Hope

Even Now

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” John 11:21-22 ESV

The Bible plainly tells us that Jesus loved Martha, and maybe one of the things Jesus loved so much about her was her outspoken way of saying everything that was in her heart. Whether she was complaining about her sister, inviting Jesus into her home, or sending for him in her time of need, Martha was always direct. I have so often heard of her failures and preoccupation with the duties of the pots and pans, yet there was also in her a unique ability to grow because she held nothing back.

In our own daily dealings with Jesus, it is often easier to pray in our religious way and do our religious duty, than to really tell God what is on our mind. So often we fail to grow in our faith because we are hiding behind what we feel is acceptable and we deny Jesus the chance to enter the conversation. But even now, if in complete honesty, we tell Him all our heart He can still do far more than we could ever imagine!

Just Another Day at Nursing Home!

/ pastorpete51 / 4 Comments

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. John 11:5-6 ESV

“Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so,” are the words to a song that practically everybody knows, and here is a Bible verse that starts with a list of some of those folks. The puzzling thing to me here is that Jesus loved them, but it appears He decided to do absolutely nothing to help out. Is that what it feels like in your prayer life sometimes I know that it certainly seems the case for the people in the nursing homes I visit. Each week we come and sing, serve communion and pray, but each week the crowd sits in their wheelchairs, maybe one of them is in the hospital, or another has passed away. “Where is Jesus? “, we might ask. The astonishing, perplexing and confusing answer is that He is right where He was 2,000 years ago that afternoon in Bethany. He is sitting and waiting for the right time to come and tell Martha the most wonderful news of all. “I am the resurrection and the life… Do you believe this?” (verses 25-26). Yes, in spite of how it seems and no matter how confusing things appear, Jesus is the resurrection, and the worse things appear, the better will be His coming.

Some people have commented on this blog about how important it is to do nursing home outreach but are unsure of where or how to start. This week’s message gives a pretty accurate glimpse into how this wonderful mixed-up ministry functions. Doors slam. People are wheeled in (and out), the loudspeaker occasionally gives announcements, and the lunch ladies wheel their carts through on their way to residents who can’t get out of their rooms. My prayer is that you will be encouraged to see that through all the craziness, Jesus still reaches out and touches hearts and touches hearts because no matter how long hopes have lain in their graves, Jesus is still the Resurrection and the Life!

Am I a Signpost or a Destination?

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments

So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6 NKJV

Imagine that you are headed for Niagara Falls. You can’t wait to get there, because, though you have never been there before, you have heard from others about its amazing beauty and power. Along the way you see a signpost ahead, “Niagara Falls, 30 miles.” Though, you get excited to see the sign, and grateful that your destination is close, you do not pull over, get out of your car and set up camp. No! You have not traveled to see the signpost. You want to see the real thing!

Photo by Alexander Kovalev on Pexels.com

That is a funny thought, but strange as it may sound, we who have been Christians for a while, can easily begin to think that we are the destination instead of the signpost, and we forget that our only job is to point the way to Jesus.

In today’s verse, the phrase, “The Lord is my helper,” is such a curious term that, since I didn’t understand it, I mentally filed it away under the heading, “Check back later.” It felt awkward because Jesus was certainly not under my command. I knew that He was far more than a good handyman to call when the kitchen sink springs a leak. But when I looked it up, I discovered that the Greek word here does not mean that God is our servant. Instead, it says that He is someone who shows up when I am in a fight with someone stronger than me and chases them off. But unfortunately, it is our tendency to take credit for what God has done, forgetting that we are just supposed to be the signpost. There is nothing amazing about a signpost. No one puts a parking area around a sign or builds a 5-star hotel for people to stay overnight there. As signposts we simply point to Jesus and His amazing power, love, and mercy. And He promises us that if we are faithful, one day we will do more than point the way to Him: We will arrive in Heaven, see Him face to face and worship at the feet of Jesus Christ!