I Do Not Want You To Be Anxious

A paraphrase of I Corinthians 7:32 can read,

“I do not want you to be anxious.”

Anxiety is not part of God’s plan for the believer’s life. Are you anxious about anything?  Someone compiled this list of statistics about worry, have you seen it? “An Average Person’s Anxiety Is Focused On…40%—things that will never happen; 30%—things about the past that can’t be changed; 12%—things about criticism by others, mostly untrue; 10%—about health, which gets worse with stress; 8%—about real problems that will be faced” (Source: www.bible.org, “Sermon Illustrations: Worry, Anxiety”).

The Bible addresses human worry in strong terms.  Jesus called worry a lack of faith. And a lack of faith is called sin in the Bible.  “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6) By implication, to worry is to sin against God. And yet, even knowing this, we do it too much of the time!

However, Jesus died for the sin of worry, too. Chronic worriers can know pardon and forgiveness through Christ. Run to Him, and He can bring calm and peace.

However, let us contemplate where worry comes from–what are its sources?

I believe one major source of our worry is “thinking too much about tomorrow.”  But listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 6:34,

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

Now, your mind might race to the fact that we all have to plan and give some thought to what comes next.  Planning for tomorrow is not condemned.

In fact, the Bible even commends it:

“Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” (Proverbs 6:6-8)

So we have to learn the difference between “planning” and “being anxious.”  A word study might help.  Anxiety comes from the Greek word merimnao, which means “to be troubled with cares”.

Sometimes we worry about the past.  We should learn from the past, but not let it control us in the present.

St. Paul wrote,

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”

Progress is mighty hard if you never do anything but look in the rear-view mirror.

Worry is never presented as a solution in the Bible for the Christian. What is its antidote? Consider Philippians 4:6,

“Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

We are counseled to replace worry with “prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, bringing our requests to God.” The biggest enemy that worry has is faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of the salvation He has brought, our sin debt is paid, and thus our gravest problem in this life and the world to come is solved. As we enter into praise for our salvation, worry is crowded out.

Another worry killer is a consistent, structured, ordered prayer life. And the way we get that kind of prayer life is by making the time to do it every day, day in and day out. I sometimes find myself saying that I do not have time to pray and read the Bible. Yet, I find that I have little difficulty finding the time to do other things I enjoy.

African-American Methodist pastor and hymn writer Charles A. Tindley was once visited by a fellow who was a constant worrier.  Out of that exchange came the song, “Leave it There,” whose first stanza says,

“If the world from you withhold of its silver and its gold, And you have to get along with meager fare, Just remember, in His Word, how He feeds the little bird; Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.”

These are good words!

The Parson

Who is this Holy Spirit of which we speak?

Pentecost Sunday is this Sunday, May 19. Churches all over the world will remember the coming of the Holy Spirit, 50 days after Easter, all those centuries ago. The Holy Spirit continues to be given to us as believers today. He is a very present help in our times of need and trouble. But what do we know about the Holy Spirit? Where can we turn to learn about His ministry in our lives? Let us begin with the question of identity…Who is the Holy Spirit?

Let us turn first to the words of Jesus: 

The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. John 16:13

Having seen those verses, how have Christians confessed their faith in the Holy Spirit for 1400 years? These are the words from the Nicene Creed:

“He is the Lord, the giver of life, He proceed from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, and He spoke by the holy prophets of old.”

Finally, as an Anglican Christian, the 39 Articles of Religion teach us that the Holy Spirit

“[Who proceeds] from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory, with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.”

These three sources: the Holy Scriptures, the Creed, and the Articles tell us much about just Who the Holy Spirit is, and what He was sent to do.

Secondly, let us consider some facts about the intersection of the believer’s life and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Here are a few things the Scriptures teach us about the intersection of our spiritual life and the Holy Spirit’s ministry:

• We are told to “Walk in the Spirit”—Galatians 5:16, 25

• We are told that we are baptized in Him for regeneration and renewal—I Corinthians 12:13, Titus 3:4-6

• We are told to pray in the Spirit—Jude 20-21

• We are admonished to avoid grieving Him or insulting Him—Ephesians 4:30 and Hebrews 10:29

• And, we are told by Jesus that we are to be taught and guided by Him—John 14:26 and 16:13

But in conclusion, let us ponder the insights we can draw about the Spirit’s role in giving us the Word of God, our ongoing and vital source for guidance and help in this present life. It would be good to read John 14:26 again:

The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26

The Gospels are reliable because the writers were inspired by the Spirit of God, Who brought into remembrance what they had seen and heard Jesus teach and do.

