More then a ghost story

Read Deuteronomy 18:9-12; 1 Samuel 28; Ephesians 6:10-20; 1 Peter 5:8

It’s Halloween Week! Once again our materialistic culture has capitalized greatly on this holiday stripping the roots of the day from the festivities. Sure there are symbols and pictures of what founded this holiday, yet most have no real understanding of it’s beginnings. Most people you encounter, and maybe even yourself, consider Halloween a harmless and fun holiday. And much of our modern practices are.

However there are deeper things to consider. And since many of you are already in the mood for a good ghost story, I’d like to consider one from the Bible. Although I do not believe in ghosts as in what the TV shows, movies and folklore portray, there is a spiritual realities that are active all around us. It may surprise you to know that the Bible has many such stories that pull back the veil on the spiritual realm and let us catch a glimpse of what is happening.

Endor without the Ewoks

Growing up I used to watch the movie “The Battle for Endor” and it had to do with the fuzzy stuffed animal looking Ewoks from “Return of the Jedi.” As a child, I was more familiar with the planet Endor then I was from the witch of Endor. No, this witch had not developed inter planetary travel in Old Testament times either, sorry for my Sci-Fi humor.

The setting of this ghost story begins in Israel at the end of king Saul’s reign. Saul was the people’s choice for king, yet demonstrated insecurities and fears all through out his reign. Saul would seek to obey God, but never followed through completely. He had often times taken things into his own hands and did things his own way, directly disobeying God. One such matter was how he had ordered to have the witches, mediums and sorcerers killed in compliance with God’s commands. Yet he never completed the task. His disobedience led to the prophecy that his kingdom would be removed from him and given to another.

King Saul was facing what was to be his final battle. He was scared. His friend, the prophet Samuel, had already died and was not there to give counsel. He sought the voice of God in the proper manner, but God was silent. Fearful Saul sought the witch of Endor to speak to Samuel’s ghost.

Now she was a medium, one who conjures up the dead…or what appears to be the dead. Good Biblical theology would understand what a medium is as one who speaks to demons pretending to be the dead person. Demons are created spiritual beings, or fallen angels. They are powerful and know a lot about humanity. Sorcerers, witches and mediums would have a familiar spirit, a demon, that they would draw power from or speak to.

When Samuel’s ghost appears, we see something peculiar when the witch is frightened!  This is what she does, but she is the one who is scared. Why? I think she saw a ghost! Literally! I think it is because she was used to a demonic presence acting like the dead, but this time God allowed Samuel’s ghost to appear and it freaked her out!

Samuel’s message to Saul was not good. Saul continued in his rebellion only to hear that God’s mind has been made up and he would lose his kingdom, his life and the lives of his sons.

From Endor to Akron

Stories like this in the Bible help us see that there is a spiritual reality that we often times overlook. We might think of witches and mediums as people from the fantasy stories, or some obscure cave in Old Testament Israel. Yet it is as real today as it was for king Saul. Today we call these activities the Occult and it involves astrology, witchcraft, mediums, séances, Ouija boards, horoscopes, palm-reading, psychic hotlines, etc.

Many of these things are made light of in movies and costumes. Yet they have influence and power over people because they are demonic. God forbids us to have anything to do with these things, but instead to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

We are in a battle every day and we often don’t think about it. It’s a spiritual battle, but a very real battle indeed. Like Saul, we are tempted to rebel and to turn to our own devices, which will lead us down a similar road as him. The apostle Paul tells us that God has given us spiritual armor to help us fight this battle. Peter tells us to be watchful because our enemy is seeking to destroy us.

Jesus came to destroy the work of the devil, why would we want anything to do with it? Instead of focusing on death and evil this Halloween, why not look to Jesus? Marvel at what He has accomplished and how He has overcome death and the devil! I recommend this article “When Jesus Haunts Your Halloween” to help reflect on Jesus this week.

