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Advent: From Fear to Faith

C. S. Lewis wrote that one way we know we are living by faith is that what we are doing for God scares us. He said if it doesn’t, there is no faith involved. The Advent message “do not be afraid” can move us from fear to faith.

Mary was scared! An angel appeared unexpectedly (don’t they always?) and told her that God was calling her for a special assignment. She was going to become a living miracle. She, a virgin, would become the mother of the Son of God.

The appearance of the angel must have been frightening enough. Luke 1:19 says that the angel Gabriel stands “in the presence of God.” The name Gabriel means literally “God’s strong man.” He was surely a mighty and imposing presence. He was God’s spokesman. Mary was a simple village maiden from Nazareth.

His message must have been even more unsettling than his appearance.  He told her that she had found favor with God. The Holy Spirit would envelop her and the power of the Most high would overshadow her. But she should not be afraid. “The Lord is with you,” he said (Luke 1:28).

Mary’s fear is understandable. How would you feel if you went one-on-one with a powerful angel from heaven? What if he told you things that would upend your life forever? What would it mean for your plans, your future, your dreams and desires, to be replaced with a whole new agenda? If that thought makes you want to run and hide, then learn from the blessed mother of our Lord.

Mary accepted God’s intervention in her life. Can you do the same? The angel called Mary by name. God knows your name too, and all about your personal circumstances. So do not be afraid. In Matthew 10, Jesus told his disciples three times not to be afraid because the heavenly Father valued them and cared for them (Matthew 10:26-31).

The first word the angel spoke to Mary, “Greetings” (v. 28) means “rejoice!” She could rejoice because the Lord was with her. The Lord Jesus has promised he will be with us, too. So like Mary, we do not have to give in to fear if we welcome the Lord’s intervention in our lives.

Mary listened to God’s message and believed it. “Do not be afraid” is one of the most frequently-repeated commands in scripture. These commands are given to people facing real crises. Mary was altogether human and her mind was troubled by the crisis posed by the angel.

Gabriel explained: “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:31-33).

Mary accepted the word of God through the angel. “I am the Lord’s servant…. May your word to me be fulfilled” (v. 38). Mary shows us the way to replace fear with faith.

Mary accepted what could only be described as a miracle. If the supernatural elements in the Bible trouble you, you are not alone. But the message of Advent is precisely that: the story of a great miracle. It is the miracle of the Incarnation: The Holy One to be born of Mary would be called the Son of God.

Yes, his coming would be by a  natural human birth. But Mary’s baby boy would be the Son of God; his conception would be supernatural. “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (v.35).

Luke, who wrote this, was a careful historian. He was a physician, a man of science. He did not try to offer a medical explanation for the birth of Jesus. He knew that he was describing something that was beyond the purview of science. Mary lived the miracle and Luke reported it as a supernatural break-in to our natural world.

Mary and Luke remind us that it is not superstitious and gullible to believe in an invisible God of love who would send his Son to save us from our sins. The miraculous elements in the story cannot be side-stepped. They are essential. They remind us that this life is not the only life. There is a heavenly place being prepared  for those who trust in the Lord Jesus. He is indeed the One whom the angel said he is.

We live in a scary time. It is a good time to welcome God’s intervention, God’s message, God’s miracles. So do not be afraid. Rejoice!

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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Advent: No Time for Fear

A note to readers: This week I have received texts and emails from individuals who have appreciated something they have read in this space. If you have found hiswillblog.com to be helpful, I would appreciate hearing from you, too. Click on “contact.” Thank you for your encouragement. Feel free to re-post or share these articles on your social media account.

The four weeks of advent remind us to live in hope, not fear. Today’s post begins a four part series on the “fear nots” of the Advent season. This is an important reminder because fear is all around us these days. There seems to be a contagion of anxiety, panic attacks, and depression fueled by uncertainty about the COVID-19 pandemic. It has interrupted every aspect of our lives.

