In 1927, the silent film “Wings,” a World War I film about two American aviators, won the first Academy Award for Best Picture. When it was being filmed, production stopped for several days. Frustrated producers asked the director why. He replied, “All we have is blue sky. The conflict in the air will not be as visible without clouds. Clouds bring perspective.” The director was right. Only by seeing aerial combat with clouds as a backdrop could the viewer see what was really going on.

We see a good example of a similar situation in Job 42:1-6,10-17. At the beginning of his suffering in Job 3:3-5, Job complained that “May the day perish on which I was born…May a cloud settle on it.” Job continued to suffer until God spoke. Then Job exclaimed in Job 42:5, “I have heard of you…but now my eye sees you.” Job had an encounter with God, and that changed his view of God’s purposes.

There are times in our own lives when we wish for blue skies instead of storm clouds, but cloudy skies often reveal God’s faithfulness. When we look back on the clouds in our lives, we gain new insights on how God has been faithful in our trials.

The Book of Job deals with the universal problem of human suffering. More importantly, it deals with the vindication of a good God in the face of evil and suffering. Nowhere is this more evident that the reading we heard from the Book of Job. God did in Job’s life what he did in the life of the nation of Israel. The way God led Moses and the Israelites out of Egypt didn’t make sense, and what he allowed in Job’s life didn’t make sense either. The Israelites suffered and complained, and so did Job. Both the Israelites and Job learned that God is sovereign and good. The only difference is that Job always remembered what he learned. The Israelites didn’t.

Job’s response to God is one of complete submission to God’s sovereignty. Job affirms that God is free-he can do anything-and he does what is good and right. Job was right where God wanted him to be-humbly bowing before God in worship and repentance. Job went from silence to submission.

Job did not confess to any of the sins he was accused of, nor did he say what he was told to say. Job was innocent of these accusations. Job’s fault was that in making judgments about matters, he did not understand, especially when he argued with God about his justice. God did not condemn Job for any sins or foolishness. He did chastise Job for saying that he could better explain what was happening in the world and better order and control its affairs. Job was wrong on both counts, so he repented.

The final picture of Job mirrors the opening picture of him in Job 1. God restored Job not because of Job’s sacrifice but as a gift. God restored Job’s family and fortune to a level surpassing that at the start of his suffering. God gave Job back twice as much as he lost, including another ten children. These children did not replace the first ten children, but were added to them. Between heaven and earth, Job had twenty children. The names Job gave to his daughters were Peace, Forgiveness and Beauty. The book of Job ends with a positive picture of Job and focuses on his character. Job acknowledged all of his children as equals in the inheritance he left them. That was a rarity in ancient times because of the society’s attitude toward women. Job probably lived to the age of 210, which was a typical lifespan in Job’s time. The term “Old and full of days” meant that Job lived a rich, full life until the day he died. Job stayed faithful to God during his suffering, so God wisely rewarded him.

Job is a good example of the fact that God allows suffering so that he can test us or teach us something. My own life is a good example. God used my father’s suffering and death to bring me back to the church and in to lay ministry. Consequently, my ministry has been blessed by God and used to bless others. God allowed Job to come to a point where he humbled himself before God and finally found peace. In the same way God let me come to a point where I humbly submitted to his will.

Job was at a point where he had to confess that he was weak, unwise, wordy and unworthy. All of us have had times in our lives where we had to make some type of confession, and Job was no exception. Even if we have never sinned, our pride can get the best of us by ruling our lives. Job was relying on his own strength instead of relying on God. How many times have we made the same mistake? How many times has God had to make us suffer and realize that we need him? When we are at the lowest points in our lives and turn to God in repentance, we find out the truth behind the old saying that “What does not kill you makes you stronger.” God’s redeeming grace can take us from tragedy to triumph and from disbelief to a strong faith.

Worldliness can distort our view of God. Once we confess our ignorance and keep our mouths shut, we can see God clearly. We get to know him for ourselves. We don’t have to depend on human reasoning to define God. We don’t have to be afraid of God’s power because we have seen God’s grace. We don’t need an explanation for everything because we’ve placed our trust in God.

Sometimes when we suffer, we wonder where God is. We are not alone in asking this question. In his book, “Where is God When it Hurts?” author Philip Yancey answered this question. Here is his answer, and it is the same answer for each of us:

He has been there from the beginning…

He has watched us reflect His image…

He has used pain, even in its grossest forms, to teach us…

He has let us cry out and echo Job…

He has allied Himself with the poor and suffering…

He has promised supernatural strength to nourish our spirit…

He has joined us…hurt and bled and cried and suffered

He has dignified for all time those who suffer…

He is with us now…

He is waiting…

Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?

Instead of asking why God hasn’t kept his promises, we need to ask ourselves if there is anything we are doing that is keeping God from fulfilling his promises.

When God condemned Job’s friends, Job interceded for them. This was part of Job’s repentance, and because he showed grace to his friends, enemies and family, God gave Job grace. Job prayed for his friends, and that was evidence that Job’s heart was no longer filled with resentment or bitterness toward them. Job forgave them and experienced God’s forgiveness for himself.

When we pray for others, our own lives will change. The more we appreciate God, the more we will depreciate or humble ourselves. When the thought of God rises higher and higher, our pride will sink lower and lower.

There are things in life that we can’t understand on earth, but we will understand them completely when we get to heaven. One of these things is God’s grace. Grace can’t be earned. It is the gift of God’s unconditional love. Job’s intercession was a prophetic image for Christ’s intercession for his enemies when he was dying on the cross. Grace holds no grudges, and neither did Christ or Job. They accepted those who abandoned them just like God still loves us even when we abandon him.

Satan is always looking for ways to attack God’s children, and when he does attack, God is still in control. Even when Satan does his worst like he did when he made Job suffer, God does his best for us. When the devil attacks, we must continue to surrender our lives to God’s will, because God will always defeat the devil.

Bibliography

• Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

• ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.

• McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 12; Job (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1986)

• Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles, 2005)

• MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)

• “Perspective from the Clouds.” Retrieved from noreply@rbc.org

1. Steve Arterburn, “Nothing to Prove.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@croswalkmail.com

Hello boys and girls!

How many of you have a little brother or a little sister? How about a puppy or a kitten?

How do they get attention when they want something? They whine or cry when they are hungry, thirsty tired or wet. For example, babies don’t care if they are home or in a restaurant or even here in church.

What do you do if you want to get someone’s attention? As we get older, we learn to be more reserved about making our wants and wishes known. Or do we? Today we will hear the story about a man who was not at all bashful about letting Jesus know that he needed something.

Jesus and his disciples had spent some time in the city of Jericho. As they were leaving town, a blind man by the name of Bartimaeus was sitting beside the road. When he heard the people saying that Jesus was approaching, he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

His crying out disturbed the people around him. “Be quiet!” they yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

When Jesus heard Bartimaeus crying out, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come to me.”

They called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, Jesus is calling you to come to him.” Bartimaeus jumped up, threw aside his coat, and went to Jesus.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

“I want to see,” Bartimaeus answered.

“Go,” Jesus said. “Your faith has healed you.” Instantly Bartimaeus could see and he followed Jesus down the road.

Can you imagine a mother hearing her baby cry and just ignoring it? No way! A mother will do whatever she can to find out what her baby wants or needs and tend to that need. Can you imagine God knowing that we have a need and ignoring it? Not a chance! God loves his children and wants what is best for them. The Bible says in Philippians 4:6, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

When you have a need in your life, don’t be shy. Speak up! Remember what Jesus said in John 14:13. “I will do whatever you ask in my name.”

Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes for a moment of prayer. Dear God, we know that you love your children and want what is best for them. Help us to remember that we need not worry about anything. All we need to do is to ask in Jesus’ name. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Bibliography

1. “Speak Up!” Retrieved from www.sermons4kids.com

Back in 1971, Gavin Bryars, one of England’s leading musicians and composers, agreed to help his friend Alan Powers with the sound on a film that Powers was making about street people. He was filming in an area around London’s Waterloo Station. He filmed various people living on the streets. He caught their daily rituals, trials and joys on film. Some of the homeless people were obviously drunk, some were mentally disturbed, some were very articulate, and some were incomprehensible.

