Parkwood Baptist Church

“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same judgment.” – 1 Corinthians 1:10

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service , but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities , but the same God who empowers them all in everyone.  To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” – 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” 1 Corinthians 12:12

When I was in school, one of the areas teachers were asked to evaluate children was their ability to get along with others.  “Does he play well with others?” was a frequently asked question.  Now, I don’t know if that kind  of thing is still watched today in our schools, but in the church it is still essential to the health of every body of believers!  Unity of purpose and loving one another are emphasized more than anything else in Scripture as key to the strength of our story.  Without them our story begins to fall apart and plot lines are blurred…characters are lost or left undeveloped…or even excluded.

From this point in our journey through the Scriptures we are encouraged to continue our stories while holding onto the One Story that unites all God’s people together.  In this first letter to the Corinthian church the Apostle Paul has become aware of a very common problem in churches anywhere…people aren’t getting along.  So, this letter is written to encourage and instruct on how they (and we) can keep on track.

Paul acknowledges that we each are created uniquely by God with different personalities, different skills and gifts…different individual stories.  This is to be celebrated and appreciated in the church!   Each of us is “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).  Our God is a God of diversity!  He does not make any two things the same.  But, God also made each individual to fit into the One Story…a symphony of different sounds coming together for One beautiful song!

Paul used the analogy of the human body.  It has many parts.  Each is unique in its function and purpose.  All those different parts working together…each doing what they were designed to do…for the same purpose make for a healthy body.  Everyone knows that it is vitally essential for all the parts of the body to work well together toward the overall purpose of the body.  Each doing their what they were created to do alongside others doing what they were created to do to accomplish One thing.

Sounds easy enough…until we stop following the Composer and Conductor of our symphony.  We stop trusting His design and begin to follow our own and isolate ourselves from the rest of the body.  Our personal agendas become more important than the well being of the overall body and sickness occurs.  Paul, in this letter, is trying to reorient a church that has become distracted by the details and has cut itself off from the “Head” of the body, which is Jesus.  That’s right.  You are not the leader of the church…and neither am I.  That is what unites us.

When we cease to trust His design and follow our own desires we become alienated from the Author of our story…remember how our story began?  When we stop seeking God and each does what he thinks is right in his own eyes (See Day 9)…we find ourselves on a road of division and destruction.

Churches frequently fail when they are evaluated with the question…Can they work well together?  Have you allowed selfish pride to hinder the blessings that God has for you in His Church?  There are no lone rangers in the Kingdom of God!  You are not an exception.  Part of becoming all you were meant to be is “being” a part of His body.  It’s not easy.  You don’t always get your way.  You have to share with others.  You have to take turns…but the rewards are Spectacular!

Make sure your story is connected!

“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.  He only is my Rock and my salvation, my Fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.” – Psalm 62:1, 2

“And He (Jesus) said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.  For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” – Mark 6:31

We can experience Sabbath rest in many different ways.  In fact, we have already seen that the religious elite were criticized by Jesus in the strict definitions that made Sabbath more of a burden than a blessing.  This is when Jesus reminded them that Sabbath was created for man not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27).  Jesus was saying that everyone has unique circumstances that can sometimes make their Sabbath a little different than another persons.

However, the principle of Sabbath is a Spiritual Truth for everyone.  The words of Jesus warning the Pharisees of being too legalistic were not permission for us to throw it out all together!  Sabbath is necessary and must be practiced to live a healthy and abundant life.  We do not have to be Pharisees about it but we do have to be intentional.  Sabbath does not happen in our world unless we deliberately plan it.  If we wait for a convenient time it will never happen!

There are certain things that are key ingredients for Sabbath no matter what your Sabbath may look like.  First, there is silence as mentioned in the Psalm above.  A quieting of the soul.  However or wherever you take a Sabbath rest, there needs to be a “stepping back” from the frenzy of your everyday life.  Sometimes our Blessed Heavenly Father is just waiting for us to stop and be quiet.  So, no matter what you do for Sabbath, there needs to be, what I call, “soul silence”.