In Luke 1:13 the Jewish priest Zechariah had his religious duties interrupted by a message from God: “The angel said to him: ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah, your prayer has been heard.'”

Amid the political reality of Roman oppression, the whispered threats of insurrection, the fevered atmosphere of prophetic expectation, Zechariah’s traditional religious observances must have provided him with a degree of comfort. He was offering incense and leading a gathered congregation in the prayers that were prescribed for that day on the Jewish calendar.

As the smoke curled from the censor, a symbol of prayers arising before the God of his fathers, and as Zechariah prayed for the deliverance of Israel and for the coming of the Messiah, suddenly an angel interrupted everything! This was not conventional, comfortable or customary. Verse 12 says “he was startled and gripped with fear.” Well who wouldn’t be?

No prophetic voice had been heard in Israel since the time of Malachi 400 years before this. God’s messenger appeared to Zechariah to tell him that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son who will be a prophet. He would grow to be a man who would be “great in the sight of the Lord.”

The angel said other things about this son of Zechariah. The most important thing he said may have been the statement that this son, John, would “make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17). This was a fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3-5 which tells of a forerunner for Messiah, “a voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; … And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.'”

John was to be the prophet who would prepare the people for the coming of the Christ!

Zechariah’s initial response was not praiseworthy. He questioned the word of the angel. For that he was silenced and sidelined for the next nine months. The Lord gave him time to grow in understanding as he watched the unfolding of these strange and startling events. The story ended well. If you read the first chapter of the gospel of Luke you may see how Zechariah overcame his fear and accepted God’s good news.

It was good news of acceptance and grace. John’s assigned name means “the Lord is gracious.” The name the Lord chose for John the Baptist was in itself a message of grace for Zechariah, for the nation Israel and for the rest of us. Grace is the theme of the New Testament. Grace was the message of Jesus.

It was the good news that God hears the prayers of his people: “Your prayer has been heard.” What prayer? It was the prayer that the priests and prophets and people of Israel had been praying for hundreds of years, a prayer for the coming of God’s anointed Messiah. God was now on the move, answering that prayer, fulfilling prophecy. It was time for the advent of the Messiah, the Son of God. Zechariah’s son John would prepare the way.

It was good news of salvation. Zechariah got his voice back when his son was born. He uttered a prophecy that John’s ministry would give the people “the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins” (Luke 1:77). This would be made possible through the merit and sacrifice of Jesus Christ and only because of the free grace of God.

It was the good news that Messiah’s coming would fulfill the ancient prophecy of Malachi: it would be like the rising of the sun (Luke 1:78; Malachi 4:2-5).

This good news freed Zechariah to serve God “without fear” (Luke 1:74). With this kind of good news for the Advent season, we have to conclude, this is no time for fear. Let’s ask God to liberate us from anxiety and replace fear with the truth that Jesus has come and he is coming again!

The same God who heard the prayers of Zechariah will hear our prayers too. Come, Lord Jesus!

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

 

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Giving Thanks in 2020

The artist Dante Gabriel Rosetti famously quipped, “The worst moment for an atheist is when he is genuinely thankful, but has nobody to thank.” I remember when President Ronald Reagan invited Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to his California ranch for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Soviet leader, a professed atheist, declined the invitation. I thought at the time that the reason may have been that thanksgiving implies the existence of Someone to whom we should be thankful.

Well, yes. The eminent Czech composer Antonin Dvorak began writing his new music with the words, “with God” and ended with “God be thanked.” Johann Sebastian Bach wrote in the margins of his music “SDG” for Soli Deo Gloria, or “glory to God alone.”

Augustine described the Christian life as an “alleluia from head to foot.” The seventeenth-century Anglican poet George Herbert included a prayer in one of his poems, “You have given so much to me. Give me one thing more — a grateful heart.” Os Guinness wrote that “gratitude must be our first and constant response to God.”

