Everyone Needs a Good Guide

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.  He will bring glory to Me by taking what is Mine and making it known to you.”

John 16:13-14

Last Sunday we celebrated the one festival that is both an Old Testament and a New Testament Festival, both a Jewish and a Christian Festival  - Pentecost.  In the Old Testament this Festival, coming exactly fifty days after the Passover, was a time for celebrating the summer wheat harvest.  For us as Christians Pentecost is also a harvest festival – for on this day, fifty days after Easter, the great harvest of the Kingdom of God began. The church was born.  The mission to go into all the world  and make disciples began that day.    Connected with this harvest, indeed at the heart of this harvest is another connection between the Jewish and the Christian celebrations.  On Pentecost the Jews traditionally celebrate what the Rabbi’s called “the giving of the Guide.”  By that they meant the giving of the Ten Commandments.  On Pentecost we Christians also celebrate “the giving of the Guide” - the giving of the Holy Spirit, the one Jesus promised who “will guide you into all truth.”

Since living here in Frankfurt, I have experienced firsthand how important it is to have a guide.  I have gotten lost 3 or 4 times.  Two of those occurred on the same day trying to go to the same destination from the same starting point.  Both times I was trying to find my way to the major road that goes past Trinity.  The first time I got lost because I failed to understand how that road curves away towards the river.  The second time, I got lost because I didn’t understand that the road the church is on changes names 3 or 4 times.  Thank God I had a guide with me – actually an App I have on my phone. I use it to figure out what train or bus I need to take to get places.  It uses GPS.  Even though I couldn’t figure out where I was, it could.  It guided me home. 

That’s why we celebrated Pentecost last Sunday.  As we face choices between right and wrong… as we make decisions about which direction to take at moments when that direction is hard to discern… as we seek to follow Jesus through this life to our Father’s eternal home, how thankful we are that Jesus has not left us as orphans.  He has given us the Spirit as our guide.   However the Holy Spirit is not like an App on your phone where you bunch in a little information and then you get an automatic answer.  Oh sometimes He is very clear.  He uses the commandments to let us help us know right and wrong when faced with temptation.  The commandments make it clear when we have wandered away… when we are gossiping or coveting, lusting or hating.   When we wander the Holy Spirit draws us home through the Gospel of Jesus, makes it clear that our Father’s arms are open, that He wants us back, that our sins are forgiven.

But then there are times when we learn the truth of our Lord’s words - “The wind blows wherever it pleases.  You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.  So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”  (John 3)  Sometimes He guides you to places you never expected to go – Germany for instance.  At other times He puts multiple doors before you and all choices are good.  What He is guiding you to, is to live faithfully for Him in whatever choice you make.  Sometimes He points you in a direction by your interests, abilities and giftedness.  I remember one young lady who was afraid to switch her major to music because it seemed selfish to her to pursue a career in something she enjoyed.  I asked her, “Do you think that perhaps the fact that you enjoy music is how God is leading you in this direction?”  It is good to be careful of using feelings as the Spirit’s guideposts.  Our feelings are fickle. Sometimes we are “at peace” because we decided to do what we want to do, not because the Spirit is guiding us.   I know one man who knew he had made the right decision to ask a girl to marry him.  However his first reaction was not peace, but panic.  When she said yes, it sank in what a big decision he had made  He was terrified.  That’s why is it important to seek the counsel of Pastors and parents, and other believers who know you… and who will speak to you honestly.    Always test your decisions against the Word of God.  The Spirit will not contradict God’s Word.  Often He will use that word to urge you in a certain direction.  .  When considering the call to Texarkana, He used 1 Corinthians 3.  In this call to Germany the passage that kept coming up was the story of Peter walking on water.  To me the call to come here became a call to trust Jesus and “get out of the boat.”  It was a story one of my sons sent me in an email, that God used to help Linda and me take the step out of the boat. 

