The short definition of being holy is to be set apart for God’s purpose.  That means, we are no longer included in an old group and are now a part of something dedicated to God.  Are we really set apart from the world if we look and act like everyone in the world?
 
Jesus prayed for his apostles, and by extension each of us, to be in the world but not part of it.  “I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.”  (John 17:14-16.)  He wants us to be noticeably holy, noticeably set apart for his glory.
 
Peter expected those around us to see that we are different.  He expected them to react with hostility sometimes and to react by giving glory to God at other times.  “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  Live  such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”  (1 Peter 2:11,12).  Those around us will see that we do not engage is some things that they love because those things war against our souls, and they will not be happy with us.  On the other hand, they will see that we different because we live our lives to do good things for others, and they will glory God for that.  Either way, they will see that we are set apart for God’s purpose.
 
Sometimes this is hard for us to do.  There is such a thing as “herd instinct.”  We naturally feel safer and more comfortable if we do not stand out from the crowd.  No one wants to be accused of being “holier than thou.”
 
Also, we know that in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus told us not to do good things in order to be seen by others.  “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’  before men, to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”  (Matthew 6:1)    But earlier in the same sermon, he told us, “you are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  (Matthew 5:14-16)  The difference between these passages is, in the first, we are doing good to be seen and praised by those around us, and in the second, our being set apart means we reflect his light into a dark world. Light is different (set apart) from the dark world.  It is not about us being better than anyone.  It is about reflecting God’s glory by living for him.
 
As we spend this year learning about God’s holiness, one way to check our progress is to see how many people can see that, by living for Jesus, we are set apart for God’s purpose.  If nobody notices, maybe we are not really set apart.

"WHERE IS YOUR NINEVEH?"



This is not a story about a fish.

The time was about 785 BC.  

For the purposes of our discussion, the place is two cities.  Their first being the city of Gathhepher in the territory of Zebulun (2 Kings 14:25) situated in the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  The second being the ancient city of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire (which was located near what is now the town of Mosul, Iraq, originally established by a great grandson of Noah, Nimrod (Gen. 10:8-12), and more recently named by ISIS in the early 2000s as a ISIS Iraqi headquarters).  

The person was a prophet of God named Jonah who lived during the reign of King Jeroboam II, King of Israel.

The historical setting is a time of political, geographical and economic expansion for Israel.  It had forgotten its past troubles but did not return to the Lord.  The Assyrian Empire was a fierce enemy of Israel, known for its extreme brutality, idolatry and role in destroying the northern Kingdom of Israel sixty (60) years earlier in 722 BC.  To Israel, Nineveh represented wickedness and oppression.

Our story begins in Jonah 1:1-3. “The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai.  “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”  But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.  He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port.”  

The Bible does not tell us what Jonah was thinking at the time he received this instruction from God.  What we do know is what Jonah did.  And it is not hard to imagine what Jonah was thinking.  After all, he was not that much different from you and I.  He likely was thinking, I am a prophet working in Israel, in a land that has ignored God and needs sound teaching.  My job is here.  The people who live next door and down the street are God’s chosen people.  They look like me.  They think like me.  They speak my language and we have a lot in common.  I am most effective here.  Nineveh?  It is a huge city inhabited by filthy heathens.  On top of that, Nineveh is 500 miles northeast from Gathhepher and American Airlines does not provide service to Nineveh.  In fact, it will take approximately one month to travel to Nineveh and one month to return to Gathhepher once the gospel meeting is completed.  This is really very simple.  God is mistaken.  There is virtually no travel cost to teach here in Israel and when you consider time management, it makes absolutely no sense to waste all the time on the road.  If these reasons are not enough, God is merciful and will likely decide not to destroy the Ninevites if they repent.  But considering all the facts, the Ninevites deserve to be punished.  They need to be punished.  I want them punished.

Fast speed forward.  God knows Jonah’s address in Gathhepher.  Jonah’s wisdom suggests he travel somewhere that God can’t find him.  So he buys a ticket on a cruise ship headed for Tarshish (modern day Spain), which was about 2,500 miles the opposite direction to the west.  The ship ends up in very bad storm and the seamen on the ship throw Jonah into the sea.  He gets swallowed by a big fish.  Jonah comes to his senses and decides to follow God’s instruction.  The big fish spits Jonah out on a beach and he finally heads to Nineveh to deliver God’s message of repentance.  What happens after he delivers God’s message?  The people of Nineveh actually listen and respond favorably to Noah’s message.  They turned from their evil ways (Jonah 3:10).  120,000 residents of Nineveh are saved from God’s wrath.

It boils down to this.  Are we like Jonah?  Do we ever receive instruction from God and refuse to comply by rationalizing we know better?  Do we think we can live our lives as Christians by serving how we want to serve, to those we want to serve, where we want to serve and when we want to serve?  After all, delivering the gospel to one is as good as to another.  To Jonah, delivering God’s message in Israel made sense geographically.  To Jonah, perhaps delivering God’s message on the beaches of Tarshish seemed attractive and inviting.  

