Jesus: The Chief Cornerstone and The Way, The Truth, and The Life (Delivered May 3, 2026 at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church)

 

Response To The Word: Jesus - The Chief Cornerstone; The Way, The Truth, The Life (1 Peter 2, John 14)

Pray:Father open the eyes of our hearts so that we can understand your Word. Holy Spirit come! Amen

Would you Buy House with a bad foundation?  At some point in hopefully the next 5 years, we will be in a place to engage in the construction of new buildings on our property. We will first want to hire a geotechnical engineer who is the professional responsible for analyzing the ground, soil, and rock on a property before construction begins, and who will assess the physical and mechanical properties of the earth to determine if it can safely support a building's foundation. Before housing can be built similar analyses for any impurities in the foundation's cement that will eventually cause the cement to weaken must take place. Years ago a townhouse complex in DC began collapsing because it was on a sink hole, which was once a landfill that was now decomposing.    Thus, the critical need to determine what the building will be supported by. 

That brings us to our texts for this day. In this Eastertide we have seen Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, The Door, and we have seen Him as the Good Shepherd who protects the sheep. In today’s texts in Peter’s letter and the Gospel of John we are presented with matters related to building the Church and our relationship with Jesus. In Peter’s first letter he writes via the H.S. to those chosen or elect of God, metaphorically depicting Jesus as The Living Stone and Chief Cornerstone.  He is also portrayed in the Gospel of John as The Way, The Truth, and The Life. So we have this grand image of The Church and what relationship with Christ looks like, where Peter illustrates the building of the Church spiritually living stone by living stone: that is - us. The Church is not a physical brick and mortar structure – it is the people, those chosen of God, the communion of saints who Peter is likening to living stones being built into a spiritual house and holy priesthood – we are the living breathing organic Church whose calling is to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus. But what is the Church’s firm foundation?

Let us refer to scripture to determine the answer. If you have a Bible or a Bible app, turn with me to Ephesians 2. Paul is led to write about the relationship true followers have with Christ by being in Christ. In the latter half of verse 19, Paul writes about these Christ followers: READ THE BIBLE through 22. Ask the question: Paul also identifies Jesus as the chief cornerstone. In Him – in Jesus – the whole structure is joined together. Yet, upon what is the Church built according to verse 20? Apostles and Prophets And what does that mean? What it doesn’t mean – it does not mean that any apostle, nor any prophet, can claim to be the one upon whom the Church is built. No – the Holy Spirit through Paul is saying that the oracles God gave to the apostles and prophets by God, which they proclaimed, wrote, prayed is the foundation. What do we call those words today? 

 

Yes, the Bible, GOD’S WORD is THE sure foundation. Like a precious letter from a loved one; in it are the Triune God’s revelations of Himself, His will for us which is following Jesus as our only Way, the only Truth, and the source of all Life; Jesus prayed to God the Father in His high priestly prayer in John 17 to sanctify those who have been chosen to be in Christ with the truth, for His Word is truth. And still, as many as 50-65% of professing Christians do not believe Jesus to be The Only Way, and they reject the Bible as God’s infallible Truth.  Even now, some denominations carve out/ignore certain parts of the Bible so that what the Bible calls sin is now not sin, thus rejecting God’s standard of holiness. This is the fulfillment of the false teaching of carnal Christianity. No holiness, no moral standard, also means ignorance of who God the Savior is. They claim to be Christian, but their lifestyles and rejection of God’s Word prove to the opposite. One of the new sayings going around in church circles now is that all humans who were born were born children of God. That statement does not agree with scripture; we are called children of creation, children of nature, children of wrath. Becoming a child of God is not our decision or our birthright. In Acts 17 we read about Paul and Silas being sent away by the leaders of the church to Beroea. What do you think they did when they were out of harm's way? Did they go to the local pub and have a few snorts to 'chill'? NO! They went straight to a Jewish synagogue to worship and proclaim Christ. While doing so, some of the Beroeans who were listening took out their scrolls to fact check Paul's statements. Unfortunately, many professing Christians take things at face value - like the infamous, "God helps those who help themselves." Noooo! Dragging out the earlier metaphor, the did not check the roof and foundation to see if the house could stand up for a long while, so bought into a house with a failing foundation, where the walls are shifted off the damaged base, pulls away from the cornerstone; that house will eventually become a collapsed structure unless some very expensive repairs are done!

Go to the font where the experiment is. As I was studying this passage, I sought from God how I could make this lesson more visual – i.e., what happens when the foundation that faith or belief was built upon fails because it has impurities or other causes towards weakness, separates from the Chief Cornerstone. Let’s see. There are two structures here: one is built on "sugar sand" with sugar cubes representing what the foundation sits upon. The other is a structure that has a steel foundation, and is sitting on a rock. I am pouring water on both of the structures - let's see what happens.

Within moments the house structure on the sand begins to sink, while the structure with the foundation that sits on a rock is unmoved. Upon what kind of foundation are we individually building upon? Will it hold up? Will it connect us to the Chief Cornerstone which joins the whole structure together? Is our foundation set on stable bedrock? In Matt 7:24-25 Jesus says: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” The psalmist cries: “Truly God is my rock and my salvation, my fortress – I will never be shaken.” The Church and the ‘living stones’ that are its structure are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and set down on stable bedrock – that Rock is God. Is our faith tied to the firm foundation set on bedrock that is Christ? Bible scholars for centuries have debated that in Matthew 16, Jesus says that Peter is the Rock, the head of the Church. Unfortunately due to time constraints I would fully unpack this, but let me go to scripture again for us to briefly explain what Jesus is saying.

In Matthew 16, God reveals the truth of who Jesus is to Simon – that’s the name Peter was most commonly called. Jesus is the Messiah, the Anointed One who was foretold by the prophets. In His response to Simon, Jesus says “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter (Petros), and on this rock (petra) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (also see 1 Corinthians 10:4 ) The context is about identifying who Jesus truly is. Peter receives the truth of Jesus' identity from the Father - that He is the Messiah, the Anointed One. Jesus continues based on that revelation that on that rock or petra I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Peter's name "Petros" translated means a small stone - something you can pick up in your hand and toss without effort. The word "petra" when translated refers to a humongous boulder, so large that it is immovable, cannot be shaken. That was not Peter. The "rock" or petra would not be overwhelmed or overcome by the gates of Hades. Most assuredly Peter was not the rock because he died. The petra upon which the church foundation sits and clings to is an eternal rock. That was not Peter; if it was Peter, he would be almost 2,000 years old. The Roman church doctrine teaches that Peter was the first pope, which is also problematic, as Peter died around 67-69 AD; the Roman Catholic Church was formalized nearly 11 centuries later. Peter was an undershepherd, as were the other apostles, all of whom died during the first century or within less than a handful of years into the second century. The only one who could be the Rock is Jesus as the Holy Spirit identifies in 1 Corinthians 10:4.  

