Finding Hope.

Do you remember the Sears Wishbook that came in the mail at Christmas? A catalogue of toys as thick as my Bible. My brothers and I would sit down with it and earmark every page that had a toy we wanted. We hoped Santa would bring us all the toys we circled and labeled. It was fun to dream and hope.

In life, we also have hopes. We started the year hoping we’d find our Mr. or Mrs. Right. We started the year hoping we find a cure for our prolonged illness. We started the year hoping to become financially stable. We started the year hoping to create a more solid marriage. But as the months have rolled on, our hope has turned into hopelessness.

So, what is hope? It’s a joyful expectation for the future. It’s the idea that something better is just around the corner. Hope moves us forward in life. Hope gives us strength and energy. Hope helps us breath during difficult moments.

All through God’s Word, He reminds us there is hope. God consistently points toward the Messiah. Over 300 times in our Old Testament, prophets and kings point forward to a Messiah. In the New Testament, Messiah is translated “Christ”. Both words mean “anointed one, deliverer, Savior”.

This holiday season is a reminder that God has sent us hope. That all along, God has had a plan for our lives. As tough is your situation is in life, as difficult the conversation will be, as anxious as the evening news makes you feel, God has a plan. And that plan has been to send his son, whom we celebrate during the Christmas season.

But the Messiah is also a person and his Name is Jesus the Christ. He’s the Son of God who came to this earth some 2000 years ago. He was foretold in Isaiah 9:6, some 700 years before Jesus was born. The prophet says, “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

The Messiah is also a presence. The prophet Isaiah says in 7:14 that his Name will be Immanuel which means “God is with us”. Every single day, whether it is a victory or defeat, whether light or dark, whether a lonely minute or a large gathering, He is always there. So during tough times, we fix our eyes on Jesus, the promised gift of hope from God above.

When things seem out of control, he’s in control; when things seem dark, he is light; when things seem to hurt, he’s the healer. When things seem hopeless, he is our hope. So, this season, focus on the gift of hope whose Name is Jesus. Blessings on your journey.

Jesus is the Reason.

For most families, Christmas is a time for traditions. The Hall’s traditions are much like your traditions.Year to year, decorations are brought down from the attic, favorite meals are prepared and family members come together. But, why? What is the reason behind the gifts, the cheery music and the time off of work? What actually happened all those years ago that separated this day from any other?

Christians agree that the birth of Jesus Christ is the “reason for the season,” yet more often than not, this idea is lost in the midst of the holiday craziness. This Christmas, challenge yourself to approach the holiday with fresh eyes. Allow yourself to be awed by the beauty of Mary’s faith, Joseph’s obedience and the miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The faith that Mary demonstrated throughout her pregnancy is frequently overlooked during the telling of Jesus’s birth. Mary was a young woman from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, engaged to a man named Joseph. One day, God sent an angel to Mary to deliver the news that she will carry the Son of God. The Bible says that Mary was troubled by the news, and the angel said: “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus” (Luke 1).

Despite Mary’s fear and confusion, she responded by saying, “I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled”. Mary demonstrated incredible faith by believing and accepting the angel’s message. The doubts and worries Mary was most likely experiencing did not hinder her from living out God’s plan for her life.

Matthew 1:19 tells us that when Mary told Joseph of her pregnancy, he wanted to divorce her, but wanted to do so secretly, sparing her public ridicule and death by stoning. Later on, Joseph was visited by an angel in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take your wife Mary home, for what has been conceived in her is by Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1).

No matter what Joseph was feeling, whether he thought Mary was a cheater, a liar or just crazy, he obeyed the Lord. He kept his engagement to Mary, later married her and became the earthly father of Jesus. Joseph’s obedience reminds us that God’s plan is one much bigger than our own and that we must trust exactly what He tell us.

Though Mary and Joseph were devoted followers of God, exercised impressive faith and obedience and contributed to the beauty of the birth of Christ, they do not compare to the significance of who Jesus was and what He would later do for all of the world.

Jesus was born in a manger, foreshadowing the humble and servant-focused life he would live out. Jesus’s birth was the beginning of God’s rescue mission for His children and that is the true meaning of Christmas. He is the reason for the honey hams, the stocking stuffers and the celebration. The day that Jesus entered the Earth, the world was changed forever.

