Pastor Kevin's Blog

2011-11-25T20:02:00.004-08:00

Godliness With Contentment Is Great Gain.

The Bible teaches us that we need to be content with what we are given in life by God. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 reads. “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” The Bible is full of stories of God’s servants who pursued godliness rather than worldly riches. There was a man called Lot who had every opportunity to live by faith with his uncle Abraham. He could have gained godliness, and he could have gained God. But his heart was not right. He wanted more. He wanted the comforts and pleasures of life. For a while, he lived a cultural and worldly happy life having all the things that a man ever wants. But when the test of life crossed his path, he failed. All his riches and godless living could not save him. He could not save his beloved wife whom he had corrupted. He could not save his innocent daughters whom he had also corrupted. He gained nothing in the end except a cave in which his daughters committed a most heinous sin. On the other hand, Abraham his uncle was offered the world on a platter. The king of Sodom tempted him to keep all that he had captured while rescuing his nephew Lot. Then the servant of God, Melkizedeck came to Abraham and shared with him a simple meal, and had spiritual fellowship. He reminded Abraham of what God had called him to do. He reminded him that God had called him to live by faith and to pursue God. So Abraham gave up everything else and went back to his simple life of faith. The world may have considered that what he did was foolish. But when Abraham lost the world, he gained God. God was on his side, protecting him and guiding him until Abraham became a blessing on the whole world, even to us today. What we seek and what we pursue in life are very important. Everyone wants to gain something in this world. But those who gain godliness are the real winners. They gain God, taste God’s goodness, and they are content. How can we be content? We can be content when we deeply appreciate the gift of life Jesus has given us. We can have godliness when we pursue the higher and nobler things of this life, such as love, faith, hope, and the good life of Christian mission we have been entrusted with by God our Father.

2011-11-25T20:02:00.003-08:00

Rejoice In Opportunities To Preach The Word God

John 4:36, “36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.”

Pastor’s blog: Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 10-11-12

Recently I met Matt Armstrong. He heads up Cross Roads Ministry, dedicated to bringing the gospel to public schools, especially through the after school programs. I was amazed because he is willing to pour out his energies on his cross roads mission. He is giving his all and pouring out his resources just to be able to share the gospel with some kids whom (most of them) may not even be listening. There is no guarantee that parents will even be coming to his church. His eyes light up with the prospect of being able to share the gospel, pure and simple. He was willing to spend time and money simply to make these opportunities happen. Would I be so happy to preach the gospel simply? Would I rejoice at the open doors but no visible fruit? Would I claim a victory in this? Would I be happy in just planting the seed so that maybe another church may reap the fruit of that seed? I confess I am not quite there yet, but I am getting there!
Jesus said in John 4:35-38, “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” There are sowers and there are reapers in the work of God. The act of sowing and reaping makes one glad. The sowers and reapers may not be in the same generation or the same church. But they are glad to simply sow the seed of the word of God. If they are able to reap…that is lead someone to Saving faith in Jesus, then that is “gravy.” The problem is when we want to be both the sower and the reaper at the same time and we want these activities done in our own church. Then what happens is we loose the joy of sowing because of our expectations. God does not seem to be fulfilling our expectations. We need to be set free from our own selfish ambition and be glad simply for being given the opportunity to preach the word of God.

2011-11-25T20:02:00.001-08:00

I am a pastor of a very small house church ministry. How to reach out to the young people of Dekalb and NIU is the "million dollar" question. I haven't been able to do it in a big way. I have in small ways through 1:1 Bible study and mentoring (shepherding). We try to do it in several ways. 1. My kids lead the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes” group at the high school. There are five of them coming down the shoot there and so they can provide leadership for the next seven years. Praise the Lord! It is every Thursday before class for 20 minutes. Jenn is leading them through Nehemiah. They meet tomorrow. 2, We support and eat at Feed 'Em Soup. 3. We sing at Christian music festivals (St Matthews in Glendale Heights and Praizapalooza at Hopkins Park. 4. We have 1:1 Bible study with students. 5. I keep going to Haish gym and making friends there. There are 2 people who study the Bible there. 6. I pray and encourage my kids top to break through the "Friends" barrier to enter into discipleship relationships with classmates. 7. We participate in the DeKalb Christian church monthly "Open Mic NIght". All of these are my attempts to reach out to the community.

I thank God that I am able to preach the gospel through various means but I have to admit that I am helpless to help people grow was spiritual leaders and I am helpless to produce spiritual leaders who can co-work with me and my family on the mission field of NIU and DeKalb. This fact causes me to despair a lot at times. But I am learning many spiritual lessons at the same time. All of this comes from God in his time and his way. I am really learning that it can only be accomplished through prayer and also through co-working with other churches in the area. We must break through denominational lines and co-work as one body. If you have any co-working opportunities then let me know.

2011-07-13T20:36:00.003-07:00

How Far Would You Go To Help Your Children Meet Jesus Personally And Grow To Be Servants Of God?

By Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF
Proverbs 22:6, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
Let’s face it. As Christian parents we all want children who are like Jesus in his youth. But what does it take for parents to make an atmosphere in their home where God can work to call a child to this level of sincerity and devotion? We will see what the Bible teaches. Then we will see some examples from famous parents in Christian history, like William Penn, Susanna Wesly, and Ruth Graham. We will then think of some issues that hinder us from providing such an environment for raising our kids, an environment through which God can work.

Part l: We All Want Kids Like The Boy Jesus.
Luke 2:41-51, “Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43 After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
Let’s face it. As Christian parents we all want children who are like Jesus in his youth. Jesus went to all the religious festivals held in Jerusalem. He fully participated in the Jewish religious life. He was a young man who liked to talk about spiritual things. He was so into talking about spiritual things that he forgot that his own family had left to go home from the festival. He was engaging the religious leaders in such deep and profound conversation that they were truly amazed. His parents were astonished. He grew up spiritual and obedient and he grew in favor with God and man. We all want Christian kids like this. Sometimes we expect God to just make our kids like this with little of no effort on our part. But what does it take for parents to make an atmosphere in their home where God can work to call a child to this level of sincerity and devotion?

Part ll: What The Bible Teaches
Genesis 18:18-19, “18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-9, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.[a] 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 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. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
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, “ 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
From these verses we learn several spiritual lessons. From God’s direction to Abraham we see that he was called to set the example for household, by doing what is right and just. This is hard. As parents we should never say, “Do as I say, but not as I do.” Rather we must say, “Do as I do.”
From the Lord’s instructions in Deuteronomy we learned that we need to impress the words of God on our children. We need to discuss the word of God with them at home, as we go for walks, in the morning and when we go to bed. I don’t think that the young people in 1400 B.C. were much different in regards to receiving instruction in the Lord as kids are today. They were not eagerly begging their parents to impress the word of God on them. Most likely they did not like it. But if we wait until our kids like it and ask for it, we may be waiting forever and miss the opportunity to impress the words of God on their hearts.
From Proverbs we learn that we need to train our children in the Lord. The word “train” is not a casual word. To train means to do something deliberate. Training is repetitive. Training is persistent. It may not be pleasurable at the time but it reaps many benefits and makes a person stronger and more able to overcome hardships. All of these principles apply to raising our kids.
Paul teaches the Ephesian Christian fathers to bring their children up in the training and instruction of the Lord. To do this fathers not only need to know the Bible but they also need to be able to teach the Bible and show its application. Bringing them up in it, implies a lifestyle.
Part lll: Some Examples Set By Parents In Christian History.

From a letter written by William Penn (Quaker Preacher, author, founder of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) to his wife. His wife and children had left for the America on Oct 1862. He wrote letters to them for their guidance. Here is an exerpt that shows the importance of family devotionals.

“…be diligent in meetings for worship and business. And let meetings be kept once a day in the family to wait upon the Lord, who has given us much time for ourselves. ….”

(“No Cross, No Crown.” by William Penn)
(“Great Women Of The Christian Faith”, Edith Deen. 1959. p. 366)

“The training Susanna Wesley gave her children is indicated by this letter she wrote to her eldest son Samuel, who became a preacher:

‘Consider well what a separation from the world, what purity, what devotion, what expemplary virtue are required in those who are to guide others to glory…I would advice you to arrange your affairs by a certain method, by which means you will learn to improve every precious moment…begin and end each day with Him who is the Alpha and the Omega, and if you really experience what is the love of God, you will redeem all the time you can for His more immediate service. Endeavor to act upon principle and do not live like the rest of mankind, who passes through the world like straws upon a river, which are carried which way the stream or the wind drive them…Get as deep an impression on your mind as is possible of the constant presence of the great and holy God. He is about our beds and about our paths and spies out all our ways. Whenever you are tempted to the commission of sin, or the omission of any duty, pause and say to yourself, ‘What am I about to do? God sees me.’”

“In her ‘household school,’ for six hours a day through twenty years, she taught her children so thoroughly that they became unusually cultured. There were not one of them in whom she did not instill a passion for learning and righteousness.’…’When her son John became a noted man, he begged her to write down some details of the education of her children, to which she reluctantly consented. She confessed, ‘No one can, without renouncing the world in the most literal sense, observe my method. There are few, if any, who would devote about twenty years of the prime of life in hopes to save the souls of their children.’

“She began to train her children by a rather strict method of living as soon as they were born. From their birth she also began to train their wills, making them realize they must obey their parents. They were even taught to cry softly, to eat or drink whatever was given them. Drinking or eating between meals was never allowed, unless they were sick. At age six, as soon as the family prayers were over, they had their supper. At eight they were put to bed and told to go to sleep. ‘No such thing was allowed in our house,’ this mother reports, ‘as sitting by a child till it fell asleep.’ The loud noise children generally make was seldom heard in the Wesley house. Laughter and play, on the other hand were common sounds.

The spiritual welfare of her children mattered most to Susanna. She gave them an appreciation of the things of the spirit, and this teaching she carried on into their more mature years. Even when she was an old woman, her son John still came to his devout mother for counsel. Not to Methodists alone but to the whole world Susanna Wesly gave a new freedom of faith, a new spark of vital religion and a new intimacy with God.
It is no wonder that this mother who so often prayed, ‘Grant me grace, O Lord, to be wholly a Christian,’ should produce a great Christian like John Wesley. ‘Help me, Lord,’ she prayed, ‘to remember that religion is not to be confined to the church or closet, nor exercised only in prayer and meditation, but that I am everywhere in Thy Presence.’”

(“Great Women Of The Christian Faith”, Edith Deen. 1959. p. 142-144)

Ruth Bell Graham, wife of evangelist Billy Graham, She was born to missionary parents in Tsingkiang, China, in 1920, where she was raised in staunch Presbyterian piety, with daily doses of private and family devotions and being expected to memorize large portions of the Bible.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/juneweb-only/124-43.0.html

The following is and exerpt from Franklin Graham’s autobiography, “Rebel With A Cause.” In it he explains Ruth Graham’s daily spiritual life as she raised her kids.

“Though my folks insisted we go to church every Sunday, as far back as I can remember, my parents never crammed religion down my throat. They did try to instill in all of us kids the importance of a personal relationship with God. Every evening our family had devotions before we went to bed. Mama or Daddy would read a short passage from the Bible and then we would each say a sentence prayer. In the morning, Mama or Daddy would lead us in prayer before we left the house for school. It didn’t matter who was in the house at the time – our housekeeper, caretaker, or guests – it was something everyone did in our home. I can’t remember a day when this didn’t happen.

My parents also encouraged us to memorize Scripture verses. One of the ways they did this was on Sunday after church and lunch, before we could go out to play, we had to memmorize a verse and recite it to Mama, almost word perfect. She did make a few exceptions. When we complained that the verses were too difficult, she let us pick our own. She didn’t care as long as it was the Word of God. This got us reading the Bible to find short verses such as ‘Jesus wept.’ It didn’t bother Mama. Mama and Daddy believed that the time would come when their children would need the strength of God that comes through his word. They knew that one day we would be out on our own; yet God would always be with us. And they were right.