But to God, following his instructions is everything.  God did not want Jonah delivering his message in Israel.  He wanted him in Nineveh.  As opposed to adopting the easy approach to sharing God’s message, God wanted his message shared with a people who did not look like Jonah, did not share Jonah’s values or religion, were bitter enemies and had nothing in common.

God addresses the human tendency to limit our efforts to share the gospel with those similar to us.  In contrast to the approach we feel most comfortable with, God looks at the heart.  1 Samuel 16:7 “For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  Matthew 28:19 instructs us to make disciples of “all nations,” not just those within our social circle.  In John 4, Jesus shattered social, cultural, and gender barriers by speaking to a Samaritan woman at a well, demonstrating that the good news is for all including those who some would consider social outcasts.

The Great Commission was intended to apply to all of us.  We are all ambassadors of Christ “serving as His official representatives on earth to carry out the message of reconciliation”.  (2 Corinthians 5:20).  Has God called on you and I to leave the comfort of our lazy boy and share the good news in a Nineveh?  When God causes someone to cross our path, who does not necessarily look like us, do we jump at the opportunity to say something to them about the good news?   Do you hear the voice of the Holy Spirit encourage you to tell someone about your faith, notwithstanding they don’t have much in common with you?  This Sunday, a class called “Telling Your Story” will begin in Room 303 led by Greg Ivans. This class is intended to encourage each of us to improve in the role of ambassadors of Christ when it comes to sharing the gospel. It will discuss why and how our faith stories make a difference to us and others as we share the good news.  Make an effort to join us as we make an effort to be better ambassadors for Christ.
 
 

It was still dark in the early morning, and Peter was walking on the water. He wasn’t just stepping into a puddle; he was literally walking on the top of a lake ... a large lake with choppy water and strong blowing winds. He jumped out of a boat in the middle of rough waters because Jesus told him to do it and Peter did the amazing . . . until he didn’t.
 
Matthew 14 tells us the story. Jesus had sent the disciples ahead of him in a boat so that he could stay by himself to pray. It had been a long day, and he needed some time with his Father.  So, Jesus talked to God until sometime after three in the morning. The disciples were in a boat in the middle of the lake and were having great difficulty crossing it since a strong headwind was against them and the waves were beating against the boat with force. After his prayers, Jesus chose to walk across the lake and the disciples saw him, but they weren’t sure what they were seeing.  They thought it was a ghost, and they were terrified! Jesus sees their fear and cries out to them, “It’s me! Don’t be afraid!” Peter recognizes the Lord’s voice. Then Peter says, “Lord if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water!” So, Jesus yells, “Come on!” Peter looks at Jesus, takes him at his word and jumps out of the boat. He then did the amazing; he walks on the lake . . . until he doesn’t. You see, Peter suddenly remembers the waves and the wind, and as his attention turns from Jesus to the dangers around him, he begins to sink. Amid his distractions and near drowning, he cries out again to Jesus and Jesus reaches out and rescues him.
 
We may not know what it feels like to walk on water, but we know about distractions and dangers. We read about them on our news apps and see reports of them on TV. The world seems to be in chaos. We find ourselves in the middle of a cultural storm of angry words, verbal threats, and competing ideologies. We fear the threats of mass shootings, current and potential wars, and where the immorality in our culture may lead us and our children.  Our relationships often feel the stormy wind of betrayal, miscommunication, conflict, and unmet expectations. Within ourselves we are hit with waves of loneliness, grief, fear, and anxiety. All of these cry out for our attention and sometimes even devotion, but there is only one who we really need, and that One is Jesus.
 
It’s not that we should pretend that there is no chaos or danger; it’s that we keep our eyes on Jesus despite the chaos and danger. The writer of Hebrews tells those who were facing their own chaos and distractions to keep their eyes on Jesus:
 
Hebrews 12:1–3 (NIV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
 
Fixing our eyes on Jesus is necessary because he’s been through storms himself and he can show us the way through. Can you see Jesus through what you are facing right now? Do you recognize his voice? Maybe, if you listen well, you can hear him calling you to step towards him through the storm. Maybe, if you walk toward him you will see him more clearly.  When the world’s chaos causes you to fear, when the distractions of sin call you to give in, and the weight of physical and emotional pain pull you down, don’t forget to listen to the voice of Jesus and fix your eyes on him. When you do, don’t be surprised to be part of something amazing.
 
I know, some may say wait, Peter failed, he sunk, and lacked faith. But don’t lose sight of what Peter did do or of who was there to rescue him. Jesus, the Son of God, the one who calms storms was in the middle of the storm with Peter and rescued him. Jesus loves his people enough to be with them in their storms of life, cares enough to rescue them even when they fail, and calls them to walk with him in doing the impossible . . . that truly is Amazing!

