20 December 2005 Devotion for Today "First Flight" Luke 2:7

20 December 2005 Devotion for Today “First Flight” Luke 2:7

Tens of thousands converge today upon the ridge over looking Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to celebrate the centennial of the Wright brothers first airplane flight which took place on this date back in 1903. Our region is full of excitement and tourists are pouring into our town here in Elizabeth City. I watched yesterday as Homeland Security helicopters flew over Weeksville in preparation for the President’s visit. Engineers have built a replica of the Wright aircraft and have tried to get it up in the air, but have failed many times. Actor John Travlota, the Master of Ceremonies at the event, says that “perhaps the craft was not supposed to fly, but it did, and the secrets of how Wilbur and Orville ever got the machine up into the air is a secret that is lost in history. We will know more today when we try once again to get it up into the air.” Hopefully the rains will not dampen the enthusiasm of the enthusiasts who arrived this week to be part of history. President Bush, in his address to the event, said that the Wright brothers had originally planned the flight for December 13. But that date was a Sunday. The sun was bright and it was warmer that day. It would have been a perfect day to be outdoors. But due to their Christian convictions against working on the Sabbath, they decided to put off the flight until the 17th. On that date, bad weather also prevailed. The less-than-perfect conditions underscore the fact that adversity also flew into the face of the inventors one hundred years ago. But the rain and wind and biting cold were also the things that helped to propel that first flight. Undaunted, Wilbur and Orville turned their plane into the wind and changed our way of life forever.

I thought about that as I reflect how often I get upset when things down turn out the way I had planned them. Often I view the adversities of life as mitigating against what I want to do. However, there are times when these things which I view as adversities and problems are all part of the success that make any project worthwhile. If everything were easy and we could accomplish what we wanted to without anything ever going wrong, we would not appreciate their value and understand the cost of things that did not come with sacrifice or pain.

Even the birth of the Christ child was not without adversity. Luke 2:7 tells us that his mother Mary, “brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Miles from home, tired, with no clean place to stay, anticipating a birth of a baby, Joseph frantically searched for a fit place for his wife to rest. It was not to be until a stable was offered to them. These were the conditions that our Lord was born into. Not a palace with sterile conditions with physicians attending a royal mother. It was a common, ordinary place full of every circumstance mitigating against the success of what God had set out to accomplish for us. Yet it was only right that Jesus was born in that stable. For he who was born in adversity ultimately overcame adversity and overcame sin and conquered death to give victory with us all.

The next time adversity strikes, and tries to discourage us may we think of the one who was born into it that He might overcome it. Have a blessed day!

 

(from 17 December 2003)

 

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

 

12 December 2005 Devotion for Today "The First Christmas Tree" James 2:24

12 December 2005  Devotion for Today  “The First Christmas Tree”  James 2:24

 

Legend tells us that the first Christmas trees originated with the famous reformer, Martin Luther back in the early 1500s.  He was strolling through a forest in northern Germany one evening. Struck by the beauty of the moonlight shining on the fir trees, he went home determined to recreate the moment for his children. He brought a fir tree into the house and decorated it with candles. And so, the legend of the first decorated Christmas tree was born.  

            In the 7th century, the English monk St. Boniface went to teach the pagan Germans of Thuringia about Christianity. He used the fir tree's triangular shape to explain the concept of the Trinity. The people came to revere the fir tree and by the 12th century would hang a tree upside down from their ceilings as a symbol of their faith. Reports of Christmas tree decorating traditions increased in the ensuing centuries.  The first known decorated fir tree in England was set up in the year 1840 in Windsor Castle , occasioned by the wedding of the young Queen Victoria to her husband, the German Prince Albert so he would not be homesick. 

            While its hard to verify the accuracy of some of these legends, but make no mistake about it, Christmas trees are beautiful- at least until they want to take the word Christ out of it and make it a holiday tree.  But I submit to you that the very first Christmas tree was set up two thousand years ago.  It was decorated by our Savior.   Instead of candles and lights, it was sprinkled by His blood.  Instead of ornaments it was adorned by His body on the tree.  The tree I’m talking about was the Old Rugged Cross that we sing about which so few will ever associate with Christmas time.  Yes, the true Christmas tree is a cross. First Peter 2:24, "He who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree."