Secondly, your focus during this rest should be “God alone” as it says above.  Part of the Sabbath principle is recognizing our dependence on God for all that we have.  he is our Salvation…our Rock…our Fortress.  We don’t need a mantra or a secret phrase to chant.  We simply need to come to Jesus and sit at His feet.

Lastly, the busier we are…the more we need it.  In the verse above Jesus encourages His disciples to get away for a Sabbath.  They were so busy they didn’t have time to eat!  Sometimes we use this as an excuse to not observe a Sabbath in our lives…”I don’t have time right now”…”I’m pretty busy, maybe later”.  Sounds to me like you need a Sabbath now more than ever.  No matter how busy you are, you are not as busy as Jesus was.  Sabbath did not come to Him either without intentional effort.  In His life, He would get up early…stay up late…leave the crowd and go for a hike…get in a boat…etc.  But, He did it.  Why?  Because it is important.

Today, your Sabbath may not look like mine but it should have “soul silence”, a focus on God and a pause from your normal schedule.  May you experience God’s refreshing today!

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:1,2

The Book of Romans is written by the Apostle Paul and he brings together some of the great truths of our story and the practical applications of those truths.  It is a moment of review so that we do not get lost in the flurry of everything happening.  With all the activity in the Gospels and Acts we can easily find ourselves running through the story to keep up.  It is exciting but in doing so we lose track of some of the important details.  Key ingredients that make our story so wonderful can become less important.

That has always been the temptation of the church as they have told the story through the centuries.  They have gotten so busy doing ministry and programs that they have forgotten the most important parts of the One Story.

Paul reminds us right in the first chapter that the righteous…the blessed…live by “faith”.  It is not about doing more and more religious activities.  It is about a trusting relationship with our Creator who made us and loves us and wants us to love Him.

He also reminds us that we have all sinned…gone our own way…stopped trusting our Father (Romans 3:23). He is clear that there are consequences to those who reject God’s love and shun His pursuit.  Paul does not shy away from the warning that the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Paul balances his message by reminding us of the victory we have in Jesus,

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” – Romans 8:1

On the verses we have today Paul is turning to the practical application of the first eleven chapters.  He is saying “because of all of this…” or “Therefore…” here is what you should do.  What should we do?  We should present ourselves to God as living and holy sacrifices.  In other words, turn your life over to the God who loves you…put yourself in the hands of your loving Father!  And we are living and holy through the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf.  Because of His death and forgiveness our sin has been eliminated (holy) and we no longer must die for them (living).

Why do we do this?  It is the definition of worship.  It is our natural response to so great a love that we have been shown!  So, Paul says, don’t be like the worldly anymore, those who do not understand or reject the love of God.  Instead be transformed in the way you think about everything!  He goes on to say in the following verses that our relationship with God should transform how we deal with other people and how we respond in different circumstances.

In this part of our story Paul has slowed us down in order to stay true to the foundations of our story…not to keep us from doing good things…but to make sure we are doing the good things for the right reasons.

Today, use this time to center yourself in your relationship to the Lord.  Remember the righteous live by faith and trust.  Before you get too far into your day, let the Lord know how much you trust Him and that you are His and available for His purposes today!  Then go about your day.

Stay true to the Story.

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'” -Matthew 28:18-20

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

“And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria…” – Acts 8:1

This next stage of our story can be called a commissioning…a mission.  Jesus, Himself gives us the specific assignment of telling our story to everyone we can.  A silent Christian is not an obedient Christian.  We are commanded to tell our story.

This does not mean that we are to know the Bible backwards and forwards.  It does not mean that we have to be well versed in answering any  possible theological question.  We are simply asked to tell our story.  Like the blind man healed by Jesus in John 9, “I was blind and now I see”.  The question is, “What does Jesus mean to you?”.

The first thing we should realize is that we don’t have to rely on our own strength to tell the story.  Jesus says above that “all authority” has been given to Him…not us…Him…and that He would be with us always.  It is our proximity to Jesus that inspires us to tell our story.  after all, our story is His story.

Another thing we must see is that we are to “Go” and tell.  We are not to wait for others to ask about our story, though some may do that, we are to take the initiative…to anyone…anywhere.  All of the above verses have a global goal.  “All nations”… “end of the earth”  In other words, God wants our story to be a best seller.  He wants everyone to hear it and to be a part of it!

