The Common Christian Faith Journey: From Childhood to Complacency Our faith journey and David's show many similarities. Many of us, maybe most of us, as Christians, begin our faith journey quite young. We go to church with our family, we learn about God in Sunday School, and we want to do what is right and good. Good Christians, but not yet mature. But as life progresses and we become an adult, we sometimes get complacent in our faith. The Bible emphasizes being a diligent Christian for a reason. When Sin Takes Hold: Feeling Unworthy and Drifting Away We still go to church most of the time, pray some , and still try to do good, but sadly we discover this is often when we are weakest to resist temptation. Failing, we think we are no longer worthy of God's love, we let Him down, we base our faith on our works instead of His mercy (Ephesians 2:8-9). The devil whispers to us, "You're not good enough." Spiritual drift is dangerous. As the darkness of sin grows in our lives, we stop going to church because we feel like a hypocrite. We don't pray much because we know we are routinely sinning, and we stop worrying about doing good and instead think, "What for?" We forget who is the anchor for our soul (Hebrews 6:19). Shame convinces us to run from God when He is the only One who can restore us. "When we measure our faith by our performance instead of God’s mercy, shame quietly pushes us away from the very grace we need most." God's Merciful Reminder: Restoration Through Forgiveness But then mercifully, God blesses us, regardless of our worthiness, by reminding us that it is His worthiness that matters, not ours. We hear something on social media, or we have a friend who speaks to us honestly about God's love and forgiveness, or a tragedy happens and there is absolutely no one to turn to but Him. We seek forgiveness and turn from our sin (1 John 1:9). Our relationship with Him is restored. However, there may still be consequences to our decisions , but praise God we have been forgiven (2 Samuel 12:13-14). From then on we face life very differently. We understand the importance of prayer, obedience, love, and forgiveness like we never did before. We try to share this faith that has grown in our hearts with those we love before the Lord takes us. Spiritually renewed, we are ready to face temptation. David's faith journey and ours are much the same even though he lived this faith experience thousands of years ago. David's Early Faith: Facing Giants with Bold Trust in God You may remember David, as a boy, had such strong faith he was able to face Goliath with a sling shot while he was taunting him (1 Samuel 17). How could he do this? Because to this point he was a devoted follower of God. Growing up in a devout Jewish home he knew the stories of old and the faithfulness of God. One of David’s early psalms, Psalm 7, reflects this stage of his life. At this point in his life, he had been anointed king but was running from King Saul who was trying to kill him. David's fear caused him to call on God, whom he knew was with him. David wanted justice and he knew only God would be able to bring him the perfect justice he sought for his enemies. He pleaded with God to help him. He asked God to examine him and see if there was any unrighteousness. In Psalm 7:14-16 he speaks of the wicked bringing forth iniquity, conceiving trouble, and bringing out lies. He sings about the trouble of the wicked returning upon his own head. In hindsight his words read with sobering irony. David could not yet imagine that he himself would one day commit a terrible sin that would bring devastating consequences. David ends the Psalm by praising God. Though he hadn't seen God's promises fulfilled, he has faith that God will honor His word. He will become King. His enemies will be defeated. David's Great Fall: Temptation, Sin, and Hidden Guilt Finally, after a decade or more of running, David did indeed become King of Israel. He continues to write psalms that praise God and seek Him. But then, even though he was close to God, temptation came to him as it does to all of us. Why did he fail? Had he become less diligent about his relationship with God? Had he considered himself above failure or that he could do as he pleased because of who he was? That moment of temptation went further, he called for Bathsheba. When she became pregnant, he arranged for her husband Uriah to be placed in harm's way and be killed. David's relationship with God was deeply damaged by hidden unrepentant sin. Repentance and Renewal: Lessons from Psalm 51 and God's Grace But David was forced to face this sin he had tried to hide, for the prophet Nathan came to him with a word from God. When the prophet Nathan confronted him (2 Samuel 12:1-13), David confessed his sin. Though forgiven, he faced painful consequences. After their child was born, he became sick. David's tearful prayers for healing went unanswered, and sadly the child died. David accepted God's will. This was a turning point in his life. In Psalm 51, David famously pours out his heart to God confessing his failure and seeking a return to the relationship he once had with Him. David pleads with God to " renew a steadfast spirit within me " (Psalm 51:10). David now sees the importance, the absolute necessity, to have a spirit for God that would not falter. David seeks to become the faithful servant that God needs and wants him to be. David acknowledges that what God wants more than anything is a " broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart " (Psalm 51:17). He praises God for delivering him from the guilt of bloodshed. This psalm made David's sin public to everyone. He did not hide behind his throne and confess in hiding. He shared his sin and remorse with everyone, recording it in his psalm for all to see. A Mature Faith: Trusting God and Hoping in the Coming King In Psalm 23, the great Shepherd Psalm, we find a David who has learned to trust completely in God. In this psalm, David knows God is his provider and guide. He fears nothing because he knows God is with him. Ultimately, David's desire is to dwell forever with the God who has guided his life, chastised him, forgiven him, and shown him grace. His confidence is now found in experienced faith shaped by failure and forgiveness. Near the end of his life David writes Psalm 72. He is likely writing this psalm to his son Solomon, the one born from his adulterous affair with Bathsheba, for his coronation as king. David has grown in wisdom and prays that his son will also be wise and blessed. He envisions a kingdom where the poor and oppressed receive peace and justice. This peace will be forever. Kings will bow before their king and nations will serve him. Prayer and praise to God will be continuous. David ends by saying, " Blessed be His glorious name forever. " David says let the whole earth be filled with God's glory. Looking at this prayer, we can see how far David has come. David has learned to trust God to provide in every season of his life. After all his mistakes and the amazing forgiveness God gave him, David no longer thinks only about his own life or reign. His heart has grown to embrace God’s kingdom and purposes beyond himself. Here David extolls a King who far surpasses anything his son Solomon might accomplish. Here David sings a song to the Messiah and His glorious kingdom on earth that will come. When we read this psalm, we see David hoping for a future he knows will come. His time is almost over but he knows One will eventually come who will reign forever over all the earth. David's Faith Journey and Ours The same grace that picked David up after he fell is the grace that leads us forward too. Every time we turn back to God, repent, and let Him change us, we're getting ready for that everlasting kingdom. Our little steps of faith today are part of God's big, forever plan. What can we do today to renew our spirit and become steadfast for God as David did? In our lives, we too can grow in grace and faith like David (2 Peter 3:18). We may not be kings but God has a plan for us all and with His guidance we will be able to obey it. When we fall as we surely will, let us be like David, and know Who it is that is our Shepherd. Recognize that there is a future awaiting us with Him forever and one day, perhaps standing next to David, we will bless God's name forever for His unsurpassed grace and faithfulness.

