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Today is Groundhog Day. Did you know the movie “Groundhog Day” came out thirty years ago? It was about a weatherman sent to cover whether or not Punxsutawney Phil would see his shadow. This was his fourth year to cover the story, and he does not want to be there. When he awakes the ‘following’ day, he discovers that it’s Groundhog Day again, and again, and again. He is caught in an endless loop. First he uses this to his advantage, but then realizes that he is doomed to spend the rest of eternity in the same place, seeing the same people do the same thing every day. Eventually he learns that he can help and protect others from making the same mistakes. He uses the time to learn new things, better himself, and treat others kindly.

In a way, we all live this. We do the same things over and over again in our lives, often repeating the same mistakes. Those who are wise will learn from their mistakes and try to avoid them in the future. And the followers of Jesus should make every effort to help and protect others from making mistakes, too. We hopefully learn that being kind to others is a much better way to live.

Thinking about this reminded me of what God had Paul write to the church in Galatia:

Galatians 6:7–10 ⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸ The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

One day we will awaken to the day that we enter our Lord’s presence. We have that certainty because we have placed our faith and confidence in the one who lived and died and rose again to secure our forgiveness and salvation. Until that day arrives, let’s make the most of every opportunity to share Jesus and His love with our neighbors.

1 Corinthians 13  If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.   Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.  When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.  Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.  And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Some of the last lines written by playwright Oscar Hammerstein include the phrase, “Love isn’t love ’til you give it away.” I think that conveys the kind of love God would have us show. It is not something we keep to ourselves or direct only at our own person, but we are to love others as an expression of the new life to which we have been called. True Christian love is concerned for the other person and seeks their good.

The words above exalt love. This passage comes right after Paul wrote about all the different spiritual gifts. The apostle asserts that love is far superior to spiritual gifts, and he also says that love is needed to use your gifts as God intends. You may be very talented, a great speaker or teacher or administrator, but if God’s love in Jesus Christ does not fill and flow through your efforts, they are ineffective. That is why Paul says that love is “the greatest.” Love has the most fruits. Love is where your faith is put into action with fellow men.

“Love isn’t love until you give it away.” We have also seen this graphically demonstrated by God Himself in the gift of Jesus to be our Redeemer. We begin to receive and understand the joy of love by remembering where it comes from. We have all heard God’s love described in John 3:16. But there is another verse in 1 John 3:16 that explains this even further:

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

The ultimate expression of love was God’s rescue of you and me and all men from hell. That was done through the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ. His death was accepted by God as the full payment for sin. Through faith, you make that payment your own, and are forgiven. This act of God’s love is at the core of our existence as Christians. It should be our motivation to love others as God has loved us.

John 1:43-51 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote– Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.  When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.” He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

We all have our doubts! You may doubt politicians, weathermen, economic predictions and sports teams.  Not only to we doubt things, we are usually quick to express out doubts. “I don’t think it will work.”  “We’ve never done it that way before.” Doubt is part of our lives.

The passage above, like many passages of Scripture, addresses doubt. Doubt  is perfectly normal, but there is one doubt that can be especially damaging in our lives: doubting the existence of God and His love for us. The world prides itself in knowledge. We are an educated people, we live in the information age, and many people think that modern science and technology hold the answers to everything. People who think this way often eliminate the need for a God, so they doubt His existence.

But the good news is that Jesus accepts our doubt. He does not reject a person simply because of questions or doubts. While recruiting His disciples, He told Philip to follow Him. Philip was anxious to share the news, so he went to Nathanael and tells him: We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and about whom the prophets also wrote–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. He was saying that Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior God had promised. But Nathanael had his doubts. He was from Cana, a town that was close to Nazareth. As is typical of towns that were close together, there was a rivalry of sorts between Cana and Nazareth. It was normal for the people of one town to make disparaging remarks about those from the other town. Nathanael did not expect a king or a Messiah to come from Nazareth.

In addition, Nathanael was familiar with the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. We are told that he was found under a fig tree. In that day, that was the place recommended by the rabbis for studying the Scripture. Whenever the Bible speaks of someone sitting under a fig tree, we understand that to be a reference to sitting there for the purpose of study and reflection upon God’s Word. Being a student of the Scriptures, then, Nathanael knew that there was no clear prophecy stating that the Messiah would come from Nazareth. This, along with the fact that he was from the rival town of Cana, leads him to doubt and declare with a holier-than-thou-attitude: CAN ANYTHING GOOD COME FROM NAZARETH?

