Month: July 2023

I’m going to do a strange thing with today’s familiar text. It is doubtful that there are any words of Jesus which are more quoted than John 3:16

You know the text: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

But do you know the text that comes just after it? John 3:17

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Today I want to read these two verses to answer a skeptic’s question. The question is: “Why would a loving God condemn anyone to hell?”

The answer is, He didn’t!

I will read those two verses again, but in reverse order and you should see what I mean by “He didn’t.”

John 3:17, 16

17“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 

16“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 

No, God didn’t condemn anyone to Hell. He sent his Son to die for us so that we do not have to go to hell. If anyone is lost in eternity, it will be because they did not choose to go to God in eternity.

One well known preacher said it eloquently. If you choose to reject God and distance yourself from him, in eternity God will not force himself upon you.

That is not God condemning man. That is man choosing not to be near God.

Lonnie Davis

Job is a great story. It is the story of a righteous man who was blessed then lost it all and trusted God to work things out.

Our scripture today is Job 1:1-3

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. 

And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

So there is the background to this most interesting story. We have a righteous man, blessed to an extent that few people could ever imagine. He was the richest man in the East. Since the East may have been the richest part of the world, then this man was probably the richest man on earth. 

The book of Job is about how Satan took this all away. I do mean the took it ALL. 

7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 Oxen, and 500 donkeys: all gone. But it gets worse. His 7 sons and 3 daughters are also swept away from life.

Job is about how, even in such horror, this righteous man remained faithful to God. In fact, when his possessions were taken away, 

“Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.” (1:20-21)

All I can say this is Wow. Even the death of his children did not cause him to give up on God. Surely God will reward such a faith.

He does! When the test is over, God doubled everything. In the end Job has 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels and 1,000 oxen and sheep. Now he is again the richest man on earth.

But what about his children? In the end, God gives him 7 more sons and 3 more daughters. Why didn’t he double the number of kids? Well, he did! In a few years all of them would be in the house of God in heaven. When he got there he had 14 sons and 6 daughters. You see, he really didn’t lose the first kids. They just went on to heaven to wait for him.

God works everything out in the end. It may not be on earth and it may not be what we think, but our Father knows best and he works things out as we need them to be.

If it hasn’t worked out for you yet, remember it is not the end.

Lonnie Davis

Mark 13:33
“Be on guard! Be alert! 

You do not know when that time will come.”

Carelessness

I heard an amazing statistic. 

In one recent year as people went through the check points at the nation’s airports they took their change from their pocket and put it in a bowl. After they passed through the scanners, they got their change and all other items back. 

Here is the shocking part: More than $400,000 was left at the checkpoints in the airport. People did not leave it as a tip. They did not leave it on purpose. People just carelessly leave it. Hearing this got me to thinking about how many things we all carelessly lose. 

Some people are careless with their health and lose it. Nobody ever sets out to get unhealthy. They just don’t pay attention and then one day are surprised to find they are not healthy. Some lose their families. They did not see it coming, but years of neglect of family and then their family is gone. If they are not gone physically, they are gone emotionally. They are simply no longer connected.

Some people are careless with their faith and lose it.  As Matthew 13:22 says, “The worries of life” grow up around their lives and choke out faith. One must pay attention to the important things or the urgent things of this life will swallow them up. 

Be careful with the things that are important. $400,000 is chump change compared to the important things that we carelessly lose.

Lonnie Davis

Our text today is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”

These verses seem very clear, but there is that little phrase in the midst that has been debated. “Pray continually,” or as the King James says, “Pray with0ut ceasing.” What does that mean and how often is continually?

Some have told me this means that we must be praying all day long. I love pious folks who are trying to do the right and righteous thing, but my wife had a phase she often used that is applicable here. “Sometimes we make things harder than God ever meant them to be.”

So, what is the meaning of this phrase “Pray without ceasing”? Here is the short answer. It means to make a habit of praying often in your life. However, even that answer is subject to confusion because one might ask, “What is the meaning of ‘often?’”

For a better understanding on this, consider the life of Jesus. There are very few instances of his prayers which share the actual words of his prayer, but there is much in the Bible about his prayer life.

Notice, for example:

·      He prayed often at regular times of withdrawal from the crowds. Luke records, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (5:16).

·      He prayed after days of long work with helping people. Mark tells us 

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (1:35).

·      And most of all, the last words of Jesus on the cross were words of prayer. In Luke 23:46 we read, “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last.”

Jesus’ example to us is that we ought to pray often, every day!

