The day his heart rejoiced!
“Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love..” Ecclesiastes 9:9a We are celebrating our fortieth wedding anniversary this month. I still remember the joy of seeing my lovely bride walking down the aisle to become my wife. I call my beautiful wife, Kristi, the delight of my eyes. We have been blessed with a solid and committed marriage. We rejoice with our three beautiful children and delight in our two granddaughters. But it almost drastically changed some twenty years ago. Kristi’s eyesight had progressively and noticeably weakened for several months. An ophthalmologist suggested she needed more than a new eyeglass prescription. He told us she had a brain tumor. Of course, we did not immediately accept the grim news, but after a local brain surgeon made his diagnosis, we asked what he could do to repair the problem. How I look at life is that if there is a problem, we can fix it. But we did not like his method of repair. He told Kristi that the procedure would be to open her skull, move her brain, remove about 50 percent of her tumor, then follow up with radiation. Even then, she could suffer brain damage and may not regain her sight. The tumor was benign, but it was growing. Of course, we did not want to accept that suggestion, so we consulted two other experts who told us the same thing. We did not like what we heard. Unhappy with the information we received, I felt that I, as a pastor at the time, had to take some action. The one option we had received from three different, highly respected specialists was not what we wanted to accept. At our church, we held healing services on the second Sunday of the month. I arranged a healing service for Kristi and began a week of fasting and praying to prepare for the anointing. I had high expectations for the service; however, it was poorly attended, and I felt no sense of God’s presence. Nevertheless, I anointed Kristi. I had expected God to do a great work. I saw nothing to indicate that he had done it. I was disheartened. I was angry. I had spent a week fasting, feeling God beside me, feeling certain this would culminate in healing from the hand of God, but I could not see or feel his presence during the healing service. I felt let down and abandoned. The excitement I felt during the week while I fasted turned to anger after the healing service. Later in the day, I expressed my anger with God to Kristi. I told her I had acted and thought God was with me, and I had fasted, prayed, and anointed her. What more could I have done? I had done my part to heal my wife, but God’s presence was missing at the healing service. I expressed my intense anger to Kristi. After unloading my disappointment on her, I asked Kristi how the service had gone for her. She looked me in the eye and, in her sweet tone, said,” “All I know is that no one would have done for me what you have done” I took solace in that, even though God did not meet her needs in the way I wanted, He did help me to meet those of my wife. Still, after all my prayer hours, I could only wonder,” “Where was God’s answer?” And then it came. Kristi’s sister, Amy, a registered nurse, found a doctor through online research who invented a non-invasive procedure that could remove the tumor, cut through the eyebrow, did not move the brain, and did not require radiation follow-up. We contacted Dr. Hrayr Shahinian, director of the Skull Base Institute in Los Angeles. We made an appointment for Dec. 28. On Christmas Day, we said goodbye to our three children, then ages 15, 8, and 6, unsure what would happen, and flew to L.A for brain surgery. We felt a sense of peace when we met the doctor. He was personable and confident. He told us three things: “I’ve never lost a patient. Have great calmness of heart” I think your eyesight will be restored to what it was before you started having eye problems. Bring your glasses to surgery so we can test afterward” and” “I will do my best to keep the pituitary stem. There is only a 30 percent chance of loss; if the function is lost, medicine will correct the problem” “Kristi’s surgery lasted from 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Afterward, Kristi put on her glasses, and they worked. Dr. Shahanian told us he had removed 99.9 percent of the tumor, and it was gone. While Kristi recovered in our hotel room, I took walks to give her the quiet she needed. One day I was walking down Via Rodeo in Beverly Hills, marveling at the luxury and wealth around me. The Lord brought to my mind the song” “The Via Dolorosa”-The Way of Suffering”). I began to sing the song to myself when God nudged me if I would choose to have riches or if I would take the way of suffering. The Holy Spirit took over my being, and I replied that I would follow and serve Him wholeheartedly, even if it meant traveling the way of suffering. If I had not felt God’s presence at Kristi’s anointing, I sure experienced it with my heart, soul, and spirit on my walk on the Via Rodeo. It then became clear. God did not answer my prayers on my terms, in my time frame, or in a way I could immediately understand. But He answered them clearly and gloriously. I sang praises aloud without fear as I walked past the shops on Via Rodeo. God had healed Kristi, the delight of my eyes, and opened my eyes to the way of suffering. He had answered my prayer in the holiest and most appropriate ways: His way (Isaiah 55:8-9). As we rejoice on our
It’s Almost Time to Go Home