Yet Jesus accepted him — In spite of His doubts, Nathanael became a disciple. Jesus recognized that there was honesty in doubt. Doubt doesn’t want to be taken in. It probes and examines. It rejects what is false. It doesn’t settle for anything less than the truth. Nathanael was as anxious as the next guy for the coming of the Messiah, but his doubt told him not to accept just anyone who claimed to be that Messiah. He wanted to check it out. And Jesus provided proof to overcome his doubts. He displayed that He was the all-knowing God. He told Nathanael that He had been sitting under a fig tree, which He did not see with human eyes. Jesus also makes a judgment as to his moral character, saying there is nothing false in him. That gave Nathanael some of the proof he needed, and he declared, YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD.

You have also been given proof to overcome your doubts. That proof comes in many forms. One source of proof is the Bible itself. When you read and study God’s Word, you find in it comfort and assurances.

Another proof that God offers as to His existence is His love, displayed in many ways. He cares for you by providing a world that has everything you need to support your lives. He gives air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat, and every other necessity. And your bodies themselves are miracles. They function under the laws that God has established. Your digestive systems extract nutrients from food. Your skin regulates your body temperature by perspiration. When you get sick, your body has a built-in defense mechanism that fights the illness.

The most obvious proof that we have of God’s love is that He paid the ultimate price, the death of His Son, so that the world might live. Jesus suffered, died and rose again in order to give you what you need the most–forgiveness of sins and eternal life. If you look to Jesus Christ and what He has done for you, you will find the proof you need to overcome your doubts.

Are you comfortable? When someone is trying to take care of you, they might ask you that question.

• If a person is ill and in bed, the caretaker might ask “Are you comfortable?”
• If you are a guest somewhere, your host might ask “Was your room comfortable?”
• If someone is trying to tend to your needs and serve you, he or she will ask “Are you comfortable?”

As God’s people, should we be comfortable? Do you feel safe and secure as a follower of Jesus. I sure hope so!  You should. Comfort and peace are blessings from God. God wants you to be comforted by His grace and mercy and promises.

• Isaiah 40:1 Comfort, Comfort my people, says your God.
• When Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, one of the descriptive titles he gave Him was “The Comforter”
• Jesus tells us that through faith you and I are the sheep of His pasture and that we are safe and secure and no one can snatch us out of His hand (John 10:27-28).

God wants His people to be comforted with the message of forgiveness and life and salvation that is yours in Christ Jesus. You have the assurance that His perfect life made up for your lack of perfection. His horrible death satisfied the judgment that rightly stood against you. His resurrection is your guarantee of life everlasting. God wants you to be comforted in knowing who you are as a forgiven, redeemed, dearly loved child of God. The Lord’s Supper we share together in worship is one way in which that comfort and assurance is given to us. God wants you to be comforted. But does God want you to be comfortable?

Are you in the church to be taken care of, or are you to be taking care of others? What is the primary mission of the church? I can tell you what it is not – it is not the mission of the church to make her members comfortable. Sometimes we behave as though that is our primary concern. We exert the bulk of our time and effort tending to the needs and wants and desires of those who are already in the kingdom. Members will gripe and complain about everything from whether or not we are ushered out after worship to what color carpet is in the sanctuary and what hymns we did or did not sing. It is so easy to place our own personal preferences and desires over and above everything else. But that has nothing to do with the task Jesus has given us as His disciples. Jesus did not tell us to go into the world and make disciples of some people and then concentrate all our time and effort on making sure those folks are comfortable. What did He say? We have been tasked with making disciples of all nations — everyone. And the command Jesus gave us has to do with us loving others the way Jesus loved us. (John 13:34)

Jesus was not one for playing it safe. He was out there living on the edge as far as the people of his day were concerned. He was introducing things that were radical and out there and scoffed at by the established religious leaders.

• Love your enemies
• Pray for those who persecute you
• Turn the other cheek

This stuff didn’t make a lot of sense. And because Jesus was so far out there, among the tax collectors and sinners, the outcasts of society, he was often misunderstood. He made the good, upstanding righteous people of His day uncomfortable. So did those who followed Him. And there was a reason His disciples were like this.