Snapshots of Life

Did you ever have a moment, an event, happen in your life where “your life flashed before your eyes?” We read it in books or see it on TV, but it becomes something completely different when it happens to you. I can actually think of a couple of events in my life where snapshots of my life came flashing through my mind. One occasion was when I realized I was about to be in a car accident. It was as if time slowed down and the possibility of death was right before me.

Sometimes moments like that can transform a person’s life. They realize that they have not lived for much, or that they lived foolishly. Often they cry out to God, “if you let me live through this I will change.” Yet some never do. What do those snapshots tell you about yourself? How do they tell the story of your life?

We each only have one life to live. We are given so many days here on earth and then we will stand before our Creator. The Apostle Paul knew this to be true. His life was forever transformed on the road to Damascus when he first met Jesus Christ. That moment when he truly realized he was a sinner and lived for the wrong reasons, when Christ asked him “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?” With these words Saul, who later became Paul, eyes where opened spiritually to his desperate need for a Savior.

After seeing someone respond to a salvation message, did you ever wonder how sincere their conversion was? We can all be skeptics and cynics at times. Did they really believer or not? Paul’s life became a testimony to his sincerity of belief. From that moment on, Paul dedicated his life to becoming more like Christ and furthering the Gospel. His zealous walk with Christ led him to write two thirds of the New Testament, impacting generations for the glorious Gospel. Even to his death, Paul would not back down or deny his Savior.

How sincere is your faith in Jesus Christ? If you look at the snapshots of your life, do you see a clear time you were confronted with the truth that you too are a sinner in desperate need of a Savior? Sin is pervasive and enslaving. There is nothing you or I can do to overcome our own sinfulness. Do you have a snapshot that recounts the time you were rescued by Jesus from the condemnation of sin? It’s a moment when you begin to see Jesus for who He is, the Son of God and Savior of the world. It’s a moment that redefines your entire life.  Has the course of your life been forever changed, your decisions, your passions, your goals for the cause of Jesus Christ? Belief in Jesus is not just some simple prayer, but a surrendering of your entire life to the Lord Jesus.

Paul’s life took a dramatic course correction that was full of joys and trials and led to his martyrdom. Why do we think God is calling us to something different? Sure, Paul lived in a different time and faced a different type of persecution and was specially called to write part of the New Testament. However, we are called to follow Jesus as Paul followed Jesus. We are called to sacrifice the comforts of this life for the hope and joy of the next life. We are told to surrender every area of our life to Jesus and watch as He creates something completely new in us.

That’s what Paul meant when he penned the words, “for I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). His entire life was found in the person of Jesus Christ and today we can read his words boasting in the Lord Jesus.

What do the snapshots of your life tell? What words describe your life and your passion? Paul’s writings resulted in books being added to the Bible and pointing generations to Jesus. What does your life and words point to? You may think you are not writing books or letters, but I’d bet you have written more then you realize. What does your Facebook posts reveal about you and your heart? How have your Tweets pointed someone to Jesus? How does your Instagram speak of what is most important to you? If I were to scan through the history of your posts, would I see Jesus as your God or something else? Does the peace of the Lord rule your life or is anger, bitterness, fear, depression, relationships, popularity ruling in His place?

At the end of your life, if someone compiled all your writings, would they see that you were a sold out, passionate follower of Jesus that could say “I too have been crucified with Christ and the life I live is only by my faith is Jesus Christ.” Even as I write these words, I am convicted of how I still so desperately need my Savior Jesus Christ and the continual refinement of His Holy Spirit. By His grace alone can we live a life that points others to Jesus Christ.

Keeping the Faith

Read 2 Timothy

Do you ever stop to marvel at how your perception changes as you grow older? Like when I was a kid mom would say we are leaving in 15 minutes and I thought it was going to take forever. Or as a child going some where with mom and dad five miles away seemed like a hundreds of miles. Now 15 minutes flies by too fast and everything I do seems like it is spaced out 5 miles away.