            The tree specified here used to described the cross. It was also mentioned in the Book of Acts. “The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead –whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.”(Acts 5:30).   You say, “Hold on, now! This is not how I pictured Christmas at all.  Why talk about gruesome, gory stuff like what we saw on the Passion?  Save that for Easter!  I want to come to enjoy Christmas, see the church all decorated up with poinsettias and red bows.  I want to come to see children dressed up like shepherds, wise men, and angels.  I’ve come to see the baby Jesus in a manger, not to see Him on a cross.  I can understand your feelings.  For the very image of the cross intrudes upon our wonder as we read Luke’s narrative of the Christmas story.   But without the cross the vision of the baby in a manger has no meaning.  Without the cross, the baby Jesus would be just like every other baby that was born that night or on any other night for that matter.  As innocent and as lovely as the sight of this little head, these tiny arms and feet, his body snuggled warmly in swaddling clothes, what gives this precious little life beauty is seen in this one Scripture:  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) It’s the image of this child born against the backdrop of the first Christmas tree, the cross.  

            When you look at your Christmas tree this evening, admiring its beauty and wonder, thank God for the very first Christmas tree, and the One who gave His life on it for you.

            Have a blessed day!

 

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

 

13 December 2021 Devotion for Today “Frankincense” Exodus 30:34-38 This past weekend I visited a tea and spice specialty shop while browsing around Colonial Williamsburg. In that shop was a display of various kinds of mood-enhancing ‘essential oils” and other aromas. One large apothecary jar contained small whitish-gold nuggets labeled “Frankincense.” Instinctively I pulled the lid from the jar and held the edge of the jar to my nose. This very potent aroma made its presence known to my nostrils immediately. It nearly choked me at first, but I sniffed again- lightly at first, and then dared to inhaled the fragrance further up into my sinuses. At once my mind went to the gifts the Wise Men presented the baby Jesus as they journeyed to Bethlehem and the fragrant substance they gave. How did they even come by the frankincense and why? In Exodus 30:34-38 we are given a this Scripture describing the preparation and use of frankincense: And the Lord said to Moses: “Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each. 35 You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36 And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. 37 But as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord. 38 Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.” The preparation and manufacturing of frankincense was a delicate and complicated process. There were special priests who were dedicated to producing this holy incense to burn in the Tabernacle on small altar in the Holy of Holies. But that’s not all. Frankincense was produced from a white resin harvest by tapping into certain species of the Boswella tree. Any species of tree was difficult enough to find in that part of the world but the Boswella tree was especially rare. First of all, the Boswella tree was tapped at certain times of the year to harvest the sap. In order for that to happen, the bark and tree had to be spiked or pierced with a nail. The imagery fits so perfectly with the prophecy given by Isaiah 53: But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 The harvested sap would then be dried and hardened into resin. The resin would then be crushed- with certain other spices mixed in and rendered into goldish-white nuggets. Each nugget was worth its weight in gold. The Hebrews were not the only ones who used frankincense. The priests of the pagan gods in Rome, Greece, and Egypt- making demand for this resin so prized that the Arabians were some of the most wealthy people in the world- not for producing oil, but for frankincense. Apparently the Wise travelers from the Orient brought frankincense with them from as far away as Persia- and may have had their own recipe for preparing it. This extremely pungent, fragrant substance would be burned in a holy censer in the Tabernacle in the Old Testament and the Temple: signifying the prayers, the worship of the saints that goes to Almighty God. The frankincense also pointed to the sinless deity of the coming Messiah- the One the Wise Men recognized as Jesus Christ the Divine Son of God. The Wise Men worshipped as facilitated by this holy incense. They stated this purpose to King Herod in Matthew 2:2 “For we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship Him.” Although Herod made pretense of worshipping the Christ child, he did not. He would not even move himself from his throne to kill Him, much less worship Him. There is a vivid connection here to those even today who do not give to the Lord Jesus the worship that is due to His name. They refuse to worship Him. There are some who claim to follow Him do not worship Him. The Wise Men covered a great distance- perhaps over 2000 miles- to worship Christ. Herod would not even go five or six miles down to Bethlehem even though he had access to the scholars who all knew what the sign of the Star meant. To the Wise Men, however, the discovery and worship of the Christ child was both costly, inconvenient, and perhaps even dangerous. The use of the frankincense signifies this act. Right worship and connection to God may require all three. Is my worship costly- that is, did it cost me something in my time, money, or other resources to do this? Is my worship inconvenient? That is, what must I do to rearrange my schedule and prioritize the time to make worship of God the most important thing I do- or is it a “tack-on” to an already over-crowded schedule? Is it dangerous- or at least life-altering? How will this worship change me- or am I willing to let it change my heart? Consider what you are willing to give up or give out as you contemplate the frankincense burning in your own heart today. Have a blessed day!

06 December 2006 Devotion for Today "Sankt Nikolaus" Ephesians 1:1

06 December 2006 Devotion for Today  “Sankt Nikolaus”   Ephesians 1:1

 

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.”  One of the saints of that region three centuries after Paul left Ephesus was St. Nicholas of Myra.  Because of his love for children and giving secret gifts to the underpriviledged, Nicholas is revered throughout the world as the originator of Santa Claus.

