All of us are stewards.

Does that seem strange to you? Well, it shouldn’t. All of us have responsibilities over one corner or another of God’s household. Just as we have to look after our own households, we also have to look after the part of God’s household that he has given us to look after.

The task may seem to be difficult or even impossible, but we do not have to be afraid. Jesus assures us that we will overcome, not by drawing on our limited resources or by force but by relying on our Father’s generosity to his flock. It isn’t over until he says it’s over. Life’s hardships and tragedies are a reason to sit tight and wait for his return. They are not an excuse for us to bail out. Life’s trials do not matter if we are faithful to Christ. The kingdom is ours. Stress will be a distant memory. Worry will turn to rest.

“Treasure” refers to a place where one keeps valuables, such as a vault. Jesus urged his disciples to cling to their love for God and his kingdom above all. Everything else they should hold loosely. The giving of alms to the poor generates treasures in heaven, so it makes no sense to limit almsgiving to that which is of little value.

Humanity looks for solutions but wealth, prestige, glamour, sexuality, substance abuse and rebellion are not solutions. All of them have failed miserably. Sometimes we hold on to our possessions because we are afraid of what will happen when we get rid of them, including our money. Given the current worldwide economic situation, this concern is understandable. In addition, people have accumulated earthly possessions in the hope that they would provide security, when they need to lay up treasures in heaven instead. We need to let go of the lives we fearfully protect and hold on to before we can receive our heavenly treasures. If we centre our lives on our possessions, then our lives will revolve around protecting and keeping them. This obsession could get to the point where we will live in constant fear that they will be taken from us. As we accumulate stuff we find that we have to keep our doors locked or install alarm systems or join groups such as Neighbourhood Watch.

This does not mean that we have to give up all of our possessions. In fact, we need some of our possessions in order to live both now and in the future. The key is getting rid of possessions that we don’t need. We can do what early believers did and sell some possessions and give the proceeds to the poor. We can also donate these possessions to the poor or to stores that serve the poor such as Value Village or the Salvation Army Thrift Store or local church yard sales.

If we look at our belongings and decide that there are some things we can never part with or if it’s something God told us to give away and we can’t give it away, then we do not own that item. It owns us. We are possessed by our possessions. They become idols for us, and the Bible says in Ezekiel 20:7, “Get rid of every idol.” To put it another way, in a recent newspaper column Billy Graham answered a question about how much debt is too much. In his reply, he asked:

“What place do things have in your life? Have your possessions become so important to you that they possess you, rather than you possessing them? Are you more concerned about impressing others than living wisely? Most of all, have things taken the place God should have in your lives?”

We don’t need to be afraid of possessions. If they come, we can use them to do God’s work in our world. We can go to the other extreme by giving away so many of our possessions to the poor that it causes hardship for us. There is a time for extravagant gesture as well as a time for practical concerns. There is a time to do things such as fixing the roof, painting walls or feeding the poor, but there is also a time to celebrate. If we feel that we can’t have things or if we feel that we must have them, we are letting the things of the world rule our lives. We must go through life as stewards of everything God gives us.  We need to heed these words from the hymn, “We Plow the Fields and Scatter:”

We thank thee, then, O Father,
For all things bright and good,
The seed time and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food:
No gifts have we to offer
For all thy love imparts,
But that which thou desirest,
Our humble, thankful hearts.

All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above,
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord
For all his love.

Being good stewards is one of the things we should be doing while we wait for Christ to return. We must not use the Lord’s delay in returning as an excuse not to do anything. We have to do the things we would do if Christ returned today. When Christ returns he will serve his faithful servants who are prepared for his return, just like he served the disciples by washing their feet. If we have kept God first in our lives, he will sustain us. He will give us what we need. He won’t give us everything we want when we want it. In fact, he might not give us what we want at all. His choice will depend on the nature of our wants and whether or not they fit in with his plan for our lives.

The way we use the gifts God gives us is evidence of our stewardship. It will show if we are faithful servants with God’s interests in mind or if we have forgotten who we belong to and neglected tending what God has given us. If we obey God and make his priorities our priorities, we will receive incredible blessings, and these blessings are part of our heavenly treasure. For example, some of you might know that I post all of my sermons online. To date they have been seen over 200,000 times, and I have received many positive comments.

A few years ago I received an email from a Lutheran minister in North Carolina. I know it’s a legitimate email because I received a telephone call from him shortly after I received his email. Since parts of the email tie in with my message, I’d like to share them with you.

Hello Craig —

I want to let you know how much I appreciate the sermons you post on your website — they are wonderful. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing.

I am a Lutheran pastor here in North Carolina, USA and I am always looking for good sermon resource material. Do you mind if I do some “begging, borrowing, and stealing” from what you offer? I will be honest with you in stating that I am not the most original writer when it comes to sermon preparation.  If only I could do a fraction of what you have done and continue to do!

Well, Craig, I hope I am making some sense out of all my ramblings…but wanted you to know how I feel…where I am coming from in writing to you…and TRULY asking for your permission to make use of the materials you provide — it is some of the best I have ever seen and it should be shared with many of God’s people, through the personality of various preachers.  I personally believe that our gracious God speaks to us through Holy Scripture and he can also speak to us through what others have said and written —and, dear friend, He certainly speaks to me through you — and for that I am most grateful.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter and may you continue to be blessed with the ABUNDANCE of our Lord’s MARVELOUS love.

 In Christ, Ed Harper

People who help others find themselves caring about the people they help. Also, they will enjoy the meaningful life that results from meeting those needs. God wants us to enjoy and share the abundant life that comes from fellowship with others and a right relationship with God. In a 2016 edition of The Canadian Disciple newsletter, Rev. Dr. Jen Garbin, Regional Minister for The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Canada wrote the following:

“We are not called on to walk alone or only in one way…but we are to encounter each other, share our stories, learn from one another, challenge one another, celebrate together and support each other’s work.”

We must be ready at all times for Christ’s return, because he could return at any time. No one knows when Christ will return. Neither the Bible nor history contain secret messages that, when decoded, reveal the date. Until that day, his followers must actively wait and willingly work. Jesus has given us a mission. We are to take the Good News to the world. We need to be always alert and engaged in this mission. This include using our possessions. The caring Christian community is called to be less anxious about its own welfare and more concerned about those in need. Doing so reflects our heart. Our heart reflects what we value the most.

Throughout Scripture the heart represents the centre of our being, our desires and our reason. Our hearts will be where our treasure is. Those who are greedy and anxious about stuff put their emphasis on worldly goods. Those who trust in God’s provision invest their hearts in heaven. When Chris returns, we will have to give an account of how we looked after everything he has given us. Our hearts will affect how we look after things. Where are your hearts right now? Where do you want them to be in eternity?

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN; Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1412)
2. “We Plow the Fields and Scatter.” Retrieved from http://www.hymnary.org/text/we_plow_the_fields_and_scatter
3. Pastor Rick Warren, “Don Just Get Rid of Your Stuff. Sell It!” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
4. The Rev. Dr. Jen Garbin, “Forks.” Published in the July 21, 2016 edition of The Canadian Disciple and retrieved from www.canadadisciples.org
5. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
6. Larsen, B. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 26: Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1983; pp. 212-215)
7. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006)
8. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles, 2005)
9. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 1421-1422)
10. Bayless Conley, “The Secret to God’s Provision.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
11. Paris Renae, “Hard Things.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
12. Richard Neil Donovan, “Exegesis for Luke 13:32-40.” Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
13. Mark Sargent, UMC, “On Stuff.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
14. Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016, pp. 332-339)
15. Richard Mansel, “Contentment is Never Found in Things.” Retrieved from www.forthright.netg/2016/07/26/contentment-3/
16. Billy Graham, “How Much Debt is Too Much?” Retrieved from http://www.arcamax.com/healthandspirit/religion/billygraham/s-1848539?print&ezine=202
17. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 19^th Sunday -C- August 7, 2016.” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
18. Heather Lear, “Evangelectionary for Sunday, August 7^th, 2016.” Retrieved from http://www.evangelismconnections.org/evangelectionary-for-sunbday-august-7-2016/

Hello boys and girls!

Do you have a favourite toy or piece of clothing?

How do your treat it? Do you take care of it or are you rough with it?

All of us have things that we have to take care of especially if we have received it as a gift. Do you know someone else who have given us things to take care of? God has given us things to take care of. Can anyone tell me what they are?

God wants us to take care of things that he has given us, but he also wants us to take care of other people, especially the poor. Sometimes that means we have to sell what we have and give the money to the poor. We can also give anything that we don’t want or need any more to the poor. When we do this, we will store up treasures in heaven because we will show that we love others as we love ourselves and as God loves us.

How else can we store up treasures in heaven? We can store up treasures by doing things to help others. For example, we can visit the sick, help to feed the hungry, cheering up someone who is sad, praying for one another, working in a homeless shelter, being a friend to someone who is lonely, forgiving someone who has hurt us or saying you’re sorry when you hurt someone.

Let’s pray. Dear God, thank you for the treasures we have on earth. Help us to be faithful each day in building up treasures in heaven. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.