This year has been a difficult one for our nation. People  are out of work. The pandemic is still spreading. Children cannot attend school in the normal way. We have just had a contentious election. Riots, racial hatred, and political extremists have threatened public order. It is easy to forget that there is still much for which to be thankful.

A recent column by Jonah Goldberg, titled “It’s a Great Time to be Alive,” elaborated on this theme. Despite the fact that we seem only to hear bad news, we should be thankful for the under-reported good news. He says the situation is far better than pundits and politicians often claim.

For example, over the past thirty years, worldwide poverty has been on the decline. Global GDP has increased by 621%. Literacy, infant mortality, hunger, work-related deaths and other benchmarks of human misery have been improving for years. Goldberg says this is because of public health and anti-poverty programs, the expansion of international trade, liberty and technological innovation.

In America, we still enjoy relative peace, freedom, and a prosperity unprecedented in world history.

His article concluded, “None of this is to say that we don’t have problems. But when all we hear about are the problems, it’s not surprising that people think that all we have are problems.” He didn’t say it, but as Thanksgiving Day approaches, these are reasons to speak words of appreciation to that Great Someone from whom all blessings flow.

Jesus certainly did. As an observant Jew, he no doubt thanked God before and after every meal. He would have prayed the great thanksgiving psalms with deep gratitude for God’s love and faithfulness. In his hymn of jubilation (Luke 10:21) he prayed, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, this is what you were pleased to do.”

In the upper room, with his imminent death heavy on his heart, he took bread and “when he had given thanks” (Luke 22:19), he gave it to his disciples. If the Lord Jesus could give thanks in the darkest moments of his life, then you and I can find many reasons to give thanks, even in the year 2020.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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The Sense of Someone There

I witnessed a scene in a restaurant that reminded me of an incident from my childhood. A dad and mom had come in with two small children. The young father went on a scouting expedition to find a high chair. His little boy looked around for his daddy and not seeing him, began to cry. His dad had disappeared and the little guy was inconsolable.

I remembered the feeling. Once my mother and I were separated in a crowded department store and I panicked! I felt alone in the universe. It was scary.

There are times in our lives when we feel a sense of spiritual loneliness, like frightened children. We try to mask our fears and salve our hurting hearts with superficial talk, religious cliches, or mind-numbing entertainments. We sometimes forget that God is a living presence in our everyday lives.

The Bible says that God will be active in the future in a decisive way. Christians believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ. We are taught to pray for his kingdom to come.

We read with faith what the Bible says about God’s great acts in the past. We believe in God’s interventions in the history of  Israel and of the holy apostles of the early church. These stories amaze us but we secretly suspect that those people were somehow different and God does not show himself today. As a result we feel spiritually lonely, like lost children.

The answer is to remember and believe that the God of the past and future is also the God of the present. He is the God who said to Joshua, “Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you” (Joshua 1:5).  The God of ancient Israel and the God of the early Christians is also our God. He wants us to believe him when he tells us, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

When I, as a young child, cried out for my mother in that strange and crowded place, she reappeared. She had never left me. I didn’t see her for a moment, but she had never taken her eye off me. She was there.

When you and I grasp the truth of the timelessness and eternal compassion of God, we will, in the words of A.W. Tozer, “begin to think of him as always being there.”

in troubled times, when we need to feel his presence, we may call out to him. He will be there. We may “know God with a vital awareness that goes beyond words” as we live in the intimacy of personal communion with him.

It is the sense of Someone there.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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Proverbs for Presidents

The Bible gave sound advice for Israel’s rulers. A king of Israel should have a written copy of God’s law at hand at all times. He must read it regularly. This is so that he will learn to serve the Lord, follow the Lord’s word, and remain humble, not considering himself better than his fellow Israelites (Deuteronomy 17:18-20).

America is not Israel, and we do not have a king or dictator. Our presidents are chosen by the people and are subject to the Constitution of the United States. But these wise words from scripture may apply to whomever is elected to be president for the next four years.