Here is how we can know for our own individual assessment where we stand by discussing with God: Is God’s Word a sacred treasure in my life – more precious than gold? AMEN? Is it the foundation I acknowledge and believe it to be? Is it the basis for how I learn to approach God? Does it shape my worship? Does it inform my prayers? Can I claim as Paul does in Romans 1 and as Peter says in John 6 that God’s Word—His Gospel truth, is the power of God for salvation to those who have received faith from God, and the words therein words of eternal life? Do I really study the Bible regularly – which is different from reading a devotional – but rather like the example of the psalmist David who meditated on scripture day and night seeking God’s wisdom and understanding?  Jesus says very succinctly that if we love Him, if we are in Christ – in growing union with Christ – then we will obey His commandments. And what are His commandments? The Word of God. Last Sunday, during Bible study, Mercy quoted Hosea 4:6. which tells us that people perish - which means they are eternally dead - for lack of knowledge of God and His word.We cannot duck this responsibility - while a faith leader can provide some knowledge on God and His Word, it is our singular responsibility to learn, know, ingest and digest God's word, to know Him intimately, and to live like Christ. WHY would we want to neglect so great a salvation? The Bible is God’s means of grace for our salvation and sanctification. If we are neglecting it, then any faith structure we are attempting to build will suffer damage. If we do not get it repaired, if we do not commit to Jesus as Lord and fail to reconnect to the chief cornerstone, we will disconnect ourselves. So it comes down to relationship – which is more precious and more appealing to us – an eternal relationship with the bedrock, the Rock and the Chief Cornerstone, or striving to make a way in the world’s culture and becoming honored by people, and making God and His kingdom a 'something' that we will get around to? We are commanded to "Seek first the kingdom and its righteousness"- the righteousness that God has provided through Christ and sustains by His means of grace – His Word. Friends, God is calling you to seek Him, and He is looking for those who willingly worship Him in spirit and truth! Is that how He sees us?

(The experiment concluded as it should have because of the faulty foundation and base the one structure collapsed, while the other remained unchanged and unshaken.) 

Oh, by the way, does anyone know where our building's cornerstone is located? That is your challenge for this week! 

Let's conclude by singing the first verse again, of "How Firm A Foundation" and thanking God for His amazing grace of the Church.   

 

Warden's Address at the St. Christopher's New Carrollton January 26, 2025 Annual Meeting

This address was abridged orally on the date of the Annual Meeting due to time constraints. When originally composed, there was no awareness that the several pages of a Rector's report would be offered orally in its entirety'. Thus, my time to fully deliver this was preempted. 

Warden’s Address

Good afternoon, brothers and sisters. You will hear from me in part your typical address, as well as a non-typical part. So first, the TYPICAL part.

 I am going to highlight some of the reports for you; you have the reports of ministries that have taken place in the last year in your booklet. I strongly urge you to read them, I strongly urge you to read them, all in their entirety and contemplate what you are reading. [speak to Rector’s final words to congregation; Altar Guild; Bible Study; Christian Care; DOK; Pledge/Treasurer Report; Warden’s Report].

Does anybody know what is the MOST IMPORTANT part of worship, i.e., what is actually the essence of worship?

God called out and created a nation called Israel; He liberated them from Egyptian bondage so that they may go into the wilderness to serve and worship Him.  Ex. 19:5 God says to His people, “if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples…”1/  Jesus tells us in John 9:31 that God does not listen to willful sinners – persons who rebel against Him and His word but, instead, listens to those who worship Him and obeys His will. And Paul writes in Romans 6 that those who obey God walk in the path of righteousness, that is, they are doing what is right in God’s eyes. He is the final judge. The Bible is replete with examples of what happens when we rebel against God and what happens when we obey Him. He says in Amos to those who disobeyed His commandments on a day-to-day basis, that He hated what they called worship because they had chosen to worship their way while living lives of disobedience. He would not accept their worship, He would not hear their praises, because they rang hollow to Him. Jesus would also say in that final night, to those who were closest to Him: if you really love me and the Father, then obey my commandments. When we are intentionally living lives that are contrary to what God’s will is – you know, that will we pray about in the Lord’s prayer – we are not walking in the light of Christ. It is challenging to serve God and walk in His will if we reject His word and choose not to let it dwell richly in us in such a way as to transform us [it is downright impossible]. Many people claim to believe in God, but Jesus says their fruit is what really identifies them. 

Here's the thing – this is what an Annual Meeting must be about – identifying who we have been over the past year, what have we done, how have we been Christ’s disciples -- light in the darkness? This harmonizes with the command at 2 Corinthians13:5 to examine ourselves to see if we are continuing in the faith.

What is keeping us from obeying Jesus’ command to be servants in His Church? In John 13 we find the account of Jesus – Creator of all things seen and unseen, the second Person of the Trinity – God, yes God, we see him take off His outer robe to take the role of a house slave, and quietly with a basin of water and a towel, proceeds to wash the disciples’ feet. Stinky, dirty, filthy feet. The disciples are stunned, and Peter rejects Jesus’ offer out of pride and a bit of chiding of Jesus, whom he addresses as Lord – that a true Lord and Master is not a slave nor should he act like one is what he was implying. When Jesus responded, if you don’t you can have no part with me, Peter says wash my feet, my hands and my head Lord! When Jesus finished, does anyone remember what He says: “Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Very truly, I tell you, slaves are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. ¹⁷ If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

Have you ever really heard these words (re-read v.16-17) If you are being led by God to serve, talk to me or any one of the ministry leaders on the Vestry or to those who provided the reports, and sincerely pray to God and ask Him where He wants you to be active, and then obey Him. Do not let pride keep you from a blessing; if God calls you to serve in an area – notice, I did not say, if you call yourself to serve somewhere -- He is able to provide you with what you need to accomplish the task, as indicated in Exodus 36:2.
                    

Okay, so take a breath... Now here comes the non-typical part. So I’m going to do something a little different. I will ask for those who have been a part of the church of St. Christoper’s for 30 or more years to either stand or raise their hands. If you can keep standing or hands raised, I will ask the same thing of those who have been a part of St. C’s for at least 20 or more years. Okay, and now I will ask those who have been a part of St. Christopher’s for at least 10 or more years to also stand or raise their hands. I invite the remaining members to turn around and look. These persons have been not just a part of the church, but have been the church, servant leaders in the church involved in ministries both internally and externally serving God and His people. Each of those members have actively served in ministry through the years and has provided compelling models of service for us to consider. So: Praise God for you! Thank you for your service and fellowship these many years!!  And now I would like to ask the members of the Vestry who are present here – including our newly elected members to stand. Each and everyone of these members have a history with St. Christopher’s that involve ministries and outreach. For example, Joe B. for YEARS in capital letters has served as a musician and choir director in our church back in the day when he shared leadership with Ms. Ivy. It isn’t just about coming in for a couple of hours on a Sunday and playing the piano or organ – it is about a dedication to practice, to prayer and discernment of what music fits what service and so much more. We have Mercy who has been a member of the Vestry twice now, was on the Vestry that called Pastor Melana, and who has worked internally in ministries, and externally in another house of worship to minister to that church. There’s Justin – I remember when he was in youth group and acolyting and he came to me, to my chagrin, as I had not discerned this about him: he asked if he could do more in the acolyte ministry! After I got over being embarrassed, I was over-joyed and we found together the “more.” And look, he is still serving the church as part of the AV Team and the Vestry, and wherever else help is needed. We have Pius, who came to us through the Ezinne family thank you Ezinnes, and especially Chika, right? Together they have a growing family that he shepherds. He has volunteered to help at events, clean-ups, and is an active, valued member of the Vestry as all of our members are. Ginny, who for 37 years has worshiped with St. Christopher’s; she is also not a first-timer on the Vestry; she has served as a Sunday school teacher, has been involved in numerous activities internally in church and externally within the New Carrollton community as her bio shows. She has years of service experience and wisdom!  Eze – stand up please, I also have had the privilege to watch him grow and mature; he, too, was an Acolyte, who showed new acolytes how to serve, who is a lector, usher, and happy to help wherever needed, and is now a new member of the Vestry. Enefazu has a history that shows a demonstration of service – he serves as Usher, Lector, he is our Emcee for church events like Harvest Thanksgiving, and he leads the AV Team and is a Vestry Member. Olivia: for 34 years she has worshiped at the 8am and 10am services. She has served or assisted in ministries during those times either directly or indirectly – for example, serving on the search committee that called Father Jonathan – back in those days the work of the search committee could last for a couple of years or more – a long commitment; most recently, she was part of the planning and doing for the recent yard sale. Ms. Lara rotated off the Vestry after serving 4 years – 1 year more than is customary. She is also currently out of the country and when she returns plans to rejoin the counters group and learn the ropes so to speak. And Milton Gbonda, also rotates off Vestry this year: he has been involved in at least two confirmation classes teaching and sharing his love of God with the youth; he also serves as lector and Sunday school teacher, and is more than willing to help wherever he can, in addition to being a member of the Vestry. Thank you to all who stood or raised their hands when called.
Did anyone catch what is the running theme here? Yes! These are persons who have acted on God’s inward call to serve Him and His people. Servant leaders Thank you again, everyone, for your service and modeling Christ’s love for God and His people.

