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.

Ramblings from Retirement – Coffee and Lilies

Ramblings from Retirement – Coffee and Lilies

By Pastor (retired) Lee Hemen

April 8, 2022

I’m sitting here with my cup of coffee looking out my dining room window. I need to go out and put more birdseed in the birdfeeders. However, I enjoy this time away from the news and concerns of the world. It is the simple things in life that should cause us to pause and enjoy the moment. I have always enjoyed a simple cup of coffee, black, nothing else, ever since I was a child. Yep, I learned the joy of coffee when I was about five or six years old from my mother. Now her coffee could grow hair on a bald dog. She learned how to boil it in a skillet and make it about the consistency of thick black mud. A peculator pot was a new-fangled invention that she began to begrudgingly use and later we convinced her to use a drip coffee maker – a necessity electrical appliance that was constantly on from sunup until bedtime in her house. Interestingly, she drank her cup-o-Joe with lots of cream and two to three teaspoons of sugar (replaced by artificial sweetener later in life). She lived to be 92 years old.

Anyway, sitting here I am reminded of the words of Jesus found in Matthew’s gospel where Jesus encourages people to focus on the simplicity of the things of God: “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:27-33 NIV84)”

Far too many of us spend far too much time worrying about this or that or the other thing in life. We forget that what we worry about today will not matter next year or even within a few weeks. I confess, I am a worrier so I know of what I speak, but I’ve learned – with the help of my sweet wife and the patience of the Lord – to take time not to worry. To allow the Lord to handle whatever is bothering me for the day.

Around us the white trillium lily blooms about this time of the year. They are a beautiful flower and only last a few days, no less than a week, simple yet beautiful. As I sit here enjoying the simple things in life I am reminded of these flowers and the words of the Lord. Let their beauty and his words sooth your soul today. Grab a cup of coffee, tea, or something else you enjoy and go for a walk or sit out on your porch and enjoy the life the Lord has given right now. Remember, it’s all about the simple things like coffee and lilies.

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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.

Reflections on 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 – Thanks–giving

Reflections on 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 – Thanks–giving
By Lee Hemen (Retired Pastor)
November 26, 2020

“Since the “Mayflower” had left England nine weeks behind schedule, the New World’s harsh weather threatened their very survival… Winter took its toll. Journal entries feature the same melancholy theme week after week, for months on end: “… Aboute noone, it began to raine … at night, it did freeze & snow … still the cold weather continued … very wet and rainy, with the greatest gusts of wind ever we saw … frost and foule weather hindered us much; this time of the yeare seldom could we worke half the week.” That winter more than half the heads of households perished. Aboard ship only five of eighteen wives lived through the ravages of scurvy, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. An entry for March 24th reads: “This month thirteen of our number die. And in three months past dies halfe our company … Of a hundred persons, scarce fifty remain, the living scarce able to bury the dead.”

“How could the Pilgrims talk about thanksgiving in the midst of life’s most difficult trials?” we wonder. Why not just curse God and die? They gave thanks for God’s presence in their adversities because they knew that struggles did not have to make them bitter; struggles could make them better. These remaining Pilgrim daughters and sons, mothers and fathers, placed their trust in their God and laid the enduring foundations of a nation. Thanksgiving Day, 1621, did not just celebrate wild turkey and Indian corn; it celebrated the human spirit reaching out to God in gratitude for the blessings the Pilgrims still did possess. (Joyful Heart Ministries, written by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson)

In today’s passage we see that Paul spoke about the fact that when a believer’s life is lived to bring glory and honor to God, then their lives “…will result in thanksgiving to God.” It is a matter of spiritual reciprocity with God. You reap spiritually from God in your life what you sow spiritually in your life.

READ: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

I am not going to talk to you about tithing this morning, rather, I am going to share with you about the reward of generosity in life. The Pilgrims knew what this meant. So did the early church. Why have we lost sight of this vital Christian virtue that results in a life of thanks–giving? Paul shares with us in several arenas of life that can help us to recapture a true spirit of generosity and live a wonderful life full of thanks–giving to God. First, Paul knew that thanks–giving —