Acts 4:13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Spending time with Jesus changes you. At least it should. If you follow His example and His teachings, you will find comfort and at the same time make the world uncomfortable.

More on this tomorrow.

A family gave a gift to the church I served in memory of a loved one. After some discussion, it was decided to use it for new lighting throughout our facility. Most of the lights in the building were been changed over to LEDs, which are brighter and more efficient than the fluorescent bulbs they replaced.

When my wife and I built and moved into a new home, we used LED lighting exclusively for the same reasons. LED lighting shows up in hats and Christmas lights and automobiles and just about any application you can think of.

LED stands for Light Emitting Diodes. They can be bright or dim and made to shine with every color in the spectrum. They are a different kind of light bulb. The operate because of something called electroluminescence. Because the power goes into them, light comes out.

As those who have been led to faith in Jesus, you have been designed to shine. Each of you is to be an LED: Light Emitting Disciple. His light has shined into your hearts, and now it is to shine through you. How will that look? It will be different for each of you. Just as LEDs cover every part of the spectrum, so should Light Emitting Disciples! The important thing is to shine.

I read about a gathering of Christian teens in Germany a few years ago. They were from countries all around the world. For two weeks these young folks ate together, worked together, and played together. At the end of the day’s official activities, they would sit and visit with one another. One night they were discussing the different ways individuals and churches share the story of salvation. Some teens from more technologically advanced countries talked about sharing Jesus through mass media and social media and handheld communication devices.

Of course, not all countries are technologically advanced, and some of the group were from such countries. One student who had been talking a lot noticed the silence of those who did not have the same technology, so she asked one of them: “Maria, how do you tell people about Jesus in your country?”

Maria said, “we don’t have TV or radio programs about Jesus. Most of the time we don’t have the money to purchase pamphlets or other things to give away. Generally, what we’ve done in the past is send one or two Christian families to live and work in a village. We’ve found that when people see what Christians are like, then they want to be Christians too.”

Wow! Let that sink in for a minute. Would that be true of us? You and I have been led to know and believe that Jesus is our Savior, our Redeemer, our Lord and our God, the one who paid the penalty for sin so that we could be forgiven. Is that reflected in our daily walk and talk? Scripture tells us it should be so.

“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Peter 2:12)

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

You have been designed to shine with the Light of Christ as a Light Emitting Disciple. And you may be the one the Holy Spirit will work through to lead someone else to faith in Jesus.

Psalm 8  O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:  all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Over the last few weeks, we have had some beautiful weather here in North Texas. I have taken advantage of it by working outside. I’ve been trimming trees, doing general clean up around our place, including working on a bridge over one of our creeks. I have long enjoyed working outside. One of my first jobs growing up was mowing yards, and I loved it! There is something about working outside that lifts my spirits.

As I work outside, God and I have long talks. Sometimes I simply look up at the beautiful blue sky and said, “Thanks, Lord, for this gorgeous day.” Even though I knew there would be aching muscles and joints the next day – and there were – I thoroughly enjoy the opportunities I have to work hard outside.

Thinking about this, I reflected on the words of the Psalm above. I have written other devotions on this Psalm, because I think of it often. It begins and ends with O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! I appreciate the beauty of His creation and love being outside working so that I can take it all in. And I share the feeling David expressed when he wrote: When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

The one who created not only the earth and everything in it, but also the universe and everything that exists everywhere, cares about me. Little old insignificant me. That is why He was willing to come live among us as one of us, take our sins on Himself, pay the penalty we deserve, and defeat death’s grip on us by His resurrection.

I have long loved the way Henrietta Luise von Hayn expressed this marvel in a hymn that is over 200 years old:

I am Jesus’ little lamb, Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me, Knows my needs, and well provides me,
Loves me every day the same, even calls me by my name.

Out of His tremendous love, my Lord is mindful of me and cares for me. Wow!

Last night Cheryl and I watched a movie we had never seen before: Hawaii, made in 1966, based on a James Michener novel. It had a lot of big names in it: Julie Andrews, Max von Sydow, Richard Harris, Gene Hackman and Carrol O’Conner. It tells the story of a group of Calvinist missionaries who went to Hawaii in 1820 to convert the Hawaiians to Christianity.

I have to say the movie was quite depressing. For the most part, the missionaries are portrayed as non-merciful, legalistic and even mean-spirited. They speak of grace and love, but don’t show either in their interactions with the Hawaiian people. They even tell the Hawaiian prince who had converted to Christianity that he could never be ordained as a minister because he was not white.  As I said, it was very depressing.

