Sometimes you just don’t have any answers. You’ve heard about a tragic situation, or maybe listened as a friend relates the agonizing details of a loss. Answers just don’t come. You could quote Scripture, and if you think of the right passage that might help, but sometimes your mind goes blank and all you have to give is, “I know” or “I’m sorry”. Then again, maybe that’s the right thing to do anyway; James said we should be quick to listen and slow to speak so maybe we shouldn’t be trying to think of what we should say and simply concentrate on listening. Bad things do happen to good people. Our world is neck deep in sin and rebellion toward everything that is good and noble and pure. Is it any wonder that good people suffer too? Death, disease, fire, storms, corruption, greed, hatred; they’re all a part of this world we’ve made for ourselves (in the sense that this is what it’s like apart from God; man’s rebellion is reaping only what it once sowed). How does anyone make it through a good week without the hope of knowing God? Should we be surprised that people try to drown out their sorrow in alcohol, sex, and drugs? Without God, we don’t have any answers.
Back to my original thought; sometimes I don’t have any answers; that seems odd because people count on me for answers all the time. If answers are what you crave, you’ll have to ask God, but I have a feeling that when you or I stand face to face with Jesus Christ the last thing we’ll be wondering about are the answers.
This blog serves as an outreach for Pastor Randy Powell of the First Baptist Church of Franklin, PA. Feel free to ask questions or send me an e-mail at pastorpowell@hotmail.com
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
From the mountain "burning with fire" to "the city of the living God" - Hebrews 12:18-24
When Moses approached the presence of God on Mt. Sinai he did so "trembling with fear". The people of Israel were unable to endure the sight of Moses when he returned because he face shown with the radiance of God's glory. Fast forward about 1500 years to the Temple in Jerusalem. A massive curtain separates the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. What does this all mean? God's people still do not have access to the glory of his presence. Their sin prevents them from enduring the holiness of God (God's perfection cannot be in the presence of such inperfection). Only the High Priest can enter this inner room, and only once a year (The Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur), and that only with a blood sacrifice for his own sins.
That very curtain, the symbolic separation between God and man, is torn in two at the moment of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The blood guilt has been paid, God's presence can now be approached by man through faith.
And so Hebrews tells us that we now approach Mount Zion, "the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God" where thousands of angels rejoice and celebrate with the "spirits of righteous men made perfect". Here Jesus "the mediator of the new covenant" awaits us with open arms.
A far cry from a gloomy mountain covered in darkness, fire, and storm isn't it?
That very curtain, the symbolic separation between God and man, is torn in two at the moment of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The blood guilt has been paid, God's presence can now be approached by man through faith.
And so Hebrews tells us that we now approach Mount Zion, "the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God" where thousands of angels rejoice and celebrate with the "spirits of righteous men made perfect". Here Jesus "the mediator of the new covenant" awaits us with open arms.
A far cry from a gloomy mountain covered in darkness, fire, and storm isn't it?
Run "the race marked out for us" - Hebrews 12:1
One of the first things that cross-country runners (both high school and college) do when they arrive at a meet is to run the course. I know, some of you are thinking, "run BEFORE you race?" I can't say that I was overly fond of these warm-up runs but they served an important purpose. Not only did they get our bodies ready for the intensity of the race, but they allowed us to see the actual course itself. It isn't that necessary to study the course if you plan on trailing the main pack, you can just follow them. But, if you plan on trying to lead the pack you'd better know which way to go. In most cases, there are clues already on the course (usually a white painted line in the grass and colored flags at corners and turns), and most of the time we were provided with crude maps detailing the course, but you don't want to come to a crossroad at full speed and have to decide which way to go on the fly. When I was in H.S. it was customary for members of the home team to guide the visitors through the course and explain any unusual twists or turns.
How does any of this apply to what Hebrews is telling us about running the race of Christian faith? We have a "great cloud of witnesses", the heroes of the faith from chapter 11, to show us the path that we should follow, and we have contemporary heroes in the faith who we can look to for inspiration and guidance (in my life, my grandmother, Pastor Frank, Andy Smith, Dr. Mayers, my dad, and many others). We also have an amazing guidebook in God's Word to help us through the unexpected twists and turns of life.