Many people have found it a good practice to read the book of Proverbs daily. It is well known that the book has thirty-one chapters. This makes it convenient to read the book through every month, a chapter a day. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we knew that the President of the United States sought God’s wisdom from the book of Proverbs as he governed?

The book declares that it is by God’s wisdom that rulers govern effectively and successfully (Proverbs 8:15-16; 29:18). Reading Proverbs can make the wise even wiser (1:5). Proverbs states that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (1:7) and wisdom (9:10). What president doesn’t need these?

Here are some Proverbs that are relevant to the life and governance of a president.

Outcome of an election: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (19:21). “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord” ( 16:33).

Advice and counsel: “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisors” (11:14). “Where there is strife there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice” (13:10). “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed” (15:22).

Character of the ruler: “The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered” (17:27). “A lying tongue hates those it hurts” (26:28). “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (16:18). “Kings detest wrongdoing, for a throne is established through righteousness” (16:12). “Humility comes before honor” (15:33).

Criminal justice: “It is not good to be partial to the wicked and so deprive the innocent of justice” (18:5). “A corrupt witness mocks at justice” (19;28). “The wicked accept bribes in secret to pervert the course of justice” ( 17;23). “The lips of a king speak as an oracle, and his mouth does not betray justice” (16:10).

Economic justice: “If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will be established forever” (29:14). “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God” (14:31). “Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered” (21:13). “Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all” (22:2).

War and peace: “Plans are established by seeking advice; so if you wage war, obtain guidance” (20:18). “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death” (16:25). “It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel” (20:3). “Those who promote peace have joy” (12:20). “A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel” (15:18).

Diplomacy and international relations: “To answer before listening — that is folly and shame” (18:13). “A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy brings healing” (13:17). “When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way, he causes their enemies to make peace with them” (16:7). “Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit” (26:24). “Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land” (25:25).

Speaking the truth: “Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value the one who speaks what is right” ( 16:13). “The righteous hate what is false” ( 13:5). “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy” (12:22). “…Sayings of counsel and knowledge, teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth” (22:20-21).

The ultimate Ruler: “In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him. A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart” (21:1-2)).

A prayer for the president: Heavenly Father, you are the great Sovereign of heaven  and earth and we look forward to the day when your kingdom will come. Your son Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. In his name we pray for our president and for his family. Please protect and guide him. Give him the wisdom that he needs for the solemn responsibility of leading our nation.

May he trust in You with all his heart and not lean on his own understanding. May he submit to you in all his ways so that in your kindness and mercy you may make his paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

May your will be done in the coming election. May your people pray for the president and for all who are in authority, whomever is chosen for the next term in office. We pray for a clear and decisive result and for an end to unrest, suspicion and division in our nation. Please forgive our many sins and heal our land that we may glorify you. Amen.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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No Regrets

William Borden was the son of a Chicago millionaire who dedicated his life to world missions. His biographer, Mary Taylor, wrote that he joyfully gave away hundreds of thousands of dollars from his inheritance to Christian ministries.

After graduating from Yale University and Princeton Theological Seminary, Borden went to Egypt to study the Arabic language and Islamic culture. His intention was to live among the Muslim Kansu people of northwest China to bring them the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sadly, after only four months in Cairo, Borden contracted  cerebral meningitis and died at the age of twenty-five. The epitaph on his grave marker describes some of the sacrifices he made to  bring the message of Jesus Christ to Muslims. The inscription ends with the phrase: “Apart from faith in Christ, there is no explanation for such a life.”

One does not have to be wealthy to have a generous heart for God’s mission in the world. If we have the same concern as the Lord Jesus, we will share his desire that people may be brought out of spiritual darkness into God’s light. We can help accomplish this by giving money to support world missions.

The Bible promises rewards for giving. Paul told the Philippian believers, “Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account” (Philippians 4:17). Apparently, God is keeping a record in heaven which takes into account our financial investments in his work here in this world.

