The Sufficiency of the Insignificant

 

The Sufficiency of the Insignificant
Exodus 1:15-21
Pastor Lee Hemen, May 05, 2024

Have you ever heard of Henrietta Lacks? “Henrietta was a poor tobacco farmer from Virginia. Her death was remarked by no one except her children, her family, and her friends. However, Henrietta Lacks is the source of the HeLa cell line—her blood contained uniquely immortal cells that can live outside her body indefinitely. After the birth of her fifth child in 1951, Henrietta was admitted to Johns Hopkins University Hospital complaining of “a knot in her womb,” and doctors took a sample of tissue. It was soon noticed that, unlike normal cells, Henrietta’s cells did not die after a few days but rather continued to grow, doubling every 20 to 24 hours. Henrietta’s cells can be found in the trillions in laboratories around the world. They have been used by medical researchers studying not only cancer but also hemophilia, influenza, leukemia, and Parkinson’s disease. They were also used in developing the polio vaccine, the cancer drug tamoxifen, chemotherapy, gene mapping, and a whole host of other uses. The HeLa cells show no signs of dying. Henrietta Lacks, however, died within months of her admission to the hospital due to a malignant tumor in her cervix. She was buried in an unmarked grave, never knowing that she would go on to save millions of lives and that her remarkable cells would live forever. Henrietta’s grave finally received a headstone in 2010.” (listverse.com – 10 People You’ve Never Heard of Who Changed the World by Ward Hazell)

Perhaps you think that you are insignificant or not sufficient in order to be used by God, but nothing could be further from the truth. The Apostle Paul wrote that “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things–and the things that are not–to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29 NIV84)” And here in this passage from Exodus we discover exactly how God does that in the lives of those who are insignificant.

READ: Exodus 1:15-21

We discover that…

I. Significance Is No Match for Humility! (vv. 15-16)

The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, ‘When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.’ (Exodus 1:15-16 NIV84)”

1. Pharaoh thought he was a god. He was perhaps the supreme ruler of his day and age. All those he ruled over, acquiesced to his every whim. He was kind of like the Centurion Jesus would meet many centuries later who declared, “For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it. (Matthew 8:9 NIV84)” Except Pharaoh was under no one’s authority, or so he thought. Pharaoh had monuments, humongous statues, pyramids, and entire cities built simply to aggrandize his own ego. He oppressed the Israelites simply because he could. In fact, we learn that “But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. (Exodus 1:12-13 NIV84)” Pharaoh was not about to give up his slave labor, nor was he going to allow them to outpopulate his own people. So, “The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, ‘When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.’ (Exodus 1:15-16 NIV84)” Yet, we learn that “The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. (Exodus 1:17 NIV84)” The name Shiphrah means “beautiful, harmony” from the verb “to be pleasing or harmoniously composed”. I like that. And Puah means “splendid or radiant” from the verb “to be healthy or joyful”. These two insignificant women humble a mighty Pharaoh. Significance is no match for humility!

EXAMPLE: The word for humility comes from humus, meaning dirt or earth. It carries the suggestion that those who would come before royalty would bow down, toughing their foreheads to the earth to signify their humility before their king. Today, self-realization and enhancing our self-worth are our highest aspirations. It creates arrogance, greed, and self-centeredness. It was during contract negotiations that the plant manager declared, “I’m the boss! I’m your manager! You will listen to me!” and he angerly banged his fist on the table. He got real quiet, really fast, grabbed his hand and hurried out of the room. He had hit the table so hard, he had fractured several bones in his hand. He came back later with a bandaged hand and more humble attitude. Significance is no match for humility!

We discover that…

II. Sufficiency is Found in Following God! (vv. 17-19)

1. The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?” The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive. (Exodus 1:17-19 NIV84)”

1. Beautiful and Splendid decided it was far better to follow the Lord Almighty rather than an arrogant Pharaoh. They “feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do”! How many of us would be like these two insignificant women? Would we be willing to stand up to a big-headed boss, an egotistical co-worker, a loud-mouthed neighbor, or ridiculous relative in order to follow the Lord? Shiphrah and Puah did. The fear expressed here is both fear of the consequences of not following through and honoring God by living the way he would want, but also awe. Being the witness, the salt and light, even amongst their own people! I am sure there were those Jews who would have told these women, “Don’t make waves. You will only get yourself or your families in trouble.” But these two women, who no one knew, unless you needed a mid-wife, were willing to risk everything in order to save baby boys, and ultimately their own people. They understood what they were being asked to do. Pharaoh wanted to extinguish any threat to himself, his kingdom, even if it meant murdering innocent children. Shiphrah and Puah could not do what he commanded them to do. So, when the Pharaoh demanded an answer as to why they did what they did, they respond by telling him, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive!” Wow. “Never was so much owed by so many to so few” like British prime minister Winston Churchill declared during WWII about the British fighter pilots, and it certainly applies here, doesn’t it? Sufficiency is found in following God!

EXAMPLE: Far too many of us are more concerned with what others think of us than how God views us. SnapChat, InstaGram, Facebook (Meta), X, and other online platforms curry more of our unnecessary attention than does our morality or standing with the Lord. I can remember being more afraid of what my mom or dad thought of me than what others did. One of the worst things we could hear was, “Just wait until I tell your father hears about this” or “What would your mother think?” I learned that it mattered what my parents thought of me, and it should matter what God thinks of us as well. As the Psalmist sang, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalms 19:14 NIV)” Shiphrah and Puah understood that sufficiency is found in following God!