In the Book of Acts, where we are in our journey today, it is the record of how the church (the people of God) began to carry out this commission.  It records successes and failures…recognition and persecution.  Unfortunately, not everyone wants to hear the story.  They don’t want to hear that the God who loves them has a design for their life and that only in a relationship to Him can they become all they were created to be.  So, people were arrested, tortured and sometimes killed for telling the story.

Even the disciples world was expanded through the persecution of the church.  They were sharing the story with those in Jerusalem and many people were responding but they were not getting out of their comfort zone.  Even though Jesus had said “Go into all nations” they were enjoying the growth of the church right where they were.  However, God used the persecution of the church to “scatter” them further.

There are times when we are tempted to keep our story to ourselves.  We will share it if someone asks us but only then.  This is not our commission.  We must be a people who are willing to share.  Will you be persecuted or ridiculed?  Probably.  Many have endured the same suffering so that you would hear the story and be a part of it.  Remember that they were persecuted because they “told” the story…not the story.  The instruction from the authorities was…”keep it to yourself”.  “Stop telling the story of Jesus”.

Have you shared your story lately?  You are called to spread the news about the greatest story there is.  Don’t hide it.

Just tell your story!

“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” – Romans 5:8

“Greater Love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.” – John 15:13

”For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever would believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world would be saved through Him.” – John 3:16, 17

”A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:34,35

The cross of Christ is the greatest expression of love in our story.  It is the ultimate demonstration of genuine love.  Not only did Jesus die for those He loves…He died for those who did not love Him.  It is one thing to die for a loved one but it is unlikely that one would die for an enemy…for one who has rejected you and all you stand for.  This is what Paul means when he writes, “…while we were still sinners”.

You see, Our story…the One Story…is a love story.  It is a story of a lover pursuing His beloved.  It is the story of our God who loves us so much that He would stop at nothing to show us that love and to rescue us from the consequences of our sin…condemnation.  Love saves!  Sin condemns.

”There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” – Romans 8:1

That is love!  No condemnation.  Love saves…sin condemns.  Sin and the condemnation it brings is our own doing.  It is the love of God through Jesus that brings us forgiveness and new life.   This is a God of Love!

But, our loving Father also challenges us to love each other in the same way.  After all, this is also our story and we are invited to join God in His work and His work is loving a sinful world.  Jesus even says, in the Scripture above, that people will know that we are disciples of Jesus by our love for each other.

This starts within the church family among our own brothers and sisters in Christ.  How can we love a sinful world if we can’t love those who have been redeemed by the love of God?

In our world today it seems that anger and hate are the prevailing attitudes in conversation and social media.  People seem to use our communication advances as permission to hurt and destroy.  This should not be!  James said, “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing, my brothers, these things ought not to be so.” (James 3:10).

As followers of Jesus we are challenged to use everything at our disposal to encourage others…build up others…share the love of Christ with others.  That means in our conversations, emails, texts, social media, etc.

This is not easy.  It is a work of Jesus in us.  Our part is to watch our words and attitudes and measure them against those of Jesus.  Paul said,

”Have this attitude among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…who made Himself nothing, taking the form of a bond servant...” – Philippians 2:5, 7

Today I want to remind you that your story is a love story.  It is the Author’s motivation in writing it.  All other pieces of the story are intended to connect to the main theme…love.  Does that sound like your life?  Are you experiencing the refreshing love of God in your daily walk?  How about your interaction with others?  Are you an encourager who builds up or are you finding yourself on the dark side of conversations?

Jesus loves you!  If you love Jesus you should love each other!

This is the core of the One story…it should be the core of your story.

“Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.  And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’  And immediately they left their nets and followed Him.” – Mark 1:16-18

“The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked by and said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God!’  The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.” – John 1:35-37

“And He called to Him His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.  The names of the twelve apostles are these…” – Matthew 10:1,2

When Jesus decided who would be His A-Team in assisting Him with His ministry to the known world, He made some surprising choices.  We are very familiar with this ragtag band of misfits that Jesus considered His closest friends.  They were fishermen, tax collectors, zealots, Judean accountants, and Galileans, men, women…those with good reputations and those “not so good”.

