Category: Pastor’s Blog

Shortly after passing my driver’s test I found myself on a major highway in the middle of a major traffic jam. It was all stop and go. I was a new driver trying to navigate through the city. At one point I was between two large transport trucks, each was carrying a load of new cars. I had been stopped for a few moments when suddenly my car began to roll backwards. Although my foot was already on the brake I pushed down even harder but the car was still rolling. I panicked and pulled the emergency brake.  Then I finally realized that I wasn’t moving at all but rather one of the trucks beside me was slowly moving forward. I had the perception that I was moving backward but in reality I was perfectly still. Perception is a powerful thing. Sometimes it is hard to see what is really happening around us. Our perception of things can play tricks with our physical and spiritual eyes. When I read the news updates about various trouble spots in the world I get the sense that things are falling apart. When I look at my long ‘to-do’ list and appointment calendar I think there is no way that I’ll manage to get through the day. I can get fearful about the future and what is going to happen to me. It’s easy in our 24/7 society to be overwhelmed and lose perspective.   The Psalmist Asaph once had a similar feeling. To him, it seemed that evil was winning the day; that the enemies of God were prospering and succeeding while his situation was bleak and depressed. His perspective was all distorted he writes until “I went into the sanctuary of God.” There, in that ‘sanctuary moment’, he saw things as they really are and his perspective on life was restored. It wasn’t him who was slipping and falling but those who weren’t following God. He was actually the one on solid ground and in a safe place. God gave him a glimpse of his reality and it settled his spirit. From time to time I also need that kind of ‘sanctuary’ experience; time alone with God to clear up my faulty thinking and restore my perspective. Not everything that I see presented is accurate, what I need is to view things from God’s position and when I get that quick insight everything in my spirit calms down. Don’t be discouraged or depressed by what’s happening in the world today. Don’t be overwhelmed by all the items on your list that must be accomplished. These matters are serious but God remains sovereign and in control. We belong to him. God has promised to be with us and to guide us for his glory and honor. We have to rest in him. Asaph concludes, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fall, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (73:25-26) And that’s good counsel for all of us. 

When people ask what Crossroads Basel is all about I say, “Direction for Life and Friends for the Journey.”  We are all looking for direction in our life. Every day we face choices and have decisions to make. Every so often we stand at a crossroads and need to know which road is the right one for us. The Bible refers to a number of different roads or pathways we can choose – the path of life, the path of righteousness, paths that wander aimlessly, the path with thorn bushes, the path of the wicked, the walk of the evildoers, the path of the upright, the path of peace, and paths that lead by the still waters. But really there are just two main paths. Jesus talked about them in the gospels, the broad and narrow path. The broad path is marked by a wide gate and it leads to destruction. The narrow way is marked by a small gate and it leads to life. (Matthew 7:13-14) Jesus’ teaching leads us to conclude that everyone is on one of these paths. Where it leads is important. I often have conversations with people who aren’t sure which path they are on. They want eternal life but aren’t sure they can find it. They want to know what they must do. I remind them that the way to get on the narrow path is through the gate – Jesus. It’s only by going through him we can be sure of being on the right path. More than that, I believe that Jesus is also our guide. He wants to help us on the journey, the journey to know him better. It’s when we wander to far from Jesus that we get in trouble. Direction for life comes from the one who is “the way, the truth and the life!” We’re starting a new season this Sunday at Crossroads. If you are in Basel I hope you can join us for a great day together. 

I think that reading through the gospels on a regular basis should be a consistent part of our discipleship. It’s in the gospelswhere we really meet Jesus and get a clearer picture of who he is and what he teaches. All scripture is written for our benefit and no verses are more important or more inspired than others. But there are some powerful verses that stand out and remind us of the most basic elements of our faith. I’ve picked ten of Jesus sayings that I think are helpful. Learning these verses and getting them deep into our spirits will build us stronger spiritually. I tried to rank them in order of importance but really couldn’t. So I just offer them for your consideration. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. Matthew 22:37-39 Your sins are forgiven. Luke 7:48 The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:10,11 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Mark 8:35,36 Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:15,16 Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31 So don’t be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time. Matthew 6:34 I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:30 (The Message) But seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. – Matthew 6:33 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John13:35 What sayings would you add?