     I need to tell you four stories about four women. Jesus said as recorded in Matthew 10:34-39 that His coming to earth and proclaiming the Truth would result in some families and communities being divided over His words, that believers would be shunned by their families and communities because they chose to accept the truth Jesus proclaimed. He is the Truth, right? And Jesus prophetic statement in that Matthew passage would be fulfilled thousands upon thousands of times if not more in these past 2000 years. Some of us have seen or experienced this personally.

I personally know a someone who, as a young woman, experienced such a traumatic season: the loving family she grew up in and the only community she knew and grew up in would come to shun her because she could no longer accept the hypocrisy and false teaching of that religious organization. God, in His providence, would allow the young woman to be an outcast, would lead her in the wilderness where she was exposed to quote – unquote beasts and dangers. Yet it would be in this wilderness experience that she would come to a saving knowledge of the truth. God would send a vision, would bestow on her spiritual gifts that would take her some time to discover in this journey. As she drew closer to God, became immersed in His Word with great passion, He would direct her to a place where she could experience what the psalmist experienced in Psalm 27 that though mother, father, would leave her that God would never leave nor forsake her. *It was God’s forgiveness, the fact that God would save her, foreordaining her before the foundation of the world, His mercy and His grace that would change her life and give her new purpose. Yes, she bore the ‘scars’ of that wilderness but she was so beholden to God and what He had done in her, for her and with her, she could never see herself the same lost way again. She would pray for her family to be released from the bondage and influence of that false religion, and with a fervor teach others the truth, being moved through the Holy Spirit to be like Christ to others –

And she discovered in scripture a mirror in the lives of three women who would come to follow Jesus and they were all named Mary: Mary of Nazareth, Mary of Magdala, and Mary of Bethany.

Mary of Nazareth. She grew up in a typical Jewish family that was strong on what would become the mix of the Mosaic Law and the oral law and tradition which would become known as the Mishnah and Talmud. She grew up in a village called Nazareth located in Galilee, which was several days’ journey from Jerusalem on most days. It was small, poor, and isolated because of where it was located between hills and not very accessible. It was a place where elements of meanness, obscurity and evil doing were characteristic of it. It was a small Jewish village surrounded by Gentiles or non-Jews; there may have been a Roman garrison somewhere in the nearby locale, whose personnel would join in the revelry and immorality. The village was often looked down upon by Judean Jews and even those in other parts of Galilee. It was like Nathanael said to Philip after Philip had met Jesus – son of Joseph from Nazareth per John 1:45-46: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Even though considered as less, the community of Nazareth was very tight. Yet, God would send His angel Gabriel to this seemingly God-forsaken place with news and blessings to be bestowed on a teenage girl named Mary. God had chosen her to be the first person who would be a bearer of Christ; she would fulfill that role both physically and spiritually. She was part of God’s salvific plan for the world, as she relates in her song found in Luke 1. Her parents accepted the intentions of a man named Joseph who wanted to marry their daughter, and per the customs of the time, Mary was not a part of the conversation but was the subject of it. She would become betrothed and go away to visit with an older cousin Elizabeth upon whom God’s favor rested, for she who had been barren for such a long time was now pregnant in her old age – she, too, was part of God’s salvific plan. After 3 months Mary would return home, visibly pregnant. While it is so very common today to see a pregnant teen, in those days such an out of wedlock situation would result in Mary being shunned and/or looked down upon by community –  a HUGE embarrassment to her family who would come just a minute short of disowning her, and as a woman betrothed and found to be pregnant before the actual wedding, the man would be justified in having her stoned to death or otherwise punished under the law. We still see that in some cultures today. Yet, God’s providence to take Mary through that wilderness experience, and who would see to the safety of Mary and Joseph, see to the safe birth and growing up of the Son who came into the world to save it, despite the low esteem of and shunning by the villagers. We know how that story winds up, right?

Then there is Mary of Magdala. The Bible does not go into depth as to how she came to be in the predicament of having seven demons in her doing only God knows what with her and in her as recorded in Mark 16:9 and Luke 8:2. As such, she was considered an anathema – cursed by God, and was shunned by her community, despised. But what the Bible does tell us is that she has the foreordained encounter with Jesus who exorcises the demons. She is liberated from the domain of darkness by the Light of the World, and she followed that Light! That forgiveness and liberation would bring her some time later to a tomb in a garden where Jesus was laid, and finding it empty, she is beside herself! She asks “the gardener”, where have you laid my Master? And the man answers, “Mary!” She immediately recognizes the voice of her beloved Savior and falls and worships at His feet.

And we come to Mary of Bethany. This is the same Mary who was the sister of Martha and Lazarus, and at whose home Jesus would visit and stay on occasion. It is clear enough that Jesus had a strong affection for the small family per John 11. Again, the Bible is silent on Mary’s past, do encounter her in Luke 7 and John 12 in a different setting. Note that according to the passages, Mary of Bethany was recognized by those in her community as a sinful woman. We are not told of her sin, but somewhere along the way, she acquired a jar of very expensive and exotic perfumed oil. It was Jesus’ visit to Bethany to dine at the home of Simon the leper and pharisee where we see her enter into Christ’s presence. Some scholars think that she and her siblings were servants or slaves of Simon who lived on his property. Whatever the case, while Jesus and His disciples were seated at Simon’s table, Mary comes in silently, bringing her jar of perfumed ointment with her. In God’s salvific plan, this Mary also is liberated, delivered from a dark past and forgiven forever, and it is that deep down gratitude within her, stirred by the Holy Spirit, that Mary anoints Christ by pouring out the anointing oil on Him, and washing his feet with her tears and hair.

So what do these stories show us – we who are as broken and sinful as the four women but whom God would use in a powerful way in His providence? All of these women were forgiven profoundly by God, and lived, walked, and breathed that forgiveness so that it became faith in action. They could not sit still, so to speak, and bask in the forgiveness as if they were getting a suntan. No! And that is the message we see throughout scripture – and especially in the New Testament writings of those who have been saved and who are baptized by the Holy Spirit recognize that this call is not something to take lightly. That this forgiveness by Christ has changed them because they understand what that forgiveness cost– that they are liberated, delivered out of a past of deep darkness. They are no longer the person of little value, of shame or shunning, but are instead made children of God and in that bright awareness of who they are, this new identity, they cannot keep still but are compelled by that act of forgiveness and salvation to serve God and His people in ways that they could never have imagined.