I. Is Not the Result of Outward Circumstances but Inward Dependency Upon God! (vv. 6-8)

1. Spiritual fires flamed with a fan of false piety result in burned out embers and bummed out believers!
   1) The greedy partner who places restriction after restriction on the other partner burdens them by irrational expectations! Greed destroys freedom. Hoarding what is ours, running scared, giving only under pressure, we become smaller and smaller people, and God has less and less access to be able to do good to us and through us. Spiritual dependency is the soil in which spiritual freedom grows. God never restricts us. As a matter of fact he has given us freedom! Paul wrote: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free… But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love.” (Gal 5:1&15) Christians are to be spiritual partners with God.
   2) This is why Paul states, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you (Why?) so that in all things at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work!” The Christian is to be dependent upon God and God alone! God is able to all things through Jesus in our lives! (Phil 4:13) That describes our partnership!
   EXAMPLE: Remember the savings and loans scandals? People made outrageous claims and investments went bad. What was at the heart of this was not just dishonesty but also greed. People wanted something for nothing. There is no such thing. Neither can a person have a fast food faith. Dependence on God is the result of time spent with Him. God is able to make all grace abound to us when we invest our lives in Him! We decide to be God’s partner. As one old sage put it, “You get what you pay for!” Paul said, “You reap what you sow.”

It is easy for people to see what kind of faith we have. If we are dependent upon God then we reflect the kind of faith that God desires. Paul knew that thanks–giving —

II. Is Displayed by A Believer’s Spiritual Growth! (vv. 9-11)

1. Generosity in the life of a believer should ring out like the sound of a dinner bell at the end of the day which says with every note, “Come and get it!”
   1) What Paul is doing is saying that Christians should tell the truth with their whole life. If the Corinthians do not do what they said they were going to do, they will not be loved less, but the real truth will be known about them! Paul wants them to understand that there isn’t going to be some sort of face-saving cover-up of the circumstances!
   2) Paul tried to tell the Corinthians that as they lived their lives generously God would “supply… increase… and enlarge” their spiritual harvest of “righteousness!” What a promise! However, the converse is true as well! As a matter of fact Paul would relate “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire…” (1 Thess 5:18&19) Giving thanks in all circumstances describes a believer’s generosity in life!
   EXAMPLE: I know you are aware of the widespread discussions of dysfunctional families, co-dependency, and systems of lies that are built to keep reputations from being soiled. Some adult member of a family is an alcoholic, for instance, and the family covers the tracks, pretending none of it is true. The term ‘co-dependent’ was coined to describe systems of lies developed by families that want to be thought well of. Paul, however, is not going to set up any reputation-protection systems for the Corinthian Christians. Their reputation is going to be based on what they displayed in life, not on what they said or what they want people to think about them! If they want to be thought of as generous, it ought to be because they are generous, not because they once said they would be!
   3) Whatever you struggle with in your life –giving, bible reading, church attendance, daily devotions — is not because these things are untrue or not spiritually valid it is because they are not generously lived out in our lives! What kind of thanks–giving do you display to others? Where is your spiritual growth? Are your riches from God or something else?

These are no idle questions. These are of extreme importance. The reason is obvious — what others see in you is how they see Jesus in the world today! Why is that? Because Paul knew that thanks–giving —

III. In A Believer’s Life Can Lead Others to Faith! (vv. 12-15)

1. Spiritual spillage in us results in the spectators around us getting wet!
   1) The most important part of this whole section is when Paul literally shouts, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (v. 15) This is the foundation for everything Paul says. It is why the believer can be generous in life, and how they can grow in Christ. And it is how we can lead others to faith in Jesus.
   2) We do not do good works to be saved. We do good things from the overflow of God’s love in our lives! This is why some believers have very little to show for what God has done. There is no overflow! Not even a trickle or a drip! This is exactly what Paul is speaking about in verses 12-14! Spiritual spillage results in others getting wonderfully wet!
   3) Paul had encouraged the Corinthians earlier by reminding them that God’s grace was “for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” (2 Cor 4:15) Yet we see that they had simply quit! What had happened to them? They no longer overflowed with thanksgiving! In fact they had become bitter towards Paul, their mentor and friend! And they knew why! Paul would later encourage them by asking them to “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Cor 13:5) WOW! There was a kink in their spiritual pipe!
   EXAMPLE: Ever see someone do a belly-flop into a pool on purpose? Why do they do that? (To get others wet!) When I first started here I baptized a couple. When I asked them why they accepted Christ and wanted to follow through in baptism they both stated it was because of what they had seen in the lives of their Christian friends! As the husband put it, “When I was around them, I could not help but get excited and want to know more about Jesus!” Christians should splash the Holy Spirit all over those around them until the spectators have to either get a towel to dry off or join in by jumping into the pool!

