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.

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.

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.

Fatherly Advice – Proverbs 22:6

Fatherly Advice – Proverbs 22:6 

By Pastor Lee Hemen

June 12, 2022

Father’s Day is coming up real soon and later in the year, on September 11, 2022, the first Sunday after Labor Day we will celebrate National Grandparents Day. Of course, we just celebrated Mother’s Day. When I was younger, like a lot of kids, I wondered out loud when there would be a national celebration for kids, my father replied that “It’s when schools begins in the fall.” Some would say, “Every day is Kid’s Day.” And perhaps it is.

We live in a day and age where children have become almost idolatry for some families. Here’s what I mean: Far too much emphasis is placed on how to make children happy and little is spent on what truly makes a child self-sufficient. Children today are often used by “experts” as educational and political experiments for indoctrination. Yet the Bible speaks very plainly on what truly constitutes a well rounded child rearing. What most families lack today in raising godly kids is consistency, so today, I’m going to take a few moments to give some fatherly advice.

READ: Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. (Proverbs 22:6 NIV84)

What does this mean? I’ve heard this over and over again and I’ve listened to a multitude of sermons and seminars on the subject, but what does it truly mean for us today? New parents I’ve learned usually have a lot of questions about how to raise children. Many think that by giving a child free reign allows them to express their true selves. However, the Scriptures make it quite clear that both adults and children do best when they know their boundaries. Let’s discover some fatherly advice, shall we?

I. Children do best when they know their parameters! (Matthew 5:37)

Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:37 NIV84)

  1. Jesus understood that people often want to make a million excuses as to why they failed to follow through on something, whether it was being holy or doing their daily chores. Keeping it simple when raising kids works best just as it does with adults. The Hebrews had developed the political skill of word usage. They would declare certain things as “holy” or set apart for God (Corban) just so they could get out of helping out their parents. The Pharisees were notorious for their nonbinding oaths, which were made on the least provocation. They would make all kinds of allowances for mental reservations within their oaths. If they wanted to be relieved of oaths they had made by heaven… by the earth… by Jerusalem, or by one’s own head, they could argue that since God Himself had not been involved their oaths were not binding. Kids can do the exact same thing. The Lord was saying one’s life should be sufficient to back up one’s words. A “yes” always ought to mean “yes”, and a “no” should mean “no”. James seems to have picked up these words of the Lord in his epistle: “Above all, my brothers, do not swear–not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your ‘No,’ no, or you will be condemned. (James 5:12 NIV84)” I find it interesting that in our day and age there are many who think that you can never tell a child “no”, but this is not realistic because they will face a lot of “no’s” in life. Teaching children to be independent does not begin with telling them “yes” all of the time. In fact, children do best when they know their parameters!

  EXAMPLE: One day, two young mothers were sitting on the front porch of one of their homes watching their children playing in the front yard while they visited. One child kept heading toward the street and one mother being afraid of traffic would get up and go and bring her child back without saying a word. After about the tenth time of doing this the other mother asked, “Why don’t you just tell him ‘no’ when he heads for the street?” The other mother remarked, “Oh I could never do that because I don’t want him to feel negative feelings just because he is curious.” About that time, the other mother’s child headed toward the same street and she simply spoke firmly to him, “NO!” He stopped, turned around, and did not head to the street again. The mom turned to her friend and remarked, “There’s nothing wrong with telling your child ‘no’ now and then, it helps them to know their boundaries.” Children do best when they know their parameters!