Back in the studio, Gavin Bryars went through editing the audio and video footage. That’s when he became aware of a constant undercurrent, a repeating sound that was always there on the audio tape whenever one older man appeared on camera. But he couldn’t tell what the sound was. At first it sounded like muttered gibberish. So Bryars removed the background street noise and cleaned up the audio tape. Then he discovered that the old homeless man was singing.

Ironically, the footage of this old man and his muttered song didn’t make the film maker’s cut. But the film maker’s loss was Gavin Bryars’ gain. He took the rejected audio tape with him and could not escape the haunting sounds of this homeless, nameless man. He did some research on his own into who this homeless man might be.

From the film crew, Bryars learned that this street beggar didn’t drink. But neither did he engage others in conversation. His speech was almost impossible to understand, but his demeanor was cheerful. He was old and alone and filthy and homeless, but he had a kind of playfulness about him. He would tease the film crew by swapping hats with them.

What distinguished this old man from other street people was his song. The song he sang under his breath was a simple, repetitive Sunday-school tune. He would sit and quietly sing it, hour after hour after hour. He would sing:

Jesus’ blood never failed me yet, Never failed me yet
Jesus’ blood never failed me yet,
There’s one thing I know, For he loves me so…

It was like an endless loop. The song’s final line fed into its first line, starting the tune over and over again without ceasing. The man’s weak, old, untrained voice never wavered from pitch, never went flat, never changed key. The simple intervals of the tune were perfectly maintained for however long he sang.

 Gavin Bryars was stunned. Although not a believer himself, Bryars could not help but be confronted by the mysterious spiritual power of this unadorned voice. Sitting in the midst of an urban wilderness, this voice touched a lonely, aching place that lurks in the human heart, offering an unexpected message of faith and hope in the midst of the darkest, most blighted night. This nameless old man brought a message from God in his simple song.

It took England’s leading contemporary composer until 1993 to create and produce what he felt was a proper accompaniment to this homeless person’s song of trust and obedience. He did this in partnership with one of America’s leading composers, Philip Glass. The result is a CD entitled “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet.”

In Old Testament times, the role of the high priest was important. He was the titular head of the Jewish people even thought they had a king. The high priest had important administrative and religious duties. In fact, the Roman governors often consulted with the high priests.

The Israelites could never be sure that the high priest would succeed when he went before God to make atonement for their sins. The Israelites’ high priests were sinners who had to constantly make sacrifices for themselves. The most famous high priests who were sinners were Caiaphas and Ananias. They were the high priests who played a key role in the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus.

Sacrificial animals had to be perfect in the eyes of the temple priests. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for us because he was perfect and sinless. He is a complete Saviour. Christ united the offices of high priest and king. He is unique in holiness, innocence and purity because of his exalted position in heaven because of his death, resurrection and ascension.

On the other hand, Jesus always represents us before the throne of God. Jesus intercedes for us like a lawyer intercedes on behalf of the client. We can hold to the truth that Jesus died for us. Through his death he intercedes for us by providing the one ultimate sacrifice needed for the atonement for our sins. He has not abandoned us. In fact, he constantly intercedes for us and pleads our case before God the Almighty Judge.

Jesus never fails as our high priest. He knows how to minister to us in the way that benefits us the most and matures our faith in him. Christ did not have to atone for his sins because he never sinned. He only needed to atone for us once. He saves us once and for all.

In the time period and culture of Mark’s Gospel and the Letter to the Hebrews, the best chance a blind person had to support himself was to sit in the path of pedestrians. After all, the passers-by might be moved with mercy and toss some spare change when the blind person called out to them. Jesus was moved with mercy when Bartimaeus called out to him. His mercy led to the saving of both Bartimaeus’ sight and his soul.

The attention that Jesus paid to the poor tells us that what is important to him needs to be important to us as Christians. The poor and the outcasts of society need to be paid attention to. It doesn’t matter if they are across the street or around the world. Distance and other circumstances might keep us separate from them and out of hearing, but we can pay attention to those who do speak for them-relief agencies, journals, newsletters, web pages, religious communities, etc. If Jesus could be interrupted on the way to the cross to answer the urgent, faith-filed cries of Bartimaeus, he will also stop and listen when we call out to him. He is never too busy governing the universe to hear the cries of help from his beloved children.

Crying out is an act of faith. Job cried out, and God confirmed that his cry was an expression of faith. Sometimes we are too proud to ask for help and that is totally understandable. After all, it’s part of human nature to be independent and to want to do things for ourselves. We have to remember that we can’t do everything by ourselves. We need help from time to time, especially when it comes to our salvation, and our eternal life. We need to cry out to God in faith for help when we need it. Each and every one of us has sinned, and that can keep us from heaven unless we acknowledge that we need Jesus in our lives.

When we come to Jesus, we have to get rid of our garments of self-sufficiency, just like Bartimaeus got rid of his cloak. We have to let go of our desire to control things and let God take control of our lives. God always calls someone to him through different, often difficult circumstances.

Bartimaeus gained both physical sight and spiritual sight. Unfortunately, the disciples were still spiritually blind. You see, the story of Bartimaeus occurs while Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, where he will be crucified. On the way, Jesus told his disciples several times what would happen to him in Jerusalem, but the disciples did not get it. They did not understand him, nor did they understand the cost of following him. In fact, the final mistake they made was to argue in Mark 10:32-45 about who would have precedence in God’s Kingdom!

Jesus gives us spiritual sight. His call to discipleship comes through healing so that others can be given sight of their own weakness as the place where the call to discipleship leads. Only when we can see and accept our weaknesses can we allow Christ to come and serve us. The new covenant that Jesus has with us is for everyone who accepts the free gift of salvation by placing their faith in Jesus. In return, he prays for all of us so that we receive God’s kindness instead of God’s wrath.

Bartimaeus has a lot to teach us about persistence, faith and gratitude. Jesus’ ears hear the cries of the marginalized people in society. When God calls us, or when we call out to God, we must not give up in our attempts to get to him. We must not let obstacles stop us. We need to pay attention to what God is doing in and around us so that we don’t miss what he has in store for us. We need to let Jesus lead the way. Bartimaeus’ outward healing reflected the inner wellness of his salvation. His desire to see represents our desire to be freed from the cultural blinders that have held us captive since the beginning of time.

We are all like Bartimaeus. We are often blind to what goes on around us. We are often blind to God’s love and his desire to have a loving relationship with us. He is waiting for us to come to him. He is standing at the door. He is waiting for us to open the door so that he can enter into our lives.

Jesus can save us because he did not save himself from death on the cross. He can save us because he took our guilt and endured the punishment that we justly deserved. Salvation can’t be separated from divine justice. God hates sin, and he demands punishment for sins. Either the sinner must die, or else someone must die for him. That someone was Jesus. He can save us because if we come to God by him, then he died for us. We need to experience God’s forgiveness, cleansing power and freedom. This comes through God’s mercy, and because of his faithfulness and his love for us, his mercy is new every morning.

So how can we be cured of our spiritual blindness? First, we have to seize the moment and recognize when God gives us an opportunity. Second, we have to reach out in faith and move against our fears of rejection or ridicule. Third, we announce our faith and the changes we want to make in our lives. Only then will we receive God’s grace.

Our faith in Jesus will keep us on the right path when we are in danger of losing our way. Our faith in Jesus will keep us clear and certain when things seem cloudy and confused. It will keep us strong and victorious when we feel weak and defeated. Because we believe that God is sovereign, and because we believe that the risen Christ is living and that the power of the Holy Spirit continues to make all things new, we can affirm that we are being healed again and again. We can see things in fresh, new ways. We can see that we are being called to jump up, throw off the comfortable cloaks of our blind past and follow Jesus into the unknown dangers and the unimaginable opportunities that are to come.

