They didn’t know…

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. (John 21:1-14, NRSV)

Why had the disciples gone back to fishing?

Or interestingly it seems all of them went to fishing… Only 4 of the 12 were fishermen, but it seems from this passage that the 7 of the 11 are together…

But Peter goes fishing and seems to fall back on what they had known before Jesus. Now yes Jesus had died, but in the gospel of John they had witnessed the risen Jesus twice by this point. So why are they not out telling everyone about Him?

What keeps you from shouting His praises from the top of your lungs every where you go?

You see, they followed what they knew, and that is what we do. It is easy for us to do what we have always done. We don’t want to see Jesus in the new things or the different places, because that means we will have to do things differently, and differently is not easy. It is unsafe. We are not in control and have to rely on someone else.

But that someone else in this instance is Jesus! Who better can we trust…

So when you see Jesus calling you to go and do something different, don’t worry that you won’t be in control, because Jesus will be and that is all the assurance we should need!

Ate and drank

Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship at a distance. Moses alone shall come near the LORD; but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.” Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.” And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and set up twelve pillars, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel. He sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed oxen as offerings of well-being to the LORD. Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he dashed against the altar. Then he took the book of the covenant, and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people, and said, “See the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. God did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; also they beheld God, and they ate and drank. (Exodus 24:1-11, NRSV)

What would you do if you just got summonsed to be with God, and then you were with Him?

Moses and the elders went up the mountain to be with God, and to worship Him at a distance…

Moses then went to be with God, but before Moses went to be with God an interesting thing happens. And the picture here shows this somewhat. The text says they elders went up the mountain and they saw God! But God did not touch them…

Interesting because in other places in the Bible people can not see God, and Moses gets to see God’s backside, but not His front, because men can not look upon the face of God and live… So why do these elders get to see God?

And to me the astonishing thing comes next… They just sit down and have diner! Like nothing just happened!

They go on with their lives, even though they just saw God and were in His presence…

What would you do if you got to be in the presence of God?

Well everyday you are, and what do we do?

Maybe we should take the time to have a meal with Him, and see who He wants us to be.

Promise

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.” Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate. They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” Then one said, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?” The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too wonderful for the LORD? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Genesis 18:1-14, NRSV)

Abraham looked up and saw 3 men, and he knew who they were, cause he ran from the tent to meet them and bowed to the ground and asked them if he was found to be with favor that they would not leave.

Now how did he know who they were?

Where they wearing name tags?

Hello my name is messenger of the Most High God?

But he asked them to stay and asked his wife to make dinner. And as she prepared a simple meal for the visitors, they gave the happy couple a promise.

She cooked the cakes and the calf and curds were prepared, maybe they were in Wisconsin, and as the messengers ate they told Abraham that they would return and when they did Sarah would have a son.

And she laughed!

How many of us have laughed at what God told us before?

We don’t believe the wonders of our creator to be true, but they are, and she did. Abraham knew who they were, without name tags and the proved it to all of us, by the promises they brought from God.

So don’t laugh at God and His promises, laugh with Him as you celebrate with His messengers and relish in the promises He has given us all.

 

Journey…

Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. (Luke 24:13-35, NRSV)

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;”

So begins The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost…

As I stood at the fork in the road, I wondered how my life would be if I went to the left…

Then I pondered the right..

We think at the fork in the road we have 2 choices, in in actuality we have 3. We can always turn around and go back from where we came from.

You see the story of the Road to Emmaus is about the journey. This story happened on the day of Jesus’ Resurrection. And the men our journeying out of Jerusalem, and why?

Were they going back to their homes? Where they running away from a most certain death as followers of Jesus?

Where they walking down the road or where they running for their lives?

We all have moments when we are running from something. We all have moments that we stand at the cross roads of faith and wonder where we should go.

And you see that is the journey! Jesus is there traveling with you as a sojourner going with you to hopefully guide you…

Do you see Him?

