Have you ever wondered if people who claim to heal in Jesus’ name are true healers or fake healers? If so, you’re not alone. People have had the same question throughout history, and we see that in the passage from Acts 19:11-20.

In Paul’s time, there was a belief in the spiritual power of articles fashioned in the image of a god or blessed in its shrine. God blessed the prayers of people who held these articles of Paul’s clothing because He knew of the apostle’s faithfulness to point away from himself to God as the true source of his healing power.

The fact that the miracles occurred in the manner of garments that had touched Paul’s body was a sign to the people concerned that the miracle was performed by Paul. Similarly, in Mark 7:33, when Jesus put his fingers in the ears of the deaf man and spit and touched his tongue, it was a sign that the healing came from Jesus. The bearing of these pieces of material to the sick was evidence that Paul had the same miraculous healing power.

Paul served as God’s conduit of power much like Peter and John did in Jerusalem. At the time of these miracles, Paul was in Ephesus. Exorcists and magicians were forces of evil. Evil held the city of Ephesus so tightly that God had to exercise even greater and more unusual divine power to break its grip.

There were Jews who wandered from place to place and practiced exorcisms. They used either an oath or the name of God to convince the demons to leave the bodies of the people they possessed. God does not like it when people use His name for purposes that are not in accordance with faith. Demons know Jesus and God, and God used this knowledge when He punished these false healers. The demons resisted because they knew the people who were performing exorcisms were not believers.

There are still fortune tellers, astrologers and palm readers today, and many of them take advantage of people. For example, someone once wrote to Billy Graham. She said, “I’m facing some hard decisions, so recently I went to a woman who claimed she could tell the future and give me some guidance by reading my palm. But what she said was kind of vague and not very helpful. Did I waste my money?”

Billy Graham replied:

“Yes, you did, and I hope you won’t seek out anything like this again. Most of those who claim they can foretell someone’s future are only taking advantage of them, and their advice (as you’ve discovered) is vague and unhelpful—and sometimes worse. …Although such things are often fraudulent, you could also find yourself coming into contact with occult powers and demonic spiritual forces that are dangerous and opposed to God. That is why the Bible commands us not to have anything to do with occult practices of any kind.”

When the gospel was unleashed with genuine spiritual reality, there was power. The people at the church in Ephesus were genuinely repentant, and their changed lives led to revival. The change did not happen overnight. It took two years for Paul to see signs of hope. Those who were practicing witchcraft or performing exorcisms saw that what they were doing was wrong after they came to God in faith. They showed true repentance with outward signs of turning away from sin when they burned their books and tools publicly. This sacrifice was an expensive one money-wise. Extraordinary things happen when faith meets God. God loves to honour His word so that it will grow mightily and prevail. If we want to relate to such a name of God, we must faithfully proclaim His word through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Ephesians who repented and burned their tools are a good example for us. God takes people where they are. Christianity has the power to encourage people to turn from their evil ways. Those who have been engaged in sinful practices will abandon them when they become Christians. Their hatred of their former, sinful lives will be, and should be, expressed as publicly as their sin was. Their sinful lives will be abandoned at any sacrifice, no matter how great.

Jesus still has power today. What Jesus did in Paul’s time, He’ll do on earth now through the power of the Holy Spirit-the Spirit who lives in all believers. When we are in Christ and He is in us, we are the most powerful people in the world.

What happened in Ephesus can happen to an individual today. The hardening of the heart occurs gradually and silently. Meanwhile, God continues to point out secret faults. The truth confronts us daily but it glances off our hard hearts. Becoming pliable means that we must surrender and abandon everything we’ve used as a substitute for a personal relationship with Jesus.

God challenges us to think about what this means in our lives today. What are the things that we put our trust in even after we are saved? Money? Possessions? People? Human capabilities? Those who came to faith in Christ through Paul’s ministry participated in moral reform. Sometimes ministers preach reform today before people have received the power to make necessary changes. Often, we preach our standards of behavior so loudly that people can’t hear what we are saying about Christ. When that happens, they are put off and miss the only power that can help them change. Behavior change follows belief in Christ.

When we receive the Holy Spirit, He confronts the false gods in our lives. In the context of His love we can wrestle with the Bible’s guide for giving to God. Our offerings are released for the work of ministry through Christian congregations. When the message and the mission agree, the total life of the congregation becomes authentic.

Preaching and teaching in the power of the Holy Spirit will produce results. We will be changed. Then we will be ready to be introduced to the adventure called a life with God. When Christ rules in all areas of our lives, attitudes and values that are contrary to the Gospel will be exposed. Only then can we who are changed band together to claim the power of the Holy Spirit to change our homes, places of work and communities.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1520)
2. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Ogilvie, L.J. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 28: Acts (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983; pp.276-279)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. Joni Eareckson Tada, “Empowerment.” Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org
7. Billy Graham, “Should I Have Seen a Palm Reader?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com
8. Pete Briscoe, “Experiencing Life Today.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

Have you ever watched a wrestling match? Wrestling is a very popular sport all over the world. Amateur wrestling is popular in schools, colleges, and in the Olympics. There is also professional wrestling like we see on television. I think most of that kind of wrestling is fake, but people still enjoy watching it. Wrestling is one of the oldest sports in the world dating back thousands of years.

How many of you have wrestled with God and ended up being changed by the experience? If you have, you know what happened to Jacob in Genesis 32:22-31.

Jacob was preparing to return to his homeland. He did not have to go near his brother Esau’s territory, but he knew that it was only a matter of time until they met. He sent messengers to Esau to announce his return, but the messengers returned with the news that Esau and 400 men were on their way to meet him.

Jacob was scared. He sent gifts to Esau to appease Esau’s potential anger. Then he sent his wives, maidservants and children. Jacob was left alone with his fears and thoughts, so he did a wise thing. He prayed to God.

Jacob was vulnerable. He was ashamed of the way he had lived despite God’s grace. He was afraid for his life and the lives of his family. He was alone, just like others who have suddenly felt inadequate to deal with life’s trials.

All of us have said or done things in the past that we regret. At some point these things come to the surface and confront us. How can we apply Jacob’s wrestling with God to our lives when this happens?

Jacob did not initiate the contest. God wanted to separate the self-willed Jacob from all supports until he was left alone before Him-something the Lord still does with some of His followers. The fact that Jacob wrestled with God shows that there was still a part of him that resisted God’s rule in his life. Jacob’s prayer showed an element of reliance, but the underlying attitude was one of resistance. Jacob’s language was the language of dependence, but there was evidence of a latent defiance in the way he fought God’s grip on his life.

The Hebrew word for “touched” may indicate any type of touch, from a gentle caress to an affecting strike. Apparently, Jacob experienced the latter. Jacob proved strong as the pair wrestled through the night. Yet one outcome was a lifelong weakness in Jacob’s hip. The man was apparently the Lord himself.

When God touched Jacob’s hip, He showed that there is a limit beyond which He is not prepared to go in His dealings with mankind. At that moment Jacob realized that his wrestling with God was puny. When God chose to reveal the true nature and extent of His power, Jacob was powerless to withstand it. Jacob was powerless to move. The moment of truth concerning the true nature of Jacob’s finiteness occurred to him. Jacob’s defiance turned to reliance. Jacob decided to come clean about himself the same way he decided to admit having arrived at the end of his own resources. God dealt graciously with Jacob. Despite his many failings, weaknesses and sorrows, Jacob was chosen and loved by God. Through his wrestling match, he became the model of effort required for effective prayer.