There are those who think that by giving their child everything and anything they are making them happy, and while this may be true for the moment what it creates in the long run is unrealistic expectations. Children are like everyone else and are intrinsically selfish. They want food and water when they need it, sweets when they can get them, and their wants and wishes fulfilled immediately. And kids are not stupid; they know how to begin to manipulate their environment, one parent over the other, to suit their own needs. The second piece of fatherly advice I want to give this morning is…

II. Children do best when they are not frustrated! (Ephesians 6:4)

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4 NIV84)

  1. Children can become exasperated by not knowing what is expected of them. Like I just shared, they need no’s to be no and yes’s to be yes. This is also true in how they are given responsibilities. And this begins early in childhood, or it should anyway. Picking up toys, cleaning their room, brushing teeth, or regular bathing is all part of this process. And no, children do not need to be rewarded for doing what is expected of them as part of the family. Just as daily expectations of chores should be a part of every child’s life so should the nurturing and maturation of their understanding of God. Most problems in our society today stem from the basic fact that most families have no core principles that they adhere to, or are at best they are just a mishmash of feel good philosophy. Teen suicides are up because of COVID, now why do you think this is true? Because kids feel left out, neglected, or ostracized when they cannot be around family or friends. Many young teenage boys feel like they cannot do anything right because society has emphasized the opposite sex, unisex, or you can be any sex. Young men have become “exasperated” and when they do, the result can often be self-inflicted harm or violent behavior. Boys are not being raised to be godly men and girls are not taught what it means to be a godly woman. Young girls are taught that it is more important to be empowered rather than learn how to nurture. Children learn how to be parents from their PARENTS! You can exasperate your child by not being consistent in what is expected of them. Children do best when they are not frustrated!

  EXAMPLE: The other day in WinCo, again, I came across a mother and she had a gaggle of children with her; several girls and a little boy. The boy, who was riding in the shopping cart, began to fuss because he didn’t get what he wanted when he wanted it, which was right now. She just kept shopping. His frustration grew but her patience did not seem to wane at all. Finally, however, she stopped shopping, made him look at her, and asked him, “Young man, have you ever gotten you way by fussing at me?” He replied, “No ma’am.” She smiled and told him, “Then sit yourself down and be quiet or you may earn something you do not like.” He did immediately as his mother commanded. I had to laugh because one of her daughters leaned into the cart and remarked, “I told you what mom would do if you kept fussing.” Now those kids knew what was expected of them. Children do best when they are not frustrated!

I have often heard advice on raising kids from the time I was a young parent and into becoming a pastor. One of the first verses of Scripture I learned was “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him (Proverbs 13:24 NIV)”, which came the old adage of “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” Many have misused this over the years including those who want to be too permissive, to those who are way too dictatorial. Let’s discover the last piece of fatherly advice that… 

III. Children do best when they are consistently disciplined! (Proverbs 12:1 NIV84)

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. (Proverbs 12:1 NIV84)

  1. Wisdom is not gained by knowledge but rather by how you use the knowledge you have gained in life. This is why the writer of Proverbs writes what he does: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” Now there are those who declare that we should never call someone stupid, but folks there are a lot of stupid people in the world and the sooner you realize it the better off you will be. I’ve known a lot of knowledgeable people who were not very wise. And parents do their children a disservice by not consistently disciplining them. Notice that I did not say “spanking” them. It’s easy for some parents to give out attaboys but it is way more difficult for them to make their precious children mind their Ps and Qs. This is funny expression that came from British pubs where barkeepers were taught to be aware of the number of pints and quarts they gave out so they could tally a correct bill. Some think it came from sailing vessels where a sailor was to mind his coat (pea coat) collar and his powdered wig braid (called a cue). Wherever it came from far too many kids today cannot discipline themselves because they have never experienced discipline growing up. The Christian word “disciple” comes from the same root word because a disciple was expected to discipline themselves in order to learn from their teachers. Paul, using sportsman language, would declare how this disciplining process took place in his own life by relating: “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:27 NIV84)” Paul was no masochist but he was disciplined in Jesus. Like a good prizefighter Paul disciplined himself for the ring he faced daily. That’s what good parents do with their children because children do best when they are consistently disciplined!

