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David Scudder
DaveBethel at gmail dot com Sr. Pastor of Bethel Chapel Church
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Our world is swirling with big, unanswered questions right now. Who will win the election in November? Who will win the World Series? What will happen to our economy? Many people’s lives are completely wrapped up in these things. The Inquirer quoted one woman as saying (right after the Phillies won the National League Pennant): “This is the happiest day of my life.” Our newspapers and mailboxes are full of election news, and some folks are and calling and visiting nonstop to get their candidate elected. Our financial security is also a big question mark right now. I was grieved to hear of a man who shot himself and his family because he was convinced of coming financial doom.
All of these things– politics, sports, finances–are constantly changing. They are like the shifting sand at the edge of the shore, here today, gone tomorrow. Jesus told a story about two men who built their houses in completely different locations. One man built his house on sand. A storm came up and, “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall” (Matthew 7:27). Jesus said another man built his house on solid rock. Another storm came, but the result was much different. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:25). Why did Jesus tell that story? The “house” is a symbol of our lives. What we build our lives on--what we trust in, what we focus on--is the most important thing in this world and in the next. If sports and politics and finances are all shifting sand, what is that rock we can build our lives on? The Bible tells us about that Rock. King David said that “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge.” (2 Samuel 22:2-3). The Bible challenges us to put our complete trust in God. “Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock” (Isaiah 26:4). I have been very blessed by the writings of A.W. Tozer. He was an American pastor, author, magazine editor, and Bible conference speaker who passed away in 1963. Tozer writes eloquently that our lives and our churches (and may I add our country itself) can only be as great as our understanding of who God is. He says: “Christianity at any given time is strong or weak depending upon her concept of God. An individual Christian will be a success or a failure depending upon what he or she thinks of God. It is critically important that we have a knowledge of the Holy One, that we know what God is like.” What do you think God is like? Where did you get your ideas? Some people see God as something like a Heavenly Santa Claus–you ask Him for help in desperate times and He may or may not come through for you. You don’t know if He’s real, but you sure hope so. Others see God as a banker–give Him your money (by sending it to their ministry, they usually add) and God will give you twice as much in return. The closing comment that many have about God usually goes something like this: “I have my own ideas about God.” This is said in a closed tone to indicate the discussion is over. It implies that everyone’s ideas are private and equally valid. God doesn’t see it that way. Jesus said that, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). Jesus also made it clear that “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9). Your ideas about God and my ideas about God may be equally valid, but they’re totally irrelevant. What matters is who God actually is, what He is really like. God revealed Himself by His name, “I AM WHO I AM” (i.e. the eternally self-sufficient one). It matters who He really is. That’s what we have to focus on. An accurate view of who God really has to be the foundation of our lives. I hope that some of you are asking: How do I do that? How can I build my life on The Rock? I’m going to write more about that next week, but you are always free to contact me on the Web at www.JuniataBlog.com or by email at DaveBethel@gmail.com. Think about your own focus. By the end of next month a lot of the excitement will be over. The questions will be answered. Will you feel like your life is over if the Phillies lose or if your candidate loses in November? I can guarantee you one thing: God will still be unchanged. If your house is being built on The Rock, you will be just fine.
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Most people pretend they don’t have enemies. I’m not writing my column this week to “most people,” though. This week I’m writing to Christians, to people who have turned from their own sin and selfishness to God, those who have accepted Christ’s sacrifice for their sins and have found a personal relationship with their Savior.
