Monday, December 31, 2012

Behold your God!


When we lived in Palm Springs, California [eight years], and in Salem, Oregon [also eight years] we would stay up on New Year's Eve just long enough to watch the ball drop in New York City's "Times Square" and then retire for the night. Of course, at each location we were on Pacific Standard Time, which meant that we saw the annual event at 9:00 p.m our time on the West Coast.

Now that we reside in Nebraska - well, we will somehow have to make it to 11:00 p.m.[at the least] to watch the new year ushered in by those living on the east coast. Frankly, it has been a "long day" today, and  I am not sure we will even be able to stay awake until 9 p.m. tonight. However, when we awaken bright and early tomorrow morning we will celebrate the first day of the year A.D. 2013.

What will the New Year bring? [I am not a prophet, nor the son of one]. My best answer to that question? Only God knows. Just a minute or two ago I saw a headline on the internet that said, "It’s Official: U.S. Will Go Over Fiscal Cliff At Midnight." Well, now, if that does indeed happen, I think I can safely say that there are probably many of us who may experience dreadful financial setbacks during the coming year. But even if there is some kind of last minute compromise, the fact of the matter is that in 2013 life will indeed be very difficult for many individuals in the USA - along with countless others living in impoverished places all around the world.

Yesterday, at New Hope Bible Church, we focused our attention on the uplifting message of the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 40. One of the things we learned is that what people really need in order to cope with the difficulties of life [such as financial or physical hardship] is NOT to focus INWARD to try to gain a higher understanding of SELF. Rather, people need to turn their attention UPWARD in order to gain a deeper understanding of GOD! That is the message of the prophet Isaiah - to "behold" our incomparable God! Indeed, that is the over-arching theme of Isaiah 40, which I liken to a majestic symphony of praise [in three "movements"]. There is one specific question that keeps sounding off in this symphony: "Who is like God?" Isaiah's reply? NO ONE. There is no one like God. In the first movement [vs. 12-17], God is presented as the Strong Creator. In the second movement [vs. 18-24], God is presented as the Sovereign Ruler. And in the third and final movement [vs. 19-31], He is presented as the Supreme Pastor. And, as such, He is not only the One Who is THERE, but He is also HERE. And He is here for those for whom life is hard, and who live with constant hurt. He is here for the unwed mother, and the unemployed father. He is here for the hurting parent and the failing student. He is here for the wearied worker and the discouraged pastor. He is the God Who is here!

Yesterday I challenged the congregation of New Hope Bible Church, that as we come to the close of one year and the beginning of another, we need to take a good, long, steady, therapeutic look at the God of the Word in the Word of God! You can hear the message in its entirety online at the following web address -http://sermon.net/PastorJoeLombardi .

Right now it is just minutes before 9:00 p.m., Central Standard Time. I don't think I am going to make it to 11:00 p.m. Certainly not to midnight. So, I better say "good night" right now. God willing, I'll be back to my blog next year! And, however difficult 2013 may prove to be, I am asking the Lord to give me the strength and grace to be able to "run with endurance the race that is set before [me], looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of [our] faith!" I challenge you to do the same. It would be a good resolution for the coming year.

Of course, as you so run, I will also be rooting for you!

That's all for tonight. Happy New Year, dear reader.

His grace STILL amazes me!

Joe Lombardi
December 31, 2012

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

My Christmas Holiday Activity: Reflecting on the Nativity . . .


It is Christmas day – December 25, 2012. I woke up very early this morning . . . about four a.m.  It is nothing unusual. I am an early riser – always have been. Today my mind was filled with thoughts of the Nativity. As I laid in bed, I tried to imagine what it really must have been like for Joseph and Mary.