Let’s renew our dedication to and sacrifice for our true home.  Recently, the History Book Club discussed “The Gettysburg Gospel”, which is an account of what happened at Gettysburg in the weeks and months immediately after the horrendous and monumental battle in early July 1863.

Much of the book deals with the brief but significant speech now known as the Gettysburg Address, delivered by Abraham Lincoln at the dedication of the national cemetery in November 1863.  It is still studied and memorized after all this time.  Many great, inspirational thoughts and phrases are included, but in essence, it is a plea for renewed dedication to and sacrifice for the nation.  The text of the speech follows:

“Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.  We are met on a great battlefield of that war.  We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that the nation might live.  It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate – we cannot consecrate – we cannot hallow – this ground.  The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor ability to add or detract.  The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.  It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.  It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth in freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish for the earth.”

As much as we love our country and as much as it needs our dedication, our true home is in heaven (Philippians 4:20), and we are here as ambassadors of the kingdom of God to reconcile this world to Christ (II Corinthians 5:14-21).

What follows is an attempt to re-word the Gettysburg Address to make it fit our dedication to Christ.

“1,995 years ago, our heavenly Father brought forth in this world a new kingdom, conceived in grace, mercy, and Jesus’ redeeming sacrifice and dedicated to the proposition that each human being can become his child.  Now we are engaged in a great spiritual war, testing whether that new kingdom will prevail over the forces of evil.  Each Sunday, we gather to encourage each other and to remember and participate in the body and blood of Jesus’s sacrifice.  It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do that.  No one will note or remember what we say here, but the world cannot forget or ignore what Jesus did.

 It is for us, the living disciples of Jesus, to constantly dedicate our lives to serving God and expanding his kingdom.  Each day, we dedicate ourselves to these noble and holy tasks.  We take increased devotion to that cause for which Jesus gave the last full measure of devotion.  In view of God’s mercy, we offer our lives as living sacrifices, which is our spiritual act of worship.  Constantly, we highly resolve that Jesus did not die in vain and that God’s new kingdom shall have a new birth in freedom from sin.   We dedicate our hearts, minds, souls, and strength to God and his kingdom, and we trust in the Holy Spirit that God’s new kingdom shall not perish for the earth but be full and vibrant when Jesus returns.”

How do we truly learn to love God?  As I reflect on Deuteronomy 11, I found insight into this question.  Before reading it, let’s give some insight into what was happening.  Moses started preparing the Israelites for life without him.  And it is in the middle of Moses’ thoughts that we pick up in Deuteronomy 11. The Israelites have been wandering through the wilderness for 40 years as punishment for not having full faith in God.  As we start reading the beginning of this chapter, Moses is speaking to the generation that was young when the wilderness wandering began.

Love and Serve the Lord
11 “You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always.

God has commanded us to love him.  “Love” here indicates an emotion.  It is action adjacent, but its emotion specific.

It is easy to command an action.

• Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all 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
• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you
•  Hebrews 13:16 – Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God

Since emotions like love cannot simply be commanded, it’s important to understand how our thoughts can lead to action.

The heart cannot love what the mind does not know.  How can you know God?  You need to fix your eyes daily on Him.  Have you ever wondered how you can love someone you cannot see?  How can you do that?

One way is by spending time daily looking for God in His word and reflecting on what you just read. You need to spend more time getting to know Him than with yourself.  When you do that, you will end up loving Him more than if you never have sought Him.  The more we take our eyes off of ourselves and get to know the infinitely lovable God, the more we will love Him.

Below are a couple verses showing God’s love for us.  They are a great place to get started knowing God.  I have included with these verses what I gleaned about God.

Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were sinners, Christ died for us.

Without doing a thing, we are ALREADY deeply and completely loved by God.  This verse is close to my heart.  It was the sharing of this verse that led to my baptism.  I was hung up on thinking that God would only accept me if I was perfect, which I am not.  Never have been and never will be.  That is why I need God.  That is why WE need God.  But understanding that God accepted me with all my faults allowed me to commit my life to Him, completely and forever.

1 John 4:9-11 – This is how God showed His love among us; He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

God’s love isn’t abstract or theoretical.  It was made visible through the sending of Jesus.  True love is expressed through concrete actions, especially those that require sacrifice.

The list of verses above are just a beginning. What verses have helped you know God’s love better?  I want to hear your favorites and what they’ve meant to you.
 

The last article was “How should we live?”  It asked, “How do we live out this Christian walk and respond to God’s grace?”  This article will focus on one aspect of that walk.  Growth.
As in the common saying, God accepts us as we are, but doesn’t want us to stay the way he found us.  How do we know that?  II Peter 3:18 tells us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”.  Also, we can see an expectation of maturing as Christians when Romans 5:12 talks about milk vs. solid food.  The whole chapter of 1 Corinthians 8 revolves around different groups of Christians that don’t have the same knowledge or understanding about food offered to idols, and then covers how to protect individuals in the local church while maintaining unity.  Those groups are not at the same level of growth, but they are all Christian brothers and sisters.
Clearly, we need to grow.  What practical principles will help us grow?  Let’s look at something very familiar to us.