Why talk to Christians about enemies? It sounds like Christians have it made: they have eternal life waiting for them in heaven, and every day God is in the process of making them new people on the inside. There is another part of being a Christian, though, that is very hard. Christians have enemies. Sometimes our enemies are external, like neighbors or co-workers who hate what we believe and put us down. Sometimes they are within our own family. Jesus, the founder of our faith, told us that, “a man’s enemies will be the members of his household” (Matthew 10:36). Jesus also told us that we would even have open opposition. He said, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). We have internal enemies, too, though. We often have to fight our own sinful tendencies. Even the great Apostle Paul said, “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh…” (Romans 7:18). Even though Jesus taught us to expect these troubles, it’s still hard, isn’t it? It is hard to keep struggling. I recently learned something interesting that was a great encouragement to our church and to me. This is how I began my sermon last Sunday: “Codfish are a big commercial business in New England. They taste delicious. As demand for the fish increased, though, they ran into a problem. The market for eastern cod spread over the entire world, and the public demand posed a problem for the shippers. At first they tried freezing the cod and then shipping them, but frozen cod didn’t taste very good. Next, they experimented with shipping them alive in tanks of seawater, but that didn’t work either. Not only was it more expensive, but the cod also tasted bad. The meat became soft and mushy, and the texture was not appealing. “Finally, some creative person found a very unusual solution. They put the codfish in a tank of seawater along with their natural enemy -- the catfish. The entire time the cod traveled to their destination, those ornery catfish chased them all over the tank. And you guessed it, the cod remained as fresh as when they were first caught. There was no loss of flavor nor was the texture affected. If anything, it was even better than before. “Each one of us lives in our own tank of circumstances. It is painful enough to be trapped in that tank. In addition to our situation, though, God sends us "catfish," enemies that cause tension so that we are kept alive, alert, fresh and growing. It's all part of God's project to shape our character so we will be more like Christ. “Understand why the catfish are in your tank. Understand that they are part of God's method of producing character in your life and mine.” After that introduction, I began teaching God’s Word from Revelation 3:7-13. If you want to hear how that introduction connected to the Scripture passage, you can go to www.BethelChapelChurch.com. Click on “The Pulpit” at the top of the first page you click into after the entry page. Look for the sermon entitled “The Reward of Faithfulness.” (My sermons are also available on cassette or CD if you contact me and ask for them.) You can contact me at DaveBethel@gmail.com or at 215-533-4395.
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Many people struggle desperately all their lives with some behavior they want to get rid of. Some addictive behaviors are obvious like alcoholism, drugs or food. Some are known only to our families—like anger, gambling, or television. Other addictions, like pornography, may be known only to ourselves. We know they’re wrong. They are hurting our families, ourselves, our health, but we just can’t quit.
Many turn to religion for help. There are ways our culture encourages this. Have you ever seen the bumper sticker that says, “Try Jesus,” as if Jesus is some kind of a new and improved brand of stain remover that we can use on a trial basis? Since God is a higher power many assume that learning and following His rules should solve their problems. Since I’m a pastor, you would think that I’d be all in favor of going by God’s rules, wouldn’t you? Well, my experience has shown me that religion doesn’t work very well either. Many people have told me that they have tried going to church, giving money, reading their Bible, and following all the rules. It just doesn’t help. Their life destroying behavior continues. Sometimes it even gets worse. Would you be surprised to find out that the Bible actually tells you that following the rules won’t help you? The Bible calls following the rules “keeping the law” and it clearly tells us how hopeless that is: “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Romans 3:28). The Bible even goes so far as to say that our sinful desires are made worse by trying to keep the law and that “rule keeping” brings a curse (see Romans 7:5 and Galatians 3:10). The Bible does explain what God’s rules are, but it also tells us that we can’t keep them. Is life hopeless? Of course not! Christ does have the answer because Christianity is primarily about a relationship, not just rules. God has made a way for us to have a close relationship with Him and that relationship gives us the strength to overcome addictions. Love makes the difference, and that starts with Christ’s love for us. Paul was talking about Christ’s death on the Cross when he said, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-5). So, when we accept Christ’s love for us then, “We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Our love for God can make all the difference. Let me illustrate. A seventy-eight-year-old woman named Aleida Huissen had been smoking for most of her adult life. For many years she had tried and failed to give up smoking. At last she succeeded. What was her secret? Seventy-nine-year-old Leo Jansen proposed marriage but refused to go through with the wedding until she gave up smoking. Aleida said, “Will power never was enough to get me off the habit. Love made me do it.” Love for God can give us the motivation to overcome bad habits even when good intentions and hard work fail. When we give ourselves over to Christ’s love for us then we become “a new creature; the old things [are] passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Jesus has the power to make us new on the inside. Addictions can be overcome when we accept Christ’s love for us and then learn to depend on Christ’s strength instead of our own. Have you experienced this? If so, then please click on "Comments" and share what Christ has done for you.
