Close on the heels of my questions and wondering, I turned to the Bible to see what it says about the idea. I typed the word “wait” into the search engine of my Bible software and eagerly scanned the verses to see if I could find one where God was waiting. However, as I read verse after verse I became crestfallen. It seemed there was no scriptural support for the idea of God waiting. But then I found Isaiah 30:18 “¶ And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.” Huzzah! There in the Bible I found a verse that said God waited. My search was over. Or was it? Of course not. I continued searching but I could not find any more verses that said God waited. So I came back to this one and said, “Well, I’d better check the meaning of the word in Hebrew. Maybe we translated it “wait” in English, but perhaps the Hebrew is more precise.” I was relieved to find that the Hebrew definition also meant “to await: long, tarry, wait.” But if this was the only verse in the Bible that says God waits, how was I supposed to fully understand God’s waiting?
Friday, March 10, 2017
When God Waits
Close on the heels of my questions and wondering, I turned to the Bible to see what it says about the idea. I typed the word “wait” into the search engine of my Bible software and eagerly scanned the verses to see if I could find one where God was waiting. However, as I read verse after verse I became crestfallen. It seemed there was no scriptural support for the idea of God waiting. But then I found Isaiah 30:18 “¶ And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.” Huzzah! There in the Bible I found a verse that said God waited. My search was over. Or was it? Of course not. I continued searching but I could not find any more verses that said God waited. So I came back to this one and said, “Well, I’d better check the meaning of the word in Hebrew. Maybe we translated it “wait” in English, but perhaps the Hebrew is more precise.” I was relieved to find that the Hebrew definition also meant “to await: long, tarry, wait.” But if this was the only verse in the Bible that says God waits, how was I supposed to fully understand God’s waiting?
Thursday, March 9, 2017
The Power of Confession & the Freedom of Forgiveness
Wherever you are on the curve, I would like to invite you today to rediscover the power of confession and freedom of forgiveness. If you are an unbeliever, would you confess your sins and be born again? If you are a believer struggling against your own nature, would you confess your need, submit to the Lordship of Christ, and be filled with the Spirit? If you are saved and sanctified but wrestling with broken relationships or the temptations to sin, would you confess your sins to God and man and discover forgiveness? And, if you are harboring unforgiveness toward anyone today, would you confess it and relinquish it – let it go – so that you may once again know the freedom and power of forgiveness in your heart and life? Would you once again walk in the way of peace? Rediscover the power of confession and freedom of forgiveness.
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
A New Year's Meditation
Listen as Pastor Rick reflects on the past year and looks ahead to the New on this New Year's Day, 2017.
Sunday, March 5, 2017
"We Bow" - A Christmas Reading
Joseph
“These months…these weeks…these days…this night! Ever since Mary saw the angel for the first time, our lives have never been the same. Such an emotional time: surprise, anger, sadness, fear, uncertainty, anxiety, excitement! It has been extraordinary! I never imagined being part of something like this in my lifetime.
“Imagine it! I have been chosen to care for the mother of the Messiah and shape the beginning years of his life! And somehow, though I cannot understand it, he is the Son of the Most High. It is hard to grasp!
“Finally he is here. After a difficult journey to Bethlehem and the hours of Mary’s pain in this stable, He is here. I look at him swaddled tightly in strips of cloth lying there in the manger. It is hard to believe this tiny helpless baby is from Heaven itself! Yet never in all my life has Heaven felt closer.
“Though we are physically and emotionally exhausted Mary and I are moved with awe…the birth of every baby is a miracle: the birth of THIS baby...! And so, though it is a strange thing to do, Mary and I are the first to worship him. His name is Jesus. Indeed he is the Son of God. Before Him, We bow.”
Shepherds
“Shhhhh! Shhhh! You will wake the village! Shhhh! Even now the dogs are barking!”
“I don’t care if I wake every dog in the village! I don’t care if every household is awake after what we have seen! Besides, how can you run in the dark without making noise?!”
“Ow!!”
“See what I mean?! Who cares about noise?! Run! Run! Run! Faster!”
“I’m going as fast as I can!”
“Me too! That was the wildest thing I have ever seen! I mean I have seen foxes and lions and once even a bear while watching the sheep but I have never seen anything like what we just saw!”
“What were those things anyway?!”
“Angels you simpleton! Angels from Heaven!”
“The Messiah has come! They declared it! It must be so! Now we will finally have a savior from the Romans and the throne of David will be restored! And it all begins in David’s own hometown! Huzzah!”
So shouting and panting as they ran, the shepherds barreled down the main street of the town toward the inn. They almost piled up in a heap when they stopped short before the stable trying to pause just a moment to take stock of themselves and the situation. Joseph heard the unusual commotion outside and had already stepped protectively forward to meet this new unexpected challenge – ready to defend his wife and new child, his toughened carpenter’s fist ready to swing. Then peering in through the dimly lit gloom he saw the scraggly bearded face of shepherd.
“Yes?”
“Has a baby been born here tonight?”
“Yes.”
The face of the shepherd lit up in a smile.
“Then we are in the right place! Angels told us you would be here.”
The shepherds entered as quietly as curious excited shepherds could. Crowding round the manger they stared at the tiny swaddled form of their Messiah.
“He is so small…” murmured the shepherd as he fell to his knees. The other shepherds kneeled too. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ, the Lord.” “Before you we bow.”
Temple Saints
“For years Simeon and I waited the promise of Messiah’s coming! For decades we have prayed and worshiped and waited! Today was the day. When I saw that young mother standing with her husband, with the baby cradled in Simeon’s old wrinkled hands, I knew that HE was finally here! I magnified the Lord and rejoiced. Between Simeon and me, we raised quite a noise! And I spoke to all who were awaiting the redemption of Israel…for He is here! What a wonderful privilege that these old eyes might see the Messiah and that these old bodies might worship Him! The King is born! The King has come! We bow!”
Magi
“The stars told us that this time is the most momentous time in all of history. For many days we have journeyed across many miles to come to this place. After a strange time in Jerusalem and the odd behavior of Herod, it has left us feeling strangely. But there it is! The star we have followed our entire journey! It has stopped over that house there!”
With the creaking of saddles, the clinking of metal, and the general hubbub of a caravan called to a halt, the magi dismounted before the little house in Bethlehem. Before you knew it the strangely dressed men, freshly bathed and perfumed, were there in the room with mother and child.
“Our eyes filled strangely with tears. I have never felt this way before! He is so little that it is hard to imagine he is the King foretold by the stars…yet I know in my heart that it is so. He is the King! I think he is the greatest king of all time! We have brought expensive gifts for him, but now I do not feel that even they are enough! The only thing we can do that even seems appropriate is worship him now! We bow!”
Us
Today is Christmas day – the day hallowed and celebrated across the centuries as a day of remembrance. It is the day we celebrate the coming of the Messiah over two thousand years ago. In a most unexpected manner he came as a baby that he might identify with us through every moment of our existence from birth to death. He was born into the most humble circumstances imaginable in a squalid town under the heel of Rome. It was a birth largely unnoticed and quickly forgotten by the people of the time. But that birth day – which we celebrate even now – changed all of history. And in the voices of these characters that I have just read to you, across history we glimpse the emotions, the uncertainties, the astonishment, and the wonder! And with them, we bow.
As we bow, we look ahead to the promise of His coming. We look forward to the glorious appearing of our Lord and Savior once again. He promised to return in the same manner as He left. Today is Christmas day. We celebrate the birth of our Savior and look ahead to His magnificent return. He promised to come the first time and He came. He promised to come again and He will. And when He does, we will go to be with Him forever! There, around the throne of God, we will worship Him Who loved us and gave Himself for us and we will bow!
We bow before the baby in the manger.
We bow before the boy he would become under the tutelage of earthly parents.
We bow before the man baptized in Jordan with whom the Heavenly Father was well-pleased.
We bow before the man who overcame Satan in the wilderness.
We bow before the man who healed the sick and raised the dead.
We bow before the man who died upon the cross and shed his blood for the remission of our sins.
We bow before the man raised from the grave triumphant over death and hell.
We bow before the man who promised and sent the gift of the Holy Spirit.
We bow before the man who ascended into Heaven to prepare a place for us.
We bow before the Son of Man who will come again.
He is the Messiah. He is the Son of God. He is the Lord of Glory! He is the King of Kings! This is His birthday! Before Him We bow!
“These months…these weeks…these days…this night! Ever since Mary saw the angel for the first time, our lives have never been the same. Such an emotional time: surprise, anger, sadness, fear, uncertainty, anxiety, excitement! It has been extraordinary! I never imagined being part of something like this in my lifetime.
“Imagine it! I have been chosen to care for the mother of the Messiah and shape the beginning years of his life! And somehow, though I cannot understand it, he is the Son of the Most High. It is hard to grasp!
“Finally he is here. After a difficult journey to Bethlehem and the hours of Mary’s pain in this stable, He is here. I look at him swaddled tightly in strips of cloth lying there in the manger. It is hard to believe this tiny helpless baby is from Heaven itself! Yet never in all my life has Heaven felt closer.
“Though we are physically and emotionally exhausted Mary and I are moved with awe…the birth of every baby is a miracle: the birth of THIS baby...! And so, though it is a strange thing to do, Mary and I are the first to worship him. His name is Jesus. Indeed he is the Son of God. Before Him, We bow.”
Shepherds
“Shhhhh! Shhhh! You will wake the village! Shhhh! Even now the dogs are barking!”
“I don’t care if I wake every dog in the village! I don’t care if every household is awake after what we have seen! Besides, how can you run in the dark without making noise?!”
“Ow!!”
“See what I mean?! Who cares about noise?! Run! Run! Run! Faster!”
“I’m going as fast as I can!”
“Me too! That was the wildest thing I have ever seen! I mean I have seen foxes and lions and once even a bear while watching the sheep but I have never seen anything like what we just saw!”
“What were those things anyway?!”
“Angels you simpleton! Angels from Heaven!”
“The Messiah has come! They declared it! It must be so! Now we will finally have a savior from the Romans and the throne of David will be restored! And it all begins in David’s own hometown! Huzzah!”
So shouting and panting as they ran, the shepherds barreled down the main street of the town toward the inn. They almost piled up in a heap when they stopped short before the stable trying to pause just a moment to take stock of themselves and the situation. Joseph heard the unusual commotion outside and had already stepped protectively forward to meet this new unexpected challenge – ready to defend his wife and new child, his toughened carpenter’s fist ready to swing. Then peering in through the dimly lit gloom he saw the scraggly bearded face of shepherd.
“Yes?”
“Has a baby been born here tonight?”
“Yes.”
The face of the shepherd lit up in a smile.
“Then we are in the right place! Angels told us you would be here.”
The shepherds entered as quietly as curious excited shepherds could. Crowding round the manger they stared at the tiny swaddled form of their Messiah.
“He is so small…” murmured the shepherd as he fell to his knees. The other shepherds kneeled too. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ, the Lord.” “Before you we bow.”
Temple Saints
“For years Simeon and I waited the promise of Messiah’s coming! For decades we have prayed and worshiped and waited! Today was the day. When I saw that young mother standing with her husband, with the baby cradled in Simeon’s old wrinkled hands, I knew that HE was finally here! I magnified the Lord and rejoiced. Between Simeon and me, we raised quite a noise! And I spoke to all who were awaiting the redemption of Israel…for He is here! What a wonderful privilege that these old eyes might see the Messiah and that these old bodies might worship Him! The King is born! The King has come! We bow!”