“Behold now is the accepted time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2 I was finishing up a Bible study when my phone vibrated. I excused myself from the discussion to take Jessica’s phone call. Jessica said quickly, “Pastor, I hope you are not too busy. The hospice nurse said that Dad should pass some time today. Could you come to the house and pray with our family soon?” We set-up the agreed upon time, and I arrived at the house. The family was in the bedroom with Bill, Sherry (his wife of 50 years), his daughter Jessica, the hospice nurse, and Bill’s sister Sheila (and her husband, Larry). As I walked into the room, I greeted Sherry with a hug. Jessica introduced me to Sheila, and she blurted out: “I know you! You are the guy from the video that told Bills’ salvation story.” I chuckled. “Yes, I am. When did you see the video?” I replied. Sheila told me how Jessica has been sharing the video clip with the other family members and friends. I was blessed to hear how the video clip encouraged her heart. I had just published the Go & Tell Great Commission Study Video series the previous month. I then asked Sheila and the others in the room to join me as I held Bill’s hand to pray. Jessica called me a few hours later to share that Bill passed peacefully at home with the family. The family had Bill’s Celebration Service the following week. As I welcomed everyone to the service, we began by singing Amazing Grace. My heart was comforted as we sang the second verse: “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,And grace my fears relieved:How precious did that grace appearThe hour I first believed.” After several family members shared their eulogies, I began the funeral sermon by telling how I got to know Bill over 10 years ago. When I taught Special Education, Bill’s wife was my favorite substitute teacher. Sherry and I began praying together for Bill’s salvation a decade earlier. I faithfully prayed for Bill’s salvation almost twice a week for the next several years. Bill eventually visited our church one Sunday. Afterward, we began to meet regularly and I learned many things about Bill: He was born in Goshen, Indiana, and moved with his family to Elkhart as a youth. Bill graduated from Elkhart High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University of South Bend. He was a soldier in the United States Army, attained the rank of First Lieutenant, served one year in Vietnam, and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for heroism in ground combat. Bill’s first date with Sherry consisted of dancing and laughter that continued for 50 years. He has two kids: Jessica (Matt) and Josh (Deb), and a grandson (Jacob). Bill had a lifelong love of music, literature, and writing (he was a published author of two short stories). He was an avid fisherman and loved spending time at his cottage on Irish Lake. He also enjoyed many sports, especially San Francisco Giants Baseball, Notre Dame Football, and IU Basketball. I also learned that Bill grew up Methodist, and Sherry’s background was in the Catholic Church. I eventually asked Bill, “May I ask you a spiritual question?” He assured me that I could. I asked him: “Bill, if you were to stand before God and he was to ask you why He should let you into heaven, what would you say?” He replied: “Wow. That’s a huge question, and I assume I would say because I’m a pretty good person.” As we continued our spiritual conversation, he eventually shared with me that he was a sinner, separated from God, and was destined for hell. I then shared the gospel clearly with him and explained that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead to take away his sins and forgive him. I could see he was not ready to profess faith in Jesus, so I asked him if we could get together every 3 or 4 weeks to explore the gospel story. We began to do just that. We met regularly, laughed, shared coffee, and talked about Jesus. Several years after the first time we discussed sin and salvation, he came to the church to see me. The first thing he said to me was: “Jim, I want you to know I have not repented, and I am still going to hell!” I laughed and said: “Thanks for getting that out of the way! By the way, Bill, how was fishing yesterday?” Three years progressed, and the family asked me to come to their house on a Sunday night to pray with Bill for his upcoming heart surgery. Before we prayed, I shared the gospel of Jesus one more time. Afterward, Bill looked at me and said: “Jim, I guess I’m just supposed to say a prayer, and I’m going to be OK with surgery.” I replied, “That’s not it at all. Bill, you must repent of your sins. You must trust only in Jesus for your salvation. Bill, I will say a prayer of blessing for your surgery right now. But when you repent of your sins and profess faith in Jesus, when God gives you a new heart, when you are born again, I want you to call me and tell me your story.” Two days later, I was in Kalamazoo for a pastors’ meeting. I had just finished the gathering and saw that Bill was calling me. I took Bill’s phone call. I heard a man with a broken and humble heart for the first time. He told me that he saw what he had done to God and his wife the previous night. He asked Jesus for forgiveness, and he repented of his sins. He professed faith in Jesus as his Savior. He asked me to come to see him before surgery and pray with him. I happily agreed to visit him
Roundtable Interview
The Roundtable is part of Life Church’s (Huntington, IN) ministry. At the Roundtable, “we continue the conversations from Sunday morning and how you can learn practical ways to help every person take their next steps towards Jesus…together.” I was blessed to be invited to join Mike and Jenny to discuss Evangelism and to share about Go & Tell Ministries.
Each One Reach One Broadcast
I really enjoyed talking with Christopher and Derimia on their Each One Reach One show this week. May the Lord is it to raise up workers for the harvest field (Matthew 9:35-38)
Are you a Giant?