This may all seem a bit dramatic but an example from my days in the middle school cross-country team applies here. We were running at Central Montcalm (a big race where we ran only against our own grade instead of 7th and 8th together) and one of my teammates, now the wife of a good friend and fellow basketball player, shot out of the starting line to an early lead. This was somewhat unusual for her, but on this day she was clearly leading the race. There was only one problem with this scenario, she didn't know where she was going. When she came to a crossroad in the course she went the wrong way and EVERYONE in the pack followed her. The race officials scrambled to figure out where to direct the pack to try to get them to run a distance close to what was intended. In the end her mistake was simply a humorous story because it was just a middle school race and not a life changing decision.
If you want to run the race of faith from the front of the pack, you'd better pay attention to course that has been marked out for you.
How does any of this apply to what Hebrews is telling us about running the race of Christian faith? We have a "great cloud of witnesses", the heroes of the faith from chapter 11, to show us the path that we should follow, and we have contemporary heroes in the faith who we can look to for inspiration and guidance (in my life, my grandmother, Pastor Frank, Andy Smith, Dr. Mayers, my dad, and many others). We also have an amazing guidebook in God's Word to help us through the unexpected twists and turns of life.
This may all seem a bit dramatic but an example from my days in the middle school cross-country team applies here. We were running at Central Montcalm (a big race where we ran only against our own grade instead of 7th and 8th together) and one of my teammates, now the wife of a good friend and fellow basketball player, shot out of the starting line to an early lead. This was somewhat unusual for her, but on this day she was clearly leading the race. There was only one problem with this scenario, she didn't know where she was going. When she came to a crossroad in the course she went the wrong way and EVERYONE in the pack followed her. The race officials scrambled to figure out where to direct the pack to try to get them to run a distance close to what was intended. In the end her mistake was simply a humorous story because it was just a middle school race and not a life changing decision.
If you want to run the race of faith from the front of the pack, you'd better pay attention to course that has been marked out for you.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Entering God's Rest - Hebrews 4
I was asked to conduct a funeral this past week for someone from Palo (years ago) that I had never met. This sort of thing can be difficult because as a pastor it's hard to know which Scripture passages will be of the most comfort for the family when you don't know much about the person who is being remembered. In the end, two passages from the Gospels helped me, Jesus and the thief on the Cross (how wide is God's mercy and how easily obtained) and the 99 and 1 Sheep (God cares enough about each of us to not let us wander off) were able to guide me in my remarks.
Thinking back on that funeral, there was a lot of talk from the family and friends about how their loved one was no longer struggling against the troubles that beset her during her life. That's certainly true, but I think it misses the point a little bit. We often think of heaven as a place where we no longer have to endure physical troubles (an aching back, poor eyesight, a handicap); while this is certainly true, it doesn't reflect the real reason why standing before Jesus some day will be so amazing.
The burden that we are all carrying, a burden whose weight we are so used to that we don't even notice it, is sin. We live in a world where sin is everywhere. A world where our lives are beset by temptations and tragedies that come from sin. The true peace of God that we will experience when standing face to face with Jesus will be finally knowing what it is like to be holy. When selfishness is no longer an option, when fear and failure slip away. On that day, you will find that a tremendous weight has fallen off your shoulders, never to be taken up again. On that day, you will truly rest.
I'm reminded of the song, "I can only Imagine" I love that song; the lyrics are amazing. "Surrounded by your glory, what will my hear feel? Will I dance for you Jesus, or in awe of you bill still? Will I stand in your presence, or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing Hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine, I can only imagine."
Thinking back on that funeral, there was a lot of talk from the family and friends about how their loved one was no longer struggling against the troubles that beset her during her life. That's certainly true, but I think it misses the point a little bit. We often think of heaven as a place where we no longer have to endure physical troubles (an aching back, poor eyesight, a handicap); while this is certainly true, it doesn't reflect the real reason why standing before Jesus some day will be so amazing.