It hit a little too close, news that friends in China have been arrested under the guise of stealing secrets from the Chinese government. Ridiculous! Our friends aren’t interested in Chinese government secrets but they did have a mission there and they were doing it successfully – helping to build the kingdom of heaven. Last week they were taken into custody and no one knows what will happen next. The government has been cracking down on religious activity. It hit us close because we know what it is like to live and work in that kind of restrictive environment, to be watched closely and to wonder who is watching you. We have more friends in other countries doing the same kind of work, sharing Jesus with anyone who will listen. I know pastors who run the risk of going to prison for holding a prayer meeting in their home. Here’s the thing that people in the West sometimes forget – serving Jesus is serious, dangerous business. We often make it sound like becoming a follower of Jesus is the easiest thing going. The bar is often set very low, what Bonhoeffer called ‘cheap grace’. Many people have simply added Jesus to the list of things they include in their life but he has no preeminence, there is no surrender. Salvation a free gift but it was purchased at a high cost. There is no promise that following Jesus is safe. The news channels this week are full of reminders that following the Christ of the cross can be costly. In many parts of the world the persecution of believers has intensified. It’s always been there but we are hearing more about it. Ancient Christian communities in the Middle East are facing genocide, dynamic groups in South Sudan are fighting for life and freedom, and small groups of evangelical believers in Asia are simply trying to stay below the government radar. Many people will die this year for no other reason than they carry the name of Christ. Jesus said there would be days like this. He told his disciples upfront; “they hated me and they will hate you. They persecuted me and they will persecute you. A servant is not greater than his master.” (John 15) The world is not our friend and we should not be surprised when our rights are denied or our lives are in danger. Yet, God is at work. He continues to bring his plans and purposes to fulfillment. We are called to be intercessors and to remember that serving Jesus is serious business.

Have you ever noticed how often food is mentioned in the Bible? It starts with a healthy dose of fruit in the Garden of Eden. Then there’s Esau who sells his birthright for a pot of stew. Before the Exodus from Egypt the Jews ate lamb and unleavened bread. They were headed to the land of milk and honey. Scripture talks about herbs and spices; figs seemed to be a popular treat. Some of the disciples were fishermen and there’s a story about Jesus and his followers having a fish breakfast on the beach. And it all ends up in heaven with the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, a full course meal and time of celebration. Food is an important part of life. Some people live to eat; they enjoy the taste and texture of every bite. They plan holiday times around finding good restaurants and sourcing out new taste experiences. Other people, like me, eat to live. That is, I only eat because I need the nutrition. The other day around eight in the evening I felt hungry and it occurred to me that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, which was a bowl of yogurt. If it wasn’t for hunger pains I could easily forget about eating. Either way, we all need a regular intake of healthy food options. Jesus used a food metaphor to describe himself, “I am the bread of life.” What’s more he promised “whoever comes to me, shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35)  Bread was the staple of life for people in Jesus day. It was essential for daily living. We often use this passage of Scripture in the context of salvation. People need to come to Jesus so they will no longer be spiritually hungry. That’s true. But often we forget that as believers we still need that bread of life. Accepting Jesus into our life is just the beginning. We need to keep coming back to him each and every day. We need the spiritual food that only he can provide. When we wander from him, or forget to spend time with him, we find ourselves spiritually hungry and thirsty again. It’s all about Jesus. When my spiritual life gets complicated or I’m dry and discouraged, I go back to Jesus. As his followers that’s where our focus needs to be. Just like we need food each and every day, we need Jesus each and every day.