The Call to Self-Denial in a Self-Focused World Today we don't hear very many people promoting self-denial. Everything is about what makes you happy, not others. What does the Bible say about it? In Matthew 16:24, Jesus says, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. " Following Him literally means denying yourself. Why do you think that is so important? Jesus Himself is a role model of self-denial. He left Heaven's glory to be born as a human in a backwater town with no real place to call home. He allowed His creation to nail Him to the cross like a criminal, and all this for love. How will God use you ? What Self-Denial Looks Like in Everyday Life When you and I deny ourselves what does that look like? I think many times it means stepping out of our comfortable day-to-day routines and allowing God to stretch us. We say yes to things we may not really want to do. As a rather introverted person, I can relate to this. God may require us to feel uncomfortable in a situation or give Him all the control. What comfort do you prize that God may be asking you to give up? A friend recently felt prompted to visit a nursing home she passed every day. Though she knew no one there and had no idea what to say, she felt God calling her and finally stopped in. To her surprise, she connected easily with the residents, sharing Scripture and familiar hymns. Seeing the joy in their faces she realized that by denying her fear, she had become a source of encouragement, and was blessed herself. Had she not obeyed, none of that blessing would have followed. Do you like to sleep late? Maybe He wants you up early to study His word while the world is still quiet. Do you like to go to bed early? Maybe He wants you to serve dinner to the hungry somewhere far from home. There are a million scenarios where you can find yourself being asked to do something that makes you uneasy. Self-denial in a self-focused world isn't easy. These everyday examples raise a deeper question: why does God place such importance on self-denial at all? Why We Practice Self-Denial: Submission, Not Self-Improvement Why do we practice self-denial? If it is to make ourselves feel better about ourselves then it is for the wrong reason. Maybe you have decided to give up candy bars. You know they aren't good for you. You are practicing self-denial, right? Yes, but not for the reason God would have you do it. Through self-denial we learn submission. Worship flows from submission. We learn to submit to God's will, not our own. Self-Denial and Self-Discipline: A Biblical Pattern Self-discipline is a characteristic that is highly valued in the Bible. Sometimes it is called self-control. It goes hand in hand with self-denial. An undisciplined person has trouble doing what needs to be done because their first thought is for themselves. What do I get out of something? What do I have to give up to do something? Often, our resistance to self-denial shows up most clearly in how we make major life decisions. A Personal Example of Undiscerned Decision-Making Many years ago someone told me I wasn't self-disciplined enough to go to medical school, and begrudgingly I knew they were right. I liked my sleep too much. I liked time off to have fun. Medical school would have interfered with that. In those days it never occurred to me to ask God if it was His will to go. I just looked at it through the lens of what I would have to give up. How many times do we make decisions in our lives just like that? Decisions not based on seeking God's will but asking all the wrong questions. Decisions that are made based on what I might have to do that would make me feel uncomfortable. How many missionaries are there who don't practice self-denial, who aren't disciplined? Very few, I believe. Perhaps right now you may feel God calling you to step out into something out of your comfort zone. Scripture reminds us that stepping beyond our comfort zone is not optional for the believer. It is tied directly to the Spirit-formed discipline God requires. Self-control or self-discipline is one of the fruits of the Spirit that Paul lists in Galatians 5:22-23. In Titus we read about the characteristics necessary for a bishop (or overseer). They are not self-willed but self-controlled. No one can deny themselves who doesn't exhibit self-control. Lack of self-control can happen in many areas of life: eating, sex, sleep, and our habits, for example. While Scripture sets a high standard for self-discipline, the world around us often pulls in the opposite direction, making self-denial stand against the pull of popular culture. Cultural Pressure vs. Spirit-Formed Self-Control Culturally, self-control is unpopular. Society often pressures young people to have sex, use recreational drugs, and speak their minds in a hurtful way, but denying ourselves means resisting those temptations. It means choosing what is right over what is easy. It means going against what the world calls normal. Some people today look at denying yourself as unhealthy. It certainly can be when done for the wrong reasons or in the wrong way. Scripture also warns us that not every form of self-denial is spiritually healthy or pleasing to God. To deny ourselves just for the sake of saying we did it does not lead to spiritual growth. True self-denial seeks Godly things and aligns our will with His. When we are sincerely praying the will of God , He will show us where we need to deny ourselves. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:16-18 that fasting should be between you and God, not for show. Paul echoes this in Colossians 2:21-23: mere rules without heart surrender have little value. What does have value is seeking Godly things. We give up our will and put it in submission to Jesus. Just as Jesus did in the garden, we say, " Not my will but thine be done. " Jesus doesn’t just ask this of Himself. He asks it of us, too, in the most personal way imaginable. What if Jesus were standing in front of you right now with His hand outstretched and asked, "Will you leave this comfort behind and follow Me no matter what?" How would you feel; excited, fearful, or resistant? “Self-denial isn’t about loss—it’s about stepping into the life God designed for you. Are you willing to follow Him, even when it’s uncomfortable?” Allegiance Revealed Through Self-Denial We deny ourselves because Jesus says we must. To follow Christ, we have to. Who do we love most in life, ourselves or God and others? By being willing to deny ourselves we declare our allegiance to Someone greater than ourselves. We don't deny ourselves to save ourselves. We deny ourselves to serve the One who denied Himself. The Purpose of Self-Denial There is growth in self-denial. We learn to focus on things bigger than ourselves and our wants. We can accept hardships and learn from them instead of always viewing them as a negative. Patience and kindness are learned as we control our reactions, choosing restraint instead of frustration when plans are delayed or expectations go unmet. For example, we learn not to let ourselves get angry at insane drivers on the road. Saying "no" to things trains us to be less ruled by our impulses. Though self-denial can feel uncomfortable, it brings freedom from selfish cravings and the joy of participating in God’s plan. This deeper purpose of self-denial has been described well by theologians who emphasize surrender rather than self-punishment. According to Bo Karen Lee, " The purpose of self-denial ... is to create more room for God’s presence in one’s life. Letting go of one’s own agenda opens up space for God’s Spirit to work, to lead, and to create the individual anew." ( The Paradox of Self-Denial ) Surrender can be painful, but by doing it we allow God to give us new, deeper graces than what we previously experienced. God's plan in suffering is sanctification that brings us closer to God. And by it, God makes us His new creation. But is every desire bad? Must we deny all of our wants? Submitting Our Desires, Not Erasing Them All of our desires, obviously, aren't sinful. Self-denial means we learn to search for God's will in our desires. Do you want a better marriage? Denying self doesn't mean you stop wanting that; what it means is you open yourself to what God wants you to learn. Pray God will show you how to fulfill the desire you have. Do you want children but seem unable to have them? Pray God shows you a way to satisfy your desire that may be different from what you believe possible. Self-denial doesn't mean carrying unbearable sadness around with us, but instead it asks us to look for unexpected answers. Loving God Beyond the Outcome How do we respond to trials, suffering, and tribulation? Do we hate them or do we see God working His perfect will even through these things? Self-denial will bring hardship. Jesus Himself has promised it. But it can also bring joy, as our relationship with our Father is deepened. So do we love God only in the good times or do we see opportunities to love Him in the depths of grief? Self-denial sounds like loss, but it’s actually the doorway to gaining the only life that’s truly worth living. Self-denial in a self-focused world makes us face a difficult truth. Do we only love Jesus for what He can do for us or do we love Him for what He is perfecting in us? Our longing should be to reflect Him to the world, and self-denial is the way we do that. Self-Denial in a Self-Focused World

How Do We Improve Our Selves? Have you read any self-help books lately? In 2019 over 40 million self-help books were sold in the United States. Apparently, a lot of people feel the need to improve their lives. The big question is how? In Matthew chapter 12, Jesus addresses the Pharisees, an important religious sect that strictly adhered to Jewish laws. To teach them, Jesus tells the parable of the unclean spirit in Matthew 12:43-45. He Finds It Empty “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.” Matthew 12:43-45 For some reason, we aren't told why, the demon, the unclean spirit, leaves the person that it is inhabiting and goes away for some time. When the demon learns that, " my house " as the demon calls it, is empty, although quite tidy and neat, he returns with seven more demons. Jesus then tells us that the last state of the person is worse than the first. Whose House Is It? The demon is quite bold to call this person " my house ". Even though the unclean spirit had left, ownership had not changed. The house he returned to had been cleaned up but it was still " my house " according to the demon. So what happened? Had the person perhaps read some self-improvement books? The person apparently cleaned their house while the unclean spirit was gone. Maybe they realized they were on a dangerous path and decided to make some needed changes to their life. Perhaps they thought that being a kind and loving person would be beneficial to them? Empty Without God If these improvements were made, why did the demon still say they were his home? He finds it empty, because being nice, changing your life for the better without God, still leaves a person empty. That person from the outside may look like they are a Christian, they may sound like a Christian, they may even call themselves a Christian, but if they have relied solely on their own efforts to be better then, they are not. We have the Holy Spirit living within us because we realize that it is the grace of God that saves us and changes us and not our own efforts. Law Followers The Pharisees thought they were in the good graces of God because they followed the laws of Judaism absolutely. They thought being a law follower was what God wanted. There is some truth here. God does expect us to be obedient to Him. There are expectations for the way a Christian should behave, but before we worry about our behavior we should be concerned about our heart. Do we love God first and then others? Galatians 3:11 puts it this way, "Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” When people followed Jesus, their behavior was changed after they followed Him, not before. Before they followed Him, they were " empty houses ". Yes, it was possible to clean up and look righteous, but the real change that Jesus requires is a change of heart. He wants to make us a " new man " (Ephesians 4:24). Righteousness Like Filthy Rags The Pharisees of Jesus's time were examples of good behavior, a cleaned-up life, but they were empty. The Holy Spirit could not live in them because they rejected the need for a Savior. They, in essence, thought they could save themselves by being righteous. Righteousness without God is like " filthy rags " as Romans 3:19 tells us. The same is true for us today when we think all that God requires is for us to be good. Do we judge those around us based on how clean their houses, their lives, are? Some of the people around us may seem to be the nicest and kindest but inside they are empty. Their reasons for their behavior aren't based in loving others. Their reasons may be that they want to be more successful, have more friends, or looked to as someone who is a role model. The so-called bad people we see may actually be the ones who are truly seeking to follow Jesus. They may be the ones who the Holy Spirit is working on to change in a real and meaningful way. Walk In The Spirit Galatians 5:16 tells us to walk in the Spirit. This means that the Holy Spirit guides our daily behavior. In Galatians 5:18 we are told to be led by the Spirit. When we let the Spirit lead will live a transformed life. In verses 22-23 we see the results, the fruits, of a spirit led life. If there is no fruit then, at best, a soul is empty and at worst it is filled with unclean spirits. If my house, my soul, is empty and the Holy Spirit does not live there, then I am opening myself up to unclean spirits, demons, to fill that void. This Wicked Generation Jesus concludes the parable by saying, " So shall it be with this wicked generation. " This would be the generation of Israel that would turn its back on the very Son of God. They might be a generation who appeared holy, but it would be only superficial. Most would not hear Jesus. Most would not follow Him. They had Him right before them, showing signs and miracles, preaching and teaching, and still rejected Him. Today, we also often don't listen, we don't respond, we reject Him even though we are given many opportunities to follow Him. Transformed By The Holy Spirit Will Jesus find your house empty? All those self-help books in the end, are useless without the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. He finds it empty without the Holy Spirit. We have to recognize that our house, our soul, needs to be filled up with the Holy Spirit. If it isn't, then all the cleaning up of our lives that we do is just for show. " There is none righteous, no not one ," says Romans 3:10. We don't follow Jesus because He is the ultimate self-help book, however, quite the opposite, to be a Christian means to deny self and "take up your cross daily" (Luke 9: 23-25). When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, we will want what God wants, not what our sinful nature wants. We will be able to endure the pains and sorrows of this life knowing that He is always faithful and true to us. It is He who is our joy.