The reliability of Scripture is one of the most important aspects about Scripture. There are lots of “old books” in the world. What causes us to use this Book, the Bible, as an authoritative guide? Why do we appeal to it in a way that makes it greater than the words of Shakespeare, or Homer, or the phone book or the newspaper? Why do we regard the Bible as the unique source of revelation from God, about God? It is because we believe it was given to us by holy men of old who were “moved by the Holy Spirit” to write down these words.

Did you know that there are about 3,000 allusions to God giving His words to people to tell and write down? (W.H. Griffith Thomas, How We Got Our Bible And Why We Believe It is God’s Word (Lincoln, NE: Back to the Bible Publishers, 1926), 89.) That is surely not a mistake. We are meant to read the Book and come to the conclusion about it that it is from God to us.

It is a ministry of the Holy Spirit then, to give us teaching about the nature of God, His will for the world, as well as to convict us of sin, righteousness and the judgment to come. The Holy Spirit was there involved with the writing down of the great truths of God, and preserving for all ages to come the message that he sent to the world. This is why when the Bible teaches us something, we need to heed its message. The Bible is not an ordinary book; it is far more than merely a collection of old sayings about God. It is the very Word of God, written.

I am thankful that the Scriptures record the Good News of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In giving us this message, the Holy Spirit has shown us that Christianity is not just a moral code, and that our obedience or lack of obedience is not the central issue in our faith. Rather, it is the obedience and sacrifice of Jesus Christ which counts most. This is what separates our faith from the rest of the religions in the world. Christianity is not about what we do for God. Rather, Christianity is about what Jesus has done for us. If the Holy Spirit had not given us the Bible, we might get mixed up on that point. We would misunderstand the purpose of the Law of God.

Happy Pentecost, then–celebrate in whatever way you see fit. Maybe your church will make nothing of it at all. That seems a shame, but one thing I am sure of: reading the Bible is certainly one good way to mark this special and holy day, remembering that the Holy Spirit moved the men of old to write down these wonderful words of life.

(c) The Parson, 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

Grant that our hearts may there rise…

Ascension Day is Thursday, May 9, and the title of this post is based on an old prayer that is used by Anglicans for the Ascension Day:

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

The aspiration contained in this prayer ought to be every sincere Christian’s wish. However, you won’t hear many evangelicals talking about Ascension Day, which amounts to quite a loss in my book. It is a special day that has some comforting and important Christological doctrines attached with it. In case you are uncertain about it, don’t leave the post just yet. Let me explain more.

The Ascension of our Lord happened 40 days after His resurrection, per Acts 1:3. The Ascension culminated with the removal of Jesus from His earthly ministry, resulting in His enthronement in Heaven at the right Hand of the Father. His ongoing ministry as our Intercessor and our King are therefore closely connected with His Ascension.

The intercessory ministry of our Lord as our Great High Priest is to me one of the most encouraging doctrines of our faith. Jesus prays for us. We need no other intermediary, no other go-between. What a joyful, heart-gladdening doctrine this is.

Hebrews 4:14-16, for example, tells us about this wonderful truth:

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (AV)

And yet, there is even more we can say about it. The Ascension shows us that Jesus Christ went bodily into heaven. We will, too, one day. We believe in the “resurrection of the body.” Jesus’s physical presence is in heaven, and one day, we and all who believe will be there with Him.

(See Article IV of the XXIX Articles of Religion: Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again his body, with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of Man’s nature; wherewith he ascended into Heaven, and there sitteth, until he return to judge all Men at the last day.)

I also like what Leo, a Christian bishop in the 5th century, wrote of the Ascension.

“And so, dearly beloved, let us rejoice with spiritual joy, and let us with gladness pay God worthy thanks and raise our hearts’ eyes unimpeded to those heights where Christ is. Minds that have heard the call to be uplifted must not be pressed down by earthly affections…”

(Sermon LXXIV in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, 2nd Series, Volume 12)

As a closing thought, here are some stanzas from Charles Wesley’s hymn “Hail The Day That Sees Him Rise,” which incorporates some of the words of that old prayer I began with:

Hail the day that sees Him rise, Alleluia!
To His throne above the skies, Alleluia!
Christ, awhile to mortals given, Alleluia!
Reascends His native heaven, Alleluia!

There the glorious triumph waits, Alleluia!
Lift your heads, eternal gates, Alleluia!
Christ hath conquered death and sin, Alleluia!
Take the King of glory in, Alleluia!