So, this holiday season, enjoy your family traditions. Enjoy time with friends. Enjoy reminding each other how much we love each other through a gift exchange. But always remember, Jesus is the reason we do it all. He is the greatest gift we could ever hope to receive. Blessings on your journey.

The Power of Forgiveness.

One of the things with our emotions is that if we’re in relationships to other people and we have not forgiven them, we can feel emotionally blocked. It stops the free flow of genuine emotion and our ability to interact in a wholesome way with others’ emotions as well as our own. Forgiveness is at the core of healing. When you forgive, it allows your being and heart to heal and it opens the door to physical healing.

Often we think to ourselves, “I don’t want to forgive that person because it gets them off the hook”. The truth is this: that person is unaffected by you forgiving them. Instead, you are the one who receives healing when you forgive and let go.

If you are finding it hard to forgive, you may want to undergo a deep process to help you release the anger, sadness, pain, and blame that you’ve been holding inside of you.

Remember, you must truly let yourself forgive whatever has happened in the past. If you hold onto the blame or betrayal, forgiveness is nothing but a lip service. It’s just words. You need to release all that blame and the hurt. Let it out, even say it out loud: ‘I forgive this.’

Forgiveness is only real if you let go of every aspect of the hurt. Then, the body can start healing.

Do you have relationships in your life where you still may be holding on to that need to punish them for something they’ve done? Do you feel that with yourself?

If so, from this moment on try and let go. Offer real, true forgiveness. Bring them into your soul’s campfire and empty out all of the unspoken words you may be keeping inside. You are not excusing their actions; instead, you are lifting the burden from your own heart.

Healing and forgiveness are necessary for a healthy life. Forgive yourself, forgive others, forgive life itself and move forward with a newfound sense of completion and wholeness. It’s the best way to embrace a new lease on life…a new shift of weight. Blessings on your journey.

Never Give Up!

Galatians 6:9 “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

Tired and feeling like the fight is not worth it? Have you convinced yourself that giving up and calling it quits is the best option for you? Guess what? Giving up is not an option for you becaue you have come too far to turn around now! The race is not given to the swift nor the strong, but to those who endure to the end!

When in doubt and feeling like giving up, pray! We will never know what one prayer will do until we trust God through prayer. See what James says about prayer in James 5:16-18.

I will admit that sometimes life’s strong winds, heavy rain and stormy seas can seem so fierce and unbearable to the point that they make us want to give up and quit, but we can’t! I was talking to a young woman yesterday who lost her husband last December. She expressed she felt God had abandoned her story. I reminded her he has not forgotten her in her pain.

Yes, life circumstances has a way to make us doubt that things will ever change for us and that God Himself has forgotten about us, but, I want to remind you on today that God is still on the throne and in control of ALL the world’s affairs. It does not matter how long we have had a problem, the power of God is still able to turn things around for us.

As God ask Jeremiah, I am asking you all on today “iS THERE ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD?” Today is the day to trust God through the pain, knowing that one day when you least expect, it will end and you will find yourself on the other side of through in that situation.

Faith will be tested! 1 Peter 1:7: “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

In the midst of your struggle, you must tell yourself that you will press your way because there is a reward on the other side of weariness. God promises it in His Word!

As a way of encouraging you on today, the Lord your God wants you to know that in due season, you “WILL” reap a harvest if you do not give up and quit! When tested, turn to God!

Believe it or not, the moment you are ready to quit is usually the moment right before the miracle. Your storm is temporary but the blessings of God last forever! NEVER GIVE UP! Trust in God and lean on his power and might. Blessings on the journey.

Lists!

Lists....I will admit that I love a list.  A list keeps me grounded, disciplined and helps to remind me of responsibilities and events on the horizon.  Grocery lists, Christmas card lists, household to-do lists... I always have a list or two in the works.  Whether your lists are on a smartphone, iPad, laptop or just stuck on the front of your refrigerator (old school style), they work to remind us that something needs our attention!  We read, process and prioritize, and then work that task into our lives. 