 Bibliography

• Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc. ;20090

• Dr. Mickey Anders, “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

1. Patrick Rooney, “Interceding for Us Now”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
2. Pastor Greg Laurie, “Because We’re Drowning”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
3. MacArthur, J. : The MacArthur Study Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers: 2006; 2008)
4. Evans, L.H. & Ogilvie, L.J., The Preacher’s Commentary Series Volume 33: Hebrews (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985)
5. Dale Vander Veen, “All-Sufficient Saviour”. Retrieved from today@thisistoday.net
6. Bayless Conley, “For All People”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalksmail.com
7. Cecil Murphy, “The Intercessor”. Retrieved from www.christianity.com/devotionals/invading-the-privacy-of-god-cecil-murphy
8. John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, 21^st Sunday after Pentecost, Oct. 25, 2009. Retrieved from www.lectionary/seemslikegod.org
9. John North, “Time with God: Hebrews 7:25”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalksmail.com
10. Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package.
11. Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package.
12. ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package.
13. C.H. Spurgeon, “Spurgeon at the New Park Street Chapel: Hebrews 7:25”. Retrieved from Biblegateway@lists.biblegateway.com
14. Os Hillman, “Motivations to Call”. Retrieved from Today-God-is-First@crosswalkmail.com
15. Mark D. Roberts, “The Jesus Prayer”. Retrieved from Newsletter@TheHighCalling.org
16. Pastor Bob Coy “Trails of Faith, Parts 1 & 2”. Retrieved from www.activeword.org
17. Dr. Charles F. Stanley, “A Passing Opportunity”. Retrieved from www.intouch.org
18. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
19. Dr. Charles F. Stanley, “God Has Time for You”. Retrieved from www.intouch.org
20. Dermot Martin, O.P., “Take Heart, He is Calling you”. Retrieved from www.torch.op.org
21. Exegesis for Mark 10:46-52. Retrieved from ww.sermonwriter.com
22. Pastor Rick Warren, “What Mistakes, Regrets Do You Need to Hand Over to God?” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
23. The Rev. Dr. Susan Andrews, “How Eager Are You?” Retrieved from www.day1.org
24. Erskine White, “Blind Beggars All”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
25. King Duncan, “Lesson from a Blind Man”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
26. Roland McGregor, “Cry Out!” Retrieved from mcgregorpage@mcgregorpage.org
27. John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Year B, Season after Pentecost-Proper25 Ordinary 30. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod,org/archives/rear-b-season-after-pentecost-proper-25-ordinary-30.html

Each and every one of us can be a priest!

Does that statement make sense to you? After all, when we hear the word “priest” we often think of the ordained clergy who preside at weddings, funerals, baptisms or weekly worship services. The truth is, we are all priests. Let me explain by talking about the role of a priest as outlined in Hebrews 5:1-10.

In Genesis 14:18-21, Abraham gave a tithe of the spoils of war to Melchizedek. He was the king of Salem, which was the ancient name for Jerusalem, and he was a priest of the true God. He lived many centuries before Aaron and is described in Hebrews 7:3 as “without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God.” In other words, his ancestry is unknown.

Jesus is also a priest in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus was morally perfect, but he was further perfected by the discipline of suffering, where he completed his qualification course foe becoming the eternal High Priest. Jesus did what no Old Testament priest could do-not even Melchizedek. The Old Testament priests had to atone for the sins of the people and their own sins as well. Jesus provided eternal salvation by being the sinless author of salvation.

Jesus was a high priest for everyone. He reconciled us to God, thereby healing any and all divisions. In return, we are to be ministers to everyone in that we are to show God’s love to everyone, regardless of race, colour, creed or ethnicity.

Jesus was never shielded from suffering. His sufferings were real and intense and included every human woe. That’s the difference between innocence and virtue. Innocence is life untested, virtue is innocence tested and triumphant. Jesus was tested and triumphant, and in the testing he learned obedience. Jesus took on human flesh and came to earth to die for our sins and to identify with every area of our lives except for sin but including suffering. Jesus suffered pain on the cross so we can have eternal life.

The community of the baptized, the church and its members, is supposed to follow Jesus’ example. We are supposed to show up when people need us. We are to share others’ suffering, pain and joy, even when we are suffering. Even when our pain is not by our own choice, God can use our pain for good if we let him. For example, Jesus ministered to the repentant thief on the cross even while he (that is, Jesus) was in agony on the cross. Christians find in suffering an opportunity to learn discipline, obedience, grace and faith, just like Jesus did.

When we suffer, we must not complain, especially if our suffering is caused by something we can’t control-for example, the harsh conditions we have experienced this winter. Accepting the things that we can’t change when we suffer is the first step toward overcoming them in a Christian way. Times of suffering aren’t times for us to withdraw and engage in self-pity. They are precisely the times when we need to offer ourselves to others, because they are the second step toward overcoming life’s trials and hardships.

Christ and Aaron were divinely called to serve as High Priests. High priests do not grasp at this position for its honour and glory. Those who seize the office in arrogance are disqualified. Aaron and those who followed him as high priest came to their position because God called and appointed them. The High Priest must be able to deal with the ignorant and the errant because he is beset by human weakness.

Christ was mentioned as both God’s Son and as a priest of the order of Melchizedek. His calling as a priest was natural given that as God’s son he sits and rules at God’s right hand. Jesus was faithful to God, even to the point of death on the cross. Jesus aligned his will with God’s plan for his life. As Christians we are called on to make sure that our lives are in line with God’s plans for our lives. In other words, our plans for our lives must be the same as God’s plans for our lives. We are to place our lives in God’s hands.

As our High Priest, Jesus stands between us and God. Consequently, we have the right to approach the throne of God. Jesus has experienced all of our human weaknesses and identifies with them because he was tempted like all of us. He isn’t scared of our sin. He has felt all of our human emotions. The only difference between Jesus and us is that Jesus is without sin. We don’t have to ask twice for forgiveness. We don’t have to be afraid of approaching God’s throne.

God’s love outlines boundaries. Without these boundaries we would be easy targets for every kind of harmful influence. Our obedience to God’s will ushers in God’s protection and blessings. Obedience comes from our relationship with God. That relationship is built not by our own efforts, but by grace through faith.

As part of being a High Priest, Jesus made prayer and supplication part of his daily life. He was wholly dependent on his Father and obeyed him even when he wrestled with temptation. In his humanity, Jesus served with a broken heart. He was heartbroken over the condition of the people. His ministry was a tearful ministry. In Hebrews 5:7 we are told that “while Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with loud cries and tears, to the one who could deliver him.” Jesus learned obedience when he suffered. Jesus’ passionate prayers must be our guide to prayer. Our prayers must be as passionate as his were.

In his humanity, Christ struggled with the assignment God gave him: death on the cross. Even though God heard his cries, the plan was not changed. Jesus walked through all of it in complete submission, just like he had done with every assignment God gave him throughout his earthly life. When we suffer in faith, when we suffer for being God’s love in the world, when we move through an unbelieving world and pay the price for our faith, we show God’s values. These values reflect Jesus and result in a way and a model for salvation.

As we travel life’s road, we are constantly tempted to sin just like Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness. If we sin, we are lost. The only hope we have is to throw ourselves on Christ’s mercy and ask for his help. He can meet our needs. He is willing to represent us before God because he has gone before us as the perfect Son of God.

When we become Christians, God enrolls us in the same school of “hard knocks” that Jesus was enrolled in. The problem is that we have to choose between our earthly lives and our heavenly lives. We have to choose which one we want to live in, because we can’t live in both. God helps us to make that choice by getting our minds off of the things of this world and teaching us obedience in preparation for life in the next world.

