Leaving A Lasting Legacy

“I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” – (Mark 14.9)

The other day I was reminiscing about some of the many outdoor experiences I had as a youngster, growing up in north central Pennsylvania. One of the places I remember frequenting was referred to by locals as the “power dam”, a man-made lake on Middle Creek near the Susquehanna River. We spent many mornings, evenings and Sunday afternoon’s fishing for blue gill, sunfish, bass, once in a while snagging a catfish or turtle, and on rare occasions, a very large carp.

Now the coolest memory for me was the rides across the “power dam” on my Uncle Jack’s airboat – a fast-moving, flat-bottomed vessel thrust along by an aircraft type propeller. I can still see in my mind’s eye the waves radiating out from behind the boat as it skimmed over the water. And while the rides seemed all too short, the waves that were created kept on rolling out long after the boat had disappeared from the scene.

If you've ever spent much time around water where there are moving boats, it's something you've experienced for yourself. Long after the craft has passed, the waves it creates are still making an impact. Our lives are like that. Long after we've passed on, the waves our choices and deeds have made are still impacting many other lives. It’s like the words of General Maximus Decimus Meridus in the move Gladiator, when he tells his men as they prepare for battle – “What we do in life echoes in eternity!” I love this quote because it resonates with a profound Biblical point: Life is short, eternity is forever, and our lives matter in the hereafter. But in our “now is all that matters” and “live for the moment” culture, it's easy to forget how much our lives really do matter and how long their affects last. It's about so much more than this moment. You see, there’s a world of difference between “living for the moment” versus “living in the moment”… living with eternity in mind… approaching life with an eternal perspective.

God gives us a powerful values-clarifier in Psalm 102.18. He says, “Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord.” Wow! That hits me hard! God focuses our eyes on the big picture reason for doing the right thing, because what you do now will affect lives that have not even been born yet – generations you will never see here on earth! Think about it. You and I are continuing to be affected and influenced by the choices previous generations have made, and to pay for choices previous generations have made. They've passed by, but not the waves they created. They are still moving and rocking our lives.

Now, we may assume that our actions and expressions are small and insignificant – that they make little difference or impact. Our key Scripture text declares otherwise – through God’s eyes. For instance, what we might consider small and insignificant expressions of devotion to God can hold great meaning and enduring influence in our wake. You see our love and dedication to Christ may make a memory or even create memorials to God for future generations.

The woman in our key Scripture passage (read Mark 14.1-9) performed a profound act of love for Jesus. She did not do it to impress His disciples or to garner public attention or to gain praise from Jesus. She had no idea that her story would be recorded in God’s Book for all time and, in Jesus’ own words, “wherever the good news is told all over the world, people will remember what she has done. And they will tell others” – (CEV). She simply sought to express her love for Jesus. She did nothing spectacular; she performed no miracles; she preached no sermons, she may not have even spoken a word! Yet Jesus was so moved by her selfless loyalty that He deemed it worthy of remembrance throughout the remainder of history. Her legacy has continued for over two thousand years, just as Jesus said it would – offering a blessed influence even through this Footnotes… she could not have known the rippling affect her single deed done for Jesus would create in her wake!

And like the woman in our key Scripture passage, we do not know all that God finds most pleasing, nor do we know what acts of our love He may choose to honor through our children and future generations. Abraham could not have known that the day he demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice his only son would be memorialized and would bless many generations who heard of his obedience. David could not have known that his walk with God would please Him so much that David's example would bless generations who followed him.

God can take your faithfulness and begin a spiritual legacy, making it a blessing to others for generations to come. You will never know until eternity all who received a blessing because of your righteous life. That is why it is so important that you daily express your love and devotion to Jesus. Psalm 102 goes on to point out the long-lasting affects of making God's choices your choices: “The children of Your servants will live in Your presence; their descendants will be established before You” – (vs. 28) Again, multiple generations whose destiny will be shaped by what we do now. Pretty exciting or sobering, isn't it?

So, think about it – the choices you and I make, righteous or unrighteous, godly or ungodly, will affect others, often times for generations. What kind of lasting legacy do you want to leave in your wake… what kind of waves are you making right now that are impacting your children, grandchildren, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc.? What about that compromise you're making or about to make – is it worth it, in light of its long-range consequences? Is that taste of sin really worth the road it may take you down and the legacy that it may leave? Is that fling really worth what it may do to you, to people you love, to generations you may never see? How about that divorce or drink or drug? It leaves a mark for a long, long time.