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 I cannot remember why or when I started praying Psalm 19:14 before I preached or taught a Bible study, but I have done this since I graduated from seminary. I will never forget my ordination service with the Evangelical Free Church of America in the 90s. I preached the message, and I opened the sermon by praying Psalm19:14. After the service, My Aunt Nancy embraced me. She told me with a tear in her eyes how my grandfather, Delmar Halstead, always prayed Psalm 19:14 before family devotions, teaching Sunday School, or praying during the Sunday morning worship service. My grandfather died when I was two, and I have no pictures or recollection of him, but his prayers and life still impact me today. I was thinking of this when I read the Book of Ruth, and I wondered if King David knew his grandfather Obed. The Scriptures state: “So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son… Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.” (Ruth 4:13, 21b-22) Did David ever meet Obed? Did he remember him when he was the king of Israel? What impact did Obed have on the faith of David, the King of Israel? Did David know the faith story of his grandfather Obed? I treasure the faith story of my grandfather Delmar. He was laid off from work during the great depression, and my father (a little boy) became very ill. An Elder at the Ellettsville Christian Church, Orie Crismore, helped save my dad’s life by taking him and Delmar to the doctor. Mr. Crismore paid for the doctor’s visit, and the precious medicine that saved my dad’s life. He also invited Delmar and the family to his church. Soon after this event, my grandfather Delmar and my grandmother Anna professed faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. My grandfather eventually became an elder and deacon at Ellettsville Christian Church and physically helped build their new church building. When my dad was leaving for the navy during the Korean War, Delmar gave him a pocket bible with Psalm 19:14 highlighted. I have that precious bible, and I treasure it today. Did King David consider the story of Boaz and Ruth and reflect on how his grandfather came from their story? Do you ever reflect on those who went before you and how they influenced you to know Christ as your Savior? The Jewish poet and storyteller Noah ben Shea tells a parable that serves as a valuable reminder of those who went before us in life: After a meal, some children turned to their father, Jacob, and asked if he would tell them a story. “A story about what?” asked Jacob. “About a giant,” squealed the children. Jacob smiled, leaned against the warm stones at the side of the fireplace, and his voice turned softly inward. “Once, a boy asked his father to take him to see the grand parade that passed through the village. The father, remembering the parade from when he was a boy, quickly agreed, and the following day the boy and his father set out together. “As they approached the parade route, people started to push in from all sides, and the crowd grew thick. When the people became almost a wall, the father lifted his son and placed him on his shoulders. “Soon, the parade began, and as it passed, the boy kept telling his father how wonderful it was and how spectacular were the colors and images. The boy grew so prideful of what he saw that he mocked those who saw less, saying, even to his father, ‘If only you could see what I see.’ “But,” said Jacob staring straight in the faces of the children, “what the boy did not look at was why he could see. The boy forgot that once his father, too, could see.” Then, as if he had finished the story, Jacob stopped speaking. “Is that it?” said a disappointed girl. “We thought you would tell us a story about a giant.” “But I did,” said Jacob. “I told you a story about a boy who could have been a giant.” “How?” squealed the children. “A giant,” said Jacob, “is anyone who remembers we are all sitting on someone else’s shoulders.” “And what does it make us if we don’t remember?” asked the boy. “A burden,” answered Jacob. My grandfather died when I was just two years old. Before he died, he bought seven burial plots for his family. The plots were for his five children and their spouse, Delmar and his wife Anna, and Orie and his wife Leatha Crismore. Every year, I go to the Ellettsville Presbyterian Cemetery to put flowers on each gravesite, and I always make a special visit to Orie’s gravesite. I thank the Lord for his impact on my family: for saving my dad’s life, leading my grandfather and grandmother to faith in Jesus, and how his devotion to Jesus has impacted my life. Whenever I preach or teach a Bible study, I pray Psalm 19:14 and think of those who went before me. I picture my grandfather praying Psalm 19:14 over me and others. I wonder if David ever considered Obed and the impact he had on his life. How about you-do you remember those who went before you and impacted your life for Jesus? Or a better question is this: “Are you a giant or a burden?” “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
Jesus’ family thought He was crazy too!
I grew up in a loving, supportive, non-Christian family. I was told about the gospel of Jesus Christ through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes ministry while I was in high school. When I first the gospel of Jesus, I told my coach that they needed to write a book about this. He looked at me and said: “Jim, they did, and it is called the Bible.” I did not know. I studied the Bible they gave me and attended church for a year to examine if what they told me was true. Afterward, I repented of my sins and professed in Jesus the summer before my senior year in high school. I was in love with Jesus and started attending church, bible studies, and growing in the disciplines of faith. I will never forget when my mom came into my room soon after my conversion. I was playing the only Christian album I could find-Tom Netherton singing the Gospel Hymns. Tom was a regular singer on the Lawrence Welk show. My mom entered my room and saw me on my knees singing a hymn with tears in my eyes. She left my room and told my father: “I understand him listening to rock and roll, but I don’t know what to do with him listening to Lawrence Welk.” My parents thought I had joined some crazy cult that included the Lawrence Welk singers. I was not alone. It says in Mark 3:20-21: “Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’” Jesus’ family decided he had indeed gone out of his mind with this “Messiah stuff” and that they needed to take charge of him. Jesus’ family was concerned for him, The family may be the most challenging place to witness Jesus. To be the first or only believing Christian may go against the family tradition. Our faith may come across as a criticism of how others have lived their lives. Our passion may be misunderstood and be overwhelming