CONCLUSION:

Like the old poem states: “I’d rather see a sermon any day, than hear one.” Paul knew this to be true. What kind of sermon do you preach to others around you about your faith? About your God? About Jesus Christ? Christians do not live their lives in a void. Each of us are part of the community we live in. Paul encouraged his readers to be dependent upon God, to grow in their spirituality, and to live lives that displayed their real faith. Doing this he said would “result in expressions of thanks to God” in the community where they lived! That is thanks–giving.

This article is copyrighted © 2020 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.

Random Musings from My Pew…

Random Musings from My Pew…
By Lee Hemen
April 7, 2020

We have a Governor in Washington State who ran for president and nobody knew it. He got less than one one-hundredth of a percent of the vote. He ran on climate change and was resoundingly ignored by intelligent people. Why then are we listening to this imbecile while he shuts down our State’s economy? We know he is listening to the same “brainiacs” who modeled climate change for him. Computer models are notoriously rife with inaccuracies.

You watch, the President will push for the USA to go back to work and when it occurs if even one old decrepit or healthy individual dies from COVID-19 he will be roasted.

Right now you have politicians that see this as an opportunity to enslave the American people and worker into their mold of socialism. Make no mistake about this. Instead of coming up with real answers they want to throw more money at the situation. Uncle Sam is not your wealthy uncle you can go to for every little thing you need. Instead of making anything worthwhile or productive they just print more money. And when they do, while it might make you momentarily happy to get your government check, it devalues the money you have. You will eventually pay way more for goods and services. A good example is the yogurt I like went up from 67 cents to over $1.25 per container in two weeks. I asked why and it wasn’t because they had a run on it or supply and demand, it was because it is costing the manufacture more to produce it. It’s called “inflation” for those of you who are public educated.

Not to mention that we are not being told the whole truth by a liberal media concerning this virus. And believe me I am not someone who believes in governmental conspiracies. Yet there are major metropolitan hospitals that are empty of patients, have no one who is infected, or very few folks who are. Some even now have more than enough ventilators and are sending them out to other places in the USA. While I am sure the Seattle area, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York and New Jersey are being hard hit, even some of these cities are seeing a decrease in numbers. And NONE of the actual numbers are anywhere near the computer models that the media is using to frighten us to death with. I took a side trip to both of our local hospitals and guess what; they were not overrun with COVID-19 patients. In fact both are nearly empty.

Like a friend of mine has suggested I want to know where my property tax rebate is. If the Governor is closing schools down that I pay for with my taxes, why am I still paying the same rate? One bright note might be more folks will want to either have school choice or will continue to homeschool their kids. There is nothing your child’s teacher is doing online that you could not do yourself quite easily. Believe me we did with our daughter.

One bright spot is that golly gee wilickers all governmental employees are still getting paid! In fact they are still getting their retirement, sick leave, and health care. Are you? Remember that when they hand you a minor bribe in the form of a “stimulus” check.

This is how our idiot Governor is getting away with not just ruining the school year but the entire State. Be glad his presidential aspirations never amounted to anything. And we are the sheep that is allowing him to herd us along.

Be bold not to be embittered!

Be bold not to be embittered!

By Pastor Lee Hemen

November 22, 2018

 

I have always marveled at how embittered people hang onto to their bitterness like a protective cloak or badge of self-righteousness. They reason that they deserve to be bitter is because of past hurts that are often ones they never experienced themselves. It reminds me of Gollum from Lord of the Rings whose whole world and life’s focus revolved around a shiny golden ring. He ended up getting burned by it.

 

Thankfulness is a trait that one has to actually conjure up from within one’s self. You have to actually think about what you are thankful for and forget the past that wants you to cling to it like an addict to their drug of choice. There is a reason that a thankful heart is a happy heart. It purposefully forgets about itself and takes a positive step into the future. It realizes that all things come from God whether it is the good, the bad, or the ugly in life. And one can either remain stuck focusing on the ugliness or work to decide to head to the good that God offers us.

 

Life is precious and can be wasted when we embitter ourselves and remain wrapped in our cloak of self-pity and righteousness. Instead look for the joy of life, which I believe begins with the Lord, and allow the fruit of thankfulness to grow and bubble up in your heart today.

