Navigating Life's Detours

Ever since our honeymoon [37 years ago June 23, 2016], my bride and I have loved road-trips – our honeymoon being the first of many over a span of nearly four decades. I planned that initial one down to its minutest detail – including where the newlywed’s “getaway car” would secretly be parked after the reception, and then how far our final destination would be that first night and how long it would take us to get there. 

I have mapped out a few dozen more “road-trips” since then. We just happen to enjoy traveling by car [including rental cars]. However . . .  I hate detours.  I hate them because I carefully and meticulously plan every trip right down to the miles traveled and the minutes [hours and days] transpired. For that reason, I do get a bit frustrated and even agitated when I approach an intersection that is blocked off with a detour sign pointing in a different and usually unfamiliar direction. 

Recently I came across a fascinating piece that was posted on the ChurchLeaders.com website. It was authored by a freelance writer named Vaneetha Rendall. The title of the article is “When the Detour Becomes Your New Road.” For this author, the weakness and pain she experiences because of polio is the detour that became her “new road.” As I read the piece, I could not help but think I may be traveling down a detour that is becoming my “new road,” too. 

But, first, I should probably briefly tell you about the “old road.”  I guess I turned down that street some forty-five years ago. That was when I wrote my first personal “mission statement” – before it actually became a “fad” in our culture to have a mission statement. Interestingly, my personal mission statement has really not changed at all since then. I expressed it something like this: “My mission is to search every nook and cranny of my being in order to discover, develop and deploy all that God has entrusted to me with respect to natural talents and spiritual gifts, so that I might live in such a way as to glorify Him.” As I mused upon my life mission during those early years of teaching at Southfield Christian School [MI] and Aurora Christian School [IL], in 1980 I arrived at the conclusion that I was being called to serve the Lord in full-time church ministry. That decision came as a surprise to my best friend and wife [as of June 23, 1979], who eventually realized that as my partner she was about to continue her journey down a “new road” [as a Pastor’s wife] as well. I was ordained to the Gospel ministry in June, 1981, and began my first pastorate in Villa Park, IL on January 1, 1983. 

During the next three decades Win and I experienced both “the best of times” as well as the “worst of times” in church ministry. I don’t think I will take the time to try to catalog both the “highs” as well as the “lows” of the pastorate. Like most, if not all, of my colleagues, I experienced plenty of both during the thirty-one years from January 1, 1983 – December 31, 2014. 

However, I need to confess that I felt as though the slats were kicked out from beneath me and everything came crashing down around me during the last two months of 2014. Win and I found ourselves, along with our nearly 10-year-old black lab, Sadie Dakota – and most of our earthly possessions – crammed into a tiny third-floor, two-bedroom apartment on the south side of Lincoln, Nebraska. What we could not fit into the apartment [such as nearly 3000 books] was stacked and stuffed into a local climate-controlled storage unit. I must hasten to say that I don’t know how we ever would have survived had it not been for some very dear, wonderful and loving godly people, who were under our ministry during the previous two years in a little town about 30 miles north of our new “pad” in Lincoln. 

During the next ten months I had four opportunities to do “pulpit supply” in some area churches. I also mailed a cover letter and my resume to Pastoral Search Committees at several other churches around the country, but almost all of them did not even have the courtesy to reply. The few that did respond made it clear that I did not fit their “pastoral profile,” inasmuch as I was headed for 65 and they did not want anyone older than 45. That was when I came to the realization that what I had thought and hoped was only a detour that year, was, in reality, the beginning of a new road for me. I must also say that, unfortunately, it has not been a very scenic route. The one bright spot, was a Bible Church in Jansen, NE – some fifty-seven miles from our “home” in Lincoln. That church was filled with the most loving and caring people, under the teaching ministry of a fabulous free-grace pastor with a welcoming, hospitable wife and family [Paul and Carol Carpenter]. Although the drive was one hour each way, Win and I both concur that we loved to travel that road, because it always became a bright spot in our week. 

However, besides the financial and even social stress that plagued us, 2015 was also an emotionally and physically painful year for me. For example, I had to deal with the agonizing pain of kidney stones almost once every two months for most of 2014 and 2015. [One time I actually had two stones pass about 24 hours apart. I referred to them as “fraternal” twins and even named them, “Rocky” and “Rosetta,” before I gave them to my personal physician to send to a lab]. I suppose that I could best describe this road we are still on in 2016 as being full of potholes and having dangerous shoulders – along with very poor lighting, if any at all.