We learn that…

III. Insignificance Is Rewarded! (vv. 20-21)

So, God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. (Exodus 1:20-21 NIV)

1. These two insignificant women teach us today how to come up against authorities and others that are ungodly. The Prophet Micah would write many centuries later: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8 NIV)” Shiphrah and Puah realized that the Lord had placed them in a position to be able to do something everyone else around them thought was impossible. What was the outcome of their actions? Perhaps they were ridiculed by family, “What are you doing? You are endangering your family!” Perhaps they were told to stop by the Jewish elders: “You two foolish women are going to bring the wrath of Pharaoh down on all of us!” Yet we find none of this, instead we discover that the outcome of their humility was that “God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.” Their people were blessed and became even more numerous, and because they were willing to fear God more then Pharaoh, God gave them families of their own! This is the lesson we need to learn today: Insignificance is rewarded!

EXAMPLE: My mom would say, “Virtue is its own reward.” Or “Kindness is its own reward.” Whenever she wanted to make a particular point, she would insert whatever she wanted in front of “its own reward”. Making your bed is its own reward. Often, we did not want to hear it, no matter what she decided to insert. Virtue, kindness, morality, hard work, or whatever. Being teenagers we just wanted to do our own thing. Sadly, much of the world exists and lives as immature adolescents. They are easily manipulated by social media or the mob. Just look at what is occurring on many college campuses around our nation. You may not think you are talented, smart, know enough Bible, good looking, young, old, short, tall, fat or thin; guess what? God does not care! He has placed you where you are to walk humbly, seek him, and allow him to use you because like Shiphrah and Puah found out, insignificance is rewarded!

Conclusion:

Significance is no match for humility! Sufficiency is found in following God! Insignificance is rewarded!

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This article is copyrighted © 2024 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

Stewards, Not Fearmongers!

Stewards, Not Fearmongers!
By Retired Pastor Lee Hemen
July 3, 2023

Ecclesiastes paints kind of a depressing picture of humanity and an individual’s moroseness, however, it also teaches us a lot about ourselves, the world around us, and our God. In his musings the writer states that “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV84) The Bible Knowledge commentary states that “Solomon did not intend by this to deny human creativity but to deny the complete newness of people’s accomplishments.” However, “the constant repetition of previous accomplishments – is in essence true of the activity of people and is included in the observation that all things produce only indescribable weariness and lack of satisfaction…” Solomon was in a mental funk. I can relate. In this day and age, it is easy to become depressed.

Sadly, there are those who use people’s tendency to be depressed to foster greater fear in things they absolutely have no control over whatsoever. One such thing is climate change. Instead of looking at actual scientific facts, observable evidence, and what is known to be true, many use emotional blackmail and fear mongering instead it illicit a gut-wrenching response instead. And if you do not agree with their emotional dictate, they shout you down, call you names, or dismiss you.

Let’s look rationally at the notion that we as individuals could somehow affect change in the worldwide climate. We cannot ignore the fact that the earth “has a surface area of roughly 510,066,000 square km (196,938,000 square miles); almost 71 percent of Earth’s surface is covered by saltwater oceans. The total volume of liquid water on Earth is about 1.39 billion cubic km (332.5 million cubic miles), and it has an average temperature of about 4 °C (39.2 °F), not far above the freezing point of water. The oceans contain about 97 percent of the planet’s water volume. The remainder occurs as fresh water, three-quarters of which is locked up in the form of ice at polar latitudes. Most of the remaining fresh water is groundwater held in soils and rocks; less than 1 percent of it occurs in lakes and rivers.” (Britannica.com) The planet made be small comparative to other planets, but it relatively huge compared to individual humans. Did you notice anything concerning ice at the poles and say the volume of sea water? How much do you actually think the total melting of the polar ice caps could influence the entire surface of the ocean? Minimal at best, and if let’s just say they did all of a sudden melt, people would get up and move to higher ground, which would be only a couple of feet. By the way, this is exactly what tribes from Siberia did to become America’s native population; they walked across a land bridge to get here.

According to NASA the “The troposphere starts at the Earth’s surface and extends 8 to 14.5 kilometers high (5 to 9 miles). This part of the atmosphere is the most dense. Almost all weather is in this region.” This is where our breathable air occurs. This area is approximately 3,849,298,671,554.7627397183 cubic feet in size! It is enormous in volume and carbon dioxide makes up less than .04 of the total volume. And when you are talking about climate change, you are working with hundreds of thousands to millionths of minute amounts of change. If you wanted to make any significant change to atmospheric conditions you would go to nations like China, India, or the Philippines, not the United States or Europe. Those nations have billions in populations compared to the rest that have millions, and they use vast amounts of coal, wood, and petroleum products compared to the rest of the world.

Should we be good stewards of the world God created for us? Absolutely! Do we need to live in fear? Absolutely not. Remember that the earth is the Lord’s and so are we. We can use our God-given knowledge, talents, and treasure to solve our energy problems without resorting to fearmongering. Solomon concluded: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NIV84)
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This article is copyrighted © 2023 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

Grow In Preaching

By Pastor Lee Hemen

June 30, 2023

One of things that has always frustrated me as a Christian and a pastor is that far too many pastors think they do not have to mature in their preaching skills. They will pound their pulpits to try and get their listeners to mature in their faith practices of prayer, Bible reading, witnessing and biblical knowledge but never address their own shortcoming of truly stagnant preaching.

I was shocked when I went to listen to a fellow pastor preach and his style was exactly the same as when he graduated from seminary some thirty years ago! There are few pastors who would desire their congregations to remain spiritually stunted for thirty years, yet find no problem with their own stunted growth in being able to preach the word of God that truly meets the needs of their listeners today. This should not happen.

Pastors often preach on what Paul wrote Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15 NIV84)” And do so to enforce the notion that Christians should be able to know and understand the Scriptures, but often fail themselves to be able to handle what they are preaching. Paul was trying to teach Timothy to work on him being able to correctly handle God’s truth. We fail as pastors when we never grow or mature in being able to preach the world of God effectively. It takes more than just falling back of the old heresy of relying on the Holy Spirit, and I say this because I’ve often heard this but what it really means is that many are too lazy to actually work at being better in their speaking and preaching.

