Cheryl Norman

Posted on March 16, 2021March 16, 2021 by Cheryl Norman

The Saving Power of God

Pastor Sherry’s message for March 14, 2021

Scriptures: Num 21:4-9; Ps 107:1-3, 17-22; Eph 2:1-10; Jn 3:14-21

Stories are told—true stories—of both Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria pardoning someone who had incurred the death penalty. In Queen Elizabeth’s case, the queen was traveling by barge on July 17, 1579. Not realizing her majesty was cruising through the area, a young man named Thomas Appletree was firing off shots into the air to impress his friends. Unfortunately for him, one of his bullets came within 6 feet of the queen, seriously wounding one of her rowers. The queen offered encouragement to the wounded man while young Appletree was summarily arrested by her guards and later condemned to death. Just as Appletreewas being led to the gallows, however, a pardon arrived from the queengraciously sparing his life. We don’t know her motivations. Perhaps she realized it had been a careless accident, “no harm, no foul.” Or maybe she had an appreciation for the folly of youth. Whatever the case, she let the guy go free.

In Queen Victoria’s case (just 18 years old when she came to the throne in 1837), she was asked to sign some documents, one of which concerned the execution of a criminal. She was reluctant to do this and asked, “And must I be a party to his death?” The Prime Minister answered, “I fear it is so, unless Your Majesty desires to exercise her royal prerogative of mercy.” In a surprising move for someone so young and so new to power, she responded, “As an expression of the spirit in which I desire to rule, I will exercise my royal prerogative.” She wrote, “Pardoned” on the document, and the man was freed.

In both examples, neither fellow to be executed had any power to save himself. Instead, both were pardoned by the sovereign authority—really by the saving grace–of God and of his compassionate monarch.

Our scripture lessons today all attest to the saving power of our God:

Numbers 21:4-9 Recounts the 8th and final incidence of the Israelites grumbling against God during their desert wanderings.

No doubt they were tired of trudging across desert terrain, of the unchanging wilderness landscape, and of the food—marvelous though it was! Even a daily ration of steak or lobster would lose its appeal if that were all we had to eat. So, they declare (v.5)àWe detest this miserable food. Despite the fact that it tasted good (like honey and coriander); was so nutritious that they had no diseases, cancers, or flues for 40 years; and they didn’t have to produce it by digging or hunting. They simply had to gather the flakes from the ground each morning. Falsely asserting that they had it so good back in Egypt, they grumble one too many times.

Their behavior is what we might call “snarky,” or “snaky,” and certainly demonstrated a lack of gratitude to God. So, in an apt judgment for their lack of appreciation, the Lord sets loose poisonous snakes among them. No doubt these snakes bit the worst of the complainers first, and then struck fear into everyone else. (I mean, think of it! No chairs in the desert to jump up on to get away. No guns to shoot the things! YIKES!) But, when they beg Moses for help, God also graciously provides a curious snake-bite remedy: He has Moses fashion a snake out of bronze and affix it to a wooden pole, which he raises up so it can be seen. He then tells them that if they are bitten, they can look upon the snake on the pole and be healed.

This incident and God’s antidote are actually a foreshadowing, or a typology of Jesus: The snake represents the peoples’ sins, ingratitude and rebellion. The snake—sin–is nailed to tree, branch, or cross. (In the Hebrew, all three words are the same. Any portion of a tree, even a twig, was called a tree.) Jesus, on the Cross, exchanges our sins for His right-standing with God the Father.

Today’s Gospel, John 3:14-15, references and interprets this Old Testament event. Jesus says, Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. In other words, as Jesus explains to the Pharisee Nicodemus–and to us–it will be/was necessary for Him to go to the Cross and to die for our sins. We are set free of the penalty for our sins (death) by looking on Jesus with eyes of faith.

John goes on to say, (3:16) For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Notice it says that God loves all, but only saves those who believe in Jesus. Under the Old Covenant, we paid the price for our own sins. We raised or purchased an animal for sacrifice. Our sins were transferred to that animal, which the priest then slaughtered in our presence and burned on the altar. We left sin-free until we sinned again and had to do the same thing over and over. But under the New Covenant, we are forever saved by the power of God through our faith in the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. Please don’t miss the symbolism: Sin (not Jesus) is the snake! But through Jesus, our sin is nailed to the Cross of Christ–nothing else has to die and we are pardoned.

In Ephesians 2:1-10 Paul wants us to be mindful of the fact that we have no power, within ourselves, to save ourselves. Just like the two Brits who were saved by the two young queens, we are guilty of being sinners.

Paul writes, (verses 1-3, Peterson’s The Message) It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose His temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Some scholars believe that, without Jesus, we are all failures, spiritual zombies, lacking any ability to bring ourselves back to life.

But the great Good News is that (v.5)àInstead [of doing away with or executing us], immense in mercy and with an incredible love, He [God] embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on His own, with no help from us! Or, as Paul goes on to explain in verses 8-9 (NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works so that no one can boast.

Another of my heroes of the Christian faith is Martin Luther, the German reformer in the 1500’s. He had an exacting, critical father who wanted him to be a lawyer. Luther aspired to be a Catholic priest instead.

To his father’s huge disappointment, he did get ordained, but suffered from depression—probably somewhat due to having never received his earthly father’s approval. Luther feared he could never be good enough to please God. It is recorded that he read verses 8-9 in Ephesians 2 one day and had a “Eureka moment!” He realized he didn’t have to work so hard to attain God’s favor. No daily confessions–apparently he had attended confession 2-3 times a day trying to overcome his sinfulness. No repeated praying of the rosary day after day and no need to beat himself with a hand-held whip to atone. Instead, he finally realized that God the Father is not like his continually disapproving earthly father. Because of his faith in Christ Jesus, he had God’s favor. Because of our faith in Jesus Christ, we have God’s favor.

Again, Peterson paraphrases Paul so beautifully here (vv.4-7) Now God has us where He wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all His idea, and all His work. All we do is trust Him enough to let Him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. God loves us, but His holiness and His perfect justice require that we confess our sins to and verbalize our need for Him. He has the power and the grace to then forgive us due to Jesus’ atoning death on the Cross, and to (pardon) save us.

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 spells out for us our appropriate response: In verse 1 the psalmist says we want to give thanks to the Lord because He is good to us and loves us. In verses 17-23 he exhorts us not to be rebellious and ungrateful, like the Israelites in the desert. In essence, we are urged to recognize God’s saving power.

The stories of the pardons of the two British queens are very grace-filled, are they not? They were gracious and magnanimous enough to eliminate the men’s punishment. But let’s remember that our God has done them one better. He didn’t just pardon us. He pardoned us thentook our sentence, the death penalty, so that justice was fulfilled and we wouldn’t have to pay the price There’s a contemporary Christian song with the following, relevant lyrics:

Amazing love, oh what sacrifice,

The Son of God given for me.

My debt He paid and my death He died

That I might live.

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

C 2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Cheryl Norman

The Problem With Freedom

Pastor Sherry’s message from March 7, 2021

Scriptures: Ex 20:1-17; Ps 19; 1 Cor 1:18-25; Jn 2:13-22

Remember when the Berlin Wall came down? (Some of us remember when it was put up.) What a historic day! Communism appeared to be collapsing all over Eastern Europe. On Christmas Day of 1989, the Romanian president was captured and executed. Romanians were delirious with their newfound freedom. However, since no one had been left in charge of the country, first joy, then turmoil reigned. Western news correspondents found one woman who spoke English and asked her opinion of the chaos. She stated correctly, “We have freedom, but we don’t know what to do with it.” (“Christian Century”, Mar. 15, 2000). In her country, it appeared that freedom led to anarchy—at least for a time.

Martin Luther expressed similar sentiments following the Protestant Reformation in the 1500’s. The German people were so happy to be out from under the then oppressive rules of the Catholic Church that they initially went hog wild. Believing God’s grace was free, they felt they could do as they liked. Luther himself visited a number of communities near Wittenburg and concluded, “Alas, what wretchedness I beheld. We have perfected the fine art of abusing liberty.” Hoping to reign in the worst of the excesses, he set about writing his Large and Small catechisms.

We can all think of similar cases, can’t we? How about the young man or woman whose folks raised them very strictly, then sent them off to college? You, like me, probably saw some of them lose their minds, once the clamps were removed (drugs, sex, etc). We often see similar behaviors from persons leaving unhappy marriages (partying, drug use, multiple hook ups, etc.).

You see, freedom doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want.

Lasting freedom is much more disciplined than that. Lasting freedom says, “What I want or need is important, but so is what others want or need.” It’s not aggressiveà”Only what I need or want counts,” something we saw a lot of in the riots last summer, when peoples’ property was destroyed and some lives lost. And it’s also not passiveà”Only what you need or want counts.” This is where people take no action to protect their rights. They naively allow someone stronger, or more charismatic/glib, or having more money and influence to determine what happens.

Our Scriptures today impart to us how our God perceives we should respond to our freedoms:

Exodus 20:1-17 demonstrates that we cannot manage well without a moral code. The Israelites have been freed from slavery for about a month. 1^st, they worried about escaping Egypt alive. After God took care of them by parting the Red Sea and eradicating the pursuing Egyptian army,they then became concerned about having enough food and water in the wilderness. By the time of Exodus 20, it had become clear that they didn’t know how to behave. While Moses was up on the mountain, receiving God’s Law, the people took the wealth with which they had left Egypt to make a golden calf to worship! They abused Moses’ leadership andthey were disrespectful to and untrusting of God. God knew they needed some rules to live by and He provided them.