Just a few months before the end of 2015, I asked my bride of nearly 37 years [sort of with tongue-in-cheek], “So, Sweetheart, where would you like to spend my last days?” [She is almost 10 years younger than me]. We talked about several possibilities, and then she finally answered, “I would like to go back to Oregon!” Within one week she was offered a job as a Legal Secretary at a large law firm in the Portland area [about a 45-minute drive north from where we used to live for eight years in Salem, OR]. Two weeks later she flew from Omaha to Portland to do some apartment hunting over an early November weekend. When I dropped her off at Eppley Air Field in Omaha, I said, “Sweetheart, if you find what YOU want, go ahead and complete an application and pay the deposit.” She did. And exactly two weeks later we began our cross-country trip from Nebraska to Oregon. We had to leave lots of stuff behind, including all of our hand tools, power tools, yard tools, shelving – along with a beautiful outdoor patio table and chairs. We had no room for them in the truck . . . and, certainly no room for them at our new apartment. But we had fun giving them away – along with a washer, dryer, chest freezer – and lots of other things. [You know, of course, that it is just “stuff” . . . and there IS coming a day when we will leave it ALL behind, anyway].

We had a quiet Christmas day, 2015 – just the two of us and our dog.  Now, well into 2016 I still don’t have a clue what the Lord wants me to do – other than as much shopping, cleaning, grilling, and dog-feeding and walking as I can to help my bride. I admit that I am having trouble accepting the fact that what I initially thought to be a detour, may indeed have already actually become a road. In fact, I guess it is possible that, for me, it may even be “the road LAST traveled.” Obviously, one never knows . . .

But here is something I do know. From the day I began preaching, back in 1983, I never wanted to “retire.” As the saying goes, I guess I always thought I would “die with my boots on.” [And, by the way, I came very close to that on a couple of occasions]. But, here I am, essentially forced into retirement, Social Security, Medicare . . .  And lots of questions that it appears no one else can answer – and I cannot answer, either. Sometimes, I wonder not so much if this road is a “detour,” or if it is simply my “dead end.”

Which brings me back to the article I referred to when I began this piece. Just before the final paragraph, Vaneetha Rendall wrote, “If I keep looking back on the old way longingly, focusing on what I’ve lost rather than on what I have, I will miss the rewards of the new path. I need to open my eyes. Notice what’s around me. Remember that God goes before me. I need not fear for He knows what is up ahead.” [As an aside – obviously, I need to open my eyes, too].

Then she finishes her article with a most apropos passage from Isaiah. I intend to share it at the close of this piece. I cannot begin to explain how much it lifted my spirit and reminded me that “there IS joy IN the journey” – no matter what kind of road He has called you and me to travel. And, yes, there will be joy at the END of the journey as well. You see, I believe with all my heart that when I cross the finish line of my race, whether by death or by rapture, and then sprint down a gold-paved road through the pearly gates, I will fall into the loving embrace of my Savior, and it will have been worth it all.

Until then, the LORD God assures me as I continue to run my race down a road filled at various times and in certain places with the potholes of inability, uncertainty, insecurity and instability, “I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them” [Isaiah 42:16].  Amen.

"I will seek You in the morning . . ."

I love that verse in the Gospel of Mark where it says that Jesus got up early each morning and went to a quiet, secluded place where He would pray. [Ever wonder what HE asked for from the Father? I think the prayer recorded in John 17 may give us some insights]. Anyway, this verse [Mark 1;35] reminds me of an old gospel song that was written 101 years ago [March , 1912], when a music publisher asked C. Austin Miles to write a hymn text [and tune] that would give "hope to the hopeless" and "rest for the weary." Here are the words to the first stanza and refrain. [I suspect many of you will recognize the song]:

I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses;

And the voice I hear, falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own.

And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.

I've been thinking about that song today, especially earlier this morning when I loaded Sadie into my car and we headed about three miles north to Lake Wanahoo. I have been taking advantage of the beautiful summer weather we have been enjoying here in eastern Nebraska the last couple of weeks. Sadie and I have been doing this routine every weekday morning. We like walking along the west side of the lake - where the campgrounds are located. Usually almost all of the campsites are unoccupied, so I will often let Sadie off-leash as we walk along the lakeside [serenaded occasionally by the croaking of a bullfrog or two].

