During the fifty years of being a pastor, I don’t know how many marriages I performed. I know it was in the hundreds. As each bride would come down the aisle, normally escorted by her father, her face would be radiant and she would be beautiful. There was only one bride that was not so beautiful. In fact, she was outright ugly. Her husband had to be a gracious man. After each couple would exchange their wedding vows I would turn to the new husband and ask, “Do you know what you just did?” Laughter would break out with all those attending. “You just gave up all your rights.” I would go on and share a basic principle of life, “Yielding rights builds relationships, demanding rights destroys relationships.”
The Bible says in the book of Ephesians that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. He yielded all his rights as the creator of this world and all that is in it because of his love for us. “Greater love has no man than this that he would lay down his life for us.” In order to enter into a personal relationship with Christ, we also have to give up all our rights and be submissive to him. That is what people strongly resist. They want to somehow hold on to a part of self. If a husband doesn’t love his wife to that extent, the chances for a healthy and strong marriage will struggle and eventually crumble.
As it is in marriage so it is the Christian life. As we yield everything in our life to God, only then do we live life to its fullness! That is where the “peace” of God and the “joy” of Christ takes over and life becomes rich and overflowing.
In my personal Bible reading time, I’ve been going through the book of Proverbs. I love this book! There is so much practical godly wisdom that flows through it that I think every Christian should have the goal of reading it at least once a year.
One theme that has really stuck out this time is the importance and power of our words. The tongue truly has the incredible power/potential to do both good and evil (James reiterates this point in the New Testament…Ch. 3).
Here are a few verses from Proverbs that speak to this fact: “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.” (10:11)
“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (12:18)
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (15:1)
"A fool’s lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating." (18:6)
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits." (18:21)
So, how’s your speech these days? Are you using words that bring “life” and “healing” to others, or more often are you beating others up or just being careless with your speech? Our words are an expression of what is going on in our heart. As Jesus said (my paraphrase), our mouths speak what the heart contains (Matt. 12:34-35).
Let’s choose this week to tap into the enormous power/potential our speech can produce for GOOD!
Do you believe the same God that turned water into wine, made a 38 year old paralyzed man walk, fed 5,000 hungry people with little food, who raised Lazarus from his death bed and many more miracles, is the same God that cares for you and me? Yes, and He is doing miracles today too.
This time of year as we celebrate the greatest miracle of all, Jesus birth, the Brandt crew also celebrates another miracle. You see, it was 14 years ago this month that God gave our now 19 year old son back to us. When Taylor was 2 ½ he started having seizures, we were already living with the diagnoses of Alpha 1 Anti-trypsin Deficiency (50% chance of losing his liver before adolescents) a few weeks after his birth.
Our journey took us down a bumpy path of many doctor visits, day/night time observations, numerous anti-seizure medicines with all their side effects, and endless puddles of tears. We were trying to balance “normal life” with the medical issues always in the back of our minds. God had us in the palm of His hand but we felt we were losing a grip after the 6th trial of anti-seizure medicine no longer worked.
One afternoon, after observing Taylor have another seizure in bed, during a nap, I felt like I was done. But God in His grace gave me these passages: Psalm 71:20-21, “Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.” Wow, God understood my pain and was right there with me to comfort me. How good is God!
By the age of 5 Taylor was taking 32 pills, something he thought all kids did, and having up to 100 seizures a day- we had a decision to make: allow Taylor’s brain to continue to seize and do nothing or seek other treatments. After speaking with doctors from the east coast to the west coast, we were soon on a plane heading to Miami’s Children’s Hospital and preparing for brain surgery (Left Temporal Lobectomy). After a few days of test and all medicines were dropped, we were told by the surgeon of the risk that were involved and told to say our good byes. With the prayers of many family members and friends we patiently waited under the warm Miami sun.
Most kids/adults who have this surgery remain on anti- seizure medication but seizures tend to lesson. That day, God gave us a miracle. He healed our little guy from having any more seizures and Taylor remains medicine free. There were some post-opt mountains to overcome but we had our son back and a new life to enjoy.