When we pray to God, we must be obedient to God. Obedience is necessary for our salvation. We can’t earn our salvation by good deeds. The only deeds that can save us are those by which we receive God’s unmerited gift of salvation. Our zeal for completing the mission God gives each and every one of us to do involves moving our lives and the life of the church toward a model of priesthood according to the order of both Melchizedek and Jesus. It also involves caring for the deep physical and spiritual needs that we have in our daily lives.

So how are we like priests? We are appointed by God. We sacrifice ourselves and our desires to God. We continually pray to God about the human condition. We offer prayers and supplication with genuine care and concern. Finally, we ask other to join with us to do God’s work in our world-just like any priest would do.

Bibliography

• Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

• Joni Eareckson Tada, “The School of Obedience.” Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org

• Ron Moore, “Source of Eternal Salvation.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Dr. Charles Stanley, “Learning Obedience through Suffering.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Rick Ezell, “Let Your Heart Be Broken.” Retrieved from www.greerfbc.org

• The Rev. Dr. James D. Kegel, “Christ the Center.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org.

• Mark J. Moldrem, “Prayer Clothes.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

• Erskine White, “How to Deal with Suffering.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com

• The Rev. Eugenia Gamble, “Suffering for Faith.” Retrieved from www.day1.org

• Thomas G. Long, “What God Wants.” Retrieved from www.religion-online.org./showarticle.asp?title=3336

• Stephen Paul Bouman, “Parking Lot Palms.” Retrieved from www.religion-online.org./showarticle.asp?title=2913

• Bryan J. Whitefield, “Commentary on Hebrews 5:1-10.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=423   

In Mark 10:35-45, Jesus once again told his disciples everything that would happen to him in Jerusalem-his trial, death, resurrection and ascension. James and John seized this opportunity to ask for the highest positions of honour in his kingdom-at the right and left hands of Jesus. They forgot that God controls the final destiny of each and every one of us. They expected a moment of glory, and they wanted to enjoy it. No wonder Peter and the rest of the disciples were upset. Jesus saw that a power struggle was developing, and he had to do something about it.

The disciples would have been wise to remember the old saying, “Be careful what you wish for.” Jesus warned them that they would suffer like he would suffer. He told them that they would be martyred for their faith, and in fact they were martyred for their faith. James was the first of the disciples to die for Christ. John was the last. He died in exile as an old man on the Greek island of Patmos.

Sometimes we have the idea that if we follow Jesus we are guaranteed to receive a reward. When that happens we forget that Jesus’ ministry was one of serving others. He gave himself for the sake of others, including suffering for their salvation. Christians today should be just as willing to suffer with Christ as they are to reign with him. Nowhere is this more evident than in countries where being a Christian could lead to jail, physical harm and even death. In our part of the world we may never have to suffer the same consequences for following Christ, but there will be times where we will have to endure our own brand of trials because of our faith. We must remember that if we suffer here on earth for our faith, we will be greatly rewarded in heaven.

Power as the standard of greatness corrupts people. You only have to look at some politicians to see that this is the case. People who are corrupted by power fail to realize that there is only a limited amount of power to go around. They want to protect their position, while people who don’t have power want it. If power is a standard of greatness in any organization, including the church, ambition will rule and jealousy will reign.

Pride wants strokes, and lots of them. Pride loves to get the credit, to be mentioned, to receive glory. For example, those of you who are in the workplace have likely been in situations where your bosses should have given you the credit you deserved, but for whatever reason they didn’t. When that happened, your pride had to be kept in check.

Jesus had the right to be mad at the disciples, but he realized that they were slowly beginning to understand what ministry would involve. He chose to teach them the meaning of true greatness by comparing human standards of greatness with God’s standard of servanthood. In Jesus’ vision, greatness is equal to servanthood. Jesus redefined the true nature of greatness. To be great does not mean to lord it over someone. It means to willingly serve under someone. By giving his own life as a ransom, Jesus-the Suffering Servant mentioned in Isaiah 53:10-12-would soon show his followers ultimate humility.

When we care about the things that hurt others, our hearts will be opened to their pain, and that openness will lead to its own suffering. We need to see other people and realize their importance to God. True humility and love for others flows from the infinite love God has for his people. Christ gave his life to God the Father as a ransom to pay for the sins of the people. The cup Jesus was to drink from was God’s wrath. Jesus bore God’s wrath in the place of sinful mankind. The cup the disciples would drink from would purify them and give God glory.

When we follow God, we lay the foundation for God’s kingdom here on earth. We have been saved by the greatness of Jesus, and in return we are to serve Jesus by serving others. Someone led us to Christ, so we must lead others to Christ. Someone helped us to grow spiritually, so in return we must help others grow spiritually. Someone was kind to us, and in return we are to be kind to others.

This can be hard to remember in our fast-paced world. It can be easy to lose sight of what it means to be great in God’s eyes, but if we slow down and open our eyes we will see that opportunities to serve are all around us. It’s easy to find them when we are at home. For example, we can do someone else’s chores or prepare a special meal. We can also serve outside of our homes as well. We can hold the door for a mom pushing a stroller or for someone who is carrying something in their arms. Regardless of what we do, we must serve gladly, because the person we are serving could be an angel in disguise. When we serve others as Jesus served us, we will know the true meaning of greatness. Being called by God is not an invitation of ease and special treatment, but is an invitation to abundant life.

Bibliography

• Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

• ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.

• McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

• MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)

• Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 29^th Sunday (B).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

• Wendy Pope, “Serving Others.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

• Charles R. Swindoll, “To Serve and to Give.” Retrieved from eministries@insightforliving.ca

• Charles R. Swindoll, “A Servant, Not a Celebrity.” Retrieved from eministries@insightforliving.ca

• Pastor Dave Risendal, “You’re Gonna Have to Serve Somebody.” Retrieved from donotreply@wordpress.com  

There are so many different types of shows on television, including game shows, one of which was “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”. Most of us would answer yes to that question. A famous comedienne once said, “I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Believe me, rich is better.” I wonder what Jesus would have to say about that?

The answer is found in Mark 10:17-31. The young man was perhaps in his mid-thirties. Luke describes him as a ruler, a person of prominence. In the ancient Middle East, it was considered undignified for a man to run; however, this one threw his respectability to the wind, rushed to Jesus, and fell on his knees before Him. The man recognized that he was missing something important-eternal life-but he did not understand that salvation is about what God does for sinners rather than what we do for God.

Despite his wealth and position, the young man showed youthful enthusiasm. He had a vision of the future. The fact that he turned to Jesus showed that he learned that you get what you want by running toward your goal at the head of the pack. When he stopped running and winning, he reflected on his future. He asked himself what more he could achieve. He longed for spiritual satisfaction and the assurance of eternal life.

When he addressed Jesus, the young man asked what he could do to inherit eternal life. He had several false assumptions. He assumed that goodness could be achieved. He assumed that eternal life can be earned. He thought that everything can be bought for a price, including eternal life. Eternal life can’t be bought but it costs everything we have.

Jesus did not rebuke the man for calling Him “good,” but He wanted the young ruler to move beyond flattery and recognize that if Jesus is really good, then He is also God. The only way to God is through Jesus.

God’s commands are a tutor to bring people to Him, so Jesus cited five of the last six Commandments to help the man see how short of God’s perfection his actions had fallen. The young ruler had already broken the first commandment by elevating riches into a Godlike place in his life.

Although no one can flawlessly keep all the commandments for even one day, let alone a lifetime, Jesus did not correct the ruler’s claim. Still, Jesus wanted him to see that his “goodness” could not be compared to God’s perfection. He pointed out the one glaring fault that kept the man from accepting God’s offer of eternal life.

Because Jesus loved this man, he called him to the truth of uncompromising discipleship. Only in leaving behind all that mattered to him-both the wealth and the social position that came with it-would he gain eternal life. The term translated “sad” means more literally, “to cloud up.” While the young man felt emotionally torn, his decision proved the object of his devotion.