In so doing, I could not help but think what the arrival of our first child was like for us on February 10, 1984. Win and I were living in the Midwest – in “Chicagoland” – where it can be bitterly cold during the winter months. [I mean, we are talking wind chills of -50 degrees Fahrenheit, and even lower].  That morning I was awakened about 1:00 a.m. by my sweetheart, who informed me that contractions were occurring at regular intervals, and that we needed to think about when to head for the hospital on that bone-chilling cold winter morning. As I recall, we arrived at the hospital about 5:00 a.m., and Win was immediately whisked away into a labor room, where I showed up minutes later with a mask on my face, a gown around my body, and slippers on my feet - and, of course, with my “daddy bag” in hand. That brown paper parcel had been “on call” in the fridge for at least a week, packed with a sandwich, cookies, a beverage and my favorite candy bar. I had been seriously warned in Lamaze class that my job as Win’s “coach” throughout labor was crucial. I was advised that because I would essentially be doing all of the hard work during this stage of child birth, I needed to be sure that I was both well-nourished and well-hydrated. [I don’t think Win exactly remembers it that way, but, hey, she was preoccupied with keeping track of the severity of the contractions and the length of time between each one. I had all I could do just trying to help her keep breathing properly]. About six hours later, our firstborn finally made his appearance, all dressed up in his birthday suit, loosely-wrapped in a blanket, and ready to party. And, he certainly was the main attraction and life of the party – constantly calling [screaming?] for everybody else’s attention. The nurses “oohed” and “aahed” over him, remarking what a beautiful little boy he was. The first time I saw his face, however, I realized that he wasn’t exactly a “Gerber” baby. He had what appeared to be more “acne” all over his face than I ever had throughout my entire adolescent years. But, he was my son. He was finally here. And I was exhausted. I kissed my wife and my boy, and excused myself. I needed to go home and sleep for the next three days.

So, I am wondering, what must it have been like for Joseph and Mary . . . and the baby? They had just made a seventy-eighty mile trip from Nazareth in the Galilee to Bethlehem of Judea with a very pregnant Mary perched on the back of a donkey for the entire journey. Realistically, their trek probably took up to a week. To make matters worse, there weren’t any hotels, motels, and/or B & B’s in town that could accommodate the travel-weary couple. Not to mention that there also wasn’t any reputable medical facility, with brightly waxed [or carpeted] hallways, and beautiful birthing rooms with the latest technology and medical instruments to ensure a safe delivery. Nor would there be a steady flow of nurses and other medical personnel to assist the delivery doctor. [Was there even a mid-wife present?]. Nothing was sanitized or sterilized. No, Jesus was born in a stable with squeaking, squawking, smelly animals. Perhaps the innkeeper and his wife brought a basin of warm water and a towel or two and assisted in the birth. Once Jesus arrived, there wasn’t any beautiful bassinette in which the infant could be placed to rest. Instead, there was a straw-filled feeding trough. If that wasn’t enough, suddenly the stable was crowded by a handful of shepherds who surprised the exhausted couple by showing up to celebrate the birth of a “Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” [Despite the way the story is depicted in many of our Christmas pageants today, the “wise men” did not arrive to pay homage to the Christ child until perhaps as much as two years later, when Joseph and Mary and their toddler were living in a house in town. See Matthew 2:11].

But, the question that burns in me today is, what must this have meant for the One theologians sometimes refer to as the “second member of the Trinity” to suddenly find Himself  “away in a manger, no crib for a bed?” As I rethink the idea of a cave or backyard barn serving as the birthing room for the very Son of God, I cannot help but cry out, “What condescension! What humiliation! Why?”  Perhaps the Apostle Paul helps us understand the reason for it all in his brief letter to the Philippian congregation, where he writes,

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. [Philippians 2:5-8, Message]

This passage speaks so eloquently of the humility and selflessness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only for Him to take on humanity, but also to assume the status of a slave is unthinkable. Yet this humiliation was part of a bigger eternal plan to offer redemption and reconciliation to man. In the execution of this Divine plan, Jesus would eventually and incredibly have to experience betrayal, trial[s], denial, desertion – all leading to his execution by the cruelest of means imaginable: crucifixion. How “spot on” William Rees was when he penned these words in 1876:    
                                                                                                                                                                                      
Here is love, vast as the ocean,
Lovingkindness as the flood,
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom,
Shed for us His precious blood.
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten,
Throughout Heav’n’s eternal days.

Thankfully, the paragraph we quoted from in Philippians 2 does not end with verse 8. Depending on the translation, the next verse begins with the word “therefore,” or “because”…

Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father. [Philippians 2:9-11, Message].

*  *  *

It is now early afternoon on Christmas day, 2012. It is still bitter cold outdoors [11 degrees], but the sky is clear and the bright rays of sunshine are causing what is left of last week’s foot of snow to glisten ever so brightly. I am still pondering the Nativity story. The past few minutes I have been praying, asking the Lord to impress upon me what He wants me to take away from these hours of meditation. He redirected my thoughts to the verse that introduces the wonderful theological section of Philippians 2. “Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of Himself” [Philippians 2:5, Message].  Or, in the words of my translation of choice these days, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” [Philippians 2:5, NKJV]. In other words, His Words call me to think and then to act like Christ. [Of course, right thinking leads to right doing]. Integrity, dignity, humility and charity in what I believe will eventually and inevitably result in a selflessness and other-centeredness in the way I behave. Just like Jesus . . .