My point in all of this is Linda and I aren’t the only living in a different land far from home.  That’s true of all of us.  We are but strangers here in this world.  Heaven is our home.   As Linda and I can testify, the one thing you really need when living in a different land far from home is a good guide.  That’s what God has done for us.  That’s what we celebrate at Pentecost – the giving of the Guide -  The giving of the Holy Spirit   

"Planes, Trains and Automobiles"

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And do not lean on your own understanding

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will direct your paths.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

Linda left Milwaukee at about 9am on Monday morning.  A little over 41 hours later she is finally home in Frankfurt.  What took so long?  The plan was for her to drive to Chicago, fly from there to Philadelphia and then on to Frankfurt, arriving here 15 hours later.  What happened instead reminds me a little of the old Steve Martin movie – “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.”  She got to Chicago, got on her plane to Philadelphia and then sat on the runway for an hour and a half.  They finally pulled back into the gate and let half of the passengers, including Linda, get off because they were going to miss their connections.  It took the airlines another hour and half to figure out a new way to get Linda home.  Then she sat in the Chicago airport for 22 hours before taking off for Charlotte North Carolina.  Last night she took a flight to Frankfurt.  When she got home this morning she had to put in a claim for lost luggage.  While she was doing that they shut down the exit from customs because of an abandoned bag.  They brought in the bomb squad and checked it out.  It was just a bag but it seemed the appropriate ending to Linda’s journey home. 

She did get home – just not the way we planned it.  That got me to thinking about our plans.  We make our plans in life as if we have some insight to the future… as if we are in control.  For me, that is very often when God steps in and reminds me of how very little control I have.  When my mom and dad moved to Texarkana back in 1994, my plan was for many years enjoying having both of them close by.  God had a different plan.  9 months later my dad died.  Two years ago, Linda and I had no plans to live overseas.  Then my name appeared on call lists in Hong Kong and South Korea.  That scared us to death.  We wondered, “What is God doing? Does He really want us to move to Asia?”  That wasn't His purpose at all.  His plan was to use the call process in Hong Kong to give that call to another man.  His plan was also to use that process to get my name on the list in Germany.  What?  How?  Well a lady from Trinity, Frankfurt was in worship at the Hong Kong congregation on the day of their call meeting.  She got my name, took it home and put it on the list here.  What’s more God used the experience of the Hong Kong call process to soften up our hearts and to prepare us to say yes to the call to Trinity, Frankfurt.

There are some lessons in all of this.  First, it’s okay to make plans as long as we remember that we are not lord over our plans - God is.  He can and will change them as He sees fit.  We can either complain about that or humbly submit our plans to His.  Second, He sees things that we can’t.  He can see over the horizon of the future.  He knew that my dad’s death was near.  Third, He loves us.  He loves us so much that He gave His own Son for our salvation.  We can trust Him with our future, even when we don’t understand where He is taking us.  He was making sure mom was take care of when dad died..  Fourth, He plans better journey’s than we can ever imagine.  Even when they scare us (bringing out the bomb squad) or frustrate us (having to sit in airport for 22 hours) He knows what He is doing.  The words of Proverbs 3:5-6 say it all - “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”

There is a prayer I love on page 262 in the old Lutheran Worship hymnal.  This prayer takes Proverbs 3 seriously.  Would you pray it with me? 

“Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.  Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that Your hand is leading us and Your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.”

Oh, and Linda’s luggage still isn't here.

Holy Day or Holiday

Hebrews 4:14–16 (ESV)

¹⁴ Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

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Is today a holy day or a holiday?  We tend to make a distinction.  We think of a holy day as a day set aside to remember and offer God worship for some great act He did on our behalf.  A holiday, on the other hand, is a day off to go hiking or camping - to cookout and has friends over. So which is it – a holiday or a holy day?  The answer is yes!   It’s both.   

In Germany everyone has today off.  Even our neighborhood bakery is closed.  Today is a holiday.  It is also a holy day.  The fact that our local church bells were ringing at 10 a.m.. on a Thursday was a sure fire sign it’s a holy day.  In fact it’s one of the holiest days of the Christian year. Today is the Festival of the Ascension of our Lord.  The Germans call it Christi Himmelfahrt. Sadly, Ascension is sometimes called “the forgotten festival.”  I have yet to be the Pastor of a church that actually has a worship service on Ascension Day..