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To bail out, or not to bail out—that is on every newscast as I sit down to write today. The economy, the government is telling us, is about to go belly-up and maybe they’re right. That possibility has a lot of people running scared. When the Great Depression hit in 1929, businessmen were jumping out of the windows of office buildings. I guess, when their investments in this life were gone, they felt that life was no longer worth living.
Does the possibility of a bad economy depress you? Let me challenge you with this thought: If a bad economy depresses you, then you have your treasure in the wrong place. I’m not talking about moving your money from stocks into bonds. I’m talking about owning what is permanent instead of what is temporary. Years ago the newspaper columnist, Ann Landers, received a humorous (and true) letter that reminds us that temporary treasures can be confused with permanent treasures. Dear Ann Landers: The letter from the woman married to the tightwad -- she couldn’t get an extra quarter out of him -- reminded me of my wonderful aunt who was beautifully warmhearted and had a great sense of humor. Aunt ‘Emma’ was married to a tightwad who was also a little strange. He made a good salary, but they lived frugally because he insisted on putting 20 percent of his paycheck under the mattress. (The man didn’t trust banks.) The money, he said, was going to come in handy in their old age. When ‘Uncle Ollie’ was 60, he was stricken with cancer. Toward the end, he made Aunt Em promise, in the presence of his brothers, that she would put the money he had stashed away in his coffin so he could buy his way into heaven if he had to. They all knew he was a little odd, but this was clearly a crazy request. Aunt Em did promise, however, and assured Uncle Ollie’s brothers that she was a woman of her word and would do as he asked. The following morning she took the money (about $26,000) to the bank and deposited it. She then wrote a check and put it in the casket four days later.” The truth is that all material things are temporary. There are no U-Haul’s hooked to hearses. Money is necessary in our world today, but it doesn’t give us any lasting contentment. For a Christian large bank accounts or government handouts are not needed in order to be content. Christians don’t need to worry about getting material things because Jesus told us very plainly that He will provide everything we need if we will just put Him first in our everyday lives: “But seek first [God’s] kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33). Jesus also tells us that what we love reveals where our treasure is. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). As the first century church leader Augustine put it: Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; Where your treasure is, there is your heart; Where your heart is, there is your happiness. What exactly is this treasure that we should have our hearts on? Martin Luther, the 16th century reformer, explains what that treasure is: “[Jesus] fulfilled the law for us. He averted the judgment of God from us and appeased God’s wrath. Grace, therefore, costs us nothing, but it cost Another much to get it for us. Grace was purchased with an incalculable, infinite treasure, the Son of God Himself.” Jesus is the greatest treasure of all! How sad to live an entire life seeking the things of this world and then miss out on the greatest treasure in the entire universe. That is why Jesus warns us, “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? (Luke 9:25). I am so glad that I have a treasure that greedy bankers and crooked politicians can’t take away from me. Christ is more precious and more permanent than anything else this world can offer. Is Jesus your greatest treasure? If getting to know Jesus better brings you happiness, then He is your treasure. He should be because Jesus is the only One who can forgive your sins and love you perfectly. Make sure you treasure Jesus Christ as your very own Lord and Savior.
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Has someone disappointed you or let you down recently? Has someone turned on you and hurt you deeply? We all have experienced this kind of hurt. Sadly though, the deepest wounds often come from those who are the closest to us. King David knew what that was like. One of his closest friends abandoned David and began plotting with David’s enemies to have him killed. Listen to the ache it caused in David’s heart, “For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, then I could bear it; nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, then I could hide myself from him. But it is you, a man my equal, my companion and my familiar friend; we who had sweet fellowship together walked in the house of God in the throng” (Psalm 55:12-14).
