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SOME ENCOURAGING NEWS

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In my reading earlier today three articles got my attention and I was encouraged by each of them. At first I thought I would write this week’s blog about them, but decided it would be far better just to share them with readers. They are all brief and informative.

The articles were in a daily email I receive called Christian News Today for Church Leaders. I hope you find them encouraging and appreciate them as much as I did.

Atheists Society Secretary Resigns After Finding Jesus

https://churchleaders.com/news/398668-atheists-society-secretary-resigns-after-finding-jesus.html?utm_source=CL-meta&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=CL-meta-&maropost_id=742227724&mpweb=256-9399275-742227724

Virginia Democrats Gaslight Pastor Who Stood Up To Defend Christian Teacher’s Biblical Stand On Marriage

https://christiannewsnow.com/virginia-democrats-gaslight-pastor-who-stood-up-to-defend-christian-teachers-biblical-stand-on-marriage/?utm_source=CL-meta&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=CL-meta-&maropost_id=742227724&mpweb=256-9399275-742227724

High School Valedictorian Wins a Victory for Religious Rights

https://churchleaders.com/news/398205-elizabeth-turner-jesus-death-speech.html

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THE GIFT OF MEMORY

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With the celebration of our 47th Wedding Anniversary this past Monday and Memorial Day coming up this coming Monday I’ve been thinking about The Gift of Memory. Most of the time we take our memory for granted, but when we are aware of loved ones and friends who are losing their memory we realize how important it is.

Often something reminds me of my past and as I revisit memories of people, places, and periods of time gone by I become somewhat somber. I don’t think it’s because they are unpleasant memories, but because those memories are reminders of things that were so meaningful and enjoyable.

I cannot remember when it was said or who said it, but I recall hearing a speaker (I think it was a preacher) say, “We tend to remember what we should forget and forget what we should remember.” I don’t know how true it is, but there are some things we’d like to forget if we could, but hopefully many more that we do remember. Alan Jackson’s song Precious Memories reminds us that all of us have some memories that we love to revisit.

The saying “take a walk down memory lane” makes sense to me. Occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, holidays, and deaths invite us to take that walk. A stroll down memory lane usually means to remember pleasant things, rather than bad memories.

When it comes to looking back, most of the time I am a real softie. And like many people, in addition to the occasions mentioned above, hearing old songs takes me back to earlier times in my life.

Memory and memories are to most of us gifts. We can’t return to the past and shouldn’t live in the past, but we can remember the past. We can enjoy our memories and sometimes even learn from them.

As we come to Memorial Day this Monday let’s remember that memory is a gift. Let’s also be reminded that Memorial Day began as a day to honor men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

Memorial Day, however, is not the only day on which we remember. While we do remember both the good and the bad in our past, perhaps this is a good day to focus on the good in our past and express gratitude to God and others for our precious memories.

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Cloud Stock photos by Vecteezy

WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE, WAS TENNYSON RIGHT?

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Most of us are somewhat familiar with the poet Tennyson’s observation “it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Apparently not everyone agrees with Tennyson’s observation because with the passing of time his observation has been turned into a question, “Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?”

My sense is that the answer to the question would depend upon people’s experiences with love. I don’t know if Tennyson was referring only to people, but we all know that even though we do love people, our love is not limited to people. For example, in my life I have loved many pets that eventually died. I grieved the loss of each one, but never regretted loving any of them.

In terms of my work as a pastor, I have served and left four churches. My first experience was as a summer intern youth minister. As I left that church to return to college I was stunned how hard it was for me to leave.

Following my summer internship I got a part time youth minister position close to the college I was attending. I stayed there for five years, but eventually accepted the opportunity to serve a small church near the East coast. As we pulled out of the church parking lot in our U-Haul I could not hold back the tears.

The same thing happened 10 years later as we went to the airport to head to California where I had the opportunity to plant a church. Some 33 years later I was embarrassed (although I should not have been) to cry as I began my drive to Texas after I said good-by to three of my best friends with whom I played golf.

All of us have lost loved ones (family and friends) and grieved their passing. I could go on with more examples but I think the point is clear. All of us have loved and lost in a variety of ways and situations.

Let’s return to Tennyson’s observation as well as try to answer the question people have asked in light of his statement. While some may reject it, I’m confident the majority would agree with Tennyson’s observation, “It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” But how do we answer the question, “Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?”