No athlete or professional ever developed the skills they have without constant practice, personal physical development, and honing of skills. Why are so many pastors mentally and intellectually lazy when it comes to their sermons on Sunday? It is laziness to not do the work of knowing what is happening in the world today and to be able to relate to your listeners how to live their faith out in both practical and spiritual ways. To be able to give them consistent biblical and spiritually palpable answers for today’s world. If you are using illustrations from a book, that are hundreds of years old, or do not relate to your listeners – you’ve failed yourself, your calling, and your congregation. What sounded fine in 2001 may not work in 2023! And believe me if you are still using a 1990’s style of preaching to reach today’s people, you’ve not communicating well at all.

It takes time, hard work, and a willingness to take a hard look at yourself and your style to see if you need to do something better. I know, I had to do this constantly myself. I read and hear often that the church today is losing the next generation. It is not just the fault of the people in the pews because it begins with the person in the pulpit. Fellow pastors hear me here and understand I write this just as Paul did to his friend and fellow pastor Timothy. We are to do our best to present ourselves to God as pastors approved, workmen who do not need to be ashamed and who correctly handle the word of truth! And it is more than just reading a commentary or the latest Christian fad book. Have someone video you, then critically rewatch it yourself and take notes on what you could do better. Have others who do not go to your church watch it and give you honest feedback. Read or take some online classes on how to do better public speaking, be aware of the what is going on in the world – the latest fads, music, movies, books, and the what, why, when and where. This does not mean you need to agree with it, but you need to be aware of it. And, yes, it can be hard to listen to others critic your sermon, but it can be truly helpful if you are willing to mature through the process. Record on TV or go to other worship services by other pastors in different churches and denominations to see what they are doing.

Stop preaching to hear yourself preach. Shorten your sermons, longer does not mean better it often means you are meandering looking for a way to mercifully end it. As one pastor told me years ago, “Stand up, speak up, sit down, and shut up.” It’s as simple as knowing that if you cannot state in one easy understandable sentence what you are preaching, you’ve lost your listeners.

Dear brothers in Christ, I urge you to grow in your faith and knowledge of the Lord, but I encourage you to grow in your preaching as well.

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This article is copyrighted © 2023 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

Father’s Day – Ephesians 6:4; Hebrews 12:7-12

Father’s Day – Ephesians 6:4; Hebrews 12:7-12
By Pastor Lee Hemen
June 18, 2023

Did you have a good father? I had a pretty good dad. He took us fishing, camping, and spent as much time with us as he could. He taught us to be moral, believe in God, and what marital devotion was all about. I still can remember him showing us boys how to cast a salmon egg just right in order to catch the bigger trout in the river. I also remember he was firm on his word and discipline.

Sometimes children can think their parents are unfair or that they do not understand but what I have learned is that parents, especially fathers, do understand and that is why they often have to take the firm stand they do. Too many fathers in our day are AOL (absent without leave) either physically or emotionally or both. Proverbs reminds us that “Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul. Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:17-18 NIV)” Let’s discover what it means to be a father.

In our world trying to raise children to be independent critical thinkers, moral, and to follow the Lord has become increasingly hard. It is good to know however that the Scripture is not only filled with examples of how not to be a father but it also gives us good advice on how to be great fathers. We discover that…

Great fathers consistently discipline their children! (Ephesians 6:4 & Hebrews 12:7-9 NIV)

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord… Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!

Paul writes, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children”. The wording here refers to a dad who constantly and deliberately tries to enrage or provoke their children into an ungodly reaction. This is not a reference to teasing a child but rather a dad who deliberately and consistently tries to incite their children to react in anger. This could be done through improper parenting where the father constantly degrades their spouse in front of the kids, uses foul language, or involves their children in ungodly activities such as lying, stealing, drug use, or violent behavior. A father can “exasperate” their children when they are not the consistent godly loving example their children need! However, this can also cover inappropriate discipline that is either too harsh or nonexistent. The writer of Hebrews writes that believers should “Endure hardship as discipline”. This teaches us that as children we can think it is a hardship to be disciplined, but in reality, it is a blessing if it is done consistently and correctly! Our discipline in life is “God treating us as sons”! It also reflects the biblical concept that discipline is godly! “For what son is not disciplined by his father?” A lack of consistent discipline by fathers can frustrate a child emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually! Children need parameters in life. They need to know their boundaries. And if they do not have them from their fathers, they can feel unloved and unwanted or illegitimate! “If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.” Children need to feel and know they are loved and one of the ways they do is when they know their boundaries in life because when they do they grow up loving and respecting their fathers! “Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it.” Yet more than this, children who are consistently and compassionately disciplined learn self-discipline! “How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!” Children learn discipline when great fathers consistently discipline their children!

My father was a consistent disciplinarian. We knew his “yes” was yes and his “no” was no. We also quickly learned that simply going to our mother to get a different answer did not work. I did not understand my father when he once told me that his discipline of me at the time would hurt him more than it would hurt me. My spanking sure hurt! Yet his words came flooding back when I had to spank my daughter for the first time. It actually did hurt me more than her momentary pain. However, it did not stop me from trying to be the best father I could be. I did not stop disciplining my daughter simply because it momentarily made feel bad. Children learn discipline when great fathers consistently discipline their children!

I’ve learned that life is not always fun. It is not painless or never filled with hurt. An old pastor was quipped, “Life is hard by the yard but a cinch by the inch!” He was correct. Great fathers learn that directing the lives of their children is not a momentary thing. It is a process. We learn from Paul that…

Great fathers keep on keeping on being a father! (Hebrews 12:10-12 NIV)

Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.