            Its been nearly four years since we left Germany, but each year when December 6 rolls around my heart goes back to that country and the first celebration of Sankt Nikolaus or Nikolaustag we experienced in 1998.   Parents were invited to the school program at the Grundschule Erlensee where our children participated in the festivities.  The memory of them singing “Kling Gloeckschen”  (Ring Little Bells) and “Ja ist Nikolaus Abend Da!” (Yes Nicholas Will Be Here Tonight!) is indelible as I remember the eyes of the children grow wild with excitement watching St. Nikolaus come storming into the room with a sack of small gifts.  He        wasn’t wearing a red suit, but arrayed in a bishop’s outfit.  As he gave out each gift, he acted as though he was intimately familiar with the personality of each child, commenting on their behavior throughout the year.  To one he said, “Fabian, I saw what you did in the hallway just last week.  You pretended to take the milk bottles back to the hallway after snack time, but you really ran home, didn’t you, because you forgot your Hausaufgabe (homework).  Didn’t you?”  The rosy-cheeked Fabian blushed and then smiled as the school room erupted in laughter.  To our two boys the old bishop congratulated them on learning the language so well.  After nearly a year in the country they had become completely fluent and doing well in their studies.   The whole time I am thinking, “this country has things all mixed up.  St. Nick doesn’t come out until Christmas Eve. He must be getting a jump on Christmas this year!” 

            Actually, the original celebration of St. Nikolaus is celebrated in nearly all the continental European countries on December 6, where children receive small gifts (kind of like a pre-Christmas present).  But Martin Luther popularized the giving of Christmas presents on Christmas Eve later in the month, focusing upon the great gift that God gave in sending our Savior to the world.  That is when the Christkind comes and then she delivers all the presents.  I still haven’t figured out why the Germans depict the Christkind as a female angel figure when the name in English means “Christ-child.”  But then again, I still haven’t figured out a lot of our American holiday traditions, and how Santa Claus (our version of St. Nikolaus) got so commercialized from a Catholic bishop to a man in a red suit on Christmas Eve.  When the Germans hear about the American version coming down a chimney, they laugh!  The chimney has nothing to do with it, they say.

            Holiday traditions change, but Christ never changes.  Christ was the One who inspired St. Nicholas to characterize love and gift-giving.  May we focus on Him who inspires the greatest good in all of us this season.

            Have a blessed Nikolaustag. 

 

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

 

04 December 2006 Devotion for Today “Best Intentions” Colossians 4:2-5

04 December 2006  Devotion for Today  “Best Intentions”  Colossians 4:2-5

 

The other day I heard someone remark, “I meant to go and do that, but then I forgot.”   I honestly could not be too hard in my opinion of this person, even if it did sound like a lame excuse.  How many times have I honestly tried to do what I wanted to do, intended to do, and for some reason it just didn’t happen.  If this person’s schedule was like mine, it’s a wonder he is not dead, much less unable to show up at a meeting or to get a project completed.  There have been times I have allowed things to slip past because my schedule crowds them out.  This is especially true when spiritual things are concerned.  Most people have the tendency to grow comfortable with themselves, resting on past achievements, distinctions, or “laurels” to carry them into an area of life they simply are not prepared for.  That is when we try to “wing it” and hope others don’t notice.  Only they do notice.  They just don’t say anything to us about it because they are too busy trying to wing it themselves.

 

2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; 3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Colossians 4:2-5

 

Paul desires to be vigilant in his ministry- to stay focused and always look for the open door of opportunity.  Even though he is constantly chained and dragged down by the confinement of prison bars there are constant opportunities which surround him.  Even the Roman prison guards provide a captive audience to speak the mystery of Jesus Christ to them.  Then Paul challenges us to be wise to the opportunities to advance the witness for Christ to unbelievers.  In a round about way, Paul basically says that if he can do it in the context of prison life, how many more opportunities do we have to reflect our witness.   It is a matter of making most of our time.

 

I read an article yesterday which had a quote in it I will leave you with.  The writer said, “Even the poorest action is better than the best of intentions.”^[1]  How right he was.  The things we do may not turn out very well, or go as well as we had planned.  But how much better they are than the half-hearted thoughts that we never get around to doing.  And think about this.  We are already into the month of December.  How much more time do we have do accomplish what we said we were going to do last year?

 

Have a blessed and productive day!

 

 

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

 

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^[1] Marvin Owen “Seven Useless Things: Hindrances to Growth”, Leaderlife Magazine, Lifeway Press Winter 2006-07, pp. 26-27.