God loves all people equally but not all people love him back in the same way. The Bible is filled with stories about individuals who sought to go it alone without God’s guidance. We might sometimes wonder why sinful people and their behavior is included in Scripture. But I think their stories are told to warn us about our own sinfulness and to remind us that God is in the business of redemption. Here are five people characters who serve as warnings to us to guard our spirits. Cain – Cain killed his brother Abel but the real problem was a matter of his heart. God didn’t accept his offering and Cain was offended by God’s high standards. He wanted to worship God any way he saw fit. He sulked for a while and then took his revenge on Abel. At times it is hard to understand God’s holiness but we should be careful to not take offense, God wants to help us but it requires that we yield to his ways. Absalom – As the son of the greatest Israelite King ever, Absalom had a privileged position. But he wasn’t happy with that. He wanted the top spot and he wanted it now. Absalom lead a rebellion against his father David that ended with Absalom on the run and hanging from a tree. Impatience and self-centeredness are dangerous qualities. Whenever we seek to put God on our schedule we run the risk of moving on without him. Michal – King David had a heart after God but not everyone in his family felt the same way. When he brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem David was so overjoyed that he danced before God and all the people. His wife, Michal, watched from a distance and was appalled at this ‘unkingly’ like behavior. She judged the worship of someone else who was right to express before God his passion and joy. Her narrow and judgmental spirit left no room for her to know and experience the presence of God for herself. Simon – He was a well-known man of tricks in Samaria and when we saw the ministry of the apostles he wanted in on the action. Although he heard the message of Jesus and believed, he was overtaken by a need for self-promotion and greed. He wanted to buy the ability to baptize people in the Holy Spirit, totally misunderstanding how God works. He loved a good show and the supernatural but only sought it for his own advantage and not for the benefits of others. The Smith Brothers – Okay so these guys aren’t actually brothers but they shared a common spirit. Alexander the Coppersmith (2 Tim. 4:14) and Demetrius the Silversmith (Acts 19) both lead opposition to the gospel and the work of Jesus. There are people that just seem to like to stir up trouble for no other reason than watching it happen. Paul tells us in Galatians that strife is a work of the flesh and there is no place for it in Christian fellowship. We are to bring peace and reconciliation, not division.   Jealousy, impatience, a judgmental spirit, self-promotion and strife – we see it all in the Bible and we see it all today. We sometimes even see it in churches and among believers. We shouldn’t be surprised when Christians demonstrate these sinful behaviors but it should prompt us to examine our own spirits and ensure that we are producing good fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22, 23  

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent the night with a mosquito.”   I love summertime in Canada but hate those little mosquitos. I can’t remember how many nights I have gotten up, turned on a light and searched for that single mosquito that was making my sleep miserable. Although small they are powerful and have the ability to make people move. It’s a simple principle but an important one we shouldn’t forget. We aren’t too small to make a difference in the world around us. Small acts of kindness and support can make a big difference. Likewise small acts of cruelty and harsh words of discouragement can easily put people down. Our actions matter and affect other people whether we always think about it or not. We shouldn’t discount our ability to encourage or discourage others with our words and deeds. Perhaps many of us would like to be remembered for making a big difference in the world. We look for the right opportunity and the right position from which we can do big things in order to impress people and God. Let’s not forget that while we are looking for those ‘big’ opportunities in life we have hundreds of ‘small’ opportunities to impact and change the lives of other people, especially the people we care about. You can make a difference in this world. You have the chance each and every day when you interact with people around you. Make the most of it.  “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians  5:11  

Even for those who aren’t fans of the World Cup it is hard to escape today’s headlines about last night’s game between Germany and Brazil. In a sport that usually sees low scores a 7-1 outcome means it was painful and embarrassing for one of the teams. The silence we hear is the nation of Brazil trying to absorb the shock.   Once the shock wears off there is bound to be a flurry of explanations and accusations as to what went wrong. My guess is that the players will be harder on themselves than others will be. In such a high level sport your personal performance can come to equal your personal value. Does failure on the pitch mean failure as a person? How will these players work through this loss? If they are like most people they might feel self-pity at some point. Self-pity is seldom an attractive virtue. After a bad day or a particular set back we feel sorry for ourselves, we feel unloved, and we feel forgotten. “Woe is me” becomes our motto. Our feelings are important but they shouldn’t control our beliefs or color truth. We need to take seriously what God says about who we are and our value to him. A few years ago someone gave me a little prayer book for all occasions. I came across this prayer for overcoming self-pity and thought it was worth passing on. It was written many years ago and so the language isn’t up to date but the prayer is right on. From time to time we all need to pray this way: Lord, I know that I am easily hurt and feel myself slighted and passed by as I meet associates at church and at the many social gathering in the community. It seems as though no one cares for me. Therefore I feel sorry for myself and think that I am mistreated and ignored. Lord, help me to conquer this morbid outlook on life, and create in me a deeper interest in my fellow beings, looking away from myself and seeking to be useful to others. Grant me the grace to be less self-centered and self-conscious. Forgive me my murmurings, and make me cheerful and friendly. I know I am precious in Thy sight, for Thou hast given Thy Son as a sin offering for me. Thou, O Lord, art thinking of me and of my eternal welfare. Grant that this truth will help me to conquer my self-pity. Let me not continue to bemoan my lot in life. Open my eyes to see that where I am I can serve Thee and be of real service to mankind. Thou hast called me by name. I am Thine own. May I rejoice daily to know that my name is written in the Book of Life. Let me count my blessings as an heir of salvation. Give me the satisfaction of sharing with others the saving truths of the Cross and telling them of Jesus, the Savior, who sacrificed His life that they, too, might be Thine through all eternity. Amen.  (My Prayer Book. Concordia Publishing House. 1957)