Bibliography

1. “Searching for Treasure.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com
2. “Treasures in Heaven.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4KIds.com

The passage from Hosea 11:1-10 is a story of God mourning over his people. He loved Israel like a parent loves a child, but Israel spurned him. Even though he was rejected, God still loved Israel and could not renounce his chosen people. It is a metaphor for what Jesus did. Jesus was rejected by some of the people, but he still loved them even to the point of dying on the cross. Christ’s death and resurrection are symbols of God’s never-ending love for us.

God’s lonely heart is also a metaphor for all broken relationships-divorce, estrangement, separation or death, for example. The loneliness really hurts when others are in trouble or on a collision course. We want to step in and help, but our efforts are sometimes rejected. When this frustrates us, we can sympathize with God’s anguish over his people. We remember the time when we have rejected him. We remember the times when we have tried to run our own lives. Sometimes we edge him out of our lives until life’s problems and pressures become so severe that we become homesick for God. We can feel God’s heart beating and yearning for his people. When we repent, we begin our Christian life and unlock the secret to receiving daily strength and courage.

All of us want to be praised, including God. God wants us to praise him so much that he made it the turning point in our deepest, darkest problems and anxieties. When we praise God, we acknowledge that he can use even the most painful events in our lives. He takes us just the way we are. He doesn’t care if we are rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, how intelligent we are or how powerful we are. He only cares that we will “let go and let God”.

Even though God loves his people, he can’t ignore their sins just like a parent can’t ignore it when a child misbehaves. God’s righteous nature demands that sin be punished. Because he loves his people and because he demands that sin be punished, he provided a substitute in Jesus. Jesus paid our sin debt on the cross so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. This fulfilled God’s purpose and plan to reconcile his people to him. This also gives us hope and a future. God’s love will always outweigh his punishment.

Each of us has two natures that are constantly at war with each other-a worldly nature and a spiritual nature. We have to choose which one we will feed. One will win and the other one will lose. We have a free will and we can decide which nature will win. We can decide if we will follow the flesh or the Spirit. Whether or not we live a Spirit-filled life will be determined by how often we say “yes” to the leading of the Spirit and “no” to the temptations of the flesh. If we do not deal properly with our old sinful nature, it will hinder our ability to live a Spirit-filled life. Worldliness will make us more miserable than non-believers.

We all long for things to fill the emptiness in our lives. Most of us try to fill that emptiness with material goods. Some even go so far as to fill this emptiness with drugs, alcohol or sex. These things will not fill the emptiness in our lives. In fact, they will only make things worse.

Jesus told the frustrated brother in Luke 12:13-21 that possessions and the work required to get them are not important. While we do have to work to provide food, clothing and shelter for ourselves, the only real possession we must strive for is a right relationship with God. As Christians, one of the most important things we can do is focus on what really matters-God. The problem is that very often we allow our daily lives to take our focus off of the ultimate prize. We become distracted and lose ground in our walk of faith, but if we keep our eyes on Jesus we will keep our heaven-focused perspective on life’s challenges when they happen. In the words of a famous saying, we must not “sweat the small stuff”.

When we become followers of Christ we have to follow certain rules or guidelines. These are not meant to put us into a religious straitjacket. They are designed to change our nature from a wicked human nature to a spotless spirit-filled nature. Paul tells us in Colossians 3:1-11 that we have to put off our old sinful nature with its reality, ravages, power to delude us and ability to draw us away from our new lives in Christ. Some people might think that this demand is old-fashioned, but we have modern sins such as sexual immorality, dirty-mindedness and envy. We have to cut these out of our lives just like a surgeon sometimes has to perform radical surgery to save a patient’s life.

Jesus is our surgeon. He will cut out the diseased parts of our lives. If we do not allow Jesus to operate on our sinful nature, we will face final judgment. We must set our minds on heaven because our life is now in Christ. Our true life is now in the spiritual world. Just like Jesus died for us, we have to die to sin. We can’t fight spiritual battles unless and until we die to our old ways of life.

Paul also calls on us to give up our concern for the things of this world. In other words, he calls on us to give up our concern for material goods. Jesus says the same thing in the parable of the rich fool, which is found in Luke 12:13-21. We are to forget about greed, possessiveness and covetousness. Greed amounts to idolatry. We must focus on what we have instead on what we do not have. Envy is a sin that we as Christians have to get rid of. Envy is a battle with God. We resent his decisions and accuse him of being unfair. Envy pulls us down. It curses us with misinformation, lies, deceit and fraud.

Jesus did not condemn the man for his success or his wealth. What he did condemn was the man’s concern for himself and the lack of concern for the people around him or for the things of God. The man showed no gratitude to God for the gifts he was given. He showed no concern for widows, orphans, the starving or the helpless. His wealth could not save him from the fate that awaits all of us-death. We must balance our personal needs with the needs of others and the needs of the world around us.

Many of you, especially those of you who are of older years, might remember the hippie movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. It was an era where disillusioned, long-haired youth rebelled against the Vietnam War, institutions and society’s emphasis on material goods. Strange as it might seem, many of these hippies were converted and baptized thanks to the ministries that were started as a response to the hippies’ countercultural values. The hippies identified with Jesus and the disciples. Jesus was unconventional just like the hippies were. Jesus and his disciples defied the establishment in their time just like the hippies defied the establishment. Jesus, the disciples and the hippies had simple lifestyles and simple ways of expressing their faith. They wore robes and sandals and preached a message of peace and love. Both groups lived communally and preached a simple lifestyle, including a de-emphasis on material wealth.

Treasures that really count can’t be measured in gold or silver or any material goods. True treasures can only be found in a life dedicated to God. To do this, our minds must be on heaven, which is the ultimate treasure. Greed for material goods imprisons us. Greed for God sets us free. The material world is superficial. God looks beyond it to see where our hearts really are. If we really love God, we have to periodically undergo a spiritual house cleaning, just like most of us give our homes an annual spring cleaning. We have to get rid of everything that hinders our relationship with God. Just like spring house cleaning is hard work, spiritual house cleaning is hard work, but just like a house smells nice and fresh and clean when spring cleaning is finished, our spiritual house cleaning gives us a new look and the new feel of a life with Christ.

Jesus tells us that our life with God makes us realize that most of our fears are unfounded. That is because the only real world we live in is the kingdom of God. What makes us as Christians different from everyone else is not that we have savings accounts, but that the true saving in our lives is the saving we have when we believe in Jesus and what he did for us on the cross. Our lives consist of something more than what we can have here on earth. Our true life is still being revealed to us every day.

Our real value as Christians is when we are rich towards God. That involves loving God and loving one another above all, forgiveness, generosity, gentleness and hospitality. It involves more than believing in these things. It involves incorporating them into our daily lives. This is the way that we truly discover the dream that God has for us as well as the kingdom of God that is here for us now, and our true lives and their value.

Each one of us has the faith that the things of God will get done regardless of circumstance or the daily routine of life. That faith gives us hope. It sees us through long days and nights, trials and troubles. It encourages us to wait, watch and anticipate. It gives us the assurance that God is not finished yet.

God wants us to have hearts that burn with a passion for a future with him. Our focus on God will help us face life’s victories and defeats. Whenever we do what we feel like whenever we feel like it, it is not pleasing to God. On the other hand, God is pleased when we praise him. When we call upon God and seek his will for our lives he will give us wisdom and perspective. He will direct our steps and calm our fears.

If we are to be like Christ, we must think like he does, see the world as he does, and discern human needs like he does. We are to think like Christ, act like Christ and be like Christ. We must find ways to use our broad Christ-like minds to serve others in God’s glory. We need to be humble.

We are all adopted children of God. We are indebted to him for his favour, but we do not have to repay him because he has everything. All he wants is for us to live in a way that will benefit us. We need to surrender our lives and our wills to him. If we love God, we will love His truth, His Word, His presence and glory, His power at work within us to will and do of His good pleasure, His fruit and gifts borne in and exercised through us, His Church, His salvation, and His kingdom of righteousness, joy and peace. If we love God, we will truly love the things we ought to love and we’ll find some other way of expressing our appreciation for the material things we have.

