed him and had several pray over him (in different languages).  It was a thrilling moment. 

Then Frank came forward to give his testimony.  I had met and spoken extensively with Frank months ago at the Quanping Church.  He is an exciting new believer who wants to come to America to study in a Bible College!  I’ve been praying for him daily since that first meeting.  He spoke of being fatherless – until he met God!  He told of harassment in his workplace because of his faith.  He is currently looking for a new job!  His mother was with him in the service as well.  Francois called all the fathers to the front of the sanctuary to hug Frank and pray over him!  It was amazing!  Powerful!  Typically, Chinese nationals are not allowed to attend IF services.  However, Francois and Mimmie (the IF leaders – from South Africa) made an exception this morning because of these two testimonies.

Next, a group of about eight black, South Africans came forward and beautifully sang several familiar carols in French.  Attending IF is such a blessing because of its international flavor!  Then a beautiful, Chinese woman came forward and sang a Chinese Christmas song for us! 

Then a leader in the IF named Wes, came forward to give the message.  He spoke of the silent 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament and explained that they were anything BUT silent!!!

NOTES FROM HIS MESSAGE:

    · 586 BC Jerusalem destroyed
    · The Captivity - the ministry of Ezekiel and Daniel
    · Jeremiah’s message: “This is NOT the end of your story!”
    · King Cyrus and King Darius have their hearts changed by God and are used to         advance His purposes!
    · The Return to Jerusalem!
    · Judaism changed:
        Synagogues became the center of religious life.
        The Old Testament was canonized.
        The rise of rabbi’s – Gamaliel.
        The rise of political parties: Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots.                     Pharisees accept all of the OT and believe in an afterlife. Sadducees                         accept only the first five books of the OT and don’t believe in an afterlife.
    · Wars:
        Babylon over Judah
        Persia over Babylon
        Greeks over Persia
        Romans over Greeks

Then a group of Africans came forward and sang a traditional Christmas song in Swahili.  Then a German woman played the piano to accompany her young, teenaged son playing the trumpet (we thought of our nephew, Sam). 

One of the things I love about worshipping with the Africans is the way they give a high-pitched yell when something makes them happy!  The rest of us applaud;  but these women give this joyful, high-pitched wail!  I LOVE IT!

Mimmie gave two PowerPoint presentations:

1.      The first was on the differences between a secular celebration of Christmas and a Christian celebration (she had used this with her students)!

2.      The second talked about the two gifts that God gave at Christmas:  His Son and Eternal Life (John 3:16).

We ended the morning singing a number of Christmas songs together.  The Africans helped us with our hand-clapping!  Several people bring tambourines and add to the joyful expression also.  Some of the people enjoy dancing as a part of their expression of worship!  Together, it is all beautiful and very joyful!

Following worship we just missed the 149 bus and ended up waiting a long time.  Mimmie went by and invited us to a church dinner at a nearby restaurant.  We had not registered for this meal, but she included us anyway!  It was an absolute joy!  I sat beside Frank’s mother.  We gathered in two banquet rooms around large round tables (about fifteen at the table).  Typical Chinese format:  round lazy Susan with many entrees.  The conversation was fascinating!  We were privileged to have a group of German women at our table.  One had been raised in East Berlin.  She spoke of the severe conditions of her childhood the constant fear that they lived under.  She told of trucks arriving with a load of bananas;  each person was given one banana.  She also told of going to a store and waiting in a long line to get a banana.  Then she would go to another store and wait again to get another banana.  And on and on till at the end of the day, she would have eight bananas to take home to her mother!

The other woman spoke of crossing into East Berlin to visit with family.  She talked of the constant fear that they would not be allowed to return to West Berlin!  She spoke of the intimidation of the East German soldiers and the constant fear until they would finally return home!  These are glimpses that we’ve never had before.  They dominated the conversation – and we were delighted to listen.  We felt that we had nothing to contribute to this conversation!  We listened in rapt attention! 

All of these people have been here for ten to fifteen years.  They are here because of their love for Jesus and their love for the Chinese people!  They are bold and courageous people of faith!  We are honored to spend time with them.