The burden that we are all carrying, a burden whose weight we are so used to that we don't even notice it, is sin. We live in a world where sin is everywhere. A world where our lives are beset by temptations and tragedies that come from sin. The true peace of God that we will experience when standing face to face with Jesus will be finally knowing what it is like to be holy. When selfishness is no longer an option, when fear and failure slip away. On that day, you will find that a tremendous weight has fallen off your shoulders, never to be taken up again. On that day, you will truly rest.
I'm reminded of the song, "I can only Imagine" I love that song; the lyrics are amazing. "Surrounded by your glory, what will my hear feel? Will I dance for you Jesus, or in awe of you bill still? Will I stand in your presence, or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing Hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine, I can only imagine."
When doing the Right Thing makes you the bad guy
It is an unfortunate part of my teaching job that when I have an opportunity to do the right thing it usually ends up making me the bad guy in the eyes of my students. It's not that I'm tempted to do otherwise, but it's just kinda sad that when we're trying to help people educate themselves, to make positive steps forward in their lives, that we (our staff of teachers, and teachers in general) end up earning their enmity instead.
I had an incident today that involved a very upset student shouting obscenities at me after I did the right thing by reporting his behavior to our administration. There really any wiggle wrong here; I had a clear obligation to do it, but it's going to hurt my ability to teacher other students and certainly wrecked my relationship with this particular student. Sometimes doing the right thing makes you the bad guy. I don't think I make much of a villian, but it's true just the same.
As a pastor, I'm used to the notion that not everyone is going to be willing to listen to the Gospel message; some will reject it for now, others for good, but there's a confidence that comes from knowing the absolute value of what you're trying to share with others. In school settings, the students often complain that what they're learing isn't important (whether or not it is), and to add to this, they're generally forced to be here. Imagine if your church was half full of people who hated being there, who tried to sleep during the service or spent the whole time texting on their phone. It's days like this that make my ministry seem all the more important because the root cause of these problems in the academic world are spiritual needs of the students (and their families). How can a student focus on learning when the only things in their life that has meaning are drugs and sex? How can we expect a student to care about literature or history if they find their own life to be meaningless? As always, God bless our teachers, their job is never easy {note: both my brother, sister, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, wife and myself are teachers, I just have the fortune to also be a pastor}
I had an incident today that involved a very upset student shouting obscenities at me after I did the right thing by reporting his behavior to our administration. There really any wiggle wrong here; I had a clear obligation to do it, but it's going to hurt my ability to teacher other students and certainly wrecked my relationship with this particular student. Sometimes doing the right thing makes you the bad guy. I don't think I make much of a villian, but it's true just the same.
As a pastor, I'm used to the notion that not everyone is going to be willing to listen to the Gospel message; some will reject it for now, others for good, but there's a confidence that comes from knowing the absolute value of what you're trying to share with others. In school settings, the students often complain that what they're learing isn't important (whether or not it is), and to add to this, they're generally forced to be here. Imagine if your church was half full of people who hated being there, who tried to sleep during the service or spent the whole time texting on their phone. It's days like this that make my ministry seem all the more important because the root cause of these problems in the academic world are spiritual needs of the students (and their families). How can a student focus on learning when the only things in their life that has meaning are drugs and sex? How can we expect a student to care about literature or history if they find their own life to be meaningless? As always, God bless our teachers, their job is never easy {note: both my brother, sister, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, wife and myself are teachers, I just have the fortune to also be a pastor}
Friday, October 9, 2009
What I've Learned about Marriage and Success - Ephesians 4:25
One of the things that you learn from being married for a while is that it doesn't take a triumphal entry to consider yourself a success. I can't claim to have made much money in life, nor to have become in anyway famous (outside of a bunch of kids who recognize me as Mr. Powell; not quite the same thing), but I am proud to say that I have found success as a husband. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't know any secret formulas (even though the bookstores are full of books that claim to have them), I've just tried to take seriously the advice of Paul in Ephesians 4:25 that husbands need to "love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her".
As a pastor, I hope that I have a clear notion of just how much Christ loved the Church (after all, that's what I preach about on a regular basis; Christ's love for us), and let me tell you, that's an ambitious goal. {Note to husbands: we don't have any chance of matching Christ's love for the church when we love our wives, but that doesn't mean we're not obligated to try}.