Today I have determined that I need to be, and I want to be . . . more like Christ!

Merry Christmas, world!

Monday, December 17, 2012

From a Sigh to a Song!

It has been called "the most wonderful time of the year." But that is not true for everyone. For some people the Christmas holiday season is the loneliest time of the year - even the most miserable time of the year. In fact, people [at least, Americans] struggle more with depression and are more likely to commit suicide during the month of December than any other month of the year.  One writer, the editor of a website called "ManageYourLifeNow.Com" suggests the following causes of stress and depression during the Christmas holiday season:

1. The absence of a beloved person
2. Family misunderstandings
3. Economic difficulties
4. Physical weariness
5. Loneliness
6. Seasonal emotional disturbance [the SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder - Syndrome]

The truth is . . . life IS difficult. In spite of all of the invites in Christmas carols to "sing," many people do a whole lot more sighing than singing during this time of the year.

Yes, life is difficult - but, I truly believe that God is adequate. Today there are a lot of "counselors" trying to convince people to look "inward" - to attain a higher level of self-understanding. With all due respect, I am convinced that what people need to do is to look "upward" - to attain a deeper level of God undertanding.

In my sermon yesterday [12/16/2012], which was based on an exposition of Psalm 13, I tried to explain to my precious congregation how David, the shepherd, singer and song-writer of Israel, was able to make the transition "From a Sigh to a Song." You can hear it at http://sermon.net/PastorJoeLombardi.

Oh, one more thing . . . Anyone who has believed in Jesus for everlasting life has the following to look forward to: "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" [Revelation 21:4]. You see, one day there will be no more dying, crying, or even sighing [except, perhaps, one huge, collective "sigh of relief!"]. And there will be a lot of singing! But, wait! It gets even better! In the words of John Newton, the former slave-trader who believed in Jesus, and subsequently wrote about his conversion and growth in Christ in an amazing song called "Amazing Grace:"

When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing His praise,
Then when we've first begun!

Wow! I would say that calls for some shouting: "Hallelujah!"

Friday, December 14, 2012

My Prayer for Today

A deadly tragedy occurred in Newtown, Connecticut today. Its population of 27,560 [2010] was viciously reduced by more than two dozen this morning, when a 20-year-old man entered the Sandy Hook Elementary School at 9:40 a.m. carrying two guns, and went on a wild shooting rampage. At last count twenty five-year-old students in the kindergarten class were brutally gunned down by Adam Lanza, a son of their teacher, Nancy Lanza, who was also murdered by her boy before he took his own life.

Everybody seemed to be talking about the massacre on Facebook. Many were calling others to prayer. I decided to get on my knees and pray. You may join me if you like . . .

Abba [Father],
Please draw the families and friends of these precious ones who lost their lives today close to You. Lift these grief-stricken ones by Your righteous right arm and draw them tightly to Your breast. May they find comfort in Your glorious strength and in the warmth of Your embrace. May they experience the compassion of Your beloved Son, the greatest burden-bearer and care-giver this world has ever known. During this Christmas season, may we never forget that the Christ child who was born in Bethlehem also walked the road to Calvary. You saw Him die . . . so that we could live, eternally with You.

Lord, along with these grieving families the rest of us all need Your comfort and consolation, Your help and hope, and Your peace, perspective and power for such a time as this. For these things we earnestly ask, seek and knock in the strong Name of Yeshua [Jesus], Your Son the Messiah, and our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Pray for your Pastor[s]!

Not too long ago I picked up a copy of Chuck Swindoll's book, The Church Awakening. It was hard to put it down. I love just about everything Chuck Swindoll writes, but as a pastor, I especially appreciated the following excerpt from chapter two, titled "Challenges, Struggles, Solutions, Priorities:"

"One of my favorite comic strips was The Far Side by Gary Larson. (Why do good cartoonists ever have to  retire?) One particular strip I love shows two dear standing in a forest. One of these bucks has a big, bold bulls-eye across his side. near his shoulder. The other buck stares at the target while giving a great one-liner: 'Bummer of a birthmark, Hal.'