Lonnie Davis

Today our text turns to the first uttered prayer of Jesus. It happens in John 11, just before he raised his dead friend from a four day old grave. (John 11:41-42)

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Certainly this is not the first time Jesus ever prayed, but this is the first prayer of Jesus for which we have the actual words.

We know for that Jesus prayed at his baptism, as the Holy Spirit was coming upon him. (Luke 3:21).  He prayed after he withdrew from the crowds (Luke 5:16). Mark tells us that He prayed in the evening after he healed people (Mark 1:35). 

Jesus was a man of prayer, but with this text we finally have the actual words that Jesus uttered in his prayer.

As we look closely at this text, we see three wonderful lessons.

First, we notice the intimacy between Jesus and the Father. 

He does not call him God or Wise One or any other term. His first prayer shows how he views God. God is his father.

This is a term that signifies a close, family relationship. This intimacy is a part of Jesus’ identity and mission, and it’s crucial to understanding his role as the mediator between God and humanity. Jesus’ intimate relationship with God is on full display in this first prayer.

Second, Jesus declares for all to hear that he believes in the father.

He  prays out loud and very loudly for the sake of the onlookers. He wanted others to see God as one who can be leaned upon and trusted. Certainly some prayer should be private, but public prayer is a wonderful time to model prayer for those you love.

Third, Jesus completely trust God’s will.

Jesus thanks God for hearing his prayers. In fact, He thanks the father for answering his prayer, even before the prayer is answered. This implies a deep trust in God, no matter the circumstances. It shows unwavering trust and gratitude in God’s plan, even when faced with challenging situations.

Lonnie Davis

Our text for today is 1 Corinthians 9:22

“To the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”

Of course Paul isn’t saying I AM weak, or I become a dunkard, or a liar. Paul is saying that he does not let the change of the culture around him prevent him from reaching out to other with the Gospel of Christ. He make that clear with verse 23, “I do this for the Gospel’s sake.”

I wish I could say that I am the same way. I admit I struggle with seeing cultures different than mine and accepting them. If I see someone who has pieced their eyebrow or a man wearing a bun I immediately have an impression that I have to overcome.

I come by this naturally. My old grandaddy used to say that women should not piece their ears. He said, “If God wanted you to have a hole in your ear, he would have put one there.” I love my grandad, but he was wrong. That was his culture. I should not hold that against his memory. 

If I cannot move with the change around me, I will not help people find Christ.

Of course I resist cultural change. We all do, but it is hurtful to us and those around us,

The other day I read one extreme example of how silly it is to resist change.

In the earliest and best-known critique of writing, Socrates warns his companion that writing will only make human memory weaker:

Plato said, “This invention [writing] will produce forgetfulness in the minds of those who learn to use it, because they will not practice their memory. Their trust in writing, produced by external characters which are no part of themselves, will discourage the use of their own memory within them.” (Plato 1925, 274e–275a)

We remember this, of course, because Plato wrote it down.

Do not change for change’s sake. Do not give up God’s teaching. 

But beyond this, be ready to become all things to all so that you can reach out to them.

Lonnie Davis

How to Handle Hard Times

Our text today is John 12:27-28

“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.”

May God bless the reading of his word.

This verse shows a side of Jesus that we sometimes overlook. It shows how he handled hard days. Jesus had a human side, an emotional side. Jesus hurt when faced with hard, hard days.

Look at it again. Isn’t that what Jesus says when he says, “Now my soul is troubled?” Jesus knows what lies before him and it troubles his heart. 

I would never compare my troubles to the troubles of Jesus, but I too have laid my head on my pillow and felt that troubled heart. I’m sure you have too, So what do you do when you feel that way? Read this verse and notice four great steps for troubled hearts.

1. Acknowledge your pain. 

Jesus was not some stoic who held it all in, Remember “Jesus wept.” Here he says, “My heart is troubled.” Jesus is not whispering these words to his own heart. He tells this to his disciples. Do not be afraid to show your heart.

2. Ask yourself what you should do.

Learning how to ask the right question is half of the answer. You do have choices. So did Jesus! 

3. Decide

He could have escaped the pain of tomorrow, but he knew what he needed to do. When Jesus asked the question, he had a firm answer, “No.” I have to a do the right thing. 

4.  Let God help you. 

Jesus had a heart troubling day before him. He leaned on God for help. He says, “Father, glorify your name.” Here is a powerful but short prayer of Jesus. To be powerful, a prayer does not have to be long. Just pray it. He will help you.