Do you have a savings account?  Did you know that compound interest has been called the 8th wonder of the world?  Why?
Because small amounts deposited over a long time can produce something much larger than expected.
For example, putting $25 per month for 40 years in a cookie jar will amass $12,000.  But, if that money is earning 8% interest, it will become $87,857 – much larger than $12,000.
Small choices or actions can do the same thing in your life.  They do need to be thoughtfully made and consistently repeated.  But individually, they are small choices.  Like the small regular deposits.
A choice, a thought, or an action that is repeated – either on purpose or unconsciously - produces what?  A habit!
Habits allow us to overcome inconvenience or a lack of motivation.  Habits can reduce our mental burden and free us to focus on more important things.  Or habits can keep us in a rut of mindless repetition.
Choices and habits can build us up or tear us down.  So, we need to be careful to repeatedly make good choices so that we build helpful habits.
Habits can create default actions.  When those actions have a moral component, habits can mold character.
Where does that action start?  Where does the choice come from?  From what you think!
That’s why we need to focus on things that are pure, holy, and uplifting.  Philippians 4:8 says it like this: “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
We renew our minds (Romans 12:2) to avoid being like the world.  We seek to “have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16) in us and be guided by the Spirit.  We “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
The blessings, the trust, and the opportunities created by good thoughts, good choices, good habits, and good character are like the interest mentioned above that builds up over time to be much more than we could do by ourselves.
I hope the savings account example was useful.  You may want to think through similar parallels to savings accounts, like in exercising and farming.  All three require consistent choices over a decently long time and can have outsized results.

Go make good choices.

As Christians, we have been redeemed and blessed by God’s grace and mercy.  We have committed to do God’s will.  How do we accomplish that day by day and year after year?  How do we live out this Christian walk and respond to God’s grace?
There’s a fairly large collection of topics that could shed light on that question.  Here’s a few.

• Make disciples and mature them. 
  • [Matthew 28:18-20a ESV] 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 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.”

• Act in love. 
  • [John 13:24-36 ESV] 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.
  • [Luke 10:27-29 ESV, please see the full Good Samaritan in 10:25 - 37] And he (lawyer) answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”  And he (Jesus) said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”  But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”  [Jesus then gives an example of acting to help a stranger that is in need.]

• Do God’s will with faith and good works.
  • [Matthew 7:21 ESV] Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
  • [Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV] For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
  • [James 2:26 ESV but please review 2:1-26] For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

• Grow, subdue self, control thoughts, live by the Spirit.
  • [2 Peter 3:18a ESV] But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
  • [Galatians 5:22-24 ESV but please review 5:16-26] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
  • [Romans 12:1-2 ESV] 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 conform 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.
  • [Philippians 4:8 ESV] Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

As a summary, perhaps the concrete examples from Paul in Romans 12 would lead us to a good mix of correct attitude and correct practice.  The ESV entitles this section as Marks of the True Christian.

[Romans 12:9-13 ESV] Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.  Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.  Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.  Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
[Romans 12:14-21 ESV] Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.  Never be wise in your own sight.  Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.  If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.  Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”  To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

There are many facets to how we should live our lives so that we honor God and encourage those around us.  May the above verses encourage you and build you up as they give you something to think about.

What other verses came to your mind?  Was something important left off this list?  Please write it down and share it with the elders.

Try reading one of the gospels with really fresh eyes, as if you had never heard it before.  Or, try to put yourself in the place of one of the people who saw Jesus in person for the first time.  Jesus is truly amazing.
 
Jesus cast out a demon on the Sabbath, and all the people were amazed.  (Mark 1:21-27)
 
A whole town came to Jesus as he healed many and drove out many demons.  (Mark 1:32-34) Amazing.
 
Jesus healed a man with leprosy; the word spread, and he could no longer enter a town openly because of the crowds.  (Mark 1:40-45).  Amazing.
 
Jesus healed a paralytic by saying, “Your sins are forgiven,” and “get up, take your mat and go home.”  This amazed everyone, and they praised God.  (Mark 2:1-12)
 
Jesus was on a boat with his disciples.  He fell asleep and a furious squall came up.  The frightened disciples woke Jesus up.  He said, “Quiet!  Be still!” and the wind died down.  (Mark 4:35-41)  Amazing.
 
The father of a sick little girl pleaded with Jesus to come and heal her.  The girl died before Jesus arrived.  Jesus took the girl’s parents and three of his disciples into the room with the girl,  told the girl to get up, and she did.  Those present were completely astonished.  (Mark 5:21-43)
 
Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fish, used it to feed 5,000 men plus women and children.  They took up twelve baskets of left-overs, which was more than they started with.  (Mark 6:30-43).  Amazing.
 
