Hope in Darkness.

What do you do with doubt? There are moments we all have when we doubt the story or situation or scenario. Like the first time I spoke to my wife at the time clock in Wal-Mart in Conway, Arkansas. I doubted she would want to have anything to do with me but 31 years of marriage later, my doubts have been removed.

In Matthew 11, John the Baptist is in prison. He is related to Jesus. He grew up playing with Jesus, going to family reunions with Jesus and having sleep overs at Jesus’ house. John baptized Jesus and told his disciples that Jesus was the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. John knew Jesus.

But in Matthew 11, John has a question, “Are you the Messiah?” As close as John and Jesus were, John had questions. It reminds me that even those close to Jesus have questions. People like you and me. We ask things like, “Why is there suffering in the world?”, “Why do evil men rise to power?”, and “Why do children die of starvation in Africa?” But realize, there is a difference between questioning God and asking God questions.

Job, the character in our Old Testament, had some questions for God about all the dark things happening in his life. Job lost everything he owned and his kids while being a very close follower and worshiper of God. Yet the text tells us that Job never sinned against God. We are reminded that when we bring questions to God, it strengthens our relationship with him.

On my best days as a disciple and pastor, I have questions. I don’t have it all figured out but that’s where this word “faith” comes in. I choose to trust God even though I don’t know the answers to “why”.

See, for most of us, hope and doubt exist side by side. But that space in between hope and doubt is where faith grows rampantly. When we are not sure why difficult things are happening in our life, we choose to trust God in spite of it all and our faith is strengthened.

We are reminded in Matthew 11, that while we are waiting, the Messiah is working. While John was waiting in prison, Jesus was working. What are you waiting on right now? Maybe a stronger marriage. You’re waiting on your spouse to enter the conversation so you can get back to where you used to be. Maybe you are waiting on the prolonged illness to end. Maybe you are waiting on your adult children to come back to Jesus.

But remember, between Malachi in our Old Testament and Jesus showing up in the Gospels, Israel had waited 400 years for the Messiah. John’s parents, Zachariah and Elizabeth had waited decades to have a child. John was waiting in prison for Jesus to reassure him he was the Messiah.

So in our own lives as we wait for desired outcomes, remember that just because God is silent doesn’t mean he is absent. Faith grows when we can’t see what God is doing. When we can’t hear his voice, it prompts me to lean in closer to hear his voice through his church, his Word and prayer.

Hope is the ability to keep hanging on so…in this difficult season, hang on. The Messiah is working while you are waiting. Jesus voice is calming you and reminding you, he is present and near. In this season of hope, hang on. Blessings on your journey.

A New Day with Jesus.

The Christmas hymn, “O Holy Night” was written in 1847 by Placide Cappeau and Adolphe Adams. A priest in Southern France commissioned the song just in time for the Christmas mass in Roquemaurre. However, Placide was an atheist and Adolphe was a devout Jew who didn’t believe in the nativity story. It just goes to show you, God can use even those really unwilling to share the story Jesus. Even so, the hymn made it to America and was translated into English. It has become a staple Christmas song for two centuries.

The night Jesus was born must have been chaotic and dark. Born in a stable, in the dark, surrounded by animals and their smells with strangers from the field showing up to see what was up…seems very disorienting. Luke 2 tells the story of Jesus’ birth and we discover several things in the story.

We find a new day with Jesus brings exactly what we need in life. It may not be what we wanted but it will always be exactly what we need. We need Jesus in our every day struggle with temptation and addiction. We need Jesus as we work through the rough spots in our marriage. We need Jesus as we pray for our children to come home. We need Jesus as we work through our loneliness. We find a one day with Jesus changes everything.

We also find a new day with Christ brings hope to keep going. Jeremiah tells us in Lamentations 3:25, “[God] is good to those who hope and depend on him…” We can live without food for 40 days; live without water for 3 days; live without shelter during a storm for 3 hours; live without breathing in air in our lungs for 3 minutes. But we cannot live without hope.

