I Am Not Ashamed Of The Gospel

 Pastor Barry Kerner

Matthew wrote that Jesus came to His Disciples and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

I’ve always believed that the biggest word in the Bible is “Go.” Christ said that being a Christian, a follower of Jesus, involves action on our part.

All Christians are given the mandate to preach the Gospel to all nations, even to all creation. (Mark 16:15). It’s our divine duty and privilege to tell people who Christ Jesus is and what He has done for us. And not only is the Gospel of Christ a message of hope – it’s the only message that will bring life to those who receive it the right way.

The apostle Paul asserted, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”” (Romans 1:16-17)

As recipients of God’s love and salvation through the atoning work of Christ, this should be our declaration as well.

When an aging Paul wrote the last of his inspired letters shortly before he was martyred in Rome, he used powerful words to remind his young protege Timothy of the priority of his calling and ministry, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ … preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. … Do the work of an evangelist”(2 Timothy 4:1–2, 5).

We need to remember that if it weren’t for the love of God that gave boldness to someone who shared the Gospel to us, we wouldn’t even be Christian today. There are many instances, however, that we Christians actually become ashamed of the very message that caused us to believe in Christ and be saved by Him.

Preaching the Gospel is not an option. The Lord Jesus came to seek and save the lost and we are called to do the same. He has entrusted all born-again Christians with the ministry of reconciliation and He expects us to be faithful in sharing the Good News.

There are times though when our words and actions may call into question whether we truly believe that the Gospel is the only hope for all who are lost.

We are ashamed of the Gospel when we water down the word!

When we try to share the Gospel of Christ, do we try to make it sound politically correct so that we won’t be labeled as “extreme”? Or, when we try to preach the Gospel, do we take away the seemingly “harsh” topics of sin and human depravity, so that we won’t sound offensive? Our society has become so secularized today. Some churches feel like they have to adapt to the culture, but by doing so they can shy away from clearly presenting the Gospel, as though ashamed to talk about Jesus Christ who died to save us from our sins. They may feel that the Gospel sounds too radical for the culture–but it is radical. “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

If we, as Christians, truly believe that the gospel is so powerful, wonderful, and deep that even angels look into the mysterious depths of it (1 Peter 1:12), then why is it that we tend not to preach this immeasurable message when evangelizing? In the name of being relational and “seeker friendly,” we can often leave out vital elements of true gospel preaching. When we water down the gospel to make it less offensive to our audience, it loses its power completely.

We must relentlessly and boldly preach the message of the cross of Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection.

We are ashamed of the Gospel when we present it as an “option” rather than an ultimatum!

We can fall into the trap of presenting the Gospel as “another” way to life, eternal security, and true joy and peace. Jesus is black-and-white regarding salvation. In Mark 16:16 Jesus said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Much of what we call evangelism today isn’t true evangelism. We can call it what we like, but unless a person is confronted with the fact that unless they confess and repent of their sins they are headed for destruction, we are not evangelizing. Most lost people don’t believe they are lost. Sadly many church members don’t realize that they too are lost and live the illusion that they have been saved and are still under the penalty for their sins. They’ve joined a church, pay their dues and play their parts. Unfortunately they’ve never given their life over to Christ. They were given the option of joining “the club”and liked what they saw they came onboard but they never came to Christ.

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Such an exclusive statement may grate on the postmodern ear, and offend many but it is true nonetheless. The Bible teaches that there is no other way to salvation than through Jesus Christ. He is not a way, as in one of many; He is the way, as in the one and only. No one, regardless of reputation, achievement, special knowledge, or personal holiness, can come to God the Father except through Jesus.

When we treat the Gospel of Christ as “one of the ways” to be God’s child or perhaps “a good way” to bless someone, we treat it like an option. Going to church, doing good things, even reading the Bible is a good thing, but these aren’t enough to save anybody. Those who want to be saved must believe in Christ

We are ashamed of the Gospel when we shy away from sharing it!

When we prefer to simply be “a good friend” or a “good Christian” to others without sharing the Gospel to them, we actually are hiding what we believe in from them. How can we be a good friend if we don’t tell them what Christ did for them and what He demands for us to be saved?  And when we tell ourselves we’re being salt and light but we don’t tell them the source of that salt and light in us, then what good is it?

It may be that we fear the risk of being rejected but we must remember Christ said, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12)

It may be that we believe that we are able to share the Gospel through our actions. Unfortunately our kind acts and thoughtful deeds have limited power in themselves. While your lifestyle may make someone open to hearing the Gospel,  Romans 10:14 makes clear that the word must be shared, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

We often shy away from telling people about Jesus because we think it’s some sort of sales job where we have to convince people to become a follower of Christ. There’s certainly a critical element of persuasion in urging someone to repent and believe the gospel. But personal evangelism isn’t about making people Christians. That’s God’s job, not ours, and he does it through the power of the gospel. Our job is to faithfully explain the gospel, to help people understand what Jesus has done for us through his life, death, and resurrection, so that the gospel can accomplish its saving work in their life.

To many, sharing the Christian faith is not easy. Face-to-face discussions are not easy for many people. This is probably why the church has a difficult time influencing the culture today. We don’t have a presence other than a church building and its sign out front.

Paul insisted that he was not ashamed of the Gospel. He knew it to be the power of God for salvation to everyone who believed (Romans 1). He knew he was the messenger of the gospel and not the power behind it. The power of its efficacy comes through the Holy Spirit. We need not be ashamed or afraid to share the gospel because Christ has already endured the cross and suffered the shame for his preaching, and we are called to boldly share that same message.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope for our turbulent world. The gospel of Jesus Christ is that which transformed Paul’s life and made him love those he hated before. That gospel has transformed millions of life all over the world. It has transformed my life to make me see others as God sees them: not in terms of black and white, Gentile or Jew, but God’s beautiful creations.

When you have been transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, the love of God is shed in your heart to love people, whether they look like you or not, and you want to spread goodness and God’s love wherever you go, regardless of who they are. That was what happened to Paul; that is what happens to you if you accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is authentic and real. That was why Paul, one of the greatest people ever to live on this earth said: he was not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. God’s love changed his life forever.

I pray that all believers will be able to overcome and be unashamed of the Gospel that sets people free from sin. Think about this: If those who shared the Gospel to you were ashamed of it, you wouldn’t have heard it. If the disciples of Christ shied away from sharing the Gospel for fear of rejection or ridicule, who would have heard it?

If Christ Himself was ashamed of God’s plans and love for all of us who are destined for God’s wrath, then who could have been saved? 

If Christ humbled Himself for us how then can we be ashamed of Him?

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It’s Not Over

Romans 8:28

Pastor Barry Kerner

We all love a good comeback story. A story about those who have been beaten down, overwhelmed, and who have come out of nowhere, out of obscurity and hopeless conditions to beat the odds.

I think the king of the comeback has to be Abraham Lincoln. Born into poverty, Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout his life. He lost eight elections, twice failed in business and suffered a nervous breakdown. Lincoln experienced setback after setback. He could have quit many times – but he didn’t and because he didn’t quit, he became one of the greatest presidents in the history of our country.

There’s a phrase, “It’s not over till it’s over!”

It’s said that American baseball legend Yogi Berra first uttered the phrase about baseball’s 1973 National League pennant race. His team was a long way behind when he said it and they did eventually rally to win the division title. It’s not the only offbeat quote from the sportsman – there’s also the existential “It’s like deja-vu all over again” or the wry “Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t go to yours” – but there is something about the never-say-die, no-matter-the-odds-we-can-do-this spirit of “It ain’t over…” that finds a place to inspire, time and time again.

It tells people to wait, don’t make a judgment yet, because the struggle still might be turned around.

We’ve all experienced setbacks. An unexpected change from better to worse, a disappointment, a reversal. Lincoln endured setbacks on the way to winning the presidency, Yogi Berra’s  Mets experienced setbacks on their way to winning the pennant.

You may be struggling with a setback right now. You may think it’s over but I’ll tell you, “It Ain’t.” Hebrews 12:2 reminds us to, “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” God began a good work in you and God will see it through to the end. You see, we serve a Finisher

That’s the Good News message of Easter – We serve a finisher and It’s not finished till it’s finished. It’s not over till it’s over!

One of the greatest strategies of the enemy is to convince you to give up on your faith. If he can’t succeed at that, then his objective is to persuade you to settle for less than what God has planned for you. Don’t give up when victory is just around the corner!

Jesus Christ died and rose again in victory over sin, and death and grave, so that we can have victory.

The victory is there. We just have to claim it.

Oh Victory in Jesus!

My Savior forever

He sought me and bought me

With His redeeming blood.

He loved me er’e I knew Him.

And all my love is due Him.

He plunged me to victory

Beneath the cleansing flood!