  EXAMPLE: Far too many in our day and age are not self-disciplined because they were never taught to be. From media, in family interactions, to the non-constraints of a society that teaches anything goes. No one should ever be told “no”, that they do a lousy job, or that they have no morals. When I was at a Vancouver Clinic the other day I overheard a grandmother lamenting about how when her granddaughter was told that she could not act the way she was acting, she spit in her mother’s face. The mother, I guess responded by asking her daughter, “Is that anyway to act?” The grandmother went on to relate that she must have because she never said she was sorry or apologized to her mother. It made me wonder about how the child was disciplined. I’ve learned that if you want children to grow up to be kind adults, they have to realize there are consequences for their bad behavior. Children do best when they are consistently disciplined!

Conclusion:

Children do best when they know their parameters! Children do best when they are not frustrated! Children do best when they are consistently disciplined!

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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 – Jesus and Freedom of Speech

Ramblings from Retirement – Jesus and Freedom of Speech
By Pastor (retired) Lee Hemen
April 14, 2022

My father would remind us that “Words mean things”, usually when my brother and I were in the midst of calling one another morons or some other teenage moniker. Words are important.

Many in today’s America have forgotten a fundamental right that is guaranteed by our Constitution: Freedom of speech. This is a core right that should be protected at all costs. You may not like or agree with what someone else says, writes, or films but you can turn it off, not read it, or respond to it. It is your freedom to do so. Lease we forget this is why Jesus was persecuted as he was. He openly proclaimed the truth of God which stood in stark contrast to the false narrative of the religious leaders of his day. Over and over, we hear Jesus telling his detractors, “You say” and then telling them the truth. Using his free speech eventually cost him his life.

In Matthew’s gospel we find a perfect example of this when Jesus tells these hypocritical religious leaders, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. (Matthew 7:1-6 NIV84)”

Sadly far too many think that if you make them feel bad about themselves, you are evil, horrible, and should not be allowed to speak or share freely. They immediately judge and want to muzzle anyone who might disagree with their particular perverted proclivity. We see it occurring on social media sights like Twitter, Facebook, TicTok, and others when they self-righteously silence anyone or anything they find disagreeable. Often they use terms like “hate speech” or “false information” and have made themselves the final arbitrators of what should be read or heard.

The Jewish leaders beat, mocked, and then drug Jesus before Roman authorities with a false narrative hoping Pilate would execute Jesus for them so that they could sit back and tell the crowds it was not their fault but Rome’s. They did not like what Jesus was telling the crowds that they had controlled with their corrupt faith. Then, interestingly when Jesus stands before the Roman authority, Pontius Pilate, Pilate asks him, “What is truth?” right after Jesus tells him what it is, that namely he had come “to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” Only freedom of speech can allow for the truth to be disseminated and thereby be understood. You cannot stifle the truth even if you have it nailed to a cross. Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:31-32 NIV84)”

As believers in Christ we cannot allow the world to restrict our freedom of speech, to do so would allow the gospel to be silenced. This is why as a pastor I never felt threatened when I was confronted by false biblical teaching. For me it never made any sense. Freedom of speech does not just mean allowing the gospel to be freely shared. As a Christian never give up your freedom of speech, even if it means you have to listen others who seem offensive or ungodly. I believe the reason so many find the gospel offensive is because of the truth it contains. Only the truth will set them free and only if you can freely share it. Words do mean things so do not give up your right to free speech.

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 – Words Do Mean Things

Ramblings from Retirement – Words Do Mean Things
By Pastor (Retired) Lee Hemen
March 29, 2022

The other day I was outside working in my yard getting things ready for spring, and the growing season, I began to think about how people today think that by using the right words or phrases will solve our problems. Now I know that many of them do not truly believe this and they are simply endorsing their own political correct propaganda in order to bring about a change in the world that fits their own paradigm. However, I suddenly realized that these social misfits do not realize it but they are endorsing what Jesus taught. And, I am sure that many of them would be horrified to realize this truth.