Paul felt the church in Galatia needed the same type of reminder list.  In his letter to the church , Paul is frustrated and disappointed with the path that the church has taken.  He wants to see them get back on track with the work that he started when he last visited.  Paul states in chapter 5: 7, "You were running a good race.  Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?"  Like us, when faced with uncertainty and too many choices of our own making, they faltered.  The church had become susceptible to agitators and too many outside influences.  In Chapter 5 of his letter, Paul warns them against biting and devouring each other and indulging in obvious sinful nature.   I like the choice of the word "obvious."  In other words, they know it is sinful behavior and not from God.  Paul then gives a list of the sinful natures in verses 19 through 21, which includes about every form of the worst part of our human nature, including fits of rage, discord, hatred, sexual impurities, factions and the list goes on.  Obviously, this was a Not-To-Do list!!!! 

These acts move us away from a relationship with God and keep us from having loving relationships with each other.  By contrast, Paul gives us, and the church, a list of practices and attributes that God would have us use in our daily lives.  In Chapter 5: 22-23, he names the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.  These are from the Spirit and will draw us closer in relationship to God and with each other. 

There is no law, Jewish or Gentile, against such practices.  God offers a harvest of plenty when we cultivate and follow the fruit of the Spirit.  Our witness to the world is evident when we follow this to-do list that Paul shares with the church in Galatia. 

This list shows us how to treat each other, show our love for our neighbor and stay in fellowship with God.  Love each other.  Spread Joy with your daily attitude of thanksgiving.  Surround yourself with a presence of Peace.  Have Patience with the things of the world which frustrate you.  Be Kind to everyone.  Show Goodness in your actions.  Hold onto a Faithfulness that God is in control and knows our every need.  Have a nature of Gentleness when caring for each other.  Practice Self Control in your words and actions. 

Keep this reminder list on your heart as we continue to walk together in step with the Spirit. Allow the Spirit to influence your daily life so we represent Jesus well. And don’t get frustrated when you drop the ball. We are a work in progress. We are free in Christ. Blessings on the journey.

Would the Real Gospel Step Forward Please?

My wife and I have an adopted son. Well, not in the legal sense. We came to know Riley in Junior High when he became friends with our youngest son. Riley was at our house often eating with us, for sleepovers. He was in our youth group so we saw him at least twice a week. He lived with us for several weeks after his house burned down. We attended his military graduations. He is part of the Hall family. He has all the rights and privileges a Hall has in our home.

Paul is trying to tell us the same thing when it comes to being a part of God’s family. We have been adopted but nothing we have done gets us in the family. It’s everything Jesus has done for us. See, the Gospel is the good news that Jesus came to earth, died for our sins and rose from the dead. Our belief in that story and faith in Jesus Christ makes us part of the family and makes us right before God.

In the letter to the Galatian churches, Paul is wanting to counter an argument that was leaning toward a “works-based” faith. Paul says there is a fake gospel circulating and the real Gospel is something totally different. So in Galatians 4, Paul teases out the difference between the fake gospel and the real Gospel.

Paul says the fake gospel is all about activity. The real Gospel is about adoption. The fake gospel says that God is only okay with you when you get your act together. The fake gospel is all about do, do, do while the real Gospel is all about what God has done, done, done. See, God did everything needed sending his perfect son, living a perfect life, dying a death we should have, fighting a battle we would have lost in order that we could be adopted and live with him forever. That’s the great, glorious Gospel.

The fake gospel ends at salvation while the real Gospel begins with salvation and continues through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Too many stories end with the salvific moment of accepting Jesus. People tend to believe that’s the end of the journey but truly, it’s only the beginning. When you say “yes” to Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit is poured into you, he transforms you and allows you to live into the fullness of the Gospel story. Until you understand that concept, you’ll live an empty and unfulfilled life. Then real Gospel is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us throughout our entire life and through him, we can do all things.

The fake gospel constantly works for acceptance while the real Gospel confidently works from inheritance. Paul reminds us that we are no longer slaves but children of God, heirs to the Kingdom. Because you believe in Jesus Christ, you get to live from a declared inheritance. Some 2000 years ago, you got a new name: child of God. You got a new family, a felt security, a new purpose. You received forgiveness, healing and freedom.

The real Gospel is all about adoption and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit allows us to live into our inheritance. Blessings on the journey.

You are a Child of God.