We watched the entire movie, and while I did not enjoy it, I was reminded of how vital it is that we show the love of God to the world in which we live. Christians are often viewed by the world the same way they were depicted in this movie: condemning, law-oriented people who look down on those who are not part of “us.” This characterization is too often an accurate description of the way we act. Take an honest look at yourself. If you see someone living a lifestyle that is not in keeping with your belief system, are you more likely to give a disapproving glare or will you try to be kind and loving to that individual?

If we follow the example of our Lord Jesus, we will show love to everyone. Everyone. Even (or should I say especially) those who don’t believe in Him. Sure, Christians need to love each other (Galatians 6:10), but we need to be showing God’s love to those outside our fellowship.

I know the law condemns sin and rightly so. I’m not saying sin should be accepted. But the law won’t save anyone. And it will often drive people away. If you want to share your faith with someone, if you want to let them know about Jesus as their Savior from sin and death, the first thing you must do is love them. Especially those people with whom you disagree. Remember what Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount:  “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matthew 5:43–44).

Think about how God dealt with a fallen, sinful world. You know the passage.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God did not say, “Straighten up your act and then I’ll love you and save you.” No, He loved first, acted in love to save us, and invites us to receive what Jesus already earned for us.

As someone who has experienced God’s love in Christ, someone who knows you have been forgiven for His sake and have eternal life because of what He did in your place, I hope you will join me in this prayer:

Lord, help me to show your love to the world around me, that they may know Jesus as I do, and put their trust in Him. Amen.

Every three years my church body has something they have called a “National Youth Gathering,” and now refer to simply as “Youth Gathering.” They had one last summer in Houston. About 20,000 youth and adults (mostly high school youth) from across the United States and some international participants gathered under the theme “In All Things.”  They had daily Bible Studies, time for play, worked on service projects around the area, listened to speakers and musicians in “Mass Events” at Minute Maid Park every night, and had chances to hear presentations on a variety of relevant topics every day at the George Brown Convention Center. They took time to worship and pray together. This marked the fifth time my wife and I volunteered as workers at one of these events, and prior to that we had attended three other gatherings as Family Group leaders for the youth from our congregation. These have always been a wonderful and tiring experience.

I think about all the years our congregation held Vacation Bible School. We made it a big production with lots of decorations and fun. Every year we shared with the children the Good News of God sending His Son into this world to be the Savior of all people. We told them how Jesus paid for our sin so that we would not have to do so ourselves. We did this through story time, crafts, games, experiment stations, snacks and music. It was a joy to hear all those happy and excited voices in our building. And yes, it was always tiring as well.

In spite of my exhaustion, I would not hesitate to be part of those events again. I have always been a strong proponent of sharing the Good News of Jesus with our young people. It is crucial. And we do that not just in “big” events like Youth Gatherings and Vacation Bible School. Our congregations are constantly trying to share this Good News every week in Children’s Church and Sunday School and Midweek Classes. We share resources for parents to use at home to educate their children throughout the week.

A phrase that has been floating around the internet and social media the last few years is “If we don’t teach our children to follow Christ, the world will teach them not to.” That is worth serious contemplation. Many parents who were raised in Church and Sunday School have made those things a low priority for their children. It is not a case of not believing in Jesus, but that other things demand their time and attention. Sunday morning is used as “time off” for recovery rather than a time to gather with other believers for worship and praise. Satan convinces people that it is okay to just stay home. It is a clever ploy our old evil foe uses to lead people away the importance of putting Jesus first.

Here are a few of the Scripture passages that speak to the importance of teaching the faith to our children.

Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 6:6–7 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Matthew 19:13–14 Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

This is the responsibility of all followers of Jesus. If your children are grown or you have no children of your own, you can still be a part of sharing Jesus with the next generation. All of you can volunteer in the children’s ministry of your congregation. It doesn’t have to be as a “teacher,” but it could be. Those who help behind the scenes are also needed. Maybe you can help prepare classrooms and make sure all the necessary supplies are available. Offer transportation for those who have trouble getting their children to Sunday School. Encourage parents in their efforts to raise godly children. God will bless you as you do this loving work.

What can you do to make sure that future generations hear and know and understand God’s love for them in Christ? Don’t delay. Do it today.