 

18 November 2021  Devotion for Today   “Unwanted Publicity”   Mark 1:40-45

40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”

41 Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”  45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.   Mark 1:40-45

In this passage, we see the compassion of Jesus at work who healed a man who had leprosy.   Leprosy was a horrible, incurable skin disease that was usually, eventually fatal.   Lepers were isolated from society and separated from their loved ones.   It was a miserable, terrifying existence.   The leper in this Scripture passage sought out Jesus and begged for Him to heal him.  The leper exhibited great faith in Jesus’ ability as well as His desire to heal.   He probably ventured out to where he was not permitted to be to find Jesus.   Jesus expressed His willingness and compassion to heal this man and did so immediately.   

Of course, this passage raises all kinds of questions, but the question I have at this point is this:  “Why would Jesus command this leper not to tell anyone about his healing?”  One would think Jesus would have appreciated the good “PR” to bolster the popularity of His ministry.   Yet we know that Jesus did not heal the leper for that reason.  Jesus did not need a publicist, nor did He need to rise in popularity polls.   Mark already said that Jesus had compassion on the man.  For one thing, the first thing the leper needed to do in order to reintegrate into society was to make an appointment with a priest to examine him.   Only a priest could certify a leper to be cleansed from this disease in order to return to society.   However, there were many selfish, corrupt priests in those days.   From sheer jealousy or spite, the priest might not have wanted to certify the man if the priest had known it was Jesus who had healed him.   

Perhaps the most likely reason that Jesus warned the leper not to tell anyone was because He knew the act would add more popularity than He wanted.   News travels fast.   Jesus’ approach was to enter into a town in order to get to know the people and perform what acts He wished as He moved about at will.   Because of this overwhelming reputation, Jesus was no longer able to come into a town without being greeted by hundreds, if not thousands of needy people- all wanting Jesus to touch them with compassion as much as the leper received when Jesus healed Him.   It would probably create huge crowds and block streets, and bring unwelcome attention from the authorities who would likely call Jesus to account for a disturbance.   Going forward, Jesus would have to meet people outside the towns and cities He desired to minister.   The people thronged about Him coming from every direction, it says.  Perhaps they came from other towns and villages just for the opportunity and hope that Jesus might do something for them.   

Publicity has a way of not only proclaiming the truth, but also distorting truth.  It would not take long for the image that Jesus had of Himself to change to what many people wanted it to be.   Jesus knew that.

Jesus also knew that when He commanded the leper not to say anything that it would probably have the opposite effect.  Human nature is notoriously bad for keeping secrets.  It would not have taken long for someone who knew the leper to ask him how he came to be healed.   Still, Jesus needed to resist the pressure of others taking His ministry to places He did not want it to go.   Jesus came to this earth not to be a rising star, but to do the will of Him who sent Him.   In John 9:4 Jesus said:  “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”    Jesus knew He only had so much time on this earth to proclaim His Kingdom.  He certainly had no time to waste it by sorting out who others wanted Him to be.   

This leads me to my closing thought:   is Jesus just a healer, an astute story-teller, a good teacher, an inspirational leader, or is He the Son of God who can produce change in Your life stemming from the salvation He offers.  Jesus has compassion to change you because He loves you.  He wishes to touch you in the way He touched and cleansed the leper.   Because of His finished work on the Cross, He can do so much more for you than He did for the leper.   The leper was healed and cleansed of leprosy but he would live again to die of something else one day.   But the cleansing Jesus can do in your life is more powerful- healing you forever and giving you not just a changed life, but eternal life.  

Have a blessed day!

 17 November 2021   Devotion for Today “Alone in the Darkness”  Mark 1: 35-39

35 “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. 37 When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” 38 But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.”

39 And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.”  Mark 1:35-39

I first read this Scripture long before the sun came up this morning.   I did not sleep well last night.  I haven’t slept well for several nights since 

my mother passed.  Those of you who are grieving, you know what I am talking about.   My legs also ache and I have to get up and move about to restore circulation.   Those of you over 60 you know what I am talking about as well.   I rose early and got alone with Jesus.   Its in these times I realize I am not really alone, even on a dark night.  It is easy in the darkness to feel confused, afraid, lonely, angry, even bitter.   Many are wondering around in the darkness not knowing where they are.  This has nothing to do with the lacking of the Sun.  Some have also felt that Jesus has turned His back on them, and forsaken them.   I have felt this way at times.  This is when I need to remember that Jesus is in the darkness, too.   Jesus was there when the disciples were in the fishing boat when they saw their Master walking on the water.  Jesus was in the darkness in the midst of His own temptation.  Even at His crucifixion, on the darkest day there ever was- Jesus was there, feeling abandoned, forsaken, in great darkness- enduring this for us. 