We call these the 10 Commandments: They are a God-given moral code for us. The 1^st four have to do with how we treat or regard God:

1^st, verse 3 No idolatry. This meansno polytheism or multiple gods. But it also implies noaethismàPsalm 53:1àthe fool has said in his heart, “there is no God.” They [the fools who deny god’s existence] are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.

2^nd, verse 4 No idols. This one comes with consequences: punishment to the 3^rd and 4^th generations of those who reject God;but blessings and rewards to the 1000’s of generations of those who love God and obey Him.

3^rd, verse 7 Do not take God’s name in vain. We see and hear cursing all the time which involves God’s name, don’t we? Many people punctuate their speech with curses—and don’t know or care how they offend God.

4^th, verses 8-11 Keep the Sabbath holy. Our culture also violates this one frequently. But those of us who are believers know we need to take a day of rest, 1 per each 7 days to honor God.

The next 6 all have to do with how we treat others:

5^th, verse 12 Honor your father and mother Our God-given moral code toward others begins in our homes. As I have shared several times, my folks were both active alcoholics whom I did not respect. I have since wondered how much of the trouble in my life arose from my teenaged disrespect of them.

6^th, verse13 Do not kill (aimed at individuals, not nations).

7^th, verse 14 Do not commit adultery.

8^th, verse 15 Do not steal.

9^th. verse 16 Do not lie.

10^th,verse 17 Do not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. There was a time I had to not watch HGTV. I found I was coveting the home improvements people enjoyed on those programs. They create an appetite for more and better in us that we have to consciously decide not to pursue.

The 10 Commandments are the guardrails on the highway of life. They are not meant to restrict us as much as to keep us safe. My son owns a Corvette. These high performance cars sit very low to the ground. My daughter has recently built a house at the back of a cow pasture. To get to it, one must drive down a ¼ mile driveway consisting of two deep ruts in the grass—sometimes waiting for curious but unconcerned cows to move out of the way. My son cannot drive his Corvette to see his sister. Corvettes are not meant for off-road treking and neither are we!

Using a different metaphor, J. Vernon McGee says the 10 Commandments are like our bathroom mirror. They help us see the dirt on our faces. Fortunately, we have a sink just below the mirror in which to wash away the dirt. God’s Law is like that mirror. It reveals our sinfulness, but instead of a sink, we have Jesus to then forgive us for our sins.

The ancient Hebrews would not have used either of these metaphors—expensive cars or mirrors, but neither did they regard the 10 Commandments as restrictive. Instead, they viewed them as a gift which kept human ruthlessness at bay; which help us manage our freedoms well; and which convict us of where and when we fall short.

Psalm 19 was written by King David to…

1. Praise God as the God of creation, Elohim (plural form of El, indicating the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit);

2. And praise Him for His Commandments.

David knew full well what happened when someone, including himself, violated God’s Law. In the Bathsheba incident, he had coveted the wife of his “might man,” Urriah. He had an adulterous affair with her, then ordered Urriah to the front of a battle, effectively murdering him. And he committed a lie of omission to then act as though he had done no wrong. After he acknowledged his wrong-doings, he also knew the grief and sorrow these violations caused both him and those they loved. God said the sword would never leave his house. One of his sons raped a daughter by another mother. That daughter’s brother then killed the rapist. Another son attempted to steal his throne from him, and so on. David paid mightily for his sins with Bathsheba! By the time he wrote this psalm, he clearly saw the 10 Commandments as the guardrails on the highway of his life.

In 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, Paul is talking about how the Cross divides humankind into 2 categories: saved vs. unsaved. To those who are perishing, the lost, the Gospel of Christ appears foolish, a folktale, an unbelievable myth. I have certainly encountered scoffers, mockers, and unbelievers. They have made their choice and we Christ-followers know it is a misguided one. But to those of us who believe, the Cross demonstrates the supreme power of God over sin and all the works of the evil one, and over death.

Paul also divides people into two other groups: Jews and Gentiles (Greeks). Essentially, he says the Jews lost out because they denied the Messiahship, the Lordship of Christ. During Jesus’ time among them, they were given many signs/miracles, but they disbelieved them or explained them away. Their religious beliefs had largely become rituals only, empty forms lacking a personal relationship with God and a Holy Spirit inspired view of Scripture. So, instead of looking to see how Jesus fulfilled their Scriptures, they asked for more signs in today’s Gospel, John 2:13-22.

Nevertheless, Jesus did give them one more sign, the “sign of Jonah”(Matt 12:38-40) Just as Jonah was trapped for 3 days in the belly of the fish, Jesus lay in the tomb 3 days before being resurrected.

Paul is writing to Corinthians, those who dwelt around and in the Greek city of Corinth. The Greeks were big believers in the power of human philosophy, or human wisdom, to raise humanity to a higher level of functioning. They sought the truth, but through human intellect. Someone has humorously defined philosophy as, “A blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn’t there.” Not a very reassuring definition is it?

We think we’re very smart, but we can and do justify whatever we want to try to defend. The truth is that the wisdom of God far surpasses ours. Or, as Paul writes, (v.25) For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

So, the problem with freedom is that we humans tend to take it too far. We need limits; we need boundaries to keep us safe. God has provided these boundaries in the 10 Commandments and the rest of His Law. In them, He has taught us how to live in regard to Him and to others. In them. He has taught us how to enjoy freedom free of chaos.

Like David and Paul, let’s praise Him for His life-giving wisdom and His life-saving boundaries.

Posted on March 2, 2021 by Cheryl Norman

Trusting in God’s Promises

Pastor Sherry’s Message for February 28, 2021

Scriptures: Gen 17:1-16; Ps 22:23-31; Ro 4:13-25; Mk 8:31-38

Who of us has not enjoyed Charles Schultz’ comic strip, “Peanuts”? Charlie Brown, the main character, though just a child–with an amazingly creative dog, Snoopie– is sort of a pint-sized “everyman,” a “mensch” as they would say in Yiddish. Most of us can identify with his earnestness, his longing to be well regarded (especially by the curly-haired girl of his dreams), and his desire to do the right thing. We can also all identify with him when things in his life go wrong. Consider his relationship with Lucy and the football: Haven’t you found yourself thinking, if not saying, “Charlie Brown, don’t trust her to hold that football!” You know she will grab it out of the way just as you go to kick it, don’t you? Charlie, she just can’t resist seeing you fall flat on your bohunkus! Charlie, don’t you know by now, she can’t be trusted?”

Charlie Brown is just a cartoon character, but don’t you identify with him in this? Can’t you think of times you have trusted someone, like Lucy, who turned out to be clearly untrustworthy? We may not have landed flat on our backsides like Charlie, but the disappointment and the betrayal hurt nonetheless.

There is such good news about the character of our God! For all of us Charlie Browns, one of the best of God’s characteristics is that He is trustworthy! My first principal told me, in dealing with high school students, “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” She was a 35 year old nun who had been an excellent teacher herself. She mentored me and claimed me to the teaching profession in 1970. In advising me to always say what I meant and to mean what I said, she was conveying to me one of the ways you earn students’ trust and cooperation—and she was right!

Our God says what He means and means what He says. God does not lie. He always speaks the truth. He has earned our trust and our cooperation. Our Scriptures today provide several examples of this:

Genesis 17:1-16. Last week, we examined God’s Covenant promise to Noah. Remember, He promised never again to destroy all living creatures with a worldwide flood. And now, several thousands of years later, He hasn’t broken this promise. Our Old Testament reading this week finds God making a number of new promises to Abram. The pre-incarnate Jesus visits Abram when Abram is 99 years old (Sarai, his wife, is 89). Jesus tells him that he will be (vv.4-5)…the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. The name Abram means exalted father in the Hebrew; whereas Abraham means father of many, or, father of a multitude. Jesus changes his name to indicate the coming change in his status: he is already a father to Ishmael, but by human manipulation. God intends to make him the father of Isaac by divine intervention. Jesus prophesies that nations and kings will come from Abraham’s lineage–not just figuratively or even spiritually, but literally and biologically. In the 4000+ years since this prophesy, two great nations have indeed come from Abraham and Sarah: (1) the Arabs from Ishmael’s line; (2) the Jews from Isaac’s line; (3) and Christians worldwide, who have been grafted into Isaac’s line through Christ Jesus. How’s that for promise-keeping?!

In verse 7, God promises to be Abraham’s God forever. In verse 8, God guarantees that the Land of Canaan will be …an everlasting possession to [Abraham] and to your descendants after you. Nowthe Jews have been put out of the Holy Land 3 times:

First, when famine drove them to Egypt under Joseph’s administration under pharaoh. There were approximately 90 of them when Jacob’s extended family sought Joseph’s aid, but over 1.5 to 2 million of them when they left to return to the Land during the exodus 400+ years later.

Second, in 578BC, as a punishment for idolatry.

Lastly, in 70AD as a punishment from the Romans for continuing insurrection, but actually from God for having rejected His Messiah. Scripture seems to indicate that they will not truly be restored to the Land until Jesus’ 2^nd Coming. (They were ceded the state of Israel in 1947, but its borders were/are far smaller than what God gave to Abraham, and there are said to be more Jews in New York than there are now in Israel.) However, the Lord made this as an everlasting promise, so we can be sure that Israel will one day be fully restored to the Jews.