Bibliography

1. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
2. Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series; Vol. 22: Hosea/Joel/Amos/Obadiah/Jonah (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1990)
3. Lee Ann Dunlap, “A Father’s Heart Cry”. Retrieved from http://www.esermons.com
4. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series; Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
5. Joni Eareckson Tada, “Hid With Christ”. Retrieved from ww.joniandfriends.org
6. John Barnett, “What is Materialism?”. Retrieved from http://www.dtbm.org
7. Rick Warren, “Refocus on Pleasing God”. Retrieved from http://www.purposedriven.com
8. Joni Eareckson Tada, “What God Wants”. Retrieved from ww.joniandfriends.org
9. Steve Arterburn, “His Perspective…and Yours”. Retrieved from http://www.newlife.com
10. Dr. Harold Sala, “Misinformation-or Just Plain “Lies””. Retrieved from http://www.guidelines.org
11. T.M. Moore, “The Truths You Ought to Love”. Retrieved from http://www.colsoncenter.org
12. Steve Arterburn, “A Glimpse of Glory”. Retrieved from http://www.newlife.com
13. Dr. Bill Bright, “The Story of Two Dogs”. Retrieved from Insights_with_Bill_Bright@crosswalkmail.com
14. Dr. Harold Sala, “Where Your Treasure Is”.  Retrieved from http://www.guidelines.org
15. T.M. Moore, “The Mind of Christ”. Retrieved from http://www.colsoncenter.org
16. C.P. Hia, “Adopted”. Retrieved from http://www.rbc.org
17. Karen Ehman, “Spring Cleaning”. Retrieved from Encouragement_for_Today@crosswalkmail.com
18. Richard Neill Donovan, “Noticeable Christians”. Retrieved from http://www.lectionary.org
19. The Rev. Dr. Sam Matthews, UMC, “Then How DO We Live?” Retrieved from http://www.day1.org
20. The Rev. Catherine A. Caimano, “This Very Day, Our Lives are Being Demanded”. Retrieved from http://www.faithandleadership.com
21. Sharon L. Blezand, “Problematic Preaching About Bigger Barns”. Retrieved from http://www.stewardshipoflife.org
22. Dr. David Jeremiah, “The Return of the Jesus People”. Turning Points Magazine, August 2013, pgs. 6-7
23. Dr. David Jeremiah, “Sandals and Scandals”. Turning Points Magazine, August 2013, pgs. 8-11
24. Dr. David Jeremiah, “Earthen Vessels”. Turning Points Magazine, August 2013, pgs. 16-19
25. Daniel Stroud, “Bible Study, 11 Pentecost, Proper 13(C)”. Retrieved from http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com
26. The Rev. Anjel Scarborough, “Relationships Are the True Treasure”. Retrieved from http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com

What is the one thing that both the church and society need today?

The answer can be summed up in one word-revival. Not only will a revival bring us and society back to God, it will also allow us to remember what God has done for his people in the past, what he is doing for them now, and what he will do for them in the future.

The message of Psalm 107 conveys what God has done for his children and how lovingly he has dealt with them. God withholds punishment (which is deserved) and gives mercy and grace, which are not deserved. The psalm gives thanks for God’s enduring, steadfast love. He is willing to forgive his people even when they are unfaithful.

The psalm begins with a call to praise, followed by a warning to confess our sins. The psalm is concerned with the entire community giving thanks, but individual members of the community also give thanks. Specifically, they gave thanks to God for saving them from slavery in Egypt and guiding them to the Promised Land. The wanderers in verses 4 to 9 also represent those lost in a desert of loneliness, routine futility and affluence that never satisfies. They, like the Israelites, search without hope and without help, unable to find their way home until they return to God.  It nudges us to move from our comfortable lives to imagine the hearts and lives of refugees, wayfarers, pilgrims and others who are coming to the cross from all over the world. They were in bondage and are now free. Since we were also bound by sin, we will naturally have compassion with these pilgrims.

Like the people of Israel, we wander in spiritual darkness and are rebellious, fearful and wicked. We are easily distracted by the world, and this is understandable. The world is so attractive to us that it overwhelms us to the point where we neglect our relationship with God. In the end we are humbled by the consequences of our disobedience. We turn back to God who forgives us, but then we become complacent and find ourselves back in darkness. This is a never-ending cycle. In spite of this, God’s love is steadfast. He never turns us away when we return to him.

Today, we and the church need to return to God. We need revival. Many churches have seen a decline in membership and attendance. For example, a poll conducted by the Pew Research Centre found that the percentage of Canadians surveyed who say that they attend church at least once a month fell from 43 percent in 1986 to 27 percent in 2012. Society needs to pray to God that he will restore the church so that it can evangelize the people. Society needs to pray that God will pour out his Holy Spirit with a message of repentance and godliness. Society needs restoration and freedom from bondage. God was faithful to his people in the past, he is faithful to his people today, and he will be faithful to his people in the future. His faithfulness opens a gateway to repentance and revival.

There is a spiritual thirst in the world today. Both the world and the church need revival. They need to heed the words of the old song, “That Old Time Religion”:

 Give me that old time religion

 give me that old time religion

 Give me that old time religion

 It’s good enough for me

 Makes me love everybody

 Makes me love everybody

 Makes me love everybody

 It’s good enough for me

 It has saved our fathers

 It has saved our fathers

 It has saved our fathers

 And it’s good enough for me

 It was good for the prophet Daniel

 It was good for the prophet Daniel

 It was good for the prophet Daniel

 And it’s good enough for me

 Give me that old time religion

 give me that old time religion

 Give me that old time religion

 It’s good enough for me

 It was good for Hebrew children

 it was good for Hebrew children

 It was good for Hebrew children

 And it’s good enough for me

Revival can only begin when we claim God’s mercy. It will restore a proper vision of who God is, his goodness, his moral perfection and his mercy. If we trust that he is merciful, we will experience his mercy.

Adversity often forces us to admit our need for God. For example, the Israelites were wanderers in the desert with no home. They suffered from spiritual and physical hunger as well as physical and spiritual thirst. In their time of need, they returned to God. They had no illusions of grandeur or superiority. In contrast, sometimes the church lives under the illusions of power, money, traditions and rituals. God often uses adversity to bring us back to him. He wants us to rely on him instead of relying on ourselves. He wants the longing in our souls to drive us to him. He wants to satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst. He wants to give us hope for the present and the future. He wants to give us vision and direction. When we approach our situations with gratitude, it takes our focus off of our problems and puts it onto God.

Adversity often leaves scars, and all of us have them. We have received these scars in one of two ways: because of what has been done to us by others and because of what we have done to ourselves. These scars are nothing to be ashamed of if we are Christians. They are an invitation to share Christ’s healing power with the world, just like the psalmist showed the scars of the Israelites. If we are not ashamed of our scars, people will recognize Jesus, especially when we tell our stories of emotional, physical, spiritual and relational healing. If we are true children of God, we will say so publicly and not be ashamed of it. We will gladly tell everyone about God’s unfailing love, how he changed our lives and how he can change their lives.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN; Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 777-778)
2. Pew Research Centre, “Canada’s Changing Religious Landscape.” Retrieved from http://www.pewforum.org/2013/06/27/canadas-changing-religious-landscape/#decline-in-canadians-attendance-at-religious-services
3. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
4. Williams, D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 14: Psalms 73-150 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989, pp. 276-277)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 810-812)
7. Sharon Janes, “The Power of Your Story.” Retrieved from www.girlfriendsingod.com
8. Rick Boxx, “A Walk of Gratitude.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
9. Scott Schauf, “Commentary on Psalm 107:1-3,23-32.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2490
10. Lisa Nichols Hickman, “ON Scripture: Immigration: Journey to a New Life.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
11. Houston, David: “Old Time Religion.” Retrieved from http://www.metrolyrics.com/old-time-religion-lyrics-david-houston.html
12. Craig Condon, “Memories, Faith and Forgiveness.” Retrieved from the author’s personal library.

A pilot was flying a single-engine airplane when the engine suddenly quit. He tried everything he could think of to restart the engine, but he wasn’t successful. He radioed the nearest airport, which was 100 miles away, and explained the situation. He asked the air traffic controller for advice. The reply he got was, “Repeat after me. Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Jesus often prayed. For example, He prayed at His baptism, in the wilderness, before the appointment of the apostles and at His transfiguration. The disciples were impressed by the excellence and fervor of His prayers. John the Baptist taught His disciples to pray, and Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. Jesus’ answer became known as the Lord’s Prayer. It teaches us three things:

1. The gifts and graces of others should lead us to want them as well.
2. The true method of praying can be learned only by being properly taught by God.
3. It’s proper for us to think beforehand what we are to ask for.

Jesus did not say that the disciples should use His exact words whenever they prayed. He was suggesting a pattern. This pattern has six separate ingredients. This pattern can be easily remembered by thinking of the six letters in the author’s name-CHRIST.

1. C-Concentrate on the person you are praying to, and not on the prayer.
2. H-Hallelujah. Jesus says, “Hallowed be thy name,” meaning, “Holy be thy name.” The word hallowed defines the person of God.
3. R-Ruler.” Thy Kingdom Come.”  God is the ruler of the kingdom that will come some day.
4. I- “I need and I feed.” When we ask God to give us our daily bread, we are asking Him to give us what we need.
5. S-Saviour. Our prayer affirms that God is our Saviour. He will forgive our sins.
6. T-Triumph. “Lead us not into temptation.” We are asking God to try to keep us from sinning so often. We don’t have the strength to face our temptations. That’s why we pray to God and ask Him to deliver us from evil.

So why is prayer important? In his book, A Call to Prayer, scholar J.C. Ryle gave the following reasons:

1. A habit of prayer is one of the surest marks of a true Christian. The greatest people in the Bible were people of prayer. They took their problems, challenges, hopes and dreams to God regularly, and so can we.
2. A habit of prayer brings great encouragement to the one who prays.
3. A habit of prayer creates holy men and women. The more we seek out God, the more our hearts are aligned with what God desires for us and we become holier people in the process.
4. If we do not pray, we run the risk of backsliding in our faith.
5. A habit of prayer brings peace and contentment. We live in a sin-filled world where sorrows and troubles are plenty. How do we fight this? When we cry out to God, He offers peace that transcends our understanding.