In a 2012 article Dr. Jennifer L. Kunst suggests “We ask, wouldn’t it be better to protect ourselves from the pain of loss by never loving—really loving—at all?” Some may ask that question, but I don’t think many do. Dr. Kunst reminds us that “painful feelings of loss are an inevitable part of love. To be true to my best self, I must embrace the reality that the more I love, the more painful the loss.”

Perhaps the questions we might ask ourselves are, “Is it worth it? Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?” My answer is a resounding yes. I agree with Dr. Kunst, “How sad it would be to live our lives in a mode of self-protection that costs us some of the most precious experiences of life: to love and to be loved.”

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SHOULD WE READ OLD OR NEW BOOKS?

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My answer to the question asked in the title of this post is BOTH! I realize some enjoy reading more than others do, but most people do some reading.

Earlier this week I was reminded that I need to be reading both new and old books. We’re calling one of the Bible studies I am currently leading “An Overview of the Book of Revelation.” To prepare for this study I ordered a couple of newer books about Revelation that I have found useful.

In preparing for this week’s discussion I remembered a set of commentaries on the New Testament I have that I had not yet consulted in our overview. The set was written by William Barclay and is entitled THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE SERIES.

In just the introduction to his commentary on Revelation I found both the first and last paragraphs powerful and worthy of sharing with those in my overview. I want to share them with you as well.

On page one Barclay writes, “When a student of the New Testament embarks upon the study of the Revelation he [sic] feels himself projected into a new and a different world. Here is something quite unlike the rest of the New Testament. Not only is Revelation different; it is also notoriously difficult for a modern mind to understand. The result is that the Revelation has sometimes been abandoned as quite unintelligible, and it has sometimes become the playground of religious eccentrics, who use it to map out celestial timetables of what is to come, or who find in it evidence for their own eccentricities.”

Twenty-four pages later he concludes his introduction, “No one can shut his [sic] eyes to the difficulty of the Revelation. It is the most difficult book in the Bible; but it is infinitely worth studying for it contains the blazing faith of the Christian Church in the days when life was agony, when men expected the end of the heavens and the earth as they knew them, and when they still believed that beyond the terror there was glory, and that above the raging of men was the power of Almighty God” (p. 24).

Barclay wrote the FOREWARD to THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE SERIES at the end of 1958 and it was first published in Scotland in 1959. My set of the series was given to me almost 50 years ago.

I’m still reading new books on Revelation (my newest was published in 2019) and doing my best to better understand this last book of the Bible. Even for those who are not particularly interested in Revelation, I recommend the first and last paragraphs of Barclay’s introduction. After some 70 years I think what he wrote is still worth reading.

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A SIMPLE AND ENCOURAGING REMINDER

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The last few weeks I’ve been leading a study of the letters from Jesus to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3 in the book of Revelation. The next five weeks I will be leading a basic overview of the entire book. In my reading for this flyover of the book I came across a simple declaration I found encouraging.

Towards the end of his book about the seven letters author Stanley D. Gayle reminds his readers that “Jesus is the risen, reigning, and returning KING.” All three of those descriptive words of Jesus give comfort, hope, joy, and anticipation to his followers.

We are almost a month past our Easter celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, but we never tire of having our attention called to his victory over death. Calling our attention to Jesus’ resurrection also reminds us of his death on the cross through which he paid the penalty for our sin and provided for our forgiveness.

Gayle not only reminds us that Jesus rose from the dead, but also that following his resurrection (and a variety of appearances) Jesus ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And it is from there, of course, that Jesus reigns as king. The Apostle Peter made it clear in his Pentecost sermon in Acts 2:32 and 33, “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” The writer of Hebrews makes the same point: “After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (Hebrews 1:3b).

The third of Gayle’s reminders is the one for which we are still waiting and looking forward to. One of the best known statements from Jesus himself about his return is in John 14:2 and 3, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” One of Paul’s best known teachings about Jesus’ return is in I Thessalonians 4: 16 and 17, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”  

Jesus, the Son of God, is indeed the risen, reigning, and returning KING. Aren’t you glad; and don’t you look forward to his return? Keep in mind what Jesus said, “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done” (Revelation 22:12).

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THE CALL, CHALLENGE, AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO OVERCOME

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This coming week I will conclude a Bible study of the seven letters of Jesus to the seven churches in Asia Minor in Revelation 2 and 3. It has been an interesting and rewarding study even though we have not been able to understand as much as we would have liked. That, of course, is true of all the book of Revelation.