One perception that changes the older I get is the reality of the fragility of life. I used to think I was invincible and would live forever. I had to laugh at myself once when I took the youth group to Hinkley ledges, a wonderful park in Hinkley, Ohio. I used to be the one who would run up to the edge of the cliff, jump the spaces and be daring. This particular hike I kept cautioning the teens to “stay back,” “be careful” and “don’t do anything stupid.”

Upon hearing myself say these things, the thought popped into my head, “when did I start sounding like my father?” With age comes wisdom and sensitivity to the reality of life. We start to recognize that our time on earth is limited and short. Hours, days and years start going by faster and faster.

What if you were to find out that within a very short time your life was going to come to an end. Maybe within days or a few weeks, but it was a sure thing. What would you want to do? What would change? What if all you had was a pencil and some paper to write your last words, who would you write to and what would you say?

The Apostle Paul found himself in this very real situation. He was imprisoned in the Mamertine Prison in Rome with a pending death sentence. He knew that within a few short days his life was going to be taken from him. Instead of throwing a pity party for himself, he took pen to paper and wrote one final letter to his son in the faith, Timothy.

The book of 2 Timothy is a special book as it is written with the urgency of a man who has little time left. “Don’t waste your life Timothy” is the essence of Paul’s charge in this book. He writes with such passion and clarity that it speaks to us today, thousands of years later.

Paul’s last words where written from the foundation of the Gospel and build toward a fulfilled life of faith. Paul is not complaining or whining, but challenging and clear. He sees his own life as one that has been lived well for the cause of Christ and says he is ready to “poured out like a drink offering to God.”

Here, this man of God, does not give up but encourages one whom he loves to follow in his footsteps, even if means facing the same end as he does. How is your faith? Would you hold to your beliefs if it meant imprisonment and a beheading? If someone you know and love was facing the death penalty for their faith and told you to do what they did, would you?

There is nothing easy about what Paul says to Timothy and there is no promise of a easy Christian life. Paul doesn’t tell Timothy to just make sure he has all the proper doctrines in place, sit on the right counsels and earn the right degrees. He speaks to him as one who will have to live each day with intentionality. To work hard, focus and live out his faith in face of adversity.

The Christian life is one of patient and deliberate faithfulness each and everyday. It is remembering the cause of Jesus Christ and focusing on His promises. It is about rescuing souls from the fiery pit of hell and celebrating in the grace and mercy of God. It’s about fixing our eyes on the goal, Jesus Christ, and running hard to the finish line.

If I were to write a letter before I die, I’d imagine I would like to share some heartfelt memories with my family, tell my friends what they meant to me, say I love you to those who are close. I’d want to share some thoughts with my youth group and church about the joys of serving them. I would hope that facing that day would help me focus all the more on my Savior and that my letter would have the same urgency and intentionality of Paul’s letter to Timothy.

What adds to Paul’s written letter, something that really makes the words alive, is that Paul lived it out. His letter wasn’t empty prose or flattery. They were tried and proven through an obedient life that was willing to be sacrificed for the cause of which they speak. That’s what I want in that day. I want a life that didn’t just start right and have it’s moments, but that it is a life that is faithful to the very end.

The Road Less Traveled

At first look you may think I am referring to one of my favorite Robert Frost poems…”two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I, I chose the one less traveled by and that has made all of the difference.” At least that is how I remember it; I apologize if I messed it up but I typed from memory and am currently too lazy to Google the exact phrase. I love that poem because it is a great poem and because I won a “Robert Frost Sound alike” contest in 10^th grade English class and received a frosty from Wendy’s thanks to Mrs. King!

The Road less traveled I am referring to is the Narrow Road that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 7:13-14, the narrow road that leads to life. I love the illustration of a road, the way that leads to life. One of the many qualities I inherited from my father is a sense of direction. I find reading maps comes easy, of course nobody does that anymore because of the GPS apps on our smartphones.