If we can’t even trust our closest friends to always be faithful, then who can we trust? Thankfully, there is a good answer to that question. Our Creator is completely and perfectly dependable. He can be our closest friend. Everything He promises to do, He does. How can we know for sure that God will always be dependable? Understanding God’s dependability begins with learning that God is nothing like you and me. Our tendency is to think that God is, at least in some ways, much like us. God tells us, though, “I am God, and there is no one like Me” (Isaiah 46:9). “O LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD?” (Psalm 89:8). We can’t compare God to anything else we know. What ways is God so very different from us? One of the most obvious ways that God does not share is our tendency to be constantly changing. Since emotions often change from happy to angry, and back again, many people assume that God is something like that, too. One day we feel good, the next day we don’t. Sometimes we are cheerful and patient. Other times we are grumpy and impatient. God, on the other hand, is always the same. He never loses His temper. He never runs out of patience. He is perfectly and eternally the same. God is not like us because God is eternal. There was never a time that He did not exist. God was never created – He has always been. That is hard for us to accept, because everything else in our world has a beginning. God had no beginning. He will never end. We can trust Him. God’s faithfulness has no limits. “Your lovingkindness, O LORD, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies” (Psalm 36:5). “Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations” (Psalm 119:90). The Bible also reminds us that everything God sets out to do, He accomplishes. God boldly declares, “Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it” (Isaiah 46:11). “The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation” (Psalm 33:11). This truth greatly impacted Thomas Chisholm who, like Abraham Lincoln, was born in a log cabin in Kentucky. When he was a young man he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. His health was never very good, but he was able to hold down a few jobs that ranged from journalism to insurance to preaching. Even though his life was often difficult, he discovered that God was a faithful friend. One of his favorite Bible passages was Lamentations 3:21-25, “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ‛The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‛Therefore I have hope in Him.’ The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.” Those words inspired Thomas Chisholm to write the famous song “Great is Thy Faithfulness” thirty years after he started following Christ. It was relatively unknown until it was sung by George Beverly Shea in many of the Billy Graham Crusades. Have you discovered God’s faithfulness? We all could use a reliable friend, and I’m so glad I found one in Jesus Christ. “You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:14-15). I don’t know what I would do without Him! “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).
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A CNN article dated this last July really caught my attention. It was titled CDC: Antidepressants most prescribed drugs in U.S. The article began this way:
Dr. Ronald Dworkin tells the story of a woman who didn't like the way her husband was handling the family finances. She wanted to start keeping the books herself but didn't want to insult her husband. The doctor suggested she try an antidepressant to make herself feel better. She got the antidepressant, and she did feel better, said Dr. Dworkin, . . . But in the meantime, Dworkin says, the woman's husband led the family into financial ruin. "Doctors are now medicating unhappiness," said Dworkin. "Too many people take drugs when they really need to be making changes in their lives." The woman in this story was unhappy because she wouldn’t make one small change in her life. Other people, though, endure huge hardships with joyful spirits. Their hardships make the worries that this woman had seem relatively unimportant. For example, what would you think about a man who earned degrees in medicine and theology and then left all of the comforts of home to live in the deepest, darkest jungles of Africa? Or what would you think of a man who grew up in Scotland, but decide to spend most of his life mapping the interior of Africa? All of this describes one man – Dr. David Livingstone – who spent almost 32 years exploring and preaching in Africa in the middle 1800's. If anyone would seem to have the right to be depressed, it would have been Dr. Livingstone. His wife died of malaria. Most of the time he spent in Africa he was sick. He suffered from malaria (which eventually took his life) and internal bleeding caused by dysentery. At one point he lost all contact with civilization for six years and was critically ill for the last four years of his