Jesus reduced the expectations attached to wealth. Jewish law and its interpretations made wealth a sign of God’s special favour and a qualification for eternal life. According to the Jews, true piety consisted of prayer, fasting and alms giving. Poor people could pray, but only the rich had food to fast and money to give. Jesus taught that this belief was wrong. No one can enter heaven by their own merit or need, but everyone can be saved by God’s grace.

The young ruler is like most of us. We compare ourselves to other people. Jesus says that if we want to compare ourselves to someone, we should compare ourselves to God. He is the ultimate standard of what is good.

We are sometimes like the young man who was struggling to make ends meet. He thought that getting a better-paying job would make his problems go away. He wrote to Billy Graham and asked if financial stability would bring peace. In his reply Billy Graham wrote the following words:

“The story is told of two old friends in the process of dying at the same time. One was rich, the other was poor. The rich man was not saved, and he was telling someone about his friend, who was a Christian. “When I die,” he said, “I shall have to leave my riches. When he dies, he will go his riches.” In a word, he summed up the two radically different principles which govern the world. He could not part with his riches in peace.”

To often when we do something, we ask ourselves, “What’s in it for me?” This is also a major theme in some so-called Christian ministries. They tell us that if we have more faith in Christ, we will be wealthy. They tell us that if we give more money to them, God will heal us more. We will be wealthy-we will gain heavenly riches.

The young man’s problem was not riches themselves but that he trusted in such things, believing that life with God could somehow be bought. If only he had looked beyond his great possessions, he would have seen the real possession of those who believe-eternal life.

Jesus isn’t saying that material wealth is bad. He says that it can blind us to the true riches of life. When are we the happiest? When do we feel loved for who we are? When is there peace in our families, in our neighbourhoods and in the world?

Jesus didn’t make poverty or giving all our money to the poor requirements for salvation. He exposed the young man’s heart. The young man couldn’t submit to the Lordship of Christ no matter what was asked of him. This kept the young man from the eternal life he sought. When we realize that the things we often rely on don’t actually give us anything, we find ourselves in a place where we rely on Jesus. We realize that everything good we have and all we have accomplished is a gift from God. We are ready to share it with others. When we do, we begin to follow and act like Jesus.

No one can enter heaven by virtue of his or her good works. That is as absurd as a camel, loaded down with goods, passing through the eye of a needle. Yet through His love and grace, God accomplished what sinners could not do on their own. Salvation is all grace, all God.

Peter commended himself and his fellow apostles for doing what the rich young man failed to do. They left all and followed Jesus. Jesus answered that God would reward them beyond all proportion to their supposed sacrifice. No one who gives up anything to follow Jesus really misses out on anything in the end. Anyone who has made sacrifices gains eternal life and will receive spiritual rewards.

The struggle that the wealthy have is that the values and principles of God’s Reign are so completely different from those of the world. Human systems of power and wealth always favour some and ignore others. They always end up perpetuating injustice, because human beings are broken and sinful. God’s Reign is about equality and generosity. It is about sharing power, resources and opportunities. The more wealth we have, the more we are invested in the human systems of this world and the harder it is to live according to the values of God’s Reign.

We can’t buy our way into heaven. We can’t get to heaven by doing good works. We can’t get into heaven by praying. Our salvation is a gift from God. If we accept this gift, we will be spiritually wealthy. Eternal life is in Christ alone. People who have it have died to sin and are alive to God. They have the life of Christ in them. They enjoy a relationship in Jesus that will never end.

The wealthy can’t escape sickness, aging and death. Wealth won’t help us to face what is beyond our control. Only spiritual wealth can inspire a life of healing, justice-seeking and care for the earth. Only spiritual wealth will enable us to trust our futures to a power and wisdom greater than our own.

How do we as people who live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world and during the wealthiest chapters of history hear this text? We live in comfortable homes. We are more likely to overeat than to go hungry. Our children go to good schools. We dress well. We drive nice cars. We have retirement savings. By any standard, we are among the wealthiest people in history.

Is Jesus speaking to us in this text? Are we to sell what we own and give it to the poor? Is it harder to us to get into heaven than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a sewing needle? If Jesus were to put his finger on what is keeping us from wholehearted devotion to him. what would the issue be? Would we love him with our whole hearts, minds and souls, or would we go away sad?

Jesus is speaking to us, and it is extremely difficult if not impossible for us to manage our wealth in a way that enables us to spend eternity with God. As soon as we cry out with the disciples, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus answers us as he answers them, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for with God all things are possible.”

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1361-1362)
2. “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” Retrieved from www.Sermons4KIds.com
3. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp.198-203)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. “Rewards by Grace.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
6. Michael Milton, “What’s In It For Me?” Retrieved from www.preaching.com
7. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 28^th Sunday (B).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
8. Pastor David J. Risendal, “Through the Eye of a Needle.” Retrieved from donotreply@wordpress.com
9. David Ray, “Painful Remedies.” Retrieved from mail@hope1032.com.au
10. Vikki Burke, “The Means to a Greater End.” Retrieved from dbm@dennisburkeministries.org
11. Bruce Epperly, “The Adventurous Lectionary-Pentecost21-October 14, 2018.” Retrieved from www.patheos.com/blogs/livingholyadventure/2018/09/the-adventurour-lectionary.org
12. Rev. Billy Graham, “Can Financial Stability Buy Peace?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com/healthandspirit/religion/billygraham/s-2126209?print&ezine=202

Ryan leaned against the tree and stared at the dying embers inside the ring of rocks. “Don’t stay up too late,” Dad had said as he crawled into the tent to join Mom and Emily. Ryan shook his head. Any other night, he’d be in bed by now, but tonight was different. Mom and Dad knew he wanted a little time alone with his thoughts.

Ryan sat down on a log as he thought about his dog. King had been a wiggly little ball of black and white fur when Ryan got him for his tenth birthday. Since then, King had grown into a big dog and a faithful friend. Today King had shown his friendship in a dramatic way.

Shortly before supper, Ryan went to gather wood for the campfire, and King went with him. As Ryan stooped to pick up a large limb, he immediately heard the furious sound of a rattlesnake who had been disturbed. When he turned, he saw that the snake was ready to strike. Suddenly a black and white blur passed between him and the snake. It was King. The rattler struck King in the face, but the dog fought bravely, biting and shaking the snake until it was dead. Then King collapsed, too.

Ryan’s heart ached over the memory of running back to camp carrying his unconscious pet-hoping someone could help. But there wasn’t anything anyone could do. King had given his life to save Ryan.

A tear ran down Ryan’s cheek. He longed to hold King, ruffle his fur, and thank him for saving his life. A Bible verse popped into his mind-“He laid down His life for us.” That verse is talking about Jesus, thought Ryan. King gave his life to save me, and Jesus did, too. Ryan sighed. I can’t do anything for King now. Like Dad said, I can just remember the good times we had together. But there is something I can do to thank Jesus for dying in my place. I can live for Him each day and show His love to my friends and everyone I know.

Ryan stood up and covered the cooling embers of the fire with dirt. Then he crawled into the tent and into his sleeping bag. He thanked God for King and also for the salvation Jesus provided. He asked God to help him not miss his pet too much and to be a faithful witness for Jesus. Then he fell asleep.

Romans 5:6-11 is a description of God’s love for us, and it was expanded on in John 3:16. God loves us just as much on our bad days as He does on our good days. On our worst days, when we commit the worst sins possible, when we turn our backs on God-those are the days God loves us the most.

God not only loves us now, but He loved us before we acknowledged Him. He won’t force us to accept His love, but He empowers us through the Holy Spirit to receive it and rejoice in it. God’s call to us is always present. It is often buried under personal ambitions, cares, problems, daily routines and the busyness of life, but it is always there. When we are tempted to question whether or not God cares, we are reminded of the word of Romans 5:8: “God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” If we let God into our hearts and lives, He will fix the messes in our lives. We are sinners who can’t do anything ourselves to change ourselves. We can’t do anything ourselves to change our destiny in hell. The only way we can change this is to accept Jesus as our Saviour.