When I went to basic training for the US Air Force, we gathered as a group of 50 guys from all different walks of life and where just all over the map. But by the end of our seven weeks together, we belonged to each other. We supported one another, encouraged one another, helped each other. We were a family.

Paul in his letter to the Galatian churches is revealing to us we also belong to each other. Each of us were created in God’s image and we are part of the family of God…we are children of an incredible God.

That first century church was intensely relational. There were in each other’s business on more than just Sunday morning but every day of the week. Those followers of Christ belonged to each other and to God. Paul in Galatians 3 is working out that we are justified by faith in Jesus or how we are right with God by just believing in Jesus Christ. So many Jewish Christians were suggesting a “works-based” salvation and Paul is saying we belong to Jesus without works but based upon our belief in a risen Savior. Paul gives us four reasons why we belong in Galatians 3:23-29..

We belong to God because we believe. I don’t belong because I perform or earn it or work for it. I belong because I believe in Jesus Christ, period. You don’t have to clean yourself up and then come to God. You can’t do enough to be right before God. You come as you are and God cleans you up. That’s why it’s called the Good News!

We belong to God because we are baptized. When we believe in the saving power of Jesus Christ, we put on Jesus symbolically by joining Jesus in his death, burial and resurrection. Then, we are immersed in the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Why be baptized? Well, one, because Jesus said so but it identifies us with Jesus death, burial and resurrection; it unites us in the Gospel story and gives us new birth.

We belong to God because we become part of the blended family. Jesus removed all the cultural barriers that separated us. All the social, ethnic, and gender barriers are gone in Christ (Galatians 3:28). The point is, there is no favored status in the church family. Everyone has the same connection to God. Each of us, regardless of our ethnic heritage, skin color or background can be a part of the family of God!

We belong to God because we are beneficiaries of the promises God made to us as far back as Abraham. Because of what Jesus has done for me, belonging entitles me to all the benefits of being in the family. Being in the family doesn’t mean sitting on the sideline but actively being a part of what the family does. Using your giftedness to retell the story of Jesus is what it means to be part of the family.

So, know you belong. It’s nothing you have done but everything Jesus did for you that makes you a family member. It’s time to embrace believing in a risen Savior who has given you so very much. He’s removed the barriers that prevented us from connecting to God and given us life and life in the full. Blessings on your journey.

Blessed are Those Who Mourn.

What do you do typically when you feel down? When you have had a tough day, what helps you get through? Most of us have go-to actions when things don’t go as planned. Some of us sit on the couch and eat a half gallon of ice cream. Some of us go for a long drive. Some of us just sit and cry. But we all do something. Often it comes with guilt or shame because we weren’t big enough to stand against whatever Goliath stood before us that particular day.

But then Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.” So what does that mean?

Well, in our world today, there are plenty of things to mourn. We just emerged from a pandemic that took away many of the people we love and care for. Some of us lost our jobs during that time which led to losing our possessions. We have a political system that is tearing our country in half. Crime is rampant. Racism seems alive and well. The list goes on for things we mourn.

Some of us try to avoid the spirit of mourning. In doing so, we invite other emotions into our life that hurt and hinder our growth and progress. When we don’t mourn, two emotions typically emerge: anger and anxiety.

But in the middle of all the frustration and mourning, Jesus says we’ll be blessed because we’ll be comforted. I think there are three reasons mourning really reveals God is working and comforting. When we mourn our personal brokenness and sin, God has the opportunity to mend us and remind us that no matter our personal struggles, He has not left us nor abandoned us. He loves us incredibly.

When we mourn over the brokenness of our world, we are reminded in the mess and darkness, there is a light at work called Jesus Christ. As we look at hunger and genocide, racism and unrest. As we see poverty and sickness, we are reminded this world is temporary and Jesus is making all things new.

That knowledge brings a growth in our compassionate response to the brokenness around us. See, Jesus’ life gives us the example of compassion that we are called to live out every day. We want to walk closely with the Master and adopt his example of compassion and love for the world around us.

So mourn as followers of Christ because He’ll give us the comfort needed. Realize your need for a Savior and walk closely with him. Know Jesus is working in the world around us and join him in the story of redeeming compassion. May the dust of our rabbi, Jesus, settle upon you as you journey. Blessings on your journey.

Handling Conflict.