 

Life is tough by its very nature but life can also be a joyous journey of thankfulness. You decide to allow God in and he will fill your life with the joy you need for each day. The joy of the Lord can be your strength and you can learn to be thankful in all situations that life throws your way.

 

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

The Heart Wants What is Contrary to What God Desires

The Heart Wants What is Contrary to What God Desires
By Pastor Lee Hemen
March 17, 2018

We have all heard the phrase “The heart wants what the heart wants” and then stand back and go “ah”, but this is truly kind of a stupid phrase that excuses really dumb behavior and poor decision making. We are supposed to make life-changing decisions based on what we know, you know – knowledge. This is why the Scripture remind us that “Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning and even among fools she lets herself be known (Proverbs 14:33 NIV).” Notice the caveat “of the discerning” meaning those who think things through and use logic and not feelings. It also reminds us that “The heart of the righteous weighs its answers (Proverbs 15:28 NIV)” and that “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out (Proverbs 18:15 NIV).” What this all means is that the “heart” needs to exercise caution and not rely on feelings or emotions over discernment. It is through the toughest times when we think we know what is right because our feelings or emotions are leading us to do something we know we should not and others have told us not to do that we need to remember these passages. Be mindful that “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart (Proverbs 21:2 NIV).”

Jeremiah wanted to do what he thought felt right but God reminded him, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve (Jeremiah 17:9-10 NIV).” Therefore we need to step back and rely on the wisdom of others who know life better than we do. Hasty decisions can lead to disastrous results, hurt, and embarrassment. Sure there are always those who like to think life is some kind of romantic novel, but it is not.

As followers of Jesus we are to emulate him who took three and a half years to mentor his hasty disciples; especially Peter. He took his entire life to kneel before his Father in heaven in a garden and declare that his decision was based not on his will, his feelings, but on the will of God and his plan. This is why Jesus reminded his followers that “the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander (Matthew 15:18-19 NIV).” Our hearts are deceptive because this is where our emotions and feelings dwell and when we allow these to rule our lives the outcome can be foolish. This is why we are reminded that “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good (Psalms 14:1 NIV).”

Be warned when you follow your heart and not the wisdom of the Lord.

Do you go to Sunday School?

Do you go to Sunday School?
By Pastor Lee Hemen
January 29, 2018

The apostle Paul wrote his friend and young cohort Timothy these words: “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 NIV)” Yet sadly in our day many think that by just attending a worship service they have done this; handled the word of truth correctly. Nothing could be further from the truth. We live in a time when things like Wednesday Night and Sunday Evening Services have gone by the wayside and now for many churches they are doing away with Sunday School Classes or promoting Bible Study. It has created a flux of folks who think they know all about the Bible by simply listening to the latest pithy relevant message by their prognosticating preacher, using the Internet to garner spiritual insight, or by reading the latest Christian fad found in their local bookstore.

Paul correctly understood the human condition that it was like water in that it has a tendency to always flow downhill so-to-speak. We are lazy lots who would rather diet and exercise an easy way rather than put in the hardcore self-control and workout that is needed. A pill or prepackaged food will not create the life change needed and the same is true for the Christian who should be growing in their knowledge and understanding of Scripture.

As a pastor I try my best to be in a Sunday School Class on Sunday mornings. I enjoy not only the give and take of lively discussion, I enjoy the friendships formed, and the insights given me by fellow believers. It goes to the basics of what does this passage in the Bible mean, what does it mean for me, and what is its history and context?

Because of the lackadaisical attitude of most Christians there is a spiritual shallowness rampant within Christianity today. Many do not know what they believe nor why they should believe it or not. Most are influenced by society rather than being the salt and light they are supposed to be in an ungodly world. In the 80s and 90s it was the heresy of end times theology that crept into believer’s lives, in the early 2000s it is a worldview that is totally contrary to biblical truth and personal holiness. Worship was never meant to be where one is taught the deep spiritual truths of Jesus. It is where we are to worship. Depending upon a message in a moment will not suffice to make an individual one who is “approved… who correctly handles the word of truth”. Christians need to be in Bible Study or a Sunday School Class, whatever you want to name it, in order to mature and understand the word of God correctly. Paul also told his friend Timothy, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16 NIV)” And I am reminded of a beautiful little comment by Luke who wrote about a tiny church who saw the importance of getting together with their fellow believers to learn the word of God: “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11 NIV)”

My advice then is this: Get your body to Bible Study or Sunday School Class on Sunday mornings and if your church does not offer them, find one that does. Therefore, “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 NIV)”
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This article is copyrighted © 2018 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.

