So Now What?

Recently I had a time with my students where I posed the question, “So now what?” Easter has passed, as far as the calendar is concerned. It was a day that was well attended at my church in all three services. Wednesday before Easter we gave families the opportunity to watch The Passion on the “Big Screen.” Some of my students opted out. Instead we offered them a chance to walk through various prayer stations depicting the torture that Jesus suffered on the cross. The week before this we had a time of communion during our mid-week gathering. Two weeks solid of discovering all that Christ went through for us.

So now what?

And then I did some reading on my own. In the Bible we read of two followers of Jesus traveling down a road that led to Emmaus. Now I do not know where Emmaus is located. The road they were traveling must have been a dirty dusty road. I just returned from Sonora, Mexico and I imagined that the dirt roads we traveled through in this farming community were probably much like this road to Emmaus.

But from the story I see that these two travelers are upset. Their lives have been turned upside down. The conversation between these two travelers revolved around the series of events that led to the death of Jesus on the cross, when they are suddenly joined by another traveler.

The two travelers do not recognize the man joining them but they welcome him into the conversation. They inform the stranger of all that had happened to their teacher. They had expected Jesus to be their leader. They had expected Jesus to start a revolution. But they had seen Jesus dead.

So now what?

It appears to me that these travelers were filled with doubt. They doubted the women that had seen first the empty tomb and later were visited by Jesus himself. The only thing they knew for sure was that Jesus had died and now his body was missing.

And now this stranger proceeds to educate these two travelers about all the things that Jesus had done. Jesus had fulfilled all the prophecies. I can imagine this stranger starting in Genesis and working through all the prophets, major and minor, and showing the prophecies concerning Jesus and how Jesus fulfilled them.

So now what?

Finally the two travelers reach their destination. I do not know if they went as far as Emmaus or if they stopped before Emmaus. Hospitality is a lost gift. These two show remarkable hospitality to the stranger and ask him to stay the night and eat with them. Sometime before or during the meal this stranger took the bread and gave thanks to God for it. Immediately they recognized the stranger, it was Jesus! As suddenly as he appeared on the road he was now gone

So now what?

What does it take for us to remember Jesus?

Seeking Truth

The other night I gace a lesson to the middle school group about truth and the ways we make choices, either good choices or bad choices. Now I am far from perfect and make bad choices even today. Wow, what a confession by a youth pastor. But if I didn't confess it, then I would be lying.

How do we justify what someone does even when we know it may be morally wrong? Where does the Bible play into all this? Why am I tolerant to this?

We read from Genesis 3 concerning Adam and Eve's fall.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, `You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"

The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, `You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "

"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"

He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."

And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"

The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."

Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."


What truth did Adam and Eve learn from God?

What truth did Adam and Eve learn from the serpent?

Did Adam and Eve just show tolerance to the serpent and his interptation of this truth.

It was concluded that Adam and Eve lost their innocence by eating from the tree. If you think about it, what is the opposite of innocence? Guilt. We are guilty of sin by not honoring the truth that God has given to us.

Thankfully we have an advocate, a lawyer perhaps, to help clear us of our sin. Jesus Christ came to free us from the guilt of our sin and to make us innocent again.

So again, where do you find truth?

Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

I have a middle school student living in Cambodia with her parents as missionaries. The tsunami has the people in Cambodia fairly shook up. She is shook up herself, so is her family. The other day I received an email from her asking for my help with a question that some people that she has contact with have been asking her and her missionary parents:


"If God is so great, why does he allow so much devastation? Just this week some friends of ours told us they meet a man who started to give them a lecture all about how if God was so good how come he allowed thousands of children to die in a tsunami? My mom and dad say that everything leads back to sin, but my mom was having second thoughts.

We are having a hard time seeing how sin had anything to do with a tsunami. I mean, it wasn’t really anyone’s fault that the earth moved. My question is this: If someone asked you asked you the “how could God do this” question, what is the correct response? What could you say to make the other person understand? What would you say? My parents said this was a very good question."


"Why do bad things happen to good people?"


I gave some great scriptures that she could use to support why these things happen and what will happen in the future. But you know it didn't seem to answer her question completely. What do I say to someone that does not know Jesus? Are my Bible verses enough?


Well tomorrow I get the opportunity to ask this question to a bunch of high school students on their campus during their Christian Club. I will post their answers and the questions that arise from the discussion. I pray that it will lively and thought provoking. My hope is that the "right" Christian answers would not be given. Rather they will look deeper for their answers.