Him though highest Heav’n receives, Alleluia!
Still He loves the earth He leaves, Alleluia!
Though returning to His throne, Alleluia!
Still He calls mankind His own, Alleluia!

Still for us His death He pleads, Alleluia!
Prevalent He intercedes, Alleluia!
Near Himself prepares our place, Alleluia!
Harbinger of human race, Alleluia!

Grant, though parted from our sight, Alleluia!
Far above yon azure height, Alleluia!
Grant our hearts may thither rise, Alleluia!
Seeking Thee beyond the skies, Alleluia!

©The Parson, 2010-2013. All rights reserved.

Gimme that Old Time Religion: Praying for the Crops

The sunny, warm weather we’ve enjoyed in eastern Kentucky this week has been a blessing. It won’t be long before planting time will be here. More and more signs of farmers getting ready to plant corn and other crops are present. I saw lots of tractors and plows and discs at work this week.

Farmers work hard to get the ground ready for planting. They plow, disc, and fertilize: but in the end, God’s activity is what really counts. He will decide how much or how little rain, sun, and wind to send on the seed, and upon those things, everything really hinges.

A thought occurred to me: I wonder how many people in this country have prayed for this coming year’s crops? One in ten? One in 10,000? I am sure full-time farmers have done so, but I’m speaking about those of us who are primarily consumers of their work.

I live in a very rural area, but farming concerns do not get brought into the pulpit or public prayers very often, it would seem. How very strange that is. I can’t imagine too many people in Lexington, Louisville or Frankfort praying for the crops, either. That’s really a shame.

There was a time when people would not have thought it so strange. In fact, the official teachings of the Anglican Church teach parishioners to do precisely that. Old custom set aside a Sunday for just this purpose, and I think that’s the kind of old time religion we need to get back to practicing.

(c) Time, Inc. Reprinting Allowed For Non-Commercial Purposes.

In England, in the not too distant past,  there was a Sunday and a few week days set aside every year to ask for God’s blessings on the crops. These days were known as the “Gang Week” because on that Sunday and on those week days, the pastor of the church and all the church’s members would walk outside of the church building, in procession, and they would ask God to bless the crops.

People had this notion that if the crops were going to grow and flourish, the blessing of God was needed. Sure, the farmers would do their part, but the people then had this idea that they were dependent on God for His blessing, if they were to survive the coming year and not starve to death.

They understood their dependency on God for everything: the sunshine, the rain, the appropriate temperature, and the growing of the crops. And so they did what they could—they prayed.

They walked around every field, every vineyard, every where the grain and vine would grow, and they asked for God’s blessing. These days were called by some “Rogation Sundays.” That came from the Latin word rogare, which means “to ask.” This Sunday, May 5, is Rogation Sunday for 2013.

Could we get some of this “old time religion” back? If we won’t march around the fields, the least we could do would be bend the knee and remember to pray for God’s blessings on the land, and for His assistance and help to be with our farm families.

I appreciate all those in my community who farm for a living, or else otherwise devote considerable time to farming and pray God’s blessings on your work. It is a very hard life, and our farm families need and deserve our intercessions.

ALMIGHTY and merciful God, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift: Bless, we beseech thee, the labours of thy people, and cause the earth to bring forth her fruits abundantly in their season, that we may with grateful hearts again give thanks to thee for the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen. (1962 Canadian Book of Common Prayer)

©The Parson, 2010-2013. All rights reserved.

Is Anyone Faithful These Days?

Lamentations 3:21(KJV) “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.  It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

Faithfulness…compassion…hope…mercy…what do these words suggest in your mind?  Do they reveal and show the character of the God whom you worship and serve?

It seems that our world is filled with the opposite: covenant breaking…hopelessness…heartlessness…cruelty.  And there are many who suffer at the hands of those who practice iniquity and lawlessness today.  In contrast to the world’s heartlessness and cruelty stands the One true God—revealed to us in Scripture as the Holy, Undivided Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

The God Jeremiah reveals to us is faithful, compassionate, the giver of Hope, and merciful. Throughout our lives, though, many things can happen to us and those we care about that make us wonder if this is true.  The world is often a place of danger and suffering.  Without warning, problems of all sorts can overtake us, and threaten to overwhelm us.

Where is God in the midst of all these calamities?  Is He there?  Does He care?  Is all our suffering just punishment for sins we have committed, or can there also be another purpose at work?  Our text has much to tell us in that regard.

God’s Compassion and Faithfulness give us hope, even in times of suffering. Jeremiah reminds us of the Lord’s “compassions” and “faithfulness.”  Compassions means “to soothe, to love deeply as a parent; love that is forged from a bond that is shared”(From Spiros Zodhiates, The Hebrew-Greek Study Bible).