I didn’t mind the devotions, especially at night, because Mama often told stories from the Bible and mixed them with her own experiences from growing up in China.”

“Rebel With A Cause” Frankin Graham. 1995 pages 8-9.

Part lV: Things That Hinder Our Kids From Growing As Servants Of Jesus

There are so many things that stop us from making such and environment.

First, we don’t think that being so extreme is necessary. I don’t think that being passive and casual about training our kids in spiritual matters is a good idea. Let’s face the fact that we are in a spiritual battle for our kid’s souls. The devil and the influences of our godless culture are working overtime to capture our children’s’ hearts. We need to work twice as hard to win their souls over to Jesus.

Second, We don’t want to set the example ourselves. It is hard work to teach the truth. We need to set the example. If we want our kids to pray we need to pray. If we want them to go to church, we need to. We just can’t drop our kids off to youth group for free babysitting and ignore church ourselves.

Third, we are waiting until they are willing and happy about it. Let’s face it. Most kids are willing and eager to watch TV., text, go on Facebook and watch movies and play video games. This is true even for Christian kids. They may never be willing. But we need to still introduce a Biblical lifestyle into their lives.

Fourth, we are afraid of turning them off from Christianity. Like I said, the Devil is working night and day to turn our kids off from Jesus. 50% of Christian kids who go into college emerge unbelievers. If we leave them alone they will be turned off. This world is full of sad stories of kids who have gone astray. Most have gone astray not from strict Christian parents, but from parents afraid to impose spiritual discipline in the home.

Fifth, we are afraid of loosing our kids’ love for us. Sometimes we are held hostage with the threat that our kids won’t love us anymore if we impose our faith on them too much. There is a saying, “be careful how you treat your kids, they will choose your nursing home.” They could either love you or hate you or avoid you. What if we were too soft and our kids grow up to be sincere Christians and they grew up thinking that we raised the family in a compromised, “wishy washy” way? Ultimately we need to do what we need to do before God and trust God. If we are truthful and sincere our kids will respect us for that in the long run. Our lives will show them the way.

Sixth, our expectations are too low. We are tempted to think that if our kids get a good education, a nice job, start a family, attend church sporadically and pay lip service to Jesus, then that is the ultimate success story. We may not even have a hope and a prayer for them to be servants of Christ. Our low standards may be hindering our kid’s spiritual growth.

Even if we try our best to impress the faith on the hearts of our children, this does not mean that it will happen. Even the great prophet Samuel had sons who went astray. But we can make a a difference. All the people mentioned influenced their kids and some of their kids grew to be strong Christians who changed the course of world history. By God’s grace it could happen in each of our homes too. But we need to take creating a spiritual atmosphere in our homes very seriously and concern deeply on raising up our kids as disciples of Jesus.

2011-07-13T20:36:00.001-07:00

What Do You Do When God’s Will Is Different Than What You Are Praying For?
Psalm 99 verses 6-9 read, “ 6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the LORD and he answered them. 7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.” (NIV 1984)
Moses, Aaron, and Samuel were among the priests God had chosen. Moses was a mediator between God and Israel. He brought the Ten Commandments. Aaron interceded for Israel day and night. Samuel anointed kings and served his people with prayers. God answered them when they called to him.
Our God is a God who answers prayers. God has been hearing our prayers. But he answers according to his will. He surely answers. There are prayers that I want answered. I want to have 12 growing disciples and 5 Bible teachers and lots of co-workers and 3 shepherds sharing sincere common life at the Bible house, with daily bread and discipleship going on each day and being surrounded by people who are eager to know Christ and grow as shepherds of God’s flock. This is what I want and this is what I pray for, but is it happening? In some ways it is and in other ways it is not. Does that mean that God is not answering our prayer? No. He his listening. It only means that God’s will for me and my family is different than what we want. God seems to have a monastic role for us. He seems to want to showcase to the world what a Christian family can be struggling to build up a church from the ground up. He seems to want us to love Jesus and love Jesus alone apart from the “extras” of a growing congregation. It is so hard to accept that God’s will is not what we were praying for. But there are times when we need to let go and let God.

2011-07-13T20:35:00.002-07:00

Go Out Among The People
2 Chronicles 19:4-5 Pastor’s Blog Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 1-5-11
“Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem, and he went out again among the people from Beersheba to the hill country of Ephraim and turned them back to the LORD, the God of their ancestors. 5 He appointed judges in the land, in each of the fortified cities of Judah.”
Jehoshaphat made an unholy alliance and was almost killed in battle; when he returned, he was rebuked for making an alliance with those who hate the Lord. The amazing thing is that he accepted the rebuke, and set his heart on seeking the Lord. Practically speaking Jehoshaphat went out into the country side and sought to turn the people back to God. He was a king and yet he went out among the people. He could not do it alone, so he appointed God-fearing men and instructed them to judge between the people with justice and impartiality, with fear of God in their hearts.
Jesus is the best example of going out among his people. Jesus is God almighty. He lives in the kingdom of heaven. But he gave up all the glory of the kingdom of God and became man and dwelt among us. To do so he was born in abject poverty, as a tiny baby in manger. He was born in Roman occupied land, ruled by a tyrant, where Satan was waiting to take his life. It was so difficult, but he came. At the onset of his ministry, Jesus went out among the people. He came to a lonely and selfish tax collector and became his friend and invited him to follow him. He went to a dinner party full of sinners. He went to a wedding. He came to Zacchaeus and became his friend and visited his house. Jesus touched lepers. He purposely walked through Samaria to minister to one Samaritan woman. He hung out with some rough and tough fisherman. He spent time with his disciples every day for 3 ½ years. He preached to thousands and ministered to one. He gave it all up in order save us from our sins and bring us to everlasting life in the kingdom of God. His coming to be among his people is best described in John 1:14. “The word become flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory the glory of the one and only who came from the father full of grace and truth.”
Paul went out among the people. He made tents to support himself. He worked side by side with other tent makers, like Pricilla and Aquila. All the time he was sharing the gospel with them. Much of his ministry was more deliberate. He purposely went into the synagogues and reasoned with the Jews. He went to small house churches and taught the disciples. He set up a Bible school in the Lecture Hall of Tyrannus and taught every day for two years. Paul went out among the people.
There are forces at work that make us alone and isolated. Satan wants us to be isolated from each other, imprisoned in our own personal electronics. We don’t want to be bothered by anyone. Even Christians don’t want to get out among the people. They like to be around their own circle of friends, people whom they like and who are like them. Is this the example that Jesus has shown? He came to dwell among sinners. He gathered around him, sinners. They were not like the holy God, Jesus. Would you do that? Let’s ask ourselves in 2011, “How can I go out and be among the people?” and then God can use you to turn peoples’ hearts back to the Lord.

2011-07-13T20:35:00.001-07:00

The 144,000..Let’s Be Like Them Starting Today Kevin Jesmer
Let’s take a look at the famous group of people, the 144,000. Revelation 14:1 reads, “Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.” So what about these 144,000? In short, in God’s history there were twelve tribes of Israel and twelve apostles. 12 times 12 equals 144. In this case the 144,000 could represent the whole redeemed people of God. The members of the 144,000 were very much different than those who wore the number of the beast. They do not have the mark of the beast on their foreheads, though they were forced to conform. Those who wore the number of the beast worshipped and served a godless leader and system. They were forced, not willing people. They were living by fear and they made war against the saints of God. (Rev 13:3b-6; Rev 13:14b-17)
Lets look a little close at what these 144,000 are like from this Bible passage. Revelation 14:2-5 reads, “. 2And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.” They were talking together and singing and praising God, together, so much so that their voices sounded like rushing water. There were offering up their musical talents in their worship of the Lamb. They were singing the song of the redeemed. That means that their robes were washed white in the blood of the Lamb. They knew that they were purchased from slavery to sin and the devil and set free by the redeeming blood of Jesus They knew the grace of God personally and were compelled to sing about it. They struggle to live a pure life before God and they were devoted to following Jesus wherever Jesus led them. There lives were a living offering to God. They were very happy worshipping Jesus and they were not afraid to be around God’s people and stand, transparently before Jesus for they had nothing to hide. They were pure in heart and sincere and honest. These are the characteristics of the 144,000. Some may say, “Well. of course they are like that in heaven. If I was in heaven I would be just like that too.” Maybe? But I’m sure that these saints were putting into practice what they were doing in heaven, while they lived on earth. Let’s examine our hearts and find out how we can exude the characteristics of the 144,000 while we are walking on this earth and have a burning hope and desire to be included in those who will be praising Jesus around his throne.

How Far Would You Go To Help Your Children Meet Jesus Personally And Grow To Be Servants Of God?

2011-05-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

By Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 5-25-11
Proverbs 22:6, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
Let’s face it. As Christian parents we all want children who are like Jesus in his youth. But what does it take for parents to make an atmosphere in their home where God can work to call a child to this level of sincerity and devotion? We will see what the Bible teaches. Then we will see some examples from famous parents in Christian history, like William Penn, Susanna Wesly, and Ruth Graham. We will then think of some issues that hinder us from providing such an environment for raising our kids, an environment through which God can work.

Part l: We All Want Kids Like The Boy Jesus.
Luke 2:41-51, “Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43 After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” 49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
Let’s face it. As Christian parents we all want children who are like Jesus in his youth. Jesus went to all the religious festivals held in Jerusalem. He fully particiated in the Jewish religious life. He was a young man who liked to talk about spiritual things. He was so into talking about spiritual things that he forgot that his own family had left to go home from the festival. He was engaging the religious leaders in such deep and profound conversation that they were truly amazed. His parents were astonished. He grew up spiritual and obedient and he grew in favor with God and man. We all want Christian kids like this. Sometimes we expect God to just make our kids like this with little of no effort on our part. But what does it take for parents to make an atmosphere in their home where God can work to call a child to this level of sincerity and devotion?

Part ll: What The Bible Teaches
Genesis 18:18-19, “18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-9, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.[a] 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 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. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”
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, “ 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
From these verses we learn several spiritual lessons. From God’s direction to Abraham we see that he was called to set the example for household, by doing what is right and just. This is hard. As parents we should never say, “Do as I say, but not as I do.” Rather we must say, “Do as I do.”
From the Lord’s instructions in Deuteronomy we learned that we need to impress the words of God on our children. We need to discuss the word of God with them at home, as we go for walks, in the morning and when we go to bed. I don’t think that the young people in 1400 B.C. were much different in regards to receiving instruction in the Lord as kids are today. They were not eagerly begging their parents to impress the word of God on them. Most likely they did not like it. But if we wait until our kids like it and ask for it, we may be waiting forever and miss the opportunity to impress the words of God on their hearts.
From Proverbs we learn that we need to train our children in the Lord. The word “train” is not a casual word. To train means to do something deliberate. Training is repetative. Training is persistent. It may not be pleasreable at the time but it reaps many benfits and makes a person stronger and more able to overcome hardships. All of these principles apply to raising our kids.
Paul teaches the Ephesian Christian fathers to bring their children up in the training and instruction of the Lord. To do this fathers not only need to know the Bible but they also need to be able to teach the Bible and show its application. Bringing them up in it, implies a lifestyle.
Part lll: Some Examples Set By Parents In Christian History.

From a letter written by William Penn (Quaker Preacher, author, founder of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) to his wife. His wife and children had left for the America on Oct 1862. He wrote letters to them for their guidance. Here is an exerpt that shows the importance of family devotionals.

“…be diligent in meetings for worship and business. And let meetings be kept once a day in the family to wait upon the Lord, who has given us much time for ourselves. ….”