So, church at St. Christopher’s, what does our identity look like? Are we motivated by what Jesus has done for us and to us so that serving Him and obeying Him are our deepest desire? Do we exult in what He has done by serving others in His name? As I read to you Matthew 25:14-30, think on this question – with whom do I identify in this passage? –READS—….well done trustworthy slave, you have been faithful with little, so I’m going to appoint you in charge over many things. By your fruits…

The writers of the Gospels and epistles as led by the Holy Spirit all point to the same thing: by our fruits we would be known, not only as a church but individually as members of the church. Have we been called inwardly by God, forgiven of our sins, and so unabashedly grateful to Him that we answer His call to serve with joy in whatever capacity He asks us to serve? – Exodus 36:2 again! A joy that goes far beyond a glandular response? That we find the most joy in serving God and those around us? Do we love our neighbor as Jesus does?  Are we are overwhelmed by Jesus’ forgiveness of and liberation/deliverance from our sins that we give ourselves fully to Him like the four women whose stories I have shared did, or do we stingily hold back? Consider who Christ is. He left His place in heaven, was born into a world that hated Him. The Creator who in His earthly journey, became a slave, an outcast, would bow down on His knees to wash His disciples stinky, dirty feet. Yet, He loved the people of the world so much that He went through unimaginable torture – the One who created those persons who killed Him, suffering an extremely harsh death on a cross to REDEEM US, you and me. Consider that Jesus. Then ask ourselves, am I better than Jesus?

Friends, that is our challenge here, our challenge for 2025, this is the challenge that scripture poses: that we submit to Christ as our Master, that we obey Him and His commands to have hearts full of and trained by God’s Word, that we serve each other in love, that we respect and steward those things God has gifted us with – including His church. Look around you – while we may call this our church and our lives, we do not own them. Psalm 24:1 tells us that God owns all things. 1Corinthians 6 tells us we are not our own – we cannot claim lordship over our lives because we were bought with the blood of Christ.

So not your typical address, yet a critical one. Who are we? What are we doing or not doing? As we go through this clergy transition, God has given us the pause and responsibility of clarifying these things for ourselves. As we go into development stage it will become even more important. So here’s what I am asking us to do: Write down 3 things briefly – like a bullet point or sentence or two about your identity/ who you are, and 3 things about St. Christopher’s identity and who it is. Also, read the ministry reports all the way through.

Can you do that? Can you bring your thoughts next week – don’t have to put your name on it, and we will put them all in a basket, and share these thoughts with one another. Will you do that?

 1/ I would receive a blistering response to the Biblical doctrine of obedience. I was told that this is not something I should say out loud because people with traumatic backgrounds of clergy abuse would be turned off and, worse, would be subjected to relive that trauma. I did not apologize for sharing that scripture and doctrine, but was sympathetic to the person's cry. The person was still living in that bitterness in such a way that psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually, that they have found it hard to forgive God for the pain and trauma. I empathized with the person about their experience, but pray for God to "open the eyes of their heart" to know Him. That all throughout mankind's history there have been evil people who have cast aspersions onto the character of God through so-called religious acts and acts of wickedness in the name of God. The Bible is replete with such examples not only to make us aware that these evil acts are of the devil, and that such evil lies in every heart; God sees and He condemns those unrepentant sinners who dishonor the Name. (Genesis 6:5; Psalm 28:3;  Ecclesiastes 9:3; Zechariah 8:17; Proverbs 6:16-19; Matthew 15:19; Hebrews 3:8-12; Revelation 2:18-29.

Sometimes... A Prayer Narrative

Following the pandemic shutdown, the number of people returning to the church building in person for worship has dropped significantly. At least in mine and other mainline faith communities I know about. People have become complacent, dare I say lazy, and prefer to have Zoom turned on, cameras turned off, so that they can stay in their bed clothes to 'attend' worship service. This is not secret information nor privileged secrets - folks have talked about these gaps over social media pages for a while. Persons who must have forgotten about how God wants to be worshiped - compare Exodus 19:9-11,17 and Nehemiah 8:1-8; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 11:17-22; Ephesians 5:18-20; Hebrews 10:25. We praise God that He had made available the telecommunications that allowed us to worship remotely when everything was shutdown and person-to-person contact was dangerous. We did not have to 'skip a beat' in our worship. However, that was not to be a permanent situation; that situation has been suspended. 

And here we are. Kind of like the African Americans in remote places of the south who did not know that the Civil War had ended and slavery abolished - they believed that the status quo was to be the status quo forever. That slavery would never end. Some believed they were still slaves even throughout the remainder of the 19th century. That's the locked mindset of some professing Christians. 'I'm used to being a remote 'worshiper' having only myself to deal with. Getting washed up, dressed and traveling to a building is not necessary in order to worship.' Worshiping in person has become more of 'I'll worship when I get there - if I choose to come. Who knows? Zoom is so easy - all I have to do is click some keys and 'I'm in'. 

Not only has in-person worship become distasteful, Bible study has become less of a priority so that it is no longer on the menu for too many persons who profess to follow Christ. There is no longer the appetite for it to the extent it once was. I'm not talking the kind of Bible study that is lecture-driven and that are one-way orally so all you do is sit back and maybe look up a scripture during the talk or view it on the mag screen. Or online studies where you are the only participant - where there is no 'iron sharpening iron'. Nor am I talking about personal study and Bible reading time which are essential daily disciplines. These are commendable for the purpose they serve, but is not the same as small group Bible study. I'm talking about members of a faith community coming together with Bibles open and discussing together what the Spirit wants us to learn during that session. Some churches are able to do a hybrid type of group Bible study so that some meet in person and also accommodate via Zoom members who cannot drive, who may be using their work break to participate, are at home with their young ones and might be able to listen and engage in discussion a little at a time, etc. Other churches may do Bible study solely on Zoom where vibrant discussions take place.  Many church leaders have sought ways to engage their members in this vital spiritual discipline through as many practical means that are available, and yet, participation has either decline or has become almost nonexistent. I may be out of line, but I have to ask myself, how can we legitimately refer to ourselves as followers of Christ, if we do not study the scriptures together? How will we come to a knowledge of the truth? When a person of 50 has attended church services for all of his or her life, and is unable to grasp who the "Let us" of "Let us create mankind in our image" is - which is fundamental/foundational truth, how has such a person been using their Bible? Is it truly an open book, a place to seek God and determine His will, or is it on the shelf? What has happened to the desire to see the treasure God has given us in His Word, to taste and see the goodness of God throughout His Word? Do we even consider it to be God's Word, to even consider that it is meaningful for all who consider themselves human, created in God's image? Christ values every utterance from the mouth of the Father, so much so that He is called The Word! That He is the wisdom that we are to seek in scripture. He shared scripture amongst His disciples in an interactive way all during his ministry. Sometimes, it seems that we have recreated worship to please ourselves so that it is just enough 'Christian' in it to get by. What god does a person with that mindset serve? When will a person who belittles the gift of God's Word realize that with such distaste, how can you be saved? What would you even be saved for if worshiping God in the way He wants to be worshiped has no appeal for you?

'Thus saith the Lord:'  (Hebrews 2:1-4)   1)Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2)For if the message declared through angels proved valid, and every transgression or disobedience received a just penalty, 3)how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? It was declared at first through the Lord, and it was confirmed for us by those who heard him, 4)while God added his testimony by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed according to his will. 