Sometimes, I am reminded how the Lord graced Win and me with the incredible privilege of visiting Israel three times from 1998-2009. One of our favorite places on each trip has been our overnight stay in Tiberius, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Each time we have been there we have awakened long before dawn the next morning and walked down to the water's edge to watch a few fishermen coming in with their catch of the day, and to see the sun rise over the Golan Heights on the eastern side of the lake. So, it is easy for me, while Sadie and I are walking along the shore of Lake Wanahoo, and watching the sun rise in the eastern Nebraska sky, to imagine Jesus on His early morning walks along the Galilee - perhaps on the northern shore in Capernaum [another place Win and I visited], where Peter and Andrew lived. 

My walk is a prayer walk. Every day I pray for everyone who worships with us at New Hope Bible Church - and for just about everyone else I know in Wahoo, Nebraska. [Of course, I pray for my Bride, our boys, and our extended family, as well as all of our dear friends all over the world]. It is such a cleansing, refreshing, spiritually-invigorating time. [I highly recommend it . . . and, by the way -so does Jesus]. :-)

This past Sunday I began a series of sermons on  the life of King Hezekiah - the seventh of eight good kings in Judah during the period of the "divided" kingdom. [The prophet Isaiah was one of Hezekiah's contemporaries]. This coming Sunday we will continue our study of the "wholehearted" way in which Hezekiah "sought the Lord" [i.e. His WORSHIP of the Lord]. Then, Lord willing, next week we will focus our attention on how he "served the Lord" [i.e., His WORK for the Lord]. And, by the way, we will discover that when it came to His work for the Lord, Hezekiah definitely had something in common with Jesus . . . and, dare I say it? Also, with ME! [Hint: It has something to do with when one awakes in the morning!]. Last Sunday's message 8.21.13]  has already been uploaded, and can be found at http://sermon.net/PastorJoeLombardi.

Running my race with all my heart,

Joe "PJ" Lombardi

August 22, 2013

My "Sadie" girl - w/UNL "Cornhusker" Bandana
@ Lake Wanahoo, NE on 8-21-2013

No other Gods but God, the Three-in-One: Yahweh, Yeshua and the Holy Spirit!

[http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/chaplain-ordered-to-remove-religious-essay-from-military-website.html ]

Please copy and paste the above link into your browser to read the article referred to in the following post.

The intent of the first amendment was NOT to separate the "state" from God! The "God" referenced in the Declaration of Independence is the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He has a personal name. It is "YHWH" [Yahweh]. He has a Son. His name is YESHUA [Jesus, who is the Messiah]. This is the God referenced in the pledge of allegiance. This is the God in Whom we trust. This is the God who created us with the "rights" catalogued in the Declaration of Independence. This is the God our early leaders worshipped. He is God ALONE. He has spoken without a stutter when He commanded His people NOT to have any other god besides Him. As an American and as a worshipper of YHWH, and a follower of His Son, Jesus, I am not only offended but also appalled at the action taken by this base commander. I applaud this chaplain, and others like him, who have the courage to minister the "Good Message" of life [the Gospel of everlasting life by grace alone, through faith alone, IN CHRIST ALONE!].  As my seminary professor, Dr. Howard Hendricks, used to say, "May his tribe increase!"

Chaplain Ordered to Remove Religious Essay From Military Website

radio.foxnews.com

The Church with Something Missing , , ,

       There are many people in the world today who outwardly appear to have it all. But, inwardly, they would admit that there is something missing. I suspect that most of us know individuals like that.

        But, did you also know that there are churches like that? Oh, externally, they may look great. I mean, they may have beautifully landscaped property with a “state of the art” facility. Indeed, many of them are known for their buildings, bodies and bucks. But, internally, they are dead. O, they have plenty of style, but no substance; lots of programs, but no power. Outwardly they are full of activity. Inwardly, they are void of spiritual vitality. There is something missing…

        In our sermon text yesterday [Revelation 3:1-6] @ New Hope Bible Church we discovered a message from the Lord that was sent to a church just like that. It was located in the first century city of Sardis. Externally it looked great, but internally it was dead. There was definitely something missing … 

        Jesus, the Great Physician and spiritual diagnostician had some strong words for this church. For example, He said to them, “I have not found your works perfect before God.” In this context the word translated “perfect” might be better rendered “complete.” In other words, He told them, “You haven’t finished what you have begun. You haven’t completed what you have started”. In essence, He said, “Church, you have had many beginnings; but few, if any endings. There are so many unfinished projects and aborted efforts. You have only gone ‘half-way’” – which, by the way, is what the word “mediocre” literally means. (You see, theirs was ministry of mediocrity. Everything they did was only “half done.” Their walk was half-baked, their witness half-cooked, their work half-finished and their worship half-hearted).