Like Jacob, we sometimes fight with God. God says, “I want you to do this,” but we’ll refuse. He will let us have our wrestling matches with Him, and eventually we’ll realize that we’re tired of fighting with God. What we need to do is honour God and do what He tells us to do. When we do, God will open doors for us.

Strange as it may seem, we often win over our enemies only after we have been soundly defeated by God. God defeats our enemies by defeating us. When God foresees that we must meet a deadly opponent, he assures that we will win by bringing us down in humbleness at His own feet.

Jacob was missing God’s will for his life because he was always winning. God put him in a holding pattern. Sometimes on our journey of faith God puts us in a holding pattern, especially when we are always running. Sometimes what God does in our lives while we’re waiting can be more important than what we’re waiting for. God might want us to put our priorities, our vision statement, mission objective and other issues on hold as we experience His will for our lives.

We celebrate wealth, power, strength, bravado, confidence, prestige and victory. This celebrating starts with Little League baseball for our children and continues on through their college admissions, first job and first address. We are afraid of weakness, failure, struggle and doubt. Even though we know that a measure of vulnerability, fear, discouragement and depression are a part of our lives, we see these signs as signs of failure or even a lack of faith. In real life, naïve optimism and rosy rhetoric are a recipe for disappointment and discouragement. Sooner or later reality catches up with us.

What does God have to do in our lives to remove the controlling and manipulative nature that is so often a part of our lives? It might require a time of immobilizing, loss of a job, loss of income, loss of health or loss of a close relationship. Our new nature won’t be complete until we stop relying on ourselves and start relying on God. If God is taking us through this process, we can be encouraged because of the inheritance He has for us-an inheritance that can only be received when we become totally dependent on God.

The toughest bout we will face is not saying “no” to a profitable career, but saying “yes” to God’s prompting. It is not saying “no” to happiness, but saying “yes” to holiness. It is not saying “no” to temptation, but saying “yes” to righteousness. God does not want us to be miserable and unhappy. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts, but saying “yes” to God’s leadership can be a struggle, if not a downright battle.

The phrase, “no longer called Jacob,” is evidence of a remarkable transformation. Jacob’s birth name described the heel of his brother, Esau. The nightlong wrestling match, however, made him Israel, a positive name meaning “God Prevails.” Going forward, Scripture uses the names interchangeably.

After the encounter, Jacob limped on his hip, each step reminding him that he no longer operated in his own strength but in God’s. Jacob was changed for the better—from cunning to clinging, from resisting to resting, from the crafty one to the conquered one.

Jacob’s battle scar was a limp. All of us have battle scars. What are yours? Have you accepted them for what they are and for the person they have made you? Have you allowed the pain of your wrestling match with God to turn you into a better, more compassionate person? Whether we need time to wrestle with God or simply talk something out with God, finding time when we can encounter God alone is important.

There are many of us who are wrestling with God now, hanging on with the hope of finding new meaning and new power for our lives. Even more of us are on a journey to another moment in which we can find renewal and refreshment to a life tattered and tainted with our compromises and failures. To each of us, God calls with this promise that we hear in the Communion liturgy in the Book of Common Prayer: “Come unto me all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 47-48)
2. Briscoe, D.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 1: Genesis (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987; pp. 259-264)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. Pastor Greg Laurie, “Fighting with God.” Retrieved from www.harvest.org
5. Pastor Dick Woodward, “The Tenth Step: Learn to Wait on the Lord.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
6. Os Hillman, “Wrestling with God.” Retrieved from tgif@marketplaceleaders.org
7. A.W. Tozer, “Spiritual Warfare and Sin: Victory Assured.” Retrieved from Biblegateway@e.biblegateway.com
8. Daniel B. Clendenin, Ph.D., “Dark Struggles, Divine Blessings: Jacob at the River Jabbock.” Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net
9. The Rev. Dr. Jimmy Allen, CBF, “Life’s Turning Points.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
10. “Jacob Wrestles with God.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com

In this passage from 2 Peter 1:16-19, Peter addresses the problem of false teachers who are denying Christ’s Second Coming and are accusing the apostles of making stories up. This heresy would remove an important incentive for Christians to live moral and ethical lives. If Christ isn’t coming again-if there is nothing beyond this life-people will be less motivated to live the kind of life that Christ would have them live. Peter calls these Christians to look forward to the return of Christ. In 2 Peter 3:10-11, Peter says that Christ’s return will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with extreme heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Peter calls on them to prepare for that day by living lives that are holy and godly.

The doctrines the disciples held about Jesus were not defended by weak reasoning, but were based on solid eyewitness testimony. Peter, James and John were eyewitnesses to the Transfiguration. When the coming of the Saviour was referred to by the disciples in their preaching, it was always accompanied by a declaration that it would be accompanied by a show of great power and glory.

Peter wrote these verses to counter accusations that he made up stories about Jesus to obtain followers, wealth, power and prestige. Peter provided evidence that the truth of God is inspired. Peter did not boast in the knowledge Jesus provided. He shared it. Peter didn’t gloat-he gave. Peter revealed the secrets of eternity.

Peter did not promote a list of religious rules. He did not push any ideology. He didn’t try to gain power. He talked about a person who was unique in all human history. He was talking about someone he saw with his own eyes-Jesus Christ, the Son of God. That’s the story of the Christian faith. It’s a relationship with Jesus Christ. Being a Christian is first and foremost about receiving God’s life for us as a gift by grace. Just think about how that good news can change our lives!

Today, the Christian faith is still subject to plenty of false rumours. The worst false rumour is that Christianity is a system of rules, regulations and negativity formed by humans to restrain people’s lives, drain the joy out of people’s lives and turn out haters. The rumour makes the Christian life about politics, prejudice, power and profit.

The Christian faith is not the result of cunningly devised fables, as the false teachers claimed. Peter knew that Jesus was God’s Son, because as an eyewitness to His transfiguration, Peter had seen and heard God the Father bestow glory on Him.

The transfiguration was a brief glimpse of the future glory we will see when Christ returns and sets up His kingdom here on earth. The prophecies about Jesus shed some light on a topic that would otherwise be dark. These prophecies shed a light that is so valuable that we should avail ourselves of it by any means possible that are moral, ethical and legal.

We need God to reveal the truth to us through the prophets in the same way in which He revealed truth to them originally when He inspired and motivated them to write the words of prophecy. We can rely on the Word of God because the prophecies of Scripture have come from God. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth to us from God’s Word in the same way the Holy Spirt revealed the prophecy of Scripture to the prophets. Prophecy is the light that cuts through the darkness with the hope of Christ’s return.

When we are tempted to worry about the decline of the church, we would be wise to remember the light of prophecy in Scripture that still shines today. The same word that captured the attention of first century people is still relevant today.

If anyone denies the teachings and historical record of the New Testament, they must attack the credibility of the apostles as witnesses. That can’t be done successfully. The apostles saw and heard God bless Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.

The morning star is Jesus. Until He returns, Christians have the Bible as a witness to His divinity and as their guide in this dark world. Those of us who doubt our faith or are losing confidence have hope. Peter is our ally. He spoke up to explain that the myth is false. He went on record to separate truth from fiction, no matter the cost.