Maybe you're tempted to return to the old you, but stop and think about generations that could feel the impact of that choice. Who you're dating, who you sleep with, who you marry, even who your friends are – don’t think those are just decisions that affect only you or only a few years of your life. Again, we are all still feeling the affects of those same choices made by people who went before us, righteous and/or unrighteous – when we were “the people not created” yet.

There's so much more at stake in the choices we make and the way we live than we could ever imagine. Things are being passed from us to others, especially our children, who will in turn pass it on to those they influence, who will in turn just keep it alive across the generations. I recently read a brief biography of a woman whose name you would probably not recognize and her story which most of would not be familiar with. She was a devoted and dedicated Sunday School teacher who, over decades of faithful service, taught thousands of children, more than a few who would become prominent influential world leaders. While she has been gone from this earth for almost 50 years, the impact of the gospel through her life is still making powerful waves around the world in the lives of men and women who have been influenced by those she taught – ripples, echoes, waves.

Before you go speeding into what you may be considering, would you think about it and consider the waves that your life is making? Make the choices that will cause those who follow you to bless your memory (like the woman in our key Scripture verse) and the God that you helped them find across those years.

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us, let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful. – Steve Green

“He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which He commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands” – (Psalm 78.5-7)

“All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him—those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve Him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn — for He has done it.” – (Psalm 22.29-31)

“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” – (2 Timothy 2.1-2)

In a nutshell – in Him,

Web Shepherd

Accepting Ever-lasting Love

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 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. – (1 John 4.8-10)

I was just recalling a week long business trip to New York City and though it has been over 11 years, I still can’t get used to the fact that the twin towers of the World Trade Center are forever gone. It seems like yesterday that I was on “Top of the World” looking out over the sea of tall buildings and the rivers and bridges and cars and masses of people that could be observed from the roof of the South Tower. For thirty years those twin towers dominated the New York City skyline – and now they’re gone.

But so much more than buildings collapsed that awful day when airliners became missiles and America itself became the target of terrorism. Thousands of lives came crashing down that day, too… the airline passengers, the World Trade Center and Pentagon workers, the rescuers who died trying to rescue – so many, gone in one awful violent day. And the countless loved ones, in some cases not knowing what happened to those they love, in all cases agonizing over the horrific circumstances of their death... and the lifelong scars on those heroic rescuers, recovery workers, and medical personnel who will always be haunted with the memories of what they have seen and experienced.

But the carnage and shock of September 11, 2001 has touched every American. Do you still remember how we were glued to our news channels, repeatedly horrified by the endless replays and unfolding details of unthinkable, indescribable scenes in places we thought indestructible and invulnerable? And just like the radio and TV commentators, we tried to put our feelings in words, but no words could really say it.

I remember vividly the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993 – we thought that was unimaginable and the people living and working in New York City described themselves as feeling "Vulnerable” and “Violated”.

And that’s the feeling people were left with in the aftermath of 9/11 – violated and vulnerable. Our symbols of financial and military security as Americans had been attacked – and one is gone, the other was heavily damaged. We watched everyday people like us, doing things we do – passengers on a jetliner, folks at their jobs – suddenly wiped out en masse. We saw the lists of fatalities – including CEOs, Chief Operating Officers, high-profile lawyers and entertainment executives – and we realized that, like those who died on the Titanic, success and position mean nothing when death strikes suddenly, unexpectedly. We see our children trying to understand horrors a child cannot understand – let alone us parents who are trying to explain those horrors.

In situations like we experienced on 9/11 we do feel vulnerable. It's as if some of our sense of personal security and safety came crashing down with those majestic towers. The banner headline of a local newspaper screamed, "Forever changed", and they were right. One woman said, "I'm scared"... one man said, "It feels like things are out of control."

If you are like me and so many others I know, the events of September 11 softened my heart and caused me to do some soul-searching – and re-evaluating.  While the events were horrific, the questions we were asking – and ought to be asking right now – could, indeed, leave us "forever changed" – for the better. Questions like, "What are the things that really matter and the things that really don't – and which ones have I been living for?"... "What have I got that will really last – no matter what tragedy comes crashing into my life?"... "Am I ready for eternity, no matter how suddenly my time comes?"