      He further rebuked them, “Your deeds have not been completed. In fact, in many cases, you have allowed your ministry to be aborted. You began as a living organism; now you’re nothing more than a dying organization. Once you were a movement that brought me glory. Now you’re just a monument that causes Me shame. What began through My divine inspiration has become nothing more than a human institution. There is something missing!”
     
        That, in essence, was the problem with the church at Sardis. It suffered from institutional dry rot. How did it happen? And how can we keep it from happening to the church-gathered here in Wahoo?

        I think that there are several steps that lead downward to spiritual sterility in a church. Let me quickly identify some of them for you, as I have often observed them over thirty years of pastoral ministry. My list is not exhaustive, but suggestive. For example, I think a church takes a step downward toward spiritual sterility when it becomes more concerned with . . .

        - The past than it is with the future
        - With its preservation than with its propagation
        - With its programs than with its people
        - With its affluence than its influence
        - With its reputation than its responsibility
        - With external conformity than with internal change

        Which begs the question: Can a church ever recover from its spiritual sterility and regain spiritual vitality? I believe so. Ponder the following insightful words write by the Methodist minister and devotional author E.M. Bounds in his classic little book titled Power through Prayer:  “What the church needs today is not more machinery or better,  nor new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use.”

        You see, there really is something missing: Holy Spirit filled, controlled, enlightened and empowered people. And that is why J. Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission also wrote,

Today the Holy Spirit is as truly available and as mighty in power, as He was on the day of Pentecost.  But since the days before Pentecost, has the whole church ever put aside every other work and waited upon God for ten days that His power might be manifested? We have given too much attention to method, and to machinery, and to resources, and too little to the source of power.

         So, what are we supposed to do? Well, the Apostle Paul said, in Ephesians 6:18, “Be filled with the Spirit.” Or, more literally, “Keep on being filled with the Spirit.” Day by day. Hour by hour. Moment by moment. Be filled with the Spirit. Walk by the Spirit. Be led by the Spirit. Never grieve the Spirit. Never quench the Spirit. “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

          Here is how it is stated in an old Gospel song that I haven’t heard in years . . .

To be used of God, to sing, to speak, to pray.

To be used of God, to show someone the way.

Oh, how I long to feel the touch of His consuming fire.

To be used of God, is my desire!

         And, yes, that is MY desire . . . I wonder, I hope, I pray that it might be yours, too!

Pastor Joe [PJ] Lombardi

[By the way, you may listen to yesterday’s message at http://sermon.net/PastorJoeLombardi ]

Only HOLD ON to What You Have!

Good Morning, Fellow Bloggers!

This post is my second attempt at writing to you today. The first one ended as I had just completed a rather "substantial" piece in Microsoft Word . . . which crashed. The "autosave" did not auto save, so I lost the entire document. [Now, why did the Lord let that happen? I thought it was pretty good. Perhaps the Lord had a different evaluation]. I was ready to "throw in the towel," reasoning, "this is my day off, I am not feeling well, I deserve a break today," etc., etc. [No one else ever comes to my pity parties, so, I usually recover rather quickly].

Besides, my day started very early this morning . . . well before the sun came up. [It's now close to noon, and I am still not sure it ever did come up]. I had set my alarm for my usual wake-up time, so I could check out the weather forecast on 1011 news. It was worse than I thought it was going to be. Due to a very dense fog [that, so far, has hung around all morning], the visibility was down to about a quarter mile, and in some places, almost down to zero. I told Win that I would be happy to take her to work today in downtown Lincoln, and return to bring her home later in the afternoon. We left earlier than normal, and arrived at the junction of 77 and the I-80 with plenty of extra time. Since neither one of us had eaten breakfast, I asked Win if she would like to stop at Cracker Barrel first. She was "all over it!" When we pulled up to the restaurant, however, we were immediately aware of the fact that our vehicle was the only one in the entire parking lot. We weren't even sure it was open. But we soon discovered, much to our delight, that it was indeed open, and that we the only patrons in the entire place. We had the entire center dining room all to ourselves - our table located up close to a wonderful roaring fire in their massive stone fireplace. After breakfast, while enjoying the sounds of snap, crackle and pop emanating from the scorched wood in the fireplace, and slowly sipping a fresh, hot refill of coffee, the Lord brought a phrase to mind that I had not thought of in some time. It was one of the favorite sayings of one of my favorite profs at Dallas Theological Seminary, Dr. Howie Hendricks. If I've heard him say it once, I have actually probably heard him say it a dozen times or more: "If there is a mist in the pulpit, there will probably be a fog in the pew." I.e., if the preacher has an unclear message, then the people will not have a clue what action to take, or what direction to go. They will be metaphorically, as we were literally earlier this morning, in a deep, dark, dense fog.