When we tell other people about what God has done for us, we are sharing our testimony. A testimony is when we share our story of how we came to faith. Each and every one of us has a testimony. Our testimony is not about what we gave up for Jesus. It’s about what Jesus gave up for us. Don’t share what you have done for Jesus. Share what Jesus has done for you. Jesus is the one who did the work. It is Jesus whom we are proclaiming.

We have to step out of our comfort zones and tell people about Jesus. We have to get Bibles in the hands of those who don’t have them or who have never even seen one. We have to show the love of Jesus by bringing the Good News to those who have lose hope, to those who are living in the mess that has been made of this world. What messes have you made? God is in the business of fixing messes. AS I mentioned earlier, He will fix the messes in your lives if you’ll let Him.

Some of you might be going through some major changes in your lives right now. Perhaps some of you are even experiencing deep suffering from the loss of a loved one or some other circumstance. It’s vital for us to remember that God loves us! His love isn’t based on how good we are. Jesus paid the price for our sins. For example, someone once wrote to Billy Graham. His parents were elderly and suffering, but every day they rejoiced that God was with them and they prayed for people who didn’t know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. The person wondered why God didn’t relieve their suffering.

In his reply, Billy Graham wrote the following words:

“God is always with His people through thick and through thin. He is with us when we are well, and God is with us when we are sick. He is with us in pleasure and in pain. He is with us now, and will be with us to the end. Some of our troubles are but for a short time, while others are for a longer time. It is important to keep our eyes on Christ and it is equally important that we thank God in the good times of blessings and in the times of distress. His strength will uphold those who trust in Him.”

Jesus’ death reconciled us to God, and His resurrection saves us. It gives us everything we need, especially eternal life. The phrase “much more” means “from the heavier to the lighter.” God has done the harder thing in dying for people when they were enemies. Will He not do the easier thing in living for them now that they are His friends?

 Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1550)
2. “True Sacrifice.” Retrieved from newsletter@cbhministries.org
3. Daniel Darling, “A God for Your Bad Days.” Retrieved from www.danieldarling.com
4. Bayless Conley, “Inwardly Compelled.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
5. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Receive God’s Love.” Retrieved from mydevotional@ltw.org
6. Pastor David McGee, “But God.” Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com
7. Anne Graham Lotz, “God Cares.” Retrieved from info@angelministries.org
8. Pastor Ken Klaus, “Jesus Receives Sinners.” Retrieved from www.lhm.org
9. Greg Laurie, “The Purpose of a Testimony.” Retrieved from www.harvest.org
10. Billy Graham, “Why Doesn’t God Relieve My Suffering Parents’ Misery?” Retrieved from ezines@arcamax.com 

I’m going to take you on a short walk down memory lane. Some of you may have heard of a singer/songwriter from the 1970s by the name of Ray Stevens. He was famous for writing and recording comedy songs such as “Bridget the Midget”, “Ahab the Arab”, “The Streak” and many others. He did record a few serious songs, the most famous of which was “Everything is Beautiful”. That particular song starts with a group of children singing words that tie in nicely with the topic of my homily today. The verse goes something like this:

Jesus loves the little children

All little children of the world

Red and yellow, black and white

They are precious in His sight

Jesus loves the little children of the world.

In Mark 10:13-16, the disciples try to prevent the children from coming to Jesus to receive his blessing. In his stern rebuke, Jesus reminds the disciples that the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Does this mean that the kingdom belongs to children, or does it mean that the Kingdom belongs to those who are LIKE children? I believe it’s the latter.

So what does it mean to receive the Kingdom like a little child? There is an apparent contradiction that can best be handled by those who are like children. God is all-powerful, perfect and hates sin, but at the same time He is good, free and full of grace, and He loves us. Adults often have a hard time accepting this. They try to make Him politically correct, middle class, sensible and safe—but we all know that Jesus is none of these. Those who approach Jesus like a child accept him for who He is, not for who they want Him to be. When Jesus says, “Come to me and receive…”, children come running, wanting more. Adults, on the other hand, say, “What’s the catch?” Those in spiritual poverty are the ones who have figured out that they are the ones who will be given the Kingdom of heaven.

So how do we become like children? We become like children through the sacraments of baptism and Communion. The water of baptism washes away the old life that is full of doubt, evil, etc. and cleanses us. Christ’s “blood” gives us a regular spiritual cleansing that we need and get through the Eucharist. Baptism and the Eucharist represent a new beginning and a new life. Life starts with childhood-spiritually and physically. Both physical and spiritual children are naïve, full of wonder and trust. What can be more moving than a small child holding out their hands to you in complete trust that you can pick them up? What can be more humbling than the way they ask you for something with a simple belief you can do it, or provide it, just like Jesus can?

In 1 Corinthians 13:11-13, Paul makes it clear that as we grow and mature, we put away childish things. We don’t stop being childlike in the sense Jesus talks about—trusting, humble, willing to follow His commands. We stop throwing tantrums when we don’t get our own way. We stop trying to “be the boss” in every situation, recognizing that our knowledge is partial and that only God deserves to be in control.

The children were brought to Jesus by their parents because they were helpless. They couldn’t do it on their own. Spiritual children are the same way. We need people to bring us to Jesus by being a Christ-like friend, by sharing what it means to follow Jesus and by carrying thanks to Jesus in prayer. We are challenged to bring people to Jesus so they can become spiritual children.

There is a story of a little girl whose mother had given birth to a baby boy. The little girl asked her parents to leave her alone with the new baby. They worried that she might want to hit or shake him, so they said no. Over time though, since she wasn’t showing signs of jealousy, they changed their minds and decided to let her have her private conference with the baby. The little girl went into the baby’s room and shut the door, but it opened a crack-enough to let the curious parents watch and listen. They saw the little girl walk quietly up to the baby, put her face close to his, and say, “Baby, tell me what God feels like. I’m starting to forget.”

We must be like children in our service to God. We must trust and obey Him without fail. We must live as children of God SHOULD live. In Jesus’ time, children were seen as nothings until they were old enough to be useful. Jesus appreciated and valued them for who they were and what they brought as children:

1. A simple, unquestioning faith
2. A trusting view of life
3. Disregard for wealth and status
4. Taking pleasure in the smallest things

What is our outlook as Kingdom people on life, possessions, people, those who might be neglected? It should be like a child’s.

 Children are honest and straightforward. They say what’s on their mind without thinking or worrying about what anyone will think or say. They are an example of how we must be before God if we want to receive his blessings. In other words, we must have a childlike heart with simplicity, the ability to learn, trust, forgiveness, responsiveness and humility.

 Membership in the Kingdom is about grace. That’s why Jesus says in Mark 10:15, “Truly I say to you, whosoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it”. Baptism allows us to be like children. It washes away the dirt of our lives and replaces it with the childlike qualities of simplicity, the ability to learn, trust, forgiveness, responsiveness and humility. It enables us to be reborn—to start over. Every child born into this world is born helpless. Every child born into this world is dependent on others for food, clothing, protection and education. Every Christian is born helpless. Just as children depend on others to survive, so Christians need Christ to survive. Helpless dependence is what the Kingdom of God is all about.

Children are good judges of character. They can sense a reason to fear or a reason to be at peace. They are drawn to people with pure hearts. The children in Mark 10:13-16 could sense that Jesus was pure in heart. Jesus hugged them and loved them. His love was passionate, open and emotive. Jesus was child-friendly, and his church should be too. In a day when children can be physically, sexually and emotionally abused, abandoned, ignored, and forgotten, we must remember the one we call “Lord” loves all the children in the world. If Jesus loves the children we, who are his followers, should also love the children.