Jesus sacrificed everything for us. His gift of life and salvation changed everything for everyone. He sacrificed everything for us, including His life. He loves us. He formed new lives for us when He died for us and rose from the dead. In return, we will do well to heed Scripture, especially Scripture passages that speak of Christ’s return. These promises are like a lamp shining in a dark place. They make it possible to walk with Jesus without stumbling.

The expectation of Christ’s return makes a difference in our everyday lives, especially if we are expecting His return. That difference is in how we run our lives. Our lives should be characterized by faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection and love. The expectation of judgment should provoke us to live lives that are characterized by godliness and holiness.

 Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 52-53)
2. Cedar, P.A. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 34: James/1&2 Peter/Jude (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1984; pp. 214-217)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)
5. Dr. David Jeremiah, “Be Very Sure.” Retrieved from turningpoint@davidjeremiah.org
6. Dr. David Jeremiah, “God’s Work, Today’s World: Prophecy.” Retrieved from turningpoint@davidjeremiah.org
7. Rev. Gregory Seltz, “God’s Reality Check.” Retrieved from lh_min@lhm.org
8. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for 2 Peter 1:16-21.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
9. Dwight Peterson, “Commentary on 2 Peter 1:16-21.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org

How many of you have heard the sayings, “What goes around comes around,” or “You reap what you sow?” Either saying would apply to the passage from Genesis 29:15-28. Jacob was born grasping his brother Esau’s heel, and that’s how he lived his life-grasping for all he could get by his own ingenuity and power.

Who among us has, after wanting something so badly that we would do anything to get it, woken up one day and realized that what we got wasn’t what we asked for? Jacob is a good example. Jacob met Rachel at a well and loved her, but he arrived without possessions or lavish gifts-a great disadvantage in securing a wife in those times. He served his uncle Laban seven years for Rachel in place of a dowry.

Weddings in Biblical times featured a huge feast. Afterward, the bridegroom was escorted to the tent of the bride where the marriage was consummated. Jacob probably drank too much at the feast and did not realize Laban gave him Leah rather than Rachel. Laban deceived Jacob, just as Jacob had deceived both Esau and Isaac.

Polygamy was practiced in ancient times but often produced family struggles. That Jacob “fulfilled her week” probably refers to the expectation that a newly married couple would “honeymoon” for a week. With his obligation to Leah complete, Jacob finally married Rachel.

Jacob deceived his father by obtaining the blessing that should have been given to Esau. Jacob tricked Esau into selling his birthright for a bowl of stew. Laban deceived Jacob just like Jacob deceived his father and his brother. Laban took advantage of the custom that a bride was always brought to her husband veiled. He substituted Leah for Rachel.

As it turned out, Leah was the one whom God intended for Jacob. One of Leah’s sons was Judah, and it was through Judah’s line that God’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled. Leah served and feared God, as we will see in subsequent passages from Genesis. Rachel was attracted to the superstitions of Laban’s house. Leah’s character fitted her better for her new calling than Rachel’s character did.

Jacob’s sinful weakness appeared in his married life. God blessed the hated wife Leah with children, but He withheld children from Rachel. In the birth of at least three of her children, Leah recognized God and acknowledged Him as her God.

Jacob longed for a child for Rachel. That child was a long time in coming. Jacob was used to getting his own way. He was only interested in winning. He learned another lesson the hard way. There is a limit to man’s resources, and the same lesson is hard for us to learn today. We tend to rely on our own inadequacies only to discover our shortcomings after much pain-and sometimes it is too late.

Far too many of us are like Jacob. We tend to love things and use people. Most of the problems in our world are caused by our tendency to love things and use people. We love our things. We love money. We lust for it; we have a passion for it. We tend to use people to get things, and that tendency leads to problems. It leads to the death of that part of us that is most like the image of God. God created us to use things and love people. Get that turned backwards and all hell breaks loose. When we orient our lives around loving others and using things, all the power of heaven is released in our lives.

There is little point in resisting what God is telling us. The sooner we learn the lesson, the sooner we can get on to other lessons. The longer it takes for us to come to grips with God’s gracious, firm, guiding hand, the longer it takes for us to mature. As long as we are on this side of eternity, there is no graduation from the school of hard knocks, and there are many opportunities for those who really want to grow.

How does God’s love abide in everyone who has the world’s goods and sees a fellow Christian in need and yet refuses to help? The redeeming power of the gospel creates in us a desire to serve others, to give of ourselves. That’s the only way for any of us to be released from the addiction to our own selfishness. How does this happen in practical terms? Here are three suggestions:

1. We should look for opportunities to step outside ourselves. How long has it been since we intentionally looked for an opportunity to step outside our ordinary experience and into the experience of someone else?
2. We should listen to people.
3. We should put something we want on hold.

In other words, we are to stick around for a while longer. We are to trust that It was God who led us to where we are, trust that God knows what He is doing. We must be faithful to where God has led us, to what we have been called to, to the vows we took and the promises we made. We must trust that the place we are in right now could be exactly where God wants us or has been leading us all along. We must trust that God is working right here, to bring about things we don’t even know about that are yet to come!

Sometimes we realize that the ideal comes because of working things through and not leaving the table when we get disappointed, or when things aren’t turning out as we expected, or when things get ugly…the day we wake up and decided to make excuses about how it was too dark, or she was too veiled, or we were too drunk…that is the day we realize that everything in life starts to fail. There is no perfect person, no perfect relationship, no perfect team, or school, or job, or church. When we recognize it, we must not run away. We must stay and persist. We’ll get what we want in the end.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 42-43)
2. Bible History Old Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Briscoe, D.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 1: Genesis (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987; pp. 237-237)
4. James A. Harnish, “Finding the ‘New’ You: The Things We Do for Love.” Retrieved from www.preaching.com

Emma lay in bed listening to her parents’ voices on the other side of the wall. “How are we going to pay this bill, Ben?” Mom asked with a worried tone.

Emma huddled deeper under her blankets. She knew her parents didn’t want her to worry, but her stomach hurt. Everything was different. First Dad lost his job, then Mom worked longer hours. Emma packed her own school lunches and helped Dad with chores and simple meals. Dad searched for a new job every day, yet Emma had overheard her parents say they might need to move. “God, can’t you give my Dad back his job?” Emma prayed as she drifted to sleep.

Mom poked her head into Emma’s room the next morning. “Time to get ready for church, sleepyhead.”

“Why?” Emma said. “If God can do the things we learn about in church, why doesn’t He give Dad back his job?”

“Get ready,” Mom told her. “We’ll talk some more after breakfast.”

After Emma rinsed her cereal bowl, Mom led Emma outside. “Look at the bird feeder.”

“Mom, we haven’t filled it since Dad lost his job,” Emma objected.

“Are the birds worried about the empty feeder?” Mom asked. Emma looked around. She saw sparrows nibbling in the trees. Others roosted in the gutter, and still more perched on their neighbor’s feeder.

“No,” Emma answered.

“For years, God provided for our family through Dad’s job,” Mom explained. “God is still providing, but in different ways.”

“Like how the birds that used to come to our feeder now go other places?” Emma asked.

“Yes,” said Mom. “The Bible stories we learn in church remind us how God has helped many people through many hard times in many different ways. Church is also where we can connect with other Christians and hear them thank God for what He’s done to help them. Their words remind us that God is with us and cares for us even though our situation may be different from theirs.”

“And thanking God at church for providing for us might help someone else,” said Emma as she headed for the car.