for others. Family members require the most patience, love, and grace. Remember that Christ’s family rejected and ridiculed him. Jesus knows what you face by trying to be a witness for him in your own family. You see God’s heart for the family when you read the Bible. Jesus’s ministry was announced by Mary’s relative Elizabeth’s child: John the Baptist. We see that Andrew’s first thing was to find his brother Simon and bring him to Jesus. We read the Old Testament stories of families: Moses and Aaron, Jacob and Esau, Rachel and Leah, Joseph and his brothers. The Scriptures are full of references to families and their relationship with God. In Acts, we read about Paul and his nephew. “But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.” (Acts 23:16) This is the only biblical reference to Paul’s family. Some theologians believe that Paul’s family disowned him when he became a Christian. Paul wrote of having suffered the loss of everything for Christ (Philippians 3:8). Paul’s nephew, who is never named, visited Paul in prison and helped his uncle. We do not know if any of Paul’s relatives were converted later, but I believe he prayed for their salvation. I have seen my parents who thought I was crazy with this Jesus thing, both come to faith in Jesus. I have also seen many other family members still think I am a little extreme with Jesus. I have faithfully prayed every week for my immediate family’s salvation, life, and health. I remember rejoicing when my sister’s son Jimmy was born. I began to pray for his salvation every Thursday of his life. I remember when I first shared the gospel with him, he thought I was crazy. I continued to share the gospel when I performed his wedding, but I could see that the gospel did not penetrate his heart. But I kept praying and hoping that the Lord would lead someone else to share the gospel with him. After thirty-five years of praying, my prayers were answered. I took him out for dinner one night and asked him this question again “If you were to stand before God and He asked you why I should let you into my Heaven-what would you say?” But his answer was different-here is his story: “I was raised Catholic and went to Lutheran schools, but I just took it as information and never put His word in my heart. I lived a life that was very self-centered and self-pleasing. After high school, I only prayed if I wanted something, basically treating God as a genie to grant my will. Eventually, I walked through life existing but never truly enjoyed it to its fullest. I would go to work and come home to my wife and dogs. At 26, I received a traumatic brain injury, and I was in a medically induced coma for two weeks. I was in pain most days, depressed, and anxious. I drank daily to numb the pain and anxiety. I was completely lost and didn’t care about anything or anyone. I just existed, and eventually, my wife filed for divorce. I had no income and had to move in with my mom at 32. I was at my lowest point in life and felt utterly worthless. A friend of mine invited me to his church at this time. The church was so welcoming, and I needed to see some kind faces. I kept going every Sunday and listening to the sermons. I could feel God slowly opening my heart to care again. He was patient and kind with my stubborn and questioning mind, but a conversation started between us. I could take all my pain, anxiety, worries, faults and lay them down before him, and He
Go Tell It on the Mountain, Over the Hills, and to Your Neighbor!
“Go, tell it on the mountains,over the hills and everywhere,go, tell it on the mountain,that Jesus Christ is born.” Go Tell it on the Mountain is an African American spiritual song dating back to 1865. It is now known as a Christmas hymn announcing that Jesus Christ is born. When I sing this wondrous song, I think of Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” As the hymn begins, it announces that we need to proclaim Jesus from the mountains, over the hills to everywhere. But I often think that the church that so joyously sings this classic during the Advent season fails to see the disconnect. They seldom realize that they neglect to share the good news with the people that the Lord has brought into their life. Instead of climbing a mountain, or going overseas, maybe we need to begin by crossing our street and telling our neighbor the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to sing Go & Tell it to your neighbor that Jesus Christ is born. In John chapter four, we see a perfect example of this with the Samaritan woman telling her neighbors of finding Jesus Christ. In John 4:25-26, we read: The woman said, “I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am He.” Immediately she wanted to share her faith with others, so she went into the village and told the men she had met the Messiah. John 4:28-30 goes on to say: Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” They came out of the town and made their way toward Him.” As disciples of Jesus begin to realize that the Lord wants them to bloom where He has planted them, they will open their eyes to see that the harvest field is all around them. As the Samaritan woman told her neighbors about Jesus, we see the Lord opening their hearts to come to faith in Him. We read in John 4:39-42, Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and He stayed two days. And because of His words, many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this Man really is the Savior of the world.” These Samaritans began their spiritual walk by trusting in what their neighbor said. “Now we know!” was their happy testimony and the joy of a faithful neighbor who told them about Jesus. I wrote the Go & Tell Evangelism Workshop to help disciples of Jesus not only begin to pray for their neighbor’s salvation but also learn how to tell them about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I received this testimonial from Lance, who took the Go & Tell Evangelism Workshop and began to pray for his neighbor Ray. Lance did not tell it on the mountain, but he told Ray across the street. Here is Lance’s story: Several years ago, a new family moved in next door, right at the same time we were preparing to sell our house. Ray was friendly from the start, and he seemed genuinely disappointed when he learned we were actively trying to sell. It was easy to see that Ray needed Jesus from the first interaction. So, I began to pray for his salvation. A month later, we found our next house and were mere hours from putting our house on the market and locking in an offer on the new house. Then something strange happened. Our realtor called and said the seller had backed out, sold to another buyer, and had no recourse. It didn’t seem fair or logical, and we were very disappointed, so we decided to end the search and unpack our boxes. Over the next two years, Ray and I swapped stories about home improvement projects. He