(“No Cross, No Crown.” by William Penn)
(“Great Women Of The Christian Faith”, Edith Deen. 1959. p. 366)

“The training Susanna Wesley gave her children is indicated by this letter she wrote to her eldest son Samuel, who became a preacher:

‘Consider well what a separation from the world, what purity, what devotion, what expemplary virtue are required in those who are to guide others to glory…I would advice you to arrange your affairs by a certain method, by which means you will learn to improve every precious moment…begin and end each day with Him who is the Alpha and the Omega, and if you really experience what is the love of God, you will redeem all the time you can for His more immediate service. Endeavor to act upon principle and do not live like the rest of mankind, who passs through the world like straws upon a river, which are carried which way the stream or the wind drive them…Get as deep an impression on your mind as is possible of the constant presence of the great and holy God. He is about our beds and about our paths and spies out all our ways. Whenever you are tempted to the commission of sin, or the ommission of any duty, pause and say to yourself, ‘What am I about to do? God sees me.’”

“In her ‘household school,’ for six hours a day through twenty years, she taught her children so thoroughly that they became unusually cultured. There were not one of them in whom she did not instill a passion for learning and righteousness.’…’When her son John became a noted man, he begged her to write down some details of the education of her children, to which she reluctantly consented. She confessed, ‘No one can, without renouncing the world in the most literal sense, observe my method. There are few, if any, who would devote about twenty years of the prime of life in hopes to save the souls of their children.’

“She began to train her children by a rather strict method of living as soon as they were born. From their birth she also began to train their wills, making them realize they must obey their parents. They were even taught to cry softly, to eat or drink whatever was given them. Drinking or eating between meals was never allowed, unless they were sick. At age six, as soon as the family prayers were over, they had their supper. At eight they were put to bed and told to go to sleep. ‘No such thing was allowed in our house,’ this mother reports, ‘as sitting by a child till it fell asleep.’ The loud noise children generally make was seldom heard in the Wesley house. Laughter and play, on the other hand were common sounds.

The spiritual welfare of her children mattered most to Susanna. She gave them an appreciation of the things of the spirit, and this teaching she carried on into their more mature years. Even when she was an old woman, her son John still came to his devout mother for counsel. Not to Methodists alone but to the whole world Susanna Wesly gave a new freedom of faith, a new spark of vital religion and a new intimacy with God.
It is no wonder that this mother who so often prayed, ‘Grant me grace, O Lord, to be wholly a Christian,’ should produce a great Christian like John Welsey. ‘Help me, Lord,’ she prayed, ‘to remember that religion is not to be confined to the church or closet, nor exercised only in prayer and meditation, but that I am everywhere in Thy Presense.’”

(“Great Women Of The Christian Faith”, Edith Deen. 1959. p. 142-144)

Ruth Bell Graham, wife of evangelist Billy Graham, She was born to missionary parents in Tsingkiang, China, in 1920, where she was raised in staunch Presbyterian piety, with daily doses of private and family devotions and being expected to memorize large portions of the Bible.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/juneweb-only/124-43.0.html

The following is and exerpt from Franklin Graham’s autobiography, “Rebel With A Cause.” In it he explains Ruth Graham’s daily spiritual life as she raised her kids.

“Though my folks insisted we go to church every Sunday, as far back as I can remember, my parents never crammed religion down my throat. They did try to instill in all of us kids the importance of a personal relationship with God. Every evening our family had devotions before we went to bed. Mama or Daddy would read a short passage from the Bible and then we would each say a sentence prayer. In the morning, Mama or Daddy would lead us in prayer before we left the house for school. It didn’t matter who was in the house at the time – our housekeeper, caretaker, or guests – it was something everyone did in our home. I can’t remember a day when this didn’t happen.

My parents also encouraged us to memorize Scripture verses. One of the ways they did this was on Sunday after church and lunch, before we could go out to play, we had to memmorize a verse and recite it to Mama, almost word perfect. She did make a few exceptions. When we complained that the verses were too difficult, she let us pick our own. She didn’t care as long as it was the Word of God. This got us reading the Bible to find short verses such as ‘Jesus wept.’ It didn’t bother Mama. Mama and Daddy believed that the time would come when their children would need the strength of God that comes through his word. They knew that one day we would be out on our own; yet God would always be with us. And they were right.

I didn’t mind the devotions, especially at night, because Mama often told stories from the Bible and mixed them with her own experiences from growing up in China.”

“Rebel With A Cause” Frankin Graham. 1995 pages 8-9.

Part lV: Things That Hinder Our Kids From Growing As Servants Of Jesus

There are so many things that stop us from making such and environment.

First, we don’t think that being so extreme is necessary. I don’t think that being passive and casual about about discipling our kids is a good idea. Let’s face the fact that we are in a spiritual battle for our kid’s souls. The devil and the influences of our godless culture are working overtime to capture our childrens’ hearts. We need to work twice as hard to win their souls over to Jesus.

Second, We don’t want to set the example ourselves. It is hard work to teach the truth. We need to set the example. If we want our kids to pray we need to pray. If we want them to go to church, we need to. We just can’t drop our kids off to youth group for free babysitting and ignore church ourselves.

Third, we are waiting until they are willing and happy about it. Let’s face it. Most kids are willing and eager to watch t.v., text, go on facebook and watch movies and play video games. This is true even for Christian kids. They may never be willing. But we need to still introduce a Biblical lifestyle into their lives.

Fourth, we are afraid of turning them off from Christianity. Like I said, the Devil is working night and day to turn our kids off from Jesus. 50% of Christian kids who go into college emerge unbelievers. If we leave them alone they will be turned off. This world is full of sad stories of kids who have gone astray. Most have gone astray not from strict Christian parents, but from parents afraid to impose spiritual discipline in the home.

Fifth, we are afraid of loosing our kids’ love for us. Sometimes we are held hostage with the threat that our kids won’t love us anymore if we impose our faith on them too much. There is a saying, “be careful how you treat your kids, they will choose your nursing home.” They could either love you or hate you or avoid you. What if we were too soft and our kids grow up to be sincere Christians and they grew up thinking that we raised the family in a compromised, “wishy washy” way? Ultmately we need to do what we need to do before God and trust God. If we are truthful and sincere our kids will respect us for that in the long run. Our lives will show them the way.

Sixth, our expectations are too low. We are tempted to think that if our kids get a good edcation, a nice job, start a family, attend church sporatically and pay lip service to Jesus, then that is the ultimate success story. We may not even have a hope and a prayer for them to be servants of Christ. Our low standards may be hindering our kid’s spiritual growth.

Even if we try our best to impress the faith on the hearts of our children, this does not mean that it will happen. Even the great prophet Samuel had sons who went astray. But we can make a a difference. All the people mentioned influenced their kids and some of their kids grew to be strong Christians who changed the course of world history. By God’s grace it could happen in each of our homes too. But we need to take creating a spiritual atmosphere in our homes very seriously and concern deeply on raising up our kids as disciples of Jesus.

2011-01-23T18:40:00.001-08:00

NIU UBF Ministry Prayer Topics

Luke 6:12
“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”

1. Go out among the young people of DeKalb and NIU
2. Raise up Bible teachers in the land…5 total.
3. Revelation and Romans Bible study.
4. Quality daily bread every day.
5. 20 1:1’s and 15 faithful Sunday worship service attendants.
6. Renewed fishing ministry
7. Increase nurse subscriptions to messages to 30 nurses per week.
8. Continue co-working relationships with Triton and DuPage UBF
ministries, DeKalb Christian Church and Feed ‘Em Soup.
9. Develop two NIU Bible schools
10. Create a joyful and hopeful spiritual atmosphere.
11. Nurture a weekly “on campus prayer meeting”
12. Grow in a deeper love and co-working relationships with each other.
13. Build up the High School (FCA) and Middle School Bible clubs.
14. Participate in world mission
15. Keep the Bible House for one more year.
16. Continually pray that the D.E.A.R. area (DeKalb-Elgin-Aurora-
Rockford) regions may be pioneered with 1:1 Bible study and
discipleship ministries.
17. Jesmer children may grow in their personal relationship with Jesus
and be shepherds of God’s flock.
18. Develop our musical talents and offer them up Jesus to be used for his
glory.

Matthew 5:1-16

2011-01-23T18:31:00.000-08:00

Salt And Light Of The Earth

Matthew 5:1-16 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 1-9-11
Key verse 5:13a, 14a Adapted from Mother Sarah Barry’s message delivered 1-2-11

“You are the salt of the earth…..You are the light of the world.”

We are beginning a new year and a new decade, 2011. In this year we want to grow our relationship with God through deep Bible study and prayer. We want to know Jesus better. We want to have loving relationships that encourage and build others up. We want to participate in what God is doing to make his people a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. We want to be salt and light, in the place that we live, so that God may be glorified. For these things we need Jesus’ help and presence in us. Through a study of this passage may be we learn what true blessedness is and seek it. May we stand as salty servants of God. May we also be small lights in this world, pointing to the Great Light, Jesus Christ. May God bless you.

Part l: The Eight States Of Blessedness (1-12)

Jesus began his ministry in a dark corner of a small country. Matthew quoted Isaiah; “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Jesus is the Great Light. He came preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Mt 4:16-17) When people heard Jesus preaching, they began to repent. Jesus announced the Kingdom of Heaven and he brought it with him. He healed the sick and cast out demons and brought God’s love and life to the hopeless. People living in the darkness of sin and despair could see the Great Light.

To further spread his light, Jesus raised disciples. Look at verses 1-2. “Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him and he began to teach them.” These first disciples were fishermen and tax collectors and working men. Maybe there were a few students also. There were women, too, who learned from him. He did not teach them techniques of how to preach or how to lead a ministry. He shared with them himself, his own mind and heart. He wanted to change the world through them, one heart at a time. So he went up on a mountainside and his disciples came to him. He taught them the Sermon On The Mount, beginning with the Beatitudes. It is description of Jesus’ own character and his personal life principles.

Jesus himself is salt and light. He wants his disciples to be salt and light in the world. Salt is hidden and works quietly and in unseen ways to give flavor and preserve food. On the contrary…light should be seen by everyone. Light dispenses darkness. Jesus says to us too, “You are the salt of the earth…you are the light of the world.”

Fifty years ago, in Korea, in 1961, when the UBF ministry began, the people, especially young students, were living in darkness. It was the darkness of fatalism and poverty. It was the darkness that seeps into the heart when hope comes out. Koreans had endured 45 years of subjugation under Japan, a devastating internecine war, and the forced division of their country.

The hearts of our UBF founders went out to these young people, but they had no way to help them. Relief goods poured in from America to help those who were hungry and cold and sick. But material things could not heal broken hearts or cure fatalism or bring hope into the darkness. But God gave them his book, the Bible. Many students were drawn to Bible study because they wanted to learn English. But when they studied the Bible, God spoke to their hearts. The people living in the darkness saw a great light. The Creator God sent Immanuel Jesus to be with them. He is the Wonderful Counselor. He gave them the Bible to lead them into truth. When we opened our hearts to God and to his word, he led us out of darkness into his light. During those 50 years they have learned that the Bible is God’s word. It is indeed the lamp for all of our feet and a light for all our paths. These young Koreans went to the end of the earth to be the salt and light of the earth. That was the first 50 years. May God grant UBF his vision for the next 50 years of his work through our ministry at the upcoming missionary conference in Seoul in May.

Let’s continue on now with Jesus’ Sermon. He began to teach them saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” What does it mean to be “blessed”. To be “blessed” is more than just being happy, healthy with an abundance of material things. To be blessed means to be touched by God’s love and grace in such a way as to be deeply satisfied. It means to have real peace. The first and last blessing is, “For theirs is the Kingdom of God.” (3,10) This is the best blessing because to have the Kingdom of heaven is to have everything. Now let’s continue…

First, “poor in spirit.” We are “poor in spirit” when we know our helpless state. To be poor in spirit means to know that we are sinners who need God. To be poor in spirit means to have a learning mind because we know we lack knowledge. It means to be thankful, for we have nothing that has not been given to us by God. We are like little children whom Jesus invited to come to him. He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Mt 19:14) The kingdom of heaven is ours because Jesus gives it to us. (Lk 12:32) Salty Christians are those who are poor in spirit. They know they need the Savior, Jesus, and humbly learn from him.