When Jesus opened the ears and loosed the tongue of a deaf and mute man, the people were overwhelmed with amazement. (Mark 7:31-37)
 
These are just a few of the amazing things that Jesus did, not to even mention the amazing spiritual truths that he told everyone.  I am sure that you can add several to this list.
 
We are tempted to lose our amazement at how great our Lord really is because we have known these stories for so long.  But, increasingly, we live in a culture that does not know Jesus.  They will be amazed at him.  When we lose our amazement, it is harder for us to show others what an amazing Lord we worship.
 
May we always stand amazed at what a great Lord our Jesus is.  May we have opportunities to share our amazement with those around us.

One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy” by David Bowie and Bing Crosby.  I have always been a fan of Bing Crosby’s rich voice.  Although I do not know many songs by David Bowie, I really like his melody on this song.  While I enjoy the music, it is the lyrics that stick in my mind. First, on the lighter side, if a drummer boy really did show up on the night of Jesus’ birth, how would Mary have reacted?  Maybe, “Hey, I just got this baby to sleep and up pops this drummer boy?”  Two guesses about where I got that joke.
The part sang by David Bowie says:
 “Peace on Earth, can it be?
Years from now perhaps we’ll see.
See the day of glory.
See the day when men of goodwill
Live in peace, live in peace again.”

So, what do think?  Will we see a day on this earth when men of goodwill live in peace? I suppose the lyrics are a reference to Luke 2:14 from the King James Version where a host of angels sing:
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace,
good will toward men.”

Kind of sounds like a promise for world peace, but I’m not buying it.  First, there have wars throughout history.  Also, Jesus said that nation would rise up against nation.
Yet, because of Jesus, we do have peace while on this earth.  In John 14:27, Jesus told his apostles, and by extension us:
“I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So, don’t be troubled or afraid.”

Also, peace is included among the fruit of the Spirit.  Furthermore, according to Philippians 4, it is peace that is beyond our understanding and it will guard our hearts and minds as we live in Christ Jesus.

My prayer for each of us is that we will grow in Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit and that we will experience the peace that comes from that relationship in ever increasing measures.  Because of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, we do have peace on earth.  It is not a peace among all nations.  It is a peace with God and in our hearts and minds.

Giles Brown

For the past few years, Patsy and I have enjoyed watching the Hallmark Holiday movies. Though the plots are surprisingly similar, we never get tired of them.  With the setting in the midst of the holiday season, two characters, one man and one woman, opposites in many respects, experience a chance encounter.  At some point, friction enters the picture but they find they are better together than apart.  They almost kiss but decide they can’t do that yet because they have thirty more minutes of film to use up.  So they misunderstand each other for ten minutes, followed by a period of reconciliation for ten minutes, followed by a kiss (which does not last ten minutes) and in the midst of holiday magic, they all live happily ever after.  Sounds too good to believe?  The truth is, it is.  The reality is the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is not wonderful for a lot of us.
 
The fact is many of us experience significant loneliness during the holidays.  In 2017, the AARP Foundation commissioned a survey of Americans 18 and over to study how pervasive loneliness was during the holiday period.  They found 31 percent said they had felt lonely on occasion during the five previous holiday seasons.  By 2021, the group that experienced loneliness during the holiday period had climbed to 55 percent.  The truth is the holidays are real tough for many of us when it comes to loneliness.  Some experience loneliness in the midst of isolation.  Others experience loneliness even when surrounded by crowd of people.  What causes loneliness?  For many it is the loss of loved ones with whom we have shared the holidays with for many years.  For some the loss is death.  For others the loss is produced by distance.  For yet others, the cause of loneliness is family stresses. There are empty seats at the table.  Hugs that are no longer shared.   For all, the traditions we once enjoyed are either not experienced or have lost their luster and meaning.
 
So what can we do address the loneliness?  First, remember that God is always with you. Remember how God, the Son, came. Unlike the perfectly arranged fanfare of holiday lights and music, Jesus was born in a mess.  Jesus’ birthplace was a dirty, stinky manger.  Jesus Christ, Immanuel, which literally means “God be with us,” chose to be born in a mess.  And now Jesus promises to be with us always, even in our holiday messes.
 