 It is abundantly clear that Jesus’ attitude was welcoming, open, receptive, concerned for them, very much positive towards them. When they are excluded, he includes them. When they are rejected, he accepts them. When they are made to feel unwelcome, He opens his arms to them. We can enter the kingdom of God easily when we are like children. We can do it through:

 1. Unwavering faith like a little child.

2. Knowing that Jesus’ priority is our souls.

3. Dealing with sins in a positive manner.

We become part of God’s family through baptism and the spiritual cleansing it gives us. Through the spiritual cleansing, we gain a new, child-like nature that allows us to be hopelessly dependent on Christ for salvation—the hopeless dependence children have. We must receive the Kingdom in weakness and powerlessness. We need to believe simply because our heavenly Father tells us, just like children do something when their parents tell them.

Children find the kingdom of God quite easily and enter it quite easily. The kingdom of God is so vast that the only way we can understand it is to be like children—naïve, trusting in God, and full of wonder. We receive the Kingdom of God when we ask for it to come. When it comes, we will enter it, if we are like a little child. It is easy for children to have faith because their minds are not cluttered and they believe what they are told. We too must believe what we are told about the Kingdom. Believing is the foundation of faith. Baptism allows us to believe with an uncluttered mind because the spiritual cleansing we receive through baptism cleans out the clutter from our minds. Faith needs to be based on a strong foundational understanding of the Word-a foundation that is based on baptism. We can’t see God, but we have faith that He is alive and living within our hearts as we look forward to the promises that are waiting for us—and we can only do this through the sacrament of baptism.

In Jesus’ time, fathers were the ones who took responsibility for the spiritual growth and well-being of the children—just like our heavenly Father does for His children. The Kingdom is really about caring for the weakest, rather than engaging in political or military victories. It represents true greatness. The blessings God has for us in life belong to those who are like children. We can only come to Jesus in our humble state like children do, looking to Him and His grace alone. God designed us to be dependent on Him like children depend on their parents. Children represent the poor, the needy, the downtrodden, and the ordinary human beings. We are told to come to Jesus as a child—without prejudice, with nothing held back, with the innocence of a child—to experience God’s love for us.

It is often hard for us to come to Jesus as a child—with innocent trust. We like our independence. We like to think of ourselves as sophisticated and in control. We are too childish in our self-esteem to be childlike. If God helps us today, we will be able to see with eyes of faith the truth behind the scenes. So much of life is beyond our control and we need God to protect and bless ALL of us—children and adults. Baptism doesn’t save anyone, but bringing infants to Jesus does bring spiritual blessings from God to the child-like faithfulness of the parents.

The touch of God on a child’s life is like a divine tag in which Jesus says, “This child is mine. She may wander all over the world, but she has the tag, the early impression of Jesus in her life, the touch of Christ on her life”. This touch comes through baptism into a new life in Christ. We do not make the rules about who comes to Jesus—Jesus does. We do not discriminate in who hears the gospel. We must reach all with it. Moreover, we must not place barriers in the lives of those who desire to come to Christ. We can hinder believers by our attitude, inconsistencies, hypocritical living, or by selling a brand of religion that does not show God’s grace and His free offer of eternal life. When we are dependent and trusting, there is a mutuality of bonding that can occur and allow the Spirit of God to flow into our lives in ways that are not blocked. Baptism removes everything that hinders believers.

We begin the proper training of children by making sure our heart is right with God long before they come into the world. When they come into the world, we begin to exert that influence upon their lives. Bringing children to Jesus is like bringing Him a diamond in the rough—a diamond that can be cut and polished and become of invaluable worth. We have a choice to make. Jesus can do the polishing and cutting, or our corrupt, sinful world can.

Baptism gives us the spiritual cleansing that we need to begin our new life in Christ, but we also need the regular spiritual cleansing that is provided when we partake of Christ’s body and blood through the Eucharist. Just like our clothes need regular cleaning, or our physical bodies need daily cleaning, our spiritual lives need the regular cleaning that we get when we partake of the Eucharist. We all need a good spiritual cleaning on a regular basis, just like Jesus cleaned the money changers and vendors from the temple. When Jesus saw evil in the temple of the Lord, He gave it a good cleaning. If Jesus inspects our lives, will he find things that need to be cleaned out? Baptism allows the Spirit to get into every nook and cranny, every crack, every crevice of our souls and clean out the dirt of our evil, sinful, corrupt previous life.

It is never a pleasant experience when the Holy Spirit shows us what we need to change in our lives, but we aren’t left to do all the work ourselves. In fact, on our own we can’t overcome the sin that needs clearing out. We need God’s power in order to change, and the Spirit works in us to make sure we do. The Spirit’s job is started through the waters of baptism, and continues with the spiritual cleansings we receive through the Eucharist.

Jesus taught that we are to be nothing, and the less we are and the weaker we are, the better. The less we have of self, the more room there is for His divine grace. We are to be like children—weak and having nothing. When a child believes in Jesus, it cares nothing for critical points. That is the way we must come to Christ. When we come to Him, He will make heaven our home, and He will take us in His arms.

I’d like to close this message with these words from an email I received a few years ago. They accurately describe how we are to come to God like a child and not keep others from coming to him. The poem is entitled:

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN’T LOOKING

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don’t.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn’t feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it’s all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I learned most of life’s lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, “Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn’t looking.”

Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher or friend) influences the life of a child. How will you touch the life of someone today? Have you come to Him completely? Are you resting safe in His arms, or are you hesitating? Are you being hindered or prevented by someone or something in your life? There is no sorrow when we completely rest on Him like a child—a true child of God.

Have you ever noticed that there is a hierarchy or “pecking order” in almost everything in life? For example, in business there is either a board of directors or an owner or owners at the top, managers (if there are any) in the middle and workers at the bottom. In the school system, there is a school board at the top, followed by superintendents and directors of various departments, then individual school principals, then teachers and then students.

There is also a hierarchy in heaven. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are at the top, followed by angels and archangels. As part of the top level, Jesus is God’s final revelation of God, because he is God’s Son, the agent of creation, the very glory of God and one who cleanses us from sin. God spoke to his people through prophets in Old Testament times, and he speaks to us today through Jesus and the Bible. The Old Testament prophets could only give us pieces of truth. When Jesus came, all of these pieces came together and gained meaning. Unfortunately, in many cases the people reacted to the truth of God’s message by killing the prophets and Jesus when they should have obeyed the message ,”Don’t shoot the messenger.”

One problem in almost any organization that has more than a few levels is communication. Sometimes messages sent by higher levels are not conveyed clearly or in their original form. Here’s a good example:

Memo from Director General to Manager:

Today at 11 o’clock there will be a total eclipse of the sun.  This is when the sun disappears behind the moon for two minutes.  As this is something that cannot be seen every day, time will be allowed for employees to view the eclipse in the car park.  Staff should meet in the car park at ten to eleven, when I will deliver a short speech introducing the eclipse, and giving some background information.  Safety goggles will be made available at a small cost.

Memo from Manager to Department Head:

Today at ten to eleven, all staff should meet in the car park.  This will be followed by a total eclipse of the sun, which will disappear for two minutes.  For a moderate cost, this will be made safe with goggles. The Director General will deliver a short speech beforehand to give us all some background information.  This is not something that can be seen every day.

Memo from Department Head to Floor Manager:

The Director General will today deliver a short speech to make the sun disappear for two minutes in the eclipse.  This is something that cannot be seen every day, so staff will meet in the car park at ten or eleven.  This will be safe, if you pay a moderate cost.

Memo from Floor Manager to Supervisor:

Ten or eleven staff are to go to the car park, where the Director General will eclipse the sun for two minutes.  This doesn’t happen every day.  It will be safe, but it will cost you.

Memo from Supervisor to staff:

Some staff will go to the car park today to see the Director General disappear.  It is a pity this doesn’t happen every day.

Jesus solved this communication problem for us by coming down from heaven to live among us, experience what we as humans experience, and clearly convey the message of God’s love by his words, deeds and love for us.  