One thing comes to mind in spite of the darkness.  Jesus stayed through the darkness until the sun came up.  He was there to greet the sun as it came up over Him- the original Creator of it.  If Jesus endured the night and all the darkness with it, He will emerge into the light, and carry you into it.

In my prayer time I remembered a song we sang at last night’s worship rally at another church.  When I called it to mind, I sang it in praise to the One who will never leave me or forsake me:

Light of the world You stepped down into darkness,  

Opened my eyes, let me see

Beauty that made this heart adore You

Hope of a life spent with You

Here I am to worship… (Chris Tomlin)

Are you feeling “in the darkness” today.   Call upon Jesus.   He’s been up long before you.   Have a blessed day!

 

16 November 2021  Devotion for Today  “Simon’s Mother-in-Law”   Mark 1: 29-31

“Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. 31 So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.”  Mark 1:29-31

In this remarkable passage we take note of Jesus healing of Simon’s Mother-in-Law who had been ill and suffering a fever.  A similar account of this healing is also found in Luke 4:38-41.   This incident is very early into Jesus’ earthly ministry.  What makes it remarkable is that this relationship was obviously so important to Simon that he wanted Jesus to heal this woman.  I also find it remarkable as this actually the very first mention of Jesus’ healing anyone of a physical malady.   (Jesus had cast out a demon in the previous passage- but according to the other Gospels, this is the first time a person is delivered of a common physical affliction.)  We hear many jokes about “mother’s-in-laws” or their male counterpart.   I suspect the same jokes were told in Jesus’ day as well.   Why do people joke about the wife’s mother more often than most other family relationships?   Possibly because of the strong intimacy between a mother and her daughter which is very difficult to untangle once the daughter is wed to her husband.   Mothers are by instinct very protective of their children.  They may also be secretly jealous of a relationship that comes between the mother and the daughter.  Perhaps the mother does not feel her new son-in-law is worthy of her daughter, or cannot protect or provide for her daughter quite as well as she can.   A good son-in-law will be gracious and understanding of this relationship, and will do much to his credit if he accepts it so long as the relationship between mother and daughter is a healthy one.  Simon seems to be such a man.     He was greatly and genuinely concerned for his wife’s dear mother.  The fact that she lived in his home shows us that he was willing to provide for this woman who was not his own mother and this speaks volumes to Simon’s character, if not his love for his wife.   

Simon’s mother-in-law was remarkable in her own right.  When Jesus entered Simon’s house, we infer that the woman wished to stand in His presence to greet and to serve Him- as was the custom of the women at that time.  (Jesus lifted her up later).  But she was too sick to do so.  We also infer that it was Simon’s brother Andrew that brought the matter to Jesus’ attention.  Perhaps the Mother-in-Law was too ill for Simon to leave by herself.   Where is Simon’s wife in the story?  The Scriptures do not say.   All we know is that the illness was so severe that Jesus was sent for quickly, and Jesus responded quickly.    When Jesus took the woman by the hand to lift her up, “immediately the fever left her.”  Mark 4:21.   Another remarkable insight here is that  the healing was so complete that it did not require any time for recovery so that the woman could regain her strength.   Just as quickly as Simon’s Mother-in-Law stood up, she began serving Jesus as an honored guest in the home.  

I have always gotten along very well with my own Mother-in-Law, and I love her very deeply.  I cannot remember a single time that she ever said anything unkind to me though I was probably deserving of it.   She has always been there to help our family, babysit her grandchildren, and show love to my family and many others.  For over fifty years she has rocked young children and babies and taken care of them  in the church nursery.  She still does this even now in her late eighties.  She grew up on a farm in Perquimans County, NC.  She knows the hard work of picking cotton and pulling tobacco which marked the first couple of decades of her young life.  She was very devoted to her husband and continues to be to her children and grandchildren.  The reserved nature of her Quaker upbringing is still very much part of her personality, although I have managed to get a smile out of her now and then with a joke.  She has never exhibited jealousy toward my mother or my family since I have known her, and loves my mother as a sister she never had.  Many times Robin and  I have taken both of them on trips and vacations together which will be forever a blessed memory for me.  May the Lord bless others as much as I have been blessed by this woman.  Simon was a remarkable man to have cherished this remarkable woman in his home to the point of bringing Jesus to her.   If Simon could do that,  we could all bring Jesus to any relationship.   Have a blessed day!   

