Them boys came to work

Sometimes, weekend plans can be completely scrapped due to unexpected events, especially when you are a homeowner.  You cannot predict when most appliances will need repair, or when a piece of furniture breaks, or when you’ll find a water leak in the yard…it just comes with the territory of owning/managing property.  This past week for me – it was a tree that suddenly collapsed in our yard.

This past Thursday, we had a soaking rain with lightly gusting winds.  However, the weather wasn’t the cause of the damage so much as it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.  Or that broke the massive tree limb, anyway.

Bradford Pear trees are a non-native species to North Carolina that property developers loved to plant in the 90s and early 2000s due to their rapid growth and pretty spring flowering.  However, they have many drawbacks – their aggressive growth can be invasive, with sprawling root structures that outcompete native trees for resources.  Their pretty white flowers also stink – like dead fish.  Lastly, and most consequential to my weekend plans, their branches are often weakly attached to the trunk. 

So, during a typical NC rainstorm last Thursday, one of the massive limbs on our Bradford Pear broke off and dropped into our front yard.  Thankfully, it didn’t land on the house or in the street.  However, the crashing limb so severely ripped the trunk that there was no saving the tree.  I snapped a picture and sent it to our church’s men’s group chat, lamenting that I suddenly had new plans for the weekend.  These are the guys that meet weekly on Zoom to go through the Scriptures, sometimes a book, or we take the time to check in on each other.  The group has been rolling for years and it’s always good when we can catch a lunch together or find another way to hang out, outside of saying hello on Sundays.

Since we live in the county and not in a city, the debris removal was totally on me.  Immediately, guys were offering chainsaws and assistance.  From Friday evening to Saturday evening, multiple guys showed up in waves to help, with a couple of them bringing an extra family member to assist.  With chainsaws and a pole saw, we lopped off several still-attached branches, took down the tree, and cut it up.  We were able to haul the debris off to one guy’s nearby burn pile.

Left to myself, on my own time and with just my own effort, a tree that size would have taken me two weeks to take down and likely another two weeks of shuttling everything in my truck to the local compost facility.  Or, at least, I’d have to pay someone two grand to come do it all for me.

Instead, with about 6 hours of work over a 26-hour time period, 5 guys from the men’s group (plus 2 of their family members)…everything was done.  Them boys came to work.  And my neighbors noticed.

Here’s a few quotes from some of the guys in the neighborhood, at different points of the process:

Neighbor 1 (while work was on-going): “Are these guys from your church group?”
Me: “Yeah”
Neighbor 1: “That’s pretty cool.”

Me: (everything hauled away, I’m raking the last of the leaves) “I had some good friends come help me out.”
Neighbor 2: “I hope that if I’m ever in a similar situation, I can pull off what you did to get some help.”

Me: (after everything was done, during a dog walk) “Yeah, my men’s group from church jumped in to help me.”
Neighbor 3: (rubbing his chin) “Huh.  How about that?”

I’m pretty sure none of these men have believed in Jesus for eternal life.  But because of my tree-wrecked weekend plans, they all had front-row seats to the kind of community God made us for.  What they saw was a live-action application of one of Jesus’ teachings in His famous Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world.  A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

My neighborhood saw our light shine, and I was able to tell many of them where that light was coming from.  My undesired inconvenience became my opportunity to talk about God.  I think we all could use a perspective like that when our plans are interrupted.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Flashback Favorite: Everyone needs a Savior

With the next Presidential election less than a week away, it seems that many are looking to their candidate to save them from their current situation, their future fears, and their concerns if “the other side” wins. However, no matter whom you vote for, we’re looking for rescue in the wrong person.

Everyone needs a Savior
Originally posted on June 11, 2020

Can you feel it?  The world is looking for a savior right now. 

Everything happening in the world – COVID19, racial injustice, riots, mental illness, emotional suffering, medical malpractice, economic uncertainty, cancer, insect plagues, political posturing and games, and on and on and on – add to that list our personal issues and burdens…we all ache for someone to step forward and FIX all that is seemingly broken beyond repair.

As we wrap up our study of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, we find something that can help us today:

John 4:39-42
Now many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of what the woman said when she testified, “He told me everything I ever did.”  So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed there two days.  Many more believed because of what He said.  And they told the woman. “We no longer believe because of what you said, since we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world.”

But what, exactly, do we mean by the word Savior?  The Greek word (soter) means savior, one who delivers from grave danger.  Note that in the New Testament, this always refers to God the Father and Jesus as the Savior of those who believe…saved from experiencing God’s righteous wrath, and saved to a proper relationship with God.  Sometimes the saving is from eternal consequences (like here in John 4), and other times the saving is from living under God’s wrath in the here and now because of willful sin in our lives.