Second, blessed are those who mourn. Let’s read verse 4. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Jesus mourned. He wept over Jerusalem. (Lk 19:41-44) He wept at the tomb of Lazarus. (Jn 11:25) He weeps because of my sins. (Gen 6:3) But when sinners repent, Jesus is comforted. (Lk 15:3-31) And when I repent, I am comforted by Jesus’ love and forgiveness. Paul says in 2 Cor 7:10, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” Sometimes we grieve because we have lost something- a parent, a spouse, a job, a friend, or because we have failed in something. If we bring our grief to God, and receive his comfort, we can grow in depth of character. If we do not bring this grief to God, we only become bitter and angry. If we do not repent, or, if we hold onto our grief, we become salt that has lost its saltiness. Salty Christians mourn for godly reasons, repenting and searching for a resolution in the Lord. With such people, Jesus is comforted and he will in turn comfort such people.

Third, the meek shall inherit the earth. Look at verse 5. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” A synonym of meek is humble. Meek is not to be weak like a mouse. The Bible says that Moses was very humble, more humble than anyone on the face of the earth. (Num 12:3) When problems arose or his leadership was challenged, he did not fight with people. He prayed and waited on God. Meekness is waiting on God instead of defending ourselves. Isaac (Gen 26) is an example of meekness. He obeyed God and stayed in the land of the Philistines. He kept on giving up his wells and digging up new ones. He accepted God’s word, “Do not be afraid.” He continued living by faith, quietly, and he won the victory. He eventually inherited the land.

Jesus showed his meekness when he was arrested, tried and crucified. He was led like a lamb the slaughter. He promised his disciples, “The meek shall inherit the earth.” (5, Ps 37:11) Victory belongs, not to the abrasive fighter, but to the meek person who waits on God. When we are found in Christ, then we can be meek. Salty Christians have the inner strength to wait in humble patience and trust God.

Fourth, hunger and thirst for righteousness. Look at verse 6; “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Righteousness is a right relationship with God. Paul longed for this. He said, “I want to know Christ.” (Php 3:8-9) To hunger and thirst for righteousness is to long to be cleansed from sin and set free from its power. It is to long to know Jesus. God does not take sin lightly. Jesus was an atoning sacrifice for my sins and yours and for the sins of the world. God made him sin who knew no sin so that we may be the righteousness of God. Jesus is God, but he longed to be with his Father in the heavenly kingdom. When he bore in his body the sins of the world, he felt the pain of his separation from God. He cried out from the cross, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46)

To hunger and thirst for righteousness also means to long for a just world, to hate oppression and injustice. Jesus came to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of the truth listens to him. To hunger and thirst for righteousness is to long to know and live by the truth. Mother Barry (The co-founder of our ministry) grew up in the segregated South. When she studied the Bible she realized the injustice of that society. To her, it was very clear that Jesus is our righteousness. When we study the Bible we learn that God created and loves all people. We can stand on the side of truth when Immanuel Jesus dwells with us. Salty Christians are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Their souls will indeed be filled by God.

Fifth, Blessed are the merciful. Let’s read verse 7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” To show mercy means to forgive. We can forgive because we are forgiven. (Lk 6:27-36) Jesus said, “Be merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful. He sends rain and sunshine on both the just and the unjust.” God, who forgives our sins, is merciful. We are simply forgiven sinners. We can not withhold mercy and forgiveness from others. Jesus forgave and he taught his disciples to forgive. He prayed from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Lk 23:34) Jesus’ mercy is like a boundless ocean. His love is higher than the skies and wider than whole world. Our world desperately needs the salt and light of Jesus’ justice and mercy and forgiveness.

Jesus’ actions underscore his teachings. Once some men dragged a woman caught in the act of adultery into the temple courts and asked Jesus to pass judgment on her. Jesus did not condemn her. Rather he forgave her and sent her away with a new life direction, He told her, “Go and leave your life of sin.” (Jn 8:11) Jesus’ mercy is not cheap. He could show mercy because he would take her place on the cross and die for her sins. Jesus is the foundation of mercy. Salty Christians are those who have been forgiven by Jesus and who forgive others, showing mercy.

Sixth, Blessed are the pure in heart. Let’s read verse 8; “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” This Beatitude promises that the pure in heart can see God. What are the things that make the heart impure? Holding onto grudges, entertaining lustful thoughts, holding onto hatred, refusing to face our sins and honestly repent-these things make our hearts impure. Jesus says in Mark 7:20-23, “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean’. For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from the inside and make a man ‘unclean.’” When we try to make our own hearts pure, we soon find it impossible. How can sinful people be pure in heart? We cannot purify our hearts by self discipline. No matter how hard I try I fail. We can be made pure only by the blood of Jesus. Then we must hide God’s word in our hearts. (Jn 15:3) The Holy Spirit can then come to dwell in hearts that have been purified by the blood of Jesus. Salty Christians are those who have pure hearts made pure by the blood of Jesus.

Seventh, blessed are the peacemakers. Let’s read verse 9. “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.” Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He came and died and rose so that we might have peace with God. When we have peace with God, we can have peace with one another. Romans 5:1 reads, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” When we are slaves to sin and enemies of God we had no peace. Jesus died to reconcile us to God and to make us instruments of reconciliation-peacemakers. (2 Cor 5:18-19) The gospel is God’s instrument of peace. It is still true! Through the gospel of Jesus you and I can have peace in our hearts. Peace can not be won through war. It can not be made through education. It can come only when Jesus comes into one’s heart. Peaceful hearts, ruled by Jesus, add up to a peaceful world. World peace starts with heart peace, one heart at a time. Peace will come in the Middle East when Muslims and Jews meet at the foot of Jesus’ cross and when Christians stand as salt and light of the world. A salty Christian is one who has found peace with God through the Gospel of Jesus and helps others to have that same peace.

Eighth, blessed are those who are those who are persecuted because of righteousness. Let’s read verse 10. “”Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus was not persecuted for mistakes or foolishness. He was persecuted for righteousness’ sake. He knew no sin, yet he died so that we may be forgiven. He was wounded for our transgressions and pierced for our iniquities. The kingdom is his and because we belong to him, the kingdom is ours too. To have the kingdom of God is to have everything. There are a lot of things in this world that make us anxious. But we do not have to be anxious about the future. Jesus is our shepherd who leads us through the valley of the shadow of death. Where Jesus is…there is the kingdom of heaven. Salty Christians are those who do not become fearful, fatalistic or give up in the face of persecution, but rejoice and follow Jesus, all the more, because they have the kingdom of heaven.

Part ll: Christian Saltiness (13)

Jesus has some very clear words concerning the spiritual condition of Christian living in this world. Look at verse 13. “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt looses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” Jesus’ disciples must be salty. Salt preserves and prevents decay. It makes tasteless food tasty. Salty Christians are those who do not compromise with the world or accept its standards. They may be laughed at, and/or persecuted, and ignored, but their influence is felt. Those who loose their saltiness, by compromising with the values and morals of society, are worse than useless. Why? They become a bad influence and confuse others as to what true Christianity actually is.

When Jesus dwells in our hearts we can be the salt of the earth. People changed by Jesus can in turn change the world. William Wilberforce was a member of the British Parliament who became a Christian in the 18th Century. He realized that slavery was wrong. He fought in the halls of government until the slave trade was abolished in England. God used him to make a more just society. Men and women, who for Jesus’ sake, care about the vulnerable people of society, and their influence upon them, and do something about it, are salt.

In every area of society there are Jesus’ people who have the salt of the gospel in their hearts and lives. They have welcomed Jesus into their hearts. There are salty executive assistants and meeting planners, who don’t let the material perks of corporate life capture their hearts, but are able to share the gospel in the nation’s board rooms. There are nursing home workers who realize that they are not just doing a job, but they are making a home and providing friendships to some of the loneliest people in our society. There are doctors and nurses and CNAs and other healthcare professionals, who, instead of focusing on making money, respect life and have compassion for the weak and vulnerable in society. There are teachers who not only find a way to tell the truth about the Creator God, but also show God’s love and compassion to broken and hurting students. There are business people who have Immanuel Jesus dwelling in their hearts and use their influence to advance the Kingdom of God. Therefore they are people of honesty and integrity. There are factory workers, professors, people who clean the streets and pick up their garbage, who all who do their jobs, before God. There are young people who keep their relationships pure. There are students who study for the glory of God. These people are all salt of the earth. What they do may go unnoticed, but God is using them to change the world.

In addition to this, Jesus’ disciples share the word of God with anyone. We can feed the hungry, clothe the naked, invite strangers in, take care of the sick and visit and encourage people in prison. As we are led by the Spirit of Jesus we can see what he wants us to do and ask him for strength to do it – and be salt and light.

Part lll: Light Of The World. (14-16)

Christians are the light of the world. Jesus said so in verse 14a, “You are the light of the world.” 1 John 1:5 reads, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” God wants his people to shine the light of his truth and love into the world, pointing to the great light, Jesus Christ. Our Puritan forefathers wanted America to be an exemplary Christian nation, like a city on a hill giving God’s light to the whole world. May God fulfill, in this land, the prayer and original purpose of our forefathers.

As we study the Bible and come to Jesus day by day we can be salt and light. We learn that we can be salty Christians in many ways…. salty Christians are those who know they need the Savior, Jesus and learn from him. They mourn for godly reasons, searching for a resolution in the Lord, Jesus. Salty Christians have the inner strength to wait in humble patience and trust God. They are found in Christ, and can be meek like Jesus. Salty Christians are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Their souls will indeed be filled by God. Salty Christians are blessed because they have received Jesus’ mercy and are forgiven. So they can show mercy. Salty Christians are those who have pure hearts made pure by the blood of Jesus. A salty Christian is one who has found peace with God through the Gospel of Jesus and helps others to have that same peace. Salty Christians are those who do not become fearful, fatalistic or give up in the face of persecution, but rejoice and follow Jesus, all the more, because they have the kingdom of heaven. Salty Christians are those who do not compromise with the world or accept its standards. To be put very simply, we can be salt and light when Jesus is in us.

May God help us to let our light shine before me so that people may see our good deeds and give praise and glory to our Father in heaven. May the Father, Son and Holy Spirit come and indwell each of us today so that through 2011 we may be salt and light and God’s people in the world and may we be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

1. Read verses 1-2. What had been the response of the people to Jesus’ ministry? Why had the crowds come? What did Jesus do when he saw the crowds? To whom does he address his teaching?
2. Read verses 3-10. How many times is “Blessed” repeated in these verses? What does it mean to be blessed? What examples of blessed people in the Bible can you find? (Gen 12:2-3; Nu 6:24-26; Ps 1:1-2)
3. What does it mean to be poor in spirit? (3) What is the blessing given to the poor in spirit? To whom else is this blessing given? (10) In what was does this blessing include all the others?
4. What is the blessing given to those who mourn? (4) In what way can mourning be a blessing? (2Co 7:10) What does it mean to be comforted? What does it mean to be meek? (5) What is the blessing given to the meek? Why?
5. What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness? What blessing is given these? What does it mean to be filled? (6) How does Jesus satisfy this hunger?
6. What does it mean to be merciful? How does this reflect God’s character? What blessing is promised to the merciful? (7) What blessing is promised to the pure in heart? (8) How can one be pure in heart? To what other blessings is this related?
7. What blessing is given to the peacemakers? (9) What does it mean to be a peacemaker? How was Jesus a peacemaker?
8. Read verses 10-12. What should disciples of Jesus expect? What must be our attitude in all circumstances? What is our hope? What examples do we have?
9. Read verses 13-16. How can disciples be salty salt? Why must we be? What is God’s great purpose in sending Jesus and what is Jesus’ purpose in raising disciples? How can we be the light of the world and how can our nation be a city on a hill? What must be our motive in living as Jesus’ disciples according to the eight blessings?