15 November 2021  Devotion for Today  “Unclean Spirits”   Mark 1:21-28

The Scripture for today calls to mind a worship service I was leading in Pennsylvania more than thirty-five years ago.  I will not identify the place, suffice it to say that it was perhaps one of the most difficult preaching venues of my young ministry.   Robin and I drove a hundred miles or more to this location and got a little lost on the way there.   We did make it to the church with a few minutes to spare.  Exiting the car, I walked to a man in the parking area near the entrance to the building.   He looked somewhat authoritative.  I smiled and greeted him, identifying ourselves.  He stood there frowning, glassy-eyed, starring disapprovingly at me and said nothing at first.   It was then I caught a whiff of what I was certain was alcohol from his breath.   It was then that the man spoke and said:  “You know we are supposed to be having communion this morning, don’t you?”   I resisted the urge to tell the man: “from what I can tell, you have already had communion!”  Thankfully I did not say this.  Instead I replied, “Sir would you mind showing us where the sanctuary is?”  He drew a breath and signed.  We followed him into the sanctuary, where he identified himself as a deacon.   I then asked him:  “now how do you go about the communion service?”  It was probably not the best question to ask as he growled, “How else do you serve communion?”   He then stalked away.  I remember thinking, “This is going to be a long church service!”

The congregation was somewhat sparse, which was no surprise given what we had already experienced.  The service began and I called the deacons forward to assist me with the Lord’s Supper service, including the inebriated gentleman I encountered earlier, and the elements were passed without incident.   The song leader came to the platform to lead in worship.  An older lady sat at a Hammond organ and began playing, but the two were not in sync with the rhythm at all.  In obvious frustration, the worship leader snapped at the organist.  “Let’s start this again!  Can’t you get it right?”   I was shocked that the worship leader  behaved this way, but eyeing the audience, no one reacted to the comment at all.  After leading one or two rather botched hymn selections, the worship leader introduced me, stammering and grasping for words.   I approached the pulpit as graciously as I knew how, and started preaching.   I was into my second point when a woman in her thirties began shrieking, startling me.  She stood to her feet,  mumbling and groaning, and then spouting obscenities.  The song-leading husband tried in vain to calm her down.  I tried to continue preaching, but to no avail.   I had to stop until the song leader led the woman from the room.   I was hardly able to regain my composure, and continued on with the message.  But there was deep, dark heaviness in the room that seemed to grow more intense as I continued to preach- taking nearly all the power out of me.  Confusion clouded my mind as well, making it very difficult to stay focused as I preached.  Finally, I drew the message to a close, led in the invitation, and then dismissed the service.  No one approached me or greeted my wife and I as they filed out the door.   No one spoke to us except a little lady who placed an envelop in my hand as an honorarium for preaching the morning service.  Robin and I walked to the car and drove back the 115 miles to Pittsburgh where we were staying at the time.

This unfortunate ministry story seems similar to what I find in the Scripture reading in Mark’s Gospel:

21 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. 22 And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying,  “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27 Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28 And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.   Mark 1:21-28

As we continue through the first chapter of Mark we encounter Jesus with His disciples teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.   The people were evidently responsive to His teaching, evidenced by the astonishment noted by the Gospel writer.    Another astonishing note was the reaction of a man seated in the congregation who disrupted the service by crying out loud.   Mark identifies the man as having “an unclean spirit.”   An “unclean spirit” is simply a “demon.”  These terms seem to be interchangeable in Scripture. They are also known as “evil spirits,” delighting, among other things, to attach themselves and promoting wickedness in humans.  They love to be disruptive, confrontative, promoting confusion and distraction especially where God’s Word is being preached or taught.   Jesus did not tolerate the manifestation of this unclean spirit.  He rebuked it simply by saying, “Be quiet!  Get out of him!”  The demon obeyed, causing more astonishment in the congregation that day.  

As Baptist Christians, we generally do not generally dwell upon such matters of the supernatural realm, or spirit realm, but it is very real.   We expect such manifestations at the time and place where Jesus lived, or in the third world.   Missionaries report hundreds of experiences like these on an almost daily basis.   But they are more prevalent in America than we realize and seem to be increasing in activity  in these recent (perhaps last) days.   We do not need to be alarmed, however.  Jesus was not.  He accepted this as a part of life.  But He did not have to tolerate it around Him.   Many times in the Scriptures we see Him casting out demons and rebuking evil spirits.   How exactly this is done is neither consistent in Scripture or always very clear.   But Jesus still retains that authority and He indues us with it.  I would not suggest that the reader start making a practice of rebuking demons until he or she has prayed about this and made a full study of the expectations of such a ministry.   

Not everything is attributed to the presence of evil spirits.  I spilled my coffee this morning and made a huge mess.  This was not a demon- it was simply my carelessness.   May God give us the wisdom to discern the difference.   Have a blessed day!