life. In spite of all of the obstacles he endured. On March 19, 1872, when he turned fifty-nine years old he wrote, “My birthday! My Jesus, my King, my Life, my All. I again dedicate my whole self to Thee.” When Henry M. Stanley (who had been sent to Africa to find Mr. Livingstone by the New York Herald newspaper) returned to America he said, “I challenge any man to find a fault in his character . . . The secret is that his religion is a constant, earnest and sincere practice.” How did David Livingstone go through so much hardship without even one prescription of antidepressants? I’ll let him answer that question. When he was a very young man he wrote, “It is my desire to show my attachment to the cause of Him Who died for me by devoting my life to His service.” At another time he said, “I place no value on anything I have or possess except in relation to the kingdom of Christ.” Dr. Livingstone’s key to joy was that he lived for Christ, instead of living for himself. We too can have joy in our lives. No matter how hard life gets, we can have inner peace and outward joy when we get to know Christ. The Bible promises, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you [who put all of your faith in Christ, see verse 1] in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Peter 1:2). Knowing Christ as your Lord and Savior is the greatest antidepressant a person could ever have. Maybe we are downing more antidepressants than ever before because we are refusing to follow Christ more than ever before. Paul, another person who had great joy through tough circumstances said, “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).
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I have loved baseball since I was boy growing up in California. I was never able to go to a big league game, but I followed the LA Dodgers very closely. I listened to almost every game on the radio. I dreamed of playing baseball someday, but anyone who watched me play would know that it could never be more than a dream! Let’s just say that I’m not the most athletic person you ever met.
For the last 15 years I have enjoyed following the Phillies and I have become a big fan. I can usually make it to a few games every season at Citizens Bank Park and I listen to games on the radio whenever I can. When the Phillies made an almost unbelievable run to capture the eastern division championship, I don’t have to tell you about the excitement we all felt in this city. The “high-fives” were barely over, though, before the Phillies lost three in a row to the Rockies and the celebration turned into despair. I was sorry along with everyone else that our hopes for a World Series were dashed. I moved on, hoping for better things. Next year? The Eagles? When I flipped on Michael Smerconish’s morning radio talk show today, though, I heard an expert (a psychologist I presume) giving advice about how to handle being a depressed Phillies fan. That got me to thinking. Why would people get that depressed because their favorite sport’s team folded? I don’t remember all of the advice the guy on the radio gave, but let me share some truths from the Bible that cured my “sports depression” and are sure to cure yours. Although I have one kind of love for the Phillies, another far deeper love has captured my true inner passion. I know how much Christ loves me, and because of that I love Him too. This is what Christ did for us: “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him” (Romans 5:6-9 NAU). Jesus is the only One who went through a hellish agony so that our sins could be paid for. A sports team could never do that for us! The temporary joy it provides is soon over, no matter how well they do. Once we understand all that Christ went through for us, then we should respond with a passionate love for Him that pales in comparison to our passion for sports. If you think about it, loving Christ first puts everything else in perspective. Coach John McKay of the University of Southern California put things into perspective after his team was humiliated 51–0 by Notre Dame. McKay came into the locker room filled with worn-out and thoroughly depressed football players who weren’t used to losing. He stood up on a bench and said, “Men, let’s keep this in perspective. There are 800 million Chinese who don’t even know this game was played.” That was perspective. Losing the baseball playoffs is discouraging, but in the grand scheme of things it really doesn’t matter that much. I am so thankful that my passion for Jesus Christ has never let me down. He is always with me (Hebrews 13:5; James 4:8), He takes care of my needs as I pursue Him (Matthew 6:33; Psalm 84:11), He gives me an unfailing sense of peace (Philippians 4:6-7; Matthew 5:6), and the list could go on and on. I love the Phillies, but no where near as much as I love Jesus Christ. Jesus has done so much for me that I can’t help but love Him deeply. That’s my passion. What are you passionate about? Click on "comments" and share your thoughts.