Obedience as Evidence of True Faith Believing is not faith. One of the misunderstandings today among many people is that simple believing in God, that He exists, makes someone a Christian. I see so many people living in unrepentant sin, saying they believe in God and are "trying" to do their best. They never go to church, never read their Bible, and never pray, but insist they are Christians. Not that following rules makes you a Christian. But obedience to God is expected of a Christian (John 14:15) and is the evidence of our faith. Obedience naturally flows from a transformed heart because our love for Him compels us to obey (John 14:23). The Difference Between Belief and True Faith Many point to Acts 16:31, " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. " They ask, "Doesn't that say to just believe?" But this raises an important question, the difference between belief and true faith. What does 'believe' actually mean in that promise? This is no mere assent to the fact that Jesus was real, not even just an acknowledgement that He died and rose again for our sins. As Gill's Exposition of the Bible explains belief means, "t o look unto him alone for life and salvation, to rely upon him, and trust in him; to commit himself, and the care of his immortal soul unto him, and to expect peace, pardon, righteousness, and eternal life from him." Faith Transforms Us Faith is so much more than just agreeing with an idea or acknowledging a fact. Faith is a path to transformation . Faith is, defined as, " the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen " (Hebrews 11:1). It is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Faith allows us to have a relationship with our Father God. One example of a transformed life is Lee Strobel, the author of " The Case for Christ ". As an atheist he had committed himself to disproving Christianity but after much research he ultimately became a Christian. His entire life was changed by his encounter with Christ. Knowing vs. Relating to a Father You can have knowledge of your father but no trust in him, no ability to rely on him, and no commitment to him. Much like knowing that your biological father exists somewhere doesn't mean you have a relationship with him. You have no desire to obey him because you have never experienced his love. The Bible describes relationship with God as like that of a loving Father to His child. We love Him because He first loved us. We want to be obedient because of our love. If I had no relationship with my father, never spoke to or never knew anything about them, how could I possibly really love him? The Call to Repentance In Matthew 4:17 we are told that "Jesus began to preach, saying, “ Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. ” In 2 Peter 3:9 Peter tells us, " The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. " The Lord Himself calls us to repent. When He spoke to the woman caught in adultery, the last thing he told her was, " Go and sin no more " (John 8:11). When we repent, we turn from sin and turn towards God. We can't really separate faith and repentance. To be saved by faith means we can't continue to live an unholy life. Communication as Love And when you love, don't you want to communicate? When you were dating your future spouse, wasn't one of your joys just getting to talk to them? Why was that so wonderful? Because you knew that actually cared about you. They wanted to know more about you and you wanted to know more about them. God wants us to share our lives with Him; not just our wants, but our thanks, praise, and our joys and sorrows. Yet some people say they are Christian and never talk to Him. How is this possible? The sad truth is that it isn't. They say they love Him, but care nothing about obedience. They live lives that prove they don't rely on Him and most importantly don't trust Him. Faith In Action: Works and Love The evidence of our faith is what we do, how we live. In James 2:14-26, James tells us that faith must produce works. If there are no works, there is no faith. If there is no faith, there are no works. James explains that even demons believe in God. Galatians 5:6 explains that only faith working through love counts for anything. The Holy Spirit in us allows us to grow in holiness and obedience. It is only because of God's love toward us and the Holy Spirit producing love in us that we can serve each other lovingly. Therefore no fruit we produce is by just our own efforts. It is the Holy Spirit working in us that accomplishes this. Pastor David Wilkerson, famous for his book, " The Cross and the Switchblade ", began his ministry in 1958 in New York City. He targeted the unlovable, like gang members and drug addicts, as a street preacher in Times Square. Pastor Wilkerson was able to share the transforming power of faith that changes how a person lives through his love. He was led by the Holy Spirit to be a light in a very dark place. Unity of Will and Heart When we have faith we want to do God's will, but love helps us understand what God's will is. McClaren's Expositions on Galatians sums it up well, " He who is one in will and heart with God is a Christian. He who loves God is one in will and heart with Him. He who trusts Christ loves God. " Recognizing Need for Jesus To have faith you must see a need in your life for Jesus. We can understand that He is God made man, that He came to redeem the world, that He even loves us. But do we see that each of us, individually, needs Him to forgive our own personal sin? In J. Gresham Machen's book, " What is Faith? " he says, " If there is no absolute law of God, there can be no consciousness of sin; and if there be no consciousness of sin, there can be no faith in the Savior Jesus Christ. " Luke 17: Mustard-Seed Faith & Servant’s Heart We live out our faith dependent entirely on God. When the disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith in Luke 17:5, He tells them two stories. The first is the story of faith the size of a mustard seed. This tiny amount of faith can uproot a tree and throw it into the sea. The point here is that it is not the quantity of faith we have but who the faith is in. God is moving the tree, not us. This helps us not worry about how much faith we have, because it is God, not us, that does the miracle. We may not have enough faith to move a mountain (Matthew 17:20), but even the smallest amount of faith will transform a sinner into a child of God. Our faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). Gifts need only to be received, not worked toward. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:15, " Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift. " The second story is the servant who comes to the master at the end of a hard day's work and is required to prepare his master's dinner. No matter what we do for God we will always be in His debt because of the grace we have received. No matter what we do it would never be enough to repay His grace towards us. How does this increase our faith? Simply because when I am less than the Christian I should be, when I have little faith, I am indebted to Him. When I am obedient, and have much faith, I am still indebted. This way we can stop worrying about the quantity of faith we have, if it is enough or not. Final Exhortation: Holiness & Contrition Isaiah 57:15 says, " For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite." Our God's name is holy! Our God inhabits eternity! And yet Isaiah tells us that God dwells with the contrite where He revives the spirit and heart. When God dwells in our hearts, we are a new creation. We have a heart transformed . And it is all because of the work He does in us. Our faith, love, trust, and obedience are gifts He has given us. Ephesians 5:1 says that we are " imitators of God. " We are changed! If we aren't changed then we must question our belief and our faith. People Also Ask: What is the difference between repentance and contrition? Contrition is a deep, heartfelt sorrow or remorse for one's sins, not just because we dread the consequences of sin, but because we have offended God, whom we love. False repentance is only sorry for "being caught" so to speak. True repentance is acknowledging our responsibility for offending God and turning from our sin. Repentance focuses more on turning from sin while contrition is more about the deep sorrow for our sin.