Finally, in verse 10, God says the sign of the covenant will be circumcision. This is done at 8 days old for Jews (13 years old for Arabs). It’s a permanent sign. Unlike a tattoo, it cannot be undone. In essence it means, If I do not keep this covenant, may the sword of the Lord cut me off and my offspring as I have cut off my foreskin. YIKES! This is a serious promise!

Psalm 22:23-31. The first portion of this psalm conveys Jesus’ thoughts from the Cross. Scholars believe He also thought this section assigned for us today, even though it celebrates the sovereignty and the trustworthiness of God. Think of that. Struggling for breath from the Cross, and in terrible pain, Jesus ends His meditations by declaring (v.28) that God the Father has charge of all creation, …for dominion belongs to the Lord and He rules over the nations. Jesus’ final word from the cross and in this psalm is Tetelestai, (v.31) it is finished. (This is actually His next to the last statement He made before His death. As He breathed His last, He said, Father, into Your hands I commend [place] My spirit.) How remarkable that, as He was dying, He would be rejoicing with His Father over having completed the work God sent Him to earth to do.

Romans 4:13-25. Paul is trying to demonstrate that Abraham was made righteous before God by his faith, not his deeds. Actions-wise, Abraham was just like us, a mix of good intentions, wise actions, and sinfulness. However, it was his trust in God that makes him a standout, the “Father of our Faith.” Paul makes the point in verses 19-21, that Abraham, without weakening in his faith,… faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb [at 90YO] was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. This is why it was credited to him as righteousness. Abraham believed God even though biology, science, and common sense would have all made the case that a 100YO and a 90YO could not conceive and bear a child. Oh that we might believe in God’s promises with this kind of unwavering faith!

Finally, in our Gospel lesson (Mark 8:31-38), Jesus rebukes Peter for wanting Jesus to act according to Peter’s expectations. You see, it’s not just science, biology, and common sense that we have to sometimes set aside in our walk in faith. It’s our will, too, that can be problematic. Peter’s understanding was that Messiah would reign victoriously, so he was appalled that Jesus would predict His own death. Jesus goes on to state thatHis followers must deny their own will, or…take up [our] cross and follow Him. His followers must be willing suffer and to lose their [physical] lives in order to gain them [eternal spiritual ones]. YIKES! Isn’t that where we err also? We want Jesus to do for us what we request of Him. Instead our Lord would have us trust in Him and do as He directs us to do.

Are we willing to do this? Do we so trust in Jesus that, like Abraham, we would deny biology, science, and common sense and trust in what God promises us? Do we so trust in Jesus that, like Peter, we would stand corrected when what we desire contradicts what God wants for us? When our will clashes with God’s will for us? When our perception of what should happen conflicts with what God allows to happen?

If you are one of those who want Charlie Brown to quit trusting in Lucy, rest reassured that Charles Schultz was a Christian. He wrote his comic strip over 50 years, from 1950 to the year 2000 when he died. He showed us through the Peanuts gang that some are trustworthy—Linus for one, and Snoopy for another, and some are not–Lucy. Charles Schultz knew and believed in the One who is worthy of trust. Hopefully we do too!

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Cheryl Norman

Our Divine Benefactor

Pastor Sherry’s Message for February 21, 2021

Scriptures: Gen 9:8-17; Ps 25:1-10; 1 Pet 3:18-22; Mark 1:9-15

Back in ancient times, when a person could no longer repay their debts (they were forced into bankruptcy), a list was made of how much they owed to whomever, and this list was posted in a public place. The idea was to punish them by humiliation. The list was posted with a nail at the top and at the bottom. If the bankrupt person had a wealthy friend, that friend might feel moved to wipe out the debt. If so, the friend would remove the bottom nail, fold over the parchment, re-secure the list with that nail, and write his signature across the document. This action signified to all that the wealthy friend would cover all his debtor friend owed. How fortunate for the debtor!

This is exactly what Jesus Christ has done for us. Like that ancient debtor, we too were/are over our heads in what we owed God for having sinned against Him. But in our case, Jesus is our wealthy friend, our Divine Benefactor. His death atoned for (covered the cost of) our sins. By going to the Cross, our sinless Savior signified that He had taken on our punishment. Since Scripture tells us the wages of sin is death, Jesus’ substitionary death by crucifixion totally wiped out our debt to God the Father. From the Cross, Christ wrote paid across the list of our sins. Jesus, our Divine Benefactor, did for us what we could not do for ourselves. What a blessing! What a testimony to God’s love, grace, and mercy!

Our Scripture passages today all speak of God’s love, grace, and mercy. On this 1^st Sunday of Lent, let’s be Bereans (the original folks from Missouri, the “Show me State”) and examine them to see.

A. Genesis 9:8-17. After flooding the earth and wiping out all life forms except those in the ark, God establishes a covenant with Noah, his sons, their wives, all future humans, and all animals. God Himself promised Noah He would never again judge the earth with a worldwide flood. People then must have been pretty bad to have brought on such a drastic punishment! Out of all the persons on earth, only Noah, his wife, and his 3 sons and their wives, were righteous (Would we have made it into the ark?). Of all the persons on earth then, only8 were spared. YIKES! Did God have to make a promise to Noah? No! He’s God. He’s not beholden to anyone. Nevertheless, He made Noah an unconditional promise to never punish humankind with another flood. This is why Biblical scholars believe the next big punishment will come by fire, wind, plagues, and/or earthquakes. God then went on to sign this promise with the symbol of the rainbow. This symbol has been co-opted by the LGBTQ movement; but it was originally meant as a symbol of God’s covenant commitment to us. This passage demonstrates God’s love, grace and mercy to humankind (and to animal-kind, as well).

B. Psalm 25:1-10. This psalm was composed by King David as a plea for God’s mercy and for deliverance from David’s enemies. It’s written as an acrostic, with each verse beginning with the next letter in the Hebrew alphabet. An American example of this might be the following:

A-All of us look to God,

B–because He loves us and is powerful.

C—Consequently we can trust in Him to care for us, etc.

In this psalm, David expresses his confidence in God to care for him in his time of trouble.

Verses 1-3 articulateDavid’s plea that God would thwart his enemies, especially those who transgress against him without reason or justification.

You might be able to think of someone like that in your life. Two families in our congregation are currently being pestered and annoyed by a mean and vengeful neighbor. They aren’t even aware of what they have done to set this unforgiving and unhinged man off. Notice that David doesn’t gossip or talk ugly about his enemies, but just takes his complaint about them to the Lord. This is what we need to do about this aggravating and threatening neighbor. Pray for him. Pray for a change in his heart and in his thinking. As Paul says, this kind of response will heap burning coals on his head.

In verses 4-5, David moves to asking God to teach him God’s ways.

He wants to be led by God’s Truths. He obediently waits upon the Lord for guidance. In verse 6, David asks God to…remember Your tender mercies and Your loving kindnesses. But, in verse 7, he beseeches God to please forget his sins. Even though Jesus has not yet come to redeem David’s sins, David is hopeful he will receive God’s pardon by asking.

Finally, as he also wrote in Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life…, he sums up his confidence and trust in the Lord. David’s faith and certainty in the Lord are a great model for us.

C. 1 Peter 3:18-22 returns us to the theme that Jesus died for to make atonement for our sins. Peter reminds his readers in verse 18àFor Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. Eugene Peterson paraphrases it this way in The Message: that’s what Christ did, definitively: Suffered because of others’ sins–the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God. Once again, we are being reminded that Jesus paid the price for our sins.

Then Peter makes reference to Noah. He surprisingly claims that God worked through Noah for 120 years to bring the lawless and the sinful to God (construction of the ark apparently took 120 years). Some scholars believe Peter may have instead been referring to the interval between Jesus’ death and resurrection, suggesting that Jesus went into Hades to preach repentance to those of Noah’s time who had not submitted themselves to God during their lives. Whatever the case, Peter restates that only 8 persons were saved from the flood. Noah and his family went through a symbolic baptism. During the flood, their sins–not their bodies–were washed away, as are ours when we are baptized into Christ.

As a man who once abandoned Christ, Peter wants us to realize that it is Jesus’ death and resurrection that save us. Again, as Peterson summarizes verse 22àJesus has the last word on everything and everyone, from angels to armies. He’s standing right alongside God, and what He says goes.

D. Mark 1:9-15.

John Mark very concisely sets out Jesus’ baptism, His temptation in the desert for 40 days, and how He emerges from this time of testing to begin His ministry. Like His cousin, John the Baptist, Jesus calls folks to repentance. But He goes beyond John the Baptist in that, rather than state that Messiah is coming, He declares (v.15)…the kingdom of God is near. In other words, God is near them in the person of Jesus; or, God rules and reigns on the earth through Jesus.

I have preached to you several times already about Jesus’ baptism and temptations. Today, let me just emphasize that He was probably temped all 40 days in the wilderness. Scripture only makes mention of 3 big temptations, but I believe we can rest assured that Satan was relentless with Jesus—just as he is with us! Is it only me, or do you find that the evil one tempts you daily, almost constantly?

Then, having resisted these temptations, Jesus initiates His ministry with power! He doesn’t falter or flatter. He says, essentially (again, re Peterson)àTime’s up! God’s Kingdom is here. Change your life and believe the Message [the Gospel; the Good News]. What is that Good News? It is that…

1.) God loves us with a steadfast and generous love.