Sometimes, only a very small percentage of a congregation may gather for Bible study. Where are those who bend the knee to commune at the Lord's Table, for it is the same Word who commanded the observance of this New Covenant? I ask God will it always be this way? Am I doing enough to engage others? Please tell me what more I should be doing! [I want to say to those who give the excuse - "well, I don't want to seem ignorant because I don't know all the answers and embarrass myself! So maybe later." -- I want to ask them, "Be sure to rehearse that excuse convincingly well, because Judge Jesus is coming soon and He will be asking."] 

But a recent small group study completed, and after the closing prayer, the picture that came to my mind was Abraham speaking to God, who was angry with the people of Sodom and Gomorrah: "How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin!" and who was poised to destroy completely every human in those places. Read the account in Genesis 18:22-33 in your own Bible. Abraham began to plead with God because his nephew Lot and his family lived in that wicked place. Lot would go to the gate - which in those times was like the convening place for conferring with the leaders of the city or town and where they held their town meetings. In that way, he figured he had bought time or some kind of favor to be relieved of any unwanted assault or attention, for the people were aggressive with their sexual immorality and lusted with heat - seeing any and everyone as someone to be joined with regardless of gender or species. Lot thought that he had made peace enough with the people so that they would not prevail against his family. The money and illusion of power and importance Lot enjoyed took precedent over hating the very thing that God hated, and instead, deluding himself into justifying his continued presence in that wicked and evil city was not an issue for him.

And Abraham, some distance away, knowing that God was going to wipe out completely both cities, kept asking God these 'what if' questions: what if like 50 people might be righteous in the city, will you still destroy everyone--what if forty-five are in the city, will you still destroy everyone--what if, what if, what if, and Abraham, sensing that he's walking a thin line here, stops at what if ten - hoping that would cover Lot's situation. I was thinking, what if, Lord, our study group was only 30 people, would you still show us your favor and blessing? What if there were only twenty-five of us, would you still show us your favor and blessing? What if, what if, what if, what if, what if there are only 4 of us studying your Word together regularly, would you still show our congregation favor and blessing?  

Lord, not only am I praying for the 100, or the 30, or the 4, but Lord I am asking you to please send more laborers into this harvest, persons who believe Bible study is a vehicle to open our minds, hearts to the revelation of You, to knowing You, to growing closer to You, to living in this wicked world and yet not being of the world, that it is within your Word the stuff to teach us to pray and to shape and inform our prayers so that they will be in alignment with your will, to understand your will for each of us? I should be praying, What if our congregation could be a congregation that studied your Word zealously and applied it? What would our congregation look like?  What if we choose not to neglect so great a salvation, so great because your only Son was hanged on a cross to make a way for us to know you, to commune with you, to worship you and serve you and each other? What would our congregation look like then? What if we obeyed Christ's commandments - for which we must open His Word to find - with our whole hearts, minds and souls - what would our church community look like? What could we accomplish in our surrounding neighborhoods? What gifts could we employ that You have or would graciously be giving us to use to your glory and to serve others which will bring people to Christ? 

Sometimes, I wonder what if and pray, like now, to see such faith in action before I leave this earth, to see more congregations become on fire for Christ and what He would have us do. That we would be the community of love, that we would enjoy learning more and more about our Lord so that we can effectively lead our households to become lovers of righteousness? Lord, what if we prayed your Word together regularly? What if what we do daily will cause you to say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant'? 

Why would you let us build a house for you if we are not worshiping you now in the way you would have us do? If we fail, would You not be justified to take that house from us and give it to those who have a zeal for you and who sacrificially serve you daily? 

Father, I beseech your mercy, I offer up confession that we have forsaken what identified us as your children. Like the prodigal, we left well dressed, full of life, eager to be independent. We are now in tatters, unsure of where we are in your plan, unsure of our ability to do anything, and with our faces pressed into the mire. If it is what it would take, please chastise us, also, so that we can be shocked back into spiritual sanity and return to you without question, without hesitation. Lord, for the sake of your name and in the power of the Holy Spirit may He saturate us in awareness of what we must do now, rather than choosing to wait "for just the right time, sometime." Today is the day of salvation, now is the time to return. Praying for that miracle, Lord, praying and trusting that our sometime has come to fullness and our what ifs into faith in action. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Be - Atta - What? The Nine Beatitudes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount

Our youth group had this assignment recently - to understand the Beatitudes or the statements of promised Blessings by Christ that He spoke during what would be called His Sermon on the Mount. 

Here they are listed as they occur in Matthew's Gospel. The Bible version is the New Revised Standard Version.

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

           A view from a mount near the Sea of Galilee. Jesus preached His Sermon on the Mount
                on a hillside near the Sea.

Here is the initial and general write up I provided:

Many of us are growing up in households where we are told the “do-nots” and the “dos” of behavior by our parents, and then when we go to school we are given more! Things like, “say thank you, say please, don’t read in the dark – turn on some light, don’t hit your brother/sister, don’t watch tv – do your homework, don’t chase a ball into the street, don’t eat so many sweets, don’t push the swing too high, don’t touch the stove, don’t run with scissors – even as you read this you are remembering some of those and other “do-nots” and “dos” from your parents, uncles, aunties, and grandparents. Sometimes we are kind of ‘bribed’ (clearing my throat) – I mean, taught that we could be rewarded for good behavior; consequently, the reward became our goal for “obeying the law”. So the standards were “do-not, do this” and you receive a reward for obedience. From time to time the parents or other authoritative figures would explain to you the “underpinnings” [look this up if you don’t know what it means] of those household laws – that is, why they were important, how they would protect you and keep you safe, how they would help shape you into a responsible adult, how it involved a closer relationship with your parents and one another in your family and with your friends. Maybe even how does God feel by the way you act. And maybe we didn’t want to hear the explanation and just focused on the rewards! 

Something similar happened with the ancient nation of Israel. When God gave them the Law at Mount Sinai through Moses (found in Exodus, Leviticus and emphasized in Deuteronomy), after He saved and delivered them from bondage in Egypt, it was His follow-up to what Moses told Pharaoh several times – God wanted to bring the people out of Egypt to bring them into relationship with Him, so that they could serve and worship Him according to His promise. God created the Law to teach His people how to worship, to teach them the proper way to depend upon Him, to reveal to them who He was (for 400 years they lived in a society that worshiped animal spirits, humans, Pharoahs, idols and images, things of nature and magic; they only had stories of this God of Abraham and who He was; now He was there, showing them that He was the true God, that no power – not even the mighty Egyptian Pharaoh and his armies which kept them in bondage and fear for hundreds of years – could trump this God of Abraham). God wanted them to learn that He was their true reward, their true Promised Land. That a relationship with God was the best; that treating family members and neighbors/others with a new level of righteousness, i.e., being fair and respectful, would reflect their LORD’s character and bring them peace and joy – the ‘side effects’ of worshiping the true God. This God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would reward them with lands full of crops, the rain to keep their crops alive and flourishing, the fruit of the womb, no shortage of livestock and other animals that would give provisions to the people, that He would protect them from their warring neighbor countries, would provide healthcare and all needs - when and only if they obeyed Yahweh, the Great I Am. They would be the most prosperous and the strongest nation in all of that known world - if they obeyed Yahweh. Readers of Israel’s history know that, despite all of what God had done and provided, the people still rebelled. For centuries. The rewards of obedience were not enough for them!