Jesus Our Ransom Who are God's chosen? Those who believe in Him are His chosen ones. According to I Timothy 2:4-6 God wants everyone to be saved because Jesus died as a ransom for who? He died as a ransom for all! A ransom is a payment so that someone will be released. A good example would be the price someone paid to release a person from slavery. Why is Jesus referred to here as a ransom? Jesus is our ransom because we were slaves to sin. His death was the price paid to release us from the bondage of slavery that we lived in. Isaiah 53:10 prophecies that His soul would be a sin offering. Who Are The Chosen? John 3:17 plainly says, " For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." God sent His Son that who could be saved? The world could be saved! All people could know Him if they so choose. Through His Son everyone could avoid condemnation. 1 Peter 2:9-10 says we are a " chosen people " belonging to God, brought from darkness into light, who hadn't received mercy but now have. Forced To Serve? Are we forced to serve Him? Jesus certainly has the power to force us to serve Him but He chose not to. For Jesus came not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28). He puts Himself in the service of His creatures ultimately by ransoming us through His death and resurrection (Mark 10:45). Since we are all sinners, we are only justified by God's grace which is a gift for all because we have been redeemed by Christ (Romans 3:24) our Redeemer from everlasting . To be redeemed here means to be delivered from sin. And what is grace? Grace is a completely undeserved favor. We aren't forced to accept this gift but it is offered to us. Seek And You Shall Find Deuteronomy 4:29 says if we seek God, we will find Him. Jeremiah 29:13 reinforces this thought that God is found when we seek Him with our whole heart. As someone once said, God should be our whole purpose and our destiny. Those who don't believe have been blinded by the god of this world, Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4). They aren't seekers. God promises that He will draw near to those who fervently seek Him. God chooses all to come to Him. When we do, He placed before us an open door of faith because belief comes from Him (Ephesians 2:8). But what about Romans 3:11 that says no one seeks God? What is Paul saying? Simply that we can't seek God on our own. God must first draw us to Himself. We are only responding yes or no to the call that goes out to all peoples. Rewarded For Seeking Hebrews 11:6 tells us that God rewards those who " diligently seek Him ." In John 6:44 Jesus says no one can come to Him unless He is drawn by the Father first. Later in John 12:32 Jesus says that, " And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself. ” All will be drawn, but not all will choose to follow. This doesn't mean that when we respond to God's call, we are in any way performing works to save ourselves. Like Lost Sheep In Luke 19:10, Jesus says that He comes to seek and to save the lost. We are all lost in our sins. He comes to save us all. He offers us a free gift which we can accept or reject. In Matthew 18:12-14 and in Luke 15: 3-7, Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep. All we like sheep need a shepherd. In Luke the focus is on the poor and rejected. All are sought by God, not just the socially acceptable or the powerful. In Matthew and Luke it is clear that even while we may be lost in sin Jesus seeks us. He encourages us through his Holy Spirit to repent and believe. What Are We Called To Do? As Christians we have a role to play in all of this. We are called " ministers of reconciliation " by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5: 18-21. We are the ones charged with spreading the Good News of salvation to all. Jesus has flung open the prison doors but the world doesn't know it. We are, as Paul calls us the " ambassadors for Christ " . We who were once blind can tell those who are still blind who it is that can save them. As I Corinthians 3: 5-6 states it was through the means of Paul and Apollos that the people believed, but it was always God that " gave the increase ". Jesus Is... When we seek God with our whole heart, we can agree with St. Louis de Montfort who says, "He (Jesus) is the only teacher from whom we must learn; the only Lord on whom we should depend; the only Head to whom we should be united and the only model that we should imitate. He is the only Physician that can heal us; the only Shepherd that can feed us; the only Way that can lead us; the only Truth that we can believe; the only Life that can animate us. He alone is everything to us and he alone can satisfy all our desires." Enjoy the song " Jesus Is" by Leanna Crawford here.

Our Different Walk The world walks differently from the walk of the Christian. As Christians we are called to a different walk, a walk in the light, not in the darkness. We are to be a light to the nations . "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness." Ephesians 4: 17-19 The Futility Of Their Minds The world walks " in the futility of their minds ". What a strange expression, " futility of their minds ". Futility means uselessness or pointlessness. The world seeks answers from themselves. A place where there are no answers. All the answers they find are empty and useless. Darkened Understanding The world has " their understanding darkened ". This means that while engaging in sin people lose their ability to see the beauty and goodness of righteousness. The indulgences of people in the world give them excuses for their sin. The light is there to be seen, but they don't want to see it. Alienated From God The world has been " alienated from the life of God ". The world wants no part of God. They are isolated, estranged from God. They have no spiritual life in God, no indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Ignorant, Blind and Unfeeling Why do these things happen to those who don't know God? First, because of the " ignorance that is within them ". They don't know God. They don't even understand what virtue really is. Secondly, because of the " blindness of their heart ". St. Augustine said, "The blind man is the human race. Therefore Christ came to illuminate, since the devil had blinded us." And because the world is " past feeling ", in other words the world really doesn't understand the fact that sin is sin, they don't see wrong doing for what it is. They feel no remorse because they don't think they have done wrong. They have become callous. This blindness, this callousness, has led them to give themselves over to lewdness. This is not a word we hear very often today. Lewdness means that you indulge in things like lust, fornication (sex outside of marriage) or adultery. They continue voluntarily in their sin and with zeal, with a passion, for the things that are not of God. And they do this with greediness. They can't get enough of sin. They wallow in it with no remorse, willingly. The New Man But, as Christians, Paul says we have " put on the new man which was created according to God ". How does this new man act? Ephesians 4: 25-32 tells us that he doesn't lie, get angry, steal, or speak evilly but instead is kind, tenderhearted and forgiving. So, we Christians are told to stop lying. I see lying everywhere. It almost seems like everyone lies. If we are angry, it should not lead to sin. We should forgive quickly. We should not steal what we need, but work so we can be charitable to others. We work so we can share what we have with others. We should speak words that build up others morally, and in the faith, not words that are ugly, hurtful, tempting someone to do wrong, or cursing. We should not speak using idle words (Matthew 12:36). We should not grieve or sadden the Holy Spirit by living in a sinful way. Walk In The Light Our anger, our foul speech, our bitterness should be gone. Instead we should be kind and forgiving, tender toward each other. Why? Because" Christ forgave us while we were yet sinners. " We are light bearers to the world. We should walk in the light because the Holy Spirit lives in us. Walking in the light is not just a one-time choice but a daily renewal of the mind and heart. Each morning we must decide whose voice we will follow, the world’s or God’s. When we choose God’s truth, the darkness loses its grip. We grow in holiness through small, faithful steps of obedience, letting the Holy Spirit shape our thoughts, words, and actions. This daily walk keeps our hearts soft toward God and open to His guidance. Paul opens chapter four of Ephesians by explaining that we are to walk worthy of our calling. We are to be humble, gentle, longsuffering, loving, and trying always to have a unity of the Spirit with each other. Becoming Reflections of His Light The more we walk in the light, the more others can see Christ reflected in us. Our kindness, patience, and humility are not signs of weakness but evidence of God’s strength working through us. The world may walk in darkness, but when believers live out truth and love, that light pierces through. Every act of forgiveness, every word of encouragement, and every moment of grace points others toward the Savior who said, “ I am the light of the world ” (John 8:12). A Poetic Reflection on Walking in the Light Praise God your Great Story Let us worship above, Bearing each with love, The one who is worthy, The one who is love. As we call on His name With a gentle refrain, We'll seek out his mercy Till we all can exclaim, Praise God your great story Till we see your glory! With the bond of your peace We'll tell all your story! -Carol Plafcan A beautiful hymn about this can be heard here .

