Esther 4:16 9/16/2025

“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

Esther was facing a crisis that she had no part in creating. She had been minding her own business enjoying the blessings in her life.  But sometimes trouble just finds you. Esther’s life was going smoothly … and suddenly there was a crisis she could not avoid.  

Our lives are like that… There are seasons of sunshine, and there are seasons of storms.  This is to be expected in a broken sinful world, and not realizing that, can leave you unprepared and off balance. 

Esther, at first tries to ignore the problem and distance herself from it.  But Mordecai speaks truth, and she realizes that she must get involved  …so she chooses to face the challenge head on. 

Her battle plan, once she had decided to engage, was to request prayer support from her friends and family while she intentionally communicates with God for three days. Then she boldly acts on what she believes God wants her to do. 

And that’s the lesson for us this morning…  Challenges will arise in this life  …They are not mistakes, and we must realize that they have been allowed.  Nothing touches me that doesn’t go through God’s hands first. Do I trust Him? I must decide as Esther did, that I will do what He says, regardless – I will follow God, and if I perish, I perish. I am not to respond with surprise and fear when difficulties come.…. Fasting and praying are much better reactions… We should expect some hard times in this life. We have been told they will come.  But we have nothing to fear, because Christ has overcome this world, and He will not abandon us.  We don’t face trials alone.

So, WHEN hard times appear – if you want to be a man of God - proceed like this little orphan girl did… employ a team of prayer warriors,  diligently seek God’s will, and then no matter the cost, obey it.

"Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened" — Billy Graham 

Leviticus 17:5 9/9/2025

“This is so the Israelites will bring to the Lord the sacrifices they are now making in the open fields. They must bring them to the priest, that is, to the Lord, at the entrance to the tent of meeting and sacrifice them as fellowship offerings.”

Not long ago, Larry Fleet came out with a great song called, “That’s where I find God”.  It speaks to how we often find God when we are in a deer stand, or fishing, or on a road trip. And I regularly talk to God during those activities… but this verse caught my attention. God loves to meet with us spontaneously in the beauty of nature or the solitude of a long drive… But The Lord doesn’t want those times to replace the times I go to His house and meet with Him and His children.  

The first four commandments go like this… love God, no idols, Don’t use His name in vain… and go to church… OK, it doesn’t say go to church but it does say remember the Sabbath and keep it holy… Do we do that? Is Sunday set apart?  Is Sunday any different than any other day of the week? 

In Hebrews 10 it says, “Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit”… are you one of the “some”? Is going to church a “maybe” … or is it  “non-negotiable”?  The enemy doesn’t have to make you bad, he just has to make you busy… and when little league, fishing, hunting, or sleeping , takes precedence over going to church, then the enemy has achieved his goal. 

Life is a team sport… and church is the team meeting. It’s hard to play for a team when you don’t know the playbook, and don’t show up for practice. So, make attending church a priority. If you’re going to wait to decide about attending until Sunday morning,  don’t bother setting your alarm, you’re probably not going. Church must be a steady habit. A firm commitment to a weekly spiritual workout that  produces growth. 

We don’t often skip meals, and going to bed at night is seldom optional … so approach your spiritual health with the same discipline and common sense. Be a team leader and show up for practice.

"You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit," - Aristotle

Mark 9:40 9/2/2025

 “ …whoever is not against us is for us.”  

This morning might get confusing, so take another sip of coffee.  

Today's verse shares similarities with verses in Luke 11 and Matthew 12 but they appear to be opposites.   … Luke and Matthew record Jesus saying,  “Whoever is not with me is against me”. But in Mark He says, “whoever is not against us is for us”. The modification is no accident, so what is the significance?

If we examine the circumstances, we see that he is speaking to the Pharisees in Luke and Matthew,  and to the Disciples in Mark…  Different audience… different message. 

When Jesus says,  “if they’re not against us, they’re for us”  to His disciples, it seems like an admonishment for  those of us who follow Christ and expect every worship service to look and sound like ours.  Cautioning us to stop searching for unbiblical ways to disqualify people.  He is saying stop excluding those who don’t worship exactly like you do … If they love ME, and follow scripture,  they’re on our team.

On the other hand, Matthew and Mark are directed at the Pharisees who accused Jesus of casting out demons because He was the Prince of demons.  About them, He says, “Whoever is not with me is against me;”. He is telling the religious elite that He is the only way to God.  If you don’t cling to Jesus alone, you are not a Christian. He is the only way,  and if you are offended by the Cross, and insist on adding your traditions, you are against the gospel.