Debbie sat beside Francois and Mimmie.  He told of having a large family farm in South Africa.  Francois is a direct descendent of the French Huguenots.  About twelve years ago they felt God’s call to come to China.  They figured they would auction the farm and all their belongings and have significant wealth to subsidize their venture.  Unfortunately, at the auction things went for very low prices.  Then the government stepped in and claimed the family farm.  The government has never paid them a cent for the farm [This sounds like news reports from 2025].  They were immediately in financial crisis upon arriving in China.  They spoke of God’s amazing provision every step of the way.  They are passionate leaders who serve as the pastors of the International Fellowship.  They are Spirit-filled servants who love everyone that God puts in front of them!  They give sacrificially of everything they have to advance God’s Kingdom purposes!  They’re the kind of people that you just want to hang out with all the time!  We love them!  We feel privileged to have met them.  He asked me if I would speak at the IF and Quanping [another location] a few times this winter.  Of course I agreed to.

We are SO GRATEFUL that God gave us this three-year opportunity. Our lives have been so enriched by these experiences.

I SAW MY HEART!

The short story is: I had an echocardiogram on Tuesday.

I reported at 6:45 AM. After a short wait, I was escorted down a hallway by a young woman who looked like a high school student. We entered a small room where an older woman was sitting at a desk. The room included a place to lie down and a machine on a cart.

Immediately upon entering the room, she explained that she was a student and asked if it would be ok if she did my test. I agreed – with little time to actually think about it. She had me lie down after taking off my shirt. She attached adhesive pads to my chest and stomach and then attached wires to those pads.

I told this young lady to watch for a flash of light during this procedure. I explained that I had accepted Jesus as a child and that He has been living in my heart ever since! [Both women smiled!]

Quickly, she placed gel on an instrument and put it in the center of my chest. She quickly found what she was looking for – my heart.  She simply held it there for a long time before moving it to my left side, where she held it again for a long time. Finally, she lowered it to just below my chest and again held it there for a long time.  All-in-all, I’d say this procedure took a half-an-hour (maybe more).

Eventually, the older woman took control and simply repeated the process very quickly.

Now, somewhere along the way in this process, I realized that they were watching a screen that – at times – I could also see.

That’s when I saw my heart!!!!!!

I could make out my aortic chamber and its systematic beating. I could see the valve to the lower chamber of my heart systematically opening and allowing the blood to flow through.

Needless to say, I was fascinated by what I was seeing!

Then, suddenly, she switched to a different mode and this time I could see what I believe were the electronic impulses that cause my heart to work! That aortic chamber flashed with an orange and blue light. I assume that this was the electric impulse that makes our hearts work! I was mesmerized!

It looked like a tiny explosion occurring over and over again in my heart!

DISCLAIMER:

I was the patient! I know nothing about the instrument or processes that were being used on me. I’ve only described the experience from a layman’s perspective! I could have misinterpreted what was going on!

You’ll be happy – along with me – to know that I was later told by my doctor that I have a strong, healthy heart along with no symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation.  I do, however, have an irregular heartbeat that puts me at an increased risk for a stroke. He’s walking me through some processes that he hopes will get my heart back into rhythm. It sounds like it will be a rather SHOCKING experience! I’ll also need to be on a blood thinner for the rest of my life – just in case my heart returns to an irregular heart-beat. Not exactly something I can get excited about! I am averse to taking any medications! Oh well!

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I don’t want to turn this into a theological treatise. We can do that another day.

I’m aware, of course, that when the Bible speaks about the heart, it is speaking of something more than the organ that catalyzes life by its persistent beating.

However, today, I was awakened to the blessing of an organ that mysteriously has been beating in my chest since around June of 1951, when I was 4-5 weeks into my formation within my mother’s womb!  I was about five weeks old and my mother might not even have known about me yet…

You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

 Psalm 139:13-14 [NASB]

BEING ASKED TO PRAY

Does this happen much in your life?

If it does, I hope you realize what a compliment it is!

When someone asks you to pray for them, it sends a powerful and complimentary message!

First, it implies that they trust you!

This is HUGE! Is anything more valuable and meaningful than trust?

They are entrusting you with a personal concern believing that you will treat the information privately and not gossip about it with others.

They’ve chosen to entrust you with personal information that is a source of great concern to them. It likely includes information that is highly private and confidential. They’re probably facing some kind of crisis in their life and feel its intensity so strongly that they have decided to call on a few special people to intercede for them with GOD!!!!

Second, it implies that they believe you have a relationship with God!

What greater compliment could they give you?