If there was one thing they all had in common…it was that they had nothing in common.  They were “everyday” people called out of their everyday lives to follow a compassionate Savior to a greater purpose!

There are several things that we need to see in this part of our story.  First, our God chooses us…calls us to an abundant life of fulfillment and joy (John 10:10).  He doesn’t just do stuff for us.  He is not our heavenly waiter that answers our beck and call whenever we ring a bell.  He desires our fellowship…our partnership with Him in His work.  He calls each of us into the kitchen and hands us an apron.  “Come on, help me do this.”

Secondly, we may be overwhelmed like Moses or Jeremiah and declare that we are not the right choice.  The excuses begin to fly.  “I can’t talk well.” “I’m too young.” “They will never believe me.”  The verses  above tell us that the power to do the things He calls is to come from Him.  He gave them the authority.  Jesus provided the disciples everything that they needed to carry out what He asked them to do.

Another thing I want you to see is that Jesus calls them during their everyday work.  He recognizes that they are fishermen and, please note, does not ask them to be something they are not.  To follow Jesus does not mean that I am given a whole new skill set (although it could).  He calls them to do what they do to the glory of God and His Kingdom.  In other words, God calls us to be His witnesses…do His work in the daily living of our lives.  How can you use your skills…your unique talents and gifts to point people to the Kingdom?

If you are a fisherman, through the power of Christ, you can become a fisher of men.  If you are an accountant, through the power of Christ, you can keep books to God’s glory.  The Apostle Paul challenged us to do everything we do to the glory of the One who made us!

Lastly, notice that Jesus called them as “disciples” (learners, students) but after they received authority from Him they were called as “Apostles” (sent ones).

One of the consistent messages in our story…the one story is that God calls us to participate in writing His story.  This invitation comes fully loaded with everything you need for every good work and…

…He sends you out on mission to do His work…take His message to all who need to hear it!

Are you an active participant in your story or are you sitting back letting  life happen to you?  Are you in the game or on the bench?  Today, God is calling to you!  Jesus is on the shoreline of your home…your work…your life and He is calling, “Follow me today!”

Peter and Andrew did and they got involved in their story…they joined Jesus in writing the One Story.  That same story continues today.  So pick up the pen and, under His direction, join Him in writing your story.

“Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left…” – Matthew 27:38

“One of the criminals who were hanged, railed at Him…but the other said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’  And Jesus said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.'” – Luke 23:39, 42-43

“And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry His cross…” – Mark 15:21

“…but standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved, standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!‘ ” – John 19:25, 26

The first part of our story in the New Testament begins with four versions of the life and ministry of Jesus.  They are called the Gospels which means Good News.   I have been asked before, “Why are there four Gospels?”  “Why don’t we just pick the best one and use that?”

This is a good question.  Have you ever been telling a story along with someone else and, as you are telling it, they chime in with, “Don’t forget to tell them about…” or they add a detail that you didn’t see?  Likewise, the four Gospels bring four perspectives of the life of our Lord.  God is speaking through four different personalities to give us a very full picture.  Much like a modern day news event, the more witnesses that are interviewed…the more well rounded the story becomes.  It is like the difference between a 2-D and a 3-D picture (in this case 4-D)!

For example, Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience and frequently ties the events of Jesus to the prophesies of Scripture to show that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah.  Mark tells the story with a hurried excitement and sometimes leaves out details to keep the story moving.  Luke is our researcher trying to present an “orderly account” (Luke 1:3) and John is concerned that we see Jesus as the Good Shepherd…God in the flesh…The Savior of the world!

To illustrate even more, the above Scriptures are all taken from the telling of the crucifixion.  Each of the writers contributes details that the others may or may not give.  Matthew tells us about the other criminals but Luke remembers that they talked to Jesus and He talked back to them.  Matthew tells us about Simon of Cyrene but Mark tells us he is the father of someone you might know.  All the Gospels tell us Mary was present at the cross but only John heard Jesus speak to her…and him.