Religious leaders sought to “improve the law” by adding interpretations that would require  more duties and create burdens on people to try to keep them in line, but mostly in line in ways that benefited the rich, the king, and the religious establishment. Only a small few grasped the essence of the Law of Moses God had given  them – that God was not only a Rewarder, but that He was a Father to them who wanted a reciprocal [look it up if you don’t know what that word means] relationship. By the time Jesus came, the religious establishment had enlarged the Law – adding various rules and regulations that had little to do with relationship with God.

For example, the sabbath law which was a simple, concise Word from God in the Ten Commandments that would give His people an opportunity for true rest from labor and to enter more deeply into relationship with God, where they learned how to trust and depend on Him for their lives and livelihood, that law had become polluted and expanded to hundreds of regulations by the religious establishment: how many steps you could walk on the sabbath; that you were not allowed to pick up sticks to keep the fires going – in fact, they iterated all the things you could not do. They were very big on not even getting medical attention on the sabbath – you’d have to wait until the next day. The laws were strict and restricting; much of the essence, i.e., the things of God, had faded from the law and now it was all about being legally right. Instead of drawing people to God, the religious establishment was seeking to be more important than God, in fact, to be a god to be obeyed, or else.

So, for hundreds and hundreds of years, the people of Israel/Judah were subjected to religious teachers who did not teach the essence of the law of Moses, only the legal demands – adding rules and regulations that created burdensome obligations. These superfluous additions took the focus off the true God and Father, rather than encouraging a relationship with God. The leaders exalted Abraham as Father – claiming their worth and righteousness in his name; they would even make it wrong for a person to say the LORD's name. It seemed like the “dos” and “do-nots” – those legal burdens on the people that had little to do with God or had a "God flavor", would continue to be the norm for His people.

In Jesus’ first advent, His commission was two-fold: He came as the Lamb to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29, 35-36), not just the sins of Israel. He also came to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let those long oppressed by burdens and taxes to be set free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:16-21). He would teach the truth about the kingdom of God and be a revelation of the God of Moses and Abraham. (Matthew 4:12-17,23;Matthew 5-7; 13:1-53).

Jesus would reframe the true Law of Moses through teaching the true essence of God’s law. In interpreting the Law and God’s intent behind it – for the religious establishment had failed in their obligations to do that, Jesus taught the people the fundamentals of worship that the Law was intended to bring to people – the essence and underpinnings of the Law to instruct the people what a real relationship with God was about. One of the most notable and recognizable of Jesus’ teachings of such are found in the Sermon on the Mount; Matthew's Gospel reports the Sermon in three consecutive chapters - 5,6,7. In the opening part of His sermon, Jesus speaks to the “blessings” (also referred to as the “beatitudes”) inherent in true worship of God. He contrasts the legalistic structure that the religious leaders had created and substantially voided out the essence of the Law; Jesus speaks to the spirit of the Law, which was that of relationship with the true God. As we examine these blessings - all 9 of them - that help us to see how they support God's covenant with Israel, and which transcend to those covered by God's New Covenant through Christ, we will consider what good news Jesus is intentionally teaching to them and to us today. 

It is important to reiterate:  The Beatitudes and the teachings contained in the Sermon on the Mount were not just an 'event', a one-and-done and solely historic episode, nor were they given to be a palliative or a salve on our human condition; instead, these are to be fundamental means of growing in relationship with God; they were to become integrated, even renewed, into our daily faith walk. They are a continual awareness of who we are in Christ. Jesus' initial listeners of this Sermon - persons of Jewish heritage - understood the phrases "blessing of God" or "blessed by God" differently than how it is most often used now. For the Jewish person, to be blessed or receive a blessing meant for them to be called into the presence of the LORD, Adonai, Yahweh - to experience God's shalom peace and uniquely commune with Him. Today, though, we most often equate the "blessing of God" to mean a material reward or position of some type that lasts for a little while, brings us a temporary pleasure or happiness, or easing of our situations - something which would essentially aggrandize the human and his/her circumstance. The human satisfaction is the desired focus, rather than having the most incredible experience a human can have - the privilege of uniquely communing with the Sovereign of the universe, the sanctified person's Abba Father, having an experience of eternal reverbrations. As one reads through the Beatitude expositions found at the links below, the recurring theme will be a God-centered awareness and relationship.  (Psalm 34:8; Psalm 65:4; Romans 6:4,11)  This and the following papers were written so that we may bathe in the Light of His wisdom and power, as our knowledge of God grows deeper and more rooted.

The promised Blessings of Jesus (the Beatitudes) in His Sermon on the Mount are posted individually, showing us the relationship with God which He continues to desire.

Bonus: "Order My Steps in Your Word," feat. HCC Choir

EXPOSITION/EXPLANATIONS OF THE BEATITUDES ARE AT LINKS BELOW. (The series is designed to be used as a small group Bible study.) 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Trials - Our Proving Ground

Who hasn't heard from the pulpit that God allows us to go through difficulties to build our faith? (if you haven't perhaps you should ask your minister why hasn't that been preached) In fact, one of the less fully understood scriptures in the Bible, often quoted by churchgoers when difficulties occur: Romans 8:28, is God's oath to us - but do we truly understand its depth? 

The greatest teacher of all time, our Lord Jesus Christ, clearly taught His disciples on the night before His crucifixion, as recorded in John 15:18-16:4, 16:31-33 that because of His name that we bear, that we, too, will be treated as He was treated because the world, which is under the power of satan and his demons, hated Him and sought to kill Him on more than one occasion. He experienced the extreme trial. Thousands of true believers since that time have also experienced the extreme trial - torture and death for their faith in Christ.  

And then there is the subtle trial - finding ourself under the sway of false teaching. All of the lies and misinformation contained in so-called prosperity gospels - which promise a gilded life when becoming a follower of Christ - are a tool of satan to destroy our faith in the true God. When we hear that we should be having a grand and glorious life here on earth and that doesn't happen, we are told it is because of some kind of sin we have committed against God that has not been resolved, or the 'sin' of not releasing all your financials to the organization promoting such false gospel. Or, experiencing a terrible disaster, or that if a loved one or oneself suffers a crippling disease, or sickness leading to death, it is because we have not believed God hard enough. (compare John 9:1-3) The faith of that person and the opportunity to have a true relationship with Christ can become undermined by the lies, shattered in discouragement, defeatism, because of the false picture of God painted for them by false teachers. 

It is, therefore, extremely vital to know who God is, why we are here, and what truly says. All of this can be sought after through an understanding of Bible scripture using teachers gifted by God to earnestly teach the word of God's truth, through application of such, and prayer. (compare Romans 10:1-4, 9-17; 1 Corinthians 2:10-3:9) 

For those of us who are in Christ, then, this message is for us to consider as we endure the trials that have come, are here now, and those that will come on us, both individually and as a worship community. We are not immune to suffering and trials as indicated above, but how should we respond?

When we consider just what a trial is, using the legal sense of the word, we know it to be a time to prove something, to have evidence and testimony to prove that an unlawful action or wrong done against someone will be rightly judged and that the party who suffered receives justice. This endeavor is a process accomplished through a trial - a platform structured to bring such evidence and testimony before an impartial judge who is entrusted to rule in favor of what is right, what is just. My generation grew up watching Perry Mason on TV - a drama about an attorney who was skilled in counseling his clients and for using evidence and testimony to win their case; to keep the series interesting, every now and then the client was proved by Mr. Mason to be the guilty party. Today's generation watches TV programs such as Law and Order, where both prosecutors and criminal lawyers fight for a form of justice that provides for some satisfaction of the law and intent of the law.