Second, God is always present to talk to.  We all remember the story of Jonah.  In a nutshell, God gave Jonah a Seal Team 6 assignment.  Travel to the evil empire of Nineveh and deliver God’s message to repent.  But Jonah fails to honor God’s directive.  He commits treason and goes AWOL.  Instead of heading to Nineveh, he heads the opposite direction.  He buys a ticket for a cruise on a ship.  But once the ship gets out to sea, God causes a great storm and the ship and all on board are about to sink.  Jonah’s rebellion against God becomes known to the ships crew.  They  throw Jonah into the sea and a huge fish swallows him.  If there was ever isolation, this was it.  But, Jonah decides to pray to God.  Jonah’s objective was to run away from God.  So how far from God did Jonah get when he decided to pray?  The Bible says Jonah was “deep in the realm of the dead”, from the “very heart of the sea”, “the deep surrounded me”; “seaweed was wrapped around my head”.  Jonah was at the “roots of the mountains”.  Where was Jonah when he prayed to God?  Way Down Real Deep, in the ocean.  Talk about loneliness.  What a mess.  Total disaster for Jonah is just around the corner.  But the Bible records the rest of the story. From deep in the sea, from inside a huge fish, God hears Jonah’s prayer.  And God answered Jonah’s prayer.  Unlike Jonah, the fish follows God’s instruction. The fish heads to dry land and spits Jonah out.  (Jonah 1-2)  The point?  Regardless of how isolated we are; regardless of how alone we are; God is always present to hear us.  God’s receiver is always turned on.  God is always present to talk.
 
Third, we can encourage each other.  In the beginning, the very first thing that God said was bad was loneliness.  “It is not good for the man to be alone.”  (Gen 2:18)  So God addressed that problem.  He gave us each other, and he gave us purpose for being together.  “A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  (John 13:34-35)  Establishing relationships with each other which are deep enough to know when some of us are lonely, taking time to understand their pain and offer comfort, reminding them they are not alone, will go a long way toward helping combat loneliness.
 
We all experience different feelings during the holiday, but regardless what those feelings are, whether loneliness or rejoicing, we can feel comfort from the words of Isaiah about the ever presence of our Father who loves us despite how lonely we may feel.  “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  (Isaiah 41:10).
 
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing (Rom 15:13) and may you have a wonderful Holiday and Christmas season.
 
 - David Wilson

Our church office staff tries to read a few books together every year. We tend to read these books one chapter at a time and then discuss them. Sometimes we agree with the author’s opinions and sometimes we don’t. We often agree with each other’s opinions, and sometimes we don’t; but we still love and support each other even when we don’t agree. A book we are beginning to read together now is Growing Young: Six Essential Strategies to Help Young People Love Your Church. The book was written because so many churches are growing older, but not younger. In other words, churches often have a large number of members who are older in age, but a shrinking number of members who are younger in age. When this trend continues in a congregation, that congregation will eventually not exist any longer. The majority of the book examines growing churches that seem to have a good mixture of young and old in their church families.

The key points that the authors focus on related to these churches who are “growing young” are:

• Their leadership empowers others to lead.
• They empathize with young people.
• They take Jesus’ message seriously by focusing on Him.
• They fuel a warm community.
• They prioritize young people (and families) everywhere.
• They are the best neighbors.

I’ve only read a small part of the book so far and have simply skimmed over the rest, but when I consider where we are as a Christian family at Western Heights, I see glimpses of these qualities mentioned in the book. I’m not saying that we have mastered all these qualities, but I believe that we are attempting to move in these directions. Now, I may not know exactly what the authors mean by each of these focuses (As I said, I’ve only read a small part of the book), but I think I have an idea as to what they are getting at.

The point isn’t to say that we want young people, and we don’t need older people. That would be a foolish goal. The reality is that we gain wisdom as we get older and therefore those who are younger need to have access to that wisdom, and they won’t have it if older members are alienated or are no longer part of the church family.  Without good healthy relationships between different generations, that wisdom won’t be passed on. A healthy church has people of all ages and backgrounds. Yet, while we can gain wisdom from those who are older, we can also learn valuable lessons from our children and young people. I remember a time during a church camp many years ago where the youth ministers who were leading the camp had been trying to orchestrate things in such a way to make Thursday night of camp the spiritual climax of the week. By Tuesday of that week, several young people had already been baptized, and the director’s concern was that we were peaking too early. During the discussion that followed one of our younger counselors spoke up and said, “Shouldn’t we listen to the Holy Spirit in this. He might know better than we do.”  We can learn spiritual truth from each other, no matter the age. The point is that we are all a part of the Body of Christ. Paul says it this way:

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. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 1 Corinthians 12:12–14 (ESV)

It doesn’t matter whether we are Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, or might I say, “young or old”. We were all baptized into the same Body of Christ by God’s Spirit. We are a part of the Body of Christ and of this church family specifically because God saw fit to add us to it. All of us have a different story to tell about what brought us here, but if we look closely, we might see God directing our steps. Since we are a part of the Body of Christ we should care about one another no matter the age.

24 . . . But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 1 Corinthians 12:24–25 (ESV)

As a church, we have recently been investing more in our young people and young families. There’s a reason for that. Whether we are old or young, we all need Jesus. In addition, we want the wisdom and the faith that has been developed over time in our church family to be passed on to new generations. We want Western Heights not to just survive, but to flourish as we grow together in Christ. So, let’s take Jesus seriously, by loving and showing empathy to old and young alike. Let’s prioritize our young people and their families and continue to pass on our faith with love and grace, and as we grow together in Christ, let’s become the best neighbors to those in our community so that they can know Jesus too.