2.) So much so that He sent His only Son to take on the penalty for our debts.

3.) We don’t have to work our way into God’s favor.

4.) We enjoy God’s favor due to the selfless, saving death of Christ.

Today is the 1^st Sunday of Lent. Our Scriptures remind us that Jesus Christ is our Divine Benefactor. He paid the price for our sins so that we don’t have to. He paid the price for our sins because we, like the massive debtor of ancient times, could not do so for ourselves. As I said on Ash Wednesday, Lent is a time to re-evaluate our relationship to God, to take a searching moral inventory (Step 4 of AA) of our sinfulness, and to repent and to ask God’s forgiveness.

Because of our Diving Benefactor, Jesus, we can trust in God’s love, grace, and mercy towards us. Whether you choose to give up something for Lent or to take on a new spiritual discipline, let’s be sure to express our gratitude to God the Father for sending us Jesus Christ, our Divine Benefactor . Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ!

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Cheryl Norman

Sacrifices Pleasing to God

Pastor Sherry’s Message for Ash Wednesday February 17, 2021

Scriptures: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Ps 51:1-17; 2 Cor 5:20b-6:10; Matt 6:1-6,16-21

The story is told of 2 African chiefs who came to a missionary named Chalmers. They approached him to request Christian teachers for their villages. He apologized, saying he had no one to send to them. Two years passed and the chiefs appeared again with the same request. This time, Chalmers went back with them himself. What he saw at the first village stopped him cold in his tracks. All the people of the village were silently on their knees. It was a Sunday, so Chalmers asked what they were doing. The chief replied that they were all praying. Chalmers then noted, “But no one is saying anything.” The chief then replied, “White man, we do not know what to say. For two years, every Sunday morning we have met here. And for four hours we have been on our knees and we have been praying like that; but we do not know what to say.”

This is a true story, but one that’s hard for us to imagine, isn’t it? I don’t know about you, but stories like this of faith and piety or persistence in seeking God make me ashamed of myself by comparison. Would I, would you, willingly spend 4 hours on our knees seeking God, especially if we did not know how to pray? I believe this kind of faith and persistence is pleasing to God. I believe it blesses His heart. We too can bless God’s heart—and open our own hearts up to improve our spiritual connection with Him.

A. Joel 2:1-2, 12-17:Joel is prophesying to the Southern Kingdom that “the Day of the Lord”—the day of judgment–is coming. In the short term, Judah will be overrun by locusts, bringing on a widespread famine; but this was a metaphor for the long-term prophesy that the Babylonians would eventually invade and take over the Promised Land. So his message—from the Lord—is that they need to repent while they still have time. They can avoid locusts, famine, and a Babylonian takeover if they will return to the Lord (stop their worship of idols), confess their sins, and declare a holy fast to demonstrate their renewed commitment to God. Joel reminds them—and us– that God will give them another chance.

In v.13b he writes, He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love…[and] He relents from sending calamity. In other words, God loves them and wants them to draw near to Him, to avoid His judgment. Our culture today is in a similar fix. We have stopped worshipping the One True God. Instead, we have made idols of money, influence, power, materialism, our own intellects, sex, etc. Like those long-ago Judeans, if we want to please God, we need to humble ourselves before Him, admit our sins and failures, and ask His forgiveness.

Thankfully, it’s still not too late to avoid God’s wrath and discipline, but they—and we–need to get busy! We need to ask ourselves, in the past year, have we been more concerned with the things of this world than with the things of God? This past year, this year of Covid-19, has the Lord always taken 1^st place in our hearts? Or have we allowed other priorities, and our fears, to crowd Him out? Have we been so focused on those priorities and fears that we have neglected to nurture our vital relationship with Jesus? Have we abandoned meeting with Him in daily prayer and Scripture reading? Have we locked the doors to our heart, assuming that our faith will remain intact until we have time to give it? Unfortunately, death can come to us too quickly for us to react and ask God to save us. We need to make the decision to draw near to God right now.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a period of spiritual house-cleaning lasting 40 days. Scholars have traced its observance to the early 100’s (attested to by Irenaeus of Lyons). The 40 days are a reminder of the time Jesus fasted in the wilderness. Ashes are applied to the forehead to remind us of the truth from Gen 3:19 when God told Adam and Eve, Remember you are dust and to dust you will return. The ashes are a sign of our repentance and our sorrow for our sins. As such, they remind us of the need to maintain our commitment to love and please Almighty God.

B. David’s evidence of his sorrow for his sins in perfectly recalled in Psalm 51. The prophet Nathan has confronted him about his sins of covetousness, adultery, and murder related to the beautiful Bathsheba. His resulting lament to God provides a perfect example of how we should feel about our own sins. (1)He takes personal responsibility—he admits he is guilty and does not blame others, including Bathsheba. (2)He humbly pleads with God to(a) forgive him and (b)give him a pure heart, saying, in v.10, Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast [right] spirit within me. David ended his life as a man after God’s own heart. This means that despite his sins, he pleased the Lord. We too, following David’s humble and heartfelt example, can please the Lord.

C. Paul calls for us to be reconciled to God in 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10. We do this by remembering that Jesus, who was sinless, took on all our sins so that we could stand before God with clear consciences and clean hearts. Paul also tells us we do this by not allowing anything to displace our focus on God. Do you recognize the common theme throughout these passages? (1)Remember what Jesus has done for us;

(2) Keep God 1^st pursuing Him like those African seekers;

(3) Humble ourselves with frequent sin inventories;

(4) Seek God’s face and ask His forgiveness.

D. In Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21, Jesus tells us how to best go about fasting and doing good in God’s name. We are to fast and practice good deeds quietly, without any fanfare. He assures us that even if no one else notices, God does. If we play to the crowd, we receive our reward, from onlookers here on earth. But tostore up lasting treasure for ourselves in heaven, we want to be “stealth-givers” and silent, non-complaining fasters. This is not how we get ourselves to heaven–Jesus has already done that for us. But giving and fasting this covert way both blesses God’s heart and draws us closer to Him.

Again, today we begin the season of Lent. As usual, I am asking us all to fast something. It can be food or drink, or TV, or social media.

But it can also be a habit, something that calms you or brings you pleasure;

When we resolve to let go of it for 40 days, we demonstrate to God our commitment to get our hearts right with Him.

Rather than fast, you may choose instead to add a spiritual practice that will draw you closer to Christ. You may wish to do a Bible study, or to read a set of Lenten devotions. Or you may want to increase your time spent in prayerful conversation with God. Whether we give up something or add something, let’s realize that in doing so, we are making the kinds of sacrifices that please our God.

Posted on February 17, 2021 by Cheryl Norman

We Do Not Lose Heart!

Pastor Sherry’s Message for February 14, 2021

Scriptures: 2 Kings 2:1-12; Ps 50:1-6; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6; Mark 9:2-9

This past Wednesday, I preached the funeral of D.W. Williams, a 94 year old member of this congregation. After the service ended, one of his nephews—a man about my age—approached me for conversation. It turns out he works for Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse organization in North Carolina. He told me he is in charge of the distribution of the Christmas shoeboxes we help with annually to a large section of Africa. In fact, on his last trip over, he contracted the Covid virus in Rwanda, but said he got excellent medical care. We chatted at length about how fabulously God works through those gift boxes to bring so many children to a saving belief in Jesus Christ. My particular favorite tale was of the young boy who desperately wanted a black shirt and a black cap. Those two items were among the bounty in the shoebox he was given. Only God could make such a thing happen!

From there, he segued into telling me that not every member of his family at the funeral service was a professing Christian. This is often the case, so I was not surprised. It almost seems easier to reach children in Africa, who have so little–with some small gifts—than privileged and highly educated adults in the U.S.

Paul speaks to this phenomenon—and our response to it— in his 2^nd Corinthians (4:1-6) passage today. Paul begins by affirming that we have all been given the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel. We may do this by preaching and teaching, like me, or like Ken and Jenn who evangelize in Eastern Europe each summer. Or we may share our faith with friends who are open to it, through conversations or writing books—like Jenn or like my son, David. Or we can reach others by writing and singing worship songs, like Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, or other contemporary Christian singers and composers. Or we may witness to others by simply trying to live out a life pleasing to God, letting what we do and what we don’t do be our model to others. I don’t believe we are called to stand on street corners and wave our Bibles at passersby, or to go door to door to try to convey the Gospel. Jesus didn’t do this. He spoke to those who were open to His message, and he told the disciples to share with those who were interested, but to shake the dust off their feet and move on when they encountered those who were not.

Next, Paul says our ministry is best served if we live lives that demonstrate Jesus’ transforming effect on us. Listen to how Peterson’s The Message paraphrases v.2: We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don’t twist God’s Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God. In other words, we are not hypocrites. We are not posers or fakers. We believe the Word we present. The fellow at the funeral said he could tell I believed in Jesus as I preached. Though we’re not perfect, the way we live should, as much as possible, reflect well on Christ.

However we go about it, Paul says (v.1)…we do not lose heart. We don’t look at our lack of results and give up. I could tell by watching peoples’ faces and by observing their body language (at the funeral) who was open to the Gospel and who was not. We remember that even Jesus did not convince everyone in His day. We remember that we are called to share our faith, but the results are up to the individual and to God.