The Lord’s Prayer should be called “The Disciples’ Prayer” because it provides a pattern for all disciples to follow: honour God, submit to His will, depend on Him to meet needs and forgive sins, and ask for strength to forgive others and to resist the devil. At the heart of it all is Jesus’ distinctive vision of God as Father.

The prayer teaches us to forgive others if we expect God to forgive us. It doesn’t mean that by forgiving others we deserve forgiveness ourselves, but that it is a state of mind without which God can’t consistently pardon us. We are to forgive everyone who has hurt us.

It’s also proper to persevere in prayer. God will answer our prayers after long and frequent requests. A good example is the parable of the widow and the unjust judge. God doesn’t promise to give blessings at once. He only promises that He will do what we ask or that He will answer our prayer in His own time and in His own way. He leaves people to persevere in prayer until they feel their dependence on Him. Sometimes we need to know the depths of our own desires, and we need to cry out to God with an enduring persistence. We have to keep asking, keep seeking and keep knocking. Persistence is the key. When we see God answer those prayers, we are encouraged to continue praying for other things as well. Our persistence will be rewarded. God will give us what we need. All we have to do is ask. Sometimes we don’t even have to ask and it’s still ours to receive.

Prayer produces in us the character of waiting-the kind of waiting that brings us the answer and not the answer to us. Prayer reshapes us and our understanding. God brings good even from those prayers that have a different result than what we had hoped for.

God is almighty and He works mightily, but He will not and cannot work if we do not labour together with Him in prayer for His will and pray “with all prayer and supplication” (as written in Ephesians 6:18) to grant Him the maneuverability to work in our lives. God wants to do many things, but He can’t because we do not sympathize with Him and we have not prayed so as to prepare ways for Him.

Just like the man persevered in asking his neighbour for a loaf of bread late at night, Jesus challenges us to ask, seek and knock. God is always there, ready to help when we ask, seek or knock-unlike our friends. He wants to help us because we are His children and we ask Him for what we need. Seeking is intense asking and knocking is intense seeking. Jesus was not speaking of the forgiveness of sins or of faith. He was speaking of knowing God in a real and personal way. As we pray to God and get to know Him, we will be changed. God loves us just the way we are, but He refuses to leave us that way. He wants us to be just like Jesus, and one way we can be like Jesus is to pray like Jesus did.

One of our big problems with prayer is that we do not see God answer our prayers as fast as we would like, so we give up. Could the reason we have not seen answers be due to the fact that we have not persisted in prayer? God will answer our prayers at the right time. He will provide for our needs. He wants to show Himself mighty and strong in our lives. The greater the problem we are facing, the greater the glory when He comes through.  

Prayer is not a special activity reserved for special times, special places or special people. Prayer is not the private property; prayer is mercifully ordinary. Prayer is what we’re wired for. Prayer is what we as God’s children do. If we stop and think about it for a minute, prayer is a reason to relax and rejoice.

Getting to know God is the key to understanding the heart of God, which is the source of the abundance of blessings He pours out on our lives, unworthy as we are. While some are more interested in the help God provides, knowing Him is the key to understanding the nature of prayer and how this brings us into harmony with the will of God.

God is one friend who will never let us down. He is the friend who is always there, who never puts us on hold, and who never turns us away. Even though He doesn’t always give us what we want, or what we think we need, there is one gift He always gives: The Holy Spirit. In the words of that famous hymn:

What a friend we have in Jesus

All our sins and griefs to bear

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer.

Showing hospitality was a moral obligation in the ancient world, and the man in the second part of Luke’s Gospel passage faced a responsibility he could not meet unless he received help. Likewise, believers should see themselves as people in desperate need before the only One who can meet that need. Those who come to God with persistence, as this man did with his neighbour, will know the power of prayer in their lives.

All of us have a hunger for God, including one person who wrote to Billy Graham a few years ago. He wrote,” My parents were atheists, and I’ve never believed in God. But I’m older now, and I’m beginning to wonder if I’m right. How can I know if God exists?” In his reply, Billy Graham wrote the following words:

“I can tell from your letter that you honestly want to know if God exists, and I commend you for this. All too often people say they want to know if God exists—but in reality they don’t, because they know He’d make them change their way of living. “

“But I also sense that you aren’t simply curious about God. You have within you a hunger for God—a hunger that God Himself has placed within you (even if you don’t see it this way right now). God made us, and our lives are only complete when we give Him His rightful place. Don’t suppress that hunger He has placed in your soul, and don’t try to fill it with anything less than God. Put Jesus’ words into action: ‘Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.’”

The idea that prayer is a passive activity has no place in the word of God. Prayer is persistence, conflict and spiritual warfare. Prayer is at the very heart of the life of faith. Prayer is simply talking to God and listening to Him. It’s like falling in love. Suddenly your life takes on a whole new meaning. You’ve got a new centre, a new relationship with a person that gives you excitement and joy. You are talking to the person you love, and you can talk to him or her all through the day, driving, showering, walking down the aisles of the supermarket, going to sleep or waking up.

When Jesus was tempted by the devil while He was in the desert, He was able to defeat the devil by quoting Scripture. When we as Christians understand that we can pray directly to God, when we can take a passage of Scripture and understand it under the direction of the Holy Spirit, we are on the road to surviving victoriously in whatever set of hostile circumstances that may come along. One discovery will lead to another. We will let the Holy Spirit use us to touch the lives of others and minister to their needs.

Prayer is a matter of faith-taking God at His word and trusting His promise to work on His people’s behalf-even when His work is invisible, when the answers are long in coming, and when He seems to be withholding His blessings. The act of persistent prayer proclaims a believer’s commitment to Him.

In the Holy Spirit we partake of God’s friendship. Through His Spirit, God comes to be in us and with us, to talk to us and listen to us, and we to Him. It’s a sign of His friendship. God gives His Spirit to us if we ask, and then the dialogue begins.

We pray because Jesus wants us to. We pray because it’s what we as God’s children do. We pray because we want to and our yearning is precious to God. We pray because what we need the most is God’s Spirit in us. With or without words, and regardless of our circumstances, our prayers usher in God’s Spirit and remind us that we are not alone in this hurting world. God’s Spirit will be with us if we accept Christ as our Saviour and let Him into our hearts and lives.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp.1408-1409)
2. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 12 Bible software package.
3. Larsen, B. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 26: Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983; pp. 192-200)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 1417-1419)
6. “Day 22 These: Facing Temptation.” Retrieved from Onceplace@crosswalkmail.com
7. Pastor Dick Woodward, “The Pursuit of God.” Retrieved from crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
8. Paul Estabrooks, “Led by the Spirit.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
9. “Pray with Persistence.” Retrieved from info@dailydisciples.org
10. Pastor Jack Hibbs, “Persistent Prayer.” retrieved from devotion@reallifewithjackhibbs.org
11. Os Hillman, “A Remnant That Prays.” Retrieved from tgif@marketplaceleaders.org
12. “Are We Asking?” Retrieved from www.forthright.net
13. Rev. Billy Graham, “How Can I Know If God Exists?” Retrieved from https://www.arcamax.com/healthandspirit/religion/billygraham
14. Arthur Schoonveld, “A Friend at Midnight.” Retrieved from today@thisistoday.net
15. Dr. Harold Sala, “God’s Pockets.” Retrieved from guideleines@guidelines.org
16. Kelly Givens, “Do You Pray?” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
17. Dr. Jeff Schreve, “When Prayer Has Power.” Retrieved from www.christianity.com/devotionals/from-his-heart-jeff-schreve/
18. The Rev. Janet Hunt, “A Young Man, His Dog and How Much More Will the Father Give….” Retrieved from www.dancingwiththeword.com
19. Debie Thomas, “When You Pray.” Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net

When I led a weekly worship service at a local nursing home in 2016, I talked about memories and how they can be both good and bad, depending on the memories. I talked about how Joshua told representatives of the twelve tribes of Israel to take 12 stones from the Jordan River and make a monument after the Israelites entered the Promised Land. This monument was intended to help the Israelites remember God’s faithfulness to them during the forty years that they wandered in the wilderness.

The writer of Psalm 85 also talks about memories. Memories give us hope. For example, people who are grieving the loss of a loved one are often comforted by their memories of their loved ones. Memories let us recall with gratitude what God has done in the past, and they give us the hope that God will do good things for us again in the future. That makes our present sorrows and sufferings bearable.

Psalm 85 is a community lament. God was not pleased that his people were unfaithful, and he showed his displeasure. The people repented and asked God to forgive them. The six verbs-been favourable, brought back, have forgiven, covered, taken away, turned down-highlight God’s redemptive work in Israel’s history. God’s gracious dealings with Israel in the past justify the hope that He will once again show grace and forgiveness. The psalm closes with the confidence that God will forgive his people.