In the midst of this crisis, they have chosen to include you in a private prayer circle where each person included is assaulting God on their behalf!  It could be life-threatening for them or someone very close to them. It could be a need that has the potential to crush them. It could be a tragedy that is impacting their life and causing them inscrutable fear and pain.

Whatever the case, they have turned to YOU!  They believe – from observing your life – that you have influence with GOD!!!!!

Third, it implies that they believe that GOD can make a difference!

Why ask if they don’t believe God can and will intervene?

For some, turning to God is a last resort. It’s kind of like: “Well, I’ve tried everything else, so I guess I’ll pray.”

Others have learned early on to make GOD our first recourse! Our most frequent prayer begins with the words: “Oh God!” Perhaps we were taught this by our parents? Perhaps we learned it by passing through many trials? Maybe we learned it from a believing spouse? Or a friend? Or a pastor?

But whether we ask as a last resort or as a first impulse – we believe that these are not wasted words! We believe that when we pray – there is a divine reality who hears and responds to our prayers!

We only know that we must tap into His reserves of grace and mercy!

Of course, we hope GOD will relieve our friend or family member of pain and set things right.

If not, however, we trust that they …may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need [Hebrews 4:16 NASB].

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But the reality is that no one wants to pass through desperate times alone! We need encouragers to walk this path with us! We desire to know that we’re not alone in this trial. We highly prize companionship! We need a community of faith!

Consequently, we turn to those who we believe will travel this road with us. We’ve come to trust them deeply and know that they have our best interests at heart! They will NOT let us down!

SOME TIPS TO CONSIDER IF YOU'VE BEEN ASKED TO PRAY

• At the moment they ask - stop and immediately pray with them!  Don't care about where you are or what others may think. Simply ask your friend: "May I pray with you right now?"
• Send them a card soon so that they know you are serious about remembering their need before our gracious Father!
• Text or call them periodically so that they know that you haven't forgotten them and are still praying.
• Do whatever you have to do to remember to pray for this need! Notes on your mirror or dashboard. A reminder to pray on your phone. Be creative...
• Don't stop until you know your friend [or family member] has found a settled peace!

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Isn’t this the kind of friend or family member that you want to be?

Today is another blessing from God! Another opportunity to deepen your commitment to Him! A chance to renew your promise to read a little from the Bible every day. To spend a few quiet moments talking to Your Heavenly Father. Deepening the relationship that does more for you than any other!

If you’re not a person that others turn to for prayer – YOU CAN BE!

What are you going to do about it?

JOBS I’VE HAD

I was not close to my dad while growing up. I respected him immensely. He worked for Townsend Company for forty-eight years. I knew that I had a good dad and that he loved me because my mom told me so regularly. 🙂

Although I was very interested in sports and played basketball, baseball and football with my neighbor friends – and later intramural sports at college – my father did not offer any encouragement in this area.

He did, however, invest in teaching me a strong work-ethic.

At the age of eleven, he took me for two Saturdays to Dr. Chadwick’s home [Patterson Heights, Beaver Falls] directly across from the Beaver County Country Club. He taught me to use their mower and to trim their trees and mulch their gardens. I believe he had done this with my brother, Ira, too. Dad had done around-the-house jobs for Dr. Chadwick for many years – perhaps as a way of paying off medical bills.

Those two Saturdays, he taught me principles and skills that I would need to take care of the Chadwick’s home, such as:

>  Don’t work real hard for a while and then sit down to rest! Work steady! If Mrs. Chadwick looks out the window, you always want her to see you working!

>  Never sit down to work! If there is low mulching or planting to do, do it on your knees! You don’t want Mrs. Chadwick to look out and see you sitting down on the job!

>  Do your work in a way that you can walk away proud that you did your best! Make the Chadwick’s happy that they have you as their lawn-boy!

I worked at the Chadwick’s until I left home for college. I made $1.00/hour.

Every Saturday, I rode my bike down the hill from Brighton Heights and across the New Brighton/Beaver Falls bridge, then around and under the bridge to push my bike up a road that no longer exists. It brought me out right near the Country Club – my dad called it “StoryBook Hill’.

Sometimes, on my way home, I would bike over to Waites’ Restaurant and get a hot-fudge Sundae – with my own money - before going down Ross Hill and then back to Brighton Heights!  ☺  I felt pretty big while sitting at the counter and buying and eating my treat!