And we don’t contort God’s Word to justify things we want that God does not condone. We don’t add to God’s Word. For example, you’ve probably heard folks say that, “God helps those who help themselves,” but this proverb comes from Benjamin Franklin, not Scripture. In addition, we don’t take anything away from it, even if we don’t always understand or like God’s message. For example, our culture is at odds with God on the issues of marriage, life, and homosexuality. God has said that marriage is between one man and one woman, only. Similarly, God is the giver of life and we are not free to justify the killing of unborn children. Finally, I have read Romans chapter 1 in the original Greek. It is very clear there that God is opposed to homosexual acts—both those done by men and by women–just as He is to heterosexual acts of fornication. I cannot honor God and “shack up” with a man. The only legitimate place for sexual activity is within marriage. We must remember, though, that we love the sinner while not excusing the sin.

Paul goes on to say (vv.3-4) that not everyone is going to understand God’s message. Paul blames “the god of this world” for blinding people to the truth of the Gospel. He writes, The god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God. Satan applies scales to their eyes so they cannot see/perceive the Truth.

Haven’t you heard nonbelievers say, “I read the Bible but I cannot understand it.” Or, “There are things in the Bible that I just cannot believe.” When we don’t understand, we ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten us (which is one of His jobs), or to lead us to a pastor or a Bible study to help us get it. I recommend any Beth Moore study, or for folks to tune into Dr. David Jeremiah or to Dr. J. Vernon McGee, both of whom are excellent at explaining God’s Word. Again, as Peterson presents it, If our message is obscure to anyone, it’s not because we’re holding back in any way. No, it’s because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won’t have to bother believing a Truth they can’t see. They’re stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we’ll ever get.

Consider today’s Gospel lesson (Mark 9:2-9): John, James, and Peter actually get to see Jesus in His glorified or heavenly state. Scales removed, or vision transformed, they see Jesus as God’s Divine Son. There is an otherworldly glow or aura about Him. He is encompassed with bright, almost blinding light—not light that shines down on Him but light that shines forth from within Him. If that weren’t enough, they encounter God the Father. Much as He did in the 40 years of the Israelites’ desert wanderings, He manifests as cloud and fire or bright light. Additionally, He speaks and they hear, Mark 9:7: Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them and a voice came from the cloud: This is my Son, Whom I love. Listen to Him! Literally, John, James, and Peter see the Light of Christ. They hear God’s voice and they later, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, faithfully recount this experience.

Back to Paul, in verse 7 he says, But we have this treasure [the Gospel] in jars of clay [our ordinary/ human minds and bodies] to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are simply messengers of the Gospel to others. How amazing of God to trust its transmission to us!

In verses 8-9, Paul reiterates the troubles we may encounter when we share Christ with nonbelievers (as per Peterson): You know for yourselves that we are not much to look at. [Again, the power of the Gospel comes from God, not us.] We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, He does in us—He lives!

The nephew at the funeral commended me for preaching the Gospel even though unbelievers were present. As I stated last week, I can’t not preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was my first ordination vow.

It is also commended to us by Scripture (2 Timothy 4:2), where Paul tells the young pastor Timothy, Preach the Word; be prepared, in season and out of season [the Gospel is clearly out of season in our country today, isn’t it?]: correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

I believe that time is now. Many, even in our denomination, have abandoned the wisdom of God for their own faulty perceptions. In over 40 years of counseling others, I have heard people justify all kinds of sinful things: murder, theft, not repaying debts, committing adultery, and even abusing children or the elderly. Human beings are remarkably good at justifying whatever they want to do. But we have a standard, and that standard is the Word of God, the Bible. May we not be justifiers of immoral behavior, our own or that of others. May we stand fast for the Gospel! May we not lose heart, but continue to place our trust in Jesus Christ. Amen!

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Cheryl Norman

Our God Does Not Forget Us!

Pastor Sherry’s Message for February 7, 2021

Scriptures: Isa 40:21-31; Ps 147:1-11; 1 Cor 9:16-23; Mk 1:29-30

If we were having a conversation, I would ask you to tell me if you have heard this story before. But, we’re not, so please bear with me if this is a repeat. It’s the truestory of the Cambodian man whose testimony I heard in a college chapel service and found to be riveting!

In the 1970’s, he was a 16 YO brilliant student, already in medical school at that young age. One day, he and his friends were recreating in a city park when truckloads of Kmer Rouge soldiers (under the dictator PolPot) descended upon them. He witnessed his friends to either side of him being shot to death. (They held University ID’s, and the communists were bent on getting rid of all intellectuals, doctors, etc.). He was spared because—through a bureaucratic snafu, he had as yet no university ID [1^st miracle]. Nevertheless, he was taken to prison camp with many others. The word had spread there that they were all to be executed (You may remember a movie which documented those events called, “The Killing Fields”). He found himself blindfolded and lined up and realized the executions were being carried out to his left. He said he cried out to God, “If You exist, spare my life and I will serve you for the remainder of it.” By a 2nd miracle, they ceased the executions just before they reached him.

In a 3^rd miracle, he escaped into the jungle. While running by night and hiding during the day, he met a fellow he called, “The Jungle Man,” a 4^th miracle. “The Jungle Man” was a Christian who shared with him his faith in Jesus. He taught him one Bible verse–probably John 3:16. (Just think, if you were running for your life, which one Bible verse would you have wanted to have memorized?) They had to separate for safety, but the Cambodian gradually made it to a refugee camp across the border into Thailand. In a 5^th miracle, he encountered “The Jungle Man” at the camp community water faucet. “The Jungle Man” then taught him another Bible verse. Daily, he learned a new verse and shared with whoever-camped-in-his-area would listen. No one had a Bible, but many were hungry to learn of Christ. There is no telling how many were saved by learning those verses and sharing the love of Jesus with other refugees. Not so ironically, they took in Living Water around a simple water faucet.

In a 6^th miracle, the Cambodian found sanctuary in the US, in Denver, Colorado. There, he completed college and seminary—though he didn’t share how that had come about. Nevertheless, it is clear he honored his promise to God to become a pastor. I have no idea how many Cambodian refugees found their way to that Denver seminary, but in a 7^th miracle, the Cambodian man met there and married a Cambodian Christian woman.

They completed their studies and returned to Cambodia to preach the Gospel to their countrymen (now a communist country). They were both arrested on arrival, imprisoned, and denied much food or water. Like Paul in our 1^st Corinthians passage, he believed he could not stand to not preach the Gospel. Like Jeremiah, he felt his very bones would have to cry out God’s word. His confinement left him despondent and frustrated with God. As he grumbled one day, his dear wife reminded him, “Husband, didn’t Paul preach to the walls when he was imprisoned?” So he began to preach to the walls. It turned out they were bugged! Several communist guards who were listening were actually converted! [8^th miracle]. In a 9^th miracle, they came to him and said,”We can’t let you go, but is there something else we can do for you?” I might have asked for more food or water, but in his zeal, he asked them to bring people to his prison door so he could preach to them. He reported that the guards actually went out into the streets and brought people in by gun point! [10^th miracle] Eventually, he and his wife were released [11^th miracle], and he founded a Christian Seminary in Cambodia. By the time I heard him, he had been leading teaching crusades for Jesus in soccer stadiums in Cambodia, still a communist country [12^th miracle].

I was very touched by his testimony (which I heard in the late 1990’s). It was clear to me that God protected and provided for him over and over again in miraculous ways. He knew for certain that God had saved him, several times over. The Cambodian man’s experiences are dramatic and extraordinary, but as our Scriptures today attest, we too can be assured of God’s love, grace, provision, and protection. Let’s focus on 2 of them:

1.) Isaiah 40:21-31. Isaiah is probably my favorite book in the Old Testament. It is certainly quoted in the New Testament more than any other O.T. book. Beginning with Chapter 40, the Prophet Isaiah is foretelling the return of the Israelite remnant from their Babylonian Captivity. Now scholars believe Isaiah prophesied from 750-700BC. In previous chapters, he predicts the Southern Kingdom, including Jerusalem, will be taken intocaptivity because they abandoned God and worshipped pagan dieties. God then removed His protection from them and allowed the Babylonians to capture and deport them in 586BC. Now, in chapter 40, Isaiah predicts that 70 years later God will bring them back home. This had been meant as a punishment for their spiritual adultery. In His mercy, however, God fully meant to later restore them. In fact,God assures them in this message that, when the time comes, they will be able to pack up and set out in confidence. WHY?

a.)Because of His power and His sovereignty. Afterall, He is (v.22) enthroned above the circle of the earth. The sky and its stars are His canopy, His tent. In Verses 22-24, he says essentially that God rules and overrules the decisions and the actions of rulers. They only come to power because He allows it. And when their reign ends, they disappear like dandelion seeds dispersed by wind.

b.) And because He does not forget about us or fall asleep on the job! In verse 27, we learn thatGod knows where they are and what they need (He knows this about us too). In verse 28, he proclaims that The Lord is the everlasting God. This means He’s not dead! He’s not even retired!

He hasn’t abandoned us or left us to fend for ourselves. Psalm 121:4 echoes this: He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep….Later, in verses 7-8, the psalmist declares, The Lord will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. I don’t know about you, but I find deep comfort and reassurance in these passages.

c.) Finally, if we wait upon Him (hope/trust in Him), God will renew our strength. Isaiah 40:29 says, He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. And in verse 30 (saving the best for last; this is one verse I would memorize to share), But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint. Do you know that God gave the Israelites strength to walk back to Jerusalem from Babylon, a journey on foot of 1678 miles! He did the same for the Cambodian pastor. Like Paul, the Cambodian fellow felt compelled to preach the Gospel. Like Paul, God gave the Cambodian the power to preach and an audience to preach to. So too can we assume He will also strengthen us if we ask.

