Jesus Breaks Down Barriers

Boundaries and barriers are something we all understand very well. (That does not mean we necessarily always obey them, but we do understand them, nonetheless.) We are taught that we may go this far but no further. No Trespassing or No Hunting signs we see posted on people’s property limit our access to land that is owned by someone else. Speed limit signs stationed alongside the roads and highways tell us how fast we may drive legally if we do not want to get a speeding ticket. The established laws of society, laws that are good and help to keep and maintain order and civility in our world, govern so many areas of our lives as human beings. To cross these laws can cause us pain, conflict or ridicule.

There are, however, barriers and boundaries that we ourselves put up in our lives. Some of these are barriers and boundaries we put up before God, barriers and boundaries that say, “You, Lord, may come this far but no further.” We put up barriers sectioning off emotionally painful areas of our lives into which we do not want other people intruding. Sometimes we fence off areas of our lives we have classified as long dead by us, long beyond the hope of a resurrection and any kind of new life. These may be areas of our lives of which we are ashamed and would rather forget. Blessed is the man who has been able to live his life without regrets!

Many people believe that a person must know virtually everything about Jesus in order to come to Him and relate to Him. They feel that Jesus will only have something to do with those who already have a close, personal relationship with Him, who already devoutly believe in Him, those people who already have a good understanding of key doctrines in the Bible. Such people are setting limits on the kind of people Jesus will welcome and the kind of people to whom He will respond. But the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is this: 28. “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30 [RSV]) Jesus does not limit His calling. He said He wants all of us to come to Him! This should not surprise us, for Jesus came to break down barriers between people, barriers between nations, and most importantly, barriers between God and man due to our sin. Jesus said in John 4:34 [RSV], “My food is to do the will of Him Who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.” Jesus was sent by the Father (John 3:16), and as the Apostle Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 [RSV], it is the Father’s will to save us: “The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” The whole ministry of Jesus Christ in breaking down barriers is summed up in the words of Jesus in Luke 19:10 [RSV]) whereby He says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” And since “ . . . all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), then that means everyone, regardless of what your background is, are welcome to come to the Lord!

May the Lord bless you!

An Eye for an Eye

It is amazing what a simple reading of God’s word can reveal. I have read the Bible several times through during the course of my life, and yet with each subsequent reading I still uncover truths that have eluded my eyes previously. Such was the case this past week when I was studying the aspect of Jesus being our High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, and how His priesthood is far superior to that of the Aaronic priesthood He supplanted. In looking at the history of the Aaronic priesthood, I ran across a verse that I have read many times, and yet I did not catch the significance of it. “The priest who is chief among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and who has been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose, nor rend his clothes;” (Leviticus 21:10 [RSV]). So what is the significance of this verse? I believe it is very significant in that Caiaphas was the High Priest who officiated over the mock trial of Jesus the night He was betrayed. Listen to the account Matthew provides in Matthew 26:63-66 [RSV]: 63. But Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God." 64. Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of Heaven." 65. Then the high priest tore his robes, and said, "He has uttered blasphemy. Why do we still need witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66. What is your judgment?" They answered, "He deserves death." By this act of tearing his robes, Caiaphas had automatically forfeited his job as high priest.

Not only had Caiaphas forfeited his job, but by his engaging in subterfuge and conspiracy (Matthew 26:4) in knowingly declaring guilty an innocent Man, Jesus Christ, and demanding He be killed, under the Law of Moses Caiaphas was subject to the death penalty himself. “If a malicious witness rises against any man to accuse him of wrongdoing . . . if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother; so you shall purge the evil from the midst of you.” (Deuteronomy 19:16; 18-19 [RSV]) Rightly so did Caiaphas forfeit his position, for, though he did not realize it at the time, the new High Priest of the better covenant was standing before him and was about to succeed and supersede him. Aaron, as were all subsequent high priests that followed after under the Law of Moses, was a human being, full of failure. Christ, our High Priest, on the other hand, is “ . . . holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26 [RSV]). As the writer of the Book of Hebrews continues, “He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; He did this once for all when He offered up Himself” (Hebrews 7:27 [RSV]).

May our Great High Priest bless you today!

Vacation Bible School

We just concluded our Vacation Bible School last night. It was a very good four days, with attendances being 24, 32, 35 and 28. All in all, there were 39 differenct children who attended.

Here is a poem I wrote last night in thanks to all who contributed in any way towards making our VBS a success.