The costs of workplace conflict help us to think about the Kingdom costs of unresolved church conflict. The church’s credibility is on the line when we preach and teach about love and forgiveness while fighting within our churches. Only God knows the extent of the damage done when individuals or factions within a local church refuse to reconcile.

Could we prevent much of the conflict that happens within the church? Let me give you a H.I.N.T. to help you stop church conflict before it begins. Each letter of the word “hint” will help us understand how to prevent conflict in the church: 

H-Honor your leadership team. Satan stokes the fires of conflict and bitterness in under-appreciated church leaders and volunteers. Your leadership credibility is on the line when it comes to dealing with conflict. The way you deal with conflict can strengthen or weaken your influence. “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God, that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled” (Hebrews 12:15). 

I-Instruct your church leaders to handle conflict biblically. Do this in meetings and leadership huddles routinely. Seek to understand the causes of destructive conflict. People often behave with self-centeredness, ego, and pride. “What causes quarrels, and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” (James 4:1). The Bible says, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). 

Immaturity is the source of many conflicts. Maturity helps a person understand that differences in perspective can broaden understanding. Mature people are self-aware and seek to improve their weaknesses. “Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking, be mature” (1 Corinthians 14:20). Wise believers look for the hand of God in stressful situations.

N-Never assume conflicts will just go away. Time does NOT heal all wounds. Be an “approacher,” not an “avoider.”  When Adam sinned against God, he said, “I heard the sound of you in the Garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10). Adam avoided confrontation with God.

Nevertheless, conflict must be handled in a timely fashion. “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26). Avoiding conflict may keep you from experiencing what God wants to do in your life by resolving the conflict. 

The goal of resolving the conflict is not compromising on an issue to the point that no sufficient work or innovative solution is possible; such approaches lead to other conflicts down the road. Often parties must remain in dialogue for some time to make their cases and clarify their differences.

T-Tools are available to help resolve or mediate church conflict. Use them! The most straightforward tool is to follow the commands of Jesus is Matthew 18:15-20. Begin with a personal conversation. If that conversation does not help to resolve the issue, involve another mature believer. Broaden the circle if necessary with the intent of restoring adversaries to a place of fellowship.  

Another powerful tool in the Bible is to overlook the offense. “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11, ESV). This critical verse reminds us that every personal offense does not warrant confrontation and reconciliation. Often, it is best to overlook the offense and move on.

Preventing conflict is an ongoing process in your church. People who are passionate about serving God often have strong opinions and preferences. Helping people imitate Christ—the One who emptied Himself and took on the form of a slave—is one of our highest goals in pastoral leadership. (adapted from Managing Church Conflict).

Drop the Mask.

I preach grace and mercy. I talk about being patient. We should be long-suffering with those around us. However, I’ve not always practiced what I preach. That’s called spiritual hypocrisy. And Jesus admonishes us to live in a consistent way so that his Name is glorified in all we do.

Brennan Manning said, “The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny him with their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

See, hypocrisy is not the disparity between what we do and what we wish we did. Hypocrisy is the gap between what we show and who we are. It’s the difference between public persona and private character. Jesus didn’t want the show, he wants real discipleship.

In Greek culture, a hypocrite was a stage actor…someone who wore a mask. So both Jesus and Paul remind us we are not to be “actors” when it comes to following Jesus but real, live disciples who are fully committed to pursuing the life Christ has called us to live.

Social media is the perfect breeding ground to create this kind of life. We post on our social media accounts everything we want the world to see and nothing we wish to hide. So we post amazing quotes about marriage but sleep in different bedrooms. We talk about how awesome our life is when in reality, we are suffering from isolation, loneliness, hurt, and depression.

Did you know we actually hold the key to our freedom? Jesus gave it to us. The writer in Proverbs 28:13 says, “People who conceal their sins will not prosper but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” Confession is the key. If we are real and authentic, we unlock ourselves from the prison.

So if hypocrisy is the gap between what we show and who we are, how do we close the gap? Well, we don’t close it with perfectionism. We’ll never be good enough to be perfect. So, we close the gap with Jesus. He is our perfection. He is our savior and our healing.

So let Jesus do the healing. Let him be our redemption. Let his heart forgive us. Allow him to be the source of power in our lives. Blessings on the journey.