The greatest manifestation of the compassion of the Lord is found in the cross of Jesus Christ. His bond of love is forged there, and we are bound to Him through the mercies of our Savior, by whose blood we are pardoned and forgiven.

And God’s faithfulness, as Jeremiah speaks of it here, refers to “a key attribute of God which means reliability, firmness” (same source)

The mercy extended to us at the Cross never fails. The promises of God are firm and secure no matter what is going on around us.

Jeremiah was no stranger to suffering himself.  And when he contemplated on the fact of suffering in his life, in the world he lived in, and in the nation he loved so dearly, he kept coming back to these two concepts: God’s compassion and faithfulness.  He attributes both of these words to the essential character of God.  Note that he says “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.”

In other words,

“when I begin to get discouraged, I have to come back to the character of God.  And when I contemplate what I know about Him, then I have hope.”

Knowing God… being with God…contemplating the character of God…these things are what we need most when we suffer, and when those we love suffer. When all around us is falling apart, the thing for believers to do is to fall to their knees, and turn to the mercy of God once again.  When our world is going to pieces, there is an Anchor for our souls: Our Almighty Father, His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and His Indwelling Holy Spirit.

St John Chrysostom

This prayer of John Chrysostom puts it very well:

“For through Your mercy we shall be enabled both to pass over the sea of this life without waves, and to end our voyage in that calm harbor; by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might for ever and ever. Amen.”

From Storms to Hope

In Matthew 28:1-10, we find the Risen Jesus Christ saying to His followers “do not be afraid.” Fear is banished in the presence of Jesus Christ. Fear paralyzes and keeps people from really living. Fear is the opposite of faith. Fear holds people in bondage and arrests the joy that God intended for there to be present in life. But fear can be overcome. Jesus said to His followers, “Do not be afraid” on many occasions. The key to overcoming fear is His presence. When He is with us we do not need to be afraid. This is the privilege of everyone who has believed on Christ, everyone who has received His grace as a free gift. We may live our lives with Him, in His presence, day by day.

In his commentary entitled Outline Studies in Matthew (Grand Rapids: Kregel, © 1985), p. 491, W.H. Griffith Thomas noted that many years ago, there was a part of the coastline of Africa that was known as the Cape of Storms. It was the site of many shipwrecks, and it was very treacherous. However, one sailor went through it successfully, and made it out to the other side. As a result of that one sailor’s successful mission to sail through the Cape of Storms, the cape was given a new name. It became known as the Cape of Good Hope. One man’s successful triumph meant that others could follow after him. Griffith Thomas related this to the resurrection of Christ. Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.” He has conquered death. He overcame the grave. By doing so, Jesus transformed our “Cape of Storms” into the “Cape of Good Hope.”

The First Words from the Risen Christ

Alleluia! He is Risen!

In Matthew 28:9-10, we find that there were certain things the risen Jesus Christ said to His followers after coming forth from the tomb. They are important and worth nothing carefully.

And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.  (10)  Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

What was the first thing He said ? The first statement He made was “Chairo”, which can be translated from the Greek “rejoice.”

• The KJV translates this statement, “all hail,” which was a joyful greeting.
• It may also be translated, “Be exceedingly glad!”

Many people might ask, “What is there to be glad about these days?” There are so many people in the world today who lead lives of quiet desperation. Are you one of them? Does it just seem like you are hanging on by your fingernails to the edge of life itself, trying not to go under and finally be overwhelmed by all that has happened to you, or is happening around you? Do you feel the pressures mounting of unfulfilled expectations? Perhaps you confront a mountain of debt, find that your daily work is unfulfilling, or you face problems in your relationships. Perhaps you feel as though all your circumstances combine to rob you of any possibility and opportunity to rejoice at all. But then, here is this word from the Risen Jesus. “Rejoice!” That is His command and invitation for us all.

Jesus Christ has the power to enable us to live above our circumstances, not merely under them. Giving our life to Him does not mean that we will not have any more problems, but giving our life to Him means that we will become able to rejoice even in the midst of our problems. He empowers us to live our lives in full view of eternity, and problems take on a different meaning in that way. The New Testament abounds with hope, all centered on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Because of the Resurrection, we know that Jesus was demonstrated to be True in all things. That means that all the many promises He made to be with us through all our difficulty, and to never leave us or forsake us will be kept. Do you believe on Jesus? Then you may face your circumstances with the boldness of doing so as a forgiven, pardoned child of God. If through Jesus Christ, God the Father has pardoned your sin, then what is there that He cannot do or will not do for you? He will make a way for you to either endure your difficulties, or else He will provide a way for you to rise above them. Jesus Himself is the key. Take His Hand, and ask for His daily guidance and strength. Listen for His word from the tomb: “Rejoice.” We can do so because He is risen.