We have the power of the blood of Jesus

There’s protection thru the blood

There’s healing thru the blood

There’s deliverance thru the blood

There’s cleansing for your conscience thru the blood

There’s access into the presence of God thru the blood

There is overcoming power thru the blood

Revelation 12:11 tells us believers will overcome Satan by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony.”

The same word that God used to create the universe.

The same word that Jesus used to cast out demons and to heal the sick, to open blind eyes and unstop deaf ears.

The same word that allowed Jesus, our finisher, to endure the cross and with a dying breath utter, “It is finished!”

And, the same word that ushered in a new beginning when it rolled back the stone, breathed life into Him again and raised Him from the dead.

Psalm 119:89 says, “Thy word is eternal, forever O Lord thy word is settled in heaven.

There is healing power in the word

There is delivering power in the word

Psalms 107:20 tells us, “He sent his word and healed them and delivered them from all their destruction’s.”

There is power in the blood of the lamb.

And, there’s power in the word of God.

And as sons and daughters of God, Co-heirs with Christ, we’ve inherited them both.

There is nothing too hard for the God we serve.

He can turn a red sea into a super highway.

He can cause water to flow out of a rock like a river.

He can open blind eyes, unstop deaf ears, and make the lame to walk. He can raise the dead, walk on water, calm the storm, and feed the multitude.  Why? Because when God’s in it, It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over!

He can save the drug addict, deliver them and set them free, and fill them with the Holy Ghost.

He can heal broken hearts, restore marriages and put families back together again, Save Souls from Hell. And you know why! Because when God’s in it, It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over!

Jesus came to prophesy life, Jesus came to prophesy restoration and healing. Jesus came to prophesy new beginnings.

Today, Easter Sunday, is the day we celebrate new beginnings, of restoration, and of resurrection.

Let me tell you, “When God’s in it, It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over.”

That, I believe, is the message of Easter.  That’s why today is such a glorious day. We celebrate a new beginning. God can bring life out of death, victory out of defeat, resurrection out of crucifixion.  So, don’t close the books on a life too soon.  Don’t throw in the towel prematurely.  Don’t walk away from a problem before you ought to.  If God is in it, it’s not over until it’s over.

From his birth Jesus was on a collision course with death. When the announcement of his birth came to Herod, the king, he ordered all male babies two years of age and under put to death to make sure he killed the newborn king.

From the outset of his earthly ministry Jesus was confronted with opposition, rejection, and scorn.  The leaders of Israel soon determined he must die.  There was no other way to silence him. The shadow of the cross seemed always to hang over him. He said to his disciples, “The son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and give his life a ransom for many.”  He announced to them, on more than one occasion, that he must go to Jerusalem where he would be betrayed, crucified, and then raised again.  As he neared Jerusalem, in the closing days of his life, he said, “And I, if I be lifted up (speaking of his approaching death on the cross) will draw all men unto me.”  

The cross never took him by surprise.  It was always before him. Then the day that shall live in infamy came.  It was the darkest hour in human history.  Jesus, the son of God, was betrayed by Judas, one of his closest friends.  He went through the mockery of a trial under the guidance of the most respected religious leader in Israel.  He was sentenced to death by the puppet procurator Pontius Pilate. He was nailed to the old rugged cross like a common criminal. And, finally, he was laid to rest in the borrowed tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.

If you had asked his disciples who had followed him for three years and were now huddled in fear in an upper room, “Is it over?” with tears in their eyes and quivering voices they would have replied with one accord, “Yes, it’s over.  It’s finished. It’s all over.”

Ask Judas, who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, “Judas, is it over?” And he would have answered, “Yes, it’s over.  I wish it weren’t.  I have betrayed a friend.  I wish I could make it right, but I can’t.  Yeah, it’s over, all over.”

Ask Caiaphas, the high priest of Israel, “Caiaphas, is it over?” “Yes,” he would have said, “thank God, it’s finally over.  At last we’re through with the troublemaker.  It had to come to this, you know.  I’m glad we’re rid of him. I’m glad it’s over”

Ask Pilate, the vacillating puppet of Rome who sentenced Jesus to death knowing full well he was innocent of any crime, “Pilate, is it all over?”  “Yes it is,” Pilate would have responded, “it’s over. That Jesus wasn’t guilty of any crime, but at least this will satisfy the people and we can have peace once again.  Yes, it’s over and I wash my hands of it all”

Ask the Roman soldier who presided over the crucifixion, “Captain, is it over?”  And he would have answered, “Yes, it’s over.  I have presided over hundreds of these executions.  It’s a nasty business.  And this one was worse than most.  We pierced his side to be certain of his death and I’m 100 percent sure it’s over, it’s all over.”

LUKE 24:13-55

There were others that thought it was over even after His resurrection. Jesus appeared to two men walking on the road to Emmaus. They were deep in conversation and didn’t recognize Him. They were talking about what had happened to Jesus of Nazareth over the weekend back in Jerusalem. One of them said, “We had hoped that he was the one to save Israel” (Luke 24:21). Notice their hope was in the past tense.  They were no longer looking to Jesus as the savior, the Messiah.  They once did, but no longer are.  The reason?  They are sure it’s over, all over. But, we know it wasn’t. 

The disciples took Jesus’ lifeless body down from the cross, buried it in Joseph’s tomb, and rolled the stone securely over the entrance.  Early Easter morning some of the women made their way back to the tomb to finish the burial process.  And, to their dismay and delight they found it empty.  The angel greeted them with the best news of time and eternity, “He is not here.  The Lord is risen.” Then they knew firsthand the central truth of Easter:  it’s not over until it’s over. 

Nothing is over until God gets through with it.  He specializes in turning tragedy into triumph, and turning Calvaries into Easter mornings. Because of Easter, there are at least three things we ought never to do.

First, because of the resurrection we should never give up on ourselves.

Have you ever seen someone try to walk with their feet tied together by a short piece of rope or chain? It’s a very effective method of controlling how far, and how fast, someone can move. That’s why prisoners have shackles on their legs. They have no chance of going anywhere with any speed. If they try, they will fall down. Shackles are effective because they restrict movement. You can function, just not very well.

Many people feel shackled by their sins and their circumstances. They feel enslaved and entrapped.  They are so deeply in debt; their marriages are so messed up; their children are so rebellious; they are so enslaved to drugs or alcohol that they feel their lives are “too broke to mend.” They feel they can never be free from their bindings. But God says that it a lie. Jesus came to set us free. John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Paul wrote the Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

But Satan, the father of lies tells us different. “You’re worthless,” You’ll never amount to anything,” “No one can forgive what you’ve done.” They’re all lies but a lie believed is as powerful as the truth. So many of us live out our days believing lies that steal the fullness of joy promised in Jesus.  Many of these untruths are spoken in the tapes that replay within our own heads. For many of us, it is our past failures that haunt our thoughts and speak a lie into our lives.  For others of us, it is our present pain that becomes our focus.  As the tape in your head plays on and on, nothing less than your very self-identity is at stake.  You see, the question at hand is this; Are you a product of your sins, your failures, your pains? Do they define who you are? Or… Are are you something much, much greater?

Many of us live our lives imprisoned by shame and guilt; shame over the the things we have done and the things done to us, guilt over our inability to be who we want to be.  If left unchecked, our guilt slowly becomes our identity, and we die slowly and privately, shackled by our shame. But to hide our shame is to embrace a lie. Shame over a behavior is a call to repent.  Romans 6:14 tells us that “Sin shall not be master over you”.  Hiding our shame is to believe that the grace God promises, while available to others,  is not sufficient to redeem our sin.

But no person is beyond redemption.  It matters not how deep into sin you may have fallen, how far away from God you may have wandered, how many scars may be on your soul, it’s not too late for you or your loved one.  Remember the message of Easter:  “it’s not over until it’s over.”

In the New Testament world, who is the person least likely to have been saved?  Was it not the apostle Paul?  He called himself “a Hebrew of Hebrews.”  He was born of the tribe of Benjamin.  He was circumcised on the eighth day.  He was a strict Pharisee.

He had such a fanatical zeal for Israel and against Christians that he said, “I made havoc of the church of God.”  The word “havoc” describes a wild boar rooting indiscriminately in a vineyard, tearing up everything he could get to.  That was Paul’s attitude toward the church. While on the road to Damascus to arrest and imprison Christians, he met the living Christ and was converted.  After he became a Christian he became the greatest church planter in history.  He sought to spread the gospel with the same zeal he had previously sought to destroy it. If the apostle Paul could be saved, anyone can be saved.  His life is proof positive that no one has to stay the way he is. 

A seminary professor used to remind his students, “Young men, when you preach, never leave Jesus on the cross or the prodigal son in the far country.”  God can bring his son down from the cross and he can bring the prodigal back from the far country. The Lord can save from the uttermost to the guttermost. Jesus was crucified between two thieves.  In those last dying moments, one mocked him, and one turned to him in repentance.  One was lost so that none might presume.  The other was saved that none might despair.