Eventually others heard about my work and asked me to do their lawns. I even worked for our high school superintendent, Zachary Taylor, although I never let ANYONE know that I was doing his lawn! After I turned sixteen and was driving, I was doing six lawns in New Brighton, Beaver Falls, and Beaver!

It was good training and experience for me. I have no regrets – although I look back with some longing to have been involved in high school sports. My brother-in-law, Lib [my oldest sister, Jeannette’s husband] often worked with me and encouraged me to get into sports, but without a father to open those doors – it just never happened. Lib always felt that I had an arm that would’ve made me a successful pitcher in baseball!  We’ll never know…

With this work ethic entrenched in my young life, I began my working career. The following is a list of the many, diverse jobs that I held over the years and to the present! 

• Lawn care – when I left New Brighton, I was caring for five lawns in Beaver Falls, Beaver, and New Brighton.  It kept me pretty busy.  I also usually spent my own money.

• For a year, I cleaned the elementary school on Marion Hill.  My Dad used his influence with his childhood friend, Mel Miller, who was the Superintendent of New Brighton schools, to get me this job.

• For several summers and Christmases, I worked for Twitchell’s roofing and heating company in Willow Grove, PA as a helper. 

• I cleaned toilets and hallways in Carpenter Hall when I got to Roberts Wesleyan College, North Chili, NY.

• During the summer of 1970, I travelled with ‘The Reflections’ representing Roberts Wesleyan College at various camps, churches and youth events.

• I also worked at Chili Plastics – giving lunch breaks (from 2:30 – 4:30 AM).

• For two years I was the weekend night watchman at RWC.

• For two years, I worked at UPS on the evening loading/unloading shift in Rochester, NY.

• I was an Apprentice Pastor at Pearce Memorial Church for the summer of 1973, after my graduation from RWC.

• For a year I worked as a Bellman at a Hospitality Inn near Lexington.

• I worked at UPS in Lexington, KY for a year while I attended Asbury Theological Seminary.

• For a year I worked as a part-time Corrections Officer at the Blackburn Correctional Facility in Lexington.

• For at least six months I worked at a Phillips 66 gas station in Lexington.

• Newspaper delivery in Nicholasville, KY for a year.

• Along with George Gates, we (along with our wives) daily took turns cleaning the offices of Suburban Gas in Nicholasville, KY.

• Appointment #1 – I served as Student/Pastor to the Tunnel Hill Free Methodist Church in English, IN for a year and a half.  [Wabash Conference]

• Appointment #2 – Jeannette, PA FMC  (1976-1978)  [Pittsburgh Conference]

• Appointment #3 – McClellandtown, PA FMC  (1978-1982)  [Pittsburgh Conference]

• Appointment #4 – Oakland FMC, East Liverpool, OH  (1982-1995)  [Pittsburgh Conference]

• Internship at Highland Drive Veteran’s Psychiatric Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA  (1987)  [As a result of this role, I earned a Basic Unit of Clinical Pastoral Education.]

• Internship at Family Services Family Counseling Service, Steubenville, OH  (1990)

• Worked as a 'Counselor Trainee' for two years at Family Service, Steubenville, OH

• Internship at Woodside Psychiatric Hospital, Youngstown, OH  (1991)

• Appointment #5 – Spencerville, MD FMC  (1995-1997)  [Maryland/Virginia Conference]

• Shelter Care, Inc. – Ran a licensed home for behaviorally challenged children in Summit County.  Akron, OH (1997-2003)  [Served with Debbie]

• Appointment #6 – Cornerstone FMC (Akron, OH)  Lead Associate  (1997-2003)  [Ohio Conference]

• Appointment #7 – Free Methodist Community Church, New Middletown, OH  (2003- 2012)  [Ohio Conference]

• Oral English Professor, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, PRC  (2012-2015)

• Appointment #8 – Kittanning, PA FMC  [Part-time, Commuting Pastor]  (2015-2017)  [Pittsburgh Conference]

• Retired, June, 2017. 

• Lyft Driver – about 20 hours/week. 5 years

• Part-time, commuting Interim Pastor at The Foundery FMC in Wellsburg, WV from February through September, 1994.

I have nothing but gratitude to God for this work history. I made a lot of friends in each situation and was able to pay for three years of my college education! [My mom and dad paid the equivalent of one year – which they had promised to do when I enrolled.]  I’ve been strong and healthy throughout the years and have tons of stories and very few regrets when it comes to the way I’ve lived my life.