Memories are an important part of our relationships. Memories forge our future. We celebrate important national holidays so we can remember moments of triumph and be bound together by them once again. A good example is the recent celebrations for Canada’s 150^th birthday.

Psalm 105 is filled with the memory of what God has done for his people. His deeds are based on His covenant with Abraham-a covenant that He never forgets. The covenant promised Canaan as Israel’s inheritance. He protected His prophets. He sent Moses to bring His people out of bondage. He judged the Egyptians with plagues. He provided for the Israelites in the wilderness. He gave the Israelites their land.

People can remember God by calling out His name, or calling upon Him in prayer. Speaking His name invokes His presence and His authority. Knowing His name also assures us that we have a personal relationship with Him. To seek Him is an occasion for joy. We are called to praise God because He has intervened on our behalf. He intervenes on our behalf today. He will intervene on our behalf in the future. God has given us a covenant in His Son. In Jesus’ death and resurrection, He has intervened on our behalf. We can now look toward a future that includes eternal life with Him.

We need to search our spiritual memories from time to time. We need to remember what God has done throughout history. That’s one reason why we hear passages from Scripture read in church each Sunday. When we remember God’s work in history, we can be encouraged to praise God because we can trust Him. We need to remember what Jesus did for us on the cross. We need to remember what He does for us in our lives today. Only then can we praise Him properly. Only then will our worship and witness come from hearts made new.

The psalmist drives home his point. After calling God’s people to thank and praise Him, He gives ample reason for obeying-namely, “that they might observe His statues and keep His laws.” We are on a lifelong adventure of seeking God. Because He is infinite, we will never run out of new and exciting territory to explore regarding His character and nature.

When we remember and give thanks to God for what He has done and continues to do, we are encouraged to share the Good News. Some time ago I attended an information and training seminar for an organization named Community Chaplains Canada. This organization recruits and trains volunteer people who have received the Holy Spirit to minister to residents of nursing homes and special care facilities. These volunteers spend quality time individually with residents and act like true friends. These volunteers offer to pray with the resident and read Scripture. The residents can also receive literature. Most important is the opportunity the volunteers give for the residents to think about and receive Christ as their Saviour. In summary, these volunteers spread the Good News.

Our attitude of gratitude will pave the way to a life full of blessings that God has for us. It will also help us defeat Satan. It drives back the enemy. Praising God will change us. It will drive out old, negative, sinful thoughts and fill us with His strength and power.

When we praise God, we show our joy, which is the second fruit of the Spirit. It is true that there is a lot of suffering in our world today, but beneath the suffering (especially for Christians who suffer because of their faith), there is a joy that will burst upward if we allow it. Praise is both a spiritual and practical experience. It forms deep within the soul and comes forth in song or proclamation, and shows itself just as real as delivering a meal to a family in need. How can we make known to others what God has done? How can we practically tell of his wonderful acts? We can do things such as:

1. Visiting people in a nursing home.
2. Taking a meal to a person who is unable to come to church. Encourage them with the ministry of your presence and God’s Word.
3. Shoveling the snow from a neighbour’s driveway or mowing their grass when they’re gone on vacation.
4. Driving a person to medical appointments and staying with them.
5. Volunteering in a ministry of your church.
6. Using your spiritual gift up front or behind the scenes.

God will often work in unexpected ways. He has the power to turn defeats and hopeless situations into pivotal moments that bring new life. Where do we see the hand of God in the events of our past, present and future with the same clear vision of Psalm 105? We are invited to look for God in everything we do and in every person we meet. If we do, we will find God’s strength, loyalty and love. Even if we forget to look for Him, He is always mindful of us. Our faith must not be experienced in silence. We must always talk to God, and we must always tell others about how God is active in our lives.

Do we spend much time glorifying in all that the Lord has done for us, or do we lament over what has yet to occur? So often we can find ourselves blaming God when things don’t go right. The Hebrew people did it. Kings did it. Even early Christians did it. We should be careful to learn from their mistakes and fill our hearts and mouths with the praise that God surely deserves.

When life gets us down, our first reaction may be to hide under a blanket, stick our heads in the sand or dive deep into denial. We think, incorrectly, that by doing so we’ll never be hurt again. Unfortunately, hiding from the truth only delays growth and our ability to embrace new possibilities. God wants us to seek Him and depend on His strength to get us through.

When life changes, do you think about how God has cared for you in the past? Do you spend time with people God has helped? Have you thanked Him for how He is caring for you now? Remember that God can care for you and your family in many different ways. No matter what your situation is, God is always with you. His love never fails.

Thanks be to God, AMEN

 Bibliography

1. 1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1533)
   2. Williams, D., & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 14: Psalms 73-150 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 184; pp. 240-246,250-251)
   3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (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)

1. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 805-807)
2. Joni Eareckson Tada, “Amongst the Nations.” Retrieved from www.joniandfriends.org
3. Joel Osteen, “Remember What He Has Done.” Retrieved from www.joelosteen.com
4. Os Hillman, “Listening to the Father’s Heart-May 6, 2017.” Retrieved from tgif@marketplaceleaders.org
5. Selwyn Hughes, “Always Reason to Rejoice.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
6. Ron Moore, “Practical Praise.” Retrieved from www.ronmoore.org
7. Brian Pinter, “Bible Study, 12 Pentecost, Proper 17(A).” Retrieved from www.episcopaldigitalnetwork.com
8. Jessie Gutgsell, “Bible Study, 12 Pentecost, Proper 17(A).” Retrieved from www.episcopaldigitalnetwork.com
9. “Solitude.” Retrieved from www.leadllikejesus.org
10. Bobby Schuller, “God’s Shining Face.” Retrieved from www.hourofpower.org

How many of you have ever planted a garden?  If you have, then you know that one of the biggest enemies of a good garden is weeds. Weeds will rob the soil of the nutrients that help your plants to grow and many times they will choke out good plants. What can you do? Well, you could take a hoe and chop down the weeds, but if you do that, you will probably chop down some of the good plants by accident.

Another way to get rid of the weeds is to buy some weed killer. This stuff will really kill the weeds. The biggest problem with weed killer is that it doesn’t know a thistle from a tomato plant. It kills every plant that it touches. Sometimes, it is best just to leave the weeds alone until it is time to harvest the crop. Then you can separate the weeds from the good plants.

One time, Jesus told a story that compared his church to a garden that was infested with weeds. Sometimes there may be people in the church that don’t really belong. They do things that aren’t very loving and they don’t seem to believe what the Bible teaches. They sometimes say hateful things about the other members of the church and try to hurt them. They are like weeds in a garden.

 The parable of the wheat and the darnel answers two questions: How can good and evil coexist in this age? What should we do about it? The key to understanding this parable is to think in pairs: there are two planters, two plants, two plans and two prospects.

The field where the seeds are sown represents the world. The man who sows good seeds is Jesus. The man who sows darnel is Satan. Christians represent good seeds. Darnel represents evil people. The harvest represents the end of the world. The reapers represent the angels.

In Jesus’ day, after a field had been sown with wheat, a mischief-maker might sneak into the field and sow darnel over the original crop. Darnel looked almost identical to wheat, but it had no market value. Only at harvest time, when the crop was fully grown, could the farmer distinguish the true wheat from the worthless darnel.