The Ascension of our Lord has so much meaning for our faith.  Let’s think about that for a moment. As we do we need to note that when Jesus ascended into heaven, he ascended bodily.  It’s so important that we understand that Jesus is still both God and man. He didn’t leave his body behind.  He didn’t stop being a man. 

So what does the Ascension of our God/Man Savior Jesus mean for our faith?  It means first of all, that now a flesh and blood man is King of kings and Lord of lords.  Think of what the Scriptures say.  Philippians 2 – “God has highly exalted Him and placed on Him the name that is above all things.”  In Ephesians 1 Paul writes that God “has seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority…”  God “has put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church…”  Ascension Day is our Savior’s coronation day. 

Think what that means.  The Savior who loved us and gave up His life for us, now rules all things.  We can trust Him.  We can face the unknown future with confidence because He is the one who holds us and our futures in His loving hands.  Take this a step further.  The King of kings is one of us.  He has walked around in our shoes.  He has been tempted in every way as we are except He is without sin.  He has known thirst, loneliness, betrayal, physical and emotional anguish, grief and more.  When you come to Jesus with your concerns in prayer you come knowing He understands what you are going through. He went through it Himself.  Now all power and authority in heaven and on earth are His.  That means He has the power to answer our prayers.  The passage above says it so well – Because Jesus has ascended “let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  Holiday or holy day?  Ascension Day is both - a Day for celebrating that Jesus the Son of God who became our brother to save us, has now become our King to rule over us and take care of us.  

The Best Hiding Place

“You are a Hiding Place for Me…”

Psalm 32:7

There was a door in my first bedroom that used to scare me to death.  Behind that door were a set of stairs that led up to our dark, creepy attic.   Because that door scared me, I figured that it scared everybody.  That made it the perfect hiding place.  Play hide and seek? That’s where I would hide.  Surely no one would look behind that scary door.  I was wrong.  They always found me.

Of course hiding isn’t always a kid’s game. Often hiding is about something far more serious.  Often it’s is about covering up our sin, and avoiding responsibility for our actions.  This kind of hiding is as old as creation.  When Adam and Eve sinned they hid their nakedness with fig leaves.   When they heard God walking in the Garden, they hid from Him.  When He questioned them about their sin, they blamed each other.  King David did it.  To cover up his adultery – He hid behind deception.  When that didn’t work, he fixed it so that it would appear as if Bathsheba’s husband had been killed in battle.   What are your hiding places – a good lie?  Just pretending as if nothing happened?  Blaming others?   Making excuses? 

There is one big problem with all of our hiding places – they don’t work.  .  Fig leaves dry up and crumble.  Lie and we get caught in our own web.   Oh we may be able to hide the truth from each other.  But we can’t hide from God.  He knew what Adam and Eve had done.  He knew where they were hiding and why.  David fooled everyone but God.  Just when David figured he had everything well hidden, God sent the prophet Nathan to say, “I know what you did.”  Even before that David’s guilty conscience was a heavy burden.  “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as in the heat of summer.”  (Psalm 32:3-4)

There really is only one good hiding place for sinners – that is in God Himself.  To hide yourself in God is simple.  All you need do is quit hiding.  Listen to David’s testimony – “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.”  (Psalm 32:5) Isn’t that amazing?  When David quit trying to hide his guilt… When he quit the cover up and confessed what he had done… it was only then that his sin became truly and permanently covered… hidden beneath the comforting blanket of God’s forgiving love.

God is the best, the only hiding place for sinners.  Why?  Because He doesn’t avoid our sin.  He deals with it.  He gives us Jesus, His one and only Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sin!  He pays the debt we owe with His own life on the cross.  In Him our sin is truly covered once and forever, covered in His blood shed for us.  He takes our sin away from us – as far as the east is from the west so far has He removed our sin from us.

Do you want to know a good hiding place?  Here it is – the cross of Jesus.  Just  quit hiding!  Instead lay out the truth in honest confession before our loving God.  Lay it before the cross of Your Savior.  You will find in Him a hiding place that is so good that He Himself will remember your sin no more.  Heed the words of Kind David, “Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to You at a time when You may be found: surely in the rush of great waters they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; You preserve me from trouble: You surround me with shouts of deliverance.”  (Psalm 32:6-7)