A trial for a believer in Christ is also a process, a time to determine - in this case - our faith status, is it strong and stable, or waivering. In 1 Corinthians 10, the apostle Paul is led by the Holy Spirit to instruct many believers of his day who were of Jewish heritage, and those Gentiles who would also come to believe in the God of Moses and His Son Jesus Christ - the Greater Moses, using the evidence and testimony of those ancestors to illumine how our faith is tried. (the Hebrews "faith honor roll" offers examples of what kind and temperature of faith pleases God.) And there are Bible accounts of how faith sometimes fails the trial - take some time to search through your browser for such examples of failing faith. God makes provisions for all of us to grow our faith to become tensile in strength - a faith that endures the stretching and intensity of the test that it comes under. We may choose to absorb all of those provisions, or we may choose to utilize only some of what God provides. 

Comparing it to a diet: protein from different sources serves to build us up physically. If we choose a diet rich in carbohydrates, but lacking in protein, our stamina may have a bright spark for a minute but suffer or fail because we did not have a strong foundation that the protein provides. In the scripture passage in 1 Corinthians the people relished the blessings of God but did not fully internalize the power of God's Word and the obedience opportunities He provided to strengthen them. That choice led to a faith failure. They could not resist the popular heathen practices of the surrounding nations, their worship of Jehovah through the provisions He made for them to stay whole and blessed was set aside for tantalizing pleasures that eroded their moral cores. Or even attempting to test God - exacting from Him what they demanded He should do to make their lives more pleasant, saying that God would get a bad reputation if He didn't. 

Paul sums up these examples, saying, "So, if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall." Because the tests or trials will come, and if you are not prepared in mind and spirit to endure - if you have not taken on all of God's provision for faith victory, then you could fall. Verse 13 ends the passage: "No testing [trial] has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing He will provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it." Faithful believers who have striven for obedience before God can hold onto that promise that God will not allow you to be in a situation that He will not be able to bring you through. Faith victory does not mean we will always "win" the situation or oppression by getting fully delivered out of it to keep our body or life, or even our reputation safe from the painful effects of difficult situations. Faith victory means that we will not lose our faith even when faced with harsh treatment or death. It is that persevering faith that keeps before us the open door to eternal life - God will not allow that to be taken away. (see also Romans 8:31-39)

Today as I write this blog article, there are scores of faithful people being persecuted because they have identified themselves with Christ; some of them will be tortured and abused, may even die. However, they are still victors as they refuse to renounce Jesus in the face of such brutality. Those abused and maltreated persons who survive may carry the scars in their bodies and or in their hearts straight through to glory, where we will be made whole. (Also see  Revelation 3:7-13; 7:9-17; John 10:1-30) A faith victory story from scripture revolves around the destruction of ancient Judah in the 6th century BC. The prophet Habakkuk was witness to the great disaster of Judah and Jerusalem - when the Babylonians (or Chaldeans as some Bible versions name them) came up against Habakkuk's land in 539 BC. The destruction was vicious and left little for the survivors. The actions by Babylon were a result of the nation of Judah's apostasy; God removed His protection from the majority of land and peoples. Although Habakkuk knew the reason and purpose, he still had a waiver of faith as he actually witnessed the destruction taking place and the accompanying trauma and danger. It shook him to the core of his being to the extent that he began to question God's mercy! Yet just as quickly as the urge to do so came, just as quickly it vanished. We see at the end of chapter 3 that Habakkuk fully accepted the sovereign right and will of Jehovah, praised Him and even rejoiced at what He was accomplishing through the removal of the apostate nation. He recommitted an even deeper faith; what initially looked like a failure became a determined faith victory!! 

In 1917, during what subsequently be named World War I, nation after nation was devastated by conquerors for nearly four years, who, using weapons of destruction never before experienced, sought to control the world. The U.S. had been very reluctant to enter the war during the years it raged for various reasons. After a German U-boat sunk the British cruise liner Lusitania in 1915 killing over 100 Americans, and then the ensuing attacks and sinking of American ships by the German war machine, the U.S. was forced to respond and entered the war in the spring of 1917. The then U.S. President, Woodrow Wilson, in October 1917, by executive order, established the Aberdeen Proving Ground, which officially opened in December 1917. Through the order, the Army had taken over 69,000 acres of land and water in Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay to provide an area for design and testing of ordnance. The order transitioned its operations and testing ground for proof and acceptance of ammunition and cannon from New Jersey to the Chesapeake Bay site. The site would expand to include testing of chemical weapons, research, development and general test facilities. Testing fields and operations by military are essential to determine if the weapons developed would hold up and be effective under war conditions and accomplish what they were designed to do. The testing is designed to eliminate any defective machinery or weaponry that would fail under extreme war, climate, utilization, and other situations. The Aberdeen Proving Ground continues to operate after over 100 years.

The world is a testing ground for our faith wherever the Church is found whether it be a dangerous country or a tolerant one. Jesus foretold that in the John 16 reference above - that in the world we would have persecution and suffering; this is the venue where our faith is tried.

On a personal note, over the course of a couple of years, I experienced trial after trial after trial - some very major and painful to the bone, and some not as major in comparison. I knew in my spirit that God was growing me because of something that was to occur at some point. He kept permitting tests to visit me and they had the best effect in bringing me to my knees to receive God's love and consolation, but especially His strength and direction. I had no clue what was coming, but felt in my spirit it was going to be something big - something with the capacity to rock my faith; by His gracious urgings I kept praising and praying, kept growing. Stayed in His Word, giving Him thanks for nurturing me and asking for His abundant strength and grace as I could sense the time getting closer. And when it hit, it knocked me down - it was so awful, forceful and overwhelming that I could not process it all at once; to say it was traumatic is barely scraping the surface. But for God's nurturing me and growing me through those many tests, I am not sure how I would have kept standing - even if I am soaked in tears while I stand. Pain - especially emotional pain - can be relentless and/or can arise out of no where and overwhelm you when you least expect it for a while. I cannot say - because I can barely see past a nano-second - that I will ever recover fully in this life time. It may continue to be a raw wound until heaven when I will be fully healed - Hallelujah. Trust me - I had no part in the strength and grace that is still bringing me through. Even my "yes, Lord" is authored by what He has done in my spirit. The valley is deep and dark, but God's light is on the edge and is leading me through like a beacon. By His love and mercy, by His unlimited grace, He is holding me in His victorious right hand and guiding me over the treacherous faith traps. He is teaching me things about His love, patience, lovingkindness I could never know if I had not experienced this trauma. To God be the glory in all things. Thank you, Father. 

Back to Romans 8:28 - this is a mini-Bible study all by itself. One of the first things that this scripture promises is that trials and sufferings will happen - it is not a matter of if, but when. Some of those trials will be heart-rendering. The second thing we are confronted with - even though it is not specifically stated but certainly implied, are more questions to be answered about God's character, His sovereignty, His being a Creator, His omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience. All of these factor into the statement, "called according to His purpose." What is God's purpose? Better asked, what is God's purpose for me and individuals? It may also be asked, what is God's purpose for humanity, for the earth, for all of creation? How does my life fold into God's greater purposes with creation? What does it mean to "love God"? What does God's love look like in return? How do "we know" these things? How does God turn these terrible events into good? What is "good"? I would encourage everyone to consider these questions as part of disciplining ourselves towards strengthened faith.