Does God Still Have a Plan When Life Goes Wrong? God has a plan for us. Many times we lose sight of that plan. Maybe we even believe there is no plan. What is God's plan in suffering for you? When things that are outside of your control happen, do we still recognize God has a plan? Joseph’s life gives us one of the clearest biblical answers to this question. Quite famously in Genesis 50:20 Joseph speaks to his brothers and says, "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." Joseph’s Story: When Evil Intentions Meet God’s Good Purpose If you aren't familiar with the story of Joseph, his brothers, who hated him, sold him into slavery. Joseph arrives in Egypt, ends up in jail by being set up for something he didn't do, and through a series of incredible circumstances becomes the most powerful man in Egypt next to the Pharaoh. His brothers eventually go to Egypt seeking food only to find, unbeknownst to them, their brother in charge of food distribution. Because of Joseph, Egypt had stored grain and was the only place to find food. Joseph’s story is not just history; it helps us interpret our own suffering. Faithfulness Without Revenge: Trusting God’s Sovereignty Joseph doesn't seek revenge on his brothers. He sees God's plan for his life and realizes that everything that happened to him happened because God set in place His plan. It was His good plan, as Joseph recognizes. Earlier in Genesis 45:8, Joseph informs his brothers, " So now it was not you who sent me here, but God. " When bad things happen to us, do we recognize that God still has a plan? Joseph never questioned God. God, of course, knew that Joseph would remain faithful. He knew that Joseph would not give up his faith. So wherever Joseph found himself, God was able to use him. In Potiphar's house as a slave, God used him. Unjustly imprisoned, God used him. Vizier or Prime Minister to the Pharaoh, God used him. Too often we are guilty of saying to ourselves, well if my circumstances were better or different in some way, then I would serve God. But what if all God really wants is to use you in exactly the place you find yourself? Has someone mistreated you or done harm to you? Perhaps God is using those events to create new and unique opportunities for you to serve Him. People may mean you harm, but just like in Joseph's case, God can turn those things around and use them for good. Nothing is beyond His ability to bring about good. What Joseph learned through experience, Paul later explains. Romans 8:28 and God's Plan in Suffering There is a verse in Romans 8:28 that is often misunderstood. Here Paul says, " And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. " This verse is often misquoted. People tend to leave off the latter part, " to those who are called according to His purpose ." All things do not work together for good, but they will for those who love God and are called. Joseph loved God and he was called. He fulfilled the purpose God had for him. This raises an important question: how do we know God’s purpose when we are living through it? You have probably not been called as a slave, or called as a prisoner, or called to the aide of a mighty ruler but you have been called to something if you belong to God. We are not here to satisfy our own needs, but to satisfy the will of our Father. So how did Joseph know the will of God? The same way you and I today can know His will for us. How Believers Can Discern God’s Will Today First, we need to know His word. The word of God is how we learn about the character of God, who He is, and what He wants us to be. We pray. We talk to God and we listen when He talks to us. It may not be in audible ways but when we are obedient and seeking Him you will know in your soul who it is that is speaking. We trust Him. We know He is faithful. We seek wisdom, the beginning of which is fear of the Lord (James 1:5). Finally, we grow in holiness to become more like Him, while we honor Him who brings us every good thing. It is important to remember that Joseph was not being punished for sin. He was not suffering the consequences of his decisions. Joseph was not at fault. The world may have looked at him and wondered what wrong thing he did to deserve the evil that befell him, but Joseph knew he was not to blame. Things just worked out that way. Knowing that suffering is not always punishment changes how we respond to it. Suffering Without Guilt: When Hardship Is Not Punishment In our lives, we may suffer for sin, but there may be other times when evil comes upon us and we did nothing to deserve it. How do we respond? Do we blame God? Do we say to ourselves, "God how could you allow this?" This isn't how Joseph responded. The Bible never records one bitter word from Joseph (Genesis 39:2-3; 21). Instead, we see someone who endured hardship without complaining . We see a man who had total trust in God, a faithful man. The things that happened to Joseph were completely out of his control. Joseph realized it was God who was always in control. This knowledge doesn't excuse the evil done by others. They will still answer to God for what they have done. When Joseph stepped out in faith, he did not know for sure where God would take him. For many of us the problem is that we don't want to do anything for God unless we are 100% sure of the outcome. That is part of our nature. We want all the answers up front. But God doesn't work that way. God sees how we can grow when He asks us to let Him direct our paths. It may not always be a smooth path. Like Joseph, there may be some major obstacles along the way, but when we seek His will we won't be frozen in fear because we know evil will always be overcome by good. “Faithfulness to God doesn’t depend on perfect circumstances; it depends on trusting Him even when we don’t know the outcome.” Where have you ended up in your life? Did God send you to that place? Perhaps due to no fault of our own, we find ourselves in a thankless, dead-end job or married to an unappreciative spouse. Maybe we have children who don't want to be around us or maybe we have no children at all. No one wants to be in these situations but they happen. When they do, are we still being open to how God wants to use us? When Joseph saw his brothers again for the first time, decades had passed. Joseph could have longed for revenge. He could have spent many years imagining what he would do to his brothers if he ever saw them again. But no, his response to his brothers was gracious and kind. He didn't waste his life thinking only of what bad things had been done to him. Instead, he recognized the hand of God in his life. What a difference it made, both for him and those around him. Because of Joseph's faithfulness to God he convinced the pharaoh to store grain for a great famine that God had warned him about. This act saved both the people in Egypt as well as Joseph's people who came down to Egypt to find food. The house of Israel would have died out if Joseph had not been in his position of power and influence. But Joseph’s story points us forward to an even greater Savior. Like Joseph, Jesus was rejected, sold for silver, and handed over unjustly, but lifted to the highest authority, not to save one nation from hunger, but to rescue the world from sin and death. God’s plan in our suffering is always bigger than our immediate circumstances, anchored in His unbreakable promises, and fulfilled in Christ. Faithful Obedience and the Lasting Impact of Small Acts What good thing might never happen if you were not obedient to God's calling on your life? What work, that might seem small in your eyes, is great and necessary in the eyes of God? Even our small acts of love and forgiveness can change the course of someone else's life. The obedience God calls us to is not often as amazing as Joseph's was and yet, in their small way, they may be just as important. One life changed for God is one life saved from meaninglessness and slavery to sin. One small donation to a charity that does good might mean the difference between life and death or a future or no future for a child. One small encouraging word spoken to a fellow believer might make them realize that God is always there for them. Joseph’s faithfulness reminds us that obedience often matters most where it feels least rewarding. We don't know how God will use us in this life, but we do know that He can and will if we are faithful and listen. God's plan in suffering is for us to heed His still, small voice which tells us to never give up no matter how bad things may be. He is beside us and always will be, whether we realize it or not. Let us pray to be as faithful as Joseph in everything we endure in this life. When we're following Jesus , our hope is beyond this life, let us never forget.

A Life Hidden in Plain Sight I want to share a story. "There was a man, quiet, standoffish, and weathered by life. His neighbors didn't like him much. They thought he was weird and didn't know how to take him. He lived alone and finally, he died alone. His belongings were auctioned off by distant relatives who really never knew him. In an old battered trunk someone purchased, they found journals. The solitary man was a writer and in these worn dollar store journals he had written his life. In his youth he had been a successful salesman, traveling all over the country, doing presentations to many important business leaders. Tragedy, Despair, and the Dim Mirror of Faith He had loved once. She had been a beautiful young woman, intelligent, quick-witted, but then tragedy struck. Pregnant with their first child, she was in a terrible car accident and she and their unborn baby died. A church goer, but not very religious, he found little comfort in his faith (Psalm 34:18). He sank deeper and deeper into despair, was fired from his job, and found work in a small town at a gas station. This was a far cry from the power and influence he once held. Over the years, he kept the sorrow to himself. He learned, or so he thought, that no one really cared. The love he had heard about in church for so many years seemed distant and unattainable. For him, being a Christian never really changed his life. The people around him judged him without knowing anything about him. Christ's love was rarely offered to him by those who called themselves His servants. The mirror that he saw life through was dimmed, clouded by a lack of faith and a lack of hope." God’s Love and Spiritual Maturity Jesus often told stories like this, and then He explained what they meant. Let me try to do the same here. Paul describes it clearly in 1 Corinthians in his chapter on love. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul tells us what love really is. In 1 Corinthians 13:12 he says, "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." This verse helps explain why this man could not see God’s love clearly, even though it was always there. When he looked in the mirror, why couldn't he see even get a glimpse of God's love? God was there all the time, through the grief, the loss, and the loneliness, but the man could only see the things he didn't have. The problem was not that God had abandoned him, but something had gone wrong in his understanding of faith and maturity. When we grow in the understanding of God's love, we grow in spiritual maturity. “The problem was not that God had abandoned him, but that something had gone wrong in his understanding of faith and maturity.” He gave up looking for it, thinking, as so many of us do at times, that perhaps it was his fault. Maybe if he had been better, different, or more careful things would have been different. The reason he could hardly see in the mirror was that when he " became a man " he never really " put away childish things " (1 Corinthians 13:11). His faith never matured beyond measuring God’s love by what he could see and feel, rather than trusting what God had already revealed about Himself. The things that happen to us in life don't change the fact that we can trust God cares for us. That raises an important question. What does spiritual maturity actually look like for someone who has spent a lifetime sitting in church? It is not measured by how long we have attended church, but by whether God’s love has reshaped how we see Him, ourselves, and others. Putting Away Childish Things: What Spiritual Maturity Looks Like But what does spiritual maturity look like in real life for a lonely, defeated old man? When he grew up and attended church faithfully, he never grew spiritually. He thought the superficial things were all that was needed. Go to church, listen to the sermon, and be a decent person was maturity, he thought. But no, it wasn't. When we put away childish things, we lose self-focus and begin to love others as God first loved us (1 John 4:19). A mature Christian loves sacrificially, like Jesus did. They see so much more in that dim mirror than a childish one does. But some people, sadly, see nothing in the mirror because they don't belong to Christ. Some people walk around thinking this is all there is. They have no true hope in anything better or more beautiful or perfect. Spiritually blind, they can't see any reflection in the mirror. These are the people who need Jesus. But how many of them, like our man in the story, never have God's love shown to them by others. How we respond to others’ suffering can make a huge difference. The Responsibility of Believers to Show Love Those around him talked about God a lot, yet their words rarely translated into real love for him. They even did nice things for people sometimes, but they were still childish in their understanding that love was the greatest gift they had been given and the greatest gift they could ever give of themselves. Our motives are what God cares about most. Their failure forces us to ask what responsibility believers have toward those who are quietly hurting around them. Each day we have opportunities to love. Each time we love with our whole heart the mirror becomes a little clearer (Galatians 5:22-23). Christians encourage each other . Every time we love like Christ, we grow a little more in our understanding of who God is. This growth is not just for this life, but prepares us for what is still to come. And it is not just for us, but for us to share with others. A mature Christian sees himself as he really is. They see their flaws but understand who mends those flaws. Seeking forgiveness they strive to show the fruit of the Holy Spirit that is proof of what they say they are. And finally, when they reach their home with their Savior, the mirror will be the clearest of clear. God knows us perfectly and then we will perfectly know God. If this is what maturity looks like, then it naturally leads to the question of what God expects from us as His people. The man's neighbors and coworkers should have realized that we all at some point, have been where he was. We have all dealt with grief and failure. God's desire for us as mature Christians is to show love to everyone, including those who seem undeserving or may not even want it, that is when we are living like Christ. But what about ourselves? What can we do to realize that God really does love us? Even if all of the man's neighbors and coworkers had hated him, he still didn't have to give up because his Father still loved him. But obviously, the man never knew it or at least not enough to make a difference. How do we come to know that "God loves me" is not just some trite saying that means very little? Trusting God’s Love Beyond Feelings The answer does not begin with us at all, but with what Christ has already done. Are we ever worthy of God's love? No, we are sinners saved by grace. Jesus loved us while we were yet sinners. He loved the man who was nailing His hands to the cross and the man who shoved the crown of thorns on His head. He died for you and me and them. We don't go by feelings to know God loves us (2 Corinthians 5:7). Feelings can lie to us and mislead us. He loves us because we can trust His word is true and what greater proof do we have than the death of His Son on the cross. When that moment comes that we trust Him and seek Him with all of our heart, then we will know He loves us. That knowledge is what will cause us to love the unlovable. We will not judge people by appearances, but will realize they are an image bearer of the One who created them. Even when we fail to show love to others or fail to live knowing God loves me, He still offers His sacrifice of love on the cross for us. As we grow in spiritual maturity we will be able to experience God's all knowing love and share it so the world will see Jesus in us. They will want the precious gift that we have been given so freely. Seeing Clearly: Lessons from a Life Missed The man died alone, his journals unread for years. But perhaps one day someone will read them and see what he never did: that God loved him fiercely, even in the silence. Perhaps that reader will be you or me, and we’ll decide, today, to love the next ‘weird’ person we meet, so that the dim mirror becomes just a little clearer for both of us.

Dreams of Egypt Did you know that Jesus spent part of His early childhood in Egypt? After the Wise Men returned to their country, Joseph, Jesus' earthly father, had a dream. In the dream, an angel told Joseph to take the child to Egypt to escape King Herod's wrath. Herod the Great vowed to kill every male child in Bethlehem under the age of two to prevent the child the Wise Men called “king of the Jews” from ever reigning (Matthew 2:16-18). Why Egypt? The Prophetic Meaning of Hosea 11:1 But why Egypt? Egypt is important because Hosea 11:1 tells us, " Out of Egypt have I called my son ." Hosea is describing the exodus of the Jews from Egypt to the promised land. God often referred to Israel as His son. But this is not just a statement of fact; this is a statement with a deeper significance. God's own Son would also go down to Egypt and then return to the Promised Land. Parallels with the Exodus: Jesus as the New Israel In Egypt, He would find refuge and become the new Moses delivering His people from the bondage of slavery to sin. He is the ultimate deliverer. Jesus is the new Israel, perfectly fulfilling the destiny that God originally intended for His people. We see parallels in the Old Testament in several areas. Just as Moses was hidden in a basket to escape pharaoh's wrath, so Jesus was hidden away in Egypt in a place of safety. To leave Egypt the Israelites had to pass through the Red Sea where 1 Corinthians 10:2 tells us they were " baptized. " When Jesus returned from Egypt, one of His first public acts was to be baptized in the Jordan River. In effect, Jesus also passed through the waters. The Israelites passed through the Red Sea, but then wandered forty years in the desert, failing their test of faith. After Jesus' baptism, He endured 40 days in the desert where Satan tempted Him. There, He never wavered from His Father's will. Each of these moments reveals Jesus stepping into Israel’s story, not as a repeat, but as its true fulfillment. Jesus’ Perfect Fulfillment of Israel’s Destiny The parallels we just read about matter because Jesus perfectly fulfilled what should have been the destiny of Israel. He was and is the perfect Son, able to free us from sin and show us the way to a righteous life. Because Israel could never be perfect, Jesus came to offer Himself as a sinless sacrifice offering reconciliation with God. Jesus offers us a deeper union with God than had been available to the Old Testament saints because we have a better covenant and fuller access to God (Hebrews 8:10-12). Joseph's obedience to God teaches us some important lessons. Joseph’s Obedience: Trusting God in Action Fleeing to Egypt was God's chosen means of protecting His Son from harm by Herod. Joseph trusted in God's sovereign protection of his family. Joseph loved his family and his newborn Son. He never questioned, "Why Egypt?" Instead, he not only listened to the warning but he acted on it. He didn't wait several days trying to decide if he should go or not. He didn't worry about all of the unknowns. He simply obeyed. When we hear God clearly speaking to us do we act or do we waver? Do we really believe He will be faithful to us? When the angel appeared to Joseph in his dream (Matthew 2:13) his message was urgent. " Get up! " The angel told him to flee to Egypt but the instructions didn't stop there. The angel said to stay there until he told Joseph to return to Israel. Scholars believe the family stayed in Egypt for 3-4 years. Joseph had to trust in God's timing. He had to be patient, waiting on God can be difficult. Many of us have trouble doing that. We often have moments when we feel