Lonnie Davis

Our Scripture today is Psalms 14:1-2a

“The fool has said in his heart,“There is no God…The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men,To see if there are any who understand…”

I use this verse to lead us into a most wonderful story that I want each of you to have for your own wisdom to share with those whom you love. It is called, 

The Parable of Birth

Once upon a time, twin boys were conceived in the same womb. Weeks passed, and the twins developed. As their awareness grew, they laughed for joy, “Isn’t it great to be alive?”

Together the twins explored their world. When they found their mother’s cord that gave them life they sang for joy, “How great is our mother’s love that she shares her own life with us.”

As the weeks stretched into months the twins noticed how much each was changing. “What does this mean?” asked one. “It means that our stay in this world is drawing to an end,” said the other one.

“But I don’t want to go,” said the one, I want to stay here always.”

 “We have no choice,” said the other, “but maybe there is life after birth!”

“But how can it be?” responded the one. “We will shed our life cord, and how is life possible without it? Besides, we have seen evidence that others were here before us and none of them have returned to tell us that there is life after birth.”

And so the one fell into deep despair saying, “If conception ends with birth, what is the purpose of life in the womb? It’s meaningless! Maybe there is no mother at all.”

“But there has to be”, protested the other. “How else did we get here? How do we remain alive?”

“Have you ever seen our mother?” said the one. “Maybe she lives in our minds. Maybe we made her up because the idea made us feel good.”

And so the last days in the womb were filled with deep questioning and fear and finally the moment of birth arrived. When the twins had passed from their world, they opened their eyes and cried, for what they saw exceeded their fondest dreams.

Folks usually say that John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept.” They are right, but our reading today is one of the other short in the Bible.

It is 1 Thessalonians 5:16, “Rejoice always.” 

Why would we choose such a short verse for commentary? Because the tenor of your life is affected by how you follow this verse. Let me explain.

At the end of your life there will be many things you have loved to do, or have, or see, or experience. Things that you will remember fondly. If you could only go back in time and do those things just for an hour, they would bring you great joy. But you can’t. 

In fact, those great, everyday experiences of your life, are remembered only in the cloud of all the times you had, but you do not remember the last day you sat in the high school class. You do not remember the last time you got to make home-made ice-cream. You do not remember the last time you ate at your favorite restaurant.

Mostly, when it was happening, you didn’t feel the real joy you would now.  We only have one defense against wasted opportunities for every joy. That defense is to simply “rejoice always.”

 I remember the last time I picked up Jeremy in my arms and carried him to bed. He was probably 5 feet tall and weighted around 100 pounds. He fell asleep on the couch. I reached down to pick him up. Liz told me to wake him and he will walk to bed. I told her no that this was the last time I would get to do this. It was a struggle, but I still remember the joy of that moment.

I don’t remember that time with my girls because I was not as old or as wise. I just let that moment fly by.

So far all those ordinary experiences you will have today. “Rejoice always.” It may be the last time you get to have that experience. Time goes by fast.

Lonnie Davis

Our scripture reading for today is one that was revered by people so much in the long ago that the record of it was kept in a special place near the temple of God. Today it is not revered. When people read the Bible and come to this text, they often skim over it and go to whatever is next. Nevertheless, today I want to challenge you to hear it.

Matthew 1:1-6

This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham: 

Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, 

Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, 

Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, 

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

Reading of genealogies are uninteresting to people today. We skip over them and go to the next text. That’s too bad. Often beautiful lessons and people are found in those reading of who begat who.

Let me point out one of these today. It is act of love that God included some of the names that are in this reading. There are names we expect, like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and King David. There are also some names that might surprise us.

The names are Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and the woman who had been Uriah’s wife. Later in the reading we find another woman mentioned, Mary, the mother of Jesus.

It is unusual for women to be named in genealogies. The naming of these women teach us about God. These were women whose history was flawed.

Tamar was a Cannannite women who posed as a prostitute to seduce Judah (Ge 38:13-30). 

Rahab (v. 5) was a Gentile and a prostitute (Jos 2:1). 

Ruth (v. 5) was a Moabite woman (Ru 1:3) and thus her offspring were forbidden to enter the assembly of the Lord for 10 generations (Dt 23:3).

Bathsheba (“Uriah’s wife,” v. 6) committed adultery with David (2Sa 11). 

Mary   (v. 16) who bore the stigma of pregnancy outside of wedlock. 

Each of these women show us that God loves us, no matter what we have done. What we do from now on is what matters to God. It was true with theses women and it is with you and me.

This genealogies show us God’s grace.