When events like 9/11 occur, we see how suddenly our towers can come crashing down, how quickly what I've built and who I've loved can all be gone – in a moment. And our hearts are hungry for something we can anchor to... for something to sustain us when the bad news is more than we can bear... for something that will make us really safe.

When our President addressed the nation on this generation's "day of infamy," he alluded to the one Source of comfort and hope in moments like these. He quoted from that treasured 23rd Psalm found in the best-selling book of all times, the Bible – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me." – (Psalm 23.4)

Life has many "vulnerable" moments – when you lose your job, when you lose someone you love, when your marriage or your parents' marriage collapses, when the medical report is unsettling. Maybe you are going through one of those times right now. And maybe you are going through that "valley of the shadow of death" – that is, by far, life's most vulnerable moment. Yet the Bible, the word of God, holds out to you and me a security that can keep you safe even in that valley – and no matter what else comes crashing down in your life.

That security is a Relationship, a Person – “You are with me, Lord."  You see, all our lives we have been hungry for one thing… enduring love… steadfast love… ever-lasting love… "unloseable" love, just as King Solomon wrote centuries ago, “What a man desires is unfailing love” – (Proverbs 19.11) Deep down inside that is what we all want… what we all yearn for… what we all need. And there really only is One. It's the love of the One who made you... the One who you will meet on the other side of your last heartbeat... the One whose love caused Him to literally lay down His life for you (John 15.12-13; Romans 5.8; Galatians 2.20). This is the greatest truth in all of Scripture and the point of our key Scripture text: God is love. Understanding this in its full dimensions will set you free to enjoy all that is yours as a child of God, no matter what kind of vulnerable moments are happening in and around your life. But – you must believe, know and accept that God loves you.

If you grew up experiencing unconditional love in your family, this may not be a difficult concept for you. However, if your early years were void of love, you may find this truth hard to accept. God loves you, not because you deserve His love, not because of anything you have done or ever will do, but because His nature is love. And please understand this – the only way He will ever relate to you is in love. His love for you gives you an inherent worth that nothing can change or diminish. You didn’t make you that way – He did!

Now if you cannot accept the truth that God loves you, you will be limited in how you can relate to Him. When He disciplines you, for instance, you will not take it as an expression of His love. Rather, you may dread Him or resent Him. When God says “no” to a request that is less than His best for you, you will conclude that He doesn't care about you. Without a clear understanding and acceptance of God's love for you, you will be disoriented to Him and to what He wants to do in your life. If you will accept God's love, however, you will be able to return love to God – as well as to others (1 John 4.19).

You see the safety our heart longs for is found in the arms of Jesus Christ. In God's own words, “Nothing will ever separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – (Romans 8.39) But in your vulnerable moments, your moments that are more than you can handle alone – those moments when you've gone seeking God – maybe you've realized that there is something that is separating you from Him. The Bible confirms that all the wrong things we've ever done have actually "separated you from your God." – (Isaiah 59.2) This “sin” – our hijacking of a life that God was supposed to run – cuts us off from the very God whose love is our only safe place.

But that's why Jesus came. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” – (John 3.16-17) Now all Jesus is waiting for is for you to grab His outreached hand like a person trapped in the wreckage would grab the hand of a rescuer – and trust Him with your very life – forever. You can do that now, this very day.

You see Jesus liked to use the word "everlasting" to describe the kind of life and love He wants to give you. We have been reminded so powerfully by the crashing down of those two World Trade Center towers that nothing earth has to offer is ever-lasting. Now is the time your heart should be turning to the only One who is – so you can know that you have a love you can never lose... a security that can never be shaken... and that you're ready for eternity, whenever it comes.  No religion can even offer that kind of security or everlasting life and love, it is only found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Are you experiencing the profound sense of joy and security that comes from knowing you are dearly loved by God – with an ever-lasting love? Being assured of God's love for you sets you free to enjoy the numerous expressions of love He showers upon you each and every day. You're vulnerable no more when you run to the safest place in all the world – “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and they are safe." – (Proverbs 18.10) If you want to know more about how to begin a relationship with Jesus Christ, please just contact me today – His love is ever-lasting!