The psalmist also urges us to make sure that our repentance is genuine. He urges us not to make the same mistakes that caused God’s displeasure. The word mercy literally means “lovingkindness” or “steadfast love.” It is a powerful word used elsewhere in the Old Testament to describe God’s unconditional love and His covenant commitment. God’s promise of salvation is available to everyone who believes in him in faith, but that provision is not automatic. It only comes if we repent and turn to God in faith.

God’s judgment is the result of his righteousness and our sins. There will never be any reconciliation without repentance and forgiveness. Reconciliation was made possible by Christ’s death on the cross. Since he bore our sins and our punishment on his shoulders, we can come home to God. His wrath has been lifted, but it will return every time we sin. Every time we repent, God will forgive us, but that does not give us a license to sin.

Spiritual revival involves getting right with God and returning to a place in our lives where we can delight in God and celebrate his goodness, love and mercy. It will rescue us from the penalty of sin and the urge to practice our sins.

Jesus is like water. Both can go where we can’t go. Throw something against a wall, and it will hit the wall and drop. Throw water on a wall, and the water will spread. Jesus is the same. He is a spirit who is not limited by an earthly body. He enters our souls and quenches our spiritual thirst just like water quenches our physical thirst.

There is a spiritual thirst in the world today. Both the world and the church need revival. They need to heed the words of the old song, “That Old Time Religion”:

 Give me that old time religion

 give me that old time religion

 Give me that old time religion

 It’s good enough for me

 Makes me love everybody

 Makes me love everybody

 Makes me love everybody

 It’s good enough for me

 It has saved our fathers

 It has saved our fathers

 It has saved our fathers

 And it’s good enough for me

 It was good for the prophet Daniel

 It was good for the prophet Daniel

 It was good for the prophet Daniel

 And it’s good enough for me

 Give me that old time religion

 give me that old time religion

 Give me that old time religion

 It’s good enough for me

 It was good for Hebrew children

 it was good for Hebrew children

 It was good for Hebrew children

 And it’s good enough for me

The church needs to have the same impact that the church in the first century AD did. We and the church need to pray, evangelize and give faithfully of time, talent and treasures.

We need revival daily even though we may say to ourselves, “I’ve confessed, tried and failed so many times. Revival doesn’t last.”  Someone said the same thing to evangelist Billy Sunday in the early 1900s. He made the point that since personal revival wasn’t a permanent end to temptation, sin and failure, times of revival weren’t important. The man complained to Billy Sunday that revival just doesn’t last. Billy Sunday just smiled and replied, “Well, a bath doesn’t last either, but it’s good to take one occasionally!” Daily revival is like a daily bath. Both get rid of dirt and grime. A bath gets rid of physical dirt and grime, and daily revival gets rid of the spiritual dirt and grime called sin. When we are restored, we can rejoice at having been restored and forgiven. At the same time, we can anticipate with joy the fulfillment of prophecy and our promised salvation.

We can’t do anything to earn our salvation except repent and accept God by faith. Salvation is a gift from God that was paid for when Christ died on the cross. When God forgives us, we will know that God keeps his promises. God’s mercy and righteousness will always triumph over sin and death. Lovingkindness, righteousness and peace are characteristics of God, and they are also characteristics of our eternal, heavenly home.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN; Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 762-763)
2. Houston, David: “Old Time Religion.” Retrieved from http://www.metrolyrics.com/old-time-religion-lyrics-david-houston.html
3. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
4. Williams, D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 14: Psalms 73-150 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989; pp. 108-113)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010, pp. 785-787)
7. Pastor Greg Laurie, “Revival is Personal.” Retrieved from www.harvest.org
8. Joel Osteen, “Ask to Hear Him Better.” Retrieved from www.joelsoteen.com
9. Dr. Stephen Davey, “Taking a Bath-Daily!” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
10. Dr. Billy Graham, “Does God Give Up on a Nation That Turns Against Him?” Retrieved from www.billygraham.org
11. The Rev. Margaret Leichester-Stoddard, “Bible study, Proper 12 (C)-July 24, 2016.” Retrieved from http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/stw/2016/07/11/bible-study-proper-12-c-juolu-24-2016/

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Have you ever had a problem that was so bad that you couldn’t solve it yourself? Did you wish that the problem would just go away? Well, the apostle Paul has the answer in Colossians 2:8-23. He argues that the cross is the answer to our deepest needs.

It took the sacrificial love of Jesus as expressed on the cross for people to come back to God. This change will provide us with the strength, wisdom, courage, love and other resources that we need to deal with our problems. The heart is the root of the problem. God understands this and he goes for the root cause of our problem. He promised to take away our hearts of stone, and he did this by joining us to Christ’s death.

Christ’s death was a sacrifice in the style of the Old Testament sacrifices. These rituals involved sacrificing animals to atone for the sins of the people. The problem was that the priests in the temple were human and they had to atone for their own sins as well as making sacrifices for the sins of the people. The view at that time was that God was an angry god who was only satisfied with sacrifices. Jesus was the perfect, sinless sacrifice for the sins of the people, and his sacrifice on the cross had a much deeper meaning than the Old Testament sacrifices.

When we have problems the cross meets us at the point of our deepest needs. First, the cross is love at its deepest and purest. It is the kind of love that allows God to forgive us and reconcile us to him. This love allows us to love others and receive the love others have for us.

The second need is for forgiveness. We are sinners, and in times of trouble this reality often hits close to home. Through the cross God forgives us and nails our sins to the cross. Once these sins have been nailed to the cross, God forgives them and forgets them.

The third need is for community. Families can be torn apart by our modern society. In larger towns and cities people often don’t know their neighbours. Our thirst for material happiness has isolated us. We need to be connected to other people. The good news is that we are all united and equal at the foot of the cross. Just like he was lifted up on the cross, Christ draws us to him and to each other.

The fourth need we have is a cause to live and die for. That cause is the cross. When we centre ourselves in Christ, the more sensitive we become to the needs of people around us. We die to self, sin and pride. The love that is motivated by the cross becomes our reason for living. God has taken the initiative through the Cross to unite us to him.

One of the problems we have to deal with in our spiritual lives is false teachers. They exist only to cheat us out of the life we have in Christ. They claim to know God, but they aren’t necessarily mature in the faith. There are countless people who know the Scriptures but don’t apply them to their lives. Their leadership is based on so-called visions and revelations. These claims are false because Jesus was God’s final and complete revelation to mankind. Jesus is the only person we can trust. He is the only one who warrants our allegiance and trust. The person who knows only one verse of Scripture and applies it is more spiritually mature than the one who knows many verses and applies none of them.

The recent information explosion caused by the Internet and the 500 plus TV channels we can receive has made it more difficult to know whom to trust, especially when it comes to biblical teaching. Many so called “preachers” and “theologians” have gained a platform by teaching things that are the opposite in what is written in the Bible. We must not let charm and charisma determine what teachings we will accept. We must put ourselves under solid, biblical teaching so we can be rock-solid in our faith.

One of the false teachings we have to be aware of is the legalism, or the rules and regulations of Old Testament law or fundamentalist denominations. Christ is the substance by which all things are measured out, not rules or regulations.

Paul rebuffs four deceptions that undermine Christianity-philosophy, deceit, the traditions of man and the basic principles of the world. He does this with a definitive statement regarding the identity of Christ. Believers have everything they need in Jesus. Believers are buried in Christ through the water of baptism and are raised to new life through faith. Sin, death and hell do not have a claim on us anymore. God made a public spectacle of his enemies when Jesus was triumphant over death. We do not have to submit to anything Jesus has conquered. Jesus has solved our biggest problem, and he can help us solve all of our smaller ones as well.

Jesus has united all believers through his death and resurrection. He erased our sin-debt. He has created a relationship with us, and that relationship allows us to live the Christian life. He gives us the resources we need to defend ourselves and to be successful in life.

Bibliography

1. Dunnam, M.D. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
2. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
3. Lucado, M: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2010)
4. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
5. Pastor Jack Hibbs, “Be Filled.” Retrieved from wttw@calvarycch.org
6. Ron Moore, “The Real Thing.” Retrieved from www.ronmoore.org
7. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
8. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “The Day I died.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org
9. “The Danger of Many Bible ‘Experts’.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

At first glance, the reading from Hosea 1:2-10 doesn’t seem to make sense. Would God really ask a prophet to marry a prostitute? Well, the answer is yes he can, and yes he did. You see, this was part of God’s plan, and we all know that God’s ways are not our ways, and sometimes God’s ways don’t make sense to us because we can’t see the overall plan God has for someone or something.

God wanted to teach Israel a lesson, so he told Hosea to marry Gomer the prostitute. When God used the word whoredom, he was not necessarily referring to prostitution. The word translated as whoredom is a broad term that refers to various types of sexual misconduct. It only refers to prostitution in certain cases. In the case of Hosea, it refers to a married woman being unfaithful to her husband. This was a metaphor for Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. Hosea’s marriage began well and ended badly, just like Israel’s relationship with God began well and had become bad by the time of Hosea.