Auld Lang Syne

Remembering Friends

The most commonly sung song for English-speakers on New Year's Eve, "Auld Lang Syne" is an old Scottish song that was first published by the poet Robert Burns in the 1796 edition of the book, Scots Musical Museum. Burns transcribed it (and made some refinements to the lyrics) after he heard it sung by an old man from the Ayrshire area of Scotland, Burns's homeland.

It is often remarked that "Auld Lang Syne" is one of the most popular songs that nobody knows the lyrics to. "Auld Lang Syne" literally translates as "old long since" and means "times gone by." The song asks whether old friends and times will be forgotten and promises to remember people of the past with fondness, "For auld lang syne, we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet."

The lesser known verses continue this theme, lamenting how friends who once used to "run about the braes,/ And pou'd the gowans fine" (run about the hills and pulled up the daisies) and "paidl'd in the burn/Frae morning sun till dine" (paddled in the stream from morning to dusk) have become divided by time and distance—"seas between us braid hae roar'd" (broad seas have roared between us). Yet there is always time for old friends to get together—if not in person then in memory—and "tak a right guid-willie waught" (a good-will drink).

I received the information above from a Greek Orthodox Yahoo group. It is true that I have heard the song and tried to hum my way through it every new year but I had no clue what the words were or the significance of those words. I remember playing in my high school jazz band on New Year’s Eve this song to a bunch of drunk adults.



At the end of the classic movie It’s a Wonderful Life, Clarence the Angel leaves George Bailey a copy of Mark Twain’s adventure story, Tom Sawyer. Surrounded by scores of friends singing in celebration of Christmas, George smilingly opens the front cover, and we see what Clarence has wisely written: “Remember, no man is a failure who has friends.”

Recently I gave a message on the importance of being a friend. The first trait of friendship that I focused on was dependability.


In 1 Samuel 18:1-4 we read that after David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father's house. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.

This covenant agreement made between David and Jonathan is like a pinkie swear but more. This pinkie swear goes beyond a promise, this covenant becomes an exchange of identity. They are now both equals.

We read that Jonathan gave David his robe, this is what identified Jonathan as prince, the heir to the throne of Saul. This identity was now given to David by Jonathan.

Next we read that Jonathan gives David his sword, his bow and his belt. All of this represents Jonathan’s strength in battle. Also this represents an alliance against each others enemies. They will now always be on the same side in battle. Jonathan’s enemies are now David’s enemies; David’s enemies are Jonathan’s enemies.

In 2 Samuel David gets an opportunity to honor this covenant. Jonathan has died in battle and leaves behind a crippled son. David brings this young man into his own home, adopts him as his own and cares for him.

Now most of us will not have the opportunity to stand up against our friend’s enemies the way David did for Jonathan. But we get opportunities to demonstrate dependability to our friends. Some thoughts on what dependability means to me:

Dependability is trust

Dependability is honesty

Dependability is being reliable

Dependability is keeping a promise

Dependability is integrity



I wonder sometimes how dependable am I?


As I start the new year I hope that nothing divides me from those that are my friends. I pray that I never forget those that have been there for me. That I will take from the cup of kindness and remember them with fondness!

May God Bless You with Contentment

1 Timothy 6:6-10 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. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.


How often I have strived with all my heart to me successful. I went to school, during my undergrad years, trying to learn all I could to be an effective supervisor. I wanted to be the best in all I did. I wanted to get others to do what was necessary to accomplish our goals. I wanted to be the best supervisor I could be. My ultimate goal was to be successful and well paid.


You know I was fairly successful, and well paid, but something was missing. I had a great house and always had great cars. My daughters went to an outstanding Christian school. We never were without. Trouble was we were always wanting. I do not think we were ever in a position of truly being needy though, except in one area.


I do not think we were ever content. Being content means that I am satisfied with what I have. Being content means that pleased and happy with my life. Being content means that I am in comfort. I lived so far away from being content.


This past year I took a new job. I left the business world. I left the well paying job and became a youth pastor. The hours are just as long if not longer. I still have deadlines and goals to meet. I still try to be the best, but it is for a greater purpose than for my self. I think I am learning more everyday about being content.


I don’t own that great home anymore; rather I rent from my in-laws. I have two nice cars. One daughter is in a nice community college and the other is finishing her year at a good public high school. Not the luxurious life I imagined I was going to live. But it doesn’t bug me; I am learning to be content.


God tells us to be content and that He will supply our needs, not our wants. As we approach Christmas I am learning to be happy, to be content. May God bless you with the gift of contentment.


Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."


Matthew 6:25-31 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?'