So, there is a narrow path and wandering away from scripture in either direction will get you a reprimand. I need to think through these situations and understand the times when God is inclusive, and the times God is exclusive… because He is both.  

Some religious leaders today demand unbiblical uniformity, while others ignore scripture because it is inconvenient to their lifestyle… both are wrong.  

We are to call sin, sin… not adding to, or  ignoring culturally unpopular Scripture. We are also to embrace those who love and follow His Word, regardless of how they dress, or their preferred style of worship music. 

Jesus meant what He said… both times … and He still does.

“We must be hard where the Bible is hard, and soft where the Bible is soft"-  John Stott 

1 Kings 10:4-5 8/26/2025

“When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.”

In chapter 10 King Solomon was the GOAT. He was at the top of his game and appeared to have everything under control. Unfortunately, chapter 11 begins a sad story of what success can do to a man.  You are never in more danger than when you believe you are untouchable …. and Solomon was in danger.

He was surrounded by beautiful, powerful women who were breathless at his wisdom. More possessions than he could count, and popularity and peace on every side.  When you’re on top, everyone tells you how incredible you are… and if you’re not careful you start believing them.  This constant admiration makes it difficult to remember that you are a sinner saved by grace, and everything you have, has been given to you by God.  

You start basing your value on men’s opinions.  The problem is that their opinions will inevitably change. Like the classic Eagle’s song “New Kid in Town” … “They will never forget you Till somebody new comes along”.  Then suddenly you’re old news, and they’ve  moved to the next subject. Fame and wealth are fickle. Proverbs warns us, "Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone."  When your success and popularity diminish, will your self-image remain steady? Can you resist the temptation of glancing at riches and depending on them as the  measure of your worth?   

In this world of “influencers” it is wise to remember that if your livelihood depends on the world’s opinion of you… then, like Solomon, you’re in a dangerous place. Can you pursue holiness when wealth and popularity are calling your name?  Will you follow God when just a small compromise can make you rich? Your value is based on whose you are, not who you are. True lasting peace comes from realizing that.

So, when it comes down to purity or popularity… which will be your target? Aim carefully because stability and contentment come from chasing God’s approval, not man’s.

“If a man would have popularity he must pay for it--sometimes at a fearful price.” - H. M. Gallaher

Matthew 5:10 8/19/2025

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

When we read this statement, we picture Christians in third world countries who are abused for the gospel, which is certainly accurate. But there is more to it than that. At the time of this sermon, Jesus was pushing against social norms and cultural customs in what was considered the civilized world. His persecutors were convinced they were fighting for righteousness.  The problem was that Jesus preached God’s definition of righteousness, not man’s… He preached that God required humility and obedience, which did not sit well with the “religious” elite.

Christ declared that those persecuted for righteousness receive the Kingdom of Heaven… a place where righteousness (whether popular or not) is rewarded.  And the persecution He is referring to may be more subtle than the obvious abuse of the saints.  

Along with those physically mistreated,  He was also referencing those persecuted within the church for holding to inconvenient scripture. Passages that hinder the church’s marketing plan. Unfortunately, many “churches” today adhere to growth and profitability models, more than they follow the Bible. They choose to ignore problematic verses, and label those who disagree as intolerant.

Outside of the church Jesus may have also been referring to those persecuted by society for holding to the moral teaching in God’s word. If you hold to absolute truth, you will be labeled as harsh and dogmatic. Our culture loves to follow God until it requires us to change our behavior.  At that point anyone who does not ignore these troublesome scriptures is labeled intolerant and mean spirited. 

If you find yourself in that place this morning know that you are blessed. You may not be popular, but God sees your integrity and is pleased by your selfless obedience. Keep speaking the truth. Continue to love those who hate you. Your battle is not against them; it is against what controls them. They are in bondage, just as you once were.  

This is not your home. Yours is the Kingdom of Heaven. So, while you pass through this world, continue to tell others the truth about the glorious King you serve and offer them the  same love and forgiveness He has graciously bestowed on you.

“Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.” — William Penn

Esther 6:6 8/12/2025

 “Now Haman thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?”