A few years ago I had a great opportunity to visit the Holy Land and explore Jerusalem. We did not go with an organized tour and I loved the opportunity to figure out the best ways to get across the city and countryside. There was even a cab ride that my traveling companions laughed about how I, a first time visitor, was giving directions to the cab driver. Maps, roads and directions have always seemed to make sense to me.

The amazing thing about the Word of God is that it is the Divine GPS, the guidebook to abundant life. The Apostle Paul was directed by God to leave some significant signposts in the letter to the Romans that have now been called the Romans Road to salvation. These five verses are like road signs telling you how to arrive at a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Plan

Every journey should begin with counting the cost. You need to know what to pack, how much gas, rental, hotels and food it is going to cost. Many times I have an idea of trip but upon counting the cost, I realize the bad news is I cannot afford this trip.

The Narrow Road begins with a cost, or better stated, a severe debt. All of us are sinners and cannot measure up to God (Romans 3:23). We are bankrupt and have no means to begin the journey. There is no gas in the tank, no money in the bank and no food in the cooler. We are stuck in our sin. Few will find the narrow road, because they are unwilling to face the harsh truth at the front of the path, but the narrow road leads to joy if you will just stick with it.

The next signpost only makes our desperate situation seem even worse. The paycheck we receive for our sins is separation from God (Romans 6:23a). Both physical and spiritual death is the point. We all are stuck in a place far away from God and we have no means to escape it on our own.

Yet a turn in the road brings a bright and glorious ray of sunlight to the path. Our Creator wanted to show us how much He loved us that, even while we were stuck in our sin and rebellion against Him, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). Jesus came to this earth and lived a sinless life, in complete fulfillment to God’s holy measure. He became the sacrifice for our sins. He was willing to make the payment and secure a way for us to travel the narrow road to life. And He offers the trip to eternal life as a free gift (Romans 6:23b).

What makes a gift a gift? Do you have to earn a gift? No that would be a reward or payment. A gift is free, there is nothing you can do to earn it.

Paul tells us the way to receive this awesome gift of life is by calling out to God (Romans 10:13). We talk to God and tell Him that we acknowledge our desperate sinful state and need of a Savior. The promise of redemption is tied to the heartfelt cry of “Jesus I need you!”

The final stretch of the path is two pronged. You must confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord; that He is who He has said He is. And you must believe with your whole person that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9). Upon arriving at this point the promise of salvation is secured. God’s Word says “you will be saved!” It is a glorious statement. When you find yourself at the end of your own means, that you are in utter need of a Savior and you are willing to surrender it all to the one who showed you His love by dying for you, you will have life. Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever!

The Mystery of the Way

Sometimes we can get so familiar with church language and Bible verses that we forget how powerful God’s Word really is. The Word of God brings life, it awakens dead hearts, opens the eyes of the blind and ears of the deaf. The Word of God is alive and powerful. When we speak it we can have confidence that God’s Word will accomplish what it has been sent out to do.

As a 19 year old I went on a missions trip to Trinidad. Trinidad is a former English colony and therefore they spoke English, which was very helpful. Hinduism was a major religion there. I had an opportunity to share Jesus with an 83 year old Hindu woman. Let me be honest, as a pastor for the last 11 years and now in my mid 30s I still would be intimated as to what to say to a woman who has been a Hindu her whole life.

I did not know much about Hinduism and I didn’t have a polish argument or even a smooth way of sharing the Gospel. What I had was directions, signposts through the book of Romans to share with her. I simply opened my Bible to Romans 3:23 and asked her to read it and tell me what she thought it meant. I asked clarifying questions like “what is sin?” “Who has sinned?” “What does it mean to fall short of God’s glory?” And then I moved to the next verse, and then the next.

At the end of the signposts I simply asked her, “Is this something you want to do?” She replied, “yes it is!” I was stunned! “Are you sure,” I asked. “I am,” she said. With tears in her eyes and joy in her heart she trusted Christ that day. All praise and glory goes to God.