GOD’S SENSE OF SMELL

In marking up the Bible for my granddaughter, Rylie, I began the book of Leviticus this morning. I warned her that it's one of the most boring books of the Bible - BUT, GOD INCLUDED IT IN HIS HOLY WORD FOR A REASON! Therefore, keep your eyes and spiritual ears open to see and hear what God might want you to notice!

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I've mentioned elsewhere that for the two years I studied at Franciscan University of Steubenville, I worshipped frequently in this charismatic, Catholic environment. It was a phenomenal experience for me as I experienced a radically different form of worship.

If I've had a bias throughout my ministry, it has been my desire and attempts to make worship real and relevant to the people whom I have served. I guess there is a creative streak in me that yearns to do things differently and break through barriers of boredom and/or irrelevance. I have always felt that the worship of our AWESOME, INCREDIBLE, OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT, OMNI-PRESENT, CREATIVE GOD should NEVER be boring!

Consequently, through the years, I have changed the location of worship, the order for worship, the leadership of worship, and the approach to worship frequently! It was never done to irritate people who have an appreciation for predictability or routine [although I’m sad to say that it did have that effect on some].

My desire was pure and persistent. Let’s not worship in mediocrity! Let’s innovate! Let’s be imaginative! Let’s celebrate the creativity of the One who made 73,330 species of trees, 11,500 kinds of birds on earth, and who makes people of different colors, places, sizes, and who speak 7,164 different languages!

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Let me hone in on this today.

I opened by mentioning that I just read the first three chapters of Leviticus. In doing so, I underlined some words that were repeated seven times in three chapters. The words were:

A pleasing fragrance to GOD

If you’re not familiar with Leviticus, these chapters give specific instructions for how to offer Whole Burnt Offerings, Grain Offerings, and Peace Offerings.

Whole Burnt Offerings involved the sacrifice of either a bull, a sheep or goat, or a dove or pigeon [the latter was obviously God’s way of including the poor].

Grain Offerings included flour, oil and incense mixed and placed on the altar [think of the aroma of bread baking]!

Peace Offerings could be a male or female animal from the herd, but it must be without defect. Or, it could be male or female from the flock – without defect. Or, it could be a goat. These offerings were ultimately burned on the altar.

And in every one of these cases it is reported that it was A PLEASING FRAGRANCE TO GOD!

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Hmmmmm…

God – like many of us – seems to enjoy the smell of meat being cooked! 😊

Earlier, I mentioned the experience I had worshipping with my charismatic, Catholic friends. Catholic worship includes a censor with incense at times throughout worship! It is obvious to worshippers as this aroma finds its way through the sanctuary.

This evokes a question: Why do we ignore the sense of smell that God has blessed us with when it comes to our worship?

We all know how POWERFUL our sense of smell can be.

Every summer when my family went to Family Camp, I was abundantly aware of the smell of our cabin when my father opened the door! That aroma swept me back to previous years and experiences that were highly pleasurable! It evoked feelings and memories that were very pleasant!

If aroma has this kind of power – why don’t we use this sense in our worship of God?

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From February through September of 2024, I was drafted to lead The Foundery Free Methodist Church in Wellsburg, WV. On Easter Sunday, I spoke on one of my favorite passages and described how Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus – two Pharisees - took down the body of Jesus from the cross, carried it to a new grave that Joseph had carved out for himself, embalmed the body of Jesus WITH 100 POUNDS OF MYRRH AND ALOES.

To drive this point home, in closing I offered each worshipper an incense stick to take home and burn. As I stepped down to make these available, I was inundated with people coming from every direction. I quickly recruited helpers to pass out these simple, inexpensive gifts! The desire to smell the frangrance that surely led Mary and the other women to Jesus’ tomb on Resurrection Morning while it was still dark struck a chord with the hearts of our worshippers!

I burned my stick that afternoon in my study while worshipping God and marveling at His grace! I sensed His presence with me and believe I heard Him say that it was indeed, A PLEASING FRAGRANCE!

THE MEANING OF THE CROWN OF THORNS

I was reading in Exodus 28 this morning and connected some dots that added meaning to my appreciation for all that Jesus has done for me!

Here’s the passage about Aaron and his sons being consecrated as priests over Israel:  [All quotes from The Message Bible unless otherwise noted]

^36-38 “Make a plate of pure gold. Engrave on it as on a seal: ‘Holy to God.’ Tie it with a blue cord to the front of the turban. It is to rest there on Aaron’s forehead. He’ll take on any guilt involved in the sacred offerings that the Israelites dedicate, no matter what they bring. It will always be on Aaron’s forehead so that the offerings will be acceptable before God.