I have a friend who has reached the stage in life where he could retire to a prosperous life, enjoying the American dream. He chooses to keep working, partly for the fulfillment it gives him, but mostly so that the wealth he is able to generate can be invested in world missions. His generous giving is funding important gospel work in Africa.

Don’t get me wrong. He and his wife are enjoying life. They have many interests. They live comfortably and well. But as he put it to me, their greatest source of satisfaction comes not from accumulating but in distributing the wealth God has entrusted to them. They are investing in eternity, or as Jesus put it, they are laying up treasures in heaven.

One way for you  to obey the commission of our Lord to spread the gospel around the world is to designate a portion of your planned giving to world missions. This can be through your local church’s missions program or directly to a mission agency. If you are unsure about how best to do this, consult with your pastor.

By all means pray about this. Pray about how much the Lord wants you to give. Pray about where the Lord wants your gifts to go. There are hundreds of worthy missionaries and projects that depend upon the faithful support of Christian people. If you ask him, God will guide you. Generous giving to support world missions is a normal way for Christians to express their faith in Jesus.

When Bill Borden said he was going to be a missionary, one of his friends expressed surprise that he was “throwing his life away.” In response Bill wrote two words in the back of his Bible: “No reserves.” Upon graduation from Yale he turned down high-paying job offers. He then added the words: “No retreats.” When he died, friends opened his Bible to find that he had added the words: “No regrets.”

When we see our Lord face to face, we will not regret our investments in spreading his good news around the world.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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Abraham’s God

Connie and I have been reading and discussing the saga of Abraham in the book of Genesis. We have been impressed by the man’s faith in the Living God. Responding to God’s call, he left his homeland and family and migrated to a new land which the Lord promised to give to him and his descendants.

One of the striking features of the story is his awareness of a personal God who spoke to him, guided him, corrected him when he was wrong, who blessed him materially, and who made an eternal covenant with him. We are told that Abraham believed in the Lord and the Lord “credited it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). He will do the same for us (Romans 4:23-24).

God revealed himself to Abraham as a living person. He has names by which he reveals himself. These names teach us about his nature and his purposes for Abraham and for us.

In Genesis 12 Abraham built altars of worship, “calling on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 12:8, 13:4). In the new land, among people who did not know the Lord, Abraham demonstrated his faith in Yahweh, who would later explain the meaning of this name as “I am who I am,” the eternally self-existent God, the one who is the only God (Exodus 3:15).

After a successful military rescue mission to save his nephew, Abraham worshipped the Lord as God Most High and Creator of heaven and earth (Genesis 14:19, 22). By these names and titles, Abraham testified that he was devoted to the supreme God who provided for all of his needs.

God identified himself to Abraham as God Almighty in Genesis 17:1. He intended to fulfill his promise to Abraham in spite of appearances to the contrary. Despite a long delay God Almighty would give Abraham a son through whom he would fulfill his covenant promise to bless all nations of the earth. The stress is on God’s power in the face of human helplessness.

Abraham’s prayer of intercession for the city of Sodom has much to teach us about approaching God. It was respectful and humble. Yet at the same time it was bold in expressing his desires. Abraham’s prayer in Genesis 18:25 was based on an understanding of God’s character, God’s authority and God’s willingness: “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” Abraham did not get what he asked for, but he trusted God to always do the right thing, even in judgment.

The name Eternal God is used in Genesis only in 21:33. Abraham invoked this name in worship, remembering that the God who made his unconditional covenant would keep his promises to him and to his descendants after him forever (Genesis 17:8-9).

Abraham’s God was, and is, the God of heaven (Genesis 24:7). He is also the God of earth. I think Abraham’s faith in this God is a beautiful and compelling example to us. He shows us that the transcendent God of heaven is not a remote abstraction beyond the stars, but he is also the God of earth who takes an active and personal interest in his people here.