Second, because of the resurrection, we should never write off any experience as a total waste. 

If God can raise the dead, he can bring good out of the bad that comes to us. You ordinarily don’t expect much philosophy from Monday Night Football, but several years ago Don Meredith said, in one of his commentaries, “If you sail the seas long enough you are eventually going to run into rough waters.” Storms are a part of life.  They come to all of us.  And, being a Christian does not alter that fact. 

The Bible knows of nothing of the new strand of Christianity called, “Health and Wealth” theology.  Jesus never taught it.  He said, “In this world, you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

The apostle Paul never taught it.  He wrote, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12). 

Peter never taught it.  He said, “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on his behalf” (1 Pet. 4:16). 

And James never taught it.  He wrote, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into different kinds of trials” (James 1:2).

The fact is, in the Bible and throughout history some of God’s best people have endured constant pain and intense suffering.

What the Lord promises his people is not exemption, but redemption. 

He does not promise to get us out of trouble, he promises to get us through it. 

He does not isolate us from life’s trials, but insulates us in them.

The apostle Paul lays the foundation of our faith and hope in the midst of the storms when he wrote, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).

The word “know” means to have absolute and settled knowledge.  There are some things we can be sure about.  One of them is that God works in and through all things for our ultimate good, that we may be made into the likeness of his son, Jesus Christ.  We don’t just think so.  We don’t just hope so.  We don’t just pray so.  We know so.

There are three basic truths that flow from this verse.

The first truth is that God is at work in our lives today. 

Some people have a hard time believing this.  The deist believes that God created the world and that has no personal involvement with it today. He believes God created the heavens and the earth, wound them up like an eight-day clock, then walked away to leave them to run on their own.  He does not believe that God is active in the affairs of men today.  But the whole message of the Bible is that God is personally concerned about each one of us and that he has acted and still acts on our behalf.

Some people have trouble believing God is at work in our world today because they cannot see his hand or feel his presence.  And what they can’t perceive, they won’t believe.

Like Thomas in the Bible, they tend to think that seeing is believing. Thomas insists, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25). We are often the same.

First, we need to dispel the myth that seeing is believing. It isn’t and it never has been. The evidence for this is found in the people who did see Jesus. Many people have said to me before, “If I could just see Jesus I would believe in him.” In my braver moments I reply, “No you wouldn’t—if you saw Jesus, you would kill him!” Because that’s what people did. Thousands of people witnessed Jesus perform miracles impossible to man. And yet it was those same crowds that cried out for his crucifixion. Seeing is not believing: just look at those who saw Jesus and did not believe.

So, if seeing is not believing, how can I believe in God?

One of the wonderful things about God is that he never leaves us in the dark. He doesn’t just tell us where to go but also how to get there. And the same is true for faith. Consistently throughout the bible, God teaches us that seeing is not believing: Hearing is believing.

This is what Paul says:

Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17).

You could not get a more unambiguous verse about how to believe in God. God tells us plainly: Faith comes from hearing!

The second truth found in Romans 8:28 is that God works for good. 

Trouble is not the handiwork of God.  He is not the author of tragedy and heartache. Whatever God touches, he touches for good.  If he comes into your life, it will be better for it.  If he touches a marriage or a home, he enriches it.  If he is a part of a business, he will improve it. 

Whatever God does to us and for us ultimately is for good. Why then is there evil and suffering and death in the world? Where do they come from, if not from God?  The simplest explanation for the existence of suffering and death is sin and Satan.  We live in a fallen world.  When Adam sinned, all of creation came under the curse.  As long as we live in a sin-cursed world we will be touched by these things.  Moreover, we ourselves are sinners.  We are a part of man’s fall. 

If God is to blame at all, it is only in that he made us free.  He gave us the freedom of choice and that choice did and still does involve consequences.

Third, God works for us. 

He not only works for good, he works for our good.  The verse says, all things work together for good “to them who love God” and are “the called” according to his purpose.  Do you love God?  Then he works all things for your good.  Have you heard and answered his call to repentance and faith and discipleship?  Then he works all things for your good.

You may say, “I can understand how God works in the life of Billy Graham.  He is a great evangelist.”  Or, “I can understand how God works in the lives of missionaries.  They sacrifice their all for him.”  “But,” you say, “it’s hard to believe God works in my life for my good in the same way.  I’m insignificant.  I’m a nobody.” Yet, that is precisely the promise of this verse.  Look at it again — carefully.  What it does not say is as important as what it does say:

It does not say God causes everything that happens — He doesn’t!

It does not say that everything that happens is good — it isn’t!

It does not say everything is going to work out good  for everybody — it won’t!

What the verse says is that God works in and through all things for our ultimate well-being, so that we might be made in the likeness and image of Jesus Christ. Don’t forget the message of Easter, even in the darkest night, “It’s not over until it’s over.”  God can take man’s worst and turn it into his best.  He turned Calvary into Easter.  He can bring  resurrection out of crucifixion.  He did it once and he can do it again.

The third basic truth comes out of easter is that because of the resurrection we should never despair in the face of death. 

Death is a fact of life.  The moment we are born we are old enough to die.  Life’s ultimate statistic is the same for all people, one out of one dies. We need to recognize and be ready for the ultimate.  The scriptures say, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).  The psalmist prayed, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).

But, while death is certain, we need not be afraid of it. Because of our Lord’s resurrection we can face it with calm assurance.  The scriptures declare that Jesus abolished death rendering it powerless and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:10).  

Jesus has transformed death from a conclusion to an introduction; from an ending to a beginning; from a period to a comma. And because He died, we can experience abundant life now and eternal life then.

We can take the posture of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:55.  He is an old man growing older all the time.  He stands before an open grave, looking into the raw red throat of death. Then in one of the most dramatic moments, not only in the New Testament but in all of literature, Paul defies and mocks death by saying, “Ha!  Death where is your sting?  Ha!  Grave, where is your victory?” 

Then he adds, “But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Someone once said, death did something terrible to Christ.  But not everyone knows that Christ did something wonderful to death.  He didn’t just endure death; He conquered it. 

The punch line of the New Testament therefore is not a tragic cry, “Help!” but a triumphant shout, “Hallelujah!”

No matter how final death may look, remember the message of Easter:  It’s not over until it’s over. 

God raised Jesus from the dead and one day He will raise us up also.  Now, because of His resurrection we can live until we die and then we can live forever.

It is the way of God to bring life out of death, victory out of defeat, success out of failure, triumph out of tragedy. 

He has a way of turning Good Fridays into Easter mornings. 

That’s why we ought not to give up on anybody, we ought not to write off any experience a total waste, and we ought not to despair in the face of death.

Indeed, today we celebrate a glorious day. My Jesus is alive!

Let us pray…

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A New Normal

Rev Barry Kerner

We live in a small rural community but our home is located at the corner of a busy intersection in the village. Early morning and afternoon rush hours saw cars lined up on our side road. As they inched their way to the stop sign on the corner to make their turn onto Main Street the revving engines, squeaking brakes, and the cacophony of music and radio announcers emanating from different cars added to the neighborhood noise. With the stay at home orders resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic the traffic noise has all but stopped. Although we had grown somewhat accustomed to the morning and afternoon din we relish the relative peace and quiet that’s come to our intersection. It has become a quiet time.

But at times the silence can be deafening. The lack of noise shouts that our way of doing things may be passe and that the world in which we live is moving towards a new normal. We look forward now to activities that we once considered chores. Life is a bit slower as we stretch our tasks to fill the day. Our local schools, business and churches have moved their activities online. Words and phrases such as Zoom meetings, Covid-19, and social distancing have made their way into our everyday conversations. We’re finding that our family spends a lot more time every evening around the dinner table and conversation has increased greatly. Our outlet of connecting daily or weekly with classmates, coworkers and church members has all but dried up. We all spend a lot more time using social media but it pales in comparison to a face to face connection. I know our world is changing when my pre-teen daughter tells us she can’t wait to get back to school.

At times this “new normal” of isolation might feel unproductive, confining, and uncomfortable, But, God is not wasteful. Even in the midst of uncertainty and fear, there are opportunities for each of us to grow. God has a perfect plan and is able to accomplish great things no matter the situation or circumstance.

Being forced to slow down has a way of revealing things about our hearts. When we are without the crutch of normal routines, we discover what we lean on. Without the distracting hustle and bustle of everyday life, many of us are—for the first time in a long time—left with nothing but our thoughts.

When so much in our lives is run on autopilot, going from one routine to the next, we are rarely forced to examine the true state of our heart. When the shelter of routine is disrupted, the inner state of our hearts is laid bare. How does God want to transform us in this time?

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

C.S. Lewis said, “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. It changes me.”