2011-01-07T14:18:00.001-08:00

10.11.10

2010-10-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

10.11.10

Let’s take a look at the famous group of people, the 144,000. Revelation 14:1 reads, “Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.” So what about these 144,000? In short, in God’s history there were twelve tribes of Israel and twelve apostles. 12 times 12 equals 144. In this case the 144,000 could represent the whole redeemed people of God. The members of the 144,000 were very much different than those who wore the number of the beast. They do not have the mark of the beast on their foreheads, though they were forced to conform. Those who wore the number of the beast worshipped and served a godless leader and system. They were forced, not willing people. They were living by fear and they made war against the saints of God. (Rev 13:3b-6; Rev 13:14b-17)
Lets look a little close at what these 144,000 are like from this Bible passage. Revelation 14:2-5 reads, “. 2And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.” They were talking together and singing and praising God, together, so much so that their voices sounded like rushing water. There were offering up their musical talents in their worship of the Lamb. They were singing the song of the redeemed. That means that their robes were washed white in the blood of the Lamb. They knew that they were purchased from slavery to sin and the devil and set free by the redeeming blood of Jesus They knew the grace of God personally and were compelled to sing about it. They struggle to live a pure life before God and they were devoted to following Jesus wherever Jesus led them. There lives were a living offering to God. They were very happy worshipping Jesus and they were not afraid to be around God’s people and stand, transparently before Jesus for they had nothing to hide. They were pure in heart and sincere and honest. These are the characteristics of the 144,000. Some may say, “Well. of course they are like that in heaven. If I was in heaven I would be just like that too.” Maybe? But I’m sure that these saints were putting into practice what they were doing in heaven, while they lived on earth. Let’s examine our hearts and find out how we can exude the characteristics of the 144,000 while we are walking on this earth and have a burning hope and desire to be included in those who will be praising Jesus around his throne.

Eve, Mother of All the Living

2010-05-17T18:41:00.001-07:00

Did you know that people are not that different from each other? Even though we may look different on the outside, on the inside we are very similar. Our DNA is very similar. An Eskimo in the Canadian Arctic and an Aborigine native in Australia look like they are worlds apart, but in reality, when you analyze their DNA they are actually more closely related to each other than two chimpanzees from two neighboring chimp groups in West Africa. Evolutionists would have you think that a massive natural catastrophe killed all other forms of humanoids and left only one type of homosapien, and that is why were are so similar. But there is another, more believable explanation. How about exploring the fact that we all came from the same mother? And that mother is Eve. She went through so much and has an incredible spiritual journey to share with us. We should take a closer look at Eve and discover some of her qualities as a woman and a mother.

2010-04-14T14:54:00.001-07:00

Do Everything In Love

1 Corinthians 16:1-24 NIU UBF
Key verse 16:13-14 3/21/10

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
Do everything in love."

Chapter 16 is the epilogue of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. Do you know how long we have been studying 1 Corinthians? Since September 9th (2009) of last year. We have learned a lot of how to solve many problems in life and ministry through the Gospel of Jesus. In this last chapter, Paul deals with several matters. He instructs the church about the collection for God's people (1-4). Not too popular a topic nowadays. He shares with them his future travel plans like any true friend and father would (4-8). He tells them to respect coworkers and leaders (9-12; 15-18). He exhorts them to faith and love (13-14). And finally, Paul shares greetings (19-24). There are many things to learn here. May God open your hearts to all that Paul wants to review in this epilogue and hold onto one point.

Part I: Prepare Your Gift For God's People (1-4)

First, the issue of offering. We don’t like to think about offering to God because we think that we are very poor in the present tough economy and we are in some special circumstance. We may be poor, granted, but we are not nearly as poor as these Corinthians were and Paul does not loosen up on his expectations on them. Look at verse 1a. "Now about the collection for God's people...." The word "collection," that is "logia" in Greek, appears only here in the Bible. It refers to collecting money for an offering. Sometimes preachers talk about money first, at the beginning of their message. And it may be of first importance…in order to keep up with building expenditures, salaries and programs. However, Paul mentions this collection last, at the end of his letter. He wanted to put the gospel at the forefront of all he did.

Let’s get back to this issue of offering. According to verse 1b, the Galatian churches would also participate. Verse 3b clarifies that it was to be sent to Jerusalem. No doubt, this refers to the collection Paul was taking up from the Gentile churches, mentioned in Romans 15:25-27. The believers in Jerusalem were in need, perhaps because of persecution (Ac 8:1) or widespread famine (Ac 11:28). Paul saw this as an opportunity for the Gentile Christians to express their love towards their Jewish brothers, and to acknowledge their spiritual debt by giving a material offering. It was not just a relief offering. It held a spiritual meaning serving to unite both Jew and Gentile in Christ. They were not just giving money, but making a spiritual relationship with Jerusalem believers, by the help of Paul (4). Here we learn that material giving is part of worship, and sharing with fellow believers, in their time, of need brings spiritual unity to the body of Christ. We thank God for all who have participated in the Christmas offering in helping to build the Bethesda Clinic in Uganda. There is another opportunity to offer at the upcoming Easter Conference. The offering is going to Haiti relief. Let's give as an act of worship to God, and for the blessing of our dear brothers and sisters in Christ in Haiti.
As an apostle of Christ Jesus, Paul gave spiritual direction about giving--not just to the Corinthians, but to other churches as well. In verse 1b, Paul said, "Do what I told the Galatian churches to do." In verse 2, Paul explained specifically what they should do: "On the first day of the week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made." The first day of the week was Sunday, the Lord's day. This is the day of Christian worship. The offering was to be presented as part of their worship of God. It was not just a relief offering for other people. It was an offering to God. We must view all of our offerings in this way. This is a great segue into some principles of offering.

Why should we offer to God? First, because God is the owner of all things. In Psalm 50:11,12 the Lord says, "I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it." The world belongs to God. As Jesus taught in the parable of the tenants, God is the owner and we are the tenants and stewards (Mk 12:2). To have a right relationship with God we must offer fruit to God. Second, God commanded his people to make a tithe offering in the Old Testament (Nu 18). According to Malachi, the tithe belongs to God. It is not ours. To withhold our tithe is tantamount to robbing God (Mal 3:8). Third, God promises to bless those who offer tithes to him. Malachi 3:10b says, "Test me in this, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." There are many who testify that God keeps his promise. When Abraham won a great victory over his enemies, he offered a tithe to God through his servant, Melchizedek (Gen 14:20). When Jacob made a covenant with God, he promised to give back a tenth of all God gave him (Gen 28:22). These ancestors of faith were abundantly blessed by God. In American history, John D. Rockefeller was faithful in giving a tithe to God throughout his lifetime. He confessed that his great success was God's blessing on tithing. One poor widow, who offered to God all she had to live on, was commended by Jesus (Mk 12:43-44). She teaches how to give our hearts to God, and how to give by faith. I can testify this same teaching with my own family. Ever since our family’s conception, Julie has been faithful to help us to tithe our gross income. We have been abundantly blessed by God in every way, even today in this tough economy. This kind of giving pleases God.

Giving to God should be first on our minds. Verse 2 says, "On the first day of every week...." It should take priority in one's budget planning, and should be done regularly, not just once in a while. Furthermore, "each one" should offer. It is not enough that one's father offers to God, "each one" must offer to God. I want my kids to learn this principle and so I require them to offer personally. We should "set aside a sum of money," preparing in advance--not shuffling through our pockets at the last minute as the offering basket comes around. Here is an example of one who prepares before hand. At a time after the Korean War, there was one Korean lady who would put one scoop of rice in a bag before cooking for the family. Then she would take the bag to the church for Sunday and offer the rice at church. If we just took time to prepare and make offerings in advance then it would not feel like such a burden to us In verse 3, this offering is called a "gift." Here, the Greek word for gift is "charis," which also means "grace." Christian giving should be willing and joyful, with a deep sense of God's grace. It should not be legalistic. Since Christ died for us, to forgive our sins and give us eternal life, we owe everything, even our very lives, to Christ. When we offer materially, it should be with a sense of gratitude and worship. (And there is another matter. Let’s face the facts…if you ever want to have any authority or clout in any church you must be a faithful giver.)
The Church should raise up faithful stewards of God’s money. Look at verse 3. "Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem." The Corinthians should choose faithful representatives to take the offering to Jerusalem (1 Cor 4:2). It is a high calling to be treasurer of a church or ministry. Such people must have a very high degree of integrity and live before God always.

Part II: Paul's Plans, And Requests Regarding Coworkers (5-12; 15-18)

Verses 5-7 explain Paul's travel plans. He would go through Macedonia, visiting churches, and then continue on to Corinth (5). Paul hoped he could "stay awhile, or even spend the winter" (6). He did not want to "make only a passing visit...[but] to spend time with [them]" (7). As we have studied, there were many problems in Corinth. Some pastors would have avoided the Corinthians, saying "Hello," as they passed by quickly, or sending superficial e-mails, not wanting to deal with their issues. However, Paul was a true shepherd. In their time of need, he wanted to be with them and spend time with them counseling them and praying for them and with them and studying the Bible with them. He was ready to bear misunderstanding and pain to share fellowship. Paul also respected them. In verse 6, Paul said, "...so that you can help me on my journey...." Paul knew they were spiritually immature. But he treated them as valuable coworkers who could participate meaningfully in world mission. Still, Paul concluded, "...if the Lord permits" (7). Ultimately, Paul submitted his plans to the Lord's guidance.

In keeping with these principles, Paul decided to stay in Ephesus. Why? He said in verse 9. "...because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me." As we learn in Acts 19, when Paul visited Ephesus, he found a handful of disciples already there. However, there was something strange about them. They never expressed any spiritual joy. When they sang a hymn, it sounded like a funeral. So Paul asked, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They said, "No, we did not even hear that there is a Holy Spirit." (Acts 19:2) So Paul shared the good news with them and baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues and prophesy. (Acts 19:6) Suddenly, they all became excited about Jesus and the gospel and eagerly shared the word of God. They became promising Bible messengers! Paul began to have Bible discussions with them daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. (Acts 19:9) Within two years, all the Jews and Greeks in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord (Ac 19:10). There was a great work of repentance and many burned their sorcery scrolls publicly to renounce their evil deeds. One whole region of the world was being liberated from the devil's power.

God was working powerfully and so the hindrance of Satan was to be expected. Paul suffered harm and his life was in danger. It was costly for Paul to remain in Ephesus. Moreover, Paul's heart ached to visit Corinth. However, Paul made a clear decision to stay in Ephesus, following the work of the Holy Spirit. This is what made Paul so useful in the work of God. When we follow the work of the Holy Spirit, we can be used greatly by God. However, one who ignores the leading of the Holy Spirit becomes useless. They may even hinder the work of God unknowingly. Where are there evangelical doors being opened up today? There are open doors in Latin America and China. There are miraculous things going in those regions. Some say there are 90-100 million house churches in China. It is impossible for man to evangelize in such large numbers. God is definitely working. In Brazil one church was filled in 6 months. In America a medium sized door is being opened. I pray that through this Easter conference the moving of the Holy Spirit may be reveal clearly, in each of our personal lives and ministries and especially in our co-working relationship with DuPage UBF.

Though Paul could not visit Corinth at exactly that time, he did what he could. Paul sent Timothy by way of Macedonia (Ac 19:22). Timothy, Paul's spiritual son, had learned his gospel faith and lifestyle. As 1 Corinthians 4:17 says, Paul wanted Timothy to share this faith and lifestyle with the Corinthians. However, Timothy was different than Paul. Paul was a strong, charismatic leader. Timothy was timid. (2 Tim 1:6,7) Paul worried that in the volatile Corinthian church, members would intimidate Timothy and make him fearful. Rude people would disrespect young Timothy. So Paul warned the Corinthians, "...see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord, just as I am" (10). Let’s face it…disrespectful people create an atmosphere of cynicism and hostility in a church. They can not be blessed. When the Corinthians respected Timothy, as they did Paul, God would bless them. Let's respect God's servants from our hearts.