would text me to ask how I remodeled this or that or where an electrical or plumbing line ran. Beyond our house similarities, Ray’s preschool son was the same age as my preschool daughter, which resulted in several outdoor conversations as the kids played together. Many days a week, I would stop to pray, asking God to draw Ray to Himself, that Ray would seek to know Him, that Ray would believe the Scriptures, that Ray would believe in Christ and become saved. There was zero evidence of spiritual interest in all my interactions with Ray. His God was making money, evident by the long hours he worked to serve that master. Recently, Ray and I went to breakfast. After an hour of good food and conversation, I told Ray about a man in our church who went into cardiac arrest right at the start of the sermon. Thankfully a nurse and a defibrillator were close by, thus saving him from certain physical death. Ray then shared that he had been in a severe car accident five years earlier and had almost died. So, I asked the question, “Ray, what if you had died that day? Where would you be now?” Ray asked, “What do you mean, like heaven or hell? I don’t know.” “Ray,” I said, “would you like to know where you would’ve gone?” “Yes,” he said. So, I asked him if he was a good person, to which he answered the way most lost people do, with a confident “yes.” I went through several of the 10 Commandments, which are God’s mirror, to show us how far from perfection
Changing the World, One Person at a Time
I have learned over the years that Evangelism is Relational. It begins with your relationship with Jesus Christ. It spreads within the circle of relationships you have with family, co-workers, neighbors, and others that the Lord has brought into your lives. Evangelism begins not with talking to others about Jesus but by talking with Jesus about others. Over 35+ years of pastoral ministry, I have learned that very few believers pray for the lost by name. A recent Lifeway study surveyed what people typically request when they pray. The study revealed that among people who pray, more people prayed to win the lottery than praying for others who have no faith. Not only do few believers pray for the salvation of others, but even fewer are sharing the gospel with others. Billy Graham once said that 90% of the Church today has never shared the gospel with someone else. I now serve full-time with Go & Tell Ministries, which seeks to equip the Church to share the gospel using practical and straightforward evangelism and discipleship tools. One of those tools is the Go & Tell Evangelism Workshop. It is a 3-hour workshop that teaches your Church to share their faith with others. I taught the Go & Tell Evangelism Workshop at an RCA Church in Detroit last month. Their group was very engaged with the seminar and was excited to begin to pray for the salvation of others. I left the weekend very encouraged with their response, and I was praying for the Lord to raise workers for the harvest field from our time together. Last week I received a text from the pastor of the Church in Detroit. He said: “Hey Jim, we have a celebration testimony from your Go & Tell Evangelism Workshop. Talina attended the workshop, and she was able to share Jesus in the way you taught. She called me and was so excited to share that her Uncle decided to repent of his sins and profess faith in Jesus. There is more to her testimony that makes it so amazing, and I think you would like to hear from her.” I was excited to hear from the pastor, and I immediately texted Talina. I think she was even more excited to share the story with me because she responded soon after. This is Talina’s testimonial: “Hi Jim. First, thank you so much for being at Grace Church that day. My Uncle Tim lost his son two weeks ago. He was missing for over a year. He had got on drugs and finally walked out one day and never heard another word. Timmy (my cousin) was 32-years-old. Two weeks ago, my Uncle got the call no parent ever wants. They found his skeletal remains in an attic in Detroit. He had been there about a year. Of course, my Aunt Jane and Tim were beyond words. I went to them and gave them my condolences. I am close to all of them. At first, it wasn’t easy being there. My Uncle didn’t believe in God. How could God do something or allow something like this to happen? He didn’t want to hear any God stuff, so I would go over and sit, often feeling like I was taking a verbal assault for believing. But that was okay. I just listened and prayed for them. We had a quiet dinner last week when his remains came home cremated. There was not much said at the dinner table that night. But my Uncle said something that gave me hope. He said that he hoped he would see Timmy again. So I have been going over every few days, just listening to them and speaking when needed (and crying when I can’t help it). This past Monday night, I went over, and my Uncle asked me to come out to the garage; he wanted to talk to me. So out I went. He asked me if I thought he’d see Timmy again. He told me that he couldn’t imagine seeing him again. I told him my beliefs in God. And how that gave me peace in anything that happens. I told him it wasn’t God who took His son and let all these terrible things happen in the world. It goes back from the fall of man and sin. So, he started crying and asked me what I was going to do. I asked if I could pray with him. Shockingly, he said yes. I held his hand, and we prayed. Afterward, I asked him: “Uncle Tim, have you ever lied?” He said, yeah. I then asked him: “Have you ever stolen anything?” He giggled and said, well yeah. I wondered, “Have you ever committed adultery (and Jesus said lust is adultery in the Sermon of the Mount)?” He said, okay, Talina, yes, yes, I’m a sinner. I said, “Okay, so if you had to stand before God and He asked if you were to go to hell or heaven, what would you say?” He started crying and said, well, I believe I have sinned against God, I would go to hell. But if I believe what you are saying, then I’d be saved. I asked him, “And why would you go to heaven?” He sat for a minute and said God sent Jesus to die for our sins. He stopped and said, GOD SENT HIS SON TO DIE FOR ME? I said exactly. He said Talina, I get it, and I believe it! It was absolutely beautiful. I never felt or seen anything like it. If I died today, I would feel complete. I’ve never witnessed someone believe in Jesus and have hope like that for the first time. The only thing I could compare it with would be watching a child be born.” After I read her text, I was rejoicing in Tim’s salvation like the angels in heaven (Luke 15:7, 10), and I was rejoicing in Talina’s walk with Jesus as she lovingly and boldly shared the gospel with her Uncle Tim. I then shared with Talina 2 Corinthians 5:17-20: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a
Starting and finishing lines are not the same.