Because of those that came to the Miami’s Children’s Hospital and blessed us with Christmas carols and gifts, we now visit Lakeland Hospital pediatric floor and deliver gifts every Christmas morning.
Be on the lookout, you may just see your own miracle happening in front of you.
Christmas brings so many memories that are centered on family and the Advent. (The word Advent means that some momentous event that will change the course of history is about to happen.) That is exactly what did happen. God rolled back the curtain from heaven and announced the coming of Jesus to mankind as the Bible states, “He was in Christ reconciling mankind to Himself through Jesus.”
That was the advent that brings family together along with many memories. I was the last child of a large family and by that time many of my brothers and sisters were off to college. I was so anxious to see them again that I stood by the window, many times with my nose against the frosty window pane, waiting for them to drive up the lane and be finally home again. When they did arrive the anticipation turned to excitement as greetings and hugs were exchanged. In preparation for this family event, I would help my mother decorate the house with building Santa’s village out of sugar cubes and making ginger bread cookies along with trimming the Christmas tree. We used the long tinsel in those days and each strand had to be hung straight. Do you remember the bubble lights? As a child, I was fascinated to watch them.
All of these memories are what makes Christmas so meaningful because it centers on that which makes life meaningful. First, is to be reminded again of God’s love and forgiveness. He is the one who initiated our reconciliation to Him. He is the one who makes life meaningful and gives us purpose. Second, is the love that we share together as family. We live in a world where so many families have been torn apart because of selfishness and self-centeredness. This Christmas is the right time, as we have been reconciled to God, to be also reconciled to one another and bring peace and harmony back into our lives. This is what Christmas is all about.
I’m a big fan of sports, so I find myself turning on AM sports talk radio frequently when I’m in the car. Recently, the airways have been dominated by the sad story from Penn State University. Former football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky is accused of sexually abusing young boys at university facilities, and many leaders of the university are accused of either covering it up or failing to take proper action steps.
I’ve observed the strong feelings that people have expressed due to the nature of the alleged crimes. Coach Sandusky’s actions have been described as heinous, and one reporter even called him a “monster.” And I too had strong feelings of: anger (Injustice!! How could someone abuse his power/authority over helpless children? That’s despicable!) and disgust (How could anyone commit such offenses that will have lifelong effects?!).
While these reactions may be “fit” for the actions, I wonder how many of us grasp the HEINOUS nature of any and all sin to God? It seems that just about everyone is INFURIATED by (and very willing to speak out against) this “BIG” sin, but I wonder how many of us really get just what an affront any and all sin is to God? How many of us get outraged or even upset over lust, swearing, envy, lying, unforgiveness, pride, or not saying or doing something when we should have? All of these things, the Bible calls sin. And for all of these things human beings are condemned before a perfect God and in a need of a Savior.
In fact, our sinfulness has even made us “enemies of God” (Rom. 5:10)! In the eyes of God then all sinners are, to use the sport reporter’s terminology, “monsters” because all sin is an assault against the unblemished character of the Lord of the universe.
Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be outraged at Coach Sandusky’s (alleged) crimes. We should hate sin just as God does. I’m also not saying that all sins are the same in terms of severity (see Mt. 5:19, 23:23; Jn. 19:11) or human consequences, though they are the same in terms of result - all sin separates us from a holy and just God (Is. 59:2, Rom. 3:23).
The bottom line: every sin is serious to God. We must have a healthy hatred toward sin, never rationalize it, and seek to flee from it in our own lives.
With all that being said, rejoice that if the “chief of sinners” (the Apostle Paul – 1 Tim. 1:15) can be rescued by grace and through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, then so can “monsters” like you and me… and I pray even Jerry Sandusky too.
Do you love going to a party? Well of course! Who doesn’t? What could be better than to have a good time with your friends?