One afternoon while Jesus was berating the hypocrites in the crowds that constantly followed him, he bluntly told them, “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. (Matthew 12:33-37 NIV84)”

You see Jesus often used common metaphors in order to teach eternal truths to an unwitting crowd. Jesus knew that fruit trees of that day only produced the fruit God designed them to produce, and if the tree was bad at its core it would only produce bad fruit. A farmer had to do something in order to make the tree produce good fruit, the tree itself could not. What the unsuspecting crowd did not fully understand is that they were bad to the bone, too their very core. Therefore they would only produce bad fruit in life, something or someone else had to make them produce good fruit.

Notice that Jesus continued to relate that “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” He did not mean we were to use only approved words, names, or monikers but rather that we as sinful human beings were rotten inside and out, and if we wanted to truly produce good fruit in life we needed to change. The only words that could change us both inside and out were to confess our faith in him. Words do mean things and the spoken word reflects what one truly believes, but word themselves have no power to change anyone unless they believe the truth they proclaim. This is why the Apostle Paul would later write, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Romans 10:9-10 NIV84)” The words people need to use to acquit themselves before God is their faith in him through Jesus. That one truly believes with their entire being “Jesus is Lord”. Words do mean things, what words do you truly believe?
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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.

The Joy of a Father’s Heart

The Joy of A Father’s Heart
By Pastor Lee Hemen
December 12, 2021

I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart; I will enter His courts with praise! I will say this is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice for He has made me glad! The JOY of the Lord is my strength; it has to be especially now. This is both the happiest day and the saddest day of my life! But as you can see, I think I will focus on the happier part! Oh Lord, my Yahweh thank You for being the Lord You are. Thank You for my daughter, Miriam and of course Yoseph!

A father knows this day will come but he never realizes just how fast it does come. Your daughter is one day playing with your beard, learning to walk, learning the Psalms and singing them sweetly around the house, and the next… she has growing into a fine young woman! Can it be that she is fourteen now? They grow up so fast! This last year she has learned to cook, sew, keep a household, and to manage affairs well like a good Jewish woman should.

Just yesterday she was my little girl. For me, she will always be my little “Ahyawlaw”, my fawn. But then we have found a good man for her, a carpenter, and an established man who is well liked, and has a steady income. His name is Yoseph. Did I mention him before? He is very kind too, which suits me well and is never late for Synagogue and always observes the Sabbath. He is a godly man. He will make my little Miriam a fine husband, and who knows? Soon perhaps I will have more little ones crawling all over their “Abbie!” Yes! Today is both a sad day and a fine day! A day the Lord has truly made! I think I will focus on the fine part! Imagine, my little Miriam, married?

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Today is a miserable day! A sad cloudy dark abysmal day! A bleak day! A day that no man should go through, not even Job! First, Yoseph comes to me and says he is not sure he desires to wed our Miriam. I am shocked, I am angered, and my wife is in tears, he is embarrassed. I can see it all over his face. He hardly can look at me.

“Yoseph,” I ask him, “what is wrong?” Why has my little Miriam displeased you so? Is she too lazy? Is she too small and not strong enough to bear you fine strong children? Is she a flighty woman, not thinking of her household? “No,” he says. “She is none of that.” In fact, she is perfect, but did I “know something about her that I had not told him before?” “What?” I demanded. What did he mean?

Then the horrible truth came from his lips. Miriam is with child! How could this be? At first, I accused Yoseph of deception, then of being foul with his words. He rebutted that his actions with Miriam were always honorable. I ordered him to leave my house. How could he say such thing about my little Ahyawlaw, my Miriam, my little, beautiful, wonderful daughter?

Then she came into the room where I was inwardly weeping, and calmly took my hand. She looked into my eyes and confided in me that indeed it was true. She is with child. She had told Yoseph herself and being an honorable man, he was seeking to do this quietly as to not cause problems for her. I could not look at her. Who had done this foul thing to her, to us, to her mother and me? We would be seen in town as horrible parents! A laughingstock! They would think that some Roman soldier had seduced her! What would we do? What would she do? Perhaps she could go visit her Aunt Elizabeth.