Certain things in life only last a short while. This is why as fathers we should cherish every day we have with our families. Sure you may have suffered from making the wrong choices in life but God is a loving father and through his example teaches us guys how to be the fathers we need to be! Paul writes, “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best”. Training and nurturing your children only last a few years. In fact, most psychologists will tell you that how a child responds to you at 5 years old will be how they respond to you as a teenager! This is why fathers should spend time with their kids. Reading, playing, talking with and listening to them are extremely important if you want your child to be respectful with you later in life. Remember “God disciplines us for our good that we may share in his holiness.” God is a great example to follow as a father. He always looks at the long haul as fathers should and he loves us in spite of ourselves! Fathers should want the best for their children realizing that the investment they make now in the lives of their children will one day reap a great reward! “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” A good life harvest means that fathers must be willing, ready, and able to do the hard day-by-day and moment-by-moment investment in the lives of their children! It is a matter of consistency again. Just as children are not potty trained, know how to walk or immediately feed themselves it is fathers that help them to become the adults they should be! “Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.” Godly dads do not complain about having to spend time with their kids. Great fathers keep on keeping on being a father!

I remember the frustration of my father when he sat me down and asked, “How many times am I going to have to ask you to do something before you do it?” I responded, “I guess until it sticks.” To my surprise he reached out and tousled my hair and gently replied, “For your sake I hope not.” Got up and walked away. Some of the greatest moments of my life were spent with my ailing father the last year of his life. We spent the entire summer together. His insights, love, and quiet spirit had a huge impact on me. I learned from him that great fathers keep on keeping on being a father!

Just remember that children learn discipline when great fathers consistently discipline their children! Great fathers keep on keeping on being a father!

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This article is copyrighted © 2023 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

The Censorship of Christians

Ramblings from Retirement – The Censorship of Christians

By Retired Pastor Lee Hemen

December 13, 2022

In our cancel culture today, there are those who desire to censor anyone who disagrees with their perceived proclivity or progressive ideals. Socialism loves censorship, and it is the fuel that fans the flames of oppression. Christians should be on the forefront of opposing any censorship of speech. It is at the core of what we believe.

When Jesus stood before the religious and political leaders of his day, they hated him because of the message he brought. It would upset their political and spiritual power over the population they were supposed to be leading. They wanted to keep their positions. Many Jews when they “had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.” (John 11:45 NIV84) Some of those who were concerned about what Jesus was teaching, went to the Pharisees, and told them what was happening. They were the “Karens” of their day. John relates that “Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. ‘What are we accomplishing?’ they asked. ‘Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.’ Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, ‘You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man dies for the people than that the whole nation perish.’” (John 11:47-50 NIV84) They wanted to shut Jesus up because if the gospel truth kept being told, people would believe the truth! You have to understand what was occurring here, Caiaphas, the highest authority for the Jews both spiritually and politically, had already offered money, a bribe, to anyone who would turn on Jesus. His response is the same shameful and horrendous thing politicians, liberal media, and socialist today believe that it is “better” to sacrifice any individual who stands in their way, than to give up their power and prestige.

We see the very same thing occurring with online platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube today. We find it in the political halls of our own nation and in the walls of progressive colleges, schools, and churches. Just as time after time the rulers, religious leaders, and other wanted to silence Jesus, we find Teacher Unions, political systems, online entities, and progressive politicians who desire to silence parents, oppress voters, and edit what you read or hear. We’ve learned that Twitter deliberately suppressed viewpoints on COVID, vaccines, and politics that those who ran Twitter did not agree with, even when they were factual! If you disagree with the latest views on climate, mutilating children, murdering the unborn, or a politician those in power agree with you are censored.

The Cambridge Dictionary is being criticized for altering the definitions of the words “man” and “woman” to include people who identify as a gender other than their biological sex. The definition of woman, which previously was based on actual biology, now states that a woman is “an adult who lives and identifies as female though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth.” Similarly, a man is now defined as “an adult who lives and identifies as male though they may have been said to have a different sex at birth.” This is a form of censorship because any viewpoint other than that put forward by those in power is branded as “hateful”. When President Joe Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act this week, he’ll be flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris, first lady Jill Biden, and gay drag queen story hour performer Marti Cummings, according to an invite posted by Cummings. Within the law passed by Congress and signed by the President are portions that tacitly force Christians to support lifestyles they deem as perverted and against the word of God. (https://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/bill-donohue/why-invite-drag-queen-white-house)

According to a recent Gallop poll over one third of women nationwide are prolife, but you had better not express that verbally or you may lose your job. (https://www.dailysignal.com/2022/12/12/its-2022-the-left-still-thinks-women-cant-think-for-themselves/) Most parents, over 80%, do not agree with the progressive “woke” agenda being taught in schools, and yet Teacher Unions and public libraries are constantly pushing it down your children’s throats. A middle school teacher is just one of many examples, who mock parents that want a say in lessons about gender, sexuality, and sex ed. Says parents should trust teachers because they’re experts and parents aren’t (pic.twitter.com/uasDYA9UXS).

Ben Shapiro understands the rising problem when he writes that “The legal obliteration of the distinction between governmental and private activity was only one prong of the new societal remolding. The second was the philosophical obliteration of the distinction between immutable characteristics and behavior. The case can easily be made morally that people ought not be victims of discrimination based on their immutable characteristics, like race; rejecting moral disapproval of particular behavior, however, means destroying the basis for any moral system. Yet that is what the law does when it likens race to sexual orientation philosophically.

These twin attacks on traditional American society — vitiation of the distinction between private and public, and elimination of the distinction between innate characteristics and behavior — are predicates to tyranny. The new secular system sets up government as a new god, determining right and wrong and cramming it down on every subject. You will be forced to celebrate the behaviors of others; you will be treated as a bigot if you do not.”