What has especially grabbed my attention the last several weeks is the inclusion of a specific promise to the readers in each of the letters who overcome. I repeatedly asked myself the question, “What does the verb overcome mean?” Various renderings used in a variety of translations give us some help:

Revelation 2:7b, “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (NIV).

Revelation 2:11, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit sayeth unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death” (King James Version).

Revelation 2:17b, “I will give some of the hidden manna to everyone who wins the victory. I will also give to each one who wins the victory a white stone with a new name written on it. No one knows this new name except the one who receives it” (New Century Version).

Revelation 2:26, “To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, to them I will give authority over all the nations” (New Living Translation).

Revelation 3:5, “All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine” (New Revised Standard Version).

Revelation 3:12, “I’ll make each conqueror a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, a permanent position of honor. Then I’ll write names on you, the pillars: the Name of my God, the Name of God’s City—the New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven—and my new Name” (The Message).

Revelation 3:21, ”To him who overcomes will I grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” (Modern English Version).

Even though I don’t totally understand them, those are some wonderful promises Jesus gives to those to whom he writes (including us!) if they overcome.

To give you a little more to think about, I close with some selected quotes from a few Bible scholars I find helpful and informative:

John Stott, “the one who conquers is the one who keeps my (Jesus’) works until the end” (Revelation 2:26).

Robert Mounce, “The overcomer in Revelation is not one who has conquered an earthly foe by force, but one who has remained faithful to Christ to the very end.”

Bruce Metzger, “The word conquer is a military term. It suggests that the Christian life, so far from being a bed of roses, involves a struggle against anyone and everything that saps the Christian life of all that gives it strength and power.”

Stanley Gayle, “To overcome is to remain faithful to Jesus.”

Robert Mounce notes the phrase “to the one who is victorious” in Revelation 2:7 and 3:12 “conveys the idea of stability and permanence.”

Craig Keener observes the phrase “the one who is victorious” in Revelation 2:11 “suggests withstanding persecution.”

Robert Mounce comments on the phrase in Revelation 3:5 “The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white” “that the white garments promised . . . represent an attire appropriate to the heavenly state.”

Leon Morris explains the promise of Revelation 3:21, “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,” “the throne signifies royal honour, and a place with Christ is the highest honour conceivable for a Christian.”

Perhaps sharing as much as I have gives you insight into why these letters of Jesus to the churches grabbed my attention. Regardless of the different translations, it is obvious that Christians are to be overcomers or victorious. And I hope you have been reminded of Jesus’ call, challenge, and encouragement to overcome.

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HAVE YOU EVER BEEN DISAPPOINTED?

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I’m confident everyone who would answer the question in the title of this post would say “yes.” And if the yes answers were explained, there would be a variety of things that have disappointed all of us.

Reading a sermon entitled The Giant of Disappointment by Pastor Joel Sutton a few days ago got me thinking about disappointment. I reread the written sermon and was surprised to read that “Author John Cheever writes that the main emotion the average American feels is disappointment.” Yes, we all experience disappointment, but I have to question that it is the main emotion of the average American.

Everyone deals with disappointment; some disappointments are smaller than others and some are larger than others. Sometimes others disappoint us and often we disappoint ourselves. A brief definition of disappointment explains that it is sadness or displeasure resulting from nonfulfillment of our hopes and expectations. When things don’t go according to our plans, we often feel disappointment.

Pastor Sutton reminds us, “Sometimes promising opportunities are not as appealing as they looked when we first decided to step through the door.” In other words, dreams can turn into nightmares. We may wish it were different, but Pastor Sutton is right when he tells us, “Just because you are a Christian doesn’t mean you are immune to disappointments.”

Two paragraphs above I noted that sometimes others disappoint us and that we sometimes disappoint ourselves, but we should also keep in mind that we disappoint others. Think of some of the people we sometimes disappoint: our parents, our friends, our teachers, and many others.

In thinking about all of this, it occurred to me that we also disappoint God. I don’t think it surprises Him, and He certainly doesn’t quit loving us, but knowing we have disappointed Him may be helpful to us. During our Easter celebration I could not help but wonder if both Peter and Thomas had disappointed Jesus to some degree by their actions: denial and unbelief.

After I reviewed Sutton’s sermon a few times I found two articles with the same title: Dealing with Disappointment by two different authors: Tara Wells and Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries.

Wells explains that “when we believe that there’s something we must have to be happy and fulfilled, we can set ourselves up for disappointment.” She notes that when we believe something is going to make us happy, and when it doesn’t, we’re disappointed.