On my first day spent in eternity
My Savior asked, “What brought you to Me?”
I closed my eyes and thought for awhile
On my journey just taken mile after mile

Images flashed into my mind
Of loving arms and faces so kind
I saw myself with children at play
And hearing of God and learning His way

I saw small hands with crayons and books
And paint brushes, glue sticks, buttons and hooks
I saw Bible stories colored with pride
And heard all the children laughing outside

And oh, what a noise filled my heart with such joy
As I recalled the sweet singing of each girl and each boy
I heard their glad voices reach up to the sky
In songs of such praise to their Savior on high

And then as I turned a table was spread
With cookies and candy and sweet gingerbread
And cupcakes and crackers and wafers to eat
With lemonade, tea and punch oh, so sweet!

I knew then the answer to say
To my Savior on that glorious day
“’Twas strangers, Lord, that brought me to You
“When I was a child, and no more than two

“They took the time to fill my day
“With knowledge of a better way
“And year by year as I grew up
“I learned to drink of that same cup

“’Twas love I felt, and love I knew
“From people who were filled with You
“They took the time to teach Your love
“And that is why I’m here above!”

“Yes, My child, you have spoken true
“It was My love that brought you through!”
So do not doubt the good that’s done
By bringing children to the Son!

Loving Children With Discipline

When children rebel against their parents, the Lord commands the parents to use the rod of correction to bring them into subjection. A parent who is unwilling to discipline their child is not showing that child love: “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him” (Proverbs 13:24 [RSV]). This is why David said in Psalm 23:4 [RSV], “Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me,” because David understood that God disciplined him because God loved him. God’s discipline of David was a constant reminder to David of God’s enduring love for him, even when David had gone astray. And we know this has been carried over into the New Covenant because we are reminded by the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews, 5. My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by Him. 6. For the Lord disciplines him whom He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives (Hebrews 12:5-6 [RSV]). A child who is disciplined properly knows that he is loved, just as we know we are loved when God chastens us. A child who is taught discipline learns to seek pardon from his parents. As he grows older, he will then seek pardon from God for his sins. He will have a longing in his heart to be right with God through the imparted righteousness that comes from our obedience to Christ. He will long to be conformed to the image of Christ for as long as he has breath in his body: “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2 [RSV]).

Many parents today do not realize their responsibility and, therefore, are not seeking wisdom from God and His word to train their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. They just do not realize that God has placed them in the home to give direction to their children.

In the Ten Commandments God plainly says that every father must administer the rule of God within his own home. Exodus 20:8-10 says, 8. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.

Do you realize what your responsibility is, parents, especially you fathers? If God tells the children to obey their parents, He is telling you as parents to give them positive, not arbitrary, directions. Give them biblical directions. Children, please listen to your parents! They do not correct you just because they are angry with you. They love you! They love you enough to tell you what is true. The man who loves you the most is the man who tells you the most truth about yourself. Never forget that.

May the Lord bless you and your family!

Mattoon Cal Ripken All Stars Advance to Regionals

The Mattoon Cal Ripken All Stars won the Southern Illinois State Tournament, earning the right to advance to the Regional Tournament to be held in Lexington, KY, beginning July 24, 2009.

Mom and youngest brother, Donovan, will be attending, while Dad and other younger brother, Damien, will be staying home. Dad has to work, and Damien has a Hit Men traveling team tournament the same weekend.

If the Mattoon Cal Ripken All Stars win this tournament, then they will advance to the Nationals in Aberdeen, MD.

Donovan and Damien Shine in Send-off Victories

Damien's and Donovan's Kid Pitch and Coach Pitch seasons officially came to a close this past Monday, July 13, 2009 as they both participated in the annual send-off baseball games for players moving up.

Donovan was 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored as his Coach Pitch team won impressively 22-2. He also played flawless defense with several put outs and assists.

Damien went 1 for 2 with a walk in a very well-played Kid Pitch game in which his team had a walk off 3-2 win. This exhibition contest turned out to be one of the best and most exciting games played of the season as both squads had good pitching, excellent defense and timely hitting. Damien, who was playing left center field in the first inning, almost threw out a runner at the plate, but the ball was dropped by the catcher, and their oppnents took a 2-0 lead. In the top of the third, Damien was again back in left center field, and he took an extra base hit away from the batter by making a great catch on a hard hit line drive to his left. Damien then fired a strike into second base, doubling off the runner who had taken off, as it appeared the ball was going to get to the fence. The catch was a real momentum changer as Damien's team came back to tie the score at 2 apiece.

Damien, who was the winning pitcher, took the mound in the top of the sixth and final inning to face the heart of the order of his opponents. Damien had a strike out before giving up a 1 out single. The next batter popped up in foul territory to the first baseman, and the inning came to a close on a hard hit line drive that was caught by the third baseman. Damien's teammates from his championship FBC team proved to be the difference in the ball game as Drake Jeffries led off with a triple into right center field. Dalton Stephens then grounded out to second as Jeffries came home from third with the winning run. So I guess it was only natural that these 3 players from the championship FBC team would play such a big part in determining the outcome of this game.