Walk with me as I unpack this a bit.  [If I’m misguided in any of this, I have some scholarly friends who will gently correct me on Facebook. 😌]

If Aaron takes on the sin of the people, what happens to it?

Well, in the next chapter, we read:

^29:15-18 “Then take one of the rams. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on the head of the ram. Slaughter the ram and take its blood and throw it against the Altar, all around. Cut the ram into pieces; wash its innards and legs, then gather the pieces and its head and burn the whole ram on the Altar. It is a Whole-Burnt-Offering to God, a pleasant fragrance, an offering by fire to God.

For at least a period of time, Aaron was the sin-bearer for all the people of Israel. Through this ordination process being described in chapter 29, Aaron and his sons were consecrated as mediators between the people and God!  The process is clarified as the chapter ends:

³⁸ “This is what you are to offer on the Altar: two year-old lambs each and every day, one lamb in the morning and the second lamb at evening. ..

^42-46 “This is to be your regular, daily Whole-Burnt-Offering before God, generation after generation, sacrificed at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. That’s where I’ll meet you; that’s where I’ll speak with you; that’s where I’ll meet the Israelites, at the place made holy by my Glory. I’ll make the Tent of Meeting and the Altar holy. I’ll make Aaron and his sons holy in order to serve me as priests. I’ll move in and live with the Israelites. I’ll be their God. They’ll realize that I am their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live with them. I am God, your God.”

Are you still with me?  There’s good stuff ahead! 😉

Let’s review:

God had established a chosen people who would be His representatives to the whole world!  We’re now reading how God set things up to keep them holy – as He is HOLY!  This process was a daily process of being cleansed and forgiven of sin through the sacrificial system!

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LEAP AHEAD WITH ME!

·         ^{Matthew 27:27-29} The soldiers assigned to the governor took Jesus into the governor’s palace and got the entire brigade together for some fun. They stripped him and dressed him in a red robe. They plaited a crown from branches of a thornbush and set it on his head.

·         ^{Mark 15:17}  The soldiers took Jesus into the palace (called Praetorium) and called together the entire brigade. They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thornbush on his head. 

·         ^{John 19:2}  The soldiers, having braided a crown from thorns, set it on his head,

This is not new to us!  We read it repeatedly every Lenten and Easter season!

But consider the link back to Aaron and his consecration as a priest.

“Make a plate of pure gold. Engrave on it as on a seal: ‘Holy to God.’ Tie it with a blue cord to the front of the turban. It is to rest there [like a crown] on Aaron’s forehead. He’ll take on any guilt involved in the sacred offerings that the Israelites dedicate, no matter what they bring. It will always be on Aaron’s forehead so that the offerings will be acceptable before God. 

Aaron took on any guilt of the Israelites so that they could be acceptable to GOD!

1,400 years later, the sacrificial Lamb – so designated by GOD – would HIMSELF become the One to wear the CROWN OF THORNS; thereby taking on the guilt and sin of all humanity throughout all time

so that we can be acceptable to GOD!

 

Hallelujah!

Thank You, Jesus!

YOU CAN'T GET TO HEAVEN ON SOMEONE ELSE'S APRON-STRINGS

My brother-in-law, Dick, is now a widower [since June of this year]. He and my sister, Beverly, were married over 57 years! He fit into our family wonderfully - fully accepted. Bev got him to attend church with her and he saw her dedication to God on a daily basis through all of those years. 

Dick is Italian! Early on in their relationship, God arranged for the Pearce Memorial Free Methodist Church to have an Italian pastor - Dr. V. J. Mannoia. Dick loved this pastor and they had many jokes that they shared. This moved Dick even closer to his own experience of God in his life. It was probably around that time that Dick would occasionally lead our family in prayer. He would weep as he prayed and his voice would get very high with emotion!

But, his life still had all of the color that it had exhibited before. My parents loved Dick and he loved them! We became a family to Dick and enfolded him completely! He especially loved my mom - in spite of the fact that she insisted on overcooking meat [a travesty to Dick who was a meat-cutter for seventeen years]. 😂

Over the years, Dick ran hot and cold as far as attending church was concerned. His son, Scott, has been a Christian leader since his teens when he began working with youth! Scott is still a committed layman who has the passion of a pastor! His investment in Christian ministry is exceptional! He's also been a massive Christian influence on his dad!