What Twitter did, what the “woke” culture is doing, what the liberal media desire you to adhere to, what you are being forced to do as a believer, and what some politicians are doing to your free speech should concern you as a Christian.

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This article is copyrighted © 2022 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission

Luke 1:26-38 – Listen!

Luke 1:26-38 – Listen!

By Pastor Lee Hemen

December 4, 2022

One of my least favorite Christmas songs is “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Sorry if it is one of your favorites, but I’ve never liked it that much except for the last verse when the King commands, “Listen to what I say! Pray for peace, people everywhere! Listen to what I say! The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night He will bring us goodness and light, He will bring us goodness and light.” Now don’t get me wrong the message of the song is great, the night wind whispering to a little lamb about a “star with a tail as big as a kite.” The lamb asking a shepherd boy if he can hear the same song he hears, and the shepherd boy asking the mighty king, “Do you know what I know?” Now if you listen closely at the words, you will notice that each phrase is contingent upon one thing: listening!

In our day and age where everything demands our immediate attention it is often hard to get people to simply listen. In the verses we will look at this morning we will notice that the one thing Mary had to do is listen. And what she hears changes not only her life but ours as well. As we take a closer look at this week in Advent, we will learn to listen to the voice of the Lord in our lives. Let discover what Mary listened to, shall we?

Responsive Reading – Luke 1:26-38

Listening is a difficult skill to learn for some of us. My mother used to ask us all the time, “Are you listening to me?” To make sure we were, she would often want us to repeat back what she had just told us. Like Mary, we need to…

I. Listen to the message God has for us!

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (Luke 1:26-29 NIV84)

  1. God’s messenger, Gabriel is sent to the tiny town of Nazareth to a young girl who was already pledged to be married to a man named Joseph. Most of us are familiar with the story. But can you imagine what occurred? Here is a young girl, perhaps only 14 years old, who is in the process of getting ready to be married. She is already pledged, so it was quite serious. In fact, for all intense and purpose she is a married woman. And this young girl is given a message by a messenger from God! Now I do not know about you but this would be pretty startling for anyone. Yet this young girl has the maturity to listen to the words of the messenger’s greeting. She had found favor in the eyes of the Lord God! Like Noah, Moses, or Abraham before her, this little girl had God’s esteem; Mary had found grace in the eyes of the Lord! Mary understood what that meant but she was “greatly troubled at his words”. Why? Simply because she “wondered what kind of greeting this might be”! Mary listens but what she heard did not make any sense because how could a young woman in a backwater village find grace with God, and that He would send one of his messengers to her? Her ears heard the message, but her mind simply could not conceive what it might mean for her life! And isn’t this often the case when God speaks to us? We hear the message, but we may not fully understand what it means for our lives. God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit in our lives through His word, through our prayers, through fellow believers, and through our life experiences but are we actually listening to what God is trying to tell us? Like Mary we need to listen to the message God has for us!

EXAMPLE: I often find humor in the pages of Scripture. Remember when Elisha ran from Jezebel and God found him hiding in a cave? Here is this great man of God who faced down 450 false prophets of Baal, destroyed them all by calling down fire from heaven, but ran from one woman and is found cowering in a cold, dank, cave! God sends a mighty wind, then an earthquake, and finally a great fire but God is not in any of these but instead He is found by Elisha in “a gentle whisper”. Like Mary, Elisha needed to listen to the message God had for him. When life gets way too complicated and noisy it can be hard to find a quiet time to listen to the Lord, but right now, today, during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season we need to, like Mary, listen to the message God has for us!

We all have some kind of plans for our lives. College, perhaps a trade school, or maybe even starting your own business! Getting married, having children, or traveling around the world doing missions or ministry! Perhaps even retirement. Some of us old folks will tell you that life has a way of throwing curve balls and just like Mary…

II. What we hear from God may not always be what we want!

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name 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 the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:30-33 NIV84)

  1. In the midst of Mary’s concern, God is right there by her side providing the peace that surpasses all understanding. His messenger who has stood before others, now stands before the mother of the Messiah and calms her fears with these words: “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.” Over and over throughout the pages of Scripture we find these words spoken by God to his people when they are afraid, “Fear not.” He gives us light in the darkest situations; He calms the stormy waters that rage around us, and He gives us peace when all else fails and fear wants to force us into making the wrong choices in life. To live is Him and to even die is gain! Mary found grace with God and in that grace, she discovers peace. She is given something she never ever expected: “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name 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 the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” What? You’ve got to be kidding me? Right! A little Jewish girl barely old enough to know all she needed to know about cooking, cleaning, and keeping a house, who was just getting used to the idea of being pledged to be married, was now expected to be the mother of a child, a boy, and he is going to be called “the Son of the Most High”! What? Mary realized in that moment that what we hear from God may not always be what we want! Become a missionary? Go witness to whom? Go volunteer doing what where? Lord, You want me to be what for You? I’m too old, I’m too young, and I do not know enough! I’d have to move, give up my time, my talent, my treasure; and are you actually sure this is what you want of me? Yet in the midst of all our fears, like Mary, God says, “Do not be afraid.” What we hear from God may not always be what we want!

  EXAMPLE: I am reminded of the little boy who when he did not like what he heard he would cover his ears with his hands and sing as loud as he could, “I can’t hear you!” And wouldn’t you know it, it never worked for him. He still had to do what his parents wanted him to do. Remember Jonah and how he tried to plug his ears with a boat ride but ended up being fish fodder. What we hear from God may not always be what we want!