For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom You have sent. – (John 17.2-3)

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” – (Jeremiah 31.3)

In a nutshell – in Him,

Web Shepherd

Having Resurrection Assurance

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. – (1 John 5.11-13, NIV84)

It's been almost a century (April 15, 1912) since the unsinkable ship sank and over 1,500 passengers died in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. The Titanic was the largest ship afloat at the time of her maiden voyage and one of three Olympic class ocean liners operated by the White Star Line. It took several years to build her (1909-1911) by the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast. The Titanic carried 2,224 people.

The 100 year anniversary of this tragic event has been garnering a lot of attention recently. There is a 3-D release out now in the theaters of James Cameron’s award-winning Hollywood version. Many prominent publications are running feature stories and there’s a host of television specials all about the Titanic disaster.

Now it really hit home with me as I read the article in this month’s National Geographic Journal and looked at the photo images of the Titanic wreckage remains over 2.5 miles deep down on the bottom of the icy cold North Atlantic Ocean. It just got real when I saw old black and white pictures of the Titanic before her launch and also of some her passengers – real people with real lives. I had read somewhere else about this large wall that had two lists that they posted after the tragedy in the White Star Line's Liverpool, England offices. Here are these anxious relatives waiting to hear the fate of a passenger they loved, and a company representative who comes in occasionally and adds a name to one of two lists: "Known to be Saved" and "Known to be Lost."

The haunting images of that mighty ship going down are just engraved in my mind. But then so are those two lists of souls. Because everyone I know—everyone reading this Footnotes—everyone you know, including you—is  also on one of two lists: "Known to be Saved" "Known to be Lost." Not "rich" or "poor"...not "liberal" or "conservative"...not “young” or “old”… not “good” or “bad” nor “naughty” or “nice”… not even "Religion X" or "Religion Y"—just "saved" or "lost."

God makes it so plain in our key Scripture text found in 1 John 5.11-13… "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life (saved); he who does not have the Son of God does not have life (lost)." Now, if you have Jesus, you are rescued from the death penalty for your sins and you've got the blessed assurance of heaven. And God says if you don't have Jesus, you don't have heaven but an eternity of hell because that rescuing or "saving" came at a very high price that only the Son of God could pay. So, if you don’t have Jesus, you’re outside the lifeboat and you’re lost.

Now you don’t have to remain among those who are lost. Jesus, who had no sin, came to rescue us. He did all the dying for all my sinning and all your sinning. Going through our hell so I, and so you, could go to His heaven. So, if you ever feel that you are so insignificant that God does not care about you or that you’re so bad that He does not want to listen to your prayers, you should be encouraged by what He has done to save us from sin, death and hell and to secure for us forgiveness, life and heaven. “And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him Who died for them and was raised again… God made Him Who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” – (2 Corinthians 5.15, 21, NIV84)

“So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing Himself to the worst by sending His own Son, is there anything else He wouldn't gladly and freely do for us?” – (Romans 8.31-32, MSG)

You see here we are assured that our heavenly Father loves us unconditionally, that there was nothing so precious to Him that He would not give it up in order to provide for our rescue and salvation. When the Father gave His precious Son to save us, He proved once for all that His grace is boundless and His love is infinite.

The apostle Paul concluded that if God would not hold back even His own Son in order to provide for our rescue, how would He not willingly and freely give anything else at His disposal in order to save us? Since He sacrificed His very best to give us eternal life, we can rest secure in the knowledge that He also wants to give us abundant life (John 10.10). So, realizing what God did for us at the cross, why should we not approach the throne of grace with boldness, assurance, confidence? Isn’t it awesome to know for sure that God loves us that much?! We can live with confidence and anticipation knowing that almighty God is willing not only to give us eternal life, but also to help us experience it fully!

Well, the great news of Good Friday, the great news of Resurrection Sunday, is that you can change lists! In Jesus' words, "Whoever hears My word and believes Him Who has sent me has eternal life; he has crossed over from death to life" – (John 5.24). I love the definite sounds of those words, “has crossed over from death to life”… "has eternal life." Not “may have” or “might have.” Not “wishes to have” or “hopes to have”—but has! It’s a done deal! We can know for sure, right now, that if we died today, we would go to heaven—eternal life insurance. No fear, or no if, and, but, or maybe about it! That’s what God says in our key Scripture text – “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life… you may know that you have eternal life.”

Maybe you know some folks who are still outside the lifeboat and they are facing a dark, chilling, tragic future. You have nothing more urgent to do than in the Bible's words, "rescue those who are being led away to death" – (Proverbs 24.11).