2.) Mark 1:29-39. Look at the renewed strength Jesus gave to Peter’s wife’s mother! She was sick, He healed her, and she popped right up and fixed Him supper. From the perspective of one laid low this past week by a reaction to the Covid vaccine, I can now appreciate more fully how complete was her healing. I spent two days in bed recuperating, while she immediately felt good enough to get up from bed and cook.

The same was true for Jesus. He taught at the Synagogue, chased out some demons, then He healed untold numbers of sick and demonized after sundown (once the Sabbath had ended). Surely He was tired! But rather than sleeping in late the next day, He got up early and went off alone to pray. He knew that it was His connection to His Father and the Holy Spirit that renewed His strength. Sure, He was/is God and we are not. But He was/is human too, with human needs and frailties like ours. I think Mark is emphasizing for us what Jesus modeled: the necessity of a prayer connection with Our Heavenly Father, our Source and our Strength.

Over the course of this next week, I urge you to focus on the encouragement our God gives us for those times we grow weary or overwhelmed. We tend to think, “I can’t!” or “It’s awful!” and forget that God is able. Like with a deck of cards, pick a worry, any worry:

a.) Your health; the Covid or other illnesses or concerns.

b.) Your finances; the direction of the economy;

c.) The moral decline of our culture;

d.) The bad behavior or poor choices of a loved one;

e.) The bad behavior or poor choices of our political leaders;

f.) A mental condition or an addictive pattern with which you currently struggle, etc.

Let’s remember that none of these issues is a surprise to God. None of these is too difficult for Him to handle. None of these is outside His expertise or His control. This week, let’s practice trusting in the God of Isaiah, of St. Paul and of the Cambodian pastor. Our God is never asleep at the wheel! He knows what is going on in our lives and what we need. When we trust in Him to provide and protect, He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Posted on February 3, 2021February 3, 2021 by Cheryl Norman

Despite How It Looks Now, Jesus is in Control

Pastor Sherry’s message for January 31, 2021

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Mark 1:21-28

In 1970, a KGB agent (the Russian version of our CIA), named Yuri Bezmenov, defected to the West. There is a 1985 YouTube video of him talking about the communist strategy for taking over the U.S. 35 years ago, he said the strategy had been plotted for years and had already begun to undermine our country. He claimed there are 4 steps to a communist takeover of America:

1.) The 1st is what he called “demoralization.”

He said, “Marxism-Leninism ideology is being pumped into the soft heads of at least three generations of American students, without being challenged or counter-balanced by the basic values of Americanism and American patriotism…The demoralization process in the United States is basically completed already [1985]…Most of it is done by Americans to Americans thanks to lack of moral standards.” This process seems to render facts and truth as irrelevant, because, as Bezmenov asserted, a demoralized person is not capable of ascertaining what is true from what is false. Such a person has no standard by which to discern truth. He went so far as to claim, “Even if I take him [a demoralized American] by force to the Soviet Union and show him a concentration camp, he will refuse to believe it until he is going to receive a kick in his fat bottom. When the military boot crashes him, then he will understand, but not before that.” And then it would be too late.

2.) The 2nd stage is a period of “social chaos,” usually lasting 2-5 years. The media, some politicians, and academia join to incite and downplay chaos. Riots, as we saw this past summer, are redefined as “peaceful protests.” But persons who express outrage against this chaos are redefined as “bigots,” “extremists,” and “insurrectionists.” During this time period, the government will promise all kinds of freebies to American citizens as it becomes bigger and more intrusive.

3.) Stage 3 instigates a crisis leading either to “civil war or “foreign invasion.” This stage is said to last from 2-6 months. Bezmenov maintained that the “useful idiots” who helped bring this crisis about will then become disillusioned and will then either be killed off, imprisoned, or exiled by those in authority.

4.) Bezmenov referred to the final stage as “normalization.” The U.S. will have become communist. Based on the experiences of other countries, like Grenada, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and China, it appears to take about 20 years for the country to accept this as the new norm.

I don’t know about you, but I find his experience and his predictions to be chilling. I started my career path as a high school teacher of US History and US Government. Though I later moved on to become a licensed psychologist and then an ordained pastor, I have never really forgotten my interest in American governance and have continued to observe our cultural trends.

As I considered Bezmenov’s descriptions and predictions, it occured to me that–35 years after his interview—his assessment and predictions appear to be accurate. It looks to me as if we are already in Stage 2 Chaos. As a nation, we have sidelined our moral compass, Jesus Christ. And we are watching those in power currently “restructuring” how we see and do things politically, economically, militarily, and governmentally. This can be both overwhelming and distressing to us.

But in these uncertain and rapidly changing times, we need to pray for our nation and to keep our eyes on–and our faith in–Jesus.This is what our lessons teach us today.
Deuteronomy 18:14-20 Moses is prophesying the coming of a prophet greater than he was. 1st he tells the people to obey the prophets. Why would this be his concern? Because authentic prophets convey messages from God (they are essentially God’s mouth-pieces).

The marks of a true prophet are that what he/she says is consistent with Scripture, and that what he/she foretells actually happens. 2nd, he wants them to get into the habit of listening to the prophets—God will send them a number of good ones—so they will then be prepared to hear the Ultimate Prophet when Jesus arrives. Jesus Christ is the Ultimate Word of God. He is God’s fullest revelation of Himself to us. As the Son of God, He has authentic knowledge of God the Father. He represented the Father openly, honestly, and truthfully. In John 5:30, He says, By Myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and My judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent Me [totally obedient to the Father]. In John 7:16, He makes a similar point, My teaching is not my own. It comes from Him who sent Me [He says what the Father approves]. As the Son of God, He has authentic authority to speak on the Father’s behalf. In John 5: 36-37, He adds, I have a testimony weightier than that of John [the Baptist]. For the very work that the Father has given Me to finish, and which I am doing testifies that the Father has sent Me. And the Father who sent me has Himself testified concerning Me [The Father voiced His full approval of Jesus at His baptism and on the Mount of Transfiguration]. He goes on to say in John 11: 37-38, Do not believe Me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe Me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me and I in the Father. Finally, He asserts in John 14:10, Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in Me? The words I say to you are not just My own. Rather, it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His work.

So Moses is telling the people, before he dies, that Jesus is coming as the greatest of all prophets; and that they need to be prepared to listen to and obey Him. He will be and is our moral authority.

Our Gospel lesson, Mark 1:21-28, focuses on Jesus’ authority.

You may remember that Mark (actually, John Mark) was Peter’s disciple and probably wrote down for Peter what is essentially Peter’s Gospel. Peter wanted to get the Good News out to the Romans, so, this is a Gospel of action. You may notice the words Suddenly and immediately are frequently used in this Gospel. Mark’s (Peter’s) Gospel focuses more on the works of Jesus rather than on the thinking behind Jesus’ works (the Apostles John and Paul tend to focus on the latter). Peter knew he would have to convince Roman soldiers of Jesus’ authority. After all, Caesar called himself, Lord; so, why should they believe Jesus is Lord?

The 1st way a Roman (& we) might come to accept Jesus as Lord is if He has authority over the supernatural. Mark will also go on to demonstrate that Jesus had authority/power over nature (storms at sea; walking on water; feeding 5,000, then 4,000 with next to nothing on hand). Jesus also had authority to heal peoples’ physical bodies (the blind, the deaf, the lame, the palsied, lepers, feverish or hemorrhaging women; even resurrectionsfrom the dead). Finally, He also healed people from dysfunctional emotional conditions.

So, the first miracle Mark reports is of Jesus casting a demon out of a man, in church, on the Sabbath. Jesus teaches at the synagogue in Capernaum because He’s been thrown out of His home town, Nazareth.

He makes Capernaum the base of His operations. The demon(s) in a man in the synagogue call out, What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? [Yes!] I know who you are—the Holy One of God! Notice, the demons recognize Jesus’ true identity as God before the humans do. But Jesus doesn’t want the demons to lead folks to Him. Their agenda is from Satan and is evil. Their agenda is to pull us away from God. He tells the demon(s) to be quiet—the Greek expression He uses is actually, Be muzzled!–and come out of him. He sets the man freefrom demonic oppression. The man may not have known he had a demon in him. He didn’t even ask Jesus for help. By casting the demon(s) out of him, Jesus demonstrates that He both discerns the presence of evil in a person and He has the power to make evil spirits leave. In other words, when He says hush, they have to hush; when He says go, they have to go.

In His first miracle recorded in Mark, Jesus reveals that He has power over the spiritual realm. He is going to tear down the spiritual walls that separate people from God and from each other. He is going to war against and defeat dark forces. The Romans were superstitious, so this would have been astonishing to them. They believed they had to appease/bribe the gods to keep them on their side. But here is Jesus, just speaking a word, and vanquishing a foe that only God could command. This would have stopped most Roman soldiers in their tracks.

Let’s also remember Paul’s teachings in Ephesians 6:12: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Our battles are not with people per se, but rather with the demonic forces that are behind and drive their hateful, seductive, or destructive behavior.