Was Jesus ever frustrated with people? He was. He was frustrated by the attitude of many in his day who couldn’t or wouldn’t hear the truth no matter how it was presented. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day felt they had everything figured out about God. They weren’t going to listen to anyone who didn’t fit their mold; they didn’t want to have to change their understanding or their lives. John the Baptist arrived on the scene and called people to repentance of sins. But his odd lifestyle, living alone in the desert and wearing animal skins, put people off. He had an Old Testament ‘fire and brimstone’ kind of preaching and folks thought he had a demon. When Jesus began his ministry it was kind of the opposite from John. Jesus lived and moved among ordinary and sinful people. His preaching was kind and gentle calling people back to a loving God. But the critics didn’t like that either. They accused Jesus of being a glutton and drunkard because he hung around with the wrong crowd. There is no pleasing some people: “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.” (Matthew 11:16) Jesus was frustrated because no matter how the truth was presented to them – they refused to listen. If the messenger wasn’t to their liking they didn’t want to hear what was being said. I have my own personal preferences, the way I like things to be. I ‘hear’ people better in certain situations than in others. What I need to watch out for is limiting my sources, only listening to people that I like. The kingdom of God is made up of people and we are all different. We relate and interact with each other and with God in different ways. We need to make room for that. We need to remember that we can learn from people who are different from us. God uses a variety of different people and different methods to get his truth across. Some days I need to hear from John the Baptist; I need to be confronted about my sin and how I’m living my life. If I refuse to listen I do so at my own peril. Other days, I need to hear from Jesus. I need to be reminded that I have worth, that he loves me and will help and strengthen me. If I only listen to the good stuff I can easily become lead astray. If I only listen to the hard stuff I can become judgmental and hardened.   We may not always like the messenger who brings us the truth we need to hear. But if we close our ears to God’s servants then we are in danger of developing an unhealthy spirituality. “Lord, help me to listen with open ears and discernment so I that won’t miss anything you have for me.”

Last week a young man broke into a house in Minnesota. He stole cash, credit cards and the man’s watch. Then, seeing that the computer was on, he logged into his Facebook account and forgot to log off. That’s how they caught him. His next status update will have to be from prison. I once knew of a guy who had been taught by his mother to always take his shoes off when entering a house. He did that while committing a ‘break and enter’; heard the owners coming back and took off without his shoes. That’s how they caught him. If you are interested in knowing more about the world’s dumbest criminals there are many websites dedicated to the topic. It’s hard not to feel somewhat superior when reading about the foolish exploits of some people. I tend to think, “I would never do something that stupid.” We all like to think of ourselves as wise and not foolish. Foolishness isn’t a virtue in any culture. But are we truly as wise as we think? Most of us train and educate ourselves so that we will be considered smart and intelligent. We want to be among the strong and powerful members of our society. Paul gives us a different perspective when he writes in 1 Corinthians: Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1:26-30) The truth is we aren’t as smart as we think we are. God’s wisdom is far above our worldly wisdom. It wasn’t because we were smart and gifted that we find ourselves among God’s people. God prefers to use those who are weak and lowly so that he gets all the credit. As believers we can’t boast in our own cleverness, it’s simply all because of Jesus. Every so often I need that reminder and it keeps me humble – I’m just foolish enough for God to use.