Look at verse 12. Paul wanted to send Apollos to Corinth as well. Paul valued Apollos as a coworker and called him "our brother." Paul declared his trust in Apollos and supported his ministry in Corinth, even though there had been a division problem. It was Apollos who was reluctant to go to Corinth.

In verses 15-18, Paul mentions some of the Corinthian leaders. The household of Stephanus was noteworthy because they were the first converts in Achaia and devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Together with Fortunatus and Achaicus they worked hard behind the scenes for reconciliation and unity. As they brought the news of Corinth to Paul, and Paul's words of instruction to Corinth, it required humility, much prayer and a constant spiritual struggle. Then through them, everyone was refreshed. Paul recognized their leadership and urged the Corinthians "to submit to such as these and to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it" (16). In this part, we learn Paul's secret of following the work of the Holy Spirit and of coworking with others. Many think that Paul was fruitful because he was a kind of spiritual superman. But this is not true. Paul was fruitful because he followed the work of the Holy Spirit and coworked with many servants of God. Let's learn how to be fruitful through Paul's example, especially in co working with servants of God from Chicago, DuPage and Triton UBF and the DeKalb Christian church.

Part III: Stand Firm In The Faith (13-14; 19-24)

In the midst of giving practical instructions, Paul paused in verses 13-14 to share one last exhortation with the Corinthians. These words summarize the essential point of Paul's letter. Let's read verses 13-14. "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." Here we find five words of exhortation.

First, "Be on your guard." This is a warning against the devil's work. Paul knew that our struggle is not against people, but against the devil (Eph 6:12). The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, trying to drag people away from God to be his prisoner. No mere human being can defeat the devil. Jesus warned his disciples to watch and pray not to fall into temptation (Mk 14:38). When we pray, Almighty God gives us victory over the devil.

Second, "...stand firm in the faith...." Christian faith stands on the fact that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures...[and] that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." (15:3,4). Christ saves those who believe in him from all the consequences of sin. Christ gives us eternal life and an inheritance in the kingdom of God. Christ will raise our bodies from the dead and give us glorious resurrection bodies. God gives us everything in Christ. Yet sometimes, Satan whispers, "Faith is useless. Take it easy and spend the rest of your days enjoying fun and relaxing. You only live once." If we lose our faith, we lose everything. We must stand firm in the faith. Then God gives us his Holy Spirit, joy and peace, and eternal victory.

Third, "...be men of courage...." Men and women must be courageous. People of faith must be courageous like warriors. The courage mentioned here comes from faith. It is the courage to boldly offer our lives for the work of God. Many are working hard and sacrificing much to serve the Easter Conference and the upcoming Midwest - Missouri valley regional conferences. Their labor in the Lord is not in vain. It will be richly rewarded by God. Let's be people of courage and live sacrificial lives of faith, picking up our own crosses. God will indeed bless us when we do.

Fourth, "...be strong." We should not be weak. With a weak mind we cannot overcome difficulties to serve God in this world. So we must be strong. How can we be strong? Shall we work out regularly by lifting weights and jogging? Sure. Why not? But this is not enough. We must be strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Ti 2:1). When we repent of our sins and receive the grace of forgiveness, we can be really strong--strong enough to bear God's mission.

Fifth, "Do everything in love." The love of Christ should be in our hearts at all times as our motive and life source. Whatever we do, we should do it in love, joyfully, with gratitude. We must do everything in love: Bible study, music, drama, serving guests, and so on. Then we can be happy and make others happy, too. God will be pleased, and our community will be healthy and strong.

In verses 19-24 Paul gives some final greetings from churches in the province of Asia, from Aquila and Priscilla and their house church, and from all the brothers. Paul said, "Greet one another with a holy kiss." It was customary for Greek people of the time to greet others of the same gender with a hug and kiss. Paul wanted to redeem this custom and use it to encourage the affection of Christ in the Christian community. This is not necessarily something we should take literally today. I am not good at this anyway. When ever I try to give a “Mediterranean style” kiss to my Italian friend I end up kissing his ear lobe. Look at verse 22. Paul is not expressing personal anger at those who do not love the Lord. He is explaining that only Christ can save us from curse. Without Christ, everyone is subject to the Lord's righteous judgment and subject to the curse of the fall. (Gen ) Then Paul cried, "Come, O Lord!" He longed for Jesus' coming in power and glory. Finally Paul says, "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen." Though Paul had said many things to them in his letter, some of which were hard to digest, he ends with the grace of Christ, and love. The grace of Christ is greater than all our sin. The love of God unites us in the body of Christ, even though we have many weaknesses and problems.

As we finish the study of 1 Corinthians, let's pray that we may do everything in love.

2010-04-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Glory Of The Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:35-58 Easter Conference 4-3-10
Key verse 15: 49 Shp Kevin Jesmer

“And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.”

I thank and praise Jesus for helping us to take these last few days to think exclusively about the Gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection. We needed this time together, to take our eyes off the perishing things of this world and focus them exclusively on what is truly important, our eternal hope in Christ. Let us review a little. From Tim Sagel’s message we have learned about the gospel of our salvation – Jesus’ death and resurrection and how Jesus’ death and resurrection solves all of our sin and death problems, which is really at the heart of all of our problems. Through Jeremy Hajek’s message, we learn about the power of the resurrection that totally discards our old nature and makes us alive in Christ. And now, we will see how Paul concludes this beautiful chapter with yet another aspect of the gospel of the resurrection called, “The glory of the resurrection.” The resurrection is glorious beyond our imagination. It is the glory that we must behold and it is the glory that we seek after with all of our hearts. Let’s see…

Part l: Death…A Necessary Prerequisite To The Resurrection (35-38)

There were some questions among the Corinthians, as to the nature of the resurrected bodies. Paul continues to tell us more about the resurrection of the dead. Let’s read verse 35 all together. “But someone may ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?’" Apparently, some of the people had a question about how the dead were raised. They wondered about what kind of body they would they be raised in (35). It is hard to imagine what a resurrected body will look like. We see many pictures about the resurrected Jesus but not many about the resurrected believers. As we see every day on the news, some people's bodies are victims of natural disasters. Most people who pass away are very old and their bodies as weak and frail. After death more people are being cremated. If I am ever cremated then please sprinkle half may ashes over NIU campus and the other half over the Hamburger University campus. It is so beautiful here. These Corinthians couldn’t imagine what a resurrected body would look like. Would it look like a scene from the movie Zombie Land? Would it be like a huge nursing home convention? So in their confusion, some people asked, "How are the dead raised?" They did not understand the very nature of the resurrection. So, Paul sets out to explain the facts.

Paul did not accept their misunderstanding. Look at verse 36a. “How foolish!” Paul considers such unbelieving speculation as foolish. Why? It is because God has revealed the resurrection so clearly to us. Let’s think about it is and then you will say, “Dah! How foolish!” Since it is spring, we can see the resurrection revealed clearly in nature. Look at the ground outside. What do you see? Yes! Beautiful lilies are blossoming through cold dark earth. A beautiful plant is produced from a lowly, ordinary bulb. God has provided this evidence about the nature of the resurrection. Romans 1:19-20 reads, “since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” To Paul, and to those who have eyes to see the glory of God in this created world, it is foolish to question the resurrection. So through this message let us cast off all foolishness and believe!

Let’s think more about Paul’s metaphor of a seed and a plant. Let’s read verses 36b- 38, “…What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else. 38But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.”
It is natural law that a seed must die if a beautiful plant is ever to come to life, producing a colorful blossom full of life and beauty. We can say that the death of the seed is a necessary pre-requisite for the beautiful plant. More than that, we do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed. Then God gives it a body. To each kind of seed he gives its own body. If we sow an apple seed, an apple tree will grow. If we sow an orange seed, an orange tree is produced. Our physical bodies are like seeds. And, like seeds, our bodies necessarily should die order to receive a glorious, new resurrection body with all of its accompanying eternal beauty and glory.

It is interesting to note that that Paul states, “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” (36b) People tend to think that their lives in this world and in this “seed like” body are everything. They equate living with only breathing, eating, resting and being entertained. Now that’s living! Not really. They don’t seem to care if their hearts are lifeless or if the vitality of their bodies is being smothered by the dead and perishing hopes in this world. They claim that they are alive but in reality they are like the living death. Paul sets us straight here. According to Paul, compared to our resurrection bodies, the seed of our present bodies has not even come to life yet! The seed of our present body is lifeless compared the explosion of life that is going to be revealed at the time of the resurrection. We will be infused with so much life, that we won’t even be able to handle it, unless we are changed.

But must we wait until we all pass away in our old age until we taste it? No. Listen again to what Paul says, “What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.” This brings to mind a resurrection principle. This resurrection principle is spoken of by Jesus in John 12:24, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Jesus also tells us that our bodies are like seeds that must fall the ground and die, in order for fruit to be born and for us to gain life. In Jennifer Jesmer’s message we learn of Jesus’ bold declaration about himself. Do you remember? Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who lives and believes in me will live, even though he dies; and he who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” We can get a taste of the glory of the resurrection and the resurrected life, not decades from now, but even today. God will manifest the glory of the resurrection in us, as we allow this earthly body to fall to the ground and die. This can be done by deciding to believe in Jesus and living for Jesus and his precious gospel. Then we will begin to taste the life of God flowing though your soul.

Paul saw this fact in the faces of the first believers. In the Book of Acts, Stephen, a faithful man of God, was just about to give a long discourse concerning the coming Messiah to the enemies of God. He would be stoned for this. But before the discourse the Bible says, “All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:15) Stephen had been allowing “seed”, his body to fall to the ground and die for the glory of God. And the glory of the resurrection was being revealed in him. There is evidence of this even among us. Look at Monica Barry. She is in her retirement years, but she has applied the resurrection principle in her life. She is laying down her life for Jesus. Recently she came back from Uganda serving a medical mission there. She is not planning a quiet retirement but planning how she can continually allow her seed to fall to the ground for the glory of God. She is youthful and glorious. In front of my computer is Mother Sarah Barry. She is in her late seventies in the photo and just had hip replacement surgery. And yet she is in the Middle East riding a camel smiling from ear to ear! She is full of life and vitality because she practically lets her body fall to the ground and die serving Jesus. She is glorious too. I can see many among you who are manifesting some of the glory of the resurrection as you lay down your lives for Jesus. To all those who think that living life with a dead feeling in your hearts and powerlessness in your limbs is normal, it is not normal. Come to Jesus. Hear his word. Allow your seeds to fall to the ground and die. You will cross over from death to life (John 5:24) and a glimpse of the glory of the resurrection will be manifest in you too!

Part ll: The Glory Of The Resurrection (39-49)

Paul changes his metaphors from flora to fauna and then to the celestial in order to explained more about the glory of the resurrection. Listen to what he says in verses 39b-41, “…All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another. 41The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.” Here Paul is trying to establish the fact that just every body in our universe has its own purpose and splendor. There are many kinds of bodies: animals, people, birds and fish. Each has been given a physical body in order to live in this world. Each has its own unique splendor. Have you ever seen a lion in the wild take down a wildebeest? (Go to an African Summer Bible Conference and you might see it.) Have you seen a huge marlin fish fly through the air after breaking through the surface of the ocean? Have you taken time to see the moon and the stars on a cloudless night? Come to DeKalb on a cloudless night and you will be amazed! Just as there are earthly bodies, there are also heavenly bodies. We can not go to heaven and dwell their in our present bodies. Do you really want to? I don’t think so. Our heavenly bodies will be uniquely equipped to spend eternal life in heaven with Jesus forever. Let’s learn more about our resurrection bodies!

The nature of the resurrection body is necessarily different from our physical bodies. Look at verses 42-44b. "So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." We all want to live a glorious life, forever in this world. But the reality is we are perishing. Even the bodies star Olympians will be disintegrate in the earth. The Bible refers to our bodies as being like jars of clay. (Rom 4:7) Jars of clay crumble to dust. Some people may look strong. But even a tiny flu bug makes them powerless. In our jars of clay, we discover our weaknesses and limitations. In these bodies we suffer from constant temptation from our sinful desires. We get weaker and weaker and finally, in the end, we become dishonorable. We can not and must not live forever in these jars of clay!!