It can be frightening when things do not work out as we planned. An unexpected pregnancy, falling in love with someone we never expected, going to school in another city or being transferred halfway around the world! Being called to ministry or missions as a senior adult! All kinds of things can happen in our lives but just like Mary…

III. We can trust the Lord with what we’ve heard!

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:34-38 NIV84)

  1. Mary is perplexed because she understood the facts of life. It takes two to make a baby, a momma and a papa. Yet God’s messenger was telling her something quite different. So, as the mature young lady she was she asks, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” God never minds the tough questions because He always has the simple answer: He will do it! Just like that Mary would have this baby boy by the power of the Holy Spirit. Not by some “force”, not by some ghost, not by mystical or magical means, but by “the power of the Most High”! God Himself would “overshadow” Mary. God would do what He said He would do. Now if Mary doubted what she was being told, Gabriel responds by telling Mary that “Elizabeth” her aunt was “going o have a child in her old age, and she who said to be barren (was) in her sixth month”! Mary’s baby boy would be through the power of God, and he would be God, born of a virgin, into the world because just as God can have a barren aunt have child in her advanced age, a young virgin can conceive through the power of the Most High and therefore “nothing is impossible with God”! Now we often want to try and thoroughly explain what occurs here and some have come up with some really stupid and silly notions, but for me I am content to follow Mary’s lead. She was satisfied to allow God to do whatever He had planned for her life and tells Gabriel, “May it be to me as you have said”! This indicates to me that Mary did not doubt the angel’s words but merely wanted to know how such a thing could be accomplished! The answer was that the Holy Spirit would creatively bring about the physical conception of her son Jesus. That’s all Gabe needed to hear, and he immediately leaves her where he found her. Mary shows us that we can trust the Lord with what we’ve heard!

EXAMPLE: Picture in your mind the scene: A small village that hardly anyone even notices when traveling through it. A dusty road, not more than a path really, winds through its center and there in the midst of its streets, houses, and fields is a young Jewish girl, barely 14 years old. Perhaps she is working in the field next to her house, perhaps she is sweeping the dusty floor of her family’s one room, or she is doing some other chore of sewing or mending, and a messenger comes to her. Not any person but an angel of God. He has a special message for a special young girl: She has found grace with God and has been chosen by Him to be His mother. “Impossible!” “Improbable!” you say. Yet it is true, every word of it. And how do I know it to be true, because nothing is impossible with God. And like Mary we can trust the Lord with what we’ve heard. 

Conclusion:

During this Christmas season, this time of Advent, when God came to earth born as a baby boy perhaps we need to be more like Mary: Listen to the message God has for us! Realize that what we hear from God may not always be what we want! Yet, in the midst of life we can trust the Lord with what we’ve heard! Now, do you hear what He is saying?

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This article is copyrighted © 2022 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

Matthew 13:1-9 – Scattering the Seed of the Gospel

Matthew 13:1-9 – Scattering the Seed of the Gospel

By Retired Pastor Lee Hemen

May 22, 2022

We have always loved putting out birdseed for the wild birds in our yards. It’s fun to watch all of the different species that come to our feeders. Recently, a pair of birds called Evening Grosbeaks has been coming to our feeders, and they are pigs. They kind of force out other birds, scatter the seed everywhere, and remind me of uninvited relatives that show up for dinner. However, one of the things that they do by scattering the seed from the feeders is provide for the dozens of squirrels and smaller birds that hop around the base of the feeders searching for scattered seeds. And some of the seeds, being grass seeds, have made my lawn area thick and rich.

We forget that when we scatter the seed of the gospel that it falls on many kinds of ground, and we never know who might benefit from the process. Like those Evening Grosbeaks we are not to be just about feeding ourselves the seeds of the gospel, we are to scatter them as well. Let’s discover this morning what that means.

READ: Matthew 13:1-9

Last week, Pastor Matthew spoke about the Great Commission Jesus gave his disciples, and thereby us as well to go out and share our faith. While we may know we should be sharing, we often do not share it as we go about our lives, and yet we can. Let’s discover how. We learn that…

I. Scattering the seed of the gospel means speaking the gospel!

“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying…”

  1. Notice what Jesus does here in these verses. He goes outside, sits down by the lake, and waits. He knew what would occur. He knew that by this time people were following him around hoping to speak with him, have him perform some kind of miracle, or simply to listen to what he might share. They longed for his words. In our day there are many who long for some kind of word from God that will speak to the empty longing of their souls. You can be the one who does this simply by going and sharing what you already know about Jesus. Jesus didn’t wait for the “right moment”, he shared wherever he was, whenever he was. Notice then when the crowd got too large “he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore”. In this we discover that Jesus also used the moment and whatever was around him to share with the crowds. Now I know we may not attract “crowds” but we do have relatives, friends, or neighbors who are nearby. They come to our homes for holidays, birthdays, dinners, to borrow the weed eater, or whatever. And it is in these moments we can share our faith. It can be by praying with them, encouraging them with the words of Jesus, or sharing what Jesus is doing in our lives, the lives of our Christian friends, or our church. What could you share today, what could you share tomorrow, what could you share by scattering the seed of the gospel by speaking it to those around you?

  EXAMPLE: Recently, I was in a WinCo, and I had opened up the frozen food case looking for some individual macaroni and cheese dinners for our granddaughter. As I was looking another person was looking for something else and muttered, “It looks like they are out of what I was looking for.” I simply stated, “Seek and ye shall find” as I found what I was looking for. She immediately came back with, “I’ve heard that before, who said that?” I shared that it was what Jesus spoke to people who were searching for spiritual answers to their lives. She replied, “Boy do we need spiritual help today.” I told her quickly about Grace Baptist and how it helps me to go because I learn how to apply the words of Jesus to my life there. And then I invited her to come or to go online and watch one of our worship videos. Scattering the seed of the gospel means speaking the gospel!