But Dick's faith always seemed to be dependent on Beverly. She was the spiritual leader of their home! His connection to God was tied directly to hers.

UNTIL JUNE!

After caring lovingly for Bev for over three years while her condition with dementia deteriorated gradually but distinctly, Dick was alone!

Like so many others who have faced this reality, he struggles. He weeps a lot! He banters around the house doing his chores and passing time. When I call, he cries. He maintains that he's getting along okay. He repeatedly says that he's making it "one day at a time". 

Debbie and I have been purposeful about going up twice since the memorial service. He seems to enjoy our visits and talks endlessly about his life. But this most recent visit was different.

He talked about the fact that his faith was anchored by Beverly. He recognized that he needed to have a personal relationship with God. So, he began sitting down at the breakfast table in their kitchen and reading his Bible. He tries to read a couple of chapters a day. 

He told us: "Harold, sometimes I don't even know what I read. I don't understand it at all."

[It's apparent to me that he began reading in Genesis which can be overwhelming for anyone.]

But, he has stuck with it! He says that when he finishes reading for the day, he sits there and talks to God. He tells God that he doesn't understand much of what he read. But, he observes that the people he read about seem to have a lot of problems! So, Dick turns his lonliness and other problems over to God on a daily basis! 

I interrupted him at this point by observing that a door to his garage - visible from his table - has a picture of Donald Trump on it. He laughed and said, "Yeah, Harold, I look at the picture and ask the Lord to help him with whatever he's doing today." We laughed together. But, isn't it remarkable that our president is being blessed every day by an 89-year-old, widower in Rochester, New York? It doesn't get any better than that!

Dick is managing! He is making the best of a heartbreaking situation! In spite of his loneliness, he is growing in his relationship with the Lord! He's praying for wisdom and direction about his home and his finances. He recognizes that he's blessed to have great neighbors who - for years - have helped him with his lawn, snow-removal, and leaf-gathering! They are good to Dick and genuinely care for him! He's thankful for lifelong friends who call him regularly to check up on him! He looks back on a life that was filled with abundance and plentiful pleasures! He has two precious kids in Scott and Heather, along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren who love and cherish him! He has no regrets!

Bev's death was tragic, but also a relief. He misses her dearly - as do many of us [she was my last sibling to go to Heaven]!  But, to an extent, Dick exhausted himself caring for her 24/7. He's finally getting a chance to rest up and relax. He's even making plans for his future! He still has dreams and desires that he'd like to act on. 

I share his story with you today as an encouragement! You can't get to Heaven because your parents were Christians! You can't get there because you go to church or are a member. You can't get there because you have been generous and treated people well all of your life. You won't arrive in Heaven because you lived a good life!

No! Sorry! These things don't really qualify you for entrance into Heaven - even though the world will tell you that they do...

You will be accepted into Heaven because you've developed a personal relationship with God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit! This relationship will gradually but certainly transform you into a person who genuinely and supremely loves God. God will use you to influence other people who know and relate to you! Your example may be the cause of family, neighbors, friends [even people in line with you at Walmart] to seek a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God as well! 

YOU MAY VERY WELL BE THE INSTRUMENT THAT GOD USES TO GET SOMEONE IN YOUR SPHERE OF INFLUENC INTO HEAVEN AS WELL!  

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY MANNA

2025 AD:

·         “There’s nothing here to eat!”

·         “I don’t like asparagus!”

·         “Why can’t we keep fresh bags of chips in this house?”

·         “I could go for a package of Double-Stuffed Oreos!”

1400 BC:

·         “Weren’t the cemeteries large enough in Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? Back in Egypt didn’t we tell you this would happen? Didn’t we tell you, ‘Leave us alone here in Egypt – we’re better off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness.’”  [Ex.14:11-12]   [All quotes are from The Message Bible, unless otherwise noted.]

·         The water of Marah is bitter, “So what are we supposed to drink?”  [Ex. 15:24] 

·         “Why didn’t God let us die in comfort in Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat?” [Ex.16:3]

Discontentment is always present! It seems to be part of the human condition to never be content with what we have, but to always want more or better.