Haman couldn’t imagine anyone being smarter, wiser, or more important to the king, than he was…  Does that sound familiar? Are there times when you are overcome with your own importance?  That mindset is a recipe for disaster. We easily see arrogance in others but have difficulty seeing it in ourselves.  The laser vision we have when examining other people’s flaws seems to dim when we look inward.

When men have issues in their life it is usually in one of two areas. Either too low a view of God… or too high a view of themselves… Haman had the latter.  To determine that you are the most important person on the planet you first must discount the value of everyone around you. Then you must lie to yourself about your own accomplishments and motivations, and finally you must assume that everyone loves you as much as you do. Haman had no problem with those requirements and so he began the process that would end in his demise.

How far are you from starting that same process? How much of a stretch is it for you to believe that we’re all lucky to know you and that you of course should be  honored? That attitude can usually be cured with an authentic hard look in the mirror.

An Honest evaluation of your  attributes and abilities is important, since knowing where you are is necessary in getting you where you want to be… However, at the end of the day only God’s opinion of you matters… and He has demonstrated that He loves you, and that should be the only factor relevant to your own self-image.

Now that your worth has been settled, you can focus on all the other people that “the king may want to honor” … and how you might be able to help with that project. Humility means you are secure and content with God’s evaluation of you and have little concern of the opinion of men. This frees you to forget about your own importance and focus on elevating those around you. The God who created you in His own image has bestowed value on you, and He desires that you bestow value on others.  

“God won’t fill you if you are already full of yourself.” – Max Lucado

Matthew 5: 23-24 8/5/2025

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you,  leave your gift there in front of the altar.  First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

Many people interpret this passage to imply that you cannot properly give an offering to God when you are alienated from one of His children.  While that is accurate, in context, it means much more than that.  

These verses highlight the requirement of loving your neighbor.   It is mentioned while Jesus is teaching on the commandment not to kill. He adds that even those who are angry with their brother are in "danger of judgement”.  He then elevates the importance of reconciliation by saying, no matter what you're doing, even if you’re worshipping... if you remember an offence, stop and go fix it.

People say that "time heals all wounds", but that is not true. Time doesn’t heal all wounds; in fact, it deepens some . Small disagreements, left untreated,  become huge divides.  I know of situations where people literally don't remember the original issue, but since it was never addressed,  their relationship remains broken. 

Anger and bitterness need nothing but darkness to grow. Like an untreated disease they silently destroy their host.  The tragedy is that if dealt with quickly, most grudges could be easily fixed.  The great composer William Walton said, “A grudge is like being stung to death by one bee.”  It’s needless. If we let pride stop us from dealing with an offence, eventually it will be fatal to the relationship and damaging to our walk with God. In this passage, Jesus includes grudges in a discussion of anger and murder. That indicates that passive hostility is not a small issue to God.

No matter what you're doing, if you are alienated from someone, go deal with it.  If God brings it to your mind... go do what you can to fix it. Nothing is more heartbreaking than the realization that you have wasted years being too prideful to go to a friend or family member and show them that you love them too much to be apart from them.

Whatever it takes.... do it now.

"Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness... Laugh when you can. Apologize when you should. And forgive what you can't change."
- Anonymous

Psalm 22:16- 18 7/29/2025

 “Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet.  All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.”

The earliest known record of crucifixion comes from the Persian King Darius I (522–486 BCE). Yet this psalm was written by King David (1010–970 BCE). That means the details of Jesus crucifixion were prophesied 500 years before crucifixion was even “invented”, and 1000 years prior to Christ dying on the cross.  

There are hundreds of completed prophecies in the Bible.  Some are Messianic Prophecies about Jesus:  

- death and resurrection -  Gen 3,Dan 9:24

- born in Bethlehem – Micah 5:2 

- born of a virgin – Isaiah 7:14 

- His resurrection – Psalm 16:10  

There are also confirmed Historical Prophecies, such as:

- The Fall of Babylon – Isaiah 13, Jeremiah 51  fulfilled 539 BC. 

- The Destruction of Jerusalem – Luke 21:6  fulfilled AD 70. 

- Scattering and regathering of Israel – Deuteronomy 30:3,
        Ezekiel 37 fulfilled in 1948

There are literally hundreds of documented predictions like these that have been fulfilled.  Couple that with the transformed lives we see from those who truly follow Christ, and it becomes evident that God does not require “blind faith”. In fact, some would argue it takes willful blindness not to believe. 