I think we need to be aware of what is going on currently in our country, but we need not be afraid. We worship a Jesus who has authority over all things and all events. The political and social turmoil in our country is not beyond Him.Either He will, through our prayers, subdue it; or He will allow it to continue to play out as a prelude to End Time events. Either way, we can rest in the fact that our Lord is in control.

We also worship a Jesus who is the Voice of Authority, the final authority. He has already defeated the Devil on the Cross. Because of Christ, we can trust that He has things under control, despite how it looks to us. Because of Christ, we can leave fear behind and step out in freedom to do God’s work, in God’s way, in this world. Because of Christ, we can pray with confidence that His will would be done in our country as it is in Heaven. Amen!

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Cheryl Norman

The God of Second Chances

Pastor Sherry’s message for January 24, 2021

Scriptures: Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Ps 62:5-12; 1 Cor7:29-31; Mk 1:14-20

Our culture tends to believe that success is good but failure is bad. Furthermore, we should avoid failure at all costs. This can lead, however, to some really bad decisions/actions on our parts. I read this week about the Darwin Awards. Very cynically, these are given to people…“who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it—usually doing so in an extraordinarily stupid manner.” I don’t know who these Darwin folks are, but they scan the news, looking for foolish ways that people accidentally kill themselves. They have been making these posthumous awards annually since 1994. One recent winner was a 19 YO male from Houston. He had bragged to his friends that he could win at Russian Roulette. His gun was a semi-automatic. Apparently he either didn’t know or didn’t remember that it automatically inserts a bullet in the chamber whenever it’s cocked. In other words, his chances of surviving pulling the trigger were zero, and he indeed died. A second recent winner was a Malaysian executioner. Imagine putting that on your resume: “From 2001 to 2008, I was an official executioner.” It seem she wanted a friend to take a picture of him standing on the gallows with a noose around his neck. However, he hadn’t first checked to see if the trap door was locked in place. When he stepped on the platform with his head in the noose, the trap door opened and he was hanged! The Darwin Folks would have us believe these two got what they deserved and we are better off without them.

In a similar vein, do youremember France’s Maginot Line of WWII? The French had heavily armed and barricaded the border they shared with Germany, thinking this would save them from a Nazi invasion. What they failed to consider is that the Nazis would first invade Belgium, then cross into France from that border, breaking into France to the west of and avoiding the Maginot Line altogether. I’m sure students of military history have decried France’s misplaced trust in this impaired defensive strategy as a huge and costly mistake.

Currently we are dealing with the “Cancel Culture.” If the press or social media discover one bad thing you have done in your past, they come after you with no mercy, shaming and embarrassing you in public. There is no grace and no mercy.

Cancel Culture, the Darwin Awards, and even the experience of the Maginot Line would have us all believe that it is fatal to make a mistake. Such a belief is both unchristian and totally at odds with our God! He often views failure/mistakes as a way to bring about good:

(a) Failure keeps us humble;

(b) Failure reminds us we are neither perfect nor gods;

(d) Failure helps increase our dependence upon God. When we see what a mess we have made of our lives, we realize we need God to guide and protect us.

Two of our Scriptures today reference a godly response to failure. In our Old Testament lesson, we catch up to Jonah (3:1-5, 10) post whale experience. You probably remember that God had given the prophet the assignment to evangelize the Assyrians. But Jonah was horrified at the prospect and immediately ran in the opposite direction. Maybe he or his family had been victims of Assyrian raids, as they were feared all over the ancient Near East for their ferocity in battle. The tales told regaling the revolting and brutal things they did to those they fought and defeated would strike terror into the hearts of any listener. It is said that piles of human skulls sat outside the gates to all their cities. Perhaps Jonah ran from the missionary task because he instead wanted God to justly punish them (like the Cancel Culture, he wanted to exact revenge on his enemies). Or perhaps he just couldn’t get his mind around the fact that God meant to show them—even them!–mercy. Or maybe he was just simply afraid of them! Whatever his rationale, he headed to Spain, got caught in a violent storm, was thrown off the ship by the crew—who were sure someone on board had offended the gods–and swallowed by a giant fish/whale.

Our lesson today picks up with Jonah having been miraculously vomited up onto the beach, only to have God again tell him to go to Nineveh, the capitol of Assyria. And, having learned his lesson—it’s not healthy to defy God—he goes. Archeological digs dating from the 1950’s tell us the city was apparently 27 miles in circumference (2.5 mi. long; 1.33mi. wide). It was probably like many of our large cities, in that one suburb ran into another in a big urban sprawl. It apparently was so large that it took Jonah several days to walk through it, proclaiming his message of repentance.

Now I don’t know about you, but I have often wondered why fierce Ninevites would pay any attention to a lone, bedraggled Israelite. But imagine how Jonah might have looked after having spent 2-3 days in a whale’s digestive juices. Other folks who have been recovered from the stomachs of large fish (and some have over the years), have been found to be hairless. Like persons who have undergone chemotherapy, they lose the hair on their heads, faces (including eyebrows and eyelashes), and their bodies. Jonah probably didn’t wear a wig, so his totally hairless appearance, and lack of a beard, would have surely grabbed peoples’ attention. No doubt the stomach acids altered his skin color as well. He probably looked orange, the original “Orange Man.” The folks of Nineveh had never seen anyone like him, so they probably stopped to gawk. While he had their attention, he told them they had 40 days to change their ways or die! Pagan folks (& some Christians too) are often superstitious. They would have figured Jonah was someone special, so they all—even the king—immediately fell into repentance. They were profoundly impacted. Several hundred thousand people came to grief over their sins and desired to know and follow God. J. Vernon McGee, my favorite Bible commentator, calls this the largest revival in history.

This story is such a wonderful demonstration of God’s mercy. Look at how grace-filled He was toward these horrible Assyrians! He gave them a second chance. Look at how grace-filled He was toward His disobedient prophet! I’m always amazed at how God uses and redeems our rough experiences, when we allow Him. He even used Jonah’s altered and strange appearance as a means of attracting an audience willing to listen to this wandering Israelite.

And these are not the only examples of God’s extension of second chances to folks in Scripture:

(1) Jacob stole his brother’s inheritance, yet God made him a patriarch of the faith;

(2) King David committed adultery and murder, and yet God later—following David’s repentance–made him a man after His own heart.

(3) Peter denied and abandoned Christ when He needed him most, yet Jesus made him an Apostle and very likely the first Bishop of Rome.

(4) Saul, who zealously murdered Christians, encounters the Risen Christ, and becomes Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.

(5) In Jesus’ story of the Prodigal This son, who according to ancient Near Eastern tradition, should have probably been snubbed by his offended father, is gladly embraced. Any on-lookers would have expected the father to kick this money-grubbing, insolent, disrespectful son to the curb, but his father greeted him with kisses. Their neighbors would have expected to see the son beaten, but instead his grateful father produces a celebratory banquet.

All of these examples demonstrate that our God is a God of grace and forgiveness. He patiently waits on us to come to our senses and come to Him. Unwilling that any of us would miss out on His love and mercy, He offers us a 2^nd chance, and sometimes even more!

Our psalm today is Psalm 62, written by King David in his elder years. As you read it, you may be surprised by David’s themes as he wrote this after having survived a palace coup by his favorite son, Absolom. Over time, and without David’s knowledge, Absolom had curried the favor of former friends of his father’s, and even a portion of the Israelite army no longer loyal to the King. Absolom and his cronies entered Jerusalem by one gate, while his elderly and grieved father is forced to flee (with his court, advisors, and army personnel still loyal to him), by another. So, as David composed this psalm, he is feeling rejected and betrayed by his favorite son, and overcome by grief.

Yet notice how he focuses not on his pain, but on his relationship with God. He expresses his trust in God! Though he has been forced from his capital city in defeat, instead of being caught up in bitterness or a desire for revenge, he expresses optimism and praise to the Lord!

(1) In v.9 He says he doesn’t put his trust in the fickle mob, not in men, but in God;

(2) In v.10 He says he doesn’t trust in material things;

(3) In v.11 Instead, he says he trusts in God because God has the Power!

(4) In v.12 Instead, he says he trusts in God because God is merciful.

These are such good lessons for us in these uncertain times, aren’t they? When wild-eyed and unhinged political zealots are calling for revenge and retribution toward their enemies; when the Covid-19 has morphed and ramped up its killing capacity yet again; when the economic future seems uncertain; when we see our civil rights being challenged and increasingly curtailed by big tech, big business, big media, and big government; and when another caravan of thousands of migrants seems poised to storm our borders; in all of these situations, we need to put our trust in God.

Like Jonah, we can be obedient and stand back and watch Him do miracles! Like King David, we can trust in Him despite our circumstances…remembering that God has the power to protect us, remembering that God is merciful. Unlike the people who give out the Darwin Awards, the Nazis, or the Cancel Culture, our God has shown time and time again that He believes we can change—with His help. He doesn’t demand that we be perfect (the more I feel pressured to be perfect, the more mistakes I tend to make). He just wants us, like King David, to trust in Him. And He wants us, like the prophet Jonah, to obey Him. Thank you, Lord, for being the God of 2^nd chances! Amen!