People put their hope in some crazy things. People put hope in their bank accounts or retirement. People put their hope in their children, through whom they live vicariously. People put hope in relationships. People put hope in their college degrees and titles on a door nameplate. But all of that will eventually fail you. Paul tells us in Hebrews 10:23 to put our hope in Jesus, who will never fail and who never lies. He can be trusted.

We finally find a new day in Christ brings the help you are seeking. It’s amazing what one day with Jesus makes. Jesus makes all the difference in the world! During Jesus’ ministry, just ask Lazarus, the man born blind or the paralytic who was down for 38 years. All of them knew how one day with Jesus makes all the difference in the world!

Because of Jesus, you have hope in the middle of your night. Jesus is exactly what you need. Your night is almost over. There’s a thrill of hope and a weary world rejoices…for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn! The Light of the world has been born and we celebrate this season. It’s time you have hope. It’s time you reach for Jesus! Blessings on your journey.

Hope will not be Cancelled.

Have you ever had it rough? I mean, things at the end of the day were just not going your way. I was a small guy in junior high and high school so I got bullied a lot. More days than not it was a difficult day in school. Maybe you’ve had difficult days in your marriage, on your job or just physically worn out due to sickness.

The Apostle Peter knows about difficult days. His letter in the New Testament that we call 1 Peter is a reminder that as a Christian, you will have difficult days. But different than the tough days I already described, Peter reminds us that we’ll have tough days simply because we follow Jesus. Peter is writing followers of Jesus in modern day Northern Turkey. Rome is in power and those that follow Jesus are experiencing very difficult times because of that very thing. Peter’s letter is showing us how to live out our faith despite difficult days.

Peter reminds us that Jesus is the source of our hope. People will let us down. Careers have an ending point. Friends will betray us. But Jesus will walk with us no matter what is going on around us. We may place our hope in athletics, family, friends, the bank, retirement or our intellect but our living hope is found in Jesus Christ.

Peter also reminds us that we have true joy in Jesus Christ. It’s more than tolerating the temporary problems to get to the eternal life promised. It’s about how we live in the face of true adversity and chaos with a smile on our face. Hope isn’t just about the future. It’s about the present as well. As tough as our current culture is, this is a movement for faith to shine brightly and hope to float. Peter reminds us to keep our current situation in perspective against the backdrop of the glory of our risen Savior.

And Peter reminds us that our faith is actually strengthened through adversity and suffering. While we experience difficult moments in our life, remember that Peter is writing to Christians who could be arrested, unemployed, offered no housing or even killed because of their belief in Jesus Christ. While our difficulties exist every day, I doubt any of us are having to experience what those first century Christians experienced for their faith in Jesus.

Just remember, the tough days of this life will not even compare to the brilliant and wonderful years we’ll experience when Jesus comes back for us. When Satan turns up the heat on your life, know that it is building character and a refining faith in you. Smile with joy in knowing that nothing can ever remove you from the hand of God. We are only passing through this life. Our goal is to live eternally with the Living Hope whose name is Jesus. Blessings on your journey.

This is Really All that Remains to Do.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

When you think about your faith journey, what do you think is most important?

The rules you follow?
How often you attend church?
The time of the day you read your Bible?
The number of mission trips you have been on?

What if I told you that all of those things meant nothing if they weren’t done in love?

When we read the Bible, it is clear from the first to last page that love is the theme of God’s work in the world. Everything He does is rooted and built up in love. It’s His character – He cannot change!

The very same is true of Jesus. Being one with the Father, Jesus’s life and ministry were marked with love and mercy. No matter who came across His path, Jesus showed love in ways that changed the world forever.

Paul, writing to those living in the city of Corinth, needed to remind the believers there of the importance of love marking their lives. A sense of self-righteousness was beginning to show up in those who claimed to be true believers of Jesus. Paul wanted to stop this pride and arrogance before it infected the church with evil.

If we claim to follow Jesus Christ, shouldn’t our lives be marked with the same love He lived with? God, in His wisdom, has placed us among those who need to know the love of God before they know the “rules and requirements” of being a “Christian”. Perhaps our understanding of being a Christian would change radically if we lived with love.