God calling us to step into the unknown, perhaps a career change, a move, or a difficult family decision. In those situations, it’s tempting to hesitate, to demand all the answers first. Joseph didn’t have that luxury. Like Joseph we can trust God 's plan for our families. The angel explained to Joseph that Herod would search for Jesus to kill Him. What must Joseph have thought? Did he wonder, or perhaps already know, that Jesus was the Messiah? Joseph seems to have been a man willing to follow God's instructions step by step. He accepted responsibility for His Son's safety without knowing what that obedience would ultimately cost. He was open to hearing God. Following Herod's death, Joseph brought his family back to Israel as instructed by an angel in a dream. This was the fourth time Joseph had received an angelic message from God. Joseph feared Herod's son, Archelaus, who had come to power in Judea. He was infamous for his cruelty. So Joseph took his family to Galilee, choosing to settle in the town of Nazareth. The difficult journey, from Egypt to Nazareth, was approximately 300 miles and would have taken weeks or even months. This small detail was also a fulfillment of prophecy found in several places in the Old Testament. The return from Egypt did not bring immediate safety; instead, it required careful discernment as God continued to guide Joseph step by step. "Did we but look upon the world as our Egypt, the place of our bondage and banishment, and heaven only as our Canaan, our home, our rest, we should as readily arise and depart thither, when we are called for, as Joseph did out of Egypt." - Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary Nazareth: Geography, Culture, and Prophecy Where was Nazareth and why does it matter? Nazareth was north of Bethlehem in Judea almost 94 miles (151 km). The region of Samaria lay in between. Although this may seem like an unimportant lesson in geography, the people of Galilee were very different from those of Judea where the capital of Jerusalem was. Judea and Samaria were Roman prefects, while Galilee had a separate prince during Jesus' life, Herod Antipas—the same Herod who later killed John the Baptist and questioned Jesus. This political and cultural environment will become important when we see Jesus confronting religious leaders later in His life in Judea. Prophetically, Nazareth was an important place. Isaiah 11:1 speaks of a “ branch ” ( netzer ) growing from the cut-down line of Jesse, King David's father. Isaiah explains that the Messiah will come from the “ stump of Jesse ” because David’s royal line had long lost its throne and glory, yet God promised to raise a righteous King from what appeared dead. Both Mary and Joseph traced their family history back to King David. While no Old Testament verse names Nazareth directly, Jesus being raised there fits this prophetic pattern. Nazareth was obscure, overlooked, and even despised, reflecting the way the prophets said the Messiah would come; humble and rejected, yet chosen by God (Isaiah 53; Psalm 22). People rejected Jesus not just for His words, but for where He was from, His accent, and the regional differences He represented. Have you ever experienced rejection or persecution because of where you were from? Culturally, they spoke with a different dialect, were considered much less sophisticated and were often believed to be less faithful to Jewish customs. When Jesus reproached the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, their assumptions about Him were already shaping their response. As Nathanael says in John 1:46, " Can anything good come out of Nazareth ?" That cultural divide helps us understand the social tension Jesus faced. It would be like a rural preacher from the southern United States confronting a mega church pastor in Los Angeles. Before Jesus spoke a word, the tension would have already existed. Understanding the significance of Nazareth helps us see that Jesus’ life unfolded in ways God has always worked; through humility and the insignificant things of the world. Just as Nazareth was an unexpected place to raise the Messiah, Egypt was an unexpected place to protect Him. Echoes of the Old Testament in Jesus’ Early Childhood in Egypt Joseph and his family fleeing to Egypt echoes Old Testament events. We see this many times in the Bible. For instance, just as the blood of the Passover lamb protected God’s people in Egypt, God preserved His Son in Egypt, foreshadowing the ultimate sacrifice Jesus would make for our salvation. Christ is our Passover . These echoed events help us see that Jesus is the complete fulfillment of the Old Testament. Surprising as it was, Jesus' early childhood in Egypt, a mostly gentile nation, foreshadowed His salvation for the whole world, not just the Jews. He was the perfect sinless sacrifice who returned from Egypt to free us from our captivity to sin. In this He did not fail! Thanks be to God! Even today the story of Joseph taking his family to Egypt for safety is celebrated. Refuge in Egypt Then and Now The refuge Egypt offered is recognized in modern times in the Coptic Christian Church in Egypt. They celebrate the "Feast of the Entry of the Lord in Egypt" on June 1st, celebrating the holy family's escape as refugees from Herod. They consider it a great blessing and believe that their arrival helped prepare Egypt to welcome Christianity. Symbolically, the Egyptian church believes we should all flee evil and find refuge in Jesus. Sadly, the church in Egypt is under intense persecution. The Coptic Church today runs to Jesus for safe harbor, as He ran to Egypt as a young child. In Joseph, we see a man who listens to God and obeys. In doing so, he loved and protected his family from danger, fulfilled prophecy, and gave us an example of humility and service. When we listen to God, we will know when and how to flee sin and danger. We will trust that in Him we have a safe harbor, just as He had as a baby in Egypt.

Waiting seems to be a constant theme of the Bible. Learning to wait has something to teach us. We learn patience, we learn to rely on God's promises and His faithful word. As God is patient with us, so we must be patient with Him. Some of those who waited on God were - Joseph waited 13 years on God to end his unjust slavery and imprisonment. Joseph's father, believed his son was dead for at least 27 years before learning that he was really alive. Moses, in the land of the Midianites waited 40 years, until God revealed His plan to Him. The children of Israel waited 430 years for their release from slavery. The Israelites waited and wandered 40 years in the desert before finding the Promised Land. The Jews waited in captivity for seventy years in Babylon until their return to Jerusalem. The Jewish people waited from the prophecies of Isaiah for about 700 years until the arrival of the Messiah. (And then many did not accept Him.) Jesus Himself waited 30 years before revealing Himself at the wedding feast. Paul waited three years from the time of his conversion until his missionary journeys began. Today, we continue to wait for the return of Jesus to gather His beloved church to our Home with Him. Everyone Waits I am sure many of us have experienced times when we had to wait on God. When we are young, we sometimes wait for a long time to find a spouse. Some of us may wait many years to have children, or some of us wait for a break in our career so we can be "successful." When we are older, we wait to find healing for our aches and pains, we wait perhaps for grandchildren, or we may wait for our children and grandchildren to become Christians. Many Despair While They Wait Waiting leaves many people in deep despair. Patience is not a virtue that many of us have very much of. We see a couple of years go by and think something will never happen. We give up. We see life as it is in this moment and think it will always be this way. How easy it would have been for the Israelites in Egyptian slavery to believe it would always be that way. Can you imagine, 430 years had gone by before Moses, the deliverer, came on the scene? God's Bigger Picture Sometimes we will never see the end result of our waiting. God sees the bigger picture. He sees the ways that people's lives are interconnected, He sees the importance of things that we do not, He sees what needs to take place for people to become closer to Him. He sees what brings them to faith. Ultimately, God knows what is good for us, even if it is difficult to accept. The Value of Waiting and What We Learn I think that if we were God, people would most likely be instantly gratified. But God sees the virtue, the value, of waiting where we do not. We become more grateful when we wait, we often see God's hand at work in our lives and those we love when we wait. We grow in patience when we wait. Patience is a fruit of the spirit working in our lives. Most importantly, we see the faithfulness of God and learn to trust Him. Even if we die before we see God's answer, if it is His will, we know it will happen. This brings joy. And then of course, there are times when waiting is used by God to make us learn a lesson. God wants us to realize who is our true source of everything we have. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years because that is how long it took to get them to see that God had been, and always would be, faithful to His word. Have we wandered in a desert of our own making, not realizing that God was trying to get our attention, trying to make us see what changes needed to be made in our lives? Dealing With Waiting David had experience with waiting. In Psalm 13:1 this is what he asks God, "How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?" Waiting was difficult even for someone like King David. And yet in the very same Psalm just a few verses later David reminds himself, "But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me." Psalm 13:5-6 It can be hard to wait, but David rejoices in his salvation and sings to God because God has been gracious to him. Even the souls of the martyrs in Heaven cry out in Revelation 6:10, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” In response they were told to " rest a little while longer " (Revelation 6:11). There is purpose in our waiting. God is not dismayed when we ask him " How long, O Lord? " He simply wants us to trust Him .

