The Blessing of Faithful, Humble Service

“…I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” --Exodus 20:5-6  (NASB95)

  My son likes to play chess. I don’t play chess against him very often because I don’t like routinely losing to him. I think he stays awake at night dreaming of new strategies for beating me. I’m not sophisticated at chess and rarely think more than a move or two ahead. My son, on the other hand, is thinking many moves ahead and that is why he wins. He envisions the entire game. Frankly, when I play chess I do well to remember the “horsey” goes two and one to the side. Or, is it one and two to the side?

  There is one thing I have noticed about playing chess. Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back into the same box. There is a lesson to learn in that observation. In life, whether you are the most rich and powerful or the most poor and weak, we all end up in the same box when it is over. So, after I’m in the box what kind of legacy will I  leave for those who come after me?

  I don’t need to worry about that because God has taken care of it. He promised in Exodus 20 that if I will simply love Him and live by His truth, God will visit the generations that follow me with His lovingkindness. I don’t have to be a king in the eyes of men to leave a lasting legacy. I just need to be faithful pawn in the eyes of God. 

  Warren Wiersbe writes of John Wesley's father, Samuel, who was a dedicated pastor. There were those in his parish who did not like him. On February 9, 1709, a fire broke out in the Wesley home at Epworth, set by one of Samuel Wesley’s enemies. Young John, not yet six years old, was stranded on the upper floor of the home. Two neighbors rescued the lad just seconds before the roof crashed in. One neighbor stood on the other's shoulders and pulled young John through the window. Samuel Wesley said, "Come, neighbors, let us kneel down. Let us give thanks to God. He has given me all my eight children. Let the house go. I am rich enough." John Wesley often referred to himself as a "brand plucked out of the fire" (Zechariah 3:2; Amos 4:11). In later years he often noted February 9 in his journal and gave thanks to God for His mercy. Samuel Wesley labored for 40 years at Epworth and saw very little fruit; but, what his family accomplished!

  Let us all seek to be like Samuel Wesley: faithful and humble servants of God. God will then bless a thousand generations after us!

                                                         
Love,
Pastor Larry

Rest is Commanded Because We NEED It & God Loves Us

“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27 (NASB95)

  Friday, January 17, 4:00 PM – The group of pastors on the recent Israel were at a baptismal site at the Jordan River. We had to hurry because the gates would close at 5:00 PM even though there was plenty of light left in the day and plenty of people wanting to rent robes in order to be immersed in the icy waters. Why was this place closing? If you have been to Israel, you already know the answer is found in the dateline. The Jewish Sabbath begins at 6:00 PM on Friday evening. The workers at the site needed to leave at five o’clock in order to be home when Sabbath began. It is not just a tradition there—it is an expectation of society based on the Law of Moses.

  After drying off and warming up, we drove back to our hotel on the Sea of Galilee. All the shops in Tiberias, a bustling tourist city, were closed. Even the gas station and convenience store along the highway in little Magdela was closed. By the time we reached the hotel it seemed that our tour bus was the only vehicle on the roads. At the hotel which was located on a kibbutz (Israeli collective farm) I could hear the singing and worship in the synagogue on Friday night. It was so beautiful and peaceful.

  On Saturday morning the tour continued on to Tel Dan and Caesarea Philippi. Again, I was struck by how deserted the sidewalks were and how few cars were on the roads. It was as if the people had disappeared—actually they were sleeping and resting quietly at home. The morning haze burned away by midday and the people began to emerge. The traffic was still light but the sidewalks were filled with families taking walks together. The parks were filled families picnicking and playing games together. The trails were filled with families riding their bikes together. Families. Together. 

  I suspect that the divorce rate is pretty low in Israel. I also would not be surprised to learn that Israeli teens have fewer addictions, social maladjustments, and other similar problems as their American counterparts. Could it be that God knew what He was doing when He commanded us to keep the Sabbath (the 4^th of the 10 Commandments)? Of course! God made the Sabbath for us because we need it.

  I was convicted about our breaking of this commandment even when we worship on Sunday. We don’t rest on Saturday night. We rush and fuss to get to church. We are impatient if Sunday school and worship takes too much time. We rush to lunch and then families scatter in different directions. I challenge the families of BDBC to rest on Saturday evenings and enjoy worshipping as a family. I challenge you to spend time playing together on Sunday afternoons. Our families need the Sabbath. God made the Sabbath for us because He loves us!

                                                         
Love,
Pastor Larry