Hosea probably asked God, “Why are you doing this to me? I am a good man, I try to be a godly man. All I want to do is have a family and raise children. Why should I be married to the wrong woman? Why should I be forced to raise strange children?” God’s likely answer was, “It is because you are my prophet that you are living through this situation. Who else could suffer like I suffer, grieve like I grieve, and understand what I understand? Israel abandoned me just like your wife abandoned you. You can grieve for Gomer like I grieve for Israel.”

God knew that Gomer would be unfaithful and he used that knowledge to teach Israel a lesson. He used the names of her children as statements of prophecy. The first child, Jezreel, was a reflection of 1 Kings 21 where Ahab’s wife Jezreel planned to murder Naboth so that Ahab could seize Naboth’s vineyard.  The licking of Ahab’s blood by the dogs was a metaphor for God’s future judgment of people who follow other gods.

The name of Gomer’s second child is translated as “No Mercy”. Scholars suggest that Hosea was not the father. He did not have the natural affection that a father has for his children. This was a metaphor for the lack of love that God had for Israel at this point in time.

The name of Gomer’s third child is translated as “Not My People”, and again scholars suggest that Hosea was not the father. It represents the breaking of the natural bond that God made with Israel at Mt. Sinai; however, this breaking of the bond did not nullify the promises God made to Abraham. Like Abraham, Israel’s salvation was by grace through faith and not through works of the law. The salvation would be offered through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus.  

God used Hosea’s family to call Israel back to him and his teachings. Paul said the same thing in Colossians 2:6-19. Both the Colossians and the Israelites had been led away from God. In the case of the Colossians, they were led away by false prophets. They were deceived. They forgot that in God and Jesus they were living new lives after being forgiven of their sins. They were united with Christ and shared his power over all earthly rules and authority. The only way they had to gain spiritual maturity was to hold fast to their faith in Christ and not to the man-made rules of the Pharisees.

The story of Hosea and Gomer is really a story about God and the covenant people. Hosea used his family struggles as a way to speak to Israel about its unfaithfulness to God. Israel paid a heavy price for its unfaithfulness. Reconciliation would not be easy, just like it was not easy for Hosea and Gomer to reconcile. Israel had to learn a hard lesson. We as Christians have to learn the same hard lesson when we forsake Christ for other worldly ambitions. Thank goodness God is stubborn and pursues us even when we turn from him in sin. This is Hosea’s ultimate message: God is faithful to his promises and can’t let us go. His faithfulness to us overcomes our faithlessness to him and to each other.

We as modern Christians are also called to faith in Christ as a way of gaining spiritual maturity. It is not gained by the liturgy of the church. It is not gained through hymns, prayers or the minister unless they are true expressions of faith. It is not gained through the Book of Common Prayer or the Book of Alternative Services. It is only gained through faith. Faith allows us to withstand life’s challenges. Faith will guide us to the end of our life’s journey. It will guide us into the time of Judgment Day when God will say “Welcome Home!” Without faith, we will quite literally go to hell.

God can’t give us up as his children regardless of how unfaithful we have been.  He loves us too much. At the same time, he can’t overlook our sins because of the damage sin does and will continue to do as long as we hold on to our sins. Our closeness to God is broken because sin offends God. Sin hurts us because sin always has negative consequences and cuts us off from others, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ.  God had to find a way to comfort us and heal us-and the way he found was through Christ’s death on the cross.

Jesus came into the world for a purpose, and that purpose was to die on the cross, the just for the unjust. When Jesus died for us, he took away our sins and nailed them to the cross. He provided the redemption referred to in Hosea 1:2-10. We must not take that grace for granted like Israel did. We must not drift so far from God that we can’t cherish his grace. That’s what happened to Israel at the time of Hosea. When we accept Christ, our condition is changed from condemnation and death to forgiveness and life. We are given a new nature-one that wants to please God. We are then adopted into God’s family, but that adoption requires us to submit to Christ’s authority. He paid for us with his blood, and since we are now his, he has the right to rule our lives. We have to let Jesus have complete control of every area of our lives-every decision, every action, every word, every motive, every attitude and every thought.

Hosea’s family provided juicy gossip for Israel. It was the Old Testament version of our modern tabloids. If the National Inquirer had been around during Hosea’s lifetime, the story of Hosea’s family would likely have made the front page. As Israel listened to the gossip about Hosea’s family, they learned about God’s undying love for his people. God’s faithfulness combined with our faith in him gives us hope that we can be changed, forgiven and saved. He wipes the slate clean and renews the relationship he has with us. We are restored as children of God.

In the Letter to the Colossians Paul encourages us to be rooted in Christ. Israel in Hosea’s time didn’t have those firm roots, so it’s no wonder that they drifted away from God. Once we have this firm foundation, Colossians teaches us to continually renovate ourselves so that we become more Christ-like, but we must not become rigid. We do not have to follow a rigid set of rules. All we have to do is come to Christ in humble faith and prayer. Jesus gives us a good example of a prayer to use in Luke 11:1-13.

There are two forms of prayer: quiet contemplation or thanksgiving and petition. Jesus used both forms of prayer to seek God’s presence, guidance and provision for both body and spirit. His prayer life reflected the life of friendship with God. God met Jesus’ needs when Jesus prayed, and he can meet our needs when we pray.

When Jesus said, “Give us this day our daily bread”, he was referring to the manna that the Israelites received every day when they wandered in the wilderness. It reminded them of their daily dependence on God for the basics of life. Bread serves the same function in a primitive, agricultural society where hunger is never far away. This might seem to be trivial in our modern, affluent society, but the term “daily bread” represents the modern essentials of our lives- for example, a car or medical care. God our Father listens to our requests but he does not blindly grant every one of them, just like good parents do not grant every one of a child’s requests. To do so would please us in the short term, but it would also hurt us in the long run, just like granting every one of a child’s requests would hurt the child in the long run. Instead, God provides what is needed, including limits and discipline

When I was doing my research for this homily, I found this prayer, which I thought tied in quite nicely with the homily. It’s a prayer we should all pray when we don’t get what we pray for. It goes like this:

I asked for strength that I might achieve;
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I had asked for,
but everything that I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered;
I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

When we turn to other people and things to meet our needs, we turn away from God just like Israel did. There are so many people today who believe that if they can simply do this or that, then their lives will be fulfilled. They are very disappointed when they reach their goals and discover that the view from the top isn’t as great as they thought it would be. They try to hide their disappointment with drugs, alcohol sex or material goods. They reached their goals without asking God if their goals were compatible with his plans for their lives.. God wants us to seek, ask and knock and in return he promises to answer our prayers. We need to plant our roots deep in the faith of who Jesus is and what he did for us. That way, when the storms of life hit us, we will remain strong.

If we are to be like Christ, we must also forgive others like God forgives us. We as Christians are to be faithful reflections of the image and values of God. How can the world learn of God’s forgiveness if we do not forgive others?

The story of the man who loaned the three loaves of bread is a metaphor for God’s promise to save his people. People in that area and culture took hospitality seriously at that time. Failing to show hospitality would bring shame on the host family because the traveller would go to other homes for help and tell everyone about the person who refused to show hospitality. God refuses to allow his name to be brought to shame, so he saves his people. In other words, he keeps his promises and shows his own version of hospitality.

So how do we keep our faith strong in the face of our modern, secular, godless society? One way is through studying the Scriptures and through prayer. Jesus said that genuine prayer depends on knowing God instead of on our own efforts. When we pray, we become God’s warriors in our battered world, and our main duty is to serve him. We fight our battles by being kind to people we come in contact with, being godly to those who are non-believers and by being an upright witness to the world for the glory of Christ who lives in us. Once we are alive in Christ we must be and do for others what Christ has done for us. In other words, we must be like Christ.

Society is filled with people like Hosea and Gomer-people whose lives are messed up, who don’t have it together, who make poor choices and live with the consequences. I know, because I’m one of them. When I was in university, I made the poor choice of listening to a “sales letter” from a department head and majored in Economics. I’ve been paying a heavy price since then-unemployment, underemployment, a return to school and part-time work that paid me an income that was well below the poverty line for a single person. We might pretend that we are prefect, but behind our perfect appearances lie deep flaws that exist in spite of our appearances to cover up our sinfulness.

Our Christian life is not to be confined to a closet. Our belief must be revealed in our practice. If we walk in Christ, then we must act as Christ would act because Christ is in us-our hopes, our love, our joy and our lives. We are the reflection of Jesus, and people will say of us, “They are like their Master. They live like Jesus Christ”.