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Wouldn’t you love to find a hidden treasure that is worth millions? That may have just happened! It is reported that a Spanish shipwreck, the Capitana, has been found off the coast of Ecuador. There could be millions of dollars worth of silver coins in the wreckage. It was loaded with 10 million silver pesos when it sank in 1654. They have found some of the coins, but most of them are probably still be under several feet of mud near the mouth of Ecuador's Guayaquil River. Each coin could be worth anywhere from a hundred dollars to several thousand dollars!
This modern day treasure hunt reminded me of what I’ve been reading in the Bible. I have enjoyed reading the Gospel of John lately and I noticed that the crowds who were following Jesus were seeking for a treasure too. It started in Chapter six, verses 1-14, when Jesus took five small loaves of bread and two fish broke them into pieces, and fed 5,000 men, plus the women and children who were with them. The people were thrilled. They wanted to follow a leader who could create food for them whenever they were hungry. They even tried to make Jesus King right then and there (verse 15). He slipped away so that wouldn’t happen and secretly crossed over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. The crowds wouldn’t give up trying to find Him, though. He was a “treasure” who could feed multitudes. Thousands of people crossed the Sea of Galilee searching for Jesus, and they were elated when they finally found Him. You would think that Jesus would have been excited to have so many people looking for Him and wanting Him to be their King. After all, Jesus did claim to be a King in Matthew 27:11. To our surprise, though, Jesus was not impressed with these people. He knew why they wanted to find Him. He knew they weren’t looking for the right kind of treasure. Jesus looked at the crowd and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal” (John 6:26-27). Food is very valuable to a hungry person. Silver is valuable, too. Their value is only temporary, though. Food gets eaten. Silver gets spent. People always want more. There is a treasure that is eternal, though, more valuable than anything else in this world. Jesus explained what it is when He claimed to be more valuable than the miraculous lunch He had created. He said, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst” (John 6:35). Notice how the crowds responded: “Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, ‛I am the bread that came down out of heaven’” (John 6:41). The crowd wasn’t interested in heavenly bread. They only wanted to follow Jesus if He kept performing miracles for them. In our day – two thousand years later – things haven’t changed much. Many people are still only interested in God as long as He gives them the things they want. Sadly, they are settling for second-rate treasures with no eternal value. God Himself is a treasure that is far more valuable than any temporary need or want we may have in this life. This is how we ought to feel: “At night my soul longs for You, indeed, my spirit within me seeks You diligently” (Isaiah 26:9). Paul expressed his feelings for God this way, “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). Jesus is a hidden treasure you can find when you search for Him in the Scriptures. Find your Bible (or contact me and I’ll send you one), go to the Gospel of John, and begin reading. You will discover that Christ is a rich and wonderful treasure!
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When the news broke on October 11th that a small plane had slammed into a high-rise building in New York City, we all wondered the same thing. Was it another terrorist tragedy? As the day wore on, we were relieved and then saddened. First, we learned that it was not a terrorist attack. Later, it was confirmed that Cory Lidle, a former Philly pitcher, and his flight instructor were in the plane and were killed on impact.