"Let me pause for a moment and remind you that any pastor who is doing the hard work of communicating the truth - and also living it - lives with a big, bold bulls-eye on his chest. Every courageous pastor who speaks the truth is under the gun. He is in the direct line of fire from the adversary, who would like nothing more than to ruin his reputation or, preferably, take him out. Don't think that because he preaches with the confidence of Peter and John that he doesn't need your prayer support. Pray for your pastor! He needs it more than you can imagine. I urge you also to let him know of your commitment to pray for him. The encouragement he will receive through your words will be surpassed only by the strength God will give him through your prayers. Once again, pray for your pastor."

Yesterday, God graced me with the honor and opportunity to preach my second sermon as the Pastor of New Hope Bible Church in Wahoo, Nebraska. For many years now I have often returned to the Old Testament Book of Exodus to ponder a story that took place in the life of Moses, that great spiritual leader of God's chosen people, when, in essence, he came perilously close to crying out "I can't hold on any longer!" That was when his associates, Aaron and Hur, came alongside him, supported him, and enabled him to press on. Every pastor needs to be surrounded and supported by men like them. I challenged each individual member of New Hope Bible Church to be that kind of church member in a message titled "How to Hold On Longer," based on my exposition of Exodus 17:8-16.  Here is the link if you would like to listen to it online, and/or share it with others! [http://sermon.net/PastorJoeLombardi]

Many years ago I came across another quote on prayer that I have often wanted to use, but I have never discovered its source. But is just too good not to use over and over again. So, with apologies to the author, and with some hope that some reader will be able to inform me of the source, I will share it with you now.

"We should pray for those who preach - for the ministers and the evangelists. It is hard to be a preacher. In the first place, there is a great responsibility involved in preaching the Gospel, in rightly dividing the Word. In the next place, the preacher is exposed to unusually many and great temptations. In particular, he is tempted along two lines - either to conceit or to discouragement, depending upon how well he succeeds or how badly he fails in his work as a preacher. If you hear preachers who appear to you to have become conceited, pray God earnestly that they may become so humble and poor in spirit again, that they can feed the flock of God. On the other hand, if you hear a preacher who is getting discouraged, ask God to give him new courage.

"In general, pray a great deal especially for the lesser preachers"  [that would be me, Joe Lombardi] "that they may not feel that they are superfluous. Pray for the power of God upon them. You will then find that they will bring you a fresh message from heaven, even though they are not highly gifted and do not have a particularly striking way of presenting their message. Brethren, will you pray?"

I second the appeal: Brethren, will you pray?

Here is the link to my sermon, "How to Hold On Longer" - an exposition of Exodus 17:8-16. http://sermon.net/PastorJoeLombardi

STILL amazed by His grace,

Pastor Joe Lombardi - the "Lesser" [and possibly even the Least]
10 December 2012


Wednesday, December 5, 2012


Dear Blogspot "Family" and "Friends" around the world:

A few of you [but too many for me to remember specifically], have asked whether or not my sermons at New Hope Bible Church will be online. The answer is affirmative. Sunday morning [December 2] I preached at New Hope Bible Church for the first time as their new pastor. That message is now online. It is posted on a simple page with a sermon "player." The sermons will be listed on the right side of the player by title, name of speaker, and date [with the most recent one on the top]. We will be including messages by guest speakers as well. The actual "player" is on the left side. Simply select your choice of sermon on the right side, click on the big arrow in the left pane, and the recording should start. We only have two sermons up right now - pulpit guest Rich Hume's from the Sunday following Thanksgiving, and mine from this past Sunday. Hopefully, we will eventually embed the sermon player into our own church website as soon as we are able to update it.

Here is the URL: http://sermon.net/PastorJoeLombardi (if you have a problem with this link, please let me know).

Enjoy. We are hoping that as members share the website with family, friends, neighbors, etc - the number of listeners will grow by "word of mouth" - as the Lord desires to bless. My prayer is that the people of God will be edified and the Son of God be glorified as individuals listen to these messages. I desire to be used of God in the careful and faithful exposition of His Word and to present the Gospel of God's grace with accuracy and clarity so that others will believe in Jesus for everlasting life.

Thanks for your interest. Love you all and asking God to bless you all.

STILL amazed by His grace,

Joe