So what does it mean to love your wife as Christ loves the Church? Step one, you need to put yourself 2nd. That right there is the root of the problem for most men. We may be willing to say "I love you", but we're not so keen on saying, "I love you more than I love myself". Sorry to rain on your parade, but if you're not willing to go that far, you'll never be much of a husband.
Which brings me back to my original thought; I've had some success in my marriage to my beautiful wife Nicole because I decided early on to demonstrate to her that I care for her more than I care for myself through simple acts of kindess. Maybe that means bringing home flowers unexpectedly, or leaving a note for her; whatever form it takes, those simple things are the small steps we husbands need to be taking in order to build up our character in relation to our wives. Guys, it isn't the big moments that make you a better man (because you'll fail in them if you wait for them to decide to step up), it's living like a servant toward your wife each and every day.
As a pastor, I hope that I have a clear notion of just how much Christ loved the Church (after all, that's what I preach about on a regular basis; Christ's love for us), and let me tell you, that's an ambitious goal. {Note to husbands: we don't have any chance of matching Christ's love for the church when we love our wives, but that doesn't mean we're not obligated to try}.
So what does it mean to love your wife as Christ loves the Church? Step one, you need to put yourself 2nd. That right there is the root of the problem for most men. We may be willing to say "I love you", but we're not so keen on saying, "I love you more than I love myself". Sorry to rain on your parade, but if you're not willing to go that far, you'll never be much of a husband.
Which brings me back to my original thought; I've had some success in my marriage to my beautiful wife Nicole because I decided early on to demonstrate to her that I care for her more than I care for myself through simple acts of kindess. Maybe that means bringing home flowers unexpectedly, or leaving a note for her; whatever form it takes, those simple things are the small steps we husbands need to be taking in order to build up our character in relation to our wives. Guys, it isn't the big moments that make you a better man (because you'll fail in them if you wait for them to decide to step up), it's living like a servant toward your wife each and every day.
Friday, October 2, 2009
What I've learned about marriage and failure
Over the years my wife has wondered if I ever get really upset; I've built up a reputation as a Stoic because of my even tempermant. Not that there haven't been a few times when I've been pushed beyond my limit to endure, but they've been the rare exception. In our marriage, this has at times been a blessing, allowing me to be a "rock" for Nicole to lean on. At others times I've envied the way Nicole can find such release for her emotions, purging herself of the pain or sorrow through tears on my shoulder.
Because of this outward appearance, it may be assumed by some that I'm not all that affected by the emotions in others. Actually, the opposite is true; nothing brought tears to my eyes quicker as a youth than the sight of my mother's tears (at a couple of funerals in particular); that connection was powerful, but I've found through our years of marriage that it isn't in the same league as the emotins connected to pain in the eyes of my wife.
I grew up being able to do most of the things that I wanted to do; school was easy, sports were not so much, but I found a home in cross-country and eventually in basketball when I finally grew. My early disappointments (in particular being picked on by bullies as a small kid) were things that I could shake off with a joke or well-timed zinger.
Even during college when I was in a long-term relationship that didn't work out I didn't have that same connection to her that I now have with Nicole. The end of that relationship hurt a lot, but it was still she and I and not we. Being married changed everything. (that it doesn't for so many may have something to do with those high divorce statistics) I no longer faced disappointment alone; if something that I was hoping for didn't happen (a job opportunity for example) I could no longer just laugh it off and allow my natural personality to insulate me.
During the last several years I have had to watch my wife struggle with the financial and job difficulties that we have faced. I've done everything within my own power to help; but I can't fix the problem. I've prayed for the situation endlessly; I've prayed for Nicole daily, but I can't make that hurt in her eyes go away. If I succeed at something, she shares my joy, which is nice, but if I fail at something, Nicole ends up being the one who feels the pain. Of all of the things in life that I wish I could take back or change, these top the list. As a man who loves his wife more than anyone else he's ever met, how can I reconcile that love and desire for her to only have good things from our relationship with the stress and pain she feels when I'm not able to "fix" the problem we're facing? I've spent nights staring up at the ceiling wondering about that; hoping for an answer.