But the Jews expected the Messiah to be their national savior.  For the Messiah to also be the Savior of the world would have been a foreign concept.  However, if Jesus is the Savior of the entire world, not just Savior of the Jews…this means that, through Him, the Samaritans could have what they have desired for many generations: they were finally included in God’s family.

Here’s an interesting observation from Dr. Constable:
The title “Savior of the world” is unique to John, occurring only in John 4:42 and 1 John 4:14 (cf John 1:29, 3:17).  John’s original readers would have been familiar with the title, because the Greeks and Romans gave it to several of their gods and emperors.  Nevertheless, Jesus was the true “Savior of the world”, whom these Samaritans recognized as such.  Jesus was “God in action”, saving the world.  This does not mean that everyone will experience eternal salvation, as the doctrine of universalism teaches, but that Jesus has made everyone savable, and that those who believe on Him obtain salvation.

For clarity, and because of what we’ve learned in our study of John 4, I would add after Dr. Constable’s last word salvation “and eternal life”. 

But did Jesus really atone (i.e. – pay) for the sins of the whole world?  Some people think that Jesus’ death on the cross only paid for the sins of believers, and that unbelievers were left out of the punishment that Jesus’ took on at the cross.  If that is what you have been taught, I suggest you consider these passages:

John 1:29
The next day John [the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

1 John 2:2
He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

Jesus is the Savior of the world, not in the sense that everyone will be saved (the error-filled teaching of universalism) but that His light shines for all (John 1:9) and is available to all (John 12:32).  The light is not limited to the nation of Israel, but is for “every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Revelation 7:9)

Because of Jesus, all of humanity no longer has a SIN problem anymore, we have a SON problem…i.e. – whose son are we?  Our need now is for eternal life…which only Jesus can give us.

And that’s what we’ve learned through the story of the Samaritan woman that Jesus met at the well.  He offered her – the societal outcast – living water and that with one drink, her belief in Him would become a wellspring of eternal life.  That same offer is available to Jews and non-Jews…everyone, including you.

Jesus truly is the Savior of the world.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Flashback Favorite - Dance floors and lampstands

We represent Jesus to the world, for better or worse…but we can’t be preoccupied with how others respond.

Dance floors and lampstands
Originally posted on January 17, 2019

On a busy Monday afternoon, a second shift co-worker walked into the open office the four of us shared, looked right at me, and with an accusing tone she said, “I saw you.”

My confused look didn’t deter her.  She said it again, but this time with more emphasis: “I saw you!”  And then, it hit me.  I knew exactly what she was talking about. 

The previous Saturday evening had been the company’s annual Holiday party.  Most years, our family’s schedule had prevented my wife and I from going.  However, this year we had decided to get dressed up and attend.  This was no small event, either – there were fancy drinks, several buffets of rich foods, and lots of dancing.

I have to admit, I felt a pang of self-consciousness when we decided to hit the dance floor.  Not because I was afraid to dance with my wife – we always have a great time, and her dance moves make mine look good – but I was fully aware that almost none of my co-workers had ever seen me in this type of setting.  At work, I was the reliable answer-guy you brought your investigations to, a professional to help you figure out your industry-regulated best next step – not exactly the type of person you would expect to groove through the songs of the decades.  I wasn’t so much worried that they would think less of me, but I was certainly curious as to what their reaction would be.

As we made our way to the floor, I had an important realization.  Under no circumstances should I look around for people’s reactions.  As much as I was either self-conscious or curious, focusing on anyone else while dancing with my wife would give the complete wrong impression.  So as we started to move with the music, my attention was focused solely on enjoying the moment with my bride.  We danced the night away, had a blast, and I completely forgot my curiosity surrounding my co-workers’ potential reactions.

Apparently, we were noticed.  And talked about.  Even to the point where a co-worker was excited to point out, two days later, that she had been a witness to the event.  But what, exactly, did they see?  They saw a couple totally focused on each other and enjoying the moment at hand.  It stood out from what they expected.  Watching it unfold was attractive.  Seeing it first-hand was something they thought about, and even talked about days later.

But I think there’s an even bigger lesson here, one that pertains to how we, as Christians, actually show others that we are Christ-followers.  It seems that every ten years or so, there’s a new witnessing technique or life-story-sharing strategy that comes out.  But “witnessing” is much simpler than we make it out to be, because we tend to forget what Jesus said near the beginning of His ‘Sermon on the Mount’, when He looked at disciples and said:

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world.  A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

The disciples would best represent Christ – shine their light – through the lives they would lead and the choices they would make.  Jesus said that their good works would be what would stand out to and attract others to their Father in heaven.

It can be hard to wrap our heads around how doing good works makes that much of a “witnessing” impact; however, demonstrations of patience, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness are not things the world is used to seeing.  Imitating Jesus will cause others to take notice…but we cannot be concerned if anyone has noticed our light.  Instead, our focus should be solely on the fuel for our light – our relationship with Jesus.  As we spend time with Jesus through prayer and studying the Scripture, our good works will be naturally fueled so they shine brightly from the lampstand location we find ourselves in.