Cory Lidle never believed that he would die in an airplane crash, though. In an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer this last summer he was asked about the 1979 plane crash that killed Yankee's catcher Thurman Munson. Cory Lidle replied, "The flying? I'm not worried about it. I'm safe up there." In an earlier interview Lidle explained, "The whole plane has a parachute on it. Ninety-nine percent of pilots that go up never have engine failure, and the one percent that do usually land it. But if you're up in the air and something goes wrong, you pull that parachute, and the whole plane goes down slowly." As we now know, Cory had no time to pull the parachute, and his belief that he was safe was wrong. We can learn from this. Faith, even very sincere faith, can be completely wrong. Cory Lidle's faith in the safety of flying did not protect him. How awful that some people make the same mistake about their eternal destines. I have often heard people say something like, "As long as you have a sincere faith, that is all that matters." Faith is important, but the Bible makes it clear that saving faith must be connected to what is true. In other words, faith in something false has no real value. Suppose, for example, a person is convinced that he can jump off of the PSFS building in Center City and not be hurt. He may feel totally assured of his safety, but the truth is that a fall from that height is suicidal. Sincere belief in something that is not true can be tragic. This is why the Bible talks much about what is real, what is actually true. Jesus said, "you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:32). King David declared, "Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being" (Psalm 51:6). Paul made it clear that saving faith only comes from the truth about Christ: "So faith comes from . . . the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17). The aged Apostle John warns us, "Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth" (1 John 3:18). What is the truth about saving faith? What does the Bible teach? Saving faith means more than just knowing about something. For example, no one thinks that demons will ever have their sins forgiven, and yet the Bible says, "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder" (James 2:19). They know all about God. They believe He exists, but they don't have saving faith. Saving faith in Christ means that we are trusting Christ's work alone to pay the penalty for our sin. If we are even partially trusting in our own hard work, good intentions, or religious acts, then we are not really trusting Christ. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Cory Lidle's death was a tragedy. In our sorrow, though, we can learn something of eternal significance. We can learn that faith must be rooted in truth, and that Christ was right when He said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (NAU). Has the truth of Christ set you free? I would love to hear about it. Click on "comments" and share your thoughts with me.
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There are two birds that live in the deserts of North America. They both live in the same harsh environment, but they are very different. One is the vulture, and the other is the hummingbird. The vulture devours the decomposing meat that he finds on the desert floor, and he flourishes on that diet. The hummingbird, on the other hand, never seems to notice the stench of rotting flesh. He looks for the beautiful blossoms that dot the cactus plants growing out of the parched sand. Both birds seem to find what they are looking for.
This is also true of you and me as we live in this difficult world. We too find what we are looking for. Why is it that two different people can live in the same community, experience similar problems, and yet one will be content, and the other one will only find things to complain about? What's the difference between the two? Although they are both struggling with problems, their focus is different. When life gets hard, we tend to see only our circumstances. That can get really depressing! There seems to be no end to bad news. (By the way, that makes me sometimes wonder why I watch the news on TV every night.) I have learned that it is not possible to be truly happy when I focus on the bad things happening around me. We will not be happy if we are just looking for more money and a better house. That kind of focus is like the vulture that looks for the rotten stuff. The Bible has taught me a better way. It has taught me to have a completely different focus. When you have a few minutes, get out your Bible (I'll send you one for free if you don't have one) and think about these verses. Notice in the first one that King David asked God, "Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a level path" (Psalm 27:11). King David was focusing on God's way, looking for something beautiful like the hummingbird. What is God's "way," though? God's Word will show us. First, we have to learn how good God is. "How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You" (Psalm 31:19). "There is none like You, O Lord; You are great, and great is Your name in might" (Jeremiah 10:6). We also have to turn our anger away from people or circumstances. Instead of hating the sin we see in others around us, we have to learn to hate our own sin just because it offends a holy and grace-loving God. "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight" (Psalm 51:2,4). When we have repented and turned from our own sin, God will turn us into "hummingbirds" who look for and find much beauty in God. After David prayed for the Lord to "purify" and "wash" him from his sin (Psalm 51:7), his gloom turned to joy. "Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. . . . my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness" (Psalm 51:8,12,14). Oh, if we want to find something to complain about, we will. If we are willing to search for the God of the Bible, though, we will find much to be happy about. Let's seek God. If we honestly ask God for His help, we can be like the hummingbird who looks for and finds beauty instead of being like the vulture who stays focused on the rotten things around him. I have a free Bible study that will help you do that, and you are welcome to seek God with us here at Bethel Chapel Church. Also, you can find further information at www.BethelChapelChurch.com. Seek to be more like the hummingbird!