What is Passover? Passover, one of the greatest of all Jewish holidays, is a time of remembrance when the angel of death passed over the Jewish firstborn in the last of the ten plagues visited upon Egypt by God. Passover was the true beginning of the exodus, the leaving, of the Israelites from Egypt and slavery, eventually to the Promised Land. This redemption of the people from Egypt was so important that time after time in the Old Testament God refers to Himself as "the God who led you out of Egypt" . Christ Our Passover Just as the Jewish people were required to place the blood of a perfect lamb on their doorpost to escape the death angel, so too are we, as God's children, required to believe in the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus, and the sacrifice and shedding of His blood that He made for us. Our belief allows us to escape the punishment for sin that we so richly deserve. As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 5:7(b), "For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us." The Ten Commandments The Jewish people did not have to do anything to be freed from their slavery. God provided them a way of escape graciously and out of love. Only after their escape were they given the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 2:2, God begins His list of commandments by reminding them that it was He who brought them out of Egypt and bondage. This covenant, this mutual promise between God and His people, stated that if His people obeyed these commandments they would be His treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:3-6). We Too Were Enslaved The Jewish people had been enslaved for 400 years at the time of the Exodus. You and I also were enslaved, but to sin . Some of us have been enslaved by addiction, some by sexual sins, some by pride, some by anger but whatever sin had us in its grasp the sacrifice of Christ on the cross was that perfect sacrifice. With His death and resurrection a New Covenant was made between God and man. A New Covenant of Grace This New Covenant was predicted in Jeremiah 31:31-33. This covenant would not be written on stone as the Ten Commandments were, but would be written on our hearts. At the Last Supper, Jesus tells His disciples that the cup poured out for them would be the New Covenant in His blood that was shed for us. Christ offers us a Promised Land of Heaven with Him, as the Jewish people were guaranteed their promised land of Israel. Also, as Ezekiel 36:28-30 foretold, the New Covenant would include a new spirit living within us, the Holy Spirit of God. Hebrews 7:22 tells us this New Covenant is a better one because instead of being under the law we are under grace (Romans 6:14-15). Hebrews 9:15 calls Jesus the mediator, our intercessor, of a New Covenant which promises eternal life with Him since Jesus's death redeems us from sins committed under the Old Covenant. The death of Christ was a sin offering which established a New Covenant of grace. Jesus - The Obedient Son In Exodus 4:22, God calls Israel His first-born son. Where Israel failed to obey the Old Covenant time and time again; Jesus is the example of a complete Israel, an Israel who wholly obeyed God. Jesus is the obedient Son. Jesus is the model of a new Israel. As Jesus escaped from Bethlehem to Egypt to flee from Herod's death sentence on all baby boys (Matthew 2:16), just so, Moses, the great deliverer of His people, escaped from the Pharoah's order to slaughter the young Jewish baby boys (Exodus 1:22). After Jesus's return, we read in Matthew chapter 3 about His baptism in the river Jordan. Moses led his people through the Red Sea to safety which 1 Corinthians 10:2 refers to as a baptism. The very next event in Jesus's life in Matthew chapter 4 was His temptation in the desert. There He stayed for 40 days. While in the desert Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 8:3 when He tells Satan that men don't live by bread alone but by every word from God's mouth. The Israelites crossed the Red Sea only to wander in the desert for 40 years. In Luke 9:31, at the Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah speak of Jesus's departure which in Greek was "exodos" or way out. Jesus's death and resurrection provides us a way out of sin and death. In Hebrew, the book of Exodus is literally titled, "The Book of the Outgoing from Egypt." Jesus Frees Us From The Sins That Bind Jesus is the ultimate Israel . His death and resurrection is His departure, His exodus, from this world to prepare the perfect gift for us to find a way out of our own Egypt. Jesus frees us from the sin that binds us. Sin enslaves us and leads to death. We are as much bound by sin when we were not believers, as the Israelites were bound by the physical chains of slavery. Be Steadfast The generation of Jewish people who left Egypt never saw the promised land. They died in rebellion along the way. The author of Hebrews tells us in chapter 3 verse 14, " For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end," As Christians we must remain steadfast to the end unlike the Jews who left Egypt. 1 Corinthians 10:1-11 expresses the same idea. Passing Into Life Finally, I want to leave you with the words of Jesus from John 5:24: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." The Greek word for " passed out of death into life " is metabebēken , which means " to pass over " or " withdraw ". Thanks be to Jesus Christ, our Passover, that we have passed over from death into life by hearing and believing in God who sent Him!

Rules, rules and more rules. Christianity is often seen as just a series of boxes to check. Things to do and things not to do. In response to this, many churches have emerged that condemn rules. These churches preach only about love, forgiveness, not judging others and all the benefits that being a Christian can bring. They promote a 'Santa Claus' view of God, where He's only there to provide the things we want. Legalism or compromise - both views miss the mark. The Hard-Working but Loveless Church of Ephesus The church at Ephesus was part of the first group. According to Revelation 2:1-7, they were hard working, persevering and had endured many hardships. They were a discerning church, testing the claims of some who said they were apostles but were not. And yet, the most important ingredient was absent from this church— love . So many churches fall into this group. They have hard working members who try to do what's right but something is missing—their first love, Christ. Why do they do what they do? If it isn't out of love for Jesus, it is for nothing. Forgetting Grace and Humility Churches in the first group are often quick to call out sin, yet often they forget their own sin. They forget to show grace to others as it was shown to them. They forget to be humble. In 1 Timothy1:3-11, Paul writes to Timothy concerning the church at Ephesus. It seems they had some problems. Paul encourages Timothy to remain with the church in Ephesus so that correct doctrine could be taught. They had begun believing in myths, things not in Scripture, that contradicted what Paul had taught. Jewish genealogies had become an issue with the Ephesians. These genealogies would trace a person's lineage back to important figures in Jewish history thus making some people believe they were more blessed or more important than others. The Roots of True Teaching: Love and Sincerity The teachings of Paul were to come from three areas: a pure heart, a good conscience and sincere faith, all rooted in love. This love wasn't some romantic type of love or even a love of friends but this was agape love. A totally unselfish love that placed others needs before your own. Misguided Focus on Unimportant Matters This group of false teachers in Ephesus turned the focus away from Jesus and serving others and placed it on 'vain discussions ' or 'idle talk '. In other words, their focus was not on the importance of having a saving faith in Jesus, it wasn't on becoming more holy and more loving, but on truly unimportant matters. They have missed the whole point of what the church was there for. Arrogance and Lack of Understanding in the Church This group was eager to teach but lacking in understanding . They were arrogant people who, instead of listening to those who knew more than they did, wanted to show off what they thought they knew. They were committing the sin of pride. The Proper Use of the Law: Convicting of Sin Paul then explains that the law can be a good thing if it is used properly. The whole purpose of the law is to help people understand their sinfulness and realize that, on their own, they can never be good. Paul then lists examples of lawbreaking (1 Timothy 1:9-10); all of these examples are sins against the Ten Commandments. We might read this list and begin to feel quite good about ourselves until we come to the very end of the list: ' and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.' That, as the saying goes, would cover all the bases. Living in Accordance with Sound Doctrine This tells us that the opposite of sound doctrine is not just teaching wrong doctrine but it's also how a person lives. In 1 Timothy 1:11, Paul says sound teachings are those that agree with Paul's gospel, good news, preaching. Paul describes this gospel as ' the glory of the blessed God '. It is this life altering good news that Paul wanted the Ephesians to preach and teach. It is the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is our completely underserved redemption by a holy God that is the good news. The Responsibility of Teaching and Preaching the Gospel This gospel has been entrusted to Paul to deliver to the gentiles. It was also entrusted to Timothy. In turn, it has been entrusted to us to show the world the love Christ has for them. When we get caught up in petty squabbles, arguing over things that are not important or perhaps even contrary to the word of God, then our focus is wrong and according to Revelation 2, there will be a price to pay for it. The Call to Repentance for the Church at Ephesus In Revelation 2:1-7, the church at Ephesus is called to repent and to remember from where it had fallen. If not, the church would have their lampstand removed. This is symbolic of the presence of the Lord that would be removed from the church. It would be as if that church never really belonged to Him. The Compromised Church at Pergamon The second group of churches that we touched on at the beginning are most like the church at Pergamon in Revelation. This was a compromised church that believed it could be both 'of God' and 'of the world'. Our Lord says we are either for Him or against Him, there is no middle ground (Matthew 12:30). The church at Pergamon was influenced by the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:12-17). Antinomianism: The Nicolaitan Influence The Nicolaitans were a group of early Christians who practiced what is called antinomianism. This belief was like a license to sin without any repentance. Since we are saved by faith, these people believed they could do anything they wanted. Because faith alone was necessary for salvation, moral laws were no longer necessary. Judgment for the Compromised Church Unlike the church at Ephesus who condemned the Nicolaitans, for which Jesus commended them, the church at Pergamon embraced the doctrine. The church at Pergamon was a wealthy church. Its members saw this doctrine as a compromise. A way to have it all—Jesus and the world. They didn't want to take up their cross daily. Jesus declared that if the church at Pergamon doesn't repent that His sword of judgment will fall on them. A Call to Repentance for the Churches: Ephesus, Pergamon, and Ourselves Both churches were called to repentance. Repentance means seeking forgiveness and turning from sin—turning from the lack of love, like in Ephesus, and turning from compromise, like in Pergamon. Jesus desires for the church to reflect Him in everything it does. Do we need to repent? Where have we fallen short of what our Lord expects of us? Promises to Those Who Overcome in Ephesus and Pergamon In Revelation, both churches are told, " He who hath an ear, let him hear. " That means actively listen, pay attention and heed what is being said. Also, both churches are given wonderful promises to those who overcome. To Ephesus, they are promised they will not experience the second death. The second death is a reference to the lake of fire, where those who are separated from God by their sin will dwell for eternity. To Pergamon, they will receive "hidden manna to eat" (Revelation 2:17), for as Jesus says, He is the Bread of Life, given to us so we may have life (John 6:51). He will also give them a "new name" (Revelation 2:17). This is likely referencing the Roman custom of giving victors of athletic competitions a white stone with their name on it. This served as their 'ticket' to enter an awards celebration later on. Balancing Love and Obedience We can talk all we want of love and forgiveness, but without obedience to the Word of God there is judgment. We can also be obedient, but without love for God then we are in danger of judgment. In the case of Ephesus vs. Pergamon, neither wins. Who is your first love? Have you compromised your beliefs to the point where there is little difference between what you believe and the world's beliefs? If you are obedient, why? Love should be our motivator for everything we do. Obedience without love and love without obedience, both fall short of God's plan for us.