Whether it is at the grocery store, over the neighbor’s fence, or waiting in the doctor’s office, we can scatter the seed of the gospel. In fact, we realize that…

II. Scattering the seed of the gospel means planting it anywhere!

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop–a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

  1. A lot of folks want to spend way too much time talking over and over about the condition of the soil here in this passage rather than what actually occurs in the parable Jesus shares. The farmer scattered his seed and it was scattered, planted, on all kinds of ground, but it was planted. In some places the wheat sprang up quickly, but it was scorched by the heat of the sun and it withered because it had no root. Other seed was scatter among weeds and got chocked out. And yet there was some that fell on good ground and it grew and produced a fine “crop– a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Notice that the farmer was not concerned where his seed fell; his only concern was to scatter it. His job was to plant, the seeds job was to grow. We cannot make the seed grow; we cannot be so concerned about the soil the seed is planted in that we lose our focus of scattering the seed! We have often heard that it is not our job to save people; it is only our job to share the gospel. We do not scatter because we become too concerned about how the soil will receive it, react to it, or respond to us rather than simply scattering the seed of the gospel! Stop it! Just start scattering the seed! In the days of Jesus they did not fully understand how to cultivate soil, prepare it, and mulch it or fertilize it properly. They did know that good soil could produce a good crop if it was watered well. But Jesus was not teaching this here, rather he was teaching the fact that the farmer scattered his seed on many kinds of ground. The ground either produced or it didn’t; the farmer just scattered his seed! Scattering the seed of the gospel means planting it anywhere!

  EXAMPLE: When I was younger I learned all kinds of ways to share my faith, Four Spiritual Laws, The Roman Road, Evangelism Explosion, and Sharing Jesus Without Fear just to name a few. Now there is nothing wrong with learning something that helps you to share your faith, but it can make us lose focus of what we are supposed to be doing. Most people do not share their faith because they are either afraid to do so or they think they do not know enough to do so. When I plant my bush beans in my backyard garden I do not worry about what the neighbors think or if I know enough about farming to plant them. Now I know this sounds silly, but let me share a secret about sharing your faith that really is no secret: Don’t think so much! The more you share what you do know, the easier it gets. Jesus did not quote Scripture that day on the lake. He shared what he knew the crowd needed to hear; you can as well. Share what you know about Jesus, scattering the seed of the gospel means planting it anywhere!

Most people probably know you are a Christian already and will not be surprised if you share what you believe! Stop worrying about what others think, they already know! Instead let’s take a look at the last thing we truly should be concerned about…

III. Scattering the seed means we have heard our Master!

“He who has ears, let him hear.”

  1. Now this seems to be kind of a curious statement by Jesus because we all have ears. And probably all of the people in that crowd on the lake that day had both of their ears as well. (And Peter did not have a sword at this time.) We understand that what Jesus meant was if you were truly listening to what he was sharing, you would scatter the seed of the gospel just like he was doing. Jesus scattered the seeds by speaking it, living it, and sharing it wherever he went. Yet, in his words right here we discover a tacit command: We are to be about scattering the seeds of the gospel. Last week we learned again about the commission of Christ to “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV84)” Now this does not mean we have to memorize specific passages of the Bible, learn a specific way to share our faith, or that we fail Jesus if we do not share our faith every minute of every day. Jesus never taught this nor does he command it, so stop feeling guilty over it. What Jesus means here is that if you have experienced the gospel for yourself, then share when you can what you know! You do this by praying with someone who is hurting, by writing a note to someone who needs encouragement, by telling those around you when you can how Jesus has blessed your life recently. Now let me ask you “Are you listening?” If so, then you understand that: Scattering the seed means we have heard our Master!

  EXAMPLE: Guilt should not be the motivator for us to share our faith with others around us. Rather it should be the fact of what Jesus has done and is doing in our lives right now! There is a reason why the Psalmist sang, “The joy of the Lord is my strength!” When I watch those Evening Grosbeaks in my backyard I realize that they come there because they feel safe and there is lots of free food, seed, provided by me! Also, I have noticed that when they come, they begin to chirp and carry on, and then other birds are attracted and they come as well! And you know something, I fill my birdfeeders with birdseed and share it, not out of guilt, but because I enjoy seeing birds of all kinds come into my yard! Let the joy of the Lord be your motivator to share your faith, not your guilt. Perhaps you need to begin looking for those precious moments in life where God has blessed you that you can share with others so that they too can be fed from your joy in the Lord? Have you heard the Master lately? Remember, scattering the seed means we have heard our Master!

Conclusion:

Scattering the seed of the gospel means speaking the gospel! Scattering the seed of the gospel means planting it anywhere! Scattering the seed means we have heard our Master!

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This article is copyrighted © 2022 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

Ramblings from Retirement – The Church, Jesus’ body in the World

Ramblings from Retirement – The Church, Jesus’ body in the World
By Pastor (retired) Lee Hemen
April 5, 2022

It is amazing to me that so many convoluted ideas have taken root in today’s Christianity. It makes me wonder if anyone, who calls them self a “Christian” truly takes the time to know what this means or if they ever read and study the Bible. Far too many churches have abandoned Bible Study, Sunday School, or whatever you want to call in favor of video symposiums or sermons in a second. And do not get me started on what people think and teach about the coming of Jesus. Most of it is founded on heretical teaching that has taken root like aggressive weeds in your lawn and has no basis in orthodox Christianity, the history of the church, or what the Bible actually says concerning the subject, anyway, this for another Rambling on another day.

Jesus established the church for a reason, and we see this when he asked his followers, “Who do the people say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Immediately Jesus declares, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Matthew 16:13-18 NIV84)” Jesus continued to relate that his church would be in charge of administering his will on earth. Now contrary to what some have taught, Jesus did not establish a specific person to be his mouthpiece and ultimate representative here on earth until he returns. Rather, Jesus was speaking to the establishment of a body of believers to do his work and will here on earth until he returns, meaning his church, his body.

So, what I wanted to ramble on about today is the false notion that belonging to a local church or actually joining a church is not necessary for one’s faith walk. This is simply unadulterated bovine poo. If Jesus took the time to set up his church and remark that it was for administering what his teachings were about, then we should take this very seriously. In fact we find Jesus relating, “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. (Matthew 18:15-20 NIV84)”

Paul also knew the importance of the local church in teaching, encouraging, and developing believers, and he wrote, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many… Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27 NIV84)” He was teaching about how spiritual gifts were to be used within the local church, but he is also referencing the fact that the local church is important. In another letter Paul would write, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:11-12 NIV84)”

The writer of Hebrews, knowing how important being in worship and being a member of a local church was, would state, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25 NIV84)” Paul would teach about and instruct pastors, elders, deacons, teachers, and others who are to make up the local church. So why would you as a believer in Jesus forsake a foundational teaching of being part of a local church? A burning log by itself soon becomes just smoldering charcoal and soon dies, but many logs make a strong fire, and it is the same with the church. So, today, if you have not actually joined a local church and become a responsible active member, shame on you. Go find a church and get involved, by doing so you will be part of Jesus’ body in the world until he returns.

This article is copyrighted © 2022 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

Ramblings from Retirement – Are You No Earthly Good?

Ramblings from Retirement – Are You No Earthly Good?

By Pastor (retired) Lee Hemen 

April 3, 2022

There’s an old saying that a Christian can be “so heavenly-minded you’re no earthly good”. It means that believers can be so focused on being holy, that they’ve lost sight of the world around them. Now this can be a good thing when it refers to one’s looking to Jesus as they live, but it can be bad if they’re so focused on the things of heaven that they forget about those around them that need Jesus.

It can be bad in the life of a church or preacher that becomes so focused on knowledge or themselves that they become blinded to the needs of a hurting and sinful world around them. Jesus berated the spiritual teachers of his day because this was exactly what they were guilty of doing. Jesus really got into it with them, and he bluntly told them, ‘Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices–mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law–justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. (Matthew 23:23-28 NIV84)” Sounds kind of harsh, doesn’t it?

Jesus knew that being able to quote verbatim the Law of God, the words of the Prophets, particular passages or teachings meant absolutely nothing to the listener if the one quoting it could not relate it to those who were listening. The spiritual leadership of Jesus’ day had completely ignored the common folk, considered them rabble, and could only relate pithy words or the teachings of others. They prided themselves on their “knowledge of the things of God” while ignoring those who truly needed to hear and apply the teachings of God to their lives!

I’ve known fellow pastors and Christians who have done the very same thing. They know their Bibles inside and out, can quote any passage verbatim, and they can relate its standard “biblical” teaching but they cannot relate to those around them. To the very people who are dying to understand God and how to relate him to their lives! If the “unwashed” masses wanted to hear a commentary they could buy an app for their cell phone or go to Amazon and purchase one! What people need, to reiterate an old Christian song, is the Lord! Folks cannot relate to head knowledge like they can with real life experience. If you, dear brother or sister in the Lord, cannot get out of your knowledge zone and be relatable to the world around you with your faith, you are no earthly good!

As a young pastor I learned this lesson rather harshly when an older pastor friend of mine put me straight. I asked him what he thought of a sermon I had given that Sunday and his reply changed my life. He bluntly told me, “It was a good commentary, but had little life application.” I discovered that my listeners could relate and apply God’s teachings far better if I illustrated it with something they could actually relate to, real life! In fact, many commented afterwards how they remembered such and such story and how it had impacted them and how they were able to apply it to their Christian walk, than all of the passages and commentary had I regurgitated before!

It is time for believers to get real and share what Jesus means in a real way the world around them can understand. Don’t be so heavenly-minded that you’re no earthly good.

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This article is copyrighted © 2022 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

Ramblings from Retirement – No Starfleet Future Awaits Humanity

Ramblings from Retirement – No Starfleet Future Awaits Humanity
By Pastor (Retired) Lee Hemen
March 28, 2022

I’ve been watching the latest installments of “Picard” on Paramount+ and have just gotten a huge dose of Hollyweird’s notion of what it thinks of the world at large and mankind in general. Picard and his crewmates have to go back in time to the year 2024 to fix the timeline. While there Picard meets up with the character Guinan, an alien being that lives a long time and is affected by time. Anyway, she is saddened by what she is witnessing here on earth and is getting ready to bug out when Picard enlists her help. She sees humanity’s hatred, pettiness, and greed but nowhere is the real reason given: Mainly mankind’s sinful nature.

The Apostle Paul related that the only fix for mankind’s problem of sin was the righteousness found in Jesus Christ. He writes, “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:22-23 NIV84)” Paul knew that mankind’s problem was their sin nature, something atheistic Hollyweird refuses to acknowledge. They, like many in our world do today, think that if we just learn to be kind enough, nicer, or more empathetic then all of our problems will just disappear. What they fail to see, are blinded to, is the fact that their own sinfulness is the problem. Kind, nice, empathetic people are still at their core sinners. All have sinned and all are sinners. We are sinners by our own nature and by our own choice. We are all born in sin and we chose to sin. This is why Paul would later declare, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NIV84)”

If you desire a world of peace, niceness, and empathy then you need a world that trust in Jesus Christ and not in humanity. Jesus told his followers, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. (John 14:1 NIV84)” In fact he bluntly tells those who refused to believe in him: “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins. (John 8:24 NIV84)”

Human transformation does not come from us willing it to be so but rather through our faith and trust in the One who can do it, Jesus. There is no future where mankind will ever be nice enough, kind enough, or empathetic enough to solve its sin problem, only Jesus can. There is no Starfleet future waiting for us but only more of humanity’s sinfulness until we are willing to submit to Jesus who can solve our sin problem.
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This article is copyrighted © 2022 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.