In order for Christians to tell others about Jesus, the world doesn’t need us to be schooled in the latest witnessing techniques or debate programs.  We don’t have to have all the answers to the tough theological questions people will ask.  But in order for others to come to the point where they give glory to your Father in heaven, they need to see us Christians doing good works from the platform of our day-to-day lives.

So make sure you spend time with Jesus so you can shine your light today.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Everyone needs a Savior

Can you feel it?  The world is looking for a savior right now. 

Everything happening in the world – COVID19, racial injustice, riots, mental illness, emotional suffering, medical malpractice, economic uncertainty, cancer, insect plagues, political posturing and games, and on and on and on – add to that list our personal issues and burdens…we all ache for someone to step forward and FIX all that is seemingly broken beyond repair.

As we wrap up our study of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, we find something that can help us today:

John 4:39-42
Now many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of what the woman said when she testified, “He told me everything I ever did.”  So when the Samaritans came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and He stayed there two days.  Many more believed because of what He said.  And they told the woman. “We no longer believe because of what you said, since we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world.”

But what, exactly, do we mean by the word Savior?  The Greek word (soter) means savior, one who delivers from grave danger.  Note that in the New Testament, this always refers to God the Father and Jesus as the Savior of those who believe…saved from experiencing God’s righteous wrath, and saved to a proper relationship with God.  Sometimes the saving is from eternal consequences (like here in John 4), and other times the saving is from living under God’s wrath in the here and now because of willful sin in our lives.

But the Jews expected the Messiah to be their national savior.  For the Messiah to also be the Savior of the world would have been a foreign concept.  However, if Jesus is the Savior of the entire world, not just Savior of the Jews…this means that, through Him, the Samaritans could have what they have desired for many generations: they were finally included in God’s family.

Here’s an interesting observation from Dr. Constable:
The title “Savior of the world” is unique to John, occurring only in John 4:42 and 1 John 4:14 (cf John 1:29, 3:17).  John’s original readers would have been familiar with the title, because the Greeks and Romans gave it to several of their gods and emperors.  Nevertheless, Jesus was the true “Savior of the world”, whom these Samaritans recognized as such.  Jesus was “God in action”, saving the world.  This does not mean that everyone will experience eternal salvation, as the doctrine of universalism teaches, but that Jesus has made everyone savable, and that those who believe on Him obtain salvation.

For clarity, and because of what we’ve learned in our study of John 4, I would add after Dr. Constable’s last word salvation “and eternal life”. 

But did Jesus really atone (i.e. – pay) for the sins of the whole world?  Some people think that Jesus’ death on the cross only paid for the sins of believers, and that unbelievers were left out of the punishment that Jesus’ took on at the cross.  If that is what you have been taught, I suggest you consider these passages:

John 1:29
The next day John [the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

1 John 2:2
He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

Jesus is the Savior of the world, not in the sense that everyone will be saved (the error-filled teaching of universalism) but that His light shines for all (John 1:9) and is available to all (John 12:32).  The light is not limited to the nation of Israel, but is for “every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Revelation 7:9)

Because of Jesus, all of humanity no longer has a SIN problem anymore, we have a SON problem…i.e. – whose son are we?  Our need now is for eternal life…which only Jesus can give us.

And that’s what we’ve learned through the story of the Samaritan woman that Jesus met at the well.  He offered her – the societal outcast – living water and that with one drink, her belief in Him would become a wellspring of eternal life.  That same offer is available to Jews and non-Jews…everyone, including you.

Jesus truly is the Savior of the world.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Dance floors and lampstands

On a busy Monday afternoon, a second shift co-worker walked into the open office the four of us shared, looked right at me, and with an accusing tone she said, “I saw you.”

My confused look didn’t deter her.  She said it again, but this time with more emphasis: “I saw you!”  And then, it hit me.  I knew exactly what she was talking about. 

The previous Saturday evening had been the company’s annual Holiday party.  Most years, our family’s schedule had prevented my wife and me from going.  However, this year we had decided to get dressed up and attend.  This was no small event, either – there were fancy drinks, several buffets of rich foods, and lots of dancing.

I have to admit, I felt a pang of self-consciousness when we decided to hit the dance floor.  Not because I was afraid to dance with my wife – we always have a great time, and her dance moves make mine look good – but I was fully aware that almost none of my co-workers had ever seen me in this type of setting.  At work, I was the reliable answer-guy you brought your investigations to, a professional to help you figure out your industry-regulated best next step – not exactly the type of person you would expect to groove through the songs of the decades.  I wasn’t so much worried that they would think less of me, but I was certainly curious as to what their reaction would be.