This past weekend, I was in the Boston area to teach the Go and Tell Evangelism Workshop and preach at Fairlawn CRC church. I flew into Logan Airport in Boston and was happy to meet my church contact, Brandon. We had a great lunch together and talked about the Boston area. As we were driving to the church, he told me that we were near the starting line of the Boston marathon and asked me if I wanted to see it. I was excited to hear this and told him I would love to visit this famous landmark. I was excited to stand on top of the starting line of the world’s oldest and best-known marathon. As I stood on the starting line, I thought of the passage in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others. I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” Brandon told me that he had run in the race five times and talked about the training, hard work, and joy in completing the race. The Boston Marathon usually is in the spring on Patriots Day. Due to covid, the race was held in the fall this year. I shared that I have a friend who ran in the Boston Marathon just a week ago. I shared how proud I was of this former college student who attended my church when she ran track in college. I told him that Felicia is now a kindergarten teacher in Michigan. When she ran the Boston Marathon, I followed along with her race progress on the official website. On the Boston Marathon website, you can write an encouraging note to the runners. I was blessed to read the messages from her students and school: “We are so proud of you! You are amazing! You’re doing great! Keep going-we are watching!” After the race, Felicia shared how awesome it was to receive so much support and encouragement to spur her on to finish the race. I thought of the passage in Hebrews 12:1, which says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” I was able to stand on the Boston Marathon finish line the following day. As I reflected on standing on this great race’s starting and finishing line, I realized something. One of the problems in the church today is when people profess faith in Jesus; they think that the starting line and the finish line are the same spots. When we profess faith in Jesus, that is when we start to run the race for God’s glory. I think many Christians think that their salvation date is also the finishing line. They believe they are saved, and eternal life is secure, but they neglect to run the race that is marked out for them for the glory of God. They live life in the way they want, but that’s not the race the Lord has for us. We are to live for the glory of God, and we are to run this race for Jesus. After we profess faith in Jesus, we are to live our life for the glory of God. The Boston Marathon is exactly 26 miles and 386 yards, but we do not know how long our race for Jesus will be. It might be a race of a year, five years, ten years, or fifty years but we have a race marked out before us. The Scriptures tell us that there’re going to be people who will try to discourage us from running this race. Galatians 5:7-8 says, “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.” The Bible warns us that people will seek to hinder us from running the race and get us off the course that the Lord has for us. I just read a heartbreaking story about getting led off the racecourse recently at the Quad Cities Marathon in Moline, Illinois. The two marathon front-runners were about halfway to the finish line when they spotted a marathon volunteer cycling through the route. They both followed the marathon volunteer, who mistakenly led both runners off the course. They were both automatically disqualified from the race, which is also a Boston Marathon qualifier event. I want to ask you if anyone is seeking to dissuade you from running the race the Lord has marked out for you? Are people discouraging you from reading the word of God, praying for others, praying for the lost by name, sharing the love of Jesus by your deeds and words, or discouraging you from meeting with other believers? The Bible warns us that the enemy will seek to keep us from finishing this race. Over the years, I have seen many people be led off the Lord’s course laid out for them. Are you running the race the Lord has for you or has someone led you astray? I do not know how long I must run this race of life for the glory of God, but I do know that I want to finish the race well. As Felicia ran the Boston Marathon for the first time, her friends, students, and family encouraged her to
Pray for the lost by name.