These are just a few examples concerning one event!  The four Gospels together add living color to our story.  It comes alive on a deeper level.  It is the Apostle John chiming in with, “Hey Mark, don’t forget the part  where He…”.  It’s Luke saying, “And what about the story of John the Baptist’s dad?”…and so on.

So, how does this apply to our story?  First, we must recognize that there is more to our story than we know.  God is at work all around us!  Some of the details are nuggets that we take into our hearts and it shapes the way we live that day.  Other details we miss or do not see, but other people do.  They chime in and say, “Hey, remember what God said about that?” or “When that happened to me this is how God helped me”.  And, all of a sudden we realize that our story is part of The One Story and we are a part of the greater tapestry of God’s mighty work!

This should also make us aware that part of our responsibility is to share our story.  To give witness to the things that God has done for us.  Telling it in our own words…through our own personality…bringing in the details of how God has blessed you.

O Believer, what has God done for you?  Would you share it today?  It may just add some living color to someone else’s story.  Today, your testimony may be the 3-D glasses that bring clarity to someone’s perspective.

Your story + my story + their story = The One Story

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it….And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:1-5, 14

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” – Romans 5:6

And then there was Jesus!  Everything in our story up until now has been getting us ready for this moment.  The prophesies have been telling us about Him and His coming.  God’s people have been sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for Him to arrive.  The Messiah…the Savior…the Promised One has come!

John intentionally uses the familiar words that take us back to the start of our story…”In the beginning”.  Immediately we are taken back to where it all began and we are reminded of the sweet fellowship we enjoyed with our heavenly Father.  Thousands of years of wandering are forgotten in a moment as He bursts onto the scene.  God has come to us!  He did not send an ambassador to stand in for Him.  This was His idea.  He took the initiative Himself.  He did not send another prophet to teach us more about Him…He came Himself…in the flesh.

In our story…the One Story, it is not only important to know our beginnings and where we came from, but it is even more important that we understand our Hero’s history.  John’s preamble makes sure that we understand that Jesus did not begin in Bethlehem.  Jesus was present in The Beginning…”with God” but, He was not just with God…He was God.   Jesus was and is God!  On this earth Jesus was God in the flesh.  God dwelling “among us”.

Matthew tells us that the  birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophesy of Isaiah about the birth of “Immanuel”…which means “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14/Matthew 1:23).   He came to be with us in a way that we could even better understand who He is.  He “became flesh”.  In other words, He got down onto the floor to play with His children.  He is the loving Father who could not stand aloof and watch us continue to wander.  He revealed Himself in our language…on our level.  I have often said that Jesus was God’s “TA-DA!” moment.

This, of course, was just a clearer revelation of things that were already true about our God.  We have already seen through our story that God was always with us and pursuing us.  So, what was revealed in the written Word (The Old Testament) was now revealed in the flesh.  We must recognize that Jesus was not a different God from the Old Testament but an unveiling of the same God who has been with us from the beginning.

We must also understand that Jesus came at just the right moment.  Paul says above, “at the right time”.  God never does things “half way”.  This was all part of the plan that He had spent years preparing us for.  Throughout the Old Testament He set the stage for His appearance.  He prepared us through the teachings of the Prophets and the practices of the Priests that foreshadowed His coming…His life…His death…and His resurrection!

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.” – 2 Corinthians 8:9.

Yes, the purpose of Christmas…the coming of Jesus…was to bring us back into fellowship with Him…and that plan included His death on the cross for you and me.

As we begin the part of our story called the New Testament, we must remember that this is still the same story about our God who would stop at nothing to show us how much He loves us and wants us to love Him.

This is your story and, in your story…you are deeply loved.

“And He said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath’.” – Mark 2:27

One Sabbath Jesus and His disciples were going through a field and because they were hungry they picked some of the grain to eat.  The Pharisees were following close behind (as always) and they chastised Jesus for allowing His disciples to “break” the Sabbath since what they were doing was equivalent with working the harvest.  Jesus expressed His frustration with the Pharisees by reminding them that the law of Sabbath was created to be a BENEFIT not a BURDEN.  Then He politely reminded them that He was the Lord of the Sabbath.