In its initial stages of growth, darnel closely resembled wheat, and that resemblance made it almost impossible to identify. As the plants matured, the roots of the weeds and the wheat intermingled, making them almost impossible to separate. Any attempt to pull the weeds also pulled the wheat. Separation was necessary because darnel was both bitter and mildly toxic. If it was not removed before milling, darnel ruined the flour. The usual solution was to separate the grains after threshing by spreading them on a flat surface and having people remove the darnel, which was a distinct colour at this stage, by hand.

This is how Satan works. He will plant his seeds among Christians, including in the church. They will talk like Christians and use words that Christians use. When they do something evil, people will say, “I can’t believe that a Christian would do such a thing!” Maybe they were darnel among the wheat. Christians are capable of sinning, but some people are imitations.

The servants and the owner had two different plans for protecting the good seed. The servants wanted to uproot the tares sown by the enemy and dispose of them immediately. But the owner wisely insisted that both be allowed to grow until the harvest. Otherwise, the wheat would be destroyed because it could not be distinguished from the tares.

We will always have darnel among the wheat. We will always have plants that undermine the Word of God. It’s not our job to weed those people out. We don’t see their hearts. Our concern should not be who the hypocrites are, but whether we are hypocrites ourselves. Our job is to take care of ourselves, to take heed and make sure that we are true believers.

Because there are two sowers, evil is in our midst. We are uncomfortable today with the devil and for the most part preachers ignore it in their preaching. The ignored devil sneaks in by back doors through the appeal of the occult, the magical, the falsely supernatural, prophecy conferences, astrology, the New Age movement or other means. The devil doesn’t cease to exist because we say he ceases to exist. On the contrary, he reappears in more grotesque or subtle forms in popular or polite culture.

God allows the righteous and the wicked to live alongside one another, and He has decided not to tell us why. We must conclude that somehow and in some way, it glorifies God to allow this to happen. We must leave these questions with our faith in the character of God.

The situation will change one day, but for now we must remember that not everyone has faith. It’s useless for us to do the sorting. Our standards are lower than God’s perfect standards. Besides, a bad seed or evil person might turn out to be a good seed or a faithful, righteous person. If we do what we think is right by sorting what we think is evil from what we think is good, we might put the good with the evil and vice versa. If we try to rid the church of the weeds in its midst, we might not recognize its true members.

For example, an expert who was evaluating a potential football coach said of him, “He possesses minimal football knowledge. Lacks motivation.” He was talking about Vince Lombardi, who later became the successful football coach quoted for saying, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” Eighteen publishers turned down a story about a seagull written by Richard Bach. His book, entitled “Johnathan Livingston Sea Gull”, was finally published in 1970 and in five years it sold more than 7 million copies in the United States alone. After legendary Fred Astaire’s screen test the director who evaluated him wrote, “Can’t act, slightly bald, can dance a little.” It just proves the old saying, “Ya’ just never know!”

We don’t know why God allows evil in the world, the church and our hearts. The parable doesn’t answer this, but it doesn’t ignore the problem of evil in our midst. It doesn’t even give an easy answer to the questions, “Will evil or good have the last word? Who’s going to win?”

Jesus rejected the idea of pulling up the darnel. He said that it is to be left alone until the harvest (or judgment). The wheat represents Christians and the darnel represents the enemies of Christianity. One day the Lord will send his angels (reapers) to separate the tares from the wheat. The tares will be burned, but the wheat will be gathered into the barn (heaven). Satan will do all he can to destroy Christians, but he will be fully exposed and dealt with at the final judgment.

The future of the darnel (the lawless) and the wheat (the righteous) are described in verses 40-43. The lawless are destined to experience the fires of hell, where they will live in eternal misery. Conversely, the righteous will live in eternal radiance and joy. Their King will also be their Father!

Satan does not sow thorns or briars or brush; he sows darnel, which is impossible to distinguish from genuine wheat until harvest time. In the world today, children of the kingdom are sown in a field where they are saturated, entwined, covered and surrounded by the children of the evil one-and sometimes it is hard to tell them apart. The true sower of the seed of salvation is God himself. Only He has the power to change hearts.

The righteous are those who come to Jesus in faith to be cleansed of their sin and guilt. Jesus will clothe them with His own righteousness. Every good seed that is planted in our hearts comes from God. He prepares the soil of our hearts. He will till it, but we must prepare the soil. We do this by the way we live our lives. We must allow the Word of God to inform, shape and guide all aspects of our being in the world. Part of this process includes sharing what we learn from the Scriptures.

This parable is a story of grace for us. As we consider our own lives and recall the mistakes we have made and the wrongs we have done, most of us are glad that we have had the time to change and work things out. Most of us are also glad that we have had the space to let the wheat grow and bear a rich harvest.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1305-1306)
2. Augsberger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982, p. 18)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. The New Testament Commentary, Vol. 1-Matthew and Mark. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
6. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 16^th Sunday (A).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
7. “Sower.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
8. T.M. Moore, “Love Sows.” Retrieved from www.ailble.org
9. Greg Laurie, “Cheap Imitations.” Retrieved from www.harvest.org
10. Greg Laurie, “What Exactly is a Tare?” Retrieved from www.harvest.org
11. Richard Neill Donovan, “Exegesis for Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
12. Pastor Dick Woodward, “Why Evil?” Retrieved from crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
13. “Weeds in the Garden.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com

How many of you have planted a garden? If you have, you know that there is a lot of work involved such as preparing the soil, pulling weeds and watering the soil. Perhaps the most important task is planting seeds. There are at least two ways to plant the seeds. One is to kneel on the ground and plant the seeds. Another way is to walk along and scatter the seeds, and that’s the example Jesus used in Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23.

Jesus cast his message far and wide to convince people that God loves them and is inviting them into a new way of life. He expects us to cast the same message far and wide. Anyone who is open to this message can receive it. It is something they could not have received on their own. When they receive it, they are blessed because they have heard and seen something that has been hidden from the rest of the world.

The parable of the sower has three main elements: the sower, the seeds and the soils. The sower represents the Lord, the seed represents the Word of God, and the soils represent four categories of hearers, each with a different response to God’s Word.

In Jesus’ day, sowers would drape a bag of seed over their shoulder, and as they walked up and down the often-uncultivated furrows, they would throw handfuls of seed across the ground. Preaching the word of God is like taking God’s seed-the Word of God-and scattering it everywhere.

The wayside soil represents the calloused heart. In Palestine at the time of Jesus, narrow ribbons of grounds divided the fields. These ribbons were rights of way, travelled so frequently that their surfaces were as hard as concrete and the seed could not penetrate the soil.

The stony ground represents the casual heart. The stony ground describes not a field filled with rocks but an area of limestone covered by a thin layer of dirt. The seeds would fall and immediately take root, but because their roots could not go deep enough to draw moisture from the ground, the plants would wither in the heat. In a similar way, some people appear to be converted and seem to experience explosive growth, but soon fall back into their old ways of living. Jesus is not speaking of losing one’s salvation-He says that such people never had salvation to begin with. Instead, they had only a shallow, emotional experience.

The thorny ground represents the crowded heart. This soil has weeds that eventually choke out the seed. The soil has four kinds of weeds: the deceitfulness of riches, the cares of this world, the lust of other things, and the pleasures of this life. The enemy here is not internal but external. The hearts of the third set are divided. Their hearts are crowded. The shallow nature of some people who receive Christ lies in their impulses, compassion, intentions and surroundings. They are easily swayed by the influences of the world. In contrast, those who bear fruit look beyond worldly experiences and move into a rich, deep relationship with Jesus.