Bibliography

1. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
2. Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 22: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1990)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)
4. Daniel Clendenin, PhD, “Lord, Teach Us to Pray”. Retrieved from http://www.journeywithjesus.net
5. John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Pentecost 9, Year C. Retrieved from http://www.seemslikegod.org
6. Ron Hutchcraft, “Life-Saving Pain”. Retrieved from http://www.hutchcraft.com
7. Dr. Charles Stanley, “Eternally Secure in Christ”. Retrieved from http://www.intouch.org
8. Dr. Charles Stanley, “Salvation and Lordship”. Retrieved from http://www.intouch.org
9. Dr. Neil Anderson, “Walking by Faith”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
10. Billy Graham, “If Jesus Forgave our Sins, Why Do We Ask God’s Forgiveness?” Retrieved from http://www.billygraham.org
11. Kelly McFadden, “Rooted in Christ”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
12. Joni Eareckson Tada, “The Devil’s Real Weapon”. Retrieved from http://www.joniandfriends.org
13. Alistair Begg, “The Practice of Walking”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
14. Lee Ann Dunlop, “A ‘Somebody Done Somebody Wrong’ Song”. Retrieved from http://www.esermons.com
15. Chrysanne Timm, “A Marriage Made in Heaven?”. Retrieved from http://www.esermons.com
16. John W. Wurster, “A Match Made in Heaven”. Retrieved from http://www.esermons.com
17. James McLemore, “God Needs to Save This Family”.  Retrieved from http://www.esermons.com
18. Charles L. Aaron Jr., “When God Adds Insult to Injury”. Retrieved from http://www.esermons.com
19. Clayton A. Lord, Jr., “Changing Our New Life to Christ”. Retrieved from http://www.esermons.com
20. The Rev. Edward F. Markquart, “The Prophet and the Prostitute”. Retrieved from http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com
21. Howard Wallace, “Hosea 1:2-10, Year C, Pentecost 9”. Retrieved from http://hwallace.unitingchurch.org

“Come here, Mr. Wiggle Worm,” Peter said as he put an earthworm in a can. “Hey, Dad, are worms good for anything besides bird food and fish bait?”

“Yes,” said Dad. “They help the earth breathe.”

Peter laughed. “Like lungs?”

Dad smiled. “Not exactly, but as worms burrow through the ground, they let fresh air through the soil. The more they eat and digest the soil, the better it is for growing things. God has a purpose for everything.”

“Well, I’m glad one purpose for worms is to make bait,” said Peter. “We’ll catch more fish that way! This will be enough, won’t it?” Dad nodded, and they headed to the lake.

That evening the family enjoyed fish for supper. “Yum!” Peter said as he took a bite. “Fishing was so much fun! I wish I could skip school and go fishing every day.”

Mom laughed. “Now that would be overdoing it a little,” she said.

“Besides, you like school,” said Peter’s sister, Ann.

“Yeah, except science,” Peter said. “I don’t agree with some of the things Mrs. Moore says. She thinks the universe came about on its own, but the Bible says God created everything, right?”

“That’s right,” said Mom. “It’s amazing that people can’t see how the beauty and complexity of nature points to a God who planned everything and makes it all work together.”

Dad nodded. “Even though sin broke creation in deep ways, we can see the goodness of God in everything He made.”

“Like worms and how they help things grow?” Peter asked.

“Right,” said Dad. “The sun is another example of God’s goodness. It’s just the right distance away so we can live comfortably. And seasons follow one another in perfect order. Only God could have planned everything so well.”

“And He has a special plan for people too, right?” asked Ann.

“Indeed, He does!” Mom replied. “Jesus came and died for the whole world, and one day He’ll return and make all creation new so it’s no longer affected by sin. He has a purpose for everyone who trusts in Him–a plan for how He wants each one of them to be part of His Kingdom on earth.”

Dad nodded. “Because of Jesus, all of creation–down to the littlest earthworm–has a purpose in the Kingdom of God.”

Did you know that God is in charge of everything? He’s the one who created the whole universe and makes it all work together. Though the sin we brought into the world causes a lot of problems, it won’t be around forever. Jesus saved the world from sin when He died on the cross, and He has a purpose for everything–including you! Trust Him and His plan for your life.

In Paul’s day, people debated about what force brought and held the world together. Some philosophies taught that water was the ultimate agent. Others believed that it was air. Paul declared that this unifying, sustaining force was not a what, but a who: Jesus Christ. Christ is everything-Creator, Sustainer, Head, Beginning, Firstborn-and has preeminence over all life.  As Lord of the universe (“the one who is before all things”), Jesus has every right to be Lord of everything He has created. If Jesus is truly Lord in one’s life, there can be no limitations or conditions on that statement.

As a physical body gets its signals from the head, the body of Christ on earth-the church-gets its signals from Jesus, its head. The church has a hope unlike any other in that Jesus is the firstborn of the dead-the first to be raised from the dead in a glorified form. Because of His resurrection, there will come a day when all fallen creation will be re-created, and the elect in Christ will join Him in glorified, everlasting bodies.

The words in verse 19 are perhaps the strongest affirmation in Scripture of Christ’s divine nature: all the fullness of God was in Jesus. Christ was no mere man or teacher, or even an angel or another celestial being. He was, and is, fully God. Paul told the Colossians that Christ was uncreated and was Himself the Creator. He existed before time. He is one with God in personality. Christ has priority and sovereignty over creation. He is the sole mediator between God and man. He is the heartbeat of the created universe. When we try to sever our lives from Christ, everything falls apart. Every person who has severed themselves from Christ has been disappointed.

Sometimes in our efforts to grow closer to God, we end up diminishing Him. We try to contain Him. We try to define Him in a way that our limited human minds can understand. When we try to squeeze God into our limited human understanding, we miss the very essence of God as the Creator, overseer and Sustainer of all things seen and unseen in Heaven and here on Earth. God is a being and sometimes He can’t be understood. Instead of distancing ourselves from Him, that knowledge should inspire awe and reverence for God as the One who holds everything together, now and forever.

Paul says Jesus Christ was a representation of God the Creator-Father, but He was also God Himself in human incarnation. This flies in the face of those who say that there are many ways to get to God. Christ is God Himself, so He is the only way to God. We can’t have Christian principles without Christ. The validity of Christian principles depends on Christ’s authority. His authority depends on who He is-God in human form.

Christ shows us who and what God is. He shows us what all people are meant to be-the image of God. Christ is a window through which we see God’s nature. He is also a mirror that shows our human possibility, our fallenness and our destiny.

People are born alienated from God and are His enemies until they are reconciled to Him through the blood of Christ. No mere man could accomplish this peace; only the fully human and Divine God-Man could bring all things together through Himself. In Christ we are a new creation. All of our sins have been forgiven and covered by His blood. That does not mean that we are not to forget our sins, but we must not glory in them either. If we are Christians and if we are growing in Christ, we must never assume that we have always been what we are. What we are is Christians who have been saved by the grace of God.

We need to break through the modern disguises of sin. In the fourth century sin was identified as pride, anger, envy, sloth, avarice, gluttony and lust-also known as the seven deadly sins. Today, sin comes in the form of self-expression, self-fulfillment, assertiveness, identity, taking care of my own being, the right of my own space, therapeutic enhancement. All these terms express deep emotional, psychological and spiritual needs, but they become the easy snare of sin’s entrapment. We justify all non-Christian uses of sex by talking about self-expression and personal freedom. We become unavailable to others because we must seek our own space. We trample on the feelings and being of others because we want to assert who we are. We are our own centre of reference, so we are estranged.

Through Christ’s death and resurrection, the relationship between God and man is restored. God’s passionate yearning for His children’s return home is never abated. The fire of love that burns in His heart is unquenchable, constant and continuous. The theme of redemption is part of the fabric of everything Paul wrote.

God has been working on a deep plan with a secret purpose that can only be discovered in the light of the Holy Spirit. The mystery is Christ who lives in us.:

1. Christ lives in us. This is the hope of glory. That happens when we accept Christ as our Saviour and invite Him into our lives.
2. We are the recipients and communicators of this mystery. We are to tell other people about Christ.
3. We suffer so that the secret may be fully known. Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians from prison. With his words, Paul had courageously preached this life-changing message among the Gentiles: “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Now, from prison, Paul was also preaching the riches of this glory with his life. This is how every Christian can fulfill the word of God. The faithful life speaks as loudly as faithful words. He saw his imprisonment as a natural extension of his mission. Christ’s sufferings are our own, and our sufferings are Christ’s sufferings. Christians throughout the world are often persecuted for their faith, especially in Third World countries.
4. Christ works in and through us. We must rely on Christ’s energy and not on our own.

Even amid imprisonment and persecution, Paul’s focus was not on himself but on the advance of the gospel. Christians can “rejoice in…sufferings” when they look for what God is doing rather than concentrating on how they are doing.

Christ is in us and we are in Him, like a branch is in a vine. We can hope and pray that when we come to the end of our lives we can say to Jesus, “I have glorified You on earth. I have finished the work You gave me to do.” Christ is a vine looking for branches today. Are we willing to be one of those branches? When we become one, or if we are already a branch, are we are finding and finishing the work He wants us to do for Him-work that glorifies Him?

At some point in time we separated evangelism from discipleship. We preach the gospel, but we don’t disciple people. We don’t get them on their feet spiritually. Discipleship and evangelism go together. Discipleship isn’t just talking about Jesus. It is also being a friend, which is what a lot of people need today. When we share the gospel, we talk about the promise of heaven and the reality of hell. There is a hell, but we don’t have to go there. God has made a way out of hell-if we believe in Jesus Christ.