Oh! If we could only master what the Apostle Paul refers to in Philippians 4:11-12,

I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

If you’ve read the early books of the Old Testament, then you know that the Israelites Moses was leading out of Egypt - across the wilderness and into the Promised Land - WERE CHRONIC COMPLAINERS!

At the least inconvenience, they complained against Moses and God! They quickly forgot the blessings that God had given them:

ü  escape from slavery and mistreatment

ü  being given great wealth by the Egyptians as they left the land of Egypt

ü  the promise that a new land would be theirs and they would inherit houses that they hadn’t built and crops that they hadn’t planted.

ü  the victory that God gave them over Amalek

ü  when God sweetened the water of Marah

Those of us who have read this part of Israel’s history tend to shake our heads as we read of the repetitive grumbling of this half-a-million people trying to find their way through a wilderness land. We wonder how they could be so obstinate! Why were they so quick to abandon ship and turn against their more-than-competent leadership! We ‘tsk, tsk’ as we read with condescension at this pathetic horde of people.

AND YET…

Aren’t we just the same?

Don’t we get upset with God when things don’t go the way we think they should?

Don’t we complain when our prayers aren’t answered; or aren’t answered in the way we desired?

Don’t we run hot-n-cold in our faith while expecting God to excuse our behavior and bless us anyway?

Do we really hold the moral high ground?

Are we doing the best that we can do?

Do we humbly submit our plans to God and then wait for His response, direction or approval?

By virtue of writing this blog, I indicate that I fall short. I complain and get upset with the way things turn out. I don’t always submit to His sovereignty. I complain. I can be a grouch – in spite of acknowledging how much God has done for me.

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God gave the children of Israel daily manna. It appeared in the early morning as the frost began to lift. The people were to gather two quarts for each member of their family. They were told not to gather more than they needed for any given day. But, of course, some gathered a lot of extra! Hoarders, I suppose! The next morning, the extra they had gathered was wormy and had become putrid!  LESSON LEARNED THE HARD WAY!

Only on Friday were they instructed to gather twice as much! This would prevent them from having to work on the Sabbath so that they could focus on worshipping God and guess what – it didn’t spoil or get wormy on the Sabbath!!  Others went out on the Sabbath to gather their manna for the day. But no manna fell on the Sabbath! You only went hungry once and then discovered the value of listening to and obeying God’s Word!

When the Israelites became weary with the manna, they complained to Moses. God overheard their complaints and promised them meat. That evening flocks of quail flew in and landed in the camp. The people killed and ate quail until they were nearly sick!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Now let’s consider ourselves.

We live in what is described as the wealthiest nation the world has ever known. We are the envy of the entire world! When the Biden administration opened the doors to our nation and welcomed people to come, they came by the millions – flooding into our nation with the hopes of inheriting the wealth that causes SO MANY to envy us!

Yet, we never apply the scriptures that talk about the wealthy to ourselves. We reserve those passages for the exorbitant wealthy! But to the world – WE ARE THE EXORBITANT WEALTHY! Yet we register depression higher than any other nation. We consume more anti-depressants than any other nation. We observe an ever-growing rise in violence and crime especially in our cities. Our government – which is recognized as one of the best systems ever developed – is nearly deadlocked in divergent views of solving our national and political problems! Hatred for various groups is openly expressed as part of our high priority for ‘free speech’. And – except for some sign of recovery since the death of Charlie Kirk – the Church is shrinking and losing its impact on a culture that is decomposing.

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Is our situation really any different than the Israelites?  Although we feel that we deserve the global status that we hold, do we really? Have we earned it? Are we better than the people of other nations based purely on the fact that we were born in America? SURELY NOT! We hold our current position as a blessing, yet we only designate one day a year to giving Him thanks for these many blessings.

Kind and gracious God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

Convict us that with greater wealth comes greater responsibility.

Of those of us who follow You, help us to recognize that although You are the king of the universe, You came to serve! Awaken us to the difference we could make if we lived less focused on adding to our own wealth and more focused on helping those – near and far – who have needs that we could easily meet.

Give us a love for the poor, destitute, struggling! Open our hearts to their pain and sorrow! Catalyze us to give what we’re capable of while denying ourselves. May our compassion set us apart from the heartless and uncaring. May our generosity cause people to praise and serve You! And enable us to maintain humility as we give!

May we sleep better, live with greater joy and experience the satisfaction of knowing that others are thriving because we cared enough to come alongside them in their hour of need!

For Your Kingdom’s sake – Amen!