As we made our way to the floor, I had an important realization.  Under no circumstances should I look around for people’s reactions.  As much as I was either self-conscious or curious, focusing on anyone else while dancing with my wife would give the complete wrong impression.  So as we started to move with the music, my attention was focused solely on enjoying the moment with my bride.  We danced the night away, had a blast, and I completely forgot my curiosity surrounding my co-workers’ potential reactions.

Apparently, we were noticed.  And talked about.  Even to the point where a co-worker was excited to point out, two days later, that she had been a witness to the event.  But what, exactly, did they see?  They saw a couple totally focused on each other and enjoying the moment at hand.  It stood out from what they expected.  Watching it unfold was attractive.  Seeing it first-hand was something they thought about, and even talked about days later.

But I think there’s an even bigger lesson here, one that pertains to how we, as Christians, actually show others that we are Christ-followers.  It seems that every ten years or so, there’s a new witnessing technique or life-story-sharing strategy that comes out.  But “witnessing” is much simpler than we make it out to be, because we tend to forget what Jesus said near the beginning of His ‘Sermon on the Mount’, when He looked at disciples and said:

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world.  A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

The disciples would best represent Christ – shine their light – through the lives they would lead and the choices they would make.  Jesus said that their good works would be what would stand out to and attract others to their Father in heaven.

It can be hard to wrap our heads around how doing good works makes that much of a “witnessing” impact; however, demonstrations of patience, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness are not things the world is used to seeing.  Imitating Jesus will cause others to take notice…but we cannot be concerned if anyone has noticed our light.  Instead, our focus should be solely on the fuel for our light – our relationship with Jesus.  As we spend time with Jesus through prayer and studying the Scripture, our good works will be naturally fueled so they shine brightly from the lampstand location we find ourselves in.

In order for Christians to tell others about Jesus, the world doesn’t need us to be schooled in the latest witnessing techniques or debate programs.  We don’t have to have all the answers to the tough theological questions people will ask.  But in order for others to come to the point where they give glory to your Father in heaven, they need to see us Christians doing good works from the platform of our day-to-day lives.

So make sure you spend time with Jesus so you can shine your light today.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Finding hope when the light is fading

I really like light.  Never been a big fan of the dark.  I hate how disorienting it is when you can’t make out your surroundings.  Growing up in the desert, there were plenty of creatures who came out only at night.  They were wild animals, but what made them especially dangerous was that they could see in dark, and I could not.  To go tromping through the sagebrush without a light would have been foolish, to say the least.

Even as I’ve lived in other locations, I still don’t like the dark.  I love the long days of spring and summer.  I would even advocate that we stay on daylight savings time year-round.  But every year, mid-summer, a change begins to occur.  We don’t typically notice it right away, yet within a few months, it is undeniable…the days have gotten shorter, there is less light than there used to be.

Even with all the great things that fall brings – changing leaves, football, holidays – I resent that they come when the days are shorter.  When I am paying attention, I also notice a shift in my attitude.  My feelings drift closer towards the cold and darkness I am experiencing through the weather…almost seems like I’m being slowly dragged down by nature.  Typically by November, I am fully aware of the seasonal change around me…and feeling rather depressed that it’s going to continue for a while before it gets any better.  Leave for work in morning, and it’s dark…head home from work in the evening, and it’s dark.  I’ve worked in some places that didn’t have windows – so it felt like either I missed an entire ‘day’ while I was working, or that the ‘day’ never really happened, like it just stayed dark.

The calendar day that has always bothered me the most is the winter solstice; the day gives us the least amount of light every year.  Six-ish hours of daylight.  That’s it.  Bleh…

Only recently did I see the hope that is couched within that particular day.  Once that day has passed, the light will increase.  Little by little, just an extra minute or two per day…the darkness begins to recede.  The darkness has approached the line in the sand, so to speak, and it will go no further.  Although months have passed while the light slowly fades, it turns out that the darkness will not overtake the day, after all.  The light returns, and with it – new life and springtime will soon follow.

Life feels like that sometimes, doesn’t it?  Our world seems to be growing darker and darker, little by little.  Some days it even looks like the darkness will overtake the light altogether.  However, as followers of Jesus, we know the darkness will not win.  While on Earth, Jesus predicted His death and resurrection…but He also predicted His return:

John 14:2-3
In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you.  I am going away to prepare a place for you.  If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.

Jesus’ return build upon a promise He had made earlier:

John 8:12
Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world.  Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

The author of Hebrews also echoed the hope found in Jesus’ return:

Hebrews 9:28
so also the Messiah, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.

Starting tomorrow, the light of the sun will begin to return.  Use this as a reminder that one day, the light of the world will return.  The darkness we see in the world will not win, no matter how dark it seems at the moment.

Keep Pressing,
Ken