As I rehearsed those thoughts on my way home this morning, I could not help but think: That was essentially a huge part of the problem in the first-century church gathered in the city of Thyatira - the fourth church of seven that were addressed by our Lord in His seven letters to seven churches in seven cities, and recorded for us by the Apostle John in Revelation 2-3. The Thyatiran Christians had a huge problem in their pulpit. Basically, it had been usurped by a woman who was a self-proclaimed spokesperson for God. She actually referred to herself as a "prophetess."  But, because she was so wicked, Jesus nick-named her "Jezebel." It was not [nor has it ever been since then] a very flattering name for a woman - but it was very accurate and appropriate. She insisted that she had received personal, direct messages from God that would enable her followers to go "deeper" with God. But Jesus made it clear that she was only leading her followers down a dangerous, deadly path by knowing "the depths of Satan" [Rev. 2:24]. In order to combat this false teacher and her reprehensible teaching, Jesus strongly admonished the faithful believers in that church, "But hold fast what you have till I come" [Rev. 2:25]. I believe that is His Word to us today well.

So, WHAT did they have? And, what do we have? The Bible is very clear. The Apostle Paul told his young protege, Timothy, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and become convinced of . . . how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3: 14-17). “Timothy,” he said, “what you have heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching” (2 Timothy 1: 13). And, “do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). ONLY HOLD ON TO WHAT YOU HAVE!

In the words of a Sunday School song that Win and I both learned when we were children, and then passed on to our sons when they were young: "The B-I-B-L-E, yes, that's the Book for me. I stand alone on the Word of God, the B-I-B-L-E!"

Listen, my dear blogging friends: God never intended for His church to exist in some sort of mystical fog. He has revealed His will CLEARLY in His Word. He has spoken, and He has not stuttered [That may be another Hendricks phrase, I think]. I believe with all my heart that the best way to loosen the vice-like grip that this satanic deception has ON the church, is through sound doctrine which comes through careful, prayerful, thoughtful Biblical exposition IN the church.

If you are interested, you can listen to the sermon "I've a Message from the Lord" [an exposition of Rev. 2:18-29] online at http://sermon.net/PastorJoeLombardi.

Have a BLESSED day and HOLD ON to what you have!

His grace STILL amazes me,

Joe [Bro Joe, Pastor Joe, Pasta Joe, PJ, Mr. L, etc., etc.]

A "Churchy" World and a "Worldly" Church

"IN the world, BUT not OF the world" - that is how the church of Jesus Christ is often described. But, that is not necessarily how things always are.

Yesterday @ New Hope Bible Church, in our ongoing study of the "seven letters to the seven churches" in Revelation 2-3, we learned that the church located in the first century city of Pergamos [Revelation 2:12-17] had fallen prey to Satan's strategy of "covert infiltration." As a result, many Bible commentators today refer to her as "the compromising church." She struggled not so much because she was "in the world," but because the world was in her! And just how did that happen?

Yesterday we learned that Satan has a two-fold plan. We called it his "Trojan Horse Strategy." Basically, his goal is to encourage a "churchy" world, and at the same time to tempt churches to compromise their beliefs and their mission so that they become "worldly" churches.

So, what is the church of Jesus Christ to do? I told our folks that we need to remember that if New Hope Bible Church is going to "make it" in the WORLD, then we also better be in the WORD! Especially in these "last days" in our culture, when our enemy has been waging not so much a "frontal assault" but a "sneak attack." [To be sure, there are signs his strategy may be changing with respect to the American church].