As Connie and I have been reminded of Abraham’s faith, I have been praying for a greater faith in this living, personal God. Romans 4:20-22 says of Abraham: “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Pastor Randy Faulkner

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Come to the Table

Billy Graham related the tender story of the Scottish theologian John Duncan of Edinburgh. As Communion was observed in the church on one occasion, the elements were passed to a teenage girl. Duncan saw her turn her head and motion for the elder to take the cup away — she couldn’t drink it. John Duncan reached over, touched her shoulder, and whispered, “Take it Lassie. It’s for sinners!”

To receive the Lord’s supper is to confess that God has made provision for our sins in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The ordinance of communion is a way for us to say “yes” to Jesus, “yes” to his sacrifice, “yes” to his forgiveness, and “yes” to our ongoing fellowship with him and with his church.

Jesus specified the concrete, visible symbols of bread and wine to picture his body and blood. These common physical elements are sanctified and become what Michael Horton called “visible signs of invisible grace.” We need God’s grace for salvation and we need it to continue to be faithful to him. Communion draws us close to him.

We are weak. Our love for Christ grows tepid. We face temptations. We are susceptible to doubt, fear, and spiritual depression. Inwardly we sometimes rebel against the will of God. Like Adam and Eve, we try to hide from him. When the Father sees us in that condition, he says, “Come to my table. Take it. It’s for sinners.” Communion restores our souls.

Communion strengthens our fellowship with Christ and with his church. An old liturgy has these words, “For out of many grains one meal is ground and one bread baked, and out of many berries, pressed together, one wine flows and is mixed together, so shall we all who by true faith are incorporated in Christ together be one body.”

Communion strengthens believers’ confidence in the forgiveness of sins. It strengthens believers’ worship of Christ as the crucified, risen, glorified and returning Lord. Communion strengthens believers’ separation from the sinful practices of the world and of the devil. Communion strengthens believers’ confidence in the gospel because it proclaims the gospel of grace.

Recent months have forced the limitation of normal church activities for many people. One of the most precious and important of these is the Lord’s Supper. Those who have been unable to meet for corporate worship because of the restrictions of the pandemic, are eager to return.

They know the Lord is calling them to his table. They long to receive the bread and the cup which in a mysterious way brings us near to the One they represent. The great thinkers and teachers of the church have always felt a sense of awe before the overwhelming mystery of the Lord’s Supper. So should we.

But that should not keep us away. it is for sinners like us.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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It’s Time to Pray

The word to Christians to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), assumes that God wants to hear from us. Any time is a good time to pray.

Perhaps we can identify with the sentiment of President Abraham Lincoln who famously said, “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.” We know we need to pray to God, especially now, at this consequential time in history.

The Jewish holy day, Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, is on Monday, September 28. It concludes the ten days of repentance that began with the Jewish new year (Rosh Hashana). Yom Kippur is a day dedicated to prayer, meditation, and confession of sin.

Before the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Babylonians, the  anointed priest would bring the blood of a sacrificial animal into the Holy of Holies. He would sprinkle the blood on the atonement cover (mercy seat) that rested atop the Ark of the Covenant, thereby making atonement for his sins and for the sins of the nation.

This was followed by another sacrifice. Two goats were selected, one for sacrifice, and one to be a scapegoat. The blood from this sacrifice was spattered on the atonement cover in the Holy of Holies, and also upon the altar in the outer portion of the sanctuary. This was to make atonement for the sins of the people.

The priest then laid his hands on the head of the second goat, thereby ceremonially transferring the people’s sins to the innocent animal. That goat was taken out into the wilderness and released. This pictured God’s willingness to forgive and release us from our sins (Leviticus 16:1-34).

These and other preparations, ritual washings, and additional sacrifices are explained in the New Testament book of Hebrews. There we learn that now, because of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, believers may come “with the full assurance that faith brings” into the very presence of God. Those who trust in Jesus Christ for salvation are invited to “draw near to God” (Hebrews 9:19-22).