One of the most important things to do before you share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others is that you need to pray for the lost by their name. You need to pray daily for the lost. You are praying for those people that God has put in your sphere of influence. You need to pray for them by their name that they would come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Trusting that the Lord will not only use you but through your prayers, He will send someone else to share the gospel with them. One of my favorite stories is how the Lord sent a believer to share the gospel with an unbeliever found in Acts 8:26-35. “Now, an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep, He was led to the slaughter and like a lamb, before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation, justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth and beginning with this Scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus.” When I read this text, I notice two important things: First, how God brought Phillip to share the gospel with the Ethiopian eunuch. Secondly, I wonder who the person is that gave the Ethiopian eunuch the scriptures? Who prayed for his salvation, that he would come to know Jesus Christ? It is incredible to see how God led the Ethiopian eunuch to read the exact text that talked about Jesus dying on the cross. When you pray for the lost by name, God not only will move you to share the gospel with them, but he may send someone else to answer your prayer! Two weeks ago, I met Bob at Panera Bread to visit and talk about our spiritual walks with Jesus. Bob is one of my good friends, and he is also a prayer and financial supporter for Go & Tell Ministries. As we were talking, he began to share his heartfelt compassion for his nephew. Alan is 68 years old and had received prostate cancer a year before. He was now in a nursing home under hospice care and knew he didn’t have much time to live. Bob said to me, “ Jim, you know it’s hard to share the gospel with family members. I’ve tried, and I’ve struggled, but I am praying for Alan and his salvation.” As we talked, I looked at Bob, and I asked him where Alan was living. Bob told me that he was in town, at a nursing home nearby. I looked at Bob and said, “I’ll go share with Alan. Let’s go together and visit him.” A few days later, Bob and I met Alan in his nursing home. As we talked with Alan, I introduced myself, and I asked about Alan’s background. We talked about Alan’s family, and he shared with me about his wife, Jeanne. He lovingly shared that they have been married for almost 50 years. He talked about how he worked at the same job for over 44 years and had retired five years ago. He spoke about his three sons, his grandkids, and the life he had lived. I asked him about his church background, and he shared about his church attendance. Then I asked him if I could ask him a spiritual question, and he said “yes.” I asked Alan, “If you were to stand before God, and he would ask you: Why should I let you into My heaven, what would you say?” He was taken back by that big question and said he does not know. I said, “I know it is a big question, Alan, but I know you’re facing that big question right now.” He responded by basically saying that he is a good person, tries to be good, and tried to live a good life. I said, “Alan, you know that God’s standards of goodness are far different than ours. His standard is much higher than ours, and He doesn’t grade on a curve. Can we look at God’s standards of goodness and see how well you’ve done?” He agreed, and I said: “Let’s look at God’s standards of goodness found in the ten commandments. One of those commandments is: Thou shall not lie. Have you ever lied?” He responded, yes, and I asked him, what do you call someone who lies? He replied: “A liar.” So, I explained that another command is: Thou shall not steal. Have you ever stolen? He said yes, and I asked him what you call someone who steals, and he said, “A thief.” I lovingly looked at Alan and said to him, “Alan, you just admitted to me that you’re a lying thief before a holy God, and we haven’t looked at the other commandments. If you stood before God, would you be innocent or guilty of breaking His laws?” He paused and humbly said to me that he would be found guilty of
What Is Your Anchor?
In our devotional today, I want to ask you a couple questions: Where do you find strength in times of trouble? What is the anchor for your soul to help you to endure the storms of life? Jesus’ words found in John 16:33 are more relevant today than ever. In that passage, John 16:33, Jesus said: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus told us in this passage that while we live in this world, we will have trouble. If you have read the paper, watched the news, followed the information on social media these past weeks, months, or even the past year, we have seen trouble reign throughout the world. The past year has brought trouble in so many different ways that I have never seen in my life. The question comes up often: How do you find peace during a crisis in the world or trouble within your own life? Where is the place that you find strength for your soul? Jesus talked about this in the Sermon of the Mount (Matthew 7:24-27), when he told the wise and foolish builders. 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” The meaning of this parable is quite apparent: proper foundations are necessary. But Jesus’ sermon was not concerned with house construction or building code violations. The spiritual meaning of the parable is found in Matthew 7:24: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” We are each building a life. The proper foundation for a life is Jesus’ words—not just the hearing of them, but the doing of them, too. It seems at times that everything in the world makes us turn away from God’s words. And often, our feelings pull us toward doing the exact opposite of what the Bible says. But a wise man will follow the words of God despite these pressures because he trusts God. In Jesus’ words, even during the storms of life, you can stand and have peace with Him. Do you know people who have found their strength, their foundation, and their anchor in Jesus during the storms of life? I spent last weekend in Indianapolis to visit some family and friends for the weekend. I called a high school friend whom we have kept in contact with through social media. I called him, and we set up a time to meet for breakfast. I was sitting at the booth, enjoying my hot coffee, when Mark walked into the restaurant. We greeted each other and sat down to catch up on the past forty years. We talked about our faith, occupation, and the journey we chose since high school. I asked him about his family, and he shared about his lovely wife Kelly and their three kids. He talked about his oldest daughter, Michelle, and spoke about his twins: Michael and Alyssa. When he mentioned Alyssa, his voice softened, and his words were slower. He shared how they were born on