She then said something so sad, yet so unbelievable to me that at first, I could not understand her words. They came out of her mouth, but they seemed like gibberish to me. Calmly she confided that an angel of God, Gabriel, had come to her and related that she would be a mother of a special child. The Holy Spirit of God, he promised, would come upon her and she would conceive a male child. She was to make sure to call Him “Yeshua.” The angel told her that “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 Yacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” He would be the Savior of His people Israel. The Messiah!

I did not want to believe her. I thought her mad. I asked her if God’s angels had a habit of introducing themselves to young Hebrew women on a first name basis. But then I saw her calmness. Her confidence and steadfastness radiated from her face, no longer a little girl stood in front of her father, she was a blessed beautiful woman of God.

Then today, a message came from my brother Zachariah. His wife Elizabeth is with child as well! Now, my brother is older than me! And his old barren wife Elizabeth to be pregnant is a miracle, right? Did I mention Elizabeth is OLD? So, then I encouraged Miriam to get some of her things together to go and visit Elizabeth because not only would she know what to do, and she could help, but if Elizabeth was going to give birth, then what had occurred with Miriam was for a reason, but what exactly? And what will we do with a pregnant young unmarried woman in a Hebrew village?

Yes, today is a horrible day? Isn’t Lord? Surely You can understand a father’s hurt for his daughter? Now, I know why Yoseph was so hurt…

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Today is one of those days you cannot describe. Everything is a mess in my life, my wife’s life, and in the lives of Miriam and Yoseph. Yet it is a good day as well. Can you believe it? Yoseph came back to me last week to talk again about Miriam. Yes, they are going to be married! How you ask? Yoseph came to me within a few days to humbly, yes humbly, to ask my forgiveness and for permission to be the husband of Miriam again! I told him that we had sent her to Elizabeth and Zechariah but that she would be home soon. At first I was angry. I was hurt. I was the father of a daughter that something was happening to that I could not explain! He could not possibly know what I was going through!

Yes, yes, he knew all about it but how could he know so much? Who made him aware of what God was supposedly doing in the life of my only daughter? Then he related to me that he too had been visited by Yahweh’s messenger. He related that the angel visited him in a dream and told him, “Yoseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Miriam home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Yeshua, because he will save his people from their sins.” He hurried off to make arraignments to go and tell Miriam as soon as she returned.

Now today, TODAY, they both come to me saying that because of this decree from Caesar they have to journey to Bethlehem! Now! At this time of the year! And she is with child and could give birth anytime! Yet Yoseph was adamant as was Miriam. I had to let them go, didn’t I? We could not defy the Romans.

My little daughter, my new son-in-law, and perhaps my new grandchild all journeying over bandit infested highways. Such a long dusty rock-strewn way, well over sixty or seventy stradia! But You, Lord, You will watch over them and keep them safe? Help Miriam with her birth, dear Lord. Help Miriam find a safe comfortable place. Watch over Yoseph and help him to be a good husband and father. Find them someone who will help Miriam!

He hugged me. And Miriam, my little Miriam, my Ahyawlaw, she stood on her tiptoes, cupped my head in her delicate hands, reached her little face to mine, and kissed me right here on my cheek. She whispered, “Abba, it will be okay. Do not worry. God is watching over us. I carry His child.” Children, what do they know? There are so many dangers in the world. So many things can happen.

Then they walked out of the house, down the road, and over the small hill over there and were gone to Bethlehem. My Miriam, my Ahyawlaw, my little girl – gone. She is now a wife and soon to be a mother of a baby boy and my first grandchild, my first grandchild! Who would have believed such things? Oh Lord God, please keep Ahyawlaw safe for her “Abba. The joy of the Lord will be my strength! The joy of the Lord will be everyone’s strength!

This article is copyrighted © 2021 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 – You’re gonna die!