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No, really, I have! Last week my wife and I drove about three hours to a state park in the Poconos called "The Promised Land." It is beautiful! We hiked through hard wood and pine forests. At night we sat beside a beautiful lake and marveled at the thousands of stars twinkling in the sky. The canopy of stars was even perfectly mirrored in the surface of the lake. It was breath taking. You ought to go if you can ever get the chance. We spent two days in a rustic cabin, roughing it a little. We kept warm with a wood burning fire place, and just outside of the cabin, we cooked over an open fire. It was very relaxing, not just because of the quiet beauty, but also because of what was NOT there. For two days we had no television, no computer, no fax machine, and no telephone (well, except for an emergency cell phone that we never used.)
I have learned that taking time away from a hectic lifestyle is very important. Even Jesus got away from the daily grind sometimes. After He had put in many long days preaching and teaching, Jesus turned to His disciples and said, " ‛Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.' (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat)" (Mark 6:31). They needed to rest and have their "batteries recharged" and they had the best place to do it. They were in the presence of Christ. The presence of Christ is the most secure and encouraging place to be. "You hide them in the secret place of Your presence" (Psalm 31:20). We don't have to go to "The Promised Land" before we can enjoy it. How do we get into the presence of Christ now? Do we have to go to church or give an offering or participate in a religious ceremony? The Bible, God's Word, doesn't tell us to do any of those things. God tells us how to experience His presence. The key is given to us in the book called "James," Chapter four, Verses 7-10. Here we are told about four steps that will unlock the door to God's presence in our lives every day. First, when we approach God, we have to admit that He has the right to be in charge. "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." Second, we have to put out effort to find God. "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." I think that a lot of people who complain that they can't find God haven't put out much, if any, effort to search for Him. Since God has revealed who He is in the Bible, we must start there if we want to find God. Third, we must be willing to hate our sin like God does. "Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord." We can't cling to our selfish ways and expect God's presence at the same time. Fourth, we can claim God's promise to us that "He will exalt you." There is nothing like knowing that no matter what happens, the God of the universe is with you! If I can encourage you as you seek the presence of God, please click on "Comments" and let me know.
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What is going on in our country? First it was Bailey, Colorado, then Cazenovia, Wisconsin, and now, only a few miles away, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In less than one week there have been three deadly shootings in schools across America. We watch the evening news and just shake our heads. What would possess a person to brutally kill innocent children?
I struggle, as you do, to understand what would make a person do such horrible things. Sometimes we try to explain this kind of behavior by calling it "inhuman." I wish that was a good explanation, but I don't think is it. Let me tell you why. Like it or not, these murderers are actually members of the human race. God has told us that we are all creatures with a strong tendency to do things that God hates. Notice how the Lord describes each of us in the sixth book of the New Testament: "There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one" (Romans 3:10-12). Yes, most of us have not, and never will, go berserk and begin killing other human beings. I'm thankful for that – but we all do act and think in ways that a holy God considers detestable. What can we as humans do about our rotten, inner core? Jesus said that following Him is the answer. In fact, He called His followers the "salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13). Salt holds back corruption. We desperately need that, don't we? It is very interesting that the Lord would use salt to describe Christians. Salt is actually a combination of chloride (or chlorine) and sodium. Chlorine is a very dangerous poisonous gas, but when it is combined with sodium, it becomes one of the most useful substances on earth. In this illustration Jesus powerfully illustrated a truth about humanity. Our human natures have been infected with the poison of sin. "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard" (Romans 3:23). Apart from Christ, we are poison to ourselves and others. The amazing news is that when our corrupt natures are combined with faith in the power of Christ's forgiveness, a miraculous change takes place. We are "justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24). So we can know that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Wow! There is an eternal and absolute cure for our dangerous condition! Our world is filled with poison, but Christ is the cure. "Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts" (Romans 13:13-14). Don't confuse God's transforming power with outwardly religious actions. At least some of these murders of children went to church. They worked hard to use religion to cover their inner rottenness. It didn't work. We need a makeover form the inside. We need to be "rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Colossians 1:13). We need to be born again.
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