Let’s change the question. Do you love going to a party or … do you prefer a funeral? A what? A funeral? That is just what King Solomon writes in his treatise, Ecclesiastes. In Ecclesiastes 5:1-4 Solomon wrote,
“A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. 2 It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart. 3 Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.”
Solomon tells us that while a good perfume impacts those around us, one’s good name or reputation has even a greater impact. That’s why the day of death is better than the day of birth. At birth no one knows what that baby will grow up to be. But at death, a godly man or woman will have impacted many lives.
That is why a funeral is better than a party. That is why the sorrow over the loss of a loved one or friend is better than laughter, because the life of the person who died meant something to us. As we grieve their loss, it reaches into the depth of our souls. The laughter from a silly joke certainly does not accomplish that!
The typical party is light, maybe trivial with no depth of reflection, shallow conversations … but when we are with someone who has lost their loved one, there is depth of conversation, there is a meeting of the soul, there is a sharing of significant memories and lessons learned.
Within the past three weeks, I conducted two memorial services for two men who were committed followers of Jesus Christ, actively serving in our church. At their memorial services, how important it was to hear from several close friends who shared from their hearts about the lives of those two who left this life and entered the presence of their Lord. All of us present were touched and our hearts were deepened in our love for both men. We were reminded of what matters the most in life. The Gospel was shared in various ways, so all who were there could reaffirm their faith, that their eternal life is based on what Jesus Christ accomplished through His death and resurrection. Many deep thoughts were shared with the family members who lost their loved one by many friends who suffered the loss of their friend. There was nothing frivolous, even in the humorous stories shared.
Now, do we need times to laugh, to be light hearted, to have fun? Absolutely we do! Do we celebrate the birth of children? Absolutely we do, as we think of all that is before that little one, all the potential of what God can do in that life. But … it is at the end of life that we reflect about the meaning of life, what is life all about. It is at those times that we are reminded of our need to walk in the ways of the Lord, so that it can be said of us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
One of my favorite elementary education classes was Children's Literature (I think I still have the book packed in a box somewhere!). I still love the children's book section at the library and collect old and new books to read to my grandchildren. I especially love the classics for children because most of them have a "moral" found in them. But the books I enjoy most these days are not found in a public library or school. They are Christian children's books and you have to seek them out. We have a supply of them in our church library and I store more in our office.
Some of these books retell the events of the Bible with child-like simplicity. Some are fiction books which tell how the main character used God's leading to make a decision. I like them because they are often a lesson in themselves. There are beautiful illustrated picture books, preschool books, elementary age, pre-teen and teen books. Ask our library head, Linda Tjernlund, after church some Sunday to point you in the direction of our collection.
Have you included some Christian children's books in your children's home library? Have you thought about including a book as part of each year's Christmas or birthday presents? We have a great Christian book store in our area and there are sources on the internet just for Christian books. I am displaying a few of my favs on the CM table in the foyer this month. Like some of the great secular classics, they are gems to be read and reread with your family. See me if you are interested in catalogs for ordering online.
The concepts shared in a Christian book are not what our kids are hearing in school or perhaps among their friends. What we teach them on Sunday mornings cannot just stand alone on that day of the week. Books are a wonderful way to transition and use God's themes in our kids' worlds. Plus - what is more fun than to sit down on a comfy couch with your child and read a book together - no matter what their age! If you find it difficult to weave God's truth in your everyday life with kids, try reading a book a day. Besides being a part of bedtime routine, they are great conversation starters! Take advantage of the inspiration God has given to these writers. Pastor Phil mentioned The Spirit Flyer series a few weeks ago which he starting reading to his son, Dan at age 5. Below is a list to start with but they will lead you to find much more! I have not included books that recreate Bible events just because there are so many of them.
Enjoy this precious time with your kids or grandchildren!!
Sidney and Norman, a tale of two pigs
Phil Vischer
Rag Baby
Karen Henley
My Father’s Angels
Gloria Gaither
The Tale of Three Trees
Angela Elwell Hunt
Adam, Adam, What do you See?