As the Son of God, Jesus is superior to the world, even though he was not fully revealed to man until his death, resurrection and ascension. Because he became human, he was our representative before God. He was like a lawyer in a court case where God is the judge. He pleaded our case before Judge God, and he still pleads our case before Judge God today if he takes our case. Jesus became perfect by living as a human being while at the same time living a sin-free life and obeying God. He became the perfect sacrifice for us and the perfect example for us as Christians to follow. He calls on us to join him in worship.

God gave man dominion over all the earth, but that dominion was wasted because of Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden. Man was told to take care of the earth, but we have not always shown good stewardship. We have wasted natural resources, polluted the earth and hunted many species of birds, fish and animals to the point of endangerment or extinction. Our stewardship of the earth has left a lot to be desired. God sees us and what we do in life. He sees what we are doing with the resources he has entrusted to us, even though he is at the top of the hierarchy and we are at the bottom.

The Letter to the Hebrews is about the person of Christ-his deity, humanity, supremacy, priesthood, sacrifice and glory. As I mentioned earlier in this message, God spoke to his people at various times and in various ways, and he still speaks to us at various times and in various ways today. All Old Testament revelations pointed to God’s final revelation in Jesus.

If we want to get to know God, all we have to do is get to know Jesus, and we get to know Jesus by reading and studying the Bible. God’s very nature is revealed perfectly in Jesus because Jesus is God. He is the one who upholds all things by the word of his power, and therefore he controls history. Christ’s birth is the greatest proof of God’s love and concern for humanity. God translated deity to humanity by coming to earth in the form of Jesus, and this final revelation was absolute, infallible and authoritative. The world in its entirety was given to Christ as the heir of all things. As the executor of God’s divine will, Jesus will return on day to enforce every clause.

In speaking of the world to come, the writer of Hebrews contrasts it with the present age. In the world to come, angels will not be in charge, but in the present age they rule the world by ministering with God in a role above humans and below God. In God’s original plan for the world, humans were second only to the angels in God’s hierarchy of creation. Humans are lower than angels for several reasons:

1. Humans are physical beings, but angels are spiritual beings.
2. Humans are subject to death, angels are not.
3. Humans are bound by time and space, angels are not.
4. Humans are bound to the earth, angels are not.

God’s original plan was for humanity to have domination over the world, but Adam and Eve delayed that plan. We are born to rule the world, but when we are born again at death we will regain our place of honour and glory. Jesus rules over creation now, but in time God will restore humanity to its intended place of authority. In order to do this, God had to become human and taste death for everyone. Union with God could not be restored without suffering. Christ’s sufferings were fitting because they completed the work of bringing us to God’s glory.

Believers become holy the moment they are saved, but they are also sanctified by God through the Holy Spirit as they grow in faith. They increase in holiness through the work of God. We take part in the process by reading, studying and obeying the Bible.

After his resurrection, Jesus called his followers “brethren.” By using this term, Jesus shows that he is willing to identify with people in their humanity and suffering. We are challenged to consider that we are members of God’s family. Just like families come together to help a member who is in trouble, God reaches his hand out to us. God will always be a light in the darkness of our sin-filled world. We can’t hide from that light because God will always find us and bring us back to him. The light reflects God’s glory and one day we will share that glory in heaven. Until then, we can reflect God’s radiance here on earth by doing the work God has called us to do and to show God’s love to our hurting world.

Bibliography

• Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)

• ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.

1. Evans, L.H. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 38: Hebrews (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985)
2. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
3. Rebecca Barlow Jordan, “The Radiance of God’s Glory.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
4. Dr. David Jeremiah, “Born to Rule.” Retrieved from turniongpoint@davidjeremiah.org
5. Berni Dymet, “What’s God Like?” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

Do you know that God speaks to his people?

It’s true. He speaks to us today just like he spoke to his people in the past. God spoke at various times and in various ways. He spoke to people such as Adam, Noah, Abraham and Moses. He spoke through thunder; the sound of a trumpet; in a still, small voice or in visions and dreams; in human form and angelic visitations; through foreshadowing and parable and more.

When God spoke to the people in Old Testament times, he pointed to his final revelation in Jesus. Through Jesus, God provided the perfect vehicle of expression. He translated deity into humanity, and this revelation was absolute, infallible and authoritative. The world in its entirety was given to Christ as the heir of all things. As executor of the divine will, he will return one day to enforce all of its clauses.

In Christ we have God’s final message. He is the fullness of the Godhead. He is the Lord of everything. He is the eternal word of God. He came to earth to take away our sins. Before Jesus came to earth, the Jews had to have their sins taken away.

Jesus is better than everything and anything because of his relationship with God. He is also better because he is royalty. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is also better because of his reputation. His domain is never-ending. His delight is unequalled. He never changes. His reign is unchallenged. In fact, the only angel who has ever challenged his authority was Satan-and Satan was kicked out of heaven.

God’s very nature-his glory and the express image-is revealed perfectly in Jesus, because Jesus is God. The Son-who existed before time, was at the beginning of time, and will be at the end of time-is the One who upholds all things by the word of His power and thereby controls history. Jesus is God’s final, divine revelation of himself. Jesus is the Son of God, the agent of creation, the very glory of God and the one who saves us from our sins. He inherits all of creation from God. He is the imprint of God. Jesus is the mind of God in human form as illustrated by the Gospel of John. Because Jesus came to earth, God knows us and love us. He loves us just as much as Jesus does.

In Bible times, a person’s name was the outward expression of who they were, encompassing not only a person’s proper name but his or her identity-including rank, authority, fame and character. The more excellent name Jesus inherits is “Son”. He is the eternal Son of God. While Scriptures sometimes refer to angels as “the sons of God,” nowhere does God say of angels, “You are My Son, today I have begotten you.” Only to Jesus does the Father speak in such personal, familial terms.

The title “firstborn” does not mean that Jesus was created but refers to His exalted status and authority as Ruler of all creation. His superiority to angels is also proven by the fact that all the angels of God worshipped Him at His birth and worship Him now at the throne of God. The angels are Christ’s ministers. Although angels are not superior to or equal to Jesus, they occupy an important role in the lives of believers today as “ministering spirits.”

The Jews believed angels were the highest beings next to God. To prove that Jesus is much better than the angels, the writer of Hebrews quotes several of Israel’s own Scriptures. The word “better” occurs 12 times in this book, indicating Jesus’ superiority to all of creation and to the Old Covenant. The job of angels is to worship God, and hence to worship Jesus by doing His will. Since only God is worthy of worship, this is evidence of Jesus’ full deity.

Angels work in hidden ways to carry out God’s will and protect God’s people. They are part of our lives even if we aren’t aware of them. They are part of an unseen army that is fighting Satan and his followers.

Jesus is supreme above any angels because:

1. God speaks to us through His Son.
2. Jesus is the heir of all things.
3. God made all things through Jesus.
4. Jesus is the express image of God the Father.
5. He upholds all things with the word of His power.
6. He purged our sins.
7. Jesus is the Son of God, not a servant as are the angels.
8. He is worthy of our worship.
9. Jesus is God Himself.

When God the Father refers to Jesus as the eternal God, it is one of the Bible’s most irrefutable proofs of the deity of Christ.

One day the worlds God created will be folded up like a linen garment, but Christ will remain. He will be the same as He always has been, and His existence will never end.

Bibliography

• Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 1744-1746)

• ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.

• MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Version (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)

• Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)

• Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 1689-1690)

• Joni Eareckson Tada, “Like Father, Like Son.” Retrieved from communications@joniandfriends.org

• Billy Graham, “What Do Angels Look Like?” retrieved from www.arcamax.com

• Berni Dymet, “A Picture of God.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

• Bayless Conley, “The Supremacy of Jesus.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

• Jeremiah, David: Hebrews: The Supremacy & The Sufficiency of Christ, Volume One (San Diego, CA: Turning Point for God, 2012, pp. 9-30)