We’ve been forced to explore new approaches to stay connected and to care for others. Church directories have been brought out of storage, dusted off and hopefully nobody is being left behind.  Churches, communities and individuals are reaching out to serve high risk folks to make sure they are cared for and safe.  Previously disconnected people are now connecting. 

Our circumstance has made us realize the importance of Sunday morning.  Or perhaps more to the point, we’re realizing that Sunday morning should not be as important as we’ve made it.  What’s most important is the overall discipleship focus of our churches.  Who are we when Sunday is taken away and we’re prevented from meeting face to face to worship, fellowship and encourage one another?  Jesus didn’t say go and produce great Sunday services.  He said go and make disciples.  Although some discipleship comes through Sunday services, now that they have been halted, how well are we actually teaching biblical precepts, while modeling and guiding others toward living righteously as followers of Jesus Christ?  We must put more attention and time into helping people follow Jesus in small groups and in one-on-one relationships.

We’ve been forced out of our four walls to truly understand that the church is us and not our location.  Facilities certainly make things easier, but God didn’t promise easy. James, Peter, Paul and a host of other Biblical writers let us know we will have trials and tough times. We’re in the midst of one now. We need to get our belief about church straight first.  We, the people, are the church.  We need to discover this anew.  Maybe we’ve been addicted to things we thought we could count on and like an addict need some intervention.  Maybe COVID-19 is helping us break this cycle of those parts of “church” that we are wrongly spending too much time, effort  and resources on. Maybe God is using this time to bring clarity to what it means to be a church.

In John 17 Jesus prayed that His disciples and others would become as one. At this time we’re all in this TOGETHER. I believe we’re experiencing and living the result of Jesus’ prayer in this moment. More than ever, we’ve been forced to see what is real, what is most important, and what church and life should be about.

Jesus prayed for us, “I pray that they will all be one…so that the world will believe [in me].” Even in these uncertain times God has given us a task- our unity is to be productive in reaching and disciplining others for Him.

I don’t know if this season will be like a passing storm, drag on like a cold, bleak winter or turn into an ice age.  I do know that we can’t just return to normal. Maybe normal wasn’t good as we thought it to be.  I believe we need a new normal and God is shaping that among us in this moment of isolation.

My prayer is that even while we may be physically distant, you will be experiencing TOGETHER greater than ever before.  And I know that TOGETHER will be even sweeter when we can physically connect face to face again.  In that, I pray that God would give us all a quiet time to do some soul searching.  What needs to stay the same?  What needs to change?  What do we need to hold on to? What do we need to let go?

As we approach Holy Week and Easter, may the reality of Jesus’ resurrection power and renewing work be deeply known in you and shown through you.  We continue to keep you and our church in prayer. Grace, health, and peace, to you all dear friends.

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The Stones Will Cry Out

Pastor Barry Kerner

Luke 19:28-44

Habakkuk 2

Welcome to Delphi Falls United Church. We may be found on the web at the address on your screen. Visit us on the web for our weekly Pastor’s blog/devotional, Bible Study, and Sunday messages. If you or someone you know would like a message on CD or DVD contact us through our church website,  mention the title of the message and we will be glad to send you one at no cost.

We’re going to be reading out of the Gospel of Luke this morning, Chapter 19: verses 28-44. I’ll give you a few moments to find that in your Bible.

Today we celebrate Palm Sunday. The first day of Holy Week marking the beginning of Christ’s last seven days on His journey to the cross. To commemorate Holy week we’ll be posting a seven part devotional on our website. You can download this daily devotional and use it as we journey with Christ during the seven days of Holy Week.

Here’s a short story I heard last year.

It was Palm Sunday but because of a sore throat, 5-year-old Johnny stayed home from church with a sitter. When the family returned home, they were carrying several palm fronds. Johnny asked them what they were for.

“People held them over Jesus’ head as he walked by,” his father told him.

“Wouldn’t you know it,” Johnny fumed, “the one Sunday I don’t go to church and He shows up!”

Even though we’re social distancing I’m sure that Jesus is still here amongst us. Amen

If you’ve found Luke 19 in your Bibles, we’ll begin with verse 28.

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”[a]

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

As Jesus made His way to the Eastern gate that day a sort of carpet was being sewn together ahead of him. Fresh, green palm branches, presumably picked from nearby trees, and thick, worn clothing, likely from the backs of the crowd, formed a tapestry of endearment toward Israel’s long-awaited Messiah.

Many believe that it was the palm branches that made this day unique.

For centuries, the church has memorialized today, the first day of Holy Week, as Palm Sunday because of the palm branches and the cloaks that the people spread out before Jesus as he entered Jerusalem.

The Gospel writers tell us a crowd gathered, gushing with excitement, and lining the road in front of Jesus as He slowly rode into the city. As He made his way, one step at a time on a borrowed beast of burden, the crowd heralded His arrival.

Some 450 to 500 years prior to Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem, the prophet Zechariah had prophesied the event we now call Palm Sunday with these words,

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious,  lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).

The prophecy was fulfilled in every particular, and it was indeed a time of rejoicing, as Jerusalem welcomed their King. Unfortunately, the celebration was not to last.

Luke tells us that as Jesus entered Jerusalem the people began rejoicing and praising God, shouting, Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! (Luke 19:38)

Some of the Pharisees try to get Jesus to make the crowd stop. They ask him to rebuke the people for what they’re saying — the whole “Blessed is the King” bit. The Pharisees get it, you see. This isn’t just any phrase. This is the kind of welcome reserved for Israel’s Savior. It’s a phrase found in the Hebrew Scriptures, going back to Psalm 118, a psalm that rejoices in the Lord’s triumph. By verse 22 of this psalm, the rejected stone has become the “cornerstone” (Psalm 118:22). This is a marvelous work — by God’s doing — which then launches the day of salvation (Psalm 118:23–24).

This day of salvation is the long-anticipated deliverance that Israel thought might never come. But it will, it does, and Psalm 118:25 captures the hope saying: “Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success!” Now this salvation and success is nothing generic. It will come through a person — the Messiah of God — the one sent by God to rescue His people. So goes the shout, in the psalm,

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! (Psalm 118:26)

Without doubt, this rambling crowd in Jerusalem, is taking its cues from Psalm 118. They are declaring Jesus to be their long awaited Messiah. That’s why the Pharisees tell Jesus to stop the madness. “Jesus, Do you hear what they are saying? They think you’re the Messiah come to save us. Tell them to shut up.”

Jesus doesn’t stop them, though. Of course, Jesus is the Messiah. And, He has come to Jerusalem to save his people. He says, instead, that if the people weren’t saying it then the stones themselves would cry out.

The people wanted salvation and success, remember. They wanted the Messiah to march into the city and do hard business with Rome. They wanted to be free from Gentile oppression, even if by force, even if by threats and plagues and a split sea, as they recounted so well in their history. They wanted another exodus, one that expelled the Romans.

Instead, what they got by Friday morning was a bloodied has-been, a man in Roman custody, rejected by their own leaders, standing next to an infamous criminal named Barabbas. They wanted an incomparable king, but they would see was a beaten blasphemer. Or so they thought.

The sounds of the crowd this Sunday — this Palm Sunday — would later be betrayed by the sounds of their own stony hearts. The cry, “Blessed is he!” would soon become a shout, “crucify him!” For this reason, there is something nauseating about today. We read of the response to Jesus, but because we know the story, we know it’s not real. It’s not right.

And as we feel the deep tragedy of their words, of their blindness, we shouldn’t expect that we’d have been any different. The Pharisees and the people had their problems, and so do we. If we know our hearts apart from grace, if we could listen in on this crowd, we’d hear our shouts along with theirs. We’d hear our praise, hollow as it were, and then, by Friday, “ashamed we’d hear our mocking voice call out among the scoffers.”

It is not the righteous, after all, who Jesus came to save, but sinners. Sinners like us.

It’s vitally important that we understand the banter that occurred between Jesus and the Pharisees that day. When the Pharisees hear the crowds praising God and acknowledging Jesus as their long awaited Messiah they command that Jesus silence his disciples.  His reply is, “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” Song writers and preachers have had a field day with this statement. They make it out that if people today stop praising God the rocks around us will suddenly come out of retirement, shout praise to Him and burst into song.

Unfortunately this is not  so. Neither Jesus nor Luke means that this crying out of stones is a covering for silent worshipers. It does not mean that creation will praise God if we fail to do so. It is a specific reference to that occasion—and the crying out of the stones that Jesus prophesied would not be a cry of praise but a cry for judgment.

Those who believe that Jesus was saying that the pebbles and rocks, kicked up by His parade along the way, would sing His praises if His followers did not, miss the entire message of all of the prophets of the Old Testament, the prophet John the Baptist and even the greatest prophet of all, Jesus Himself.

The message of all of the prophets can be summarized in four points

One: God is holy and must judge every sin.