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Cheryl Norman

The God of Life

Pastor Sherry’s Message for January 17, 2021

Scriptures: 1 Samuel 3:1-20; Psalms 139:1-6, 13-18; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20l John 1:43-51

I was fairly outraged yesterday when I received this bumper sticker in my mail. It reads, “We Won’t Back Down,” and it’s from Planned Parenthood. They were soliciting funds and suggested I contribute anywhere from $20-$100 for their cause. (They must have gotten my name from a list of Florida psychologists; they clearly didn’t realize I am also a pastor.) I wondered why they are asking for money when Planned Parenthood is already heavily supported by our federal tax dollars. In fact you may know that some of their local offices qualified for government Covid-19 relief money, claiming they were a “small business.” They insist they exist to provide quality health care for those unable to afford it. Using current-day buzz words, they couch their appeal as…a way to address “racial inequity and justice”; and a means of providing nondiscriminatory, “sexual and reproductive healthcare.” They strongly suggest that they are the primary advocates of those who suffer “systemic discrimination in the health care system.” Now, to be clear, I have known of women who have gotten low cost mammograms from them. But what is also true is that they exist primarily to provide abortions.

What they neglected to mention in the accompanying solicitation letter is that while white women have 37% of abortions annually, black women have 36%. Since Black women make up only 13% of the American population (vs. non-Hispanic whites at 60%), this puts their number of abortions disproportionally much higher than whites. At the current rate, there will be more black babies aborted than will be born by 2050. In fact, in 2020, more black babies were aborted in New York City than were born. Rather than being supportive of racial equity, or racial equality, Planned Parenthood seems to be contributing to eugenics, the eradication of the race.

This is Right to Life Sunday, or Sanctity of Life Sunday. We Christians tend to be pro-life because our God is the author and giver of life. We believe that God created humankind, and called us “very good,” the pinnacle of His creation. He formed humans from the dust and He breathed into us the breath of life. We are pro-life because our God is pro-life. Now let’s be clear, we are not against those who have had abortions. No, not at all. However, we believe aborting a child is a sin. So anyone who has had one (or more) need only tell God she is sorry and ask for His forgiveness. This should put an end to any lingering guilt, and reconcile the woman once again to God. We are repelled by the sin but love the sinner.

Let’s examine our Scriptures for today to see what they tell us about God’s attitudes toward human life.

Psalm 139: 1-6, 13-18 affirms that God knows us, each one of us-from “stem to stern,” top to bottom, inside and out….He knows what we think—who else can perceive our thoughts?—regardless of whether or not we express our thoughts verbally. He knows what we do. We cannot hide any of our cognitions or our behaviors from Him. When we face Christ at the Throne of Judgment, there will be no jury of our peers and no defense Attorney using any means possible to plead our case. Neither spin-doctoring, nor omitting some facts, nor outright lying will do us any good. Our God is omniscient. He knows.

He created us and He knows us intimately—whether we acknowledge that fact or not. He called us into existence. We are here because God wanted us to be, whether our folks delighted in us or not! My stepdad was constantly critical and disapproving of me. My mother told me she didn’t like women which explained a lot about our troubled relationship. So, when I first read and understood Psalm 139, I rejoiced because I realized it almost didn’t matter what my earthly parents thought about me. God Himself called me into existence. He wanted me. He wanted you. I find this very reassuring and hope you do too.

Given that God knows us so well, it’s also true that He knows in advance how best to use our gifts and talents to advance His Kingdom here on earth:

(1) Consider 1 Samuel 3:1-20 His mother, Hannah had begged God for a son. She promised the Lord she would dedicate her son to God’s service if the Lord granted her request. God did, and so she brought Samuel to Eli, the priest at the Tent of Meeting in Shiloh when he was weaned at 3 years old.

In our passage today, Samuel (who was probably 12-13 YO by now), is sleeping in the Holy Place to ensure that the eternal flame did not go out. He hears a man’s voice calling him and thinks it’s his mentor, the priest Eli. By the 3^rd time Samuel gets up to see what Eli wants, the old priest realizes it is God who is calling Samuel. He tells him (vv.9-10) …”Go and lie down, and if He calls you say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” Samuel is ready to do whatever God asks of him. The Lord gives Samuel a word of judgment against Eli, his mentor (& probably his friend). He is to tell Eli that because he didn’t discipline his two sons, Phinehas and Hophni, his role as chief priest will be taken from him.

Phinehas and Hophni had been taking the best portion of the meat sacrifices—meant for God Himself–for themselves, and they had been seducing women coming to worship. As per God’s judgment, the two die together, on the same day. Additionally, Eli has been training Samuel for about 10 years but has not helped Samuel to develop a close relationship with the Lord. Eli failed God in several significant ways. Probably realizing this, Eli accepts God’s judgment. God then appoints Samuel to take Eli’s place as priest and prophet of Israel.

Our God knows who is faithful to Him and who isn’t. He rewards those like Samuel who are. Those who aren’t are either punished or killed off (either in this life or the next). This is a difficult lesson, but a true one.

(2) In our Gospel lesson (John 1:43-51), Jesus calls His 1^stDisciples:

(a.) Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist’s, follows Him and

(b.) Brings his brother, (Simon) Peter, telling him Jesus is the longed-for Messiah.

(c.) Jesus calls Philip, who declares that Jesus fulfills the Old Testament prophesies.

(d) Then Jesus spots Nathanael. Nathanael is skeptical at first but correctly discerns—under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit—that Jesus is the Son of God and the true King of Israel.

Jesus says Nathanael is a “true Israelite,” remarking that Nat has “no guile,” unlike Jacob (the patriarch whose name meant “deceiver”). Jesus thus reveals His prophetic abilities and forecasts that Nathanael will see many miracles as he lives and works with Jesus.

Jesus references Jacob’s Ladder, the stairway to Heaven, which had appeared to Jacob in a dream as he was fleeing the Holy Land ahead of his murderous twin, Esau. The dream reassured Jacob that God would be with him as he saw the ladder to heaven and angels rising and descending upon it. Jesus brings up this ladder because He wants Nathanael (and us) to know that He is the ladder. Jesus is the ladder or the bridge between God the Father in Heaven and humankind on earth. Later, in John 14:6, He will make this plain when He says, … I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jesus, as God, knows our natures, our thoughts from afar, our abilities and our behaviors. He knows us. He loves us.

(3) Finally, in our New Testament lesson (1 Corinthians 6:12-20), Paul warns us to be careful stewards of our bodies. The context for this teaching is the Greek philosophy of the day rampant in Corinth, a Greek city. Unlike the Hebrews–who believed that mind, body, and spirit are all connected and all good–the Greeks believed that only spirit was good, and that our bodies are evil. This left the Corinthians with two choices: Punish or deny the evil, sinful body (a tenet of the Stoics);or indulge in any and all sinful desires because what we do with our sinful, corrupt bodies doesn’t matter/isn’t important (a tenet of the opposite philosophy, the Epicureans).

But Paul says both attitudes are wrong! He asserts that our bodies, as God’s creations, have dignity (God pronounced them at Creation to be “very good!”). Paul maintains, additionally, that we are to honor God with our bodies. YIKES! This is an astonishing way to think about gluttony and sexual sin, isn’t it? We may be thinking they are just ways to indulge our sinful desires—who do they hurt but ourselves? But Paul teaches us that–since our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (dwelling places of God)–they are to be kept pure. Gluttony becomes a means by which we dishonor and hurt God. Similarly, sexual sin (fornication, adultery, pornography, etc.) becomes a means by which we dishonor and offend God.

This week, I read an autobiographical account by a biracial man named Ryan Bomberger. He had been given up for adoption shortly after his birth. Later on, at 13 years old, he learned that he was the product of his biological mother’s rape. At first, he reports he was devastated to think he came about due to violence. Then, he says, “…because I was so loved by my [adoptive] parents, I turned that pain into something very constructive.” His shock was transformed into gratitude. Gratitude that his biological mom didn’t abort him; gratitude that God placed him in a loving, Christian family in which he was the 1^st of 10 adopted kids; gratitude that God called him into existence and that, despite being the product of a rape, his life had meaning and purpose. (Again, Psalm 139àGod calls each of us into existence, regardless of the motives of our earthly parents.)

Ryan and his wife, Bethany, have cofounded the pro-life, nonprofit organization known as “the Radiance Foundation.” He says he belongs to the 1% that is used to justify abortion 100% of the time. He is now a brother, a husband, an author, a singer and song-writer, a pro-life speaker, and an Emmy award winning designer. If his birth-mother had aborted him, we would have lost his influence and his gifts. Remember, Tim Tebow’s mom, a missionary, was told she should abort him in order to save her own life. She would not do it. Praise God because Tim, also, has had such a wonderful impact on people. Each life is God-given. Just as we see portrayed in the Christmas movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” when the angel shows the Jimmy Stewart character how each person he values would have been impacted had he not been in their lives, each life has a ripple impact on the social environment. Who are we to question the purposes of God?

This Right to Life Sunday, let us remember in prayer potential mothers and fathers everywhere. Let’s pray that they would honor God with their bodies. Let’s pray that they would be responsible about birth control, prior to pregnancy. Let’s pray that they would honor the lives of their unborn babies once they learn they have conceived. Let’s pray that they would trust in God to see them and their unborn child safely through. And may they all come to believe that our God is the God of life!

Wellborn Methodist Church–Wellborn, Florida

Author: Cheryl Norman

I'm an author of light romantic suspense and cookbooks, and an avid reader of everything! Into healthful meals? Check out my HASTY TASTY MEALS KITCHEN. (http://hastytasty.blog)