Magi
“The stars told us that this time is the most momentous time in all of history. For many days we have journeyed across many miles to come to this place. After a strange time in Jerusalem and the odd behavior of Herod, it has left us feeling strangely. But there it is! The star we have followed our entire journey! It has stopped over that house there!”
With the creaking of saddles, the clinking of metal, and the general hubbub of a caravan called to a halt, the magi dismounted before the little house in Bethlehem. Before you knew it the strangely dressed men, freshly bathed and perfumed, were there in the room with mother and child.
“Our eyes filled strangely with tears. I have never felt this way before! He is so little that it is hard to imagine he is the King foretold by the stars…yet I know in my heart that it is so. He is the King! I think he is the greatest king of all time! We have brought expensive gifts for him, but now I do not feel that even they are enough! The only thing we can do that even seems appropriate is worship him now! We bow!”
Us
Today is Christmas day – the day hallowed and celebrated across the centuries as a day of remembrance. It is the day we celebrate the coming of the Messiah over two thousand years ago. In a most unexpected manner he came as a baby that he might identify with us through every moment of our existence from birth to death. He was born into the most humble circumstances imaginable in a squalid town under the heel of Rome. It was a birth largely unnoticed and quickly forgotten by the people of the time. But that birth day – which we celebrate even now – changed all of history. And in the voices of these characters that I have just read to you, across history we glimpse the emotions, the uncertainties, the astonishment, and the wonder! And with them, we bow.
As we bow, we look ahead to the promise of His coming. We look forward to the glorious appearing of our Lord and Savior once again. He promised to return in the same manner as He left. Today is Christmas day. We celebrate the birth of our Savior and look ahead to His magnificent return. He promised to come the first time and He came. He promised to come again and He will. And when He does, we will go to be with Him forever! There, around the throne of God, we will worship Him Who loved us and gave Himself for us and we will bow!
We bow before the baby in the manger.
We bow before the boy he would become under the tutelage of earthly parents.
We bow before the man baptized in Jordan with whom the Heavenly Father was well-pleased.
We bow before the man who overcame Satan in the wilderness.
We bow before the man who healed the sick and raised the dead.
We bow before the man who died upon the cross and shed his blood for the remission of our sins.
We bow before the man raised from the grave triumphant over death and hell.
We bow before the man who promised and sent the gift of the Holy Spirit.
We bow before the man who ascended into Heaven to prepare a place for us.
We bow before the Son of Man who will come again.
He is the Messiah. He is the Son of God. He is the Lord of Glory! He is the King of Kings! This is His birthday! Before Him We bow!
Saturday, March 4, 2017
ADVENT 2016 - Peace
Listen as Pastor Rick Concludes the Advent Series with this sermon about Peace.
"Are you at peace today? I don’t mean some artificial imaginary calm or temporary stillness. I don’t mean some meditative state of tranquility. I mean is your heart at peace today? Is there anything separating you from God right now? Is there anything separating you from your spouse? Is there anything separating you from your children? Is there anything separating you from a fellow-believer? Is there anything or anyone standing in between you and the Christ child – the Prince of Peace?"
"Are you at peace today? I don’t mean some artificial imaginary calm or temporary stillness. I don’t mean some meditative state of tranquility. I mean is your heart at peace today? Is there anything separating you from God right now? Is there anything separating you from your spouse? Is there anything separating you from your children? Is there anything separating you from a fellow-believer? Is there anything or anyone standing in between you and the Christ child – the Prince of Peace?"
Friday, March 3, 2017
ADVENT 2016 - Joy
Listen as Pastor Rick continues the Advent series with this sermon about joy.
"...through it all they were sustained by a deep abiding everlasting joy. It is joy to know that sin is forgiven. It is joy to no longer bear the shame and guilt of sin. It is joy to hear the whisper of His voice in our spirit. It is a joy to be saved by the Savior. It is a joy to be restored to our Maker. It is joy to live no longer for earth but for Him. It is joy to look beyond any suffering here we might bear to Him Who loves us, who gave himself for us, and one day will come back to earth in person to restore us to everlasting joy."
"...through it all they were sustained by a deep abiding everlasting joy. It is joy to know that sin is forgiven. It is joy to no longer bear the shame and guilt of sin. It is joy to hear the whisper of His voice in our spirit. It is a joy to be saved by the Savior. It is a joy to be restored to our Maker. It is joy to live no longer for earth but for Him. It is joy to look beyond any suffering here we might bear to Him Who loves us, who gave himself for us, and one day will come back to earth in person to restore us to everlasting joy."
Thursday, March 2, 2017
ADVENT 2016 - Love Amid Suffering
Listen as Pastor Rick continues the Advent series with a sermon on Love.
"I invite you to meditate upon God the Father who loves us so certainly that He gave His only begotten beloved Son to us to suffer from the manger to the cross that He might triumph in love for us. And in the end, His triumph will be complete as His love banishes the darkness of suffering forever and we no longer are under sentence of eternal death but we are able to live forever with Him in eternal life!"
"I invite you to meditate upon God the Father who loves us so certainly that He gave His only begotten beloved Son to us to suffer from the manger to the cross that He might triumph in love for us. And in the end, His triumph will be complete as His love banishes the darkness of suffering forever and we no longer are under sentence of eternal death but we are able to live forever with Him in eternal life!"
ADVENT 2016 - The Hope of Forgiveness
Listen as Pastor Rick begins the Advent Series with a sermon about forgiveness.
What is your greatest hope? I would contend that your greatest hope is to be loved completely by someone who understands you, accepts you as you are, and forgives you when you are in need of it. Someone who loves you with abandon without reservation. May I introduce you to Jesus the Christ – the God Who loves you today just that way? He designed you, created you, sustains you, and understands you. He accepts you as you are when you come to him with a humble penitent heart. He forgives every sin and wipes away every stain if you will only let Him in. He loves you with abandon and without reservation as he demonstrated that first Christmas long ago when his tiny helpless form was wrapped in strips of cloth and laid in the hay.
This is the hope we proclaim this first Sunday of Advent: the hope of forgiveness: the hope of being among the living forgiven! Are you living in this hope today? Are you forgiven? Have you opened the door of your heart to the Christ: JESUS who came to save you from your sins? He stands at the door knocking. Won’t you let forgiveness in?
What is your greatest hope? I would contend that your greatest hope is to be loved completely by someone who understands you, accepts you as you are, and forgives you when you are in need of it. Someone who loves you with abandon without reservation. May I introduce you to Jesus the Christ – the God Who loves you today just that way? He designed you, created you, sustains you, and understands you. He accepts you as you are when you come to him with a humble penitent heart. He forgives every sin and wipes away every stain if you will only let Him in. He loves you with abandon and without reservation as he demonstrated that first Christmas long ago when his tiny helpless form was wrapped in strips of cloth and laid in the hay.
This is the hope we proclaim this first Sunday of Advent: the hope of forgiveness: the hope of being among the living forgiven! Are you living in this hope today? Are you forgiven? Have you opened the door of your heart to the Christ: JESUS who came to save you from your sins? He stands at the door knocking. Won’t you let forgiveness in?
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
The Parenting Challenge
Listen as Pastor Rick talks about how God uses our children to shape us for His glory.
"Children truly are an heritage of the Lord. It is through them that God can strengthen you in His character. I encourage you today to accept the commission, embrace the call and be anchored in God’s character by way of this Parental Challenge. So say it with me again, “I accept the Parental Commission.” Welcome to God’s shaping in your life via your children as you surrender yourself as a tool in His hands to shape them. This is the Parental Challenge."
"Children truly are an heritage of the Lord. It is through them that God can strengthen you in His character. I encourage you today to accept the commission, embrace the call and be anchored in God’s character by way of this Parental Challenge. So say it with me again, “I accept the Parental Commission.” Welcome to God’s shaping in your life via your children as you surrender yourself as a tool in His hands to shape them. This is the Parental Challenge."
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