How will your actions change if you begin with love? Live with love, and watch your faith and hope begin to rise in strength and power!

So, think of the love that Jesus showed while He walked on earth to all those He encountered. What are the ways that you need to show love to those you encounter every day?

And Paul says that love is more important than hope and faith. What is it about love that makes it so important to understand and show? How can you show that love in your life today? Blessings on your journey!

Peace in Presence

In the quiet early morning, as the sun’s first rays peak over the horizon, we may sense the presence of God. But as the day wears on and the demands of everyday life bear down upon us, we may become so wrapped up in earthly concerns that we forget to praise the Creator.

God is everywhere we have ever been and everywhere we will ever be. When we turn to Him often, we are blessed by His presence. But, if we ignore God’s presence or rebel against it altogether, the world in which we live soon becomes a spiritual wasteland.

Since God is everywhere, we are free to sense His presence whenever we take the time to quiet our souls and turn our prayers to Him. But sometimes, amid the incessant demands of everyday life, we turn our thoughts far from God; when we do, it feels hopeless.

Are you tired, discouraged, or fearful? Be comforted because God is with you. Are you confused? Listen to the quiet voice of your Heavenly Father. Are you bitter? Talk with God and seek His guidance. Are you celebrating a great victory? Thank God and praise Him. He is the Giver of all things good. In whatever condition you find yourself—whether you are happy or sad., victorious or vanquished, troubled or triumphant—celebrate God’s presence. And be comforted in the knowledge that God is not just near. He is here.

So get up and move. God has things He wants to show you. Listen closely and stay on His path, focused on His Kingdom. Blessings on the journey.

Connected by Love

As human being, we were made for connection. Right now, we long for company, hugs, handshakes, and close interaction. Right now, many are dejected because your “hoped-for” life story is not going as planned. Things took a different turn. There was a curveball thrown and now you’ve had to make different plans.

Similarly, that first Easter weekend was the same for those who had followed Jesus. Many had placed their hopes in him only to see those plans and hopes dashed with nails on a cross. What do we do now, they asked. How do we move through life since Jesus is no longer with us?

In Luke 24, we find a couple who are asking these questions on their way home to Emmaus. They are walking the 7-mile road home when suddenly a stranger joins them on their journey. It just so happens to be Jesus himself but the text tells us God prevented them for recognizing who he was. You see, when your eyes are downcast, you miss a lot.

Their posture was one of disbelief and disconnection, much like many of you today. Seniors are missing spring sports and graduation ceremonies. Couples are changing wedding plans. Some are getting creative on how to put food on the table due to the loss of job. Others in the medical field are missing their families because they are working long, hard hours on the front line of fighting this virus.

This couple in Luke 24 are telling Jesus about how hopeless they are; how and what Jesus endured in Jerusalem that weekend. They had “hoped” for something different. They thought the Messiah was going to be different. They wanted a political coup but Jesus was planning a spiritual revolution. Notice the past tense of “We had hoped…”

You had hoped for something different too. You had hoped the marriage was not over; the judge would show mercy; the tumor had shrunk; your child would come home; you could have children; you would not lose the house; your hours would not be cut. But like Luke 24, we must realize that God is still in control although things may not have turned out like you hoped.

As children of light, people who have declared Jesus is risen, we must remind the world, despair doesn’t have the last word when God is writing the story! Satan wants you to stop looking at Jesus and look at the waves. God says, “Wait—you don’t have the last say. It’s not over.”

The couple finally reach their home, still unaware of who is traveling with them. Jesus indicates he’s moving on but they invite him in their house for a meal. It’s a reminder, when you invite Jesus in, He’ll always say “yes”. And it’s in community, in the breaking of the bread, Jesus is revealed to this couple and to us. It’s a reminder that He’s with us on our journey, even in moments when we can’t see him.

So, may you know the Prince of Peace. May you feel his presence. May you feel comforted knowing He’s traveling with you. May your hope be in nothing else but the risen Savior and King of kings, Jesus the Christ. Blessings on your journey.