The joy of this story is that there was nothing about the deliverer of the Good News, not the style, not the persuasiveness that stands out. The Word of God did a work. She read it, understood it and received it. For “it is the power of God to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

Share the signposts and help others find the Road less traveled, the narrow road that leads to life.

Just Stop It! Living a counter cultural life

Read: Romans 1; Romans 12:1-2; Psalm 119:11

As per my morning ritual, I perused Facebook with my morning coffee. Scrolling through a headline caught my eye as it obviously had a direct correlation my lesson for youth group. The Headline simply read “8 MostOutspoken (And Annoying) Christian Celebrities!” Funny how it was written in April, but it only just now hit my newsfeed today…the day I’m teaching about Christianity and Culture.

The Fame 10 Staff prove their point with lines like “While he used to sing about one-night stands and sexual positions, he now preaches the virtues of living a moral life.” I mean the audacity of a singer to not sing about demeaning women and degrading sex, he now promotes respect and morals. So annoying! (Notice my obvious use of sarcasm)

“His faith has restored meaningful conversations with his director.” Again, that is so annoying; don’t we all want them to keep on fighting? “He now calls the show that made him millions “filth.” And…implores others to stop watching…”

The real rub is when a celebrity speaks out against abortion, gay marriage or homosexuality. The article describes it as offensive and annoying. However, they have no problem promoting and offending so many when they promote sin as a good thing.

Another cultural interaction was how a baker in Colorado lost her job because of her religious and moral views. Here is her reply: "Our culture has accepted 2 huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone's lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. Second is that to love someone means that you must agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don't have to compromise convictions to be compassionate."

Let’s be realistic here, this level of persecution is nothing. It’s laughable to be listed as “outspoken and annoying” in a magazine. I mean…ouch, that really stings. Losing a job is a bigger deal. However many of our brothers and sisters around the world are beaten, tortured and even killed for their faith. ISIS is killing thousand of Christians in Iraq. You can follow the persecuted church at Voice of the Martyrs website.

If you take some time and read the Christian Classic “Foxes Book of Martyrs” or the contemporary books “Jesus Freaks” you will read about Christians who faced very real and harsh persecution beginning in ancient Rome. The stories in these books are hard to read, but you should read them. We become so comfortable in our culture that we begin to look more like our culture then our Savior.

Paul addresses the Christians in Ancient Rome. These were very real people, living in a very dynamic culture. “All roads lead to Rome” is a slogan that wasn’t just talking about the superior infrastructure of the Rome roads. Every major discipline, the arts, philosophy, and the pillars of civilization flowed from Rome. The people suppressed their knowledge of God and it led them to all manners of unrighteousness. Right became wrong, and sin became good. Anyone who stood in the way of their debauchery was persecuted, and I don’t mean they made a top 8 list on Fame 10.

The emperors allowed brutality and the taking of the lives of Christians. They tried to get believers to renounce their faith. They were brought to the Coliseum and fed to lions, forced to fight or burned at the stake. Yet they would not recant their faith, they would not give up their Savior.

Yet today we conform to this world. We are comfortable. We are lazy. Nobody is threatening our lives or forcing us to abandon our faith. Yet we fall to peer pressure because of how we “might” make someone “feel” or they “might” think something “bad” of us. They might even think you are stupid. Oh poor us, right?

In chapter 12 Paul urges believers to live everyday for Christ, out loud, boldly in face of real persecution. He says to not do what everybody else is doing but follow the pattern Christ has set for us. Love Jesus, love people, serve those who persecute you, be generous, live in purity, honor God in all areas.

Stop worrying about whether your going to fit in with the crowd. Stop wasting time of stupid celebrity gossip. Stop flirting with sin. Pursue Christ, live Christ, talk about Christ and paint a picture of the amazing love of Jesus that is so beautiful and enthralling that the world will want what you have. Live counter culturally and praise God that we in America are not fearing for our lives…at least not yet.