Do you recognize Him?

We don’t just see Him at worship…

We don’t just see Him in the building where we worship…

He is always there! And everywhere you go is a place in your faith journey.

Know that the journey sometimes will not make sense, but that is the time to stay the course and follow Jesus, knowing He is always with you and helping you every moment of every day!

Fear is Treasure…

The LORD is exalted, he dwells on high; he filled Zion with justice and righteousness; he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure. Look on Zion, the city of our appointed festivals! Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, an immovable tent, whose stakes will never be pulled up, and none of whose ropes will be broken. But there the LORD in majesty will be for us a place of broad rivers and streams, where no galley with oars can go, nor stately ship can pass. For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our ruler, the LORD is our king; he will save us. Your rigging hangs loose; it cannot hold the mast firm in its place, or keep the sail spread out. Then prey and spoil in abundance will be divided; even the lame will fall to plundering. And no inhabitant will say, “I am sick”; the people who live there will be forgiven their iniquity. (Isaiah 33:5-6, 20-24, NRSV)

Fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure…

Fear is treasure…

Really?

I know a lot of people who dread fear and try at all cost to get away from it.

As a child I went to haunted forests with my family. I really didn’t like them… I remember one time at one of them we wen into the forest, and I was the carried out by one of my brothers and my brother-in-law, one on each of my arms with my feet up off the ground. Our arms were interlocked and I could not feel my hands, because of the grip I had on them.

I was scared. But is scared and fear the same?

We try to be in control and fear seems to get us out of control. And that leads to darkside as Yoda says…

When we lose control we are not going to get where we need to go…

Or will we?

Fear of the Lord is not a fear where we are scared…

As one of the confirmation students, at the congregation I serve, wrote in a statement of faith, “the fear of God wasn’t fear like dread or being scared. It was the fear that motivated people to follow his will, and the fear of displeasing God. I do not dread God, or am apprehensive about him, I am afraid to let him and all his wondrous love down, afraid to disappoint him and not  live the life he has chosen for me.”

Fear of the Lord is living into the life He has called us to even when it gets us out of control. Because then and only then can He truly be in control!

So go where He is leading you, knowing that the fear of Him is your treasure!

example…

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. (1 Peter 2:21-25, NRSV)

He committed no sin and no deceit was found in Him…

Well I guess that counts me out!

I have sinned and as much as I try not to, I still do.

I have also been deceitful… As much as I try not to I am human and do not always do what I should…

But He was our example to follow in His footsteps. God knew we could not do it. He knew we needed an example to follow because the prophets were not making any headway and we were just not getting it.

Christ came to show us how to live, knowing we could not do it, but lived as an example to help us live the way God created us to be.

So endure and stay the course! He is always with us loving us even when we fall short, and always there to show us a better way!

I Can Do all Things…

I can do all things through Him who gives me strength is one of my favorite verses in the bible.
Paul wrote it to the Philippians as he was thanking them for their concern for him and his ministry. They have financially supported him as he traveled to spread the gospel. He thanks them for their financial support and for their prayers.
He then goes on to explain to them that he has learned to live in any circumstance because he knows that God is always with him and his Savior will give him strength. “for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11b-13)
I was reminded of this verse, because it is on my desk, given to me by my wife in the midst of strife at a previous call to remind me it is not about me, or my situation, it is about who I serve…
I was also reminded of this verse after Easter because of what I see in this congregation. I see a group of people ready to go where God is leading them, relying on Him to see us through. We may not be able to see the end, but we know who is leading us, and walking with us, and because of that we are able to step out in faith!
I see a body of believers who are prayerful and committed to the mission God has called us to. So let us come together and support each other and pray for each other, and walk boldly with our God into this place and be His hands and feet. Knowing that we do not go alone, but together as brothers and sisters, and with Christ who will be our strength, and give us everything we need.
So let’s step out in faith, knowing that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength!