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No Place for Anti-Semitism

Jesus was a Jew. His apostles were Jews. The first Christians were Jews. Most of the Holy Bible was written by Jews. It says of the Jews that “God did not reject his people whom he foreknew” (Romans 11:2).

The scripture also says that “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call upon him, for everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:12-13). This is quoting the Jewish prophets Isaiah and Joel to teach that salvation is by grace through faith for people of all ethnic backgrounds, Jewish as well as Gentile.

This means that there is no place for anti-Jewish bigotry among Christians, or anywhere else. The US Department of Education has documented an alarming rise in harassment, intimidation, and discrimination against Jewish students in American universities. These demonstrations have been attributed to the conduct of the state of Israel in its war against terrorism.

One does not have to agree with every policy of the nation of Israel to say that anti-Semitic hatred and violence are just plain wrong, and sinful. Martin Luther said as much early in his ministry. But, famously, and unfortunately, his later writings laid the groundwork for the 20th century’s  explosion of violence against the Jewish population of Europe under Adolf Hitler.

Luther wrote, in a document called “Against the Jews and their Lies,” that Jewish synagogues should be burned, properties confiscated, books should be burned, travel restricted, and persecution tolerated. These inflammatory rantings provoked unspeakable horrors  against the Jews of Luther’s day. They are an embarrassment to all who identify themselves as followers of Jesus.

It is hard for us to understand Luther’s anti-Semitism. I do not think we should dismiss it by saying, “Well, he was just a man of his times. This was a part of his cultural heritage as a German.” That may be true, but Luther was also a man of the scriptures. He knew what the apostle Paul had written, “My heart’s desire and prayer for the Israelites is that they may be saved” (Romans 10:1). Did Luther become embittered against Jews because they refused to voluntarily convert to Christianity?

He also knew and believed what the Bible teaches about the forgiveness of sin. There is a familiar story Luther told about himself. He said that the devil approached him one day and tried to use the fact that every person is fallible. The accuser reminded Luther of his sins. He presented him with a long list of his past failures of which he was indeed guilty.

When Satan finished Luther asked him if he had omitted some of his sins. “Think a little harder. You must have forgotten some!” The devil complied and added some other sins to the list. Then Luther said, “That’s fine, now write across that list in red ink, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son cleanses us from all sin!'” There was nothing the devil could say to that.

Luther knew the scripture which says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

One wonders, did Luther ever confess the sin of anti-Semitism?

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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Looking Back; Looking Ahead

The ancient Romans worshipped a deity called Janus. On Roman coins, archways and doorways, he was depicted as having two faces, looking backward and forward. He was considered to be the god of beginnings, entrances and exits, after whom the month of January was named.

Having entered the month of January, we are conscious of the beginning of a new year and the passing of time. Our government’s chief conservator of time is the U.S. Naval Observatory. According to the agency’s website, it is responsible for maintaining the Department of Defense’s precise time and time intervals, the Master Clock, timing for Global Positioning Systems, two-way satellite time transfers, and telephone time. All of this gives the impression that time is a resource which can be managed.

We often speak of time as being our own, a personal birthright. It is better to think of time as a gift. We did not create it, We cannot hold onto it or control it. Yet it is good to try to understand the value of time and how to use it wisely. The Bible helps us to think wisely about time.

Looking back

Some people seem paralyzed by past regrets, bad choices, wasted time, or hurts inflicted by others or upon others. “If only I had it to do over.” “If only I had started sooner.” “If only I could forgive myself.” The “if only” game is not a creative strategy for dealing with the past. It is frustrating and self-defeating.

There is a better way for dealing with those yesterdays of regret. Paul the apostle put it like this: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

Paul was putting his regrets behind him. He had plenty of regrets. He said in his writings that he was unworthy to be called an apostle because in his past life he had been a persecutor of the church, a murderer, a blasphemer, and the chief of sinners. But he had confessed his sins and repented. He had accepted God’s forgiveness through Christ.

Look at the past as a driver of an automobile might use a rear-view mirror. Glance back occasionally, but don’t constantly look back. The past is a reference, like a rear-view mirror. We cannot move confidently into the future if we are constantly looking back. If we try to drive a car forward while looking back through the rear-view mirror we’ll surely run into trouble.

Looking forward

Anxiety about the future is common today. I have read that depression ranks among the most common diagnoses made by primary care doctors. This is especially true among high school students, who are being unduly influenced by social media. According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide is the third-largest cause of death among American youths aged 14-18.

Jesus’ words in Matthew chapter 6 are an antidote to anxiety. He tells us how to face the future. “Do not worry,” Jesus said, about the accumulation of material things, about the length of your life, or about keeping up appearances (Matthew 6:25-29). You are, he says, more than a display rack for the latest designer fashions. You are a soul with an eternal destiny.

Your life, he says, has a vastly more important significance than the money you make, or the clothes you wear, or the food you eat. Don’t let these things be substitutes for God. Rather, cultivate faith in your heavenly Father. He knows you, he loves you and he will provide for you (Matthew 6:30-33). Ruth Graham said, “Worry and worship cannot live in the same heart. They are mutually exclusive.”

With a heart of worship for the God who gives life, live it one day at a time. Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34).

Sometime today, try this experiment. Look at a clock with a second hand. Watch the second hand when it reaches twelve, then follow it as it sweeps down toward the number six. The six is still future as the second hand approaches. What happens when the second hand reaches and passes the six? It is in the past. It is over. Gone forever.

That part of your life is gone in an instant. You have just experienced time as it passes us by. We cannot stop it. We cannot control it. But we can choose to make the most of the time God has given us today to prepare to live with him in eternity, beyond time.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

 

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Not To Be Forgotten

During this season we are reminded of prominent people who have died during the year just past. Their names and photographs appear briefly in news reports before our attention is drawn to the Rose Parade, football games and the crowds gathered in Times Square for the celebration of the new year.

No matter now famous or infamous they were, it seems that they are soon forgotten by most of us. Do you remember the people on last year’s list?

Knowing how forgetful we are, the writer of Psalm 136 drives home a refrain to remind us of the love of God. He repeats it 26 times. It is a great theme to take with us into the new year: “His love endures forever.” Like a hammer hitting a nail, he pounds it into our consciousness: “His love endures forever.” This is how he wants us to think about God.

Why is this theme repeated so often in this single Hebrew poem? The most obvious reason is that the writer wants to help us remember what God is like. Repetition is an aid to learning. Isn’t that how we learned the alphabet, or the multiplication tables, or the periodic table of the elements when we were in school?

Another reason the theme is repeated is that it represents a form of congregational worship. Imagine two choirs, one singing, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good;” the other choir answering antiphonally, “His love endures forever.” Worship is to be participatory and we are being invited to join the refrain, “His love endures forever.”

The psalmist does not want us to think of God as we think of the celebrities who appear for awhile on the world stage, then pass away, forgotten. He intends for the Lord to remain the center of our thinking and of our worship. This is a good reminder for us as we begin a new year.

Remember God’s goodness

The word “love,” used here, appears over 250 times in the Old Testament. It is sometimes translated “lovingkindness,” or “mercy.” It is God’s steadfast love, or covenant love. It is the unchanging goodness of God which binds him to keep faith with his people. We will need to remember that in 2025, in seasons of change or uncertainty, or trouble. God is always good. His love never fails (Psalm 136:1).

Remember God’s greatness

Psalm 136:2-9 reminds us of God’s sovereignty. He is “Lord of lords” (a title the New Testament ascribes to Jesus!). He is the creator of the heavens and the earth, the sun, moon and stars. The psalmist invites us to look around at creation and see it as a work of God’s steadfast love.

Then he recounts, in poetic fashion, some facts of Israel’s history which reveal the Lord’s intervention on their behalf (Psalm 136:10-20). He rescued his people from bondage in Egypt, led them safely through the Red Sea, and gave them victory over their enemies. All of this is evidence of God’s covenant love, so he repeats the theme, “His love endures forever.” The greatness of God is not to be forgotten!

Remember God’s generosity

Psalm 136:21-26 tells how the Lord generously provided a homeland for his people. The Promised Land was to be their inheritance in perpetuity. When Israel sinned against God, and he judged them by removing them from the land, they could know that in his covenant faithfulness, he would someday liberate them and restore them to the land (Psalm 136:23-24). The prophets often wrote of Israel’s ultimate restoration.

The fashions and the famous of the world fade and pass away. But we may be sure that “God’s love endures forever.” We must never forget this. Through the coming year we will need to remind ourselves of this, just as the theme punctuates the psalm.

J. A. Motyer said of this psalm, “From the beginning of creation, to the climax of redemption, from the first making of the heavens to the final inheritance of the saints, all is to be seen against the background of the love of God. That love is both indestructible, because it is covenant love, and boundless, because it endures forever.”

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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The Quiet Strength of Faithful Man

Joseph is described in the Bible as a righteous man who sought to follow God’s law. This means that his life was regulated by the moral standards of the Word of God. I think it is safe to say that he lived every day in the awareness of the will and guidance of God.

When an angel brought a message from heaven, he was obedient to God’s call. He was to assume his role as the fatherly provider and protector of the infant Jesus and his virgin mother Mary. Joseph was faithful.

Caleb Saenz has written, “Joseph is to be Jesus’ earthly father, but his choice to receive that calling is less a one-time acceptance and more a daily choice to follow through with his new identity and the responsibilities it entails.” There can be no doubt that Joseph took seriously those responsibilities. His influence was a righteous influence.

The degree to which Joseph’s influence shaped the human life of Jesus is a mystery. The Bible is silent on this matter. But since Jesus was also a carpenter (Mark 6:3), we may assume that he learned this trade from Joseph. Like Joseph, our Lord was a “righteous” carpenter. May not the quiet strength, the healthy masculinity, and the courage we see in the human Jesus be, in some sense, attributable to the faithful example of Joseph?

Hebrews 5:8 tells us that Jesus “learned obedience.” How can it be said that the Son of God needed to “learn” anything? Yet in his humanity Jesus experienced the developmental stages of childhood in submission  to his parents (Luke 2:39-40, 51-52). And the man whom God appointed to be the human guardian to the child Jesus was a faithful, humble, righteous man, a carpenter named Joseph, the husband of Mary.

It seems likely that Joseph died before Jesus began his public ministry. He is absent from the references to Jesus’ family we find in the gospels. His earthly work was done. He was faithful to his calling. It was a big task — to provide, to protect, and to teach. The extent to which Joseph taught Jesus by passing on his beliefs is unknown. But he fulfilled his fatherly role as a faithful man.

Joseph is an example to us. Like him, we want to say “yes” to God’s will for our lives, whatever that means. The U.S. Army recruits thousands of volunteers every year with such challenging words as these: “As a soldier . . . you’ll experience things you never thought possible and go places most people only read about.” Joseph said “yes” to God. If we do that, God will use us too.

Joseph’s example also reminds us to evaluate our lives. Joseph was “a righteous man.” He navigated his way through a world of sin without being stained or polluted by it. When we are tempted to make moral compromises, we need the grace of God to resist temptation. “God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Joseph was a man of influence. He doubtless had a significant influence in the life of Jesus in his youth. You and I have influence, too. God is calling us to use it to influence others toward his Son and the salvation he offers to the world.

Joseph was not a theologian, a priest, or an apostle. But as a humble working man, a decisive man, a courageous man, and as a man of faith, he had a role in changing the world.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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The Quiet Strength of a Courageous Man

Living quietly as a craftsman in Nazareth did not require much of Joseph in the way of courage. No defiant acts of political intrigue. No insurrection against the Roman occupation. Joseph is not described in heroic terms.

Yet when he faced the greatest crisis of his life, he displayed unusual courage. I think he behaved as a hero.

Joseph was required by Roman edict to travel to his hometown of Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-7). It was not a good time for him and his wife to make such a journey. Mary was well along in her pregnancy. This must have been disruptive and inconvenient. The journey must have been slow and unpleasant.

When they arrived, Bethlehem was filled with visitors who were there to comply with the Roman registration. The homes were crowded with relatives. The inns were overrun. There was no place for them to stay other than a stable for animals.

“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” (Luke 2:7).

We may assume this happened not long after their arrival in Bethlehem. There is no mention of a midwife, and no description of Jesus’ actual birth. Did Joseph deliver the baby?

They stayed in Bethlehem several months after Jesus was born, perhaps as long as two years (Matthew 2:16). Then a second dream came to Joseph as a message from heaven (Matthew 2:13-15). Hurry up! Escape while you can! Flee to Egypt! Herod the king is going to try to kill the child.

Joseph acted courageously and left Bethlehem during the night with his little family. This was the second of three journeys in the Christmas story. It must have been slow going with a baby, travelling through the wilderness the hundred miles to Egypt.

Historians tell us there were over a million Jews living in Alexandria at the time. Joseph and Mary may have lived as refugees among this expatriate community. In Egypt they found temporary protection from the evil despot who was motivated by Satan to destroy the baby Jesus. The fate of humanity and God’s plan of salvation hung on Joseph’s heroic obedience to God.

We do not know how long the holy family stayed in Egypt. We are told that it was until the death of King Herod (Matthew 2:19-20). The stay in Egypt had been prophesied in the Old Testament (Matthew 2:15), “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

This is an allusion to Hosea 11:1, which refers originally to the exodus of the Hebrew nation from their slavery in Egypt. Matthew applied this prophesy to Jesus, who was the typological fulfillment of all that the nation Israel had failed to be in the divine plan. Hosea wrote more than he knew. His words had a deeper significance, pointing beyond the nation Israel, to the Lord Jesus Christ. The exodus of the children of Israel in their infancy was a pointer to  Joseph’s heroic rescue of Jesus in his infancy.

After the death of king Herod, Joseph received another message in a dream. He was instructed to return with the child and his mother to the land of Israel. An additional dream guided him specifically to Galilee. Once again, Joseph obeyed. Once again, they travelled. Once again, prophesy was fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:22-23).

Nazareth was a small, obscure place. All his life our Lord was referred to as “Jesus of Nazareth.” It was there that Joseph taught his adopted son the trade of carpentry (Mark 6:3). It was there that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). This was due in large measure to the courage and heroism of Joseph.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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The Quiet Strength of a Thinking Man

During this season of Advent I am thinking of Joseph. He was the man God called to be the foster father on earth of Jesus. His call came unexpectedly from two sources, from news that Mary gave him, and from a dream God sent him.

We might imagine the scene: Mary, his betrothed wife-to-be, approaching him, eyes to the ground. “Joseph, I have something to tell you.” She was pregnant. He knew this was not his doing. This seeming betrayal was the greatest disappointment of his life. The shock was beyond words. His sadness inconsolable.

As a faithful Jew, he knew enough of the Torah to know that he could either publicly expose Mary’s apparent infidelity, shaming her, and possibly risking her life, or divorce her privately. The gospel of Matthew gives us the story (Matthew 1:18-20).

Joseph was a thinking man. “He considered this,” the text says. His mind ranged back and forth. On the one hand, guided by his heart, he loved Mary and felt a need to try to protect her from public scandal. On the other hand, guided by his head, he had a reputation as a righteous man, and he must have felt a duty to safeguard his own good name. The law of Moses permitted divorce in cases like this. That is what he was inclined to do. Until . . . he received a message from heaven.

We call it divine intervention. An instance when God shows up and speaks with unmistakable clarity. The Bible is full of instances like this. When life is at its worst, when people are pulled in opposite directions and they don’t know what to do, or when they are overwhelmed with sorrow, the Lord reveals his will. God sent a messenger to Joseph with gentle guidance.

“After he had considered this, 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).

“A son,” not “your son.” Matthew adds the interpretation from the prophet Isaiah, “They will call him Immanuel — which means God with us” (Matthew 1:23). He will be conceived by the Holy Spirit, a miraculous conception and birth. He will be “God with us,” divine and sinless. He will be a male child, fully human.

In Bible times, dreams were reliable media for transmitting divine guidance. This was the first of four dreams Joseph would receive from the Lord. In this respect he is like the Old Testament Joseph for whom he was named. He responded to the message with faith and obedience.

He knew what to do. “He did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus” (Matthew 1:24-25).

As a thinking man, Joseph was open to divine guidance.. He accepted by faith the message from heaven. The holy angel confirmed what Mary had already told him, that she was a virgin (Luke 1:34). He did as he was directed and gave the baby the name Jesus, which means “savior,” or “deliverer.”

As you and I contemplate this, let’s be like Joseph, obedient to God’s revealed will. Let’s be like Joseph, thinking things through and responding with faith in God’s word.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

 

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The Quiet Strength of a Working Man

Joseph has been referred to as the forgotten man of the Christmas story. We have no record of his words. But his actions are heroic and strong. I see Joseph as an appealing figure, a man who was willing to risk public ridicule to take as his wife a pregnant teenager whose baby was not his own. Then he took the family on a secret escape at night to save the baby’s life.

Joseph’s story has the makings of an adventure tale full of intrigue. If it were made into a movie, it would be one guys would enjoy. Men enjoy action, suspense, competition and they admire heroes who risk their lives for others.

The Bible is full of examples of heroic men who were willing to take risks to serve God. Men like Moses, Elijah, David, Daniel, Peter and Paul were leaders who were intensely committed to God. I would not hesitate to put Joseph in their company. He was a manly man who obeyed the will of God for his life.

In this space for the next few weeks, I want to think about the good character of Joseph. This will help us, I trust, to prepare for the celebration of Christmas. Hopefully Joseph will cease to be a forgotten man but will receive some much-deserved recognition and emulation.

Joseph is described in the Bible as a working man. The Bible exalts labor. Work done with excellence is virtuous. Our work is a part of our calling. Joseph’s calling was to be a carpenter (Matthew 13:55). The title “carpenter” in the Greek language could also apply to a stone mason or to a builder in general.

Joseph was a craftsman who worked with his hands. He lived in Nazareth but he was not a Galilean by birth. He was originally from Bethlehem in Judea. Possibly he had moved north because that is where the jobs were. The town of Sepphoris, not far from Nazareth, was under construction at the time, archaeologists tell us. Maybe Joseph was employed in this big construction project.

Or perhaps he was known for his service to his neighbors in Nazareth as a maker of wagons, yokes, cabinets, furniture, windows, and door frames. There has always been a need for the skills of men like Joseph.

I imagine Joseph as a man with a big chest, bulging biceps, and rough, strong hands. In my mind’s eye I see him shaking sawdust out of his beard, and pouring water over his head to wash himself at the end of the day. I can see him setting his tools aside and talking with Mary as she brings him a simple meal which they enjoy together as the sun goes down.

This is background to the Christmas story. It was to this Joseph, a working man, that was entrusted the rearing of the Son of God.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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More Than Turkey Day

A man received a parrot as a gift. The bird had a bad attitude, and every word out of its mouth was rude.

The man tried to change the bird’s attitude by speaking politely, playing soft music, and teaching it a new vocabulary. Nothing worked. Fed up, the man yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. He shook the parrot, but it became more rude.

In desperation, he shoved the bird into the freezer. For a while, the parrot squawked and screamed. Then it was quiet. Not a peep was heard for more than a minute.