Jesus said, "if you seek, you shall find”, so if you haven’t found it yet,  you’re not looking hard enough.  Some people don’t look hard enough on purpose…  because if they find the true God,  they can no longer claim to be Him.

And if there is no higher power than you,  then you need some answers. Are you comfortable with the scenario that  there was once nothing, and nothing happened to nothing until it exploded, creating everything, and then everything rearranged itself into self-replicating bits which then turned into dinosaurs? If that works for you then continue to follow yourself as your own god.  

But if your heart doesn’t buy that,  then seek truth and you will discover that you are not qualified to be God and there is overwhelming evidence that the position has already been filled by your eternal heavenly Father who loves you deeply.   

“I maintained that God did not exist. I was also very angry with God for not existing.” - C. S. Lewis

Acts 19:9-10 7/22/2025

“But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took the disciples away with him, and had discussions daily in the school of Tyrannus. This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.”

Disciple making is a marathon, not a sprint.

Paul spends three months teaching in the synagogue but eventually wears out his welcome.  This isn’t surprising. Sometimes the world embraces truth as “edgy” and is entertained by it for a while… but when change is demanded it loses its attractiveness. This happened to Paul, but he didn’t go online and try to humiliate unbelievers. He didn’t change his message to fit the culture; he just moved to the lecture hall and spent two more years investing in those who wanted to hear truth.

There is a lesson here… Even with extraordinary miracles, from an incredible teacher… discipleship often meets with opposition.  It is frequently difficult, and time-consuming. My expectations seem to be that one good sermon, or conversation, should “fix” people.  If I get involved with an organized weeklong revival, I expect it to permanently transform the masses! There is nothing wrong with sermons and planned revivals… But the pattern that changed Asia in this passage was discipleship. Paul established long term, personal relationships, with frequent interactions… and that can be challenging.  

Sometimes I jokingly say, “I love ministry… except for the people”. But the truth highlighted by that lighthearted comment is powerful.  You can’t love ministry if you don’t love people. Ministry is simply introducing God to sinful, stiff-necked people, just like I was… and watching Him change their lives.

Some envision ministry as preaching to stadiums, flying from country to country spreading the gospel. And God has ordained some people to do that. But the great majority of church building is done, person-to-person, with years of intentional mentoring.  Even those who come to faith through a great evangelist will need teachers to build up their knowledge and faith.  

Building disciples is like building a building… it must be done one brick at a time. Find the “projects” God has placed in your life and intentionally set the first brick today… then show up again tomorrow and place the next one.

“You can’t microwave spiritual transformation.” – Pete Wilson

Proverbs 20:15 7/15/2025

“There is an abundance of gold and rubies, but lips of knowledge are a rare treasure.” 

Let’s talk about asset management.  Jewels, and precious metals can be acquired today with the click of a keyboard. And it is easy to find people who will encourage you to pursue them at all costs. We seem convinced that if we have enough trinkets to make others believe we are happy… we will be.  

So, we spend an inordinate amount of  time searching for shiny things that will catch the eye of the world and help us sell the charade.  That leaves little time for us to search out assets of real value such as “lips of knowledge”. 

What are “lips of knowledge”?  In the book of Ephesians, we are told to speak the truth in love.  If someone actually does that, they are a person with “lips of knowledge” which, this verse says, is a rare treasure.  People who speak God’s truth, and do so with God’s love, are  “vessels of valuableness”.  Do you have people like that in your life? … Do you want people like that in your life?

Do you pursue wise individuals to provide you with honest and perceptive evaluations, or are you content with cheerleaders?  Do you want truth, or do you prefer flattery?  Rubies and gold puff up your self-image,  but those who speak knowledge and truth deepen your walk with God.  Will you surround yourself with folks who are running on the same treadmill as you, or will you seek out those with lips of knowledge?

Check your inner circle. Make sure you haven’t collected a group of “yes men” who will “rubber stamp” your shallow pursuits… instead search out valuable treasures in the form of teammates who will challenge you and tell you the truth.  

Everybody needs a good “press box coach” who can see the game from a different angle and will provide wise input. But wise inputs aren’t always comfortable, and you won’t find friends like that by accident.  Be intentional. Search for and listen to knowledgeable lips. They will assist you in your pursuit of excellence. Then make sure your words provide the same assistance to others. 

“The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth.” – Dan Rather