Today, on our fourth Sabbath during Lent, I want to remind you that this Sabbath was created for you.  It is to be a day of refreshment and renewal.  It is to be a time when you step back and refocus on the things that are really important…a time of prayer…a time of meditation…a time of rest.  It is not to be an unwanted obligation or another religious ritual in a long list of “To Do’s” handed down by an over bearing Father.  Yes, believe it or not, some people treat the Sabbath like that.  Another requirement.

There were few things that irritated Jesus’ enemies more than His “seemingly” flippant attitude about the Sabbath.  What they missed was that Jesus  (The Author of the Sabbath) took the Sabbath and the design of God very seriously and its’ purpose even more.  In other words, Jesus knew that He had established the Sabbath for the love of His creation not for the imprisonment of it.  His priority was and is to express is love for His children.

Jesus said that the religious leaders had made following God a burden to bear.  In Matthew He said, “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders…” (Matthew 23:4).  This is not what Jesus intended when it comes to the Sabbath…or any other commandment for that matter.  These are given for our good…that we might be blessed!

Again, the practice of a regular Sabbath was created by God FOR YOU!  It is for your good and designed for you to experience the love of God in your daily living.  It calls you to trust Him…have faith in Him…and rest in His loving arms.

So, relax…take a deep breath…and enjoy the day today.  Sit in the Father’s presence.  Not because you HAVE TO but because there is no other place that you would rather be.

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from old, from ancient days.” – Micah 5:2

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” – Zechariah 9:9

By now in our journey, we can see that this great story…our story…the Bible…is One story.  Even though it was written over thousands of years by many different people about many different things, we can see the work of One Author with One message…God made us, loves us and will stop at nothing to win our wayward hearts back to Him.  Whether Old Testament or New Testament, prophetic warnings or wise instruction, a wondrous miracle or a tragic failure…every verse drips with the sweet honey of the same message.  It is a story, from cover to cover, that reveals to us a “Loving Father” chasing us through history…calling to us…caring for us…and giving us opportunities to come home.

This truth changes the way we read and digest the Scriptures and heals a misunderstanding that has existed for centuries, that the Old Testament and New Testament send a different message.  Some see a God of anger and wrath that has a change of heart when Jesus comes.  This could not be further from the truth.  God did not change and He has not changed today and…He will not change.  As we finish the Old Testament, I hope that you can see what the Apostle Paul meant when he said,

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16

We finish the Old Testament with several Books called the Minor Prophets.  This name is given because they are shorter in length and not because they are any less important.  They were written during dark times of Israel’s rebellion against God and the consequences that came as a result.  However, each of these snapshots has a word of hope.  They refer to a “Day of the Lord” that will come.  They point to a Messiah…a Savior who would come to rescue.  They point to Jesus and His life and death and resurrection!

As we step back from the Scriptures in the Old Testament we can see the bigger picture.  We can see that there is a map…a Biblical GPS that points us to Jesus!  Our God wanted to make sure we did not miss it when He came to save us.  The Old Testament is filled with hundreds of prophesies (details) that point ahead to the coming of the Messiah.  We are told how and where He would be born, what tribe He would come from, what He would do, and…how He would suffer and die…be buried…rise again…all for us.  Jesus fulfilled them all!  A perfect match!

Yet, we will find as we launch into the next part of our story that many did not recognize Him.  Even those who studied and kept the map seemed to have a hard time separating their own expectations from the markers given in the Scripture.  Sometimes the thing that we are looking for is right there “under our nose”, as we say.

Today, people are still trying to put a square peg into a round hole.  They think that maybe, if they pound a little harder or try another angle…maybe what this world has to offer with it’s pleasures and empty promises will meet the need that is deep within each of them…the need for a Savior.

Throughout the Old Testament, even through the Minor Prophets, God has revealed a clear plan.  We have been given clear directions and in the New Testament we see the fulfillment.

In your story, have you recognized Jesus as your Savior who has come to give you life?  Are you trying to fill the need of your life with what the world has too offer?  He longs to meet your deepest need to be loved…to come home.

This is His story…it can be your story