The bottom line? We need to beware and we need to be ready today more than ever! In the words of the Apostle Paul, we need to arm ourselves with the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" [Ephesians 6:17]. We need to be ever so vigilant, and we must pray that we will not succumb to Satan's seductive and deceptive "siren song" to become like the world. Twenty-five years ago my Pastor, Ted Harmon, who was the Senior Pastor at the church where I served as the Youth Pastor [and where Win and I were married], taught us a chorus that I have never forgotten:

In the name of Jesus, In the name of Jesus,

 We have the victory!

In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, 

Satan will have to flee.

In the name of Jesus, Jesus, 

Who on earth can stand before?

In the name of Jesus, Jesus, we have the victory!

You may listen to the message "Satan's Trojan Horse Strategy" online at http://sermon.net/PastorJoeLombardi

Praising God for victory in Jesus,

PJ

It Will Be Worth It All

Good Monday, Fellow Bloggers!

Okay, it WAS cold here in eastern Nebraska this morning. For some reason my dog, Sadie, wanted outside about 2:30 a.m.. On such occasions I might be reminded by my "better half" that "Sadie IS YOUR dog!" But not today . . . My partner didn't even stir the slightest. So, out we went, my Sadie and I. I am quite sure the temperature was near zero. But, for some reason, as I write this blog, I am getting the distinct feeling that there may not be anyone even thinking about extending any sympathy to me for the way I had to suffer today.

Surely, my so-called "suffering" this morning was nothing compared to the brutal and sometimes fatal mistreatment experienced by the believers living near the end of the first century A.D., in the city of Smyrna, a commercial and financial center located in what would be known today as eastern Turkey. Her citizens were among the first in the entire Roman empire to embrace the cult of Emperor worship and to erect a temple for that purpose. Once a year everyone in the city was required to say "Kaiser kurios" ["Caesar is Lord"]. Faithful followers of Christ refused to give in to the demand. As a result, they were ostracized from society. Skilled workmen were denied membership in the trade guilds. Some were tortured in the most unimaginable and excruciatingly painful ways - often to the point of death. Somehow it seems so appropriate for the city name, Smyrna, to have the word "myrrh" as its linguistic root. For in order for the hardened resin of the commifora tree to emit is full fragrance, it would have to be crushed, beaten and pulverized - just like the Christ followers in that city were crushed and beaten and pulverized by wave after wave of persecution around A.D. 95. For the most part it was instigated by the cruel, egotistical and tyrannical emperor, Domitian, who even insisted that he be addressed as the "Lord God Domitian."

Yesterday at New Hope Bible Church, we studied the second letter of seven letters transcribed for us by the Apostle John, in Revelation 2-3. John was also the mentor of the pastor of the church at Smyrna, Polycarp, who was eventually killed for his faith in Christ and his ministry for Christ. We learned that the church at Smyrna faced intense poverty and persecution. The resurrected and exalted Christ challenged them to remain fear-LESS and faith-FUL, reminding them that ultimately it would be worth it all.

The Apostle Paul wrote these words to his protege, Timothy, "...everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" [2 Timothy 3:12]. Apparently, suffering for our Lord is NOT an elective. Rather, it is a required course in God's school of faith and character building. Perhaps that is why the Apostle Peter also wrote, "Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering. . . but rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed" [1 Peter 4:12-13]. No, it is not an easy course. But through it all we may [and must] rely on the counsel and consolation of Christ! So, to my fellow believers in Jesus I say, "be fearLESS and faithFUL!" Because, as the Apostle Paul wrote, "I consider that our present suffering are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" [Romans 8:18].

By the way . . . you can listen to yesterday's sermon online at: http://sermon.net/PastorJoeLombardi . You can also leave a comment right there online. And, please remember: Go ahead and share this link with someone else. We have no idea how the Lord may use this message to bring help, hope, peace and perspective to someone else!

Now, please remember - no matter whatever the Lord may allow to come your way in the coming days- that ultimately His purpose is to do something IN you [to "refine" you], and His plan is then to do something FOR you [to "reward" you with the "crown of life"].

So, in the words of one of my all-time favorite gospel songs . . .

It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus.

Life's trials will seem so small, when we see Christ!

One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase.

So, bravely run the race - 'til we see Christ!

STILL amazed by His grace,

PJ

--
Joe Lombardi, Pastor
NEW HOPE BIBLE CHURCH

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

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!

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!"

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.