The spiritual body is fully equipped to dwell with Jesus forever in the Kingdom of God. Look at verses 42b-44 again. The spiritual body is not limited. It is imperishable, glorious, powerful, and, of course, spiritual. Our bodies will be changed into these resurrection bodies. I am very happy about this. I will not go to heaven with my pot belly that doesn’t seem to go away, nor with my tired muscles, vague anxieties and sinful heart. No way! All those in Christ will be given an imperishable, glorious, powerful resurrection body.
But how is this fantastic transformation possible? Look at verses 45-48, “45So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being]; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.” 46The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.” The reality is that we are born of the dust, born in the likeness of the earthly man. But at the resurrection we will bear the likeness of Christ. We can not change inner selves, no matter how much we try. Flesh gives birth to flesh and spirit gives birth to spirit. (Jn 3:6) You can exercise and take all the vitamins you want. On our own there is no way. But there is a way in Christ! Look at verse 45 again. We can and will be changed through the life giving spirit of Jesus. Praise God!
What will our resurrection bodies look like? Let’s read verse 49. “And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we[f] bear the likeness of the man from heaven.” To put it simply, our resurrection bodies will be like that of Jesus after his own resurrection. Jesus rose with a different body. He was not in the tortured body that he died in on the cross. He rose up through his burial clothes. (Jn 20:7) He passed through locks doors. (Jn 20:19) He ate with his disciples. He rose up into the air. (Acts 1:9). Jesus gave his three top disciples a glimpse of full glory while on the mount of transfiguration. “ 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” (Matt 17:2) John, in his Book Of Revelation, saw the glorious Jesus in a vision and wrote about him. “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man,"[a]dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance..” (Rev 1:12-16) This image of the resurrection Jesus, in his full glory, was so magnificent that John fell as though dead. The Bible says that when Jesus comes again, we shall be like him. (1 John 3:2) Just as we have born the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. (49) Will we recognize each other in heaven? You bet we will. Paul says that star differs from star in splendor. We will be unique as we are now. I will take one look at Julie and say, “Julie, Before I thought you were the most beautiful woman in the world, but wow! Look at you now!”
Part lll: Seek After The Glory Of The Resurrection
Our upcoming resurrection is glorious. Our resurrection bodies will be glorious! This is the glory that we should desire the most and seek the most while living in this world. The sad reality is that most people live for physical glory more than the glory of the resurrection. Physical glory is the glory of the flesh – the physical body. People waste their entire lives chasing physical glory, that actually eludes them. Spending their time seeking wordly glory is akin to polishing the seed that God has given them, never allowing it to fall to the ground and die. Such people are ignoring Jesus and heavenly glory for the perishing things of this world.
But Christians are different. Christians are those who seek after heavenly glory with their whole hearts! Heavenly glory is spiritual glory. True Christians know that their immortal souls can never be happy until it achieves heavenly glory. True Christians know that their physical bodies are only seeds compared to the heavenly body God has in store for them. For these reasons and more, they seek spiritual glory with all of their hearts.

In this life I have a tendency to live for physical glory. I enjoy it when people perceive me as a noble father. I enjoy it when I sing with the Kish-wau-keys Barbershop singers at local nursing homes. Hey! A person has to start somewhere. I enjoy the feelings I get when people respect me as a nurse. I enjoy being tall and relatively healthy. All of these things are earthly glory and they tempt me to ignore Jesus and seek after the recognition and praise of the world. Sometimes desire for this glory supersedes my desires for heavenly glory and my seeking after heavenly glory wanes. But I learn from this passage that I must repent and seek heavenly glory the most. It is hard at times, but I know that through the life giving spirit of Jesus and his gospel, Jesus has provided a way for me and all of us.

Part lV: Ultimate victory (50-58)

Paul tells of the ultimate victory we have in Jesus. Let’s read verses 51-52, "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" (51-52). Here, the trumpet sound signals the Second Coming of Jesus. At that time Jesus will come again as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus, “ himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” We will be changed and dwell with our beloved Lord Jesus forever. (1 Thess 4:16-17) The last day is a day of judgment for the enemies of God, but it is a day of salvation for all who are in Christ.

We suffer a lot because the elements of death, like fear, despair, sorrow and fatalism. These have a tenacious hold on us causing stinging pain. But on that great day, the power of death will be completely destroyed. When Jesus comes again the elements of death no longer have any hold. Look at verses 54-56. Let’s read those together, “54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."[c] 55"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"[d] 56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” More than that, death will be swallowed up in victory, completely defeated forever more. Knowing this caused Paul to shout, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” We all want the mantra of our lives to be victory shout. But only in Jesus, who destroyed the power of death, through his resurrection, can give us the victory that we all long for.
Knowing that we will be partakers of the resurrection, how must we live? Let’s read verse 58 together. "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." In this world, we can easily forget the gospel in our quest for lesser things. Our hearts are swayed by alluring philosophies of life. We are tempted and tried and have one foot in Jesus and one foot in the world. But know this fact…this world and its desires will all pass away! Only the word of the Lord remains forever. Only our resurrection bodies will live forever in the Kingdom of God. (1 Peter 1:3-4) Only the fruit of our labor in the Lord lasts forever. So let's pray that we may stand firm in our gospel faith and let nothing move us from seeking the glory of the resurrection. Let’s give our hearts all the more to the work of the Lord, because our labor in the Lord is never in vain. The Risen Christ will reward believers 100 times, whatever they do for him. (Mark 4:20) Someday we will be clothed in the imperishable, immortal image of the Risen Christ. We will receive the kingdom of heaven as our inheritance.

This Easter, may God help each of you to decide to seek after the glory of the resurrection as of first importance. May you taste the glory of the resurrection even now as you allow yourself to fall to ground, living for Jesus’ glory. And one glorious day…may you be enclothed in your brand new, resurrection body and meet Jesus and dwell with him forever more in the kingdom of God. May the mantra of your lives be a victory shout through your resurrection faith in Christ.

Let’s read our Key verse together, verse 49, ““And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.”

1 Corinthians 15:35-38 Easter Sunday Message

2010-04-11T11:41:00.000-07:00

What Am I Trying To Prevent?

2010-03-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

What am I trying to prevent? I am trying to prevent people from perishing in their sins, crime in my neighborhood, peoples' lost dreams and hopes for the future due to their sin, preventing a further drifting away from Jesus, Biblical illiteracy, people forgetting what it means to be truly a disciple of Jesus, people forgetting that our only true hope is in the kingdom of God, people from not knowing that Jesus is the way that they must follow, my own degeneration as a Christian, pollution by recycling, letting my yard grow wild and not putting chemicals on my lawn, my kids failure, my wife from feeling unloved, people from not reaching their full potential, preventable health problems.

How I Deal With Stress

2010-02-09T17:33:00.000-08:00

Pastors Blog Kevin Jesmer 2-3-10

There are a lot of people under a lot of stress these days. I once saw a picture of a little baby wearing shades with a caption saying, “I don’t do stress.” I wish it were as easy as just saying it, to overcome stress. I thought I would share with the world how I try to overcome stress. Maybe someone may benefit from it. There are three components to overcoming: physical, psychological and most importantly spiritual. I strongly feel that all three components are needed to have victory over stress.

First, physical. Physical means to overcome stress, for me, include walking my dog 3-4 times a week in a local park, enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. I go to a small, quiet, local gym to stretch and work out times a week. I try to eat healthy and when it is possible, get enough sleep. And how about plenty of water and a multivitamin?

Second, psychological. This has to do with our inner thought world. I try to have a positive mental attitude towards stress, for most of the battle is waged in our own minds. “Whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.” “No pain no gain.” We need to find a positive purpose for being in our stressful environment. There are ER nurses who really thrive in stressful environments. I am trying to embrace stresses knowing that I am getting stronger in my inner person to be a better pastor, shepherd, nurse, father and husband. We need to learn how to roll with the punches and to let things roll off of our backs. In other words don’t let things get to you. Deal with issues as they come and move on. Learn something from the moment and move ahead. Be willing to stand alone, if need be. We get stressed thinking that nobody is helping us and nobody cares. Well that may be true. Nobody may be helping and only a few people care. People expect us to keep the wheels greased and make things run smoothly or get lost. Accept this fact and stop expecting things from others and learn how to stand and fight. Be patient with yourself. This does not mean lowering the bar. It means be patient. A lot of our stresses have to do with wanting something to happen soon, but as with all things of quality in this world, it takes a lot of hard work, and time for quality outcomes. Lastly, surround yourself with friends that support you and encourage you and make you laugh sometimes. I thank God for friends at church, work, at the gym and especially for my family. All of these help me to overcome stress.
Third, spiritually. We get stressed out because there are things in our daily lives that seem overwhelming. They may be. But Christians have the Creator of the heavens and the earth on our side. We can pray to this God and he listens to us. 1 John 5 14-15 reads, “14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” We can lay all our burdens on God and he will deal with them for he is mighty and he cares. 1 Peter 5:6-7 reads, “6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” We can not trust the things of the world. There are only a few people we can trust. But they may be thousands of miles away. But we can always trust in God who is at our side 24/7. Psalm 31:14-15 reads, “But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." 15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.” Trusting God is hard to do, but those who can do this can be set free from tons of stress. We need to find out what God wants us to do and stick to it faithfully. Jesus gives a very warm invitation to those who are weary and burdened while living in this stress laden world. The invitation is found in Matthew 11:28-29, “ 28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Answering this invitation is a surefire way to overcome all that makes our souls weary and burdened. The yoke Jesus talks about is the yoke of mission. Jesus wants us to co-work with him in doing his mission in this world. Taking our minds off of our problems and focusing on what God wants us to do is a way to overcome stress. And to be certain the yoke of going it alone and dealing with stress in the ways that this world deals with it, is a heavier yoke than serving our Christian mission.
I hope this helps you to overcome stress in your life. Include all three components, physical, psychological and spiritual in your quest to overcome.

Why We Need Jesus And The Gospel To Keep Our Spiritual Resolutions

2010-01-11T17:50:00.001-08:00

Why We Need Jesus And The Gospel To Keep Our Spiritual Resolutions

1. We Need To Have Clear Direction “9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”( 2 Corinthians 5:6)

2. We Need To Have Faith In the Almighty Creator God. “He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matt 17:20)

3. We Need To Have God’s Hope. 2 "I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” (Gen 12:2)

4. We Need To Have God’s Forgiveness. “10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8:10)

5. We Need To Know Our Present Condition “25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.”(James 1:24)

6. We Need To Trust In God’s Faithfulness. ““"May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,”(Gen 48:15)

7. God Gives Us A Reason To Try To Make A Change. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

8. Jesus Provides An Environment For Us To Change “ 22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Tim 2:22)

9. Jesus helps us to Substitute worldly things for spiritual things.
10. Keep the focus on the goal. “2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

2009-09-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

Husbands….Love Your Wives

Colossians 3:19 reads, "Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them."

Pastor’s Blog Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 9-12-09

We talked a lot about Christian wives and how the husband is the head of the household. But what about Christian husbands? Colossians 3:19 reads, "Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them." Paul might have brought this up because Christian men, influenced by Roman custom, were not used to treating their wives with respect and love. But Christian men must be different than your typical “Ancient Roman” man. How should a man love his wife? “Love” here, does not mean physical love “eros”. Physical love is limited. Paul means “agape” love, which is God’s love for people. Think about Jesus’ love for us. A husband must love his wife as Christ loved the church. Listen to what Paul says in Ephesians 5:25-28, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” Jesus loved us unconditionally. Husbands need to reflect this love with their wives. Jesus’ love is also a love that takes the initiative. When there is a spat between a husband and a wife, someone has to take the initiative to restore the relationship. God is also evangelical in his love. With this in mind, we can determine to reveal Jesus to our wives. God’s love is unconditional and sacrificial. The best way is to have sincere concern for her spiritual life. Mostly Jesus gave up his life to save us. Husbands should commit their lives to loving their wives. If there is still confusion, then husbands should think about how much they love their own bodies. Then they will know how to love their wives.