Now if you're not sure, though, about yourself – that you've ever offered yourself, heart and soul, to Jesus, you have nothing more urgent to do than in the words of the Bible, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit… believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved… the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’... ‘In the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” – (Acts 2.38; 16.31; Romans 10.12b-13; 2 Corinthians 6.2). That transaction between you and Him could take place this very day. Why not get this done? Why not get this settled? Why not get in the only lifeboat that can save you?

You see, when you give your life to Jesus… receive Him as the Lord and Savior, you go from one who is "known to be lost" to one who is "known to be saved." Jesus assures us, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” – (John 11.25-26) I’ll tell you it’s absolutely awful to be lost – there’s nothing worse, but it’s totally amazing to be saved – there’s nothing better!

“And if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He Who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, Who lives in you” – (Romans 8.11)

In a nutshell – in the risen Christ,

Web Shepherd

Celebrating Jesus – 24X365

Jesus said, “I'll be with you… day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” – (Matthew 28.20, MSG)

Well, the lights are down, the trees are gone, the decorations are put away for next season.

This past weekend, my wife Kate and I took a drive to look at the Christmas lights on the houses around our area. There were a good number of homes still adorned for the holiday season. But many folks had already put away their decorations. Many more will begin taking down their lights, wreaths, snowman, reindeer, etc. this week.  

But we know there will be those who will not want to take down the festive lights right away – they want to linger in the Christmas spirit. Some people won’t take down their lights at all – it’s too complicated, or maybe it’s just too much work to take them down and then put them up again. And some will want to leave the lights up and on just because they like too. I’ve seen Christmas lights on in February and March, then again in September and October, and a few homes lit up in the middle of summer… Christmas in July?

Perhaps it’s just that some of us don’t want Christmas to be just a day or a season – but every day, all year round! Well, in some ways that’s right. Not necessarily leaving the lights up and on all year but the idea of celebrating Jesus – 24 by 365! You see, some of us think about Jesus mostly on special holidays, like Christmas or Easter. A lot of us think of Him mainly on Sunday during our church gatherings. But He didn't come to be our holiday Jesus or just our church Jesus. He may be the reason for the season – but Jesus is not just a season of the year. The Jesus who is worthy of our celebration every day won’t fit inside our Christmas box or religion box (see Colossians 1.15-19; 2.9; John 1.1-3, 14; Hebrews 1.2-3; Revelation 1.8; 2 Chronicles 6.18). He came here to make possible an intimate love relationship with Him that gives meaning to every day of our lives; not just to be a belief or a religious compartment in our lives.

The event Jesus, the holiday Jesus, the religious Jesus; they're just not enough to forgive your sin, to answer your questions about the meaning of your life, to get you to heaven someday, or to satisfy the deepest longings and yearnings of your soul. You've got to belong to Him every day, not just visit Him occasionally. He told those who belong to Him: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" – (Hebrews 13.5; Deuteronomy 31.6) And a "never leave you… never forsake you” relationship is the kind of anchor that our soul is hungering and thirsting for.

Every relationship in our life is "loseable." People turn on us, they dump us, they disappoint us, they divorce us, no matter how deep the relationship – ultimately they die on us. That's why we can never really feel safe in this world, until we anchor ourselves to the Savior who said, "He who comes to me I will never cast out" – (John 6.37).

In our key Scripture text found in Matthew 28.20, Jesus made the ironclad promise that He alone has the power to keep, “You can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end” – (NIRV) What’s more, we have the promise that the love of Christ is enduring, unfailing, everlasting – and nothing in all of God’s created universe can separate us from His love – “Who can separate us from Christ's love? Can trouble or hard times or harm or hunger? Can nakedness or danger or war? It is written, ‘Because of you, we face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be killed.’ No! In all these things we will do even more than win! We owe it all to Christ, who has loved us. I am absolutely sure that not even death or life can separate us from God's love. Not even angels or demons, the present or the future, or any powers can do that. Not even the highest places or the lowest, or anything else in all creation can do that. Nothing at all can ever separate us from God's love because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done.” – (Romans 8.35-39; Psalm 44.22, NIRV)

Now, in a world of things and experiences that are never-lasting, Jesus offers the only thing that is ever-lasting. He tells us that, "whoever believes in the Son (that's Jesus, the Son of God) has eternal life" – (John 3.36). You see, you don't have to die to see if you have eternal life. You have it when you put your faith and trust in Jesus. The verse then gives the alternative: "Whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on Him." For you and me, eternal life can begin here and now. Jesus said, “This is eternal life – that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” – (John 17.3)

We had no chance with God until Jesus entered our world... until He gave His life on the cross to take the rap for every wrong thing we have ever done. We can't get anywhere near a holy God with our sin. But Jesus took all our sin on Himself that day on the cross, so you could be clean, so you could be forgiven, so you could be with Him forever.

Yes, the Christmas season provides a wonderful time to reflect on God’s love and grace in sending His Son into the world to save us. But Jesus is not just for Christmas, and He didn’t remain as a baby. He’s the Savior and Lord and He loves you – that’s why He came. He wants you to experience His love everyday – forever. Today, why not move beyond a religion about Jesus – to this love relationship with Jesus that can be celebrated 24x365. Move from just believing things about Jesus… from knowing of Jesus – to really belonging to Jesus and enjoying Him … “day after day after day”!

“Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come… You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.’ ” – (Revelation 4.8, 11)

In a nutshell – in Him,

Web Shepherd

The Small Stuff…

Who despises the day of small things? – (Zechariah 4.10a)

In their book, God Is in the Small Stuff and It All Matters: Stop Worrying and Invite God into the Details of Your Life, authors Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz tackle questions like, “Should we ‘bother’ God by asking Him for little things – like a parking spot?” Bruce and Stan use biblical wisdom and humor to remind us that God cares deeply about every detail in our life, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem to us or to others…

As the apostle Peter says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about what happens to you.” – (1 Peter 5.7, NLT; see also Matthew 6.25-34; 10.29-30) Knowing this truth about God is a huge blessing and can make a big difference in the way we live!

The world loves the big and spectacular. God has proven that He is certainly capable of the extraordinary (Genesis 1.1), but He never overlooks the ordinary and seemingly insignificant… you know – the small stuff.  In fact, God often chooses to work in and through the small stuff to demonstrate His love and His power.

Throughout history, God's answer to a critical time was to send a baby. Isaac, Moses, Samuel, and John the Baptist were all born as answers to a time of need.

When God delivered the Israelites from the Midianites' oppression, He intentionally used an army of merely three hundred men to defeat a vastly larger army. He had more soldiers available, but He preferred to demonstrate His power in the way He accomplished His purposes.

When Jesus selected His first disciples He could have enlisted a multitude to follow Him, but He chose twelve – ordinary guys. It was not the number of disciples but the quality of their walk with Him that would determine how they affected their world. Later, following Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, we read this testimony regarding two of those twelve…

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” – (Acts 4.13)

When Jesus fed a multitude, five loaves of bread and two fish from a boy's lunch were sufficient in the hands of the Lord. Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a mustard seed (Matthew 13.31-32). The mustard seed was the smallest seed known to the Jews, yet it grew into an enormous tree. He also likened God's kingdom to leaven that is hardly noticeable but raises the entire batch of dough (Matthew 13.33).

When children came to Jesus, His disciples assumed they were an annoyance and chased them off (Matthew 19.13-15). But Jesus said that in order to enter His kingdom, people must approach God as a small child[1]. Now when you think about it, that’s how God ultimately entered our world… as a small child… that’s the most amazing thing of all… our Creator – God…

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. – (John 1.1-3)

For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. – (Colossians 1.16)

…humbled Himself…

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! – (Philippians 2.6-8)

…and He entered our flesh and blood world at just the right time – through the womb of a young virgin…

“But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” – (Galatians 4.4.-5)

Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. – (Hebrews 2.14-15)

…born in a small, obscure village…

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” – (Micah 5.2, NKJV)

…as a tiny, helpless infant to answer our greatest need… salvation from our sins and an eternal inheritance with Him…

An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." – (Matthew 1.20-21)

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. – (Luke 2.4-7)

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only Begotten, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. – (John 1.14)

Who would have thought of accomplishing the biggest and greatest work of all time – the redemption and reconciliation of a world of sinners to a holy God – with such small, humble, seemingly insignificant beginnings? Who but God!

Who would have thought that long ago so very far away,
A little child would be born and in a manger laid.
And who would have thought this little child was born the King of Kings,
The son of just a carpenter, but for whom the angels sing.

And who would have thought this little child was who the prophets said,
Will return to judge the world, the living and the dead.