In Him,
Rusty

Praise God for what He is doing in and through our Western Heights family!  I am so thankful and inspired by the work of the Holy Spirit I see in so many of you, my brothers and sisters in Christ.  My heart rejoices in the new energy, ideas, and efforts I am witnessing.  Continue to “have eyes to see and ears to hear” as you heed His calling and follow His lead in growing in your love for Him and your love for those around you.  

Sometimes the things we are called to do are easy and sometimes they are not.  In John 13, we read of when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples.  All twelve of his disciples.  All twenty-four dirty feet.  Even the feet of the one who had already betrayed him.  I am bewildered and convicted by the kind of love it took for Jesus to tenderly wash the feet of Judas.  It makes no sense from a worldly perspective.  But Jesus makes sense of it for us, his followers, in verse 16, when he explains “The slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him”.  Jesus lived and died and lived again in obedience to the will of his Father.  He chose to sacrificially love us all.  It never will “make sense” from a worldly perspective, and I am so glad that wasn’t the perspective He chose!  May we all follow His example in submitting to the greater plan of our master, even when it isn’t easy!

In Him,
Don Keene    

Hello Family!

It is with great joy that I see the expansion of this family, and increased activity in our established ministries and in new and exciting programs. How wonderful to have additional opportunities to meet together, encourage one another, and to reach out and spread the love of Christ.

When I was a small boy, I would talk to everyone in the congregation. (I know this shocks many of you!)  But one Sunday my Mom overheard me address some of the adults as “Brother Guinn” and “Sister Dobson.”  She gently took me aside when we got home and explained that Mr. Guinn and Mrs. Dobson were friends, but that the adults I heard addressing them as “Brother” and “Sister” were people who had committed their lives to Christ and been baptized; and were therefore brothers and sisters in Christ. She also let me know that when I became a Christian, they would be my family too!  I have long loved that understanding of family, and the continual discovery of new family members.

Not only do we have the great pleasure of family ties between ourselves, we also hold the only hope for humanity. Satan constantly tempts us to focus on the scary unknown “what ifs” of life (to not trust our heavenly Father) and to fear the future rather than rest in the knowledge that our Father is in control; and that His will for each of us individually and together will work toward good. Not comfort, but good. When we focus on God’s love for us and His power to bring about His will, being joyful and thankful becomes much easier. Which is good since we are commanded to be joyful (Phil. 4:4); and a happy consequence is that being joyful is good for us (Prov. 17:22.)

Part of being joyful is focusing on the things for which we are thankful. We can expand the number of things that grow gratitude in our hearts by following (Phil. 4:8.) As we “think on” things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy, our hearts expand with the scope and breadth of God’s love. And we manifest that beautiful fruit of the spirit, joy.

In order to be a positive, upbeat and loving person we have to focus on something other than ourselves. There are a number of self-help books available for areas in which we desire to grow, but we must be careful to make sure those books do not point us away from the Lord. The best help, by far the best book ever written to guide us, is one you already own (the Bible.)

We are commanded to meditate on the word of the Lord, and to write it on our hearts (Deut. 6:4-9, 11:18.)  I notice that I never run out of topics for discussion when I am talking about scripture! When we used God’s word as the measuring stick for our thoughts or ideas, we are protected from being drawn off the Way, distracted by fads, or deceived by evil (Col. 2:8.)

When we are tempted to focus on our fears, troubling times, or pain, we can lose sight of our heavenly Father standing with us. We know that difficulties and pain will come; Jesus told us so (John 15:18-25.) Dying to sin is also a painful process, but necessary (Rom. 6:6, 11-12.)  If you catch yourself heading a direction without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, or circling in a pit of doom, remember Yogi Berra's quote “We’re lost, but we’re making good time.” Waste no time turning! (Ephesians 5:11, 15-17.)

Jesus wants His believers to find joy and to stay focused on positive thoughts, heavenly ones based on eternity (Colossians 3:2.) He wants His followers not to worry, but to instead stay focused on and seek the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:25, 33-34.) This does not mean that life as a follower of Jesus is easy, because it involves dying to self and can involve persecution (Matthew 8:34; Luke 9:23.) However, such a life lived for the Savior is the only way to true fulfillment and eternal joy (1 Peter 1:8-9.)

Continued Blessings and Peace,
Neal Hunter

Dear Friend,
 
The Western Heights elders have begun writing to the church each month in an effort to improve communications and strengthen fellowship.
 
This month’s letter is an update on some of the pledges that the shepherds made to the church in January.
 
We pledged to keep you informed about the church’s finances and about the weekly contribution in particular.  We are pleased to report that the church is off to a good start.  We are averaging about $300 a week over the budget.  We must guard against the “summer slump” when contributions traditionally drop, but we are pleased with the good start and thank each of you that has been a part of it.
 