In Jesus' high priestly prayer on the night before His crucifixion as recorded in John 17, He prays for those apostles and all who would come to believe in Him through their teaching and witness, that God would protect them - not just physically according to His will, but primarily that they will remain faithful in the world. He prayed for God's love to be in all of them and that such love would be as strong a bond as that between the Father and Son. Jesus asks the Father not to take them out of the world, as it is to the world that they  have been sent to teach the Gospel of freedom and love, and where their enduring faith would serve as a testimony through the tests they would encounter. They would glorify God's name in obedience to His will. (see 2 Peter 3:8-18)

Later on in Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth, the Holy Spirit would instruct Paul to record at 2 Corinthians 13 that 'testing' is not just an external experience. Like at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, the testing is done long before weaponry is commissioned for use by military personnel. The staff at the proving ground must test the materials and equipment ahead of its employment during a military conflict or war to see if indeed they can withstand the fierceness of battle. Verse 5 (using the Amplified Version Classic) tells us that we are to "Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected?" In other words, don't wait until the fire is on you to know the strength of your faith - find out now if you are living in the will of God and growing your faith. Are we bearing fruit worthy of one who is committed to the work of the Lord in both our lives and in our ministries? (ALL Christians have a ministry, not just ordained people.)

We will suffer in trials brought on by the conniving evil one. That truth is inescapable as long as we live in this world. If we suffer because we are doing wrong things, disobeying Christ, then it is not the kind of Biblical suffering due to the Name we bear that Jesus was referring to in John 16 above. When we sin against God, sin will have its consequences - even if we are Christian. The apostle John's letters to the Ephesian Christians and to all who would come after them confirms this in 1 John 1, starting at verse 5 (AMP): "And this is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in any way]. [So] if we say we are partakers together and enjoy fellowship with Him when we live and move and are walking about in darkness, we are [both] speaking falsely and do not live and practice the Truth [which the Gospel presents]. But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations]. If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude and lead ourselves astray, and the Truth [which the Gospel presents] is not in us [does not dwell in our hearts]. If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]. If we say (claim) we have not sinned, we contradict His Word and make Him out to be false and a liar, and His Word is not in us [the divine message of the Gospel is not in our hearts]." Are we confessing our sins or are we deceived into believing we do not sin, because friends, as long as we are in these imperfect bodies we will sin. But we have God's promise of forgiveness when we confess and repent.

So, how should we respond to trials and intensified attacks? Do we just say, "well it is God's will and He will remove the problem." Hmmm, that sounds good. Let's look at this: when Jesus was tempted face to face by the devil (Luke's Gospel at 4:1-13 details for us that Jesus was tested 40 days and nights - not just on three occasions). On those three occasions that the Holy Spirit had recorded in scripture, how did Jesus respond? Now, remember, even if in the flesh, Jesus was still God and could have ended the conflict with a word that would send the devil into oblivion, i.e., He could have retaliated in a death-dealing way, but that was not within the will or timing of the Father, nor would we have learned anything useful in such situations as we cannot fight the devil with physical weapons, nor can we call down hellfire on him successfully. Jesus tells us in John 10 that the devil attacks us to accomplish one or all three of these things: to steal, to kill, and to destroy. In all three of those instances it is not just the body he seeks to harm; he goes for the jugular - our faith. It is the faith of the believer that he wants to steal, that he wants to kill, that he wants to destroy. He has thousands of years of experience at the job - just check his resume in scripture and secular records. So when he in all arrogance approaches the Son of God in those three recorded instances in Matthew 4:1-11 and in the Luke Gospel cited above, he attempts to entice Jesus to worship and obey him by actually quoting scripture and appealing to what he surmised was 'weakenness' in Jesus now that Jesus was in the flesh. So what did Jesus say each time: "It is written." He recited the scriptures that addressed the ruse and temptation of the devil. Can we do that? Can we recognize the devil's tricks, what scripture is being violated or twisted to be used to deceive? Can we say and pray in the midst of suffering the scriptures that address the attack and can we do that in all trust and belief in what God's Word is saying? Or, is our first response that of complaining about our circumstance and perhaps correctly identifying the devil as the source of the matter, and asking God to tell us, to justify to us why He is letting this happen? 

Did you read that? Say it out loud - are we asking or even demanding God to tell us why, to justify for us why He is letting these things happen to us? Why me, Lord? Haven't I been good, haven't I obeyed you? Why are you punishing me? In all honesty, that is the usual human response and we all may have been prone to go that route. I confess that I have more than once. I thus refer us to James chapter 1. God is telling us through James to rejoice in the face of trials and suffering. Whaaaaaat????? Did you know that God may use pain and suffering as sacred instruments to help us strengthen our faith because if we know and love God, such trials lead us speedily and directly to Him to rely even more so on His love and peace. It reminds me of God's promise in Malachi 3:2-3, that God will purify us to become the full righteousness of God, and His methods of purification often come through trials! The sacred instruments are sacred in God's use of them, as He further deepens our relationship with Him. Pain and suffering also places us in partnership with Christ in a unique way as we saw in the passages above, so that we share in His sufferings in a way that does not lead to faith death, but instead to faith victory: a deeper faith and trust in the Only True God, the only Sustainer and Perfector of our faith. In our holding steadfast in faith during trials, we acquire through God's grace in a new intimacy with Him - one so close that He reserves special communion, a special treasure in such intimacy. (Isaiah 45:3; Psalm 23:4-5)  

Faith goes beyond the natural - it is a spiritual connection to God. And, also the fact that our endurance is not of ourselves - we cannot within our own power fight the forces of the devil (reference Ephesians 6:10-18 which is an incredible source of wisdom and strength on how to arm ourselves against the devil's schemes). Thus, in these battles, we have strong communion with Christ, we have the power of the heavenly hosts with us, we have the all-seeing God who knows the end from the beginning on our side. The God of all the universe fighting for us! This is why we rejoice. We rejoice also because our testimony goes ahead of us and speaks truth into others' hearts who are undergoing similar trials. 

God determines the battle to be fought; we may not fully understand just what that is, only that we are suffering by what is happening. Because God is over all things, is Almighty and Omnipotent, He can never lose a battle. We may think God has lost because we did not get the outcome we wanted, but God never loses. His thoughts and ways are beyond our comprehension; we cannot see His entire plan in any circumstance. We cannot understand how He will turn our seeming loss into a tangible winning outcome on a spiritual and natural level. But - we can trust the end of His plans to be victorious and righteous, and to glorify Himself. (see Deuteronomy 10:14-15; Psalm 89:11; Isaiah 55:6-11; 1 Samuel 2:2; 1 King 8:23; 

(I can use the example of the terrible pandemic that initially took the lives of thousands; when vaccines and other measures were made accessible to fight this microscopic virus, did this not bring us a kind of joy to know that we now had at our disposal a means to wage war. We also learned that behavior changes were required to fight this war successfully - changes that were not always received well. Sadly, those who refused the power outside of themselves to fight the virus succumbed to its terror.)

God promises to His faithful ones are contained throughout the Bible. When we are on the proving grounds of this world, may we endeavor to allow the provisions and tools God has created and gifted to us in order to establish a rock-solid faith that will withstand the test and make us more than conquerors by faith!

A prayer from St. Augustine (adapted):

Almighty God, you know our needs before we ask, and our ignorance in asking: Set your servants free from all anxious thoughts about the future, give us contentment with your good gifts; and confirm our faith and charge our hearts and spirits to continue to grow deeper into you, so that as we seek your kingdom first, as you have promised, you will bless us in our need and not let us lack any good thing; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.