The author of Hebrews contrasts the obsolete ritual baths, special clothing, and animal sacrifices of the Day of Atonement with the freedom and confidence we enjoy through our Lord Jesus Christ. “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Our observant Jewish neighbors will observe Yom Kippur on Monday. But they will celebrate this holy day without  the necessary sacrifices for their sins, as required by the law of Moses. They have no Temple, Holy of Holies, Ark of the Covenant, or altar of sacrifice. Oh, that they would recognize the complete sufficiency of the sacrificial death of Jesus the Messiah. He is our High Priest, Passover lamb, and “the atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1John 2:2).

I am glad for the reminder the Day of Atonement gives us of the need to confess our sins and meditate on God’s gracious willingness to forgive. I want to follow the example of President Lincoln and to pray. Any time is a good time to pray, but I intend to let Monday be a reminder to pray for our nation.

Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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Not Me, God!

One of the great privileges of serving the Lord, has been for me to be a member of the executive board of ABWE International. This mission agency provides opportunities, resources and services to over one thousand missionaries in 71 countries worldwide.

I have just returned home from a board meeting at our international headquarters in Harrisburg, PA. We engaged in three days of prayer, strategic planning and receiving reports of what God is doing through his missionaries around the world.

The Lord is still calling out workers for his spiritual harvest. These people are being sent by their churches eager to do evangelism, discipleship,  and church planting. Mission boards such as ABWE support those sending churches by enabling their missionaries to accomplish God’s mission.

They are being called by God to proclaim the saving gospel of Jesus Christ through relationship-building, medicine, education, literature, youth ministries, leadership development, and a host of other creative initiatives. They are being called to incarnational ministry.

That is what I spoke about when I addressed the board in a devotional message on the first day of our meetings. My talk was based upon Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus was informing his disciples that they were being sent into the world on the same mission and with the same motives as his own(John 20:21).

The Lord used the title “Son of Man” for himself to identify with humanity. In the same way his missionaries seek to identify with the people to whom they go, learning their language and immersing themselves in their culture, yet without sacrificing their personal identity and authenticity.

The Lord Jesus came to serve, not to be served. Likewise his disciples are called to ministries of servanthood. The word “serve” Jesus used was the word for the lowliest household slave. I wonder how many of Jesus’ 21st century disciples see themselves this way? Someone has said that the test of whether a Christian has the attitude of a servant is how he reacts when he is treated like one!

Then the Lord spoke of his death. In my talk I reminded the group of the sacrifices of missionaries like Adoniram Judson who, when he proposed marriage to Ann Hasseltine said, “Give your hand to me, and go with me to the jungles of Asia, and there die with me in the cause of Christ.” We remembered together the deaths of missionary Roni Bowers and her daughter Charity whose missionary flight was shot out of the sky in 2001 in a case of mistaken identity. It was a drug interdiction gone wrong and our ABWE missionaries died.

What a tragedy, we say! But isn’t that what missionaries sign on for when they say “yes” to the Great Commission of Jesus to give their lives for the gospel? In fact all Christians are called to die to the world, to die to self, to die to sin, with the real possibility of dying physically for Christ.

Several years ago I wrote the following lines, imagining a response to the call of God.

Not Me, God!

Not me. Surely you don’t mean me when you say “pray.” After all, you’re the Lord of the harvest. What can my prayers do, when it’s all up to you?

Not me. Surely you don’t mean me when you say, “share.” After all, you own it all anyway. What can my giving do, when it’s all up to you?

Not me. Surely you don’t mean me when you say, “go.” After all, there’s so much to do here. What can my going do, when it’s all up to you?

Not me. Surely you don’t mean me when you say, “tell.” After all, I am shy and ungifted. What can my speaking do when it’s all up to you?

Not me. Surely you don’t mean me when you say, “love.” After all, I have only so much love. But wait — I think I see, the word I speak, the place I seek,  the wealth I share, the act of prayer, the love I give … is what you gave to me.

Pastor Randy Faulkner