Ramblings from Retirement – You’re gonna die
By Retried Pastor Lee Hemen
August 24, 2021

There are several quotes, memes, and statements floating around online and on TV that I have come to utterly hate and therefore disregard because they have become meaningless. They are: “We’re all in this together” and “If we can save even one life…” Both have become “pithyisms” – a new term that defines a statement that is made that means nothing but sounds pity. Politicians use them all the time to sound intelligent and to skirt the truth.

First of all we are not all in this together because we do not know one another, we do not mingle in the same groups with one another, and most of you have absolutely no vested interest in who I am or what I do, except you are kind enough to read or listen to my ramblings. I know it is supposed to make us feel like we are part of a community, a family, or all in the same leaky boat but frankly we are not all in this together. Can we be supportive of a concerted effort to try and make a difference? Sure, but that’s about it. Being in this together means to me that you are willing and able to invest your time, talent, and money to help me personally, encourage me individually, and walk along side of me daily. You can’t do that if you do not even know me. In fact, like my Daddy used to say, “Talk is cheap and empathy means nothing without commitment.” (By the way did you know that all the scrap metal collecting during WWII had little to no impact on the War Effort but it was enforced to make Americans feel good about their selves?)

Now that brings me to my last meme that I have come to dislike because of its overuse: “If we can save even one life…” Now think about that for a moment. Frankly there are few people in my circle who can actually save anyone’s life, including mine, and I am not talking about spirituality here at all. This statement takes on a self importance that is scientifically impossible to prove and smacks of arrogance. We do a lot of things in this day and age that have absolutely nothing to do with reality but certainly makes one feel better about oneself.

I read a statement, article, by someone the other day where they felt angered over what they called “supposed Christians” who did not care enough about others to wear a mask. The whole thrust of the argument was to make others feel guilty over something that none of us has any actual control over: someone else’s death – unless I am armed with a gun and going to shoot them. Then they quoted Scripture to make their argument seem more spiritually inclined than those ignorant and selfish believers who do not like wearing a mask and dared write about it. You see if we are so horrible as not to wear a mask and thereby place others at risk, because “if we can save even one life” should we even call ourselves “Christian” by not wearing a mask or heaven forbid encourage others not to do so? If we as believers do not wear a mask are we not guilty of being a stumbling block to others? I say, “Hogwash!” By this convoluted logic we should never ever do or say anything because it might somehow cause someone somewhere to die!

Here is the truth: If you have friends or family members that you are around constantly who have health concerns, then you should wear a mask but to say I might be causing the death of someone because I do not or I write about it? Wow, that is arrogance. Frankly I wear a mask around those who are elderly or medically venerable but I write and encourage personal freedom and not mandates, even by well-intentioned others. It’s called being a nanny. Years ago I actually knew a young man who would not go on a retreat or do anything extra in his life because he feared that by doing so he was misusing his time, talent, and treasure and someone somewhere in the world might starve!

The writer of Hebrews reminds us that “man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 NIV). At some point we will all die. In fact “No one knows what is coming– who can tell him what will happen after him? (Ecclesiastes 10:14 NIV)” We simply cannot say with any certainty when we will die or why? And to try to lay the blame on someone else because they did not wear a mask is wrongheaded. This virus will never go away because it is a COVID virus just like the flu or common cold. SARS and other COVID viruses that we have come into contact with are still with us to some varying degree to this day and people die from them all of the time! (Why haven’t you been wearing a mask all along when you knew that people could die from the common cold or flu?) Masks cannot protect anyone from getting the virus but they can help to a very small degree from you possibly maybe giving it to someone else. (This is not my opinion but viral science and backed by years of study on the use of masks and the cloth mask or paper surgical mask you are encouraged to use is about as helpful as a kitchen towel.)

We are all gonna die sometime and should we be helpful, kind, and courteous to others around us? Sure, but do not try to make me feel fuzzy or guilty with your stupid memes.

This article is copyrighted © 2021 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.