Some people avoid disappointment by lowering their expectations. They have decided that the best strategy is to exchange high expectations for realistic expectations. The problem for these people, however, is that there is no guarantee that their realistic expectations can or will be met.

Disappointments are not pleasant, but they can teach and strengthen us if we are open to it. Kets de Vries points out that “Many people successfully work through their disappointments. Somehow they have the strength to take stock of what has happened to them, learn from the incident, and move on. They come out of such disappointments stronger.” He makes it sound easier that it is for most of us, but he does give us some help for moving forward. He suggests that “constructively dealing with disappointment can contribute to personal growth and make for greater resilience.” He points out that many people, when faced with disappointment, wrongly tend to blame themselves.

I want to wrap this post up with what I think are four vital truths from Kets de Vries for dealing with disappointment from:

  1. To manage disappointment, we need to differentiate between situations that fall within our control and factors that are beyond it.
  2. We also need to check whether our expectations are reasonable. Are we setting our goals too low or setting our expectations too high?
  3. In spite of whatever disappointing experiences come our way, our challenge will be to not let bitterness take root.
  4. Disappointment is not meant to destroy us. If taken in stride, it can strengthen us and make us better.

Feel free to leave a comment below and/or share this post on Facebook.

By the way, I hope this post has not disappointed anyone!

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What Did Jesus mean “It is Finished”?

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The four Gospels tell us of seven sayings of Jesus from the cross when he was crucified on what we call Good Friday. Each of Jesus’ seven sayings are important, but my favorite is the sixth one, “It is Finished.” The question we ask ourselves in considering this saying is, “What was Jesus referring to with the “It” in his saying “It is Finished?”

I’m confident it’s not what at least a couple of authors suggest. One observer suggests “some may hear in Jesus’ words disappointment.” But as we’ll affirm later, even in the face of pain and pending death on the cross, Jesus certainly wasn’t disappointed.

Was Jesus referring to the reason for his coming? Are things coming to a sad ending in terms of his purpose? Do the words “It is Finished” mean that Jesus had failed or that his mission wasn’t accomplished?

Please note that Jesus did not say, “I am finished,” but rather “It is Finished.” Nor did anyone else who was there declare while Jesus was dying on the cross, or after he died, “He is finished.”

New Testament scholar Leon Morris explains, “It could mean that Jesus’ earthly life was over, he was about to die. But, while that was true, the more important truth is that the death of Jesus meant the completion of the work of salvation for which he had come to earth.”

The “it” in Jesus’ words “It is finished” refers to the reason for and purpose in his coming. The “it” in Jesus’ words “It is finished” points to the perfect plan of God the Father and the mission for which Jesus came. “It is finished” underscored the fulfillment of the Father’s will. It was a clear announcement that in dying on the cross Jesus completed what he came to do. In his book The Cross of Christ John Stott tells us the verb finished is in the perfect sense and it means “it has been and will for ever remain finished” (p.82).

The saying reminds us of what Jesus said early in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” It’s as if Jesus was saying, “I have done the task the Father asked me to do.” Jesus accomplished what he came into the world to do.

The words from the cross “It is finished” is a statement of triumph. His death finished the ransom payment for the sins of those – including us today – who accept him as our Savior. But Jesus’ statement “It is finished” cannot mean there is nothing else that he would do. The primary purpose of his coming was complete.

After Jesus died they took his body from the cross and buried it in an unused grave. But even though Jesus had finished what he came to do, on Easter Sunday morning he rose from the dead. According to the Apostle Paul in Romans 1, “Jesus was proved and attested to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection.”

Forty days after his resurrection Jesus returned to His Father, and multiple times the New Testament reminds us that Jesus was exalted and sits at the right hand of God. Not only that, we know that someday Jesus will come again to welcome and receive us to return with him to the Father and live forever in heaven. And we will do that because in his first coming he finished what he came to do.

On this Good Friday we are reminded and remember again that it was a Friday, and just before he died on the cross he declared, “It is finished.” And for that we thank and praise him who is both our Savior and our Lord.

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A PRAYER YOU MAY WANT TO PRAY

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While driving home last week I heard a song on the radio that grabbed my attention. The writer and singer of the song was voicing a prayer that I thought would be good for me to pray. When I got home I found the lyrics on the internet and as I read them thought others might also be interested in praying the prayer.