 12 November 2021  Devotion for Today   “Fishers of Men”  Mark 1: 16-20

This afternoon I took advantage of the beauty of this late fall day and went fishing.  There are many good fishing spots in the town of Edenton where I live.  I chose Pembroke Creek on the west end of town- a favorite fishing and boating spot at the confluence of the Chowan River and the Albemarle Sound.  I purchased some red worms at the Westover Deli and positioned myself on the bank of the creek. For about two hours my three year old black Lab and Bloodhound Mix by name of Duke and I basked in the warmth of the Autumn sun and took in the beauty of the foliage.  We did not catch any fish- although I did see one rather large mullet jump from the water a few times.  I am not much of a fisherman, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself and reflected on this Scripture selection for today:

16 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 19 When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. 20 And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  Mark 1:16-20

 Jesus met his first disciples in a fishing village on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.  He watched them masterfully cast their nets to haul in their catch when He commanded them to follow Him.  He reasoned with them that if the fishermen could catch fish, they could catch men in the sense of bringing them to follow Jesus as well.   

While I am not nor have ever been a good fisherman, I have observed certain principles about fishing that work equally well with catching people as much as catching fish.  

1. You must fish where the fish are.  This may sound like a statement of the obvious, but there is much more truth that we realize.  I found this out where I was fishing today.  The body of water may be a beautiful, scenic place, but if there are no fish there, then it is advisable to move on somewhere else.  This is also true about catching people for the Kingdom of God.  Some geographical locations just hold better prospects than others.   Where there is an abundance of people, then there is a better chance that someone is going to “fall into your net.”  No amount of attachment or scenery of a location is going to change that
2. You must fish where the fish are biting.   This is similar to the earlier statement.  There may be a multitude of fish in your fishing spot.  But if they were fed before you arrived, then you are probably not going to catch many fish.   This is true of people also.  A small community may have an abundance number of church already faithfully feeding their flocks.  Or  there may be an abundance of worldly attractions diverting would-be converts who have already fed on the spiritual junk of this world, and have little appetite for the things of God.
3. Fish with the right bait.  Not all fish are attracted to worms.  And some fish will not respond to attractive, hand-made lures.   This is true of people also.   People have a variety of different spiritual needs and one type of presentation or technique is not going to attract everybody to the Gospel.  Some may be the “low-hanging fruit” who were ready and responsive just by throwing the line in the very first time.  Others are won by the investment of many months or even years of relationships.   There is no “one-size-fits-all” approaches when it comes to the Gospel.  The wise fisherman has a variety of tackle in his tackle box.  Proverbs 11:30: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

I could continue on with this analogy, but it is time to go in and give up my fishing spot for now.  Perhaps tomorrow may yield different results in a new location.  Have a blessed day!

 10 November 2021   Devotion for Today   “Why Baptism?”   Mark 1: 9-11

I commented briefly about the bookmark found in my father’s bible in yesterday’s devotion.  One side of the marker displayed a scene of the Jordan River flowing through modern-day Israel.  I visited there myself on a trip to the Holy Land in 2011.  As part of a Christian music tour and designated pastor of the group, I was asked to baptize members of the group in the beautiful waters of the Jordan by immersion.  Most of the group, however, had already been baptized as believers at some point in their lives, but the act conveyed a point of great spiritual significance for those who participated.  They were not commanded to be baptized in the Jordan, but they wanted to be mostly due to the fact that Jesus Himself was baptized in these waters.   The act blessed them with tremendous spiritual significance as it did for me.   I was actually so overcome with emotion that after I had finished baptizing my friends before walking out of the water, I turned and faced the opposite shore.  There, for a split second, I saw- or imagined that I saw- the image of Jesus standing there.  Next to Him was the image of my wife’s father- a wonderful Christian gentleman and spiritual mentor in my life.  The image faded through the tears that welled up in my eyes as I turned to exit the waters.  Later in the day my wife wrote an email informing me that her father had suddenly passed away that day- probably about the same time that I envisioned him standing on the shore of the Jordan with Jesus!

I am not certain if I have ever shared this story before, but the scene will be forever indelibly etched in my mind.  This leads me to ask, why was Jesus baptized in the Jordan?   For what possible reason did Jesus have for submitting to this humble act?   The Scripture relates the act in these verses:

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”   Mark 1:9-11

Why was Jesus baptized?   The phrase: “in whom I am well pleased,” implies that the Father deeply approved of His Son in this act of identification with mankind.   Jesus did not need to be baptized for forgiveness of sins because He had no sin, nor was Jesus commanded to be baptized.   To be baptized means, “to plunge under the water.”  Jesus submitted to baptism to initiate His earthly ministry of bringing salvation to all people, as well as to identify with sinful humanity.  He also gave us an example to follow in obedience.  As Jesus identified Himself with us, likewise as believers we identify with Him in baptism.   