The sower knows that the variety of seeds will determine his crop. In the good soil, among responsive people, there is still variation, but there is still a harvest of faith. The good ground represents the converted heart-the person who hears the Word, allows its truth to sink in, and is genuinely saved. Just as there are three levels in not believing the Word of God, there are also three levels of productivity in the hearts of those who believe. Some produce fruit a hundredfold, some produce fruit sixtyfold, and some produce fruit thirtyfold. But Jesus presents no category where a believer produces fruit “zerofold.”

The enemy of the Word in the first soil is the devil, represented by birds who snatch away the seed. The enemy in the second soil is the flesh that can’t handle the heat of the sun. The enemy in the third soil is the world and its system-the pleasures, riches and cares of this life. The proof of genuine salvation is not shown by listening to or emotionally responding to the Word, but by the fruit.

Whoever hears Jesus’ word, labours to understand it and then goes on to bear fruit represents the good ground in the parable. Significantly, Jesus does not commend those who produce thirty times what was sown any less than those who produce a hundredfold. In His time, an excellent yield was tenfold (10 harvested for one sown); these numbers in Matthew indicate that the harvest will far exceed anything any of His listeners had experienced. Those who accept His Word aren’t always successful by the world’s standards.

Jesus often used parables, He used them to hide the truth from believers while making it clear to His disciples. Unfortunately, he didn’t always succeed, as the second half of the reading shows. Jesus’ veiling of the truth from unbelievers was both an act of judgment and an act of mercy. It was judgment because it kept them in the darkness that they loved. It was mercy because they had already rejected the light, so any exposure to more light would only increase their condemnation.

The parable of the sower shows the risk of sowing the seed of the Good News, but it assures us that much of the seed will bear a harvest. The sower is not upset by areas of inadequate soil or areas where the Good News is not accepted wholeheartedly. The sower realized that the good soil will yield a good harvest. The story focuses on the message of the kingdom, and respectively on Jesus and His followers as preachers of the kingdom.

Before we can bear fruit, we have to prepare ourselves to receive the seed of God’s Word, just like a farmer prepares the ground before he plants seeds. We have to admit to ourselves that we are sinners who are living in darkness. Just like a farmer waters the soil, we have to let the Holy Spirit water our souls to receive the Good News and accept Jesus as our Saviour. Only then can Jesus plant His Word in our hearts to bring forth the fruit of righteousness in His time, especially during life’s trials.

God wants us to hear, understand and apply His words and instructions. He doesn’t see us as vaults in which He hides His Word. He sees us as gardens in which His Word can sprout and grow. Receiving the Good News means becoming like Jesus. It means changing our character and outlook. As we spend time with Jesus and get to know Him better, His thoughts will become our thoughts. His purpose will become our purpose. God can’t help but share His love, grace and mercy and will do so recklessly and wastefully, because God alone knows that grace is never exhausted and love is never wasted.

Jesus’ parables revealed the true nature of the responses and decisions of the members of His audience. Those committed to the Kingdom of God would seek and find understanding. Those who were uncommitted—perhaps listening only because of the initial excitement—would reject the teaching as unintelligible.

Those who receive the Word and become true followers of Jesus will undergo times of hardship, times of trial and seasons where they will feel as though God is far from them. There will be times when other people give them a tough time for no reason other than the fact that they are Christians. We and they must remember not to build our lives on approval of other people. We must build our lives on Christ.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1303-1305)
2. Augsberger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; p.18)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. The New Testament Commentary, Vol. 1-Matthew & Mark. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
6. Greg Laurie, “How Do We Bear Spiritual Fruit?” Retrieved from www.harvest.org
7. “The Good Soil.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
8. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 15^th Sunday (A)>” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
9. L.B. Cowman, “Streams in the Desert.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
10. Alfred Edersheim, “Why Did Jesus Teach in Parables?” Retrieved from Jesus.org@crosswalkmail.com
11. Richard Neill Donovan, “Exegesis for Matthew 13:1-9,18-23.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
12. Greg Laurie, “Shallow Roots.” Retrieved from www.harvest.org

Rod loved the smell of the pine forest mingling with the smoke from campfires as he and his dad sat in the outdoor amphitheatre at the national park campground. They were listening to the park ranger talk about wolves. Near the end of his talk, the ranger said, “I’m going to close with a legend that has been passed down for hundreds of years.”

The ranger began, “Many, many years ago, a native American grandfather was talking to his grandson. ‘Inside of me are two wolves’ said the grandfather, ‘and they are having a terrible fight. One wolf is evil—full of hate, lies, anger, greed and jealousy. The other wolf is good—full of peace, love, truth, sharing, kindness, friendship and generosity.’ The grandson nodded, wondering who would win the fight. ‘That same fight,’ the grandfather continued, ‘is going on inside of you.’”

“The grandson looked concerned. ‘But which wolf will win?’ he asked.”

“The wise grandfather replied, ‘The one you feed!’”

How many of you have ever played a game of tug-of-war? If you have, you might be able to understand the conflict Paul is talking about in Romans 7:15-25, because we as Christians are in a spiritual tug-of-war. Our old, sinful nature is not removed when we accept Christ as our Saviour. That old-sinful nature fights against our Christ-filled nature. One part of our nature supports the Old Testament law, but another part rebels against it. One part of us will want to do good deeds, but another part will hinder us from doing good deeds. It is the struggle between knowing what is right and doing what is right. In other words, it is the conflict between good and evil. This might seem to be a hopeless situation, but it isn’t. Because Christ is in us, we will win.

In the “Peanuts” comic strip, Lucy once taught Linus by drawing a heart, half of which was black and the other half white. “There is a battle going on within our hearts,” Lucy preached. Linus thought about what she said and exclaimed, “I think I can feel the fight going in inside of me!”

Our sinful nature is due to the original sin. When Adam and Eve sinned, all of mankind was doomed to death. One sin brought down every human being who would ever be born. As the old saying goes, one bad apple spoiled the whole bunch. From the moment Adan and Eve sinned, we were all born of sin, and death would be our destination. One sin is all it took to separate us from God. When Jesus died for us, His one act of sacrifice on the cross was all it took to restore us back to God. Through one man, death entered; through one Man, life was restored.

The conflict Paul is talking about is a form of spiritual warfare. As we learn to say no to sin and yes to God, we are given a renewed spirit, vigor and understanding. Paul talks about this struggle by talking about his own personal struggle with good versus evil. In his eyes, he failed to do any good and he could not completely comply with God’s law. God’s Old Testament law demanded perfection.

The law does have its good points. It gave us the Ten Commandments, which are helpful, healthful and good. The law does not save us from sin, but it does show us the character of the giver of the law-God. The problem with the law is that it reveals human weakness when compared to the law’s perfect standard. After the law proves how bad we are, it doesn’t make us any better. The law that exposes our weaknesses doesn’t give us the power to overcome them. It only leads to a dead end.

The Pharisees tried to compensate for this by coming up with a list of 612 do’s and don’ts, but they only reinforced the point that we can’t completely obey the law. No set of rules can break the cycle of guilt and failure we feel because of the law. We need outside help, and only Christ can provide that help. God’s law pulls us heavenward, whereas the law of sin pulls us toward hell. Jesus gives us eternal life through him, and escape from the flesh is also through him. Jesus dealt with sin through his death and resurrection.

In Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30, Jesus explains that we do not need to follow man-made rules. Jesus even replaced the Ten Commandments with the two Great Commandments-love God and love people. God’s grace gives us the freedom to enjoy the rights and privileges of being out from the bondage of sin and man-made laws. Everyone is different, and God loves variety because he loves each of us so much that he sent Jesus to die for us on the cross. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we are restored to God.

Our desire to do what’s right rests in us, our flesh. Sin operates through our flesh, that learned independence that encourages us to rebel against God. Sin and our faith collide in our minds. That’s why it’s important for us to renew our minds and take every evil thought to the obedience of Christ. All our desires matter to God. They impact our lives and the lives of others. We can only experience true freedom when God is a part of all opportunities to shape our lives. If we sin, we give the devil an opportunity to run our lives, and the devil brings only misery.

Battling the devil in this spiritual warfare is evidence of God working in our lives. As children of God, we’ve been forgiven of our sins, so Satan must work even harder to get us to fail. We don’t need to worry because we are filled with the Holy Spirit so that we may have victory over sin through salvation in Jesus.

Many of us as Christians want to be set free from this conflict. That will only happen when we get to heaven. The only way we will win it on earth is to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit. We can win much of the battle by realizing that the struggle exists. Sin is still a powerful force, but it no longer controls us unless we let it control us. As we learn to say no to sin and yes to God, we are made free to obey God with renewed vigor and understanding. As we let the Holy Spirit live in us, He will overcome our indwelling sin, the temptation to live in the flesh, and the burden of obeying the law.

Like Paul, we have a constant struggle when it comes to doing the right thing. We know what is right, but when it comes to doing what is right, we often fail, and the harder we try, the more likely we are to fail. The alternative is to give in to sin, but the result is eternal damnation. There is a third alternative-one that was provided by Jesus’ death and resurrection. What is impossible for us to solve on our own has been solved by God’s grace. Jesus has freed us from the damages caused by this inner war. If we genuinely seek to do God’s work in our world, we become better people of faith.

Being open with our struggles puts us on the same level with every other human being alive, which is where we belong. Because of Jesus, our sin will not follow us into eternity. As a sign I’ve often seen in front of a local church reads, “1 cross + 3 nails=4 given.” When we focus on the law, we are constantly reminded that we’ll never be good enough to deserve God’s grace. When we focus on Jesus, we become more like Him.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. Swindoll, Charles R.: Swindoll’s New Testament Insights on Romans (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan; 2010)
3. Pastor Steve Molin, “Conundrum: (n.) A Puzzling Question or a Problem.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
4. Charles R. Swindoll, “Defining Liberty, Part Two.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.ca
5. Pastor Ed Young, “Decision Effect.” Retrieved from www.edyoung.com
6. Exegesis for Romans 7:15-25. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
7. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2005)
8. Briscoe, D.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 29: Romans (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982; pp. 145-148)
9. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
10. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 1568-1570)
11. Pete Briscoe, “Experiencing Life Today-Feb. 24, 2014.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
12. Dr. Neil Anderson, “The Battle of the Mind.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
13. “Relationship Over Religion.” Retrieved from www.dailydisciples.org
14. Pastor Ed Young, “Decision Effect.” Retrieved from www.edyoung.com
15. “Reaping the Benefits of the Law.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
16. Jennifer Benson Schuldt, “Not Perfect.” Retrieved from www.rbc.org
17. Randy Kilgore, “A Prisoner No More.” Retrieved from www.rbc.org

How many of you have a welcome mat outside of the front door of your house? A welcome mat usually has two purposes. It’s used to encourage people to wipe their shoes off so that they won’t track dirt or mud into your home or business. And, they are placed outside your door as a sign to let people know that they are welcome to come in.

In Matthew 10:40-42, Jesus talks about welcoming people. Generally, Matthew emphasizes the disciples being good hosts, but in this passage, he turns that around. The disciples are the ones being cared for by others. Similarly, as modern-day messengers of God, we need to be gracious guests and accept help from others. Often the most caring people are the ones who are least likely to accept any help for themselves. As Christians, we need to be both care-givers and care-receivers. We need to allow others to use their gifts to help us. Each and every act of mercy contains Christ’s love for the world. It is a love we can share anytime and anywhere with any gesture, no matter the size.

The identification of the littles ones in need of a cup of cold water elevates the least powerful member of the community of disciples (of which all Christians are members today) into a position of equal importance to that of prophets and righteous ones. At the beginning of the commissioning of the disciples, Jesus sent them into the mission field without any means of support and defense-no money, no travel bag, no change of clothes, not even a staff or sandals. They were completely dependent, first on God and then on the hospitality of the communities that received them. Their vulnerability and dependence were the key to the success of the mission.

Similarly, when we are given the same commission, we are sent out without any means of support or defense, except that which is provided by God or the people who receive our message. We are dependent on others. Our vulnerability and dependence is the key to the success of our mission.

Jesus teaches that receiving His messengers or prophets is the same as receiving Him, and that receiving Him is the same as receiving His Father. The One who is sent represents the Sender. The same reward given to the prophet will also be given to the one who receives the prophet.

God is honoured when we do acts in His name. He is honoured when we receive prophets because He is a prophet. He is honoured when we receive a righteous person because He is righteous. He is honoured when we give a drink of water to a disciple because He is a disciple. When we receive a messenger, we receive Christ. God will reward us for everything we do in faith in His name. The simplest deed in discipleship in Christ will be recognized by God. God doesn’t only reward “big” jobs or “important” works. He loves to give and He loves to reward obedience, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem to us.

Someone once wrote to Billy Graham and asked if missionaries do any good. The writer said, “Our church has been raising money to help build a health clinic where some of our missionaries work. To be honest, though, do projects like this actually do any good? That country is very poor, and one little clinic isn’t going to change anything.”

Billy Graham replied:

“Yes, a project like this may seem like a drop in a bucket compared with the overwhelming needs of that country. But it won’t be a drop in a bucket for that community! We take so much for granted in our society, but what if your nearest doctor or hospital was 50 miles away, and you had no way to get there? That’s the situation millions face in our world, and the problems can only be solved one step at a time.”

“The clinic your church is helping to support will not only bring physical health to this village, but it will also be a beacon of spiritual hope as it points people to Jesus Christ. God loves the people of this village just as much as He loves you and me, and He yearns for them to come to know Him and love Him just as much as He does you and me.”

We can say, “That’s not my problem!” and shut the needs of others from our minds; or we can say, “I can’t change everything, but I can do something about the pain at my elbow.” For example, two friends were walking on the beach covered by starfish washed ashore by a high tide. The starfish were destined to die soon in the burning sun on the sandy beach. One man began picking up starfish and gently tossing them in the ocean. The friend said, “What are you doing? What difference does it make? You can’t begin to save all of them.” “True,” the other man said, “but it makes a difference to the ones I save.”

It is the same with those we can help. We don’t have all the answers, but as we come to grips with the enormity of the problem, it’s amazing how we begin to see the needs and hear the Holy Spirit say, “Help, here!” or “Do something about this!”. When we do that, we can and do make a difference.

Christ lives in His people. They become His ambassadors. How they are treated is how He is treated. Welcoming His ambassadors is the same as welcoming Him. Jesus equated Himself with God. He also knew that God gave Him authority, and He claimed that authority. Hospitality is a witness to the unconditional love of Christ. That lifts us up and saves all who would be saved. It’s open to everyone.