Oh, can’t you see that long ago so very far away,
This little child, our only hope, was born a King that day.

Yet in the midst of this darkness there is a hope, a light that burns.
This little child, the King of Kings some day will return.[2]

Christians often accept the adage “bigger is better.” We often measure success by the number of people involved in our ministry or the size of the attendance at our church gatherings. We seek spectacular displays of God's power. And it's awesome to rejoice in the big things; God wants us to do that. We must certainly not forget to be thankful for the times people are healed from cancer or when a natural disaster strikes without causing injury. But we can't forget about how God works in the little things either… like the times that He heals us from the flu just in time to take our final exam… or when we are so overwhelmed with friendships because God has blessed us with so many friends.

When we think about God, we tend to think of His magnificent power. But, we forget about His attention to intricate detail, which includes all the small stuff. God wants us to rejoice in the big and small; from the vast universe to a baby taking her first steps. We must learn to view success as God does. He is interested in the heart; He is pleased with obedience… to God – that’s the big stuff…

Okay, enough already… just remember, good things (God things) often come in small packages, so don’t overlook or sweat the small stuff, ‘cause a little is never small stuff when it’s in God’s hands… like that small band of ordinary guys Jesus chose as His messengers to the world… they “turned the world upside down.”[3] – (Acts 17.6b, NKJV)

Have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

In a nutshell – in Him,

Web Shepherd

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[1] Greek: paidiðon (Paidion, pronounced pahee-dee'-on), meaning a small, young child, a little boy, a little girl, infants.  Thayer and Smith. Greek Lexicon entry for Paidion. The New Testament Greek Lexicon.
http://www.studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=3813.

[2] "This Little Child." Words and Music by Scott Wesley Brown, © 1981 Sparrow Song/Cherry River Music Co., BMI

[3] There are probably no bigger opportunities to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others than during the Christmas holiday season – a time devoted by many to the recognition that God’s plan to save humankind had it’s earthly beginnings with a small baby - Emmanuel; and there has probably been no one who’s life and work has been used more to bring the gospel of Christ to more people than the apostle Paul (who’s name means “little”)… the small stuff.

Dealing with Sin’s Threat

You must purge the evil from among you. – (Deuteronomy 21.21b)

On March 28, 1979, America experienced its worst ever nuclear accident – a partial meltdown of the reactor core at the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power plant near Middletown, Pennsylvania. I was attending college in Philadelphia at the time and was advised to stay as far away from the Middletown vicinity as possible. During the tension-packed week that followed, sketchy reports and conflicting information led to panic, and more than one hundred thousand residents, mostly families with children and pregnant women, fled the greater Harrisburg area. I remember driving from Philadelphia to my parents’ home in central Pennsylvania for the weekend when the TMI disaster first occurred. Traveling through nearby Harrisburg, there was barely another vehicle on any of the roads – it was a bit eerie.

Government and TMI officials did not know for days the full extent of the risks to the public and the government had gone into emergency production of Potassium Iodide (abbreviated "KI") solution to help protect the public. Here’s a quote from the book "Nuclear War Survival Skills", regarding the serious nature of the TMI nuclear meltdown:

“When the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor accident was worsening and it appeared that the reactor's containment structure might rupture and release dangerous amounts of radioactive iodines and other radioactive material into the atmosphere, the Government rushed preparation of small bottles of a saturated solution of potassium iodide. The reactor's containment structure did not rupture. The 237,013 bottles of saturated KI solution that were delivered to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – mostly too late to have been effective if the Three Mile Island had become an uncontained meltdown – were stored in secret in a warehouse, and were never used.”[1]

Only later did facts of the TMI incident reveal the near catastrophic degree of the TMI meltdown that actually occurred…

According to National Geographic magazine, “more than half the unit's core melted.”

– National Geographic, April, 1989.

“It flowed like hot olive oil,” said the vice president of the company operating Three Mile Island, in reference to TMI's uranium fuel.

– Edward Kintner, executive vice president of GPU Nuclear.

Now imagine if Three Mile Island and government officials had not taken the nuclear reactor accident seriously and suppose the TMI containment vessel had, in fact, ruptured, as it well could have done… and what if corrective actions had been slower… why hundreds of thousands, even millions, of people could have been exposed to the dangerous levels of radioactive iodine and other poisonous radioactive materials within the first week or two. The death and sickness tolls would have been massive.

  

Like radioactive iodines and other hazardous materials that can be released into the atmosphere during a nuclear meltdown, sin poses risk, but of a far greater magnitude – eternal death and destruction. You see it is a dangerous and costly mistake not to take temptation to sin seriously. The sad testimony of many who have succumbed to sin's enticements is that they thought they were strong enough to remain in the midst of temptation to withstand and resist it. We find in our key Scripture text in Deuteronomy 21.21b that God requires that His people remove evil from their midst. One way to do this is to remove anything in your “atmosphere” or environment that may tempt you to sin.

When wickedness surrounds you, you are in danger of becoming desensitized and anesthetized to its destructive potential – that’s the deceptive nature of sin. Never assume that you are immune to succumbing to temptation. Do not underestimate the craftiness of the Evil One – he is by nature a deceiver and “the father of lies” – (John 8.44; see also 2 Corinthians 11.3-4; 2 Thessalonians 2.9-10; Revelation 12.9-10). Sin can be so seductive – that is obviously why there is “temptation”! (See James 1.13-15) Even Jesus, though God incarnate, was tempted in every way – just like us – (Hebrews 2.14-18; 4.14-16).

God does not tolerate evil, for sin even cost the death of His Son Jesus. Like radioactive poisons, sin causes untold pain and destruction to everyone it touches. And, like uncontained toxic, hazardous radioactive materials, so sin spreads, infiltrates, grows and destroys. That’s why the apostle Paul charges the church in Corinth to deal with sin straightaway – “You must remove the old yeast of sin so that you will be entirely pure. Then you will be like a new batch of dough without any yeast, as indeed I know you actually are. For our Passover Festival is ready, now that Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us celebrate our Passover, then, not with bread having the old yeast of sin and wickedness, but with the bread that has no yeast, the bread of purity and truth” – (1 Corinthians 5.7-8, GNT). Treating evil lightly shows foolish disregard for God's righteous character, redemptive work, holy wrath, and ignorance regarding the true nature and consequence of sin – it is absolutely hurtful, injurious, insidious, ruinous, pernicious, deadly (Romans 6.23a; Galatians 6.7-8).

An honest evaluation and inventory of your life will reveal temptations that you should remove, such as some forms of entertainment or ungodly relationships. As the apostle Paul clearly warns – “Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character” – (1 Corinthians 15.33, AMP). When God convicts you of evil in your midst, remove it immediately – don’t mess around! Here’s what Paul wrote to the Christians in Colossae: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” – (Colossians 3.5-10) Notice the action words “put to death, rid, taken off.” We are to be vigilant, aggressive, relentless, ruthless, unwavering and unyielding in our dealings with temptation and sin. Sin is to the soul what cancer is to the body and should be addressed in the same manner – with radical measures to eradicate its terminal advances (Mark 9.43-47).

There are times, however, when you are powerless to remove ungodly influences, so you must remove yourself from the temptation. Paul urges us to avoid every kind of evil (I Thessalonians 5.22), and to flee from sexual immorality, idolatry, materialism, and youthful lusts (1 Corinthians 6.18; 10.14; 1 Timothy 6.11; 2 Timothy 2.22). When Joseph was enticed to commit adultery by his master's wife, he fled immediately! – (Genesis 39.12)

Do not lose your abhorrence of sin. Like the threat of contaminating radioactive materials that can prove fatal, take whatever measures necessary to avoid temptation and sin that can prove so destructive. Be diligent to keep any form of temptation out of your home, out of your relationships, out of your mind. You can do this only by maintaining preeminently your love relationship with God, recognizing that you are powerless to resist temptation in your own strength. And remember – God is faithful, He will provide a way of escape – but it is up to us to take it with all haste (1 Corinthians 10.12-13).

You will not be able to walk closely with God unless you see sin as He sees it. “For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” – (2 Corinthians 6.14) You see, “If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.” – (1 John 1.6) Darkness and light cannot coexist… run from the darkness to the light!

“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person – such a man is an idolater – has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” – (Ephesians 5.3-8)

In a nutshell – in Him,

Web Shepherd

WebShepherd4U@Hotmail.com

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[1] Cresson H. Kearny, Nuclear War Survival Skills, published by Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, Cave Junction, Oregon, 1987. Original Edition published September 1979 by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a facility of the United States Department of Energy.