We said that we would lead Western Heights out of its complacency with strong leadership, effective shepherding, and amazing fellowship. We did not mean that we would do everything ourselves.  Rather, we intend to provide opportunities for each member and to be very visible in recapturing the church’s zeal.  There are more things going on than we can explain in one letter, but we want to highlight a few.
 
We hope that a new effort will provide opportunities for deeper relationships among members while also being a tool to connect with others.  It is called Holy Hobbies.  The idea is for members to discover which of us share an interest in a particular activity, start meeting to share the fun, and invite people from the community to join if they have an interest.  “Holy” is a reminder to keep the focus on God, and “Hobby” is a general term for fun activities.  The church’s role is to help communicate which groups are active, steer guests to the various groups, and provide a meeting place if needed.  Keep an eye out for announcements about groups that are being formed or take the lead in forming a group around your hobby.  Some ideas include hiking, sewing, woodworking, fishing, reading, cooking, eating together or golf but those are just examples.  Use your passion for your hobby to strengthen our relationships and reach out to our community.
 
Working together for God is a great path towards amazing fellowship.  The Open Arms banquet is an outstanding opportunity to show God’s love to others, and to build relationships among ourselves as we seek relationships with others.  We will be bringing people to our building for a meal.  Parkview Church of Christ has heard about this effort and, since they see Jesus working in it, are partnering with us.  Deep thanks to Frank Brown and Deborah Ward for coming up with the idea and leading the effort.  They are looking for donations of money as well as time.  Please help out as you can.
 
We know that the future of the church is largely dependent on our young people developing several relationships with older Christians.  Reel Blessings fishing fellowship is an effort to meet that need.  You may remember when Glenn Newberry of Foster’s Home for Children was here, he said one of the best ways to build a relationship with a child is to take that child fishing.  On June 29, we will go to the Prock’s pond and fish together.  Parents or grandparents are encouraged to bring their family, but there will also be adults available to fish with kids that don’t come with an adult.
 
Sometimes we think that shepherding is something that only the elders can do.  It is true that elders have a deep responsibility for shepherding the souls of Western Heights members, but it Is a bigger job than any small group of men can do.  Jesus called each of us to the task when he told us to love one another.  We know that many of you are dedicated to encouraging each Western Heights member.  We thank you for your love and pray that you will continue.  We also pray that others will join you so that someone looking at us will be amazed at the depth of our fellowship.
 
Finally, we thank you for the opportunity to serve you.  Each of you is a blessing to us, and each of you is in our prayers.  Please remember that we are here for you.

We live in a world inundated with all kinds of news.  Murders, child abductions, battles over sex education in the classrooms of our elementary children, wars in Europe and the middle east, our country’s young men and women killed while serving in our military, racial conflict and the list goes on.  There was a day not too long ago when there was no news.  One evening in 1930, the BBC News reported there was nothing to report – at least nothing that hit the station’s desk.  When it came time for the regular 15 minute radio news bulletin at 8:45 p.m., the broadcast was very short:  The announcer simply said, “There is no news.”  The remainder of the 15 minutes was filled with piano music before the station returned to what was playing before, a live concert of the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Queen’s Hall in London.
We sometimes wish could experience a few of those “no news” days.  But the fact is:  God put you and I in this moment of time.  A time when the clatter of the world is loud and fast, emotions are heated, record setting inflation and the world seems to be crumbling around us.  As Christians, the immediate impulse is to withdraw.  Find a safe place where no one sees us.  Be tolerant.  Don’t be too assertive, we might get someone’s attention and who knows what might happen.  Conditions were similar during the days of Esther and Mordecai.  Their world was falling apart; government sponsored genocide of the Jews was on their door step.  The apparent last shred of hope required Esther to break the rules by making a plea to the king.  Esther is reluctant.  Mordecai spoke these words;
“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish.  And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”  Esther 4:12-14
Like it or not, God selected you and I to live in this county, this state and country, at this time.  God gave you and I the answers to the questions this world is asking – the Good News.  Love as opposed to Hate.  Light as opposed to Darkness.  Faith as opposed to Fear.  He gave you and I special and unique talents – and yes, that includes you.  You don’t have to take my word for it either because the world’s bestselling book clearly spells it out.  The Bible-Romans 12:6; Philippians 4:13.  And He did not stop there.  He appointed you and I an Ambassador for Christ.  Yes, you are on the payroll but as ambassadors, he gave us a responsibility – to present an appeal on behalf of the master of the universe to the people in our world to “Be reconciled to God”.  2 Cor 5:19-20  Have you shared that news recently?
There is definitely a lot of news today. Let’s make sure that as joint ambassadors for Christ, you and I add to the news our world hears - the Good News.  The Good News can change the news – but we have to share it. Who’s your 1?