It isn’t enough to say we believe in God. Are we willing to act on our belief? God is calling us to a relationship with Him. Will we answer the call? Whatever challenges we face in life, we can face them knowing we have an all-powerful God on our side. He’s big enough to be Lord of creation and loving enough to come to earth and die for our sins. We can trust that our all-powerful God is for us and will help us overcome any challenges we face.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp.1672-1673)
2. Dunnam, M.D.& Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 3341-354)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Bible (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Pastor Ed Young, “On Purpose, For a Purpose.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
6. “Trusting God’s Power in Your Pain.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
7. Pastor Dick Woodward, “Paul’s Spiritual Secret.” Retrieved from crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
8. Pastor Greg Laurie, “Be a Friend.” Retrieved form Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
9. Skip Heitzig, “Jesus-Plus.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
10. Adrian Rogers, “Actions Speak Louder Than Words.” Retrieved from devotions@lwf.org
11. Dr. Ed Young, “Don’t Clip the Strand.” Retrieved from ministry@winningwalk.org
12. “Incarnation of Christ.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
13. Pastor Greg Laurie, “The truth About Eternity.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
14. Harry C. Trover, “A Worm with a Purpose.” Retrieved from info@keysforkids.org

How many of you have ever prepared a meal for a large group of people and wished that you had at least one other person to help you? If you have, you can understand how Martha felt in the passage from Luke 10:28-32.

This story takes place while Jesus and his disciples are on their way to Jerusalem and the cross. Luke presumes that Jesus and the disciples will encounter listening hearts and gracious hosts.  Mary and Martha represent the hospitality that Jesus and the disciples will need on their journey. When Jesus arrived in Bethany with many disciples, Martha knew she was going to have a lot of work to do. In the culture of that time, women measured their worth by how well they performed chores like cooking and cleaning. We as Christians are called on to extend hospitality both as hosts and as guests, and to fellow believers and nonbelievers alike. We are not called on to simply tolerate and endure those people who are not like us.

Every responsible person feels the burden of carrying more than his/her fair share, and Martha felt the same way. It is too much to expect that the responsible person will never feel resentment. The older son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son is a good example of this. We are often in situations when we have too much to do and not enough time to do it. We have trouble saying “no.” Christ did not come to encourage us to be superhumans. He came to give us an abundant life, rest, peace and joy. Our relationship with Jesus is more important than anything else in life.

Like Martha, we can be so obsessed with doing what we think we should be doing that we miss what God wants us to do. All of us face the pressures of daily lives because there is constant pressure on us to produce or succeed, especially if we are working. There are times when we have to set aside our “to do” lists so that we can spend time with God. We are to be more like Mary and less like Martha. If there is anything more important than serving Jesus, it is simply being in his presence. God wants us to learn to stop and rest once in awhile. He wants us to balance all the demands in our lives. He encourages us to ignore the distractions in our lives and concentrate on our lives with God.

Our main priority as Christians is to stay centered on Christ. One way we can do this is by searching God’s word. While Martha was busy preparing the meal, Mary was busy listening to Jesus’ teachings. Our relationship with the Bible reflects our relationship with Christ’s teachings. Scripture turns the world’s logic on its head. People might think that we are being unreasonable by listening to and obeying God’s Word, but the truth is that only people who study His Word will know what reason really is. God’s course and logic will ultimately prevail.

There is a balance that has to be struck in our Christian lives. Jesus urges us to do good deeds just like Martha was doing a good deed by preparing the meal, but he also urges us to engage in kingdom work. Doing good deeds as Christians has to be balanced with citizenship in the kingdom. That citizenship can only be received by grace through faith in Christ.

Martha’s name comes from an Aramaic word meaning “lady” or “mistress,” as in the “lady of the house.” It describes her personality: responsible, serious and intense. Mary is the opposite. When Jesus arrived, she sat down at his feet to listen to His teaching. That position was reserved for official disciples of a teacher, and never for a woman in the culture of that time. A rabbi’s disciples sat at his feet when he taught. That was the proper place for a disciple, and since Mary was a “disciple” of Jesus, she was in the proper place. On the other hand, Martha was not in the proper place to learn from Jesus. Mary was in fellowship with Jesus, and our proper place is to be in fellowship with Jesus.

Martha is like many of us. We focus on tasks when relating to others. We are so eager to serve that sometimes we spot needs without asking and supply what is needed without thinking of ourselves. That’s good up to a point. Without having a task-oriented temperament, our world would come to a halt, but if we pay too much attention to things that don’t matter and not enough attention to the person who matters-namely, Jesus-there is a problem. Martha had that problem, and instead of looking to herself for the solution, she lashed out at Jesus and Mary. She expected Jesus to rebuke Mary for being lazy and selfish, but Martha was the one who was rebuked for neglecting the most important thing-time with Jesus.

There is an old saying that “where your heart is, there will be your actions.” If our heart is with God, we will follow him. We will see God’s love. While Martha was preparing physical food, Jesus was offering spiritual food. Mary enjoyed this spiritual food. Her focus was on God, and in the words of Jesus, she chose the right thing to focus on.

This story deals with our goals in life, or what has our attention most of the time. Martha was focused on being a good hostess. She had no time to be with the Lord. Like Martha, we can easily lose sight of who we are and whose we are. The good things in life can choke out God’s life in us. Sometimes we have to get rid of some of our roles, identities and patterns of behaviour to become more fully who we are as Christians and be more fully into our Christian ministry. If we make God and his presence in our lives our primary focus, we will find that he is the key to everything in our lives.

Martha was worried about something that was good. She was literally serving God by having Jesus over for dinner. Her aim was to please God, but her work became more important than her Lord. Serving Jesus became a way to serve herself. Martha and Mary represent the two types of people who are needed to do God’s work-the doers and the followers. For example, Jesus knew that when he needed a place to rest, Martha would have the welcome mat out for him 24 hours a day. Mary and Martha are not mutually exclusive. Thinking, especially about God’s kingdom, can lead to action. God needs both types of people so that his work can be done here on earth.

The heart of humility is found in serving others. Martha was on the right path. Her heart was in the right place, but she was focused on the wrong thing. She was focused on the work she was doing when, like Mary, she should have been focused on Jesus. We are called to be listeners of the word, and we are also called to serve others. The key is to strike a balance between these two priorities.

There are many varieties of people in God’s kingdom. There are conventional people who keep things running smoothly, pay attention to detail and have hidden reserves of strength. There are also unconventional people who have lots of energy at times and have the ability and vision to change the world but are tired and helpless at other times. These different types of people argue from time to time because they approach life from different directions. Love forms the basis of God’s kingdom, and those who love each other will find that they compliment each other and that everyone’s gifts and strengths are needed.

When people are with us, we must be with them. When God is present with us, we must be present with him. When life gets complicated, simplicity is the best solution. We must make the choice to set aside time in our daily lives to be silent and listen for God’s voice. The best way to do that is to learn to say “no.” A kind, polite, respectful no is the key to unlocking the power of spiritual disciplines. Saying no to others frees us to say yes to God and listen to his word. Jesus and his disciples represent the kingdom of God that is coming near. Will we welcome it like Mary and Martha did? Will we welcome the kingdom with hospitality and service in the world?

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1408)
2. Jeremiah, David: Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009, pp. 129-131)
3. Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2012; pp. 281-286)
4. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
5. Larsen, B. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 26: Luke (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983, p. 191)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010, pp. 1413-1418)
7. “The Bread that Satisfies.” Retrieved from donotreply@email.rbc.org
8. Greg Laurie, “Important in God’s Eyes.” Retrieved from www.harvest.org
9. Bobby Schuller, “First Movement.” Retrieved from www.hourofpower.cc
10. Karen Ehman, “Scurrying or Seated?” retrieved from www.proverbs31.org
11. Crystal Pine,” I Hate Saying ‘No’.” Retrieved from www.proverbs31.org
12. “The Greatest Thing.” Retrieved from donotreply@email.pbc.org
13. Joni Eareckson Tada, “Focus on Service.” Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org
14. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 16^th Sunday, (C).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
15. Mary Southerland, “Learn How to Sit Down.” Retrieved from www.girlfriendsingod.com
16. Exegesis for Luke 10:38-42. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
17. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 16^th Sunday-C-, July 17, 2016”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
18. The Rev. Janet Hatt,” Sitting in the Presence of the Holy: Mary and Martha.” Retrieved from http://word.dancingwiththeword.com/2016/07/sitting-in-presence-of-holy-mary-and.html
19. Mikeal C. Parsons, “Commentary on Luke 10:38-42.” Retrieved from http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2917
20. Brian P. Stoffregen, “Exegetical Notes; Luke 10:38-42, Proper 11-Year C.” Retrieved from http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/luke10x38.htm
21. Sarah Dylan Breuer, “Proper 11, Year C.” Retrieved from http://www.sarahlaughed.net/lectionary/2007/07/proper-11-year.html.
22. Janice B. Scott, “Unconventional People.” Retrieved from http://www.sermonsuite.com/printer.php?i=788017582