When we look at the world today, we don’t see much hospitality. Too many of us hide in upper class or gated communities. Too many of us change the channel when we see poor people on television. Too many of us change stations or turn the radio off when we hear stories about poor people. This does not mean that hope is dead. On the contrary, hope survives. It is all around us, especially in this parish. All of our outreach programs are unsung stories of faith at work, not just for the people they serve but for the vehicle of love they provide for us.

The “little ones”-both the poor and those who are new to the faith-are our guests of honour. They might be angels in disguise or even Christ Himself in disguise. We are urged to welcome them as we would welcome Christ. As Christ said when He gave us the two Great Commandments, we are to love God and love people.

How different would our ministry be if we took seriously the understanding that we are Christ’s presence in the world? How different would our ministry be if we remembered that we are treating other believers the way we are treating Christ?

Not all of the rewards we will receive will be positive ones. Can we have positive ones without negative ones and vice versa? Can we have all the blessings of believing without the persecution and suffering? Can we have the resurrection to new life without the suffering and dying to self? Can we have the crown without the cross?

What would happen if we stopped expecting people to come through our church doors on our own initiative and instead took seriously our calling to bring the gospel to them? What would happen if we truly believed that we bear the presence of Christ to every person we encounter, in every home, workplace, or neighbourhood we enter? What would happen if we saw every conversation as an opportunity to speak words of grace, every interaction as an opportunity to show Christ’s love for our neighbours?

Our task is to see Christ in everyone and attend to the Christ in everyone-the stranger, the enemy, the friend, the spouse, our sibling, a politician, even someone who believes differently than we do. Christ is in everyone. When we regard everyone as Christ, then maybe they will see the Christ who is in us.

The simple act of leaving our personal comforts to care for the needs of another demonstrates the love Jesus shared with us when He left the ultimate comfort and joy of heaven to live life here on earth. Serving another person is inconvenient. It takes time, energy, personal resources, and sometimes, personal discomfort. It is so much easier to look away and assume someone else will do it. Jesus invites us to serve Him by caring for the needs of others. Today and every day the invitation remains. How will we respond?

Hospitality is crucial to the gospel message because unless we change our point of view, unless we change the state of our hearts and minds about those that society oppresses, unless we can see others as children of God, then we can’t fulfill our orders to share the Good News of forgiveness and healing, of justice and mercy, of righteousness and hope.

How about in our churches? Do you think that people are always welcome at our church home? Do we speak to those people who are visiting our church that we do not know? If someone comes to our church and they are dressed different from the way we are dressed, do we make sure that they are made to feel welcome?

Jesus said, “He who receives you receives me.” If we turn that around, we will understand that if we do not welcome others into our homes and into our churches, it is the same as if we are refusing to welcome Jesus. We wouldn’t do that, would we?

Well, let’s put the welcome mat out — and let’s be sure that we mean it!

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 1299)
2. The New Testament Commentary, Vol. 1: Matthew and Mark. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Augsberger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Ins.; 1982; p.18)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. “Did Jesus Claim to Be God?” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
7. Billy Graham, “Do Missionaries Do Any Good?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com
8. Dr. Harold Sala, “How Rich Are You?” Retrieved from www.guidelines.org
9. Leslie Snyder, “Uncommon Courtesy.” Retrieved from www.homeword.com
10. Brian P. Stoffregen, “Exegetical Notes: Matthew 10:40-42.” Retrieved from www.crossmark.com
11. Elisabeth Johnson, “Commentary on Matthew 10:40-42.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
12. Stanley Saunders, “Commentary on Matthew 10:40-42.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
13. David Lose, “No Small Gestures.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
14. The Rev. Dr. Dan Leon, “A Crucial Cup of Cold Water.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
15. “Welcome.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com 

I’m going to take you for a walk down memory lane for a couple of minutes. How many of you remember the TV show, “I Love Lucy?” On that show, the main character, Lucy Ricardo, was always getting into mischief. Sometimes it was so bad that her husband said, “Lucy, you’ve got some explaining to do!”

In the passage from Acts 11:1-18, Peter had some explaining to do to the rest of the apostles. They heard the reports about Peter preaching to Cornelius and his family, and they were not happy. The Jews believed that as God’s chosen people they were the only people who could receive the Holy Spirit and the Good News. The idea that the Gentiles could receive the Holy Spirit was extraordinary and contrary to the ideas of the Jews. It is not surprising therefore that Peter would have to do some explaining when he returned to Jerusalem. Instead of debating his accusers, Peter told them the remarkable story of all that had happened. Peter made sure they knew that he went to Caesarea in direct obedience to the Spirit, and that six Jewish believers had accompanied him to the house of Cornelius.

Peter showed that the best way to silence opposition is to make a plain statement of things as they occurred. Opposition most commonly arises from prejudice or false or exaggerated statements. They can best be removed not by arguing but by truthfully telling the facts.

As Peter told the disciples what happened in Caesarea, the Holy Spirit was at work in the minds of the disciples. They loved Peter and believed in him. They gave him a good hearing. Peter and the disciples asked the question, “Who are we that we can withstand God?” They carefully considered the evidence and received the message that the Good News was open to everyone.

This story has implications for us. There is a difference between the Lord being on our agenda and us being on His agenda. God urges us to keep our focus on Him. God is preparing the next step for each of us. God will move us on in our growth. He won’t let us stay where we are. He will gently nudge us and give us the desire to receive what He wants to give us. He will involve us with people who need Him more than they need their next breath.

Once we clearly see God at work, we are wise to join Him or stay out of the way. For example, it never occurred to the early Jewish believers that God might choose to send the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles. Once they saw the truth, they responded correctly by praising God. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for people to have their lives changed and in the process, change the world where they are, and so make the kingdom of God a reality here and now.

Another truth revealed in this passage from Acts is that God gives gifts to others who may or may not believe or practice their faith in the same way that we do. God gives gifts to both unbelievers and believers. God accepts all people even as He has accepted us. It is useless for us to argue with God or contradict God. We can’t win.

This story has implications for the church. Culture clashes are inevitable, especially when churches try to hold on to rules that have nothing to do with the Gospel. There are times when it takes much more strength to let go of these rules than to hang on. There are also clashes with different denominations and their cultures.

What would happen if all the churches agreed, on a given day, to change their names simply to “church?” What if all references to denomination were removed and we were just Christians? And when, people chose which church to attend, they wouldn’t do so by the sign outside. They would do so by the hearts of the people inside. When people were asked what church they attended, their answer wouldn’t be a label but just a location.

The message from this passage holds power for us today. Peter, with the help of the Holy Spirit, entered a space in which he was unfamiliar, in order to become like “the others.” Peter’s experiences are remarkable in and of themselves, but in sharing his story with skeptics in the church, he expanded the horizon of possibilities for his own people. Are there times when our experiences outside of the realm of church need to be shared with those within the church? How might those experiences change the ways that we are called to follow Jesus? How can we be loving toward people who have differing, even contrary, worldviews and ideologies and practices to our own? What does extending love look like when individuals do not want to receive love? We need to remember these three things:

1. There is one Gospel: God accepts all who have faith in Christ.
2. There is one body: In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile.
3. There is one rule: In Christ, love others as God loves you.

Thanks be to God, AMEN

 Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, p. 1506)
2. Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
3. Ogilvie, L.J. & Ogilvie, L.J. The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol 28: Acts (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1983; pp. 187-189)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New Kings James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)