I was concerned about copyright restrictions and sent the following email to author and singer Brandon Holt requesting his permission:

Brandon, I heard your song “Less of Me, More of You” on The Message yesterday and was challenged and moved by it. I am writing to request your permission to use the lyrics in a blog post suggesting believers use your lyrics as a prayer. I do not generate any income on my blog posts. I understand if you cannot give me permission, but I do believe my readers would love it and possibly get your album. Let me know asap as I would like to share the lyrics during Holy Week. Thank you and keep up the good work.

Within about 15 minutes I received the following email from Brandon:

Hey Sir!

Thanks for reaching out. I truly appreciate that. I’m honored to hear the song touched you. Please FEEL FREE to use it however you’d like. I pray it will bless all who are connected to you! 

Be blessed!! 

Enjoy the lyrics below, consider praying them, and find a way to listen to Brandon sing them.

Brandon Holt – Less of Me, More of You Lyrics

My heart desire is to be close to you
Nothing more to say, noting more left to do
So quench this thirsty soul
And take complete control
Until there’s less of me and more of you

More of your power, more of your glory
More of your righteousness
and holiness in my life
More of your kindness
more of your spirit lord
My heart desire is less of me more of you
My heart desire is to be close to you
Nothing more to say, noting more left to do
So quench this thirsty soul
And take complete control
Until there’s less of me and more of you

More of your power, more of your glory
More of your righteousness
and holiness in my life
More of your kindness
more of your spirit Lord
My heart desire is less of me more of you

I give my life
I give my soul
I am yours
Take control
Fully I surrender

Everything that I am
I place my life in your hands
fully I surrender for more of your power
More of your glory
More of your righteousness
And holiness in my life
More of kindness
More of your spirit lord
My heart desire is less of me and more of your power
More of your glory, more of your righteousness and holiness in my life
More of your kindness more of your spirit lord
My heart desire is less of me and more of you
My heart desire is less of me and more of you

I hope you enjoy the next few days of Holy Week and find Brandon’s music and words as challenging and inspirational as I did.

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WHEN WE DISAGREE

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I think all of us agree that there are times when we disagree. And we disagree on many things ranging from our favorite place to eat to our political preferences to what we believe about religion. There’s nothing out of the ordinary or wrong with disagreeing. The challenge for us is how we disagree and our attitude when doing so.

The last couple of weeks I’ve been reading a book about Catholics and Evangelicals–what they have in common and their differences (Holy Ground: Walking with Jesus as a Former Catholic by Chris Castaldo). Chapters 10 and 11 have been especially encouraging to me not just in discussing differences between Catholics and Evangelicals, but in all kinds of differences.

One of the most important things the author relates concerns a ride to the airport he gave to a well-known leading Catholic. It took just over an hour to get to the airport and Castaldo writes that they talked about a wide range of issues. I was personally convicted by Castaldo’s words, “We disagreed seriously on a lot of things; however, we could still speak with mutual respect” (p. 148). I asked myself, why can’t all of us treat those with whom we disagree with respect?

Later in the chapter Castaldo hit me with three other observations that gave me a lot more to think about. He confessed, “It makes me uncomfortable when people assert their beliefs in an absolute sort of way” (p. 151). He went on to suggest, “The problem is when we insist that others believe just as we do” (p. 151). Are there any two people you know who believe exactly the same about anything that can be controversial? His conclusion also forced me to do some thinking: “it’s just not right to impose your view on everyone else” (p. 151).

It was also somewhat refreshing to me to read Castaldo’s affirmation in chapter 11, “While there are many important doctrines that divide Catholics and Evangelicals, there is also much on which we agree” (p.163). I fear that too often in many of our disagreements we ignore what we agree on and focus too much on those things we disagree on. Although I know I’ve been guilty myself, I love his wisdom: “While we must agree to disagree in some places, courteous dialogue is a much more Christian approach than throwing polemical hand grenades over the ecclesial fence” (p. 168).

Some of our harsh demeaning disagreement in a variety of discussions is an indicator of pride. I know I need to show more humility in disagreements. Castaldo again shares some wisdom when he notes, “Being humble doesn’t mean that we have compromised our conviction of what constitutes truth any more than being meek suggests that one is devoid of strength” (p. 168).

For those who may be interested, Holy Ground: Walking with Jesus as a Former Catholic is a very readable and helpful book about Catholics and Evangelicals. Remember also that the wisdom of author Chris Castaldo is not just about the differences between Catholics and Evangelicals. I’ve tried to highlight some principles and ideas that seem helpful for dealing with our disagreements with others if we will apply them.

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