Two: All the children of Adam are born in sin and must face God’s judgment.

Three: God planned to send down a holy Redeemer who would bear the punishment of sin for the children of Adam.

Four: There are consequences for those who reject God

Those are the four truths which all the prophets of God preached. They are so important that I want to repeat them.

First: God is holy, and cannot overlook sin.

Second: Man is unholy, full of sin, and has no way of saving himself from the penalty of sin.

Third: God has a plan to cleanse sinners and save them from judgment.

Fourth: Those made righteous will be saved but the guilty will be punished

Of all the words of Jesus recorded in the Bible, about twenty-five percent of his teaching was devoted to prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, the scattering of the Jewish people worldwide, and the end of the age.  He spoke of these events in advance and discussed the rewards and punishments that nations and individuals would experience.

Jesus had a number of things in mind when he spoke on these matters, and He sought to accomplish several things:

Jesus’ teachings sought

• to forewarn his first-century followers when to flee the city of Jerusalem so that they would survive its destruction by the legions of the Roman Empire
• to bring others who heard his message to repentance—both those who heard him speak in person, and those who would read his words down through the centuries
• to motivate believers to keep on the watch for Christ’s return by paying attention to world events
• to let everyone know that God has already determined the outcome of human history, and that his victory over the nations is guaranteed
• to make it clear that those who obey God will be rewarded and those who ignore God will be punished when God intervenes to put an end to human rule and establish the rule of the Kingdom of God.

The call to repentance comes through loud and clear.  And the assurance of God’s ultimate victory over rebellious mankind is equally clear. 

The entire twenty-third chapter of Matthew’s gospel is devoted to Jesus’ denunciation of the Jewish religious leaders as “hypocrites” who would provoke God’s punishment upon the Jewish nation within that generation.  He told them,

“Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.” Matthew 23:36

While gazing upon the stones of the city of Jerusalem Jesus said, “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” The Pharisees would have understood Jesus’ reference to Habakkuk chapter 2, where a warning is given regarding the Chaldeans known as Babylon. This warning is transferable to any city, nation, or church similarly built on greed, violence, and injustice, as Babylon was. The Pharisees would have understood exactly the warning Jesus was issuing to Jerusalem.

From Genesis 11 to Revelation 18, the Bible represents Babylon in these terms. In Revelation Babylon stands for Israel’s religious system. Habakkuk predicts Babylon’s fall because of such sinful human intent and action by its leaders and people. In fact, he presents the very stones and timbers of the city as crying out to God for intervention because of human sin and refusal to acknowledge God. In chapter 2 verse 11 Habakkuk prophesies, “The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.” It is clearly a cry for judgment, not a cry of Hosanna and the Pharisees would have gotten the message that day.

The prophet Habakkuk directed five woes towards the idolatrous Babylonian nation. Selfish ambition. Greed. Violence. Debauchery. Idolatry. These are pretty strong words, or “woes” as they are often referred to in Scripture. Jesus called out Jerusalem on these very same five sins and they could very easily describe much of modern-day culture. God described the ancient nation of Babylon in these very same terms to the prophet, Habakkuk and some things never change.

1. Selfish Ambition (Habakkuk 2: 4-5): A society so focused on wealth and status that corners are cut and relationships crumble. From social media influencers to C-suite executives, the pursuit of the “American dream” of wealth and success has driven many people to take shortcuts and even sacrifice others in their climb to the top.

2. Greed (Habakkuk 2: 9-11): The Bible uses the word covet to describe a level of envy and jealousy so great that it leads to resentment towards others. God took the sin of coveting so seriously that it made it into the ten commandments.

3. Violence (Habakkuk 2: 12-14): Babylon was one of the most violent and powerful nations at that time. America is certainly in no shortage of violence.

4. Debauchery (Habakkuk 2: 15-17): Debauchery isn’t a common word today. It refers to an excessive indulgence for pleasure. For Babylon it was drunkenness. Today, it could describe our culture of sexual freedom, drug addictions, or the opioid crisis that is crippling much of the nation.

5. Idolatry (Habakkuk 2: 18-20): Now, in Babylon’s day, this often translated into a physical idol made out of precious metal, jewelry, or wood that would be worshiped as a god. However, in today’s modern culture, idolatry refers to anything that we place before God. This can be a relationship, career, finances, a hobby – you fill in the blank.

God might have been speaking about the Babylonians in this conversation with Habakkuk, but it could so easily describe society today. Are you able to identify with any of these “modern-day woes?” Might they at all be evident in your life? If so,  ask for God’s help in setting you free.

As Jesus entered his beloved Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday, He recognized the marks of a violent city ruled by greedy leaders. The stones were calling for God’s judgment. He wept over the city (verses 41-44) because of the “woes” awaiting Jerusalem’s people under the judgment of a holy God. Only one thing could hold off that promised retribution: acknowledging God’s only begotten son, Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior..

The cries of the disciples, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” were cries of hope for Jerusalem. Like the sackcloth, ashes, and repentance in the Nineveh of Jonah’s day (Jonah 3:5-10), the cries of the disciples and pilgrims on this day might have averted the promised disaster, had they only been picked up by the city’s leaders and populace.

Sadly, the stones did “cry out” and God heard them. But their cry, like that in Habakkuk, was a cry to the God who not only saves but who also brings righteous judgment. In 70 ad God used the Romans to judge the nation of Israel. The nation was destroyed, its people scattered and as Jesus prophesied for the mighty city Jerusalem, not a stone was left standing upon another. The end of the age had come. The Old Covenant was done away with and God had ushered in the age of a New Covenant.

Let me close with these few thoughts. Could it be that today the stones are crying out to you? Could it be that you have realized that God has said, “woe” to you? Perhaps there are sinful activities in which you have engaged and in which you have continued to practice. Perhaps you have taken advantage of others, stolen from others, used violence, sought pleasure at the expense of others, or been involved in idolatrous practices (as these woes clearly explained). Perhaps you are prideful in your accomplishments and in your achievements. Perhaps you are seeking to build your own kingdom, rather than God’s kingdom. If this is you. Then, the answer is simple – repent of your sins and embrace Jesus Christ.

Perhaps you find it difficult to believe that we serve a God who judges the evildoer. Your ears have been “tickled” so many times that you’ve come to believe that God won’t punish sin.  Paul tells Timothy that itching ears want teachers who will tell them what they want to hear. Perhaps, when you think of God, you only see grace. Perhaps, when you think of God, you only see mercy. You think that God cannot be a harsh judge.

Please realize this, that God is a wrathful God. God will punish sin because men are entirely responsible for their sin. Apart from this understanding of God, the gospel simply doesn’t make sense. If your God isn’t an exacting, judging God, then there was no reason for Jesus to come and offer Himself up as a sacrifice for sin. If you believe that’s the case, then Easter with its cross and empty tomb was pointless.

God’s message of judgment upon the wicked ought to generate three responses in the soul of someone who is truly a child of God. The first response should be  thankfulness and praise to God, that through the grace of God, you will escape these terrors. You know that by faith, Jesus has been punished in your place. Your sins were born upon His body upon the cross almost 2000 years ago.

The second response should be a burning desire to share the Gospel with everyone you can. You understand that those who are not saved will suffer the penalty for sin. You have the responsibility as an instrument of God’s salvation to share the good news with your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors.

Third, the Bible tells us to rejoice in the anticipation of God’s return to judge the world. We should be awaiting with joyful expectation, that God will fully vindicate Himself.

Consider the following verses of Scripture…

Let the sea roar and all it contains, The world and those who dwell in it. Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the mountains sing together for joy. Before the LORD; for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with equity (Psalm 98:7-9).

The execution of justice is joy for the righteous, But is terror to the workers of iniquity. (Prov. 21:15).

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy. Before the LORD, for He is coming; For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, And the peoples in His faithfulness (Psalm 96:11-13).

It is comforting (for us) to know that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” In other words, whether we sing our praise or not, the Lord’s glory will prevail (Habakkuk 2:14). But, our worship is not to silence the stones but to turn their testimony from judgment to jubilation.

As we draw closer to Resurrection Sunday and its celebration of God’s sacrifice for us our challenge this week is to turn from whatever wrongs we may have done, turn to our hearts to  God and recognize the rightful place that He should be given in our lives.

Let us pray…

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The Christian Response To Isolation

Pastor Barry Kerner

Christians across America are beginning to feel great loss as social distancing shuts them out of attending their church’s worship services and weekly Bible studies. We have been called, along with others, to help “flatten the curve” in an attempt to mitigate the effects of the Corona virus which is rampaging our communities. After just two weeks of isolation our inability to fellowship with other Christians face to face is beginning to take its toll. Feelings of despair and loneliness are beginning to emerge even among the strongest of believers. No matter one’s faith, these experiences are especially foreign in a nation that protects freedom of religion and peaceful assembly.