Bill Martin and Michael Sampson
Westley, the Big Truck
James McEwen
Halfway Herbert
Francis Chan (He has several other new children’s books out)
One of our grandsons took the big step from high school to the university this fall. He came to faith in Christ when he was a child and continued to grow in his relationship with the Lord during his high school years and had the security of living in a Christian home. Even though he went to a public school and dealt with young people of different values than his, he managed well.
But going off to the university was a big shock. How does a Christian kid meet the challenges of a secular culture life style especially when he has to live with them? The main difference can be acutely seen in their purpose in life. His impression is that their purpose to, “eat, drink, and be merry,” to live for the moment, and have sex on their mind. The Bible does say that there is pleasure in sin, but only for the moment. What then? Is that all there is? If that is the way people live, they end up with a very empty life. The great philosopher Pascal said, “God has created in every man a spiritual vacuum that only He, Himself can fill.”
Only when we get in touch with our creator and find His purpose for our lives do we really find meaning, purpose and fulfillment in life. Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things will be added unto you.”
As followers of Jesus Christ in this modern age, we have a huge amount of resources at our disposal to help us connect with God through the written word, audio/video multimedia, written and recorded music, dramatic interpretation of the scriptures and other material. Once in a while a song, video clip, drama presentation, etc. is produced that stands out above the rest.
I had the opportunity to play/sing “Blessings” by Laura Story a couple of Sundays ago with my beautiful 17 year old daughter in our Sunday morning services and was blessed immensely. There is so much truth in this song about how we can look at adversity in our lives. The words to the chorus read as follows: “What if Your blessings come through rain drops? What if Your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near? And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?” Matthew 5:11-12 reads, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Unfortunately, we live in a sinful world and sin rears its ugly head all too often, leaving a trail of physically, emotionally, and spiritually hurting people in its wake.
The bridge reads as follows: “When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win, I know the pain reminds this heart that this is not…this is not our home.”
These words are a great reminder of how we should remain focused on God, especially in difficult times, knowing that nothing can separate us from His infinite love. Billy Graham put it this way, “Our valleys may be filled with foes and tears; but we can lift our eyes to the hills to see God and the angels, heaven’s spectators, who support us according to God’s infinite wisdom as they prepare our welcome home.”
When circumstances of life have “thrown us under the bus” again, so to speak, “Blessings” is one of those extraordinary, yet simple pieces of music that points us toward God, allowing us to draw upon His strength, feel His incomparable love, experience His limitless grace and mercy, and remind us that our life on earth is only temporary.
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth ~ 1 John 3:18
The apostle John’s words provide the motivation for and the “heart” of this past Saturday’s all-church community serve day. It was a fantastic day of ministry as over 60 people from The Chapel gave of their time and talents to show God’s love in very practical ways both inside and outside our church family. Overall, people served in one of six projects around our community:
Sorting clothing at MOSAIC re-sale store in Benton Harbor
Singing and visiting with residents at Jordan’s Nursing Home in Bridgman
Yard work, cleaning, and light maintenance at the Emergency Shelter in Benton Harbor
Packing backpacks full of supplies for underprivileged children in Berrien County
Yard work and light maintenance at the homes of some individuals in our church family
Cleaning and work projects inside and outside The Chapel building
It was a blast seeing people of all ages work together for a common purpose! Our senior saints worked together to pack about 70 backpacks/gift bags for local children, and they also wrote notes of thanks and encouragement to those from The Chapel who currently serve in a branch of the military. Additionally, some parents even brought their kids to work right alongside them on their various projects. What an awesome way to combat our self-focused world and instead show them how good it is to serve others!
It is always fun to know that your hard work will benefit others, but undoubtedly those who serve seem to always be blessed in the process as well. New relationships were formed and existing ones were strengthened as we served alongside each other. We ended the day with a fantastic lunch coordinated by the Body Life team, and had a chance to share with each other about each project.
Thank you again to all who served on CIA Day!! Soon we will begin planning for our next CIA Day (which will be sometime next spring), so come on out and get involved!
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth ~ 1 John 3:18