The love of God is like heavenly sunshine. Love is like living water to a thirsty soul. A woman is like a beautiful flower that can blossom into fullness with heavenly sunshine. Just as men need a wife’s respect to grow as a man, a woman, with her husband’s love can blossom and grow. Then they continue to be more and more beautiful and spiritual. When children see and hear their parents loving and respecting each other, they can be very secure and happy. Indeed the best gift that a father can give their kids is to love their mother.

Paul tells Christian husbands not to be harsh with their wives in verse 3:19b. A husband should never be harsh. As we already established, women are like flowers. Men are rough and can easily crush flowers. Men try to protect their pride. They want respect. If a husband does not feel respected then some men react by being harsh. A man’s harsh treatment of his wife can come from a lack of understanding about humanity, thoughtlessness and selfishness. It could come from a lack of experience with the grace of God themselves. It could be a very bad habit. A husband should never be harsh. When a person is harsh it generally means that they are loosing their means of control. Harshness is a last desperate attempt to stay in control. There are other ways than to resort to harshness. What about praying for and serving each other instead? Ultimately, we need to realize our weaknesses and ask for God’s help. Then men will surely be husbands who can love our wives as Christ loved the church and God can be glorified.

2009-08-07T16:19:00.001-07:00

Let’s Get excited About The Mystery Of The Gospel

"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ." (Col 2:2)

Pastor’s blog: Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 8-7-09

Everyone loves a mystery. People are intrigued by mysteries. They want to solve a mystery before anyone. Thomas Jefferson’s friend and mathematician, Robert Patterson, encrypted a message over 200 years ago. People have been trying decode his text since then and finally someone has. It turns out that the mystery text is actually the Declaration Of Independence. Robert Patterson was a genius to make an encryption that would stymie our best minds for two hundred years.

But there is mystery that God has given, that could never be solved by even the most clever of people. It is mystery that no person could even have conceived, even if they were told. (Acts 13:41) It is mystery that must be revealed to us by God himself. And this mystery that was hidden from ancient times, has now been revealed. The mystery of God is Christ himself…Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col 1:27) In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. When Christ dwells in our hearts, we are encouraged in heart and united in love. The other part of the mystery is that God wants to save all people, even the Gentiles. When Gentiles accept the gospel, then they, too, are indwelt by Christ. They have the same hope to reign with Christ in the heavenly kingdom. You may think that this obvious. But to millions upon millions of people, these facts are still a mystery and many aspects of this mystery may be still mysterious to you. My question is, why are we so excited about discovering the meaning of small mysteries, and ignore understanding the greatest and most glorious and ancient mystery of all, the mystery of the gospel of Jesus?

"Fast Food" God

2009-08-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

The God Of The Bible Is Not A “Fast food” God

1 Samuel 7:2, “It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath
Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the
LORD….”
Pastors Blog Kevin Jesmer 7-17-09

Throughout the Bible God has revealed what he can do when a person, or a group of people live by faith for twenty years. From the Bible we can see that God sent Isaac to Abraham and Sarah after 25 years of living by faith in God’s promise. In 1 Samuel 7 we see that Israel was changed when Samuel faithfully taught the Bible and prayed for 20 years. Moses spent 40 years being trained in the desert before he was ready to return to Egypt to lead his people to the Promised Land. In this country we are used to fast food. We have a change of President every four years. We change our career path by getting a four year bachelor’s degree. We expect change in at least four years. We think that if a small house church doesn’t outgrow itself and have to move into new facilities in 4 years then it is being unfruitful and God is not blessing it. But this is not so. The God of the Bible is a God who works over 20 year periods of time (or even more) to bring about his good purpose.

This celebration was especially significant for another reason. It was held in a conference room in the heart of Triton College, on the Fourth of July weekend, at that. Triton College actually opened its doors to us. Literally, for 16 years they could not penetrate the culture of Triton College. But lately, the Triton Bible Club, has become an integral part of the Triton College Community. They were voted “Outstanding Student Group” for one year. Last year, Pastor Teddy was invited to be a prayer servant during the NIU Shooting memorial. Some Bible club members are studying the Bible at Triton UBF church. Indeed, God is raising Triton UBF to be a ministry for Triton students. This has all come about after twenty years of faithful Bible study and prayer. May we repent of our impatience and our “fast food” mentality when it comes to doing the work of God. May we wait in God’s time and let God work according to his plan. All we need to do is pray and be faithful to our mission.

Spiritual Lessons from Jogging

2009-04-19T08:26:00.001-07:00

Spiritual Lessons I Learned From Attempts To Jog

Hebrews 12:2, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Pastor’s Blog: Kevin Jesmer 3-28-09

It has been my dream to be able to jog two miles with joy and relative ease. But I have not got there yet. I do a lot of power walking. But recently I tried to incorporate a short jog at the end of my power walk, about 1/3 of a mile. Through this experience I learned something spiritual about perseverance. At the beginning of my attempt to run I had a goal in my mind, my house. That was my long term goal. I found that I could only keep running if I kept my eyes focused 10 feet in front of me. As soon as I lifted my eyes to try to see my home I lost all power, thinking I will never make it. I had the goal in my mind, but when I stopped looking at the small tasks before me, I could not go on.

In some ways this helps me to understand spiritual life. Our spiritual life is likened to a race. Paul writes, in Hebrews 12”1-3, “ 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” The ultimate goal of our Christian lives is to know Jesus, enjoy Jesus, become more like him, have a right relationship with Jesus and be with him forever in the Kingdom of Heaven. And so we fix or eyes on Jesus. This is like me having a goal to run to my house. But we have smaller goals in our day to day walk with Christ. These have to do with our daily mission. These tasks can be overwhelming. We can easily despair and give up when facing all we need to do. We need to take these one step at a time, knocking them out one at a time, through faith, hope, prayer and obedience. We need to tackle each of them with the larger goal in mind, Christ. That is like running with your eyes 10 feet in front of you, keeping in mind that the final destination is home. “Inch by inch anything is a cinch.” This makes me thankful for my Christian faith. Without Jesus I would not know the ultimate goal of all I do. My day to day life would be overcoming task after task without a ultimate destination in my mind. This would be maddening to me. It would make me despair of life. I could never persevere and keep running the race of life. It is truly a gift from God, and a source of strength, to have Jesus as our ultimate goal in our spiritual race. May you fix your eyes on Jesus and tackle each smaller task with faith, hope, prayer and obedience as you run you race of life with perseverance.

Focus Your Eyes On Jesus When Faced With Tragedy

2009-03-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

Key verse: Hebrews 12:2 Pastors blog Kevin Jesmer 2/16/09

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We know a God who works all things out according to his good purpose. History does show that good does triumph over evil. So, the question remains, how can we interpret the good purposes of God in a heinous event? I liken our attempt to see the good in a senseless act to trying to see the 3-D images in a stereogram algorithm. Have you ever seen these pictures? At first, the picture appears to be a mess of blurred lines and a pile of images that don’t seem to make sense at all. They are chaotic and seem to have no meaning. It looks like a complicated mess actually. But hidden within these images are 3 –D images. I asked one lady at work if she ever saw one of these pictures. She said that she only saw it once. When I first saw these things I lied that I could see it. I said, “Oh yeah, I see it. Wow!” But really I could not. Everyone said, “You’re lying.” And I was. The technique to see the 3-D images is really an art. In order to see these images you need to first believe there is something there and then focus your eyes beyond the images themselves. They appear a little blurred and you look cross eyed, but you need to keep your eyes focus in that virtual spot and draw closer and closer to the image. Then, after many attempts, suddenly you are amaze to see a 3-D picture that you never imagined could be there. It slowly immerges out of the blurred lines and images and the chaotic patterns. If it is your first time, you are amazed. You exclaim, “I see it! I see it!” and nobody thinks you are lying. You can’t believe that it was there all the time, right under your nose. You invite others to see it, but many can not see it. And so it can be a very personal experience. Once you see it, it is like riding a bicycle, you know what to do….focus, draw near, keep focusing and voila! There it is! …even with a totally different picture. It becomes easier and easier.

And so it is with finding the meaning and the good in senseless tragedies. Events in this world seem chaotic and senseless. But we have to believe that there is some good there to be found and seek it out. Romans 8:28 reads, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” It is basic Christian faith to believe the God works for the good of those who love him…in all things. “All things” means, “All things.” ….the good and the bad and even the terribly ugly. There is something good that does come out of tragic events. Think about the senseless evil acts perpetrated against Jesus himself. All he tried to do was preach about the kingdom of heaven, raise disciples and draw people to himself and to his kingdom through his sacrificial love. The devil hated Jesus. Evil men tried to persecute Jesus. Eventually the devil used evil men to inflict unimaginable suffering on Jesus. He was mocked flogged and crucified. How horrific! What good can be seen in this? But there was! Through Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection eternal salvation was procured for all who put their faith in Jesus. There is good to be sought out and discovered in all things.

We need to make an effort to see beyond the events, beyond the chaos, and focus on Jesus Christ. Hebrews 12:2 reads, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” We need to keep our focus on Jesus and draw closer to him, never breaking our focus. If we don’t give up, then eventually we will see something in the events that we never thought were there before. What we see is very personal. Some may not see it or understand it. You may not fully understand it yourself. But God eventually opens our hearts to understand why and find meaning and direction in the midst of chaos. Not only that, we can train ourselves to see the good in future tragedies that we all are surely going to face in our lives. These are unavoidable. There are good things that come out of tragedies. Can you see them? Believe that they are there; make an effort to seek them out by focusing on Jesus; then God will open the eyes of your heart to see that, in Christ, God’s good does indeed conquer evil.

Never Take Hope for Granted

2009-02-09T16:51:00.001-08:00

Never Take Hope For Granted

Psalm 31:24 “Be strong and take heart, all who hope in the Lord.”

Pastor’s blog; Kevin Jesmer 2-2-09

One of the verses of the Canadian national anthem has the following words nestled within it…“Thou land of hope for all who toil! Thou True North strong and free!” The USA is also a land of hope for all who toil. I amazed about how much hope we have in our nations. It has come to light when I think about how little hope people have in other nations. In 2007 I went to Kenya and attended a Bible conference in Nairobi. There were 350 people from 11 English speaking African countries. I heard life testimonies from several students. They shared about their struggles in life and how Jesus Christ was their Savior. I was amazed about the hopeless situations some of them were in. Several shared about parents and siblings who died of disease. They talked of war and poverty. They were without hope. But when they came to saving faith in Jesus, their hearts were full of hope and with that, joy.

In Canada and the USA most of us live in hope. Even when apart from Christ, I lived my life confident that I would live to 90, go to university, own a house, get married, out live my parents and not outlive my children. I would be able to enjoy things like traveling and visiting friends and relatives freely, all my life. I even had hope that my future kids would all have these hopes fulfilled in their lives. Even when I was not a Christian, I even had some hope that I was going to go to somewhere nice and pleasing after I died. (Though I was not quite sure where.) Since coming to Jesus I still have all these hopes and more. My hopes are more clearly defined. I have hope that I will bear meaningful fruit with my life. I have hope that I can leave a mark on this generation. I have hope that I will be going to heaven to be with Jesus. I have hope for my nation to a “Kingdom of Priests and Holy Nation” a Christian “light” to the world. My hopes are the same for my kids.

How can my life in America be so filled with hope and those of other nations be filled with so much despair? I thank God for the wisdom of our Founding Fathers who laid the foundation from which our society has grown. Much of their wisdom was born out of the Bible and Christian faith. I thank God, that the USA and Canada are the lands of hope for all who toil. We must never take it for granted, but enjoy it, gain strength from it and be thankful to the God who made it all possible. Let’s perpetuate it for future generations, by living for God’s glory and sharing God’s hope with others.