As Easter approaches, Christians are finding it deeply unsettling to be told they can’t gather together to worship and pray with one voice. This Sunday our church, Delphi Falls, will miss gathering a one body take communion together. The disruption feels like being cut off from our traditions and customs as well as the heart and soul of the church’s ability to gather together to encourage one another. Genesis 2:18 tells us that , “It is not good for man to be alone.”  Christian or not, human isolation is unnatural and unhealthy. We are created to live in relationship, and we suffer greatly in the absence of companionship.

It is an unfortunate reality that we all will face this trial and that we will need to forgo our custom of gathering in person during this season of social distancing. Nevertheless, there are several things Christians can contemplate that offer some measure of solace and comfort and turn this Lenten trial into renewal. First, understand the fact that Christians are not strangers to being separated.

Such isolation happened right from the beginning of the church. In the Book of Acts we find the first Christians persecuted by both the Jewish religious leaders and the Romans and driven from their communities. Consider also that the Apostle Paul was imprisoned just some 30 years after the establishment of the church at Pentecost in 33 A.D. Although separated from his churches, he continued to write to them and encouraged them to strengthen one another through the trials.

Roman persecutions continued on and off through the ages. After the fall of the Roman Empire persecutions of Christians, as well as of Jews, continued into the modern era. Soon after communism came to Russia, thousands of priests were executed, and countless churches and synagogues destroyed.

In China, where the Wuhan Corona-virus originated, Christians and their churches have been persecuted for centuries and continue to be today. In fact, communist officials in China have taken advantage of lock downs to destroy empty churches. In-home Bible studies continue to be illegal. Perhaps most distressing of all, China’s social distancing of Christians from one another extends deep into cyberspace. Churches are prohibited to even meet online without government approval.

In North America, a different sort of isolation is occurring within churches. Those who express the biblical understanding of marriage and seek to uphold other Biblical moral principles are no longer welcomed in many mainline denominations. In the United States, lawsuits against photographers, cake artists, florists and others who adhere to these Christian views of marriage and Godly principles are becoming commonplace. Our neighbor to the north, Canada recently passed laws compelling speech and criminalizing any expression of the biblical understanding of marriage and other God given values.

Before the Corona virus pandemic, Americans may have taken for granted their ability to worship in person. Our current situation should be a wake-up call to discern and resist any deliberate efforts to curb freedom of worship in the future. We should remember the faithful throughout the world who are persecuted and forced to meet in secrecy and cut off from even meeting online, and understand such isolation as persecution.

Second, while cultivating a deeper understanding of the terrible power of isolation, come to an understanding that this season can strengthen us to prepare for additional trials which may come.

“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle [you].” (1 Peter 5:10)

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

Today’s separation from churchgoing should also remind Christians of the ultimate isolation: separation from God. The starkest definition of sin is separation from God.

“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)

As the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, resulted in our sharing their sinfulness, so did the obedience of Jesus Christ through His death on the cross result in our justification before God. But, His atoning death is only made effective in our lives when we trust in him alone as our Savior (John 14:6). When we believe that Christ’s death on the cross was our death to sin, God no longer considers us guilty and deserving of punishment (Romans 3:21-26); instead, he embraces us as his children and as full-fledged citizens of his heavenly kingdom (Philippians 3:20).

We are then able to celebrate that we no longer will suffer the consequence for sin which is eternal separation from God. “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

When we lose the privilege of worshiping in person with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we feel a loss and a sense of isolation. We strive to find ways to connect with those from whom we’re physically separated. Telephone calls, emails, and even snail mail helps us to continue the bonds we have forged. Churches have turned to live stream service and at Delphi Falls we will soon be meeting in a virtual Bible study.

 Although we are prevented from worshiping, singing and praying corporately, are we continuing to foster our relationship God. We may be prevented from churchgoing but we are never really alone. God is always with us. Are we doing all that we can to stay connected with God during these extreme circumstances. Being in isolation should not stop us from studying His word every day, singing and praying to Him.

We don’t know what we have until we lose it. Christians are finding new and innovative ways to overcome isolation. In today’s world of technology there is no need to be completely isolated from God and fellow believers. We have the means to reach out and touch someone day or night. We can make good use of this time to, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) by thinking of those in our community who may be living alone and good use a phone call and an encouraging word.

As we draw close to Easter let us remember that Christians have nothing to fear. In essence, to have faith is to set aside anxieties and to put our trust in the grand plan in which we do our best as servants of Christ.

While we do our part to slow the spread of the virus by social distancing, we also should welcome this unexpected, additional Lenten exercise of sacrifice and meditation as a wake-up call to shake us out of complacency and build spiritual reserves for when we face greater persecution. In the meantime, we should keep watch for the paschal light that shines in the darkness, guiding us home and showing us that our Savior conquered death by death.

For those who trust God, there is help in His Word.

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God’s Work With Our Hands

Luke 14:25-33

Pastor Barry Kerner

In the past, many churches staged rally days as they were beginning a new program or season of ministry. They used these times to  promote their ideas and to rally their members to come on board and provide support. After a long, weary winter a church man hold a rally day to mobilize their church members to perform service at the church or in the community. At the beginning of summer a call is made to rally like minded volunteers to prepare for one of the fiercest battles to be fought – the annual Vacation Bible School. At the end of the summer, rally days are held to welcome back members who have taken a vacation from church and to rally the forces for the work of fall and winter ministries.

Rally Days have become more of being a church event rather than a focus towards ministry. People are welcomed back to church without a word these days, though I doubt that the church leaders of a century ago would have approved of a winter break or a summer vacation from any ministry. I’ll would ask you this question, “Has the church negotiated a truce with Satan? Has the church declared a cease fire in its war to win souls?”

Here’s a crazy idea, perhaps what the church needs is a new type of rallying cry.

A rallying cry can be like a lightning rod for our members. It should harness and focus their energy, and guide them towards the things that really matter.

America’s first rallying battle cry, was used during the Revolutionary War, It was, “Remember Paoli.” On September 20, 1777 over 1800 British Light Infantry (Special Forces) attacked 2000 hardened American Continental soldiers under Gen. “Mad Anthony” Wayne at midnight with bayonets and swords, dispersing them in one of the bloodiest battles of the War of Independence. But, in accomplishing the mission, the Redcoats committed numerous atrocities murdering soldiers who surrendered, burning some alive, and  repeatedly stabbing wounded men with their bayonets. This so outraged American civilians and soldiers alike that it crystallized American hatred of the British. The cry “Remember Paoli” was heard repeatedly in later battles.

Two years later, General Wayne led America’s first official Light Infantry unit in a midnight, bayonets only, attack against Stony Point, high on the Hudson Palisade. Wayne was successful. But more importantly, General Wayne spared 600 captured British soldiers when all thought him justified to put them to the sword. Wayne took the high ground and no atrocities were committed.

Remember Paoli took on an additional luster for now it meant more than revenge.  As Benjamin Rush (Founding Father, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and Surgeon General of the Continental Army) said to AGeneral Wayne: “You have established the national character of our country.  You have taught our enemies that bravery, humanity, and magnanimity are the virtues of the Americans.”

The American Revolution gave rise to dozens of other rallying cries—“No Taxation Without Representation;” “Join or Die;” “Don’t Tread on Me”—but few had as significant an impact as “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death.” The phrase first appeared in a March 1775 address by Patrick Henry, which concluded with the immortal line, “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” Henry’s speech convinced the Second Virginia Convention to raise militias, and his words immediately became a battle cry among colonial minutemen. They considered them a symbol of their determination to shake off the yoke of British rule. Many Virginia militia recruits marched under banners emblazoned with “Liberty or Death,” and some even sewed the words onto their shirts.

On February 23, 1836, Mexican General Santa Anna besieged Colonel William B. Travis and some 200 Texas independence fighters at a former Franciscan mission known as the Alamo. The Texans were outnumbered and outgunned, but they held out for 13 grueling days until March 6, when the Mexicans stormed the fort and killed nearly all its defenders. The defeat was catastrophic—Travis, James Bowie and famed frontiersman Davy Crockett all died in the onslaught—but the Texans’ courage under fire helped galvanize their compatriots. General Sam Houston and others used the rallying cry “Remember the Alamo” to whet their troops’ appetite for vengeance, and in April 1836, the Texans routed a superior Mexican army and captured Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. “Remember the Alamo” lived on even after the United States annexed Texas in 1845, and was later revived by U.S. troops during the Mexican-American War.

Soon after the towers fell on September 11^th, 20001, a cry went up and “Remember 911” still rings in our ears today. America’s outrage against terrorists launched the longest war-time footing in U.S. history. The American Character brought out by this horrendous tragedy still endures today.

Rallying cries are often easy to spot. They masquerade as the slogan or tagline of a company:

• Nike tells everyone, “Just do it.”
• Technology company One Plus is committed to “Never Settle.”
• Dunkin’ Donuts reminds us that “America runs on Dunkin’”
• McDonald’s customers voice their support as they say “I’m lovin’ it”
• Apple wants us all to “Think Different.”

Each statement is proudly proclaimed in the organization’s branding and marketing campaigns, but its true value is felt internally. The slogan guides behaviors. It frames the brand, and clearly articulates what the company represents. This is the power of a brand’s rallying cry. It guides an organization to greatness. A rallying cry is more than a tagline. It has a deep meaning for the organization that transcends marketing and sales.

In 1997 Apple launched its slogan, “Think Different.” The slogan became a rallying cry for the brand, and it still guides the company twenty years later.

Think Different was launched with an ad called “Here’s to the Crazy Ones.” The narrator speaks over a series of photographs of time-honored visionaries — people like Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thomas Edison, and Alfred Hitchcock.

He says, Here’s to the crazy ones.
The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward.
While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

The rallying image is still a useful one for us today, especially because the meaning can vary so much. In some cases, it’s the troops getting assembling for battle — in others a listless patient gathering strength to rise off a sickbed.

Let’s take a moment and turn to the Gospel of Luke. The 14^th chapter. Starting in verse 25.

25 Now large crowds were traveling with [Jesus;] and he turned and said to them, 26“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”

This is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be unto you from God who is our Creator and from Jesus Christ who is our Savior and our Friend. Amen.

Now, large crowds were traveling with Jesus, because summer was finally over and it was Rally Day in Galilee. So Jesus turned and began his “welcome back to church” sermon by saying: “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Can I get an Amen?

It’s not a message many want to hear and I don’t think it went over very well when Jesus preached it, either! This was one heckuva sermon for Jesus to deliver, especially after the Pharisee’s dinner party during which he proclaimed “all are welcome!” Now that all those sinners, outcasts, and other folk have heard His message and rallied around Him, He tells them “hate your family” and “carry the cross or you can’t be my disciple?” Today we might call that bait and switch. Jesus was realing them in hook, line and sinker. Well played, Jesus, well played.

Like the people of the Apple commercial, the crowd must have thought that Jesus was one of the “crazy ones!” Throughout His ministry He was thought of as a misfit, a rebel. The Pharisees and Sadducees believed Him to be a troublemaker. Jesus was the round peg trying to fit into the square hole of Israel’s religious system. Jesus saw things differently than those in charge. He wasn’t fond of all of the rules with which they had added to God’s Word, burdening God’s people. Jesus had no respect for the status quo when it conflicted with the will of His Father. Millions have quoted Him. Whole populations disagree with Him. His followers glorify Him while the rest of the world vilifies Him.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore Him. Because Jesus changed things. He thought and acted outside the box and pushed the human race forward.

Back then as today many think Him a crazy one. Others number Him among the geniuses.
Because, like the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, Jesus was one who did.

Jesus embodied Apple’s rallying slogan long before they were even founded. Jesus wanted His followers, His church to “THINK DIFFERENT!”

That day, as He sat and preached, Jesus must have been at least somewhat excited to see that his message was reaching more and more people. But the words He spoke indicates His concern, too: Do the people really understand what they’re signing up for? Do they realize this is an “all or nothing” proposition? Do they know where this path leads?

Looking out at the crowd, Jesus may have noticed how some of the folks seemed to have one foot on the path with Jesus and one foot back at home. A few were keeping one eye on the door just in case someone more important or interesting showed up. Others appeared to be listening to the sermon, but were in fact mentally making a shopping list for later on (go ahead you can nod if you know what I mean. And don’t worry – I’ve actually written sermons in my head while listening to other preachers’ sermons! In the name of Jesus Christ, we are all forgiven! Amen?)

It may not be a crowd pleaser, but this passage from the 14th chapter of Luke represents one of Jesus’ central messages: All are welcome, grace is for everyone, but following Jesus is a costly affair. This was literally a “come to Jesus” rally day talk for the crowds that day! Jesus says to all who would follow him: “No one comes any further on this journey until you know what you’re getting into and where we are going. I need you to be all in: Both feet forward, eyes on the prize, and, most importantly, hands free of possessions so you can carry the cross and follow me.”

You see, Jesus calls us to practice “hands-free discipleship.” He asks us to give up all that stuff we love to hold on to so tightly—our over-packed schedules, our control over everyone and everything, our personal comforts and privileges, our strongly held beliefs, and everything else we’re proud to possess—so that our hands will be free to carry the one thing Jesus requires of us: the cross of Christ.

When Jesus spoke to the crowds that day He basically said, “Hey. I need to clue you in about what it means to be my disciple. It isn’t going to be easy. Don’t follow me unless you are ready.”

He reminded them that they would have to leave their homes, their professions, and their families. He reminded them that they would have to carry the cross. He told them parables about a contractor building a tower and a king going to war. He warned them, “Think it through. Make sure you have the resources you need to finish what you start.” Jesus was saying, “Count the cost before you commit to following me.”

Today most of us are not called to leave family and home and profession behind to follow Jesus. But, there is one thing required of all of us, and that is to carry the cross.

When we think of carrying the cross, we tend to think it will be something very dramatic and difficult. We imagine that carrying the cross for Jesus must involve a huge sacrifice or spiritual battle. Maybe it’s terrible sickness or indeed the loss of family and possessions. And it could be, if those things serve the Kingdom of God.

But in general, the meaning is really much simpler. It’s closer to home, to our real lives. Here it is: Carrying a cross is what we do voluntarily as a consequence of our commitment to Jesus Christ.

I’m going to say it again. Carrying a cross is what we voluntarily do as a consequence of our commitment to Jesus Christ. It’s when we do God’s work with our hands.

So, what does that mean? Well, God doesn’t hand us a contract and say, “Donate this percentage of your income and every Tuesday and Thursday volunteer for this charity, and be in church 48 out of 52 Sundays.” As your pastor, I’d like to sign a contract like that, but God doesn’t.

God says, “O.K. We’re in a relationship, you and me. We love one another. And you’ve made a commitment to follow Me. You know what I’m like.  You know where my heart is, because Jesus came and told you and He showed you. So how is your life going to look like Jesus’s?” And then we have a decision to make. Are you in? Or, are you out?

One way to think about it is to say that carrying the cross means living a cross-shaped life. A vertical relationship with God and a horizontal relationship with arms stretched out to others. It is really simple but also really challenging. It’s a moving target because it’s different for each person and it keeps changing as our lives and resources change.

But for everyone, living a cross-shaped life means Monday through Saturday, as well as Sunday.

Carrying the cross certainly can be a deeply personal struggle with any number of things: loving our neighbors, dealing with an addiction or an illness, or overcoming adversity. Some days, carrying the cross and following Jesus means just putting one foot in front of the other and struggling forward in spite of what life throws at you. Day by day, we all seek to see Him more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow him more nearly. (nod if you just started humming the music of Godspell)

Today, when we hear Jesus ask us to “take up the cross and follow”, we most often think of our daily discipleship walk. We imagine ourselves enduring life’s difficulties and coming out a better Christian at the end. But in Jesus’ time, the only people who carried the cross were criminals. Carrying a cross meant only one thing: a death sentence. The only people you saw with a cross on their backs were trudging through the city to their execution. This was not an attractive lifestyle choice. Carrying a cross didn’t make you a better person, build character, help you win elections, or give you better arm muscles. It just made you dead.

So for Jesus to say to the large crowd rallying around him “Listen, you can’t be my disciple unless you carry the cross and follow me” must have been quite a shock to the hearers. How many do you suppose turned around and went home? How many do you suppose turned to each other to ask, “What did he just say? Carry the what? Is He crazy? Where is He going with this?”

For those who stayed for the whole sermon, the point was made clear: discipleship is serious business. It’s time to get real about what it’s like to follow Jesus, and to trust in God, when the party’s over, when the crowds are gone, and when Rally Day is finished. It’s time to contemplate just where Jesus is leading us in this cross-carrying itinerary—because it sure looks like we’re all headed to Calvary.

While we all have personal crosses to bear, discipleship is not chiefly about our own daily struggles. Carrying the cross of Christ means lightening the load for others. It means keeping our hands free to do God’s work of loving our neighbors, bearing one another’s burdens.

The ones that are carrying their cross are the ones that very quietly give their time, effort, energy, money, love, compassion, acceptance to the homeless, the hungry, the sick, the dying, the addicts and alcoholics, those imprisoned/in jail, those requiring emergency assistance, those that give their lives during natural catastrophes and wars to save people and protect people – all without asking for anything in return, without asking for fame or acknowledgment.

Those are Christ’s people doing EXACTLY “God’s” work.

With absolute and unconditional love, compassion and care and kindness, acceptance and humility.

 “All their hands are blessed hands”

Those are examples of what it means to carry the cross and follow Jesus wherever He leads.

Today can be your Rally Day to lift up your cross. I’ll call it “God’s work, with your hands” Sunday.

This is a day to celebrate. It’s a day to roll up our sleeves and to get to work, in the name of Christ.

But let’s be clear about one thing: we seek to do God’s work not to puff ourselves up, and never to save ourselves or become better people, but rather to join with God in the work of loving our neighbors, and sharing their burdens. Because we are free in Christ—free of sin and death and everything else that would possess us—our hands are available to take up the cross and become instruments of God’s love, peace, and mercy using our God-given gifts and talents to comfort and to heal.

As we mark this day with a “God’s Work, Our Hands” day, I give thanks for each of you and the ways in which you will practice “hands-free discipleship”. Your hands are truly blessed!

And now, dear friends in Christ, as we prepare to move forward with a new season of work in the church, and as we celebrate all the work we do with our hands, let us also give thanks to God for the work we DO NOT do. Let us rejoice again in the work that God’s already got covered, for it is in Jesus Christ, our brother, that we see God’s work most clearly:

We see God’s work of love for the world through the birth of Jesus Christ.

We see God’s work of compassion in the life of Jesus Christ.

And we chiefly see God’s work of redemption for all sinners in the walk Jesus made to Calvary, carrying the cross, His cross, and loving us to the end—even to death on that very cross.

God’s work is love. God’s work is sacrifice for the sake of others. God’s work is redemption for all of creation. In Christ, our hands are free to carry on God’s work for the sake of our neighbors, easing their burdens, and loving them as we have been loved – to the very end. 

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Biblical Truths For Conquering Fear

Pastor Barry Kerner

While fear and anxiety often occur together, these terms are not interchangeable. Even though our responses to fear and anxiety may appear to be the same they are based on differing sets of circumstances.  Fear relates to a known or understood threat, whereas anxiety follows from an unknown, expected or poorly defined threat.

Fear is an emotional response to a known or definite threat. If you’re walking down a dark street, for example, and someone points a gun at you and says, “This is a stickup,” then you’d likely experience a fear response. The danger is real, definite, and immediate. There’s a clear and present object of the fear.

Anxiety is often a response to an imprecise or unknown threat. For example, imagine you’re walking down a dark street. You may feel a little uneasy and perhaps you have a few butterflies in your stomach. These sensations are caused by anxiety that is related to the possibility that a stranger may jump out from behind a bush, or approach you in some other way and harm you. This anxiety is not the result of a known or specific threat. Rather it comes from your mind’s interpretation of the possible dangers that could immediately arise.

Fear and anxiety produce similar responses to certain dangers. Muscle tension, increased heart rate, and shortness of breath mark the most significant physical responses associated with a response to danger. These bodily changes result from an inborn fight-or-flight stress response thought to be necessary for our survival. Without this stress response, our mind wouldn’t receive the alerting danger signal and our bodies would be unable to prepare to flee or stay and battle when faced with danger.

Fear and anxiety drive us to do things we would not normally do. Our response can be either positive or negative. Is it unrealistic to think we can live without fear and anxiety. Fear and anxiety are normal human emotions designed by God to alert us to dangers so that we will take action against them. A negative response to anxiety or fear will drive us to seek safety and consolation in the things of the world. Alcohol, drugs, dysfunctional relationships may provide temporary relief by masking our distress but soon the euphoria wears off and we find ourselves facing the same fear and anxiety. Facing the same unconquered giants in our lives. But our faithful God doesn’t want us to keep coming back to a place of disorientation, hopelessness and despair. He gives us the answer to conquer those giants, cast off our bonds and to be set free. That answer—Himself! The action He wants us to take is to flee from the false security of the world and run into the open arms of Him who can calm the raging storms in our lives. “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4)

Fear will happen. We can let fear take root in us so that we give way to panic and hysteria. Are you prone to that? When we are afraid, God wants us to trust Him and not give way to fear. Learning to do that is our walk from fear to faith.

We suffer when our own imaginations often lead us down paths of fear and anxiety and we turn to the world instead of turning to God. To compound our distress, Satan himself tempts us to be afraid, for if he can get our focus on the possible bad things we may face, we won’t focus on God. We won’t be found praying to God, putting our trust in Him or experiencing the joy of the Lord which brings peace. Instead we try to alleviate our fears in sinful ways.

But God tells us not to fear. And he gives us hundreds of Bible verses and promises about conquering our fears and overcoming our anxieties. These verses are intended to give us peace in the midst of the hurricanes and raging storms of life.

But we must fight to believe God’s word and not give in to fear. I’m not saying this is easy. But God’s will is that we experience his deep rest and joy. Here are a few things to remember, Scriptures to meditate upon and promises to stand on to help us fight for God’s peace and joy.

Remember to fear not!

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (Isaiah 43:1-3)

God tells us, His children to “Fear not”. Why? Because He has redeemed us and made us His own. He has called us by name. Therefore when we go through hard things – when we pass through waters, rivers and fire, God Himself, our Savior, redeemer, fortress and strong tower will be with us, and will keep and protect us. We are sure to go through waters and flames, James calls them trials – we will go through various afflictions in this life – but God promises us that we will not be overwhelmed nor destroyed.

Remember that God is for us!

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?…

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?…

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-32, 35, 38-39)

This is a life changer if we stand on this wonderful promise. God, the Creator of all things, the all-powerful one is FOR US. But not only that, He gave up His precious SON to purchase us! If He gave his Son for us, He is sure to meet all of our needs and to keep us safe in every situation.  Therefore NOTHING – nothing now or in the future will be able to separate us from his love for us in Jesus. And because he loves us in Christ, he will meet our every need.

Remember that we are engraved on His hands, always before His face and ever on His Mind!

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. (Isaiah 49:15-16)

What mom would forget her nursing baby? It may rarely happen, but God will NEVER FORGET one of his children. He has engraved us on the palms of his hands. When Jesus looks upon His glorified hands, and sees the marks of the cross, He sees our names engraved there. He will never forget us and are ever on His mind! Some parents have their children’s names tattooed on their arms. How much more did Jesus engrave our names upon his hands when he died for us on the cross!

Remember that the steadfast love of the Lord gives us new mercies every day!

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21-23)

Here is how we cultivate hope and put fear to flight. The key is to “call to mind” the truth about our God. We must call to mind the fact that God’s steadfast love for us NEVER ceases. We must call to mind that his mercies to us NEVER come to an end.

We must call to mind that every single morning God has new mercies for us. And we must call to mind God’s infinitely great faithfulness.

Remember that we must wait upon the Lord!

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!
Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! (Psalm 27:13-14)

Satan tries to get us to believe we will look upon bad things in the future. To combat this we must remember, that even if we can’t see it now, we WILL look upon God’s goodness in this life and certainly the next. When we meditate on these things it helps us to let our hearts take courage rather than fear.

Remember how abundant is God’s goodness!

Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! (Psalm 31:19)

We should not fear the future, but fear God and take refuge in him, because He has abundant goodness stored up for us. He has blessings waiting that we can’t even imagine. Paul told the Corinthian church,  However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) And to the Ephesians, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20) God’s goodness is abundant, inconceivable, immeasurable, unimaginable and inconceivable!

Remember to be anxious for nothing!

…do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

To combat anxiety and conquer our fears we must pray and give thanks to God “in everything” – in everything you are tempted to worry about. Keep lifting your requests to God. Keep thanking Him for everything you can think of. The result: “the peace of God” – God’s very own peace – “which surpasses all understanding” – a peace that human understanding can’t grasp – “will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Pray and thank God! All day long.

Remember we must humble ourselves!

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

God promises to give grace to the humble. When we cast our anxieties on Him, He promises to “exalt us” – lift us up – at the proper time. Why should we cast our anxieties on God? “Because He cares for you” – the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator of all that is seen and all that is unseen cares for you!. God is not too busy running the universe to care for us. We may be like flowers that fade, grass that whither and vapors in the wind but He still knows our name, numbers our hairs and cares for us! He cares because he has redeemed us by the blood of his Son. He cares because he has adopted us as his own children. He cares about every detail of our lives so cast your anxieties on Him!

Remember that the Lord is our Shepherd!

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:1-4)

When you believe in Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior, he becomes your personal shepherd, and you shall want for nothing. Jesus will make you lie down in green pastures, not deserts. Green pastures are rich and full. Jesus will lead you by still waters – a picture of peace. He will restore your soul. He will lead you and guide you in paths of righteousness, by ordering your steps, in ways that bring blessing to your life.

And He will do this for His name’s sake – for His glory.

The Bible is full of truths related to issues such as anxiety and fear. As believers, God gives us authority to use these truths as weapons to combat whatever we experience or feel that doesn’t agree with His Word. Remember to continually be in God’s Word, trust in Him and rest of His promises!

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