Many have asked me over the years, “Why should I be baptized?  It does not save me.  The thief on the cross professed faith in Christ, and he was not baptized.”  It is true that baptism does not save us, but it is an outward symbol demonstrating an act of commitment to Christ. The thief on the cross had no opportunity to be baptized.  He simply accepted by faith in what Jesus said that he would be in paradise that day. May I say that unless we are being crucified, baptism (believer’s baptism) is our first act of trust, obedience and submission to Jesus that says: “I am here, Lord, to serve you.  I dedicate my life to you.  I identify myself with you.  There is nothing in life I would refuse to do for you.”  

Have a blessed day!

09 November 2021  Devotion for Today  “Dad’s Bible”   Mark 1:1-6

Shortly after my mother’s passing this week, my sister found three Bibles somewhere in my mother’s room and gave them to me.  They were each contained in attractive leather or cloth covers which can be zipped securely to help secure and preserve these special specimens of God’s Word.   The bibles belonged to my father, my mother, and to my grandmother.   As I began to examine them, I began with my father’s bible: An NIV “Life Application Bible” published by Zondervan in 1991.  Given that the bible is now over thirty years old, it is in remarkably good condition.  It is royal blue, large print, with my dad’s name embossed on the outside cover.  According to the presentation page on the inside cover, it was purchased by my mother and presented to my dad at Christmas in 1993.  As I leafed through its pages, I found contents of dad’s bible such as church bulletins, loose study guides- even a Sunday School quarterly that signaled some of the activities my dad was engaged in at the time   One treasured item was an inexpensive souvenir- a bookmark- commemorating the trip my parents took to Israel in 1999.  One side of the bookmark depicts the Jordan River, with the other side displaying a photo of David’s Gate in the old city of Jerusalem.  

Why am I describing such mundane things?  Simply to point out that what appears ordinary and inconsequential to some is a treasure to others.  I suppose the greatest reason for this is because at this writing, my mother recently passed away.  The owners of the three bibles I described to you are no longer living on this earth.  They are sharing eternity together in Heaven with Jesus.  At the same time, I am also aware that in some decades forward, the bibles that are such a treasure to me now will probably fade and time will wear heavily upon them.  I would like to think that if they should ever fall into the hands of others after I am gone, the new owners of these bibles will treasure them as much as I do now.  I realize I am probably very naive for thinking this.

However, God’s Word will endure eternal as it has for thousands of years.   I found the bookmark at the beginning of Mark’s Gospel in my father’s Bible.  This morning I read from chapter 1.

As I reflect on this passage, there is much to glean here but I want to focus on the prophet John the Baptist.  Modern scholars and teachers call him John “the Baptizer” now, but I know him by the more familiar name:

And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him.  Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.  John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.” (Mark 1:4-6 NIV)  

John Mark describes John the Baptist as a very unusual, if not an extraordinarily remarkable person.  This was no sophisticated prophet with coiffed hair, no golden-tongued erudite orator.   Given his primitive appearance, he must have been a terrifying spectacle to behold.  The people of the city did not go to listen to John in the Temple or at the amphitheater or some other convenient forum.   What could possibly attract all classes of Jerusalem society and the country folk in Judea to venture out to hear this hermit-like speaker in the middle of a blistering desert?   

My only conclusion:  God’s Word.   Whether God’s Word is preached loudly or read quietly makes no difference- it has the unusual ability to grab and hold your attention like nothing else.  This may sound disappointing or too simple for some readers, but there is an attraction about God’s Word that not only stands alone but outlasts the wear of the centuries.  While John the Baptist might have been a somewhat weird character, the people ventured to the desert not to see him, but to hear the message of God that he preached.  So hungry they were for it that the people suspended their activities, cast aside all their social and cultural distinctions, and chose perhaps the most uncomfortable spot they could find just to hang on the breath of the Word of God!

John the Baptist gave the people who heard him preach nothing to attract them personally except the clarity and forthright inspiration of 

God’s Word.   It goes beyond our desire for entertainment and leads us to connect with the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

What makes an impression upon you?   What grabs and holds your attention?  Is it the so-called “cool” and innovative things of this world?  Is it geeky technology, the latest fashion plates,  or is it the modern jargon mouthed by Hollywood elites that realizes relevance to you?   You don’t have to live very long to discover that all these things fall out of fashion and their relevance falls by the wayside.  

Yet when we take the time to read and listen to what God is saying to us we will find all the wonder and excitement we could ever desire.   

The people of Jerusalem the hope for which they hungered and thirsted at the back-side of the desert, and if this is the condition of 

your heart you will likely find it too-reminding me of what Jesus said:  

“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” John 12:32NKJV