©The Parson, 2010-2013. All rights reserved.

Give Up Your Guilt

“May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame.” (Psalm 119:80)

 The word for blameless here is a word that means “that which is without blemish.”

I personally think that every honest Christian knows that we can never experience moral perfection on this side of eternity. This is simply not something that we will have happen in this life. We will not be perfect: we are not now, and we will not be for as long as we walk on this earth. Yes, it is fine to strive for it, for we should want to be closer to God every day we live, and more like the Christ every day. But we fall short: and if we think we can just try a little harder and get there on our own, we are deceiving ourselves. Moreover, there is a tendency, if we strive for perfection, to become legalistic. And when that happens, we probably make ourselves and everyone around us completely miserable. As St. James put it, “We all stumble in many ways.” (James 3:2).

We should still pray the way the Psalmist did in our opening verse, though. “Lord, may my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame.”

But what do we do when we realize we cannot be perfect? What do we do when we realize that if we pray this prayer thinking that we can somehow achieve this goal on our own, we will never, ever succeed? Only Scripture gives us the answer. The Scriptures tell us that even though we are imperfect sinners, who can never stand before God and be accepted on our own merits, there is one on Whom we can lean, one in Whom we can trust. The Scriptures teach us that His perfect righteousness, the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, can be made yours, and mine. The prayer of the Psalmist can be answered–but not through hard effort on our own!

The question is “how then?” How can an imperfect person be counted as a perfectly righteous person before God’s judgment?

Only by one way.

We can transfer our guilt to another, and be made right with God by His grace, and for His glory!

Here is an illustration of what we Christians believe about the doctrine of imputation of righteousness.

The Rev. Charles Simeon

Charles Simeon was a great Anglican preacher and pastor in the English city of Cambridge for many years. But before his conversion, he was a real rascal: he was a bit of a heavy drinker, and was known for it. During his studies at King’s College for his undergraduate studies, he was informed that just a few weeks after the beginning of the term, there would be a mandatory communion service, and he needed to be ready. Simeon was horrified. He knew he wasn’t ready—he wasn’t even a believer in Jesus!

So, what did he do? He went out and bought as he put it “the only religious book I had ever heard of” and read it through. It was William Law’s Serious Call to A Devout Life—pretty hard reading!

I have read that book myself. It is a serious call, alright–a serious call that is scarce on grace, and long on law. Most of it, despite its merits in some points, is a call to “try harder and do more” and if you don’t succeed at personal discipline that rids all the sin away from your life, your Christianity is a little suspect. William Law seems to suggest that if you pray enough, fast enough, give away money enough, you will get better.

Simeon wasn’t helped by the law-preaching William Law. Simeon didn’t find peace there. He knew his own trying would fail. He was already a wreck. He needed someone who could give hope to a spiritual wreck, not someone who said the way to be better is to be better.

Simeon felt the burden of his sins too great. And then, he thought a single, clear thought…if only he could transfer his guilt on to another.

And then it dawned on him—that is exactly what the Christian message is! We can transfer our guilt onto another—there’s only one who can take it, though—and that is Jesus Christ.

Simeon trusted Christ: and his life was changed, and in fact, so was his eternity.

He called out to God in faith and put all his hopes on the sacrifice of Jesus to atone for his sins past, present and future. The moment He trusted in Jesus Christ, he was forgiven, cleansed, pardoned, and made right with God. And as we transfer our guilt onto Him, He gives us, too, His righteousness!

What a transaction! What a blessing! We can be made right with God the Father through Christ. So, the prayer of the Psalmist, “may my heart be blameless” is not an impossibility—when we have believed on the Son of God our heart is reckoned blameless! We may be justified in Him who Himself knew no sin.

Our blamelessness doesn’t come from finally achieving a life of sinless perfection. It comes from receiving…receiving the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ.

You will never glorify God as you should until you realize you have nothing to bring him but your sins, and that only Jesus’s righteousness can make you blameless. When that happens, you will thank Him for salvation by grace through faith every day of your life, because you will know how much you need grace and mercy.

Give up your guilt. Lay it at the foot of the cross. Transfer it to another. The cross of Jesus is the only place big enough to receive all of it.