Fearing he had hurt the bird, the man opened the freezer door. The parrot calmly stepped out and said, “I believe I have offended you with my rude and crude language. I am sincerely remorseful and I intend to do whatever I can to correct my bad behavior.”

The man was stunned. As he was about to ask the parrot what had so dramatically changed its behavior, the bird continued, “May I ask what the turkey did?”

With “turkey day” approaching, our thoughts turn to those quintessentially American traditions: football and feasting. Most of us have good memories of gathering around a table laden with sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and of course, roast turkey.

When we were young, my brothers and I would spend the afternoon playing touch football with boys from the neighborhood. Pro football games were on tv, usually featuring the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys.

And there was “black Friday” shopping. People went to the malls to see and be seen. Movie attendance was up.

Maybe you have noticed. I have been able to write about the holiday without naming it. I do that to make a point. It is possible to enjoy Thanksgiving Day without expressing thanks. The media steer us from naming “the holidays.” Maybe that’s because “Thanksgiving” implies that there is One to whom we should be thankful.

With everything else we enjoy that day let’s call it what it is and use our freedom of speech to “praise God from whom all blessings flow.” Let’s teach our children the art of appreciation.

Let’s take time on November 28 to give thanks for America’s heritage of freedom and to pray that it will continue.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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A Song for Dangerous Times

I suspect that about half of the American population are unhappy with the outcome of the recent national election. The other half are elated. I fervently hope and pray that the American people will respect and follow the U.S. Constitution and will seek national reconciliation.

I hope that those who know the Lord, whatever their political leanings, will remember that Christ is the king of kings before whom all human rulers must someday bow in submission. Jesus is sovereign over all nations. Believers’ ultimate hope is not in politics but in Christ.

We live in unsettled times. Domestic unrest and world events can cause us to feel wobbly, insecure, and off kilter. That is why I find comfort in the phrases of Psalm 91. It was written for dangerous times like these.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust” (Psalm 91:1-2).

This tells us how we can have rest in our spirits when our lives are sheltered in God. The writer (most likely Moses) is professing his sense of personal security in his relationship to the Lord. The psalm parallels the story line of the book of Exodus. The nation of Israel had been rescued from Egypt. They experienced God’s protection as they travelled through the wilderness of Sinai.

“Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart” (Psalm 91:3-4).

Despite the dangers mentioned in the psalm, God’s people are promised the Lord’s protection: soft, when it needs to be, like a mother bird nurturing her young; hard, when it needs to be, warding off the threats and blows of enemies. The dangers are real. People of faith do, in fact, fall victim to diseases, disasters, and death. Psalm 91 is a realistic assessment of the world as it is.

But the psalmist also wants us to know God as he is and to live in a close relationship to him. In Psalm 91 he recalls four different names of God which reveal different aspects of his character. God is the “Most High,” the exalted one, the living and true God.

He is the “Almighty,” the all-powerful, all-sufficient God. He is called “the Lord” or Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God. This is the name by which he reveals himself in relation to his people. He is faithful to his promises.

Then he is identified as “my God.” This name for God in Hebrew points to his transcendence. He is the sovereign of eternity and of creation. This great God is “my God,” says the writer.

This surprising familiarity with God is accented by three titles that describe the believer’s relationship to God. He is “refuge,” “shelter,” and “fortress,” a secure place of safety in a dangerous world. This reminds me of Proverbs 18:10 — “The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

I have been thinking about Psalm 91 in relation to the uncertainties and threats we face in America and around the world. We must acknowledge that God’s people are not immune from disease, disasters, and death. The troubles of the world do sometimes reach God’s beloved children. We might be perplexed and puzzled by this until we read Psalm 91:15.

The Lord is speaking. “He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.”

The psalm writer looks at the world as it is and to God as he is and he brings them together. The comforts and promises of this psalm are not unreasonable or beyond belief. “I will be with him IN trouble,” not necessarily escaping it. It is the presence of the Lord that gives rest, security, and courage in the time of trouble.