August 29, 1988, and that Alyssa had passed on November 17, 1990. Mark went on to tell me that he was taking Michael to the truck in his car seat and getting him buckled in. When he pulled away, the tragedy unfolded. Somehow Alyssa had sneaked out of the house, got behind the truck, and his vehicle ran over her. The following minutes were filled with anguish, panic, and activity as his wife (a nurse) sought to help Alyssa, and they hurried off to the hospital. He looked up at me and shared with a tear in his eyes that that was the hardest thing he had to endure, and it is still difficult to this day. As he shared about the storm that blew against his family, he talked about his faith in Jesus. He explained how his love for Jesus got him through those stormy dark days and nights in the past and how his faith in Jesus helps him in the present bad days. Then, he looked up and straight into my eyes, and Mark said: “But Jim, because of Jesus, I will see her, hold her and be with her again. That hope gives me strength and helps in the present storms of life.” After he told me about his hope this anchor for his soul, my eyes were wet. In Hebrews 6:19, it says: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” We finished our breakfast and talked about that old age is not for the faint of heart. I had Mark promise not to tell my wife or post on the web the amount of salt I put on my fried potatoes. After he laughed, he talked about the hip replacement surgery coming up in October and the pain he daily endures on the farm. I told him I would pray for the upcoming surgery, and as he left, I knew that his faith in Jesus would help him endure any future storm because Jesus had walked him through the worst storm. Someday in the future, his faith in Jesus would bring him back into the arms of His loving Savior and his little Alyssa. As 1 Peter 1:9 says, “for you
That is Why They Call Him Jesus
“Hey Jim, someone is on the phone for you. I cannot tell if they know you or if it is another solicitor,” My wife yelled to me downstairs while I was riding my exercise bike in our basement. I begrudgingly got off my exercise bike thinking I was receiving another unsolicited phone call while I climbed the steps. “Hello, this is Jim,” I said while I waited for another rehearsed sales pitch. “Hey Pastor, my family and I attended your church fifteen years ago when you pastored at Alliance Community Church.” As Mike introduced himself to me on the phone, I was able to remember him and his family. I responded, “Mike, it is so nice to hear from you. How is your wife Jen doing?” Mike began to share and update me on his family and how that they had moved to Cocoa Beach, Florida several years ago because of work. Mike then began to share why he was calling. “I wish I was calling with good news, but I felt I was led by the Lord last night to find you and ask you if you would be able visit my Uncle Ken who is dying of cancer.” He continued, “He has been moved to a hospice wing in a Fort Wayne hospital and I am pretty sure he is not a Christian.” As Mike continued to share with me, I learned that his Uncle Ken and Aunt Traci had never attended church nor had they shown much interest in Jesus. Mike was concerned for his uncle’s salvation and shared with me that he had never explained the gospel of Christ to his uncle. As Mike was praying that night for his Uncle Ken’s salvation, the Lord had led him to find me and ask if I would be able to make a visit and share the gospel with Ken. After hearing Mike’s story, I looked at my clock and realized it was getting late on a Saturday night. I asked Mike if it would be okay if I visited Ken Sunday after our Sunday morning worship service. Mike responded, “Pastor thank you so much!” “I don’t know if Ken will be awake (he was in a coma) or able to speak but I wanted him to hear the gospel and God’s love for him before he died.” After Mike and I prayed on the phone for Ken’s salvation, I knew that I would have to share this story with my church on Sunday morning. I asked our church family to pray for the Lord to bless this divine appointment by having Ken awake and alert and for the Lord to open his heart to respond to the gospel of Jesus. As I walked into Ken’s hospital room, I saw his wife Traci on the phone and Ken watching the Green Bay Packers football game with his Packers blanket covering him. Traci got off the phone and I introduced myself: “Hi Ken and Traci. I am Pastor Jim and your nephew Mike from Florida called me to request that I come and visit with you.” They shared how they have not seen Mike for several years; however, they were thankful to have a visit with me. As I was trying to get a conversation started, I commented on Ken being a Packers fan and how I have been a Bears fan for many years. Once I said that, I thought that was probably not the best way to get a die-hard Packers fan to be open to the gospel; however, Ken responded with a broken voice, “The…bears…are playing well…this year.” He gave me the remote to turn off the Packers game so we could visit and talk about why I had come…to prepare him for death and eternity. I asked Traci how long they have been married and she said proudly (with a tear in her eye), “We have been married 17 years and we lived together for two years before that.” As we talked about life, family, and work, I also heard from them that they did not attend church. I looked at Ken and said, “May I ask you a spiritual question?” He replied affirmatively and I said, “If you were to stand before God and He asked you, ‘Why should I let you into my heaven?’ what would you say?” Ken and Traci both told me they had no idea what they would say to that question. I informed Ken that was why his nephew Mike asked me to come see him, “because he wanted you to know how to get to heaven and be prepared to meet God.” I told Ken and Traci that most people think they get to heaven by having more good deeds than bad deeds. . .would they agree? They agreed, so I asked them if I could ask them a few questions in regards to God’s Law (The Ten Commandments) to see how they measured up. As Ken nodded his head towards me, I asked him several questions: “Have you ever told a lie (breaking the 9th commandment)? What would you call someone who lied? (He said yes, and responded a liar.) Have you ever stolen anything? What do you call someone who has stolen something (He said yes, and a thief)? Have you ever coveted for someone’s else things? (He said yes). I looked at Ken and Traci and said compassionately, “By your own admission, you are a lying covetous thief at heart and we only looked at a few of the commandments. Would you say that you were innocent or guilty before God for breaking His Law?” Ken responded with a laugh and said “You…got me…I would be guilty.” I responded, “Ken, I am not trying to ‘get you,’ but I have another big question for you. Since you admit you are guilty before God for breaking His law, would you go to heaven or hell when you die?” There was a silent hush in the room when Ken admitted