I've always said, "the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord" (I didn't make that up of course), but until Nicole and I became one in the eyes of God I never knew how hard it was to say that for the both of us.
Because of this outward appearance, it may be assumed by some that I'm not all that affected by the emotions in others. Actually, the opposite is true; nothing brought tears to my eyes quicker as a youth than the sight of my mother's tears (at a couple of funerals in particular); that connection was powerful, but I've found through our years of marriage that it isn't in the same league as the emotins connected to pain in the eyes of my wife.
I grew up being able to do most of the things that I wanted to do; school was easy, sports were not so much, but I found a home in cross-country and eventually in basketball when I finally grew. My early disappointments (in particular being picked on by bullies as a small kid) were things that I could shake off with a joke or well-timed zinger.
Even during college when I was in a long-term relationship that didn't work out I didn't have that same connection to her that I now have with Nicole. The end of that relationship hurt a lot, but it was still she and I and not we. Being married changed everything. (that it doesn't for so many may have something to do with those high divorce statistics) I no longer faced disappointment alone; if something that I was hoping for didn't happen (a job opportunity for example) I could no longer just laugh it off and allow my natural personality to insulate me.
During the last several years I have had to watch my wife struggle with the financial and job difficulties that we have faced. I've done everything within my own power to help; but I can't fix the problem. I've prayed for the situation endlessly; I've prayed for Nicole daily, but I can't make that hurt in her eyes go away. If I succeed at something, she shares my joy, which is nice, but if I fail at something, Nicole ends up being the one who feels the pain. Of all of the things in life that I wish I could take back or change, these top the list. As a man who loves his wife more than anyone else he's ever met, how can I reconcile that love and desire for her to only have good things from our relationship with the stress and pain she feels when I'm not able to "fix" the problem we're facing? I've spent nights staring up at the ceiling wondering about that; hoping for an answer.
I've always said, "the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord" (I didn't make that up of course), but until Nicole and I became one in the eyes of God I never knew how hard it was to say that for the both of us.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Preach the Word - II Timothy 4:2
In the modern Church the responsibilities of pastoral staff have often been segregated into distinct responsibilities (such as youth, outreach, visitation, etc.). This varies of course with the size of the church. In a small one staff member church the pastor becomes a jack-of-all trades; doing whatever needs to be done. The average size church often has someone responsible primarily for the youth as well, and larger churches are able to assign staff to specific needs.
What do all of these manifestations of the role of a pastor have in common? Perhaps the words of II Timothy 4:2 will help remind us what the core of the pastorate is: "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction." In the end, no matter what the job description happens to say, a pastor's first job is to Preach the Word. To be a conduit for the Word of God to his church in whatever times and places are available, with both correction and encouragement, and all of this with great patience and care.
I'll always remember the words of Ed Dobson (at the time, pastor of Calvary Church in Grand Rapids) as he explained why he routinely spent 30 hours each week working on the Sunday sermon; Dobson explained that it was the most important thing he did and that even though he had lots of other responsibilities too, they came second to preaching the Word.
I've certainly never been able to spend that much time on a sermon, but I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment. Our responsibility to our flock is multi-faceted, but in the end we'll be held accountable for how we preached God's Word because that Word is the Word of Life.
What do all of these manifestations of the role of a pastor have in common? Perhaps the words of II Timothy 4:2 will help remind us what the core of the pastorate is: "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction." In the end, no matter what the job description happens to say, a pastor's first job is to Preach the Word. To be a conduit for the Word of God to his church in whatever times and places are available, with both correction and encouragement, and all of this with great patience and care.
I'll always remember the words of Ed Dobson (at the time, pastor of Calvary Church in Grand Rapids) as he explained why he routinely spent 30 hours each week working on the Sunday sermon; Dobson explained that it was the most important thing he did and that even though he had lots of other responsibilities too, they came second to preaching the Word.
I've certainly never been able to spend that much time on a sermon, but I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment. Our responsibility to our flock is multi-faceted, but in the end we'll be held accountable for how we preached God's Word because that Word is the Word of Life.
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