Reading the headlines from online news sources can fuel anxiety. Extremists talk openly about civil war in America. Political commentators on the left and on the right wonder about the future of democracy. Some citizens are bracing themselves for political violence. Suspicion and fear of those on the other side of the political divide can make us forgetful of God’s sovereignty over human rulers.

It seems clear that the psalm writer wants us to see another dimension, that of eternity. This is to be the Christian’s outlook. Romans 8:35-37 tells us that “IN all these things (earthly troubles) we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”  No harm can separate the believer from the love of Christ. We are told that in times of danger and trouble we can learn to recognize God’s presence and unfailing love. IN dangerous times we will not be forgotten or forsaken.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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Who Do You Think You Are?

When God introduced himself to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, he spoke from a bush that was on fire and told Moses to remove his sandals because he was on holy ground.

When Moses asked how God wanted to be identified, God said, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). This is a way of saying, “I am the one who exists. I was, I always will be, and I am always the same.” This is related to the name Yahweh, or Jehovah. This name for God means that he is the eternally self-existent God.

Jesus Christ used this name of himself in the gospel of John (John 8:42-59). When some religious leaders objected to his teachings, they said, “We are descendants of Abraham. Who do you think you are?” They accused him of being a Samaritan (a despised outsider) and demon-possessed (crazy).

In reply, Jesus made an astounding claim, “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad. . . .  Before Abraham was born, I AM!” This is clearly a claim to deity. The name “I AM” implies eternal existence. Jesus was saying that he existed before Abraham was born.

Jesus knew what he was saying. He knew that the name “I AM” was recognized in Israel as a title of deity. He was claiming to be divine and his opponents knew it. That is why they picked up stones to stone him to death for blasphemy. Jesus did not deny that that is what he meant to say. His enemies were right. He was claiming to be God in the flesh.

“You are from below,” Jesus had said to them. “I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world” (John 8:23). “I am the one I claim to be” (John 8:24, 28).

Statements such as these, if they are not true, must be the babblings of a person with serious mental problems. But Jesus’ powerful miracles and good deeds are not the works of a crazy person with delusions of grandeur. The wisdom of his teachings refutes the false idea that he was out of touch with reality. Multitudes were attracted to his compassion and composure. They recognized the inherent truth and authority of his words. They witnessed the power of God in his miracles.

The fact that Jesus took the divine name for himself meant that he and he alone could meet the deepest needs of human beings. He audaciously made himself the center of his teaching,

He said, “I AM the bread of life” (John 6:35). He used bread as a metaphor for eternal salvation. If people will eat the spiritual bread God provides, they will live forever, he said (John 8:51, 58).

“I AM the light of the world,” Jesus said (John 8:12). Darkness pictures ignorance, sin and death. Light pictures salvation. “God is light” (1 John 1:5).

“I AM the gate” (John 10:7-9). “Whoever enters through me shall be saved.”

“I AM the good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14). The shepherd of Israel was the Lord himself (Psalm 23:1). “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

At the graveside of his friend Lazarus Jesus announced, “I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies” (John 11:35). Then he proceeded to raise Lazarus from the dead. This happened in the presence of eyewitnesses. Even Jesus’ enemies could not deny or refute this miracle (John 11:45-48).

“I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). He could not make a claim like this and not be divine. He was saying “I am your only way to God. I am your only way to heaven.” Why would he say this? Because he is truly the son of God and God the son.

Then he said to his disciples, “I AM the true vine” (John 15:1,5). You are the branches. Remain close to me (abide in me) and draw your life from me and you will bear fruit.

If you were to ask Jesus, “Who do you think you are?” he would calmly reply, “I AM.”

He is the one who was, who is, and who always will be. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). As the eternally divine son of God, Jesus has the authority to give eternal life to those who put their faith in him. He said so and I believe him. Do you?

Pastor Randy Faulkner