Christmas Is About Three Fathers…

Christmas Is About three Fathers…
By Pastor Lee Hemen
December 25, 2016

The other day as I was changing the diaper of my baby granddaughter it all of sudden hit me that Christmas is about so much more than a baby boy. It is about fathers as well. In fact it is about three of them that I know of. First, I cannot but wonder about the father of Mary who watched as his little pregnant daughter walked slowly down the dusty road leaving Nazareth. The trip would not be long by today’s standards but a huge undertaking for a new couple. Food, clothes, and necessities for a new baby and of course her care had to be carried. We forget people usually did not live past their 40s during this time and at a distance of about 89 miles would be a hard journey. I wonder if he looked at the night sky full of stars noticing that the one which shown brightest was in the sky near the place where his daughter journeyed to and thought about her. Was she safe? Had she given birth? Was Joseph taking care of her? Was the baby born healthy and strong? I am sure this father worried about his daughter so far away from home giving birth for the first time. Loving fathers are like that.

The second father I thought of was Joseph. Here he was a father for the first time, far from home town himself, and the only spot he could find for his pregnant wife was a stall for sheep and goats. It was comfortable at least, with some new hay for Mary to spread a cloak down. But now the baby, his baby, their baby was going to be born. I am sure growing up in a small farming community like Nazareth Joseph had watched siblings, other family members, or friends’ children being born. Certainly he watched as sheep gave birth. But now it would be his bride and his child. He could place the baby in the clean swaddling clothes they brought from Nazareth with some of the new hay in the feeding trough. I wonder as Joseph looked up at the stars shining in the night sky if he realized all the work being a father entailed? The mentoring, the training, the discipline, devotion, and the imparting of the love of God, would he be up to it all? As he looked at his little wife did he wonder at his role in being the father of the Messiah? I am sure he did and so much more because loving fathers are like that.

The third and final father I thought of was God himself. The mystery, the shear wonder, and the amazing thing God the father had decided to do since the beginning of all creation was about to occur. I stand in utter awe thinking about the fact that this was God the father’s plan all along: To come himself in the form of a human baby, born to a young Hebrew couple from a small village, in small stable on such a silent night. The birth as amazing as it truly is, is just a moment in time and fades in stature to the cruel death he would willingly face; a death that would become the sacrifice for all of our sin for those who believe and even those who do not. I wonder that as the stars danced in the sky he had created and as the young woman cried in the pains of childbirth if God the Father did not smile as his plan was being born. It makes me smile. I do not think he worried about anything at all, after all he foreordained it all. He had predetermined that on this particular night that this young couple would give birth, well, to him! He had told them both it would happen just as he knew it would and it did. As angels sang, shepherds trembled, Wisemen wandered, and mad kings plotted the plan of God the Father came together perfectly. The plans of our loving Father are like that.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Is All About Love…

One of the things I have learned over the years is that Christmas is all about love. It begins with God who is love displaying himself in his love for all mankind. And this marvelous and mysterious love has infected all of mankind whether they want to believe in that love or not. The infection has manifested itself throughout the entire world. God’s love does that whether we want it to or not. It is manifested in the godly things we do to one another without asking for anything in return. It is seen in the trust little children have in the belief that God’s love is found in believing in a saintly man who loves children enough he is willing to share that love to those who are willing to be good for goodness sake. It is heard in the songs sung about that silent night when two people became parents for the first time a long way from home and their baby boy would be the hope of all mankind. Love is displayed in the red, green, and white decorations that celebrate the coldness of winter but the warmth of that Godly love. The wrapped gifts given are the shadow of the wonderful Wisemen who journeyed across stream and fountain, moor and mountain to an animal feeding trough outside of a tiny town in an obscure kingdom ruled by a mad king to set before the king of Kings their precious offerings of love. The love of God is reflected in the lights strung on houses, trees, and bushes and buildings; they blind us as Holiday Displays or warm us next to a fireplace as they twinkle on a tree. Each and every part of Christmas may be prepackaged or commercial for some but there deep inside of all the Christmas dress up is the love of God. And whether